This year, Tim and I decided to go with the increasingly popular trend of bucking a New Year’s resolution list, and coming up with a New Year’s resolution theme. Specifically, we wanted to come up with a word that would help guide us for 2012.

We gave the idea very careful thought, and came up with the word “rooted.” That one idea speaks to many of the specific dreams Tim and I have for ourselves as individuals, a couple, professionals and citizens of Chattanooga.

We tried (admittedly half-heartedly at times) for 6 full years to plant roots in Memphis. It just never happened. We are committed to seeing that happen in Chattanooga, and we’ve already got some roots planted, but we have much more work to do before this place really and truly starts to feel like home. We both want to get more involved in our church and in our community, and really be part of the fabric of this town.

We also want to form more meaningful relationships with people; its really hard to thrive when you don’t have very close personal friendships. I have already met some wonderful Chattanoogans, so I hope to continue to nurture those relationships (haven’t done a good job at all since becoming pregnant, unfortunately). I also hope to meet some new people who will become life long friends. It’s pretty darn tough to make friends with other adults. We are all so busy with our respective commitments, so carving out time for new people is a big ask. I hope that I will make the time to seek out those people, though, and should I be lucky enough for those people to seek me out, I really hope that I will make room in my life for them!

We are also welcoming another child into our family, and this will be a year for Tim and I to become even more rooted in our role as parents. I know we will be tested repeatedly, not just this year, but for the rest of our days, but we have strong foundation now, and I look forward to seeing it become even stronger as we grow.

Having a theme is easier to remember than having a list of 10 goals. My original idea was to put the word somewhere we could see it daily, like on the fridge. But then I thought it would be even more powerful to see a creative expression of this word, through art, hung in our home where we could enjoy its beauty and meditate on its meaning throughout the year.

So, of course, I turned to Gallery Direct to put together something truly beautiful. Would you like to see it?

This is a print of a photo I found on Flickr, under the creative commons licensing section. When something has a creative commons license, that means you are free to use it as long as you attribute the photographer. This is a beautiful piece by Kevin Buehler. It really spoke to both of us, as it shows these really big roots stretching out far and wide. It now hangs in our kitchen/dining room, and is in a place where we see it many times each day. I can actually see it from my spot at the kitchen table right now!

This custom print has already helped get me re-motivated to work more on our business we are launching (something I’ve let fall completely to the wayside for the past 3 weeks) and has inspired some quality conversations between Tim and me. The frame is absolutely stunning…this is so much better than sticking a word on the fridge!

If you are in need of some inspiration in your house, consider framed art. If you have a particular picture in mind that you’d like to get framed, you are REALLY in luck, as I have an awesome coupon code for you! Use code photo75 to save 75% off your canvas photo print! It expires on 2/1/2012, so hop to it!

Disclosure: I serve as a blog ambassador for Gallery Direct. Product samples are provided as part of the program. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.