Happy Monday everyone! Ready to start the new week off with some goal-setting fun?

Back in April as part of my 5th Scrap-i-versary Celebration, I laid out five scrapbooking-related goals I wanted to achieve during my next scrap-year. Since July represents three months since I first shared my goals, it’s time for a first quarter goal check-in.

Here is where I currently stand with my five scrapbooking goals after three months…

1. Get Back to My Scrapbooking Roots

I am pleased to say that this goal is coming along swimmingly. I scrapbooked my first 8.5×11 page in several years…

…and I have to say I LOVED it! It really made me wonder why I’d ever stopped!

It was such a refreshing change of pace from all the square layouts I’ve been doing the last few years. Nothing like switching up the page size to jumpstart the old mojo. I definitely see more rectangle pages in my future.

I’ve also started a list in Evernote called “scrap outside the box” which is full of various design and topic ideas outside my comfort zone which I’d like to challenge myself to try this year.

I also hopped on the Project Life train and will be starting a Project Life style project to document my 29th year. My new album and page protectors arrived last week and I’m feeling really excited to get started. I’ll be sharing more about this project soon.

2. Scrapbook More of Our Traveling Adventures

Travel scrapbooking is a go!

I introduced my new From Adventure to Album project in this post and am definitely ready to get my travel scrapbook on. I have a few few other projects this month to finish up first but you can definitely expect to see more travel scrapbooking come August and September.

3. Get My Organizing On

Aww, yes, my old foe organization…

Two things have been happening on the organization front. Not so much with actual organizing but definitely laying the foundation for future organizing.

Number one…

I am currently working my way through Stacy Julian’s new Finding Photo Freedom class over at Big Picture Classes, which Stacy graciously offered to let all alumni from her Library of Memories class take for free. (Thanks Stacy!)

The last time I took LOM was back in 2009 so the class has been a great refresher for her system.

I’m especially loving her more digital friendly stance this time around since that was something I always felt was sorely lacking in the original version of Library of Memories.

I wouldn’t say my photos are necessarily more organized as yet but I am definitely seeing a light at the end of the omg-I-have-way-too-many-photos tunnel.

Which brings me to number two…

I am currently playing around with the trial version of Apple’s Aperture. Being that I was a guest on the Paperclipping Digi Show a while back chatting about Lightroom, I feel a bit like I’m cheating admitting this, haha.

But what I’ve realized thanks to the The Great Computer Spring Clean-a-thon and Finding Photo Freedom is that I HATE organizing my photos in Lightroom.

There. I said it.

Phew, I feel better.

It’s just so…clunky. Clunky in the same way I find Windows clunky compared to the Mac OS.

There’s just something simple about Aperture I am really really loving right now. Whether I’ll make the switch, I don’t know, but with only four days left of my trial, I’m definitely feeling like Aperture may turn out to be a better fit for me. Or it may rekindle my love of Lightroom. Only time will tell…

4. Scrapbook 100 layouts by the end of 2011

This goal is kicking my ass.

I knew when I set this goal it would be tough. Really tough. The toughest of all five of these goals.

But I didn’t expect it to be quite this tough.

When I made this goal back in April, I had scrapped 17 layouts.

Three months later and six months into 2011 and I am at…

26 layouts.

Wah wah.

Which means I have 74 layouts to go in six months. 12.3 layouts a month.

Let’s face it, if I’m being realistic, that is probably not going to happen alongside everything I’ve got planned for the blog and the shoppe. But I’m going to move ahead and hope for the best. Maybe at the six month mark I’ll at least be at 50?

5. Turn NettioDesigns into one kickass place to hang out

Of all the goals on this list, this one is by far the most scary.

Not because I think it’s not possible. But because it’s so out there. For all the world to see.

I’ll admit there are days when I feel a bit like I’m talking to myself around here. Days where I get bit by the doubt monster and start questioning every.little.thing. Putting my thoughts and goals and work in such a public arena is definitely WAY outside my comfort zone.

But then there are also those moments that make everything worthwhile. A simple friendly comment. An awesome layout in the gallery using one of my templates. Someone who totally gets what I’m all about. Those are the days that make me want to do more.

Over the last three months, I’ve been thinking a lot about what my ultimate goals are for NettioDesigns, my vision for the site and how I can best help you. The good news is a plan is in place and I am kick-my-heels-off-and-do-a-happy-dance excited about where things are headed.

But it does mean there will be a few changes around here. Changes which will not only be more awesome for you but a better fit for me too. Don’t worry, what you love about NettioDesigns isn’t going away – it’s just being tweaked a little. And there may even be the need for a team in the near future…

Now It’s Your Turn

So that’s it for this first quarter update of my five scrapbooking goals for this scrap-year. With nine months still to go, I am definitely feeling good about the progress I’ve made and where these goals are headed.

What about you? Anyone else kicking butt on the goal front? Feel free to share in the comments!

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