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You are here: Home / Stories from the Bungalow / May the Fourth Be With Me and the Word of the Year

May the Fourth Be With Me and the Word of the Year

January 3, 2016 By Karen Cooper 14 Comments

Happy 4th birthday to the blog! Dogs Don’t Eat Pizza is four years old!

My son called this ice cream cake "the best cake ever." So easy to make and so yummy! - thediybungalow.com

Mmmm … birthday cake! Click on the photo for the recipe.

If you want to read my first post, it’s HERE. Crazy to think that was four years ago!

Each year, I pick a Word of the Year. Last year, my Word of the Year (or WOTY) was, well, two words: faith and focus. Before that, in 2014 the word was “confidence,” the year before was “brave,” and the year before that, “evenings.”

How did last year’s #WOTY turn out? Well, I think pretty well. I focused on my blog as a business more last year than in previous years – I finally, really understood what that meant and what needed to be done. And I’m still working on that. I had faith in myself and tried new projects and new tools. I also kept faith when things were difficult, including losing Bear, M’s illness and diagnosis, and losing my father-in-law.

I had some trouble choosing this year’s #WordoftheYear. So many things came to mind.

Organized?

I’m constantly trying to stay organized in the midst of work, kids, water in the basement, etc. But this isn’t interesting, and it’s more of an ongoing thing, rather than something I’m going to focus on for a year.

Kind?

I’m constantly annoyed by people who aren’t kind to other people, whether in person or online. Again, this is more of an ongoing, all-the-time thing, rather than just a this-year thing.

Soar?

I said this to Dear Husband and he said, “What hurts?”

Oops. I said, “S-O-A-R. Not ‘s-o-r-e.'”

I scrapped that idea.

So here it is. The winner for Word of the Year, 2016:

Word of the Year 2016 - thediybungalow.com

BOLD. That’s the Word of the Year.

Why “bold”?

I’ve got some big projects to tackle that I’ve waffled on since we moved in. The pantry is one I’ve mentioned before. I’m still tinkering with the idea of a kitchen renovation; we’ll have to see what the budget allows there. Plus, the shed is getting a major renovation and going to become an amazing workspace for me.

I’m planning to build more in 2016. I’m working on the designs for a new mantel for the living room fireplace and for a new farmhouse table.

Also, I’m going to spread my wings a little (or a lot!) this year and try some new things, including (1) providing design services and (2) learning about owning and operating a retail store.

A what??

I’ve dreamed of owning a store for the longest time. It’s in my blood, actually – my great aunt owned an antiques store. I find so many cool vintage things and can’t keep all of them, so it’d be fun to open a shop to sell them. I have no idea how to do this, of course, so that’s why the learning has to start. I actually can’t believe I just typed all this. I’ve only told Dear Husband about this hair-brained idea of mine before now. But he was so encouraging and supportive of this that I thought it was time to, well, be BOLD and move forward.

Do you have a Word of the Year? I’d love for you to share it in the comments.

Let’s go boldly into 2016, shall we?

You might also like:

  • Thirty Days of Gratitude, Day 30: The Brave Year
    Thirty Days of Gratitude, Day 30: The Brave Year
  • A New Look and My Word of the Year
    A New Look and My Word of the Year
  • One Year, plus the Word of the Year
    One Year, plus the Word of the Year

Filed Under: Stories from the Bungalow 14 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

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Comments

  1. Meg K says

    January 4, 2016 at 11:12 am

    Love it! Mine is Balance 🙂 Happy Bold New Year to You! 😀

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 4, 2016 at 9:00 pm

      I like “balance.” My word in 2012 was “evenings,” and it was all about balance. Love it! Happy new year!!

      Reply
  2. Christina in FL says

    January 4, 2016 at 1:26 pm

    OOooo Karen, I like that one! :)))) I am adding it to my word for the year “HAPPY!” and make it “BOLDLY HAPPY!!”
    Last year… I have no idea what my word was…. evidently it could have been “change” because I experienced many.
    Happy, healthy, wonderful and BOLDLY HAPPY New Year to you and all! 🙂

    Reply
    • Christina in FL says

      January 4, 2016 at 1:27 pm

      OOooo and “aware”… lol because I forgot to congratulate you on 4 years of blogging! :)))

      Reply
      • Karen Cooper says

        January 4, 2016 at 8:59 pm

        LOL! Thank you so much!! 😉

        Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 4, 2016 at 8:59 pm

      I love “boldly happy”!! Excellent! Happy wonderful boldly happy new year to you, too!!

      Reply
  3. Mary D says

    January 4, 2016 at 1:45 pm

    Awesome, i love the idea of being BOLD, and that you are exploring where it can take you thru design services and retail…awesome! Best of luck in nurturing these ideas.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 4, 2016 at 8:58 pm

      Thank you! We’ll see what happens, but it’s time to take some leaps!

      Reply
  4. Marty Walden says

    January 4, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    Good for you, girl! I love it! Mine is purpose, both as a noun and verb but you can read about it when I finally get the post up! Sometimes it scares me when I pick a word. Last year’s was unafraid and we know how that one turned out!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 4, 2016 at 8:58 pm

      Thanks! I think your word turned out fine last year, because you tackled a lot of, ahem, “stuff” with grace and bravery! I like your word for this year, too!

      Reply
  5. Karen says

    January 4, 2016 at 10:28 pm

    Wow! I , too, have been talking about a retail shop for the same reason you gave: can’t keep all the treasures, why not sell them in a fun, friendly, and pretty setting? I look at empty buildings in my area and think about them as a potential shop. I’m missing a local tea shop and think about combining the two. I’m thinking and talking, but not ready to “walk the walk” yet! Not ready to be bold in that dept. yet! I’m still a working teacher and know I couldn’t handle both! I look forward to following all your endeavors. You’ve got quite a list there! Congratulations on your first four years and here’s to many more!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 23, 2016 at 10:13 pm

      Thank you! I love the idea of a tea shop and treasure shop combined! That’s a great idea. Thank you for following along on my crazy adventures!

      Reply
  6. Colleen says

    January 6, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    The thumbnail of this cropped and looked like it read “ebola.” I was about to be very concerned about your plans for the year. Ha!!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 23, 2016 at 10:13 pm

      HA! Um, that’s not what I have in mind! 🙂 Thanks!

      Reply

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Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




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About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

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