I realize this may seem like it is coming in late but beginning a new year is busy and full of thoughtfulness. It’s a busy time reflecting back on 2017 and what you did and didn’t accomplish and then the hopefulness, excitement, and nervousness of what a new year will bring. As well as, loving on loved ones, missing those no longer with us, making new resolutions (that you know full well you will probably drop by February), or making a ‘2018 Goal’s List’. Whatever you fancy. Unless you are super on top of everything and made these New Year goals before January first, then you are probably busy making these plans once January is here. Let’s be real – that’s me! I still haven’t completely finished my 2018 goals list.
Because of that, I don’t feel like this post is late. I have had an appropriate amount of time to reflect on my 2017.
Here are these reflections.
I would say 2017 was a year of change. I don’t know about anyone else but I like to sum up the year with a word of a phrase and 2017 was ‘change’.
I went into the year engaged and wrapped up tight in wedding planning. You could say I was a little stressed starting 2017. And honestly, I don’t really remember much from the beginning of the year. My memory is a bit blurry when I look back on January, February, and March. Enough about that!
2017 Review.
Valentine’s Day: Brady, knowing how painfully I often miss living in England, made me dinner that reminded me of living there. I also tell him stories about going to Costa and getting the tomato mozzarella Panini’s – it’s nothing special and a chain coffee shop (I’m not really even a fan of their coffee) but it was something I did a lot and loved doing. So he re-created these sandwiches for me, even though he doesn’t like them!
March: In March, we made time to spend a night at Red Rock Canyon (in Oklahoma, not Colorado). We make it a goal to try and go camping somewhere once a month but with wedding planning, this really got pushed on the backburner but the month before we got married we made sure to stop and take a little break.
April: My birthday! Mehgan, my best friend, collected notes from some of my family and friends and gave them all to me – it was amazing! Of course, I still have all of them and I have definitely read through them more than once throughout the year! Brady gave me a planter and a trip to Lowe’s to buy succulents it was another perfect gift and made me so happy!! This month was also difficult, with stress and emotions running on high, for both Brady and I, we struggled leading up to our wedding. Him getting frustrated with me and me getting my feelings hurt and feeling like it was unfair, and just the back and forth. It was definitely hard the two weeks before our wedding and then Thursday before our Saturday wedding, I got so sick! And our flowers (we ordered from Sam’s and Fifty Flowers) were delivered and placed in the garage – to my complete and utter horror! But, finally, through all of the madness and stress Brady and I finally got married, on Earth Day! And it was amazing! I was so, so sick but it happened and we made it through! We got married and I moved in with a boy, and to a new city. It all changes so fast!
Getting married and honeymooning were the highlights of 2017!
May: HONEYMOON! We spent two weeks in New Zealand and it was AMAZING! Absolutely insane getting there but so beautiful, breath-taking, stunning, unbelievable, phenomenal, basically all of the fantastic words. We cannot wait until we get the change to go back. I want to do a New Zealand post all on its own so I won’t go into too much here but some highlights include, Mount Sunday, Queenstown/Arrowtown, hiking, Glow Worms in the caves, seeing Lord of the Rings filming sites, but Hobbiton takes the cake! Other, less exciting things in May are that I began working from home and really started growing my business, Carlie J Design.
Summer: I don’t really remember much about the summer. I did my first An Affair of the Heart (AAOTH) event. It was in Tulsa, in July and was a success! I also started Weight Watchers in July, as well. This began my real work to become a healthier version of me.
Fall: With the first AAOTH going so well, business really took off after that, I signed up for loads of other shows in the fall. To name a few: Fin & Feather, two more AAOTHs, and Wizard World Comic Con. During this time I really learned a lot and grew a lot as a businesswoman – my limits and boundaries were pushed and I did a lot of growing. If you want more on that see my previous post, A Life of Craft Fairs. In October, I signed up and paid to join a Pop Up Shop event. This event ran from November 16th through December 23rd and was my first experience of being a proper brick and mortar business. This was a definite learning experience and was not as successful as I had hoped but looking back now, was more successful than I realised! I miss feeling like a “real” business. Working from home and operating online and at events only, often makes me not realise how much I am really accomplishing. So it was nice being able to experience what it would be like to actually own my own store! This even was with the BA Buzz (Holiday Pop Up Shops).
December: I did two more shows in December and really began winding down the year. Spent time with our families for Christmas – that is a whole stressy-mess all on its own! Getting married and all the sudden you have somewhere between 4 and 8 Christmas events you are expected to attend and buy gifts for! Yikes! Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas, I love buying gifts for everyone and I want to go to all of the events and eat all of the food and do all of it, but it is hard. And I’m not made of money. But it went surprisingly smooth this year, for which I was grateful! And I ended the year down 12 pounds, eating loads better, and continuing on my way to be the healthiest version of me!
And here we are.
Quitting my job. Marriage. Moving. Working from home. Working for myself. 2017 was a year of change.
So hat’s off to a wonderful year of change, 2017 and hello to 2018, a new year with new challenges and new adventures! Let’s make this a good one.
Cheers!
Carlie
*Post originally posted on my other site, carliejdesign.com, but I am now separating my business site from the blog site, therefore I am moving the posts here. Jan 23, 2018*
