Photography by Rebekah Burder for Honeysuckle Life.

I tried to come up with a catchy title for this type of posts, but nothing really worked. I want to bring back just a little bit of the goal-setting type of posts I did a year or so ago, with a mental health twist. Mostly because it holds me accountable to my goals, but also because I realized in the last few months that I am skilled at making and achieving goals.

That’s not something I ever thought I would say about myself. To explain is going to require a bit of vulnerability on my part. 

You see, for most of my life I’ve believe that I was a failure. I started believing this in 5th grade, when I wasn’t able to complete a school project. And I collected evidence along the way to say to myself, “See, you’re right, you ARE a failure.” Evidence like failing college courses, then dropping out of school, or difficulties in relationships and with co-workers. When mostly it was that I wasn’t perfect. I was human.

And then, something happened this fall, maybe it was my grandmother’s death, or my nephew’s death, our move to Ireland, the counseling course I’m taking, whatever it was, I realized that I’m not a failure, and I started gathering evidence: financial stability, quitting my job to volunteer and freelance, six months of training and a decent time at a half-marathon, moving to Ireland, changing my diet, a great marriage, planning my nephew’s funeral. I’m more successful than I thought, and I’ve accomplished more than I expected.

It’s because I have a good “team” behind me, a combination of my husband, family, friends, and supporters. But also because of who I am, of who I’ve become.

Last year, my goal was to increase traffic on my blog by 250%, and I did that. This year, my business goal is to make Honeysuckle Life a place not just for inspiration, but for dialogue. So I’m starting the conversation now, and I’ll try and post every Friday on a mental health or goal setting topic, and end with a question for you to ponder. I hope you enjoy!

Also, a special thank you to Tracy for her support via comments. The bridges are for you!

What negative self-belief do you need to give up this year? 

Photography and Styling by Laëtitia & Philippe Rissetto for e-mag deco.

Quirky. It’s the best word I have to describe this Parisian loft owned by Anouk Dossin, a real estate agent. From the giant egg to the perfectly miniature child’s dining set, the McDonalds signature M to a gilt edged bathroom mirror, this house is the perfect eclectic mix of vintage and modern. Enjoy!

The bathroom proves the mantra that as longas you keep one detail similar (in this case the color) you can use a variety of tiles in your bathroom or kitchen.

This bed looks like something you could just sink into on a sunny afternoon.

Giant egg? Yes please. Especially when it’s mixed with a floating bookshelf, giant gilt floor mirror, and papered walls.

The bathrooms in each bedroom have no containing walls, and each child has their own.

Photography by Rebekah Burder.

I love Paris in the spring time. I love Paris in the fall. I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles. I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles. -Cole Porter

The Paris I’ve had in my head is not the Paris I found when we landed on Christmas Eve. It’s dirtier, gritty, multi-cultural, and more graffitied. The train into the city is packed with people, standing room only, and David Sedaris’s writing immediately pop into mind. By the time we arrive at the Bastille, we’ve realized we know exactly no French, and are trying to order our first panini. Thankfully, our pointing and muttered Anglo-Spanish gets through to the waiter. Our paninis arrive and we’re off to the hotel.

We spend the next four days learning the streets of Paris, eating crepes, and standing in awe of this amazing city. The architecture. The food. The coffee. The colors. The…everything.

There’s this scene in the Sopranos, one of five that I’ve seen from the show, where two of the main characters are looking for the Louvre. They’re frustrated and lost, and then they look up and realize they’re in PARIS. That’s exactly how I felt. We would get lost, and then I would look up and BOOM, my breath would be taken away by something so typically Parisian it felt surreal.

Instead of visiting Versailles, we chose to take a tour of Chateau Vaux le Vicomte.

Here are a few details from our trip:

Flight: Aer Lingus

Hotel: We stayed at the Standard Design Hotel just a block or two from the Bastille Metro stop. The room was clean, and customer service was excellent. We were one street over from great shopping and restaurants, from sushi to crepes.

Tour: Paris City Vision

Apps: Paris Metro

I’m in need of chairs, the kind that you can sink into and have a good chat. The comfortable kind, placed across from the couch, in a reading loft, or beside a guest bed. We have none, yes, none, in this house. And I’m suffering for it. So the research begins, and hopefully, by the end of the year, I’ll have found the perfect chairs for the perfect places in our home. Until then, here’s a few of my favorites I’ve found.

Above, I’m loving the modern print on this chair from the Dwell Store (via Lonny Mag). The line of the chair is neat and modern, but the print keeps it approachable.

Simple black covered chairs from My Scandinavian Home are kid and pet friendly. The kind of no-fuss chair that you place and don’t worry about.

And this brown chair by (Plaza Interior via Style Files) looks low enough for these short legs to touch the floor.

A reclining chair with ottoman is a must have for any respectable reading nook, and this black leather version, via Casa Valentina, is well qualified.

I’ve featured both of these country style chairs before (read: Cozy Seating Arrangements), but they’re worth another look, via Country Living and Michael Penney.

A staple in my childhood dining room, cane back chairs are being modernized with monochrome paint and upholstery, much like the chair you can (barely) see in this image from Home Is Where the Heart Is.

Green is the new gray, and I’m loving this vintage version from Angela Hardison via Bunny &  Dolly.

Finally, I love the variety of seating in this eclectic living room (via Lonny Mag). A comfortable and classic wingback is paired with modern, detached back slatted chairs. Lovely, I think.

Whenever I need to bring a dish for a group meal, roasted vegetables are my favorite choice. It’s low-cost, less than $10 for the entire dish, everyone loves them, and I don’t have to worry about packing leftovers home.

This recipe is perfect for those dinners. You can prep the vegetables, place in the oven, then start getting ready for the dinner. It’s a crowd favorite.

Roasted Root Vegetables for 12

Yield: 12 servings

Time: 20 min. to prep, 60 min. to cook

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
• 4 medium red onions
• 1 head garlic
• 3 lbs. or 1.5 kg. red (or small yellow) potatoes
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325° F or 175° C.
2. Peel and clean the sweet potatoes, then cut into wedges or bite size chunks. You’ll want these pieces to be larger than the red potatoes as they cook faster. Place in a large bowl.
3. Quarter the red onions, and add to bowl.
4. Peel the skin off the garlic cloves, and add all of them to the bowl.
5. Clean and halve the red potatoes. If they are exceptionally large, cut into large pieces. Add to the bowl.
6. Pour olive oil over the top and mix until everything is well coated. Add salt and pepper as needed. Spread evenly onto two baking sheets, place the rosemary sprigs on top, and cook for 45 minutes. Remove trays from oven and shake the potatoes to prevent sticking. Cook for another 15 minutes until vegetables are done and crispy.