Ringing in the New Year - Welcome 2012

With the coming of a New Year....comes changes....good or bad. Leaving a year that has held memories, obstacles, joys and more. 2011 was a pretty wonderful year. We welcomed into the world our granddaughter Tensley Danielle Thackston (aka Butterbean) who has been the ultimate joy of our lives. She has brought laughter, wonder and so much more love into our house. We have watched our kids turn into adults...Kayla becoming legal at the wonderful age of 21 and Shawn rolling on into adulthood at the age of 18. Shawn is halfway thru his Senior year. We had a beautiful wedding for Steven and Stephanie. Lots and lots of family fishing days at the lake which brings back so many memories of my youth. How we can't forget I turned 40 and was pleasently surprised by my friends with a surprise party. So many great crafty experiences. It's just been an awesome year.

So let me now reflect back to my 2011 "resolutions"
Focus more on my art

 

• Continue to work hard in the scrappy world and hopefully make a few more Design Teams
• Continue to submit my work for possible publication  
• Lose these last 15 lbs  
• Reopen my etsy store  
• Finish MY quilt and then really get envolved in more quilting  
• Hand make ALL my christmas for 2011  
• Make more time for me and my husband (We deserve it)  
• Take my first cruise  
• Go to the Moonshine Festival  
• Sign up for Paulding Meadows again and maybe work in another art fair  
• cut my hair SHORT  
• Take more weekend camping trips

Well lets see how I did.....I actually took a scrappy break! And with that break I took a break from Design Teams. Although I did get the opportunity to be a Guest Designer for Creative Imaginations which was AWESOME. I did continue to submit my work but sadly this year was not a great year on any publications. I DID NOT lose 15lbs. If anything I gained them! lol. I "tried" to reopen my etsy store but yeah...that didn't work. Quilting. Boy did I quilt this year. 7 completed quilts and 2 that need to be completed. For a first year quilter...I think that was pretty darn good. and my Christmas was about 75% handmade! yeah to me.
We did not get a chance to make more time for us...we did take a little weekend trip to the mountains which was nice but I was hoping we could of fit a few more trips in. Time and money were not on our side. I did not get to go to the Moonshine Festival either. Whomever planned that sucker around deer season needs a long talking too! No cruise either. Hmmmmm...it's not looking like I did much of my resolutions at all. Did not cut my hair short and did not take any camping trips (minus vacation). So well...the only other thing I accomplished was having a booth at Paulding Meadows again this year. We did awesome. I sold 11 paintings!! seriously.

So what does 2012 hold?

Well I am already starting off on the right foot with a 6 month Design Team term with USArtQuest. This is really going to challenge me in altered arts which I think will be a nice change. I do plan on continuing to paint. I have lots of ideas in my head but just need to get them out on canvas. Lots of quilting ideas. Oh heck....just tons of crafty ideas period! A big goal for me this year is to work on getting an online crafty business going. I just want to be able to sell my paintings/crafts a little easier. I also plan on quilting more.

I'm excited to start the new year off with NO credit card debt. This has been a long journey but one I think will benefit us in the long run. Now lets hope we can keep it that way. I have super large goals to sell more artwork. Why you ask....because mama wants a super duper new sewing machine so I need some cash! lol.
Because it is NOT going on a credit card.

February Danie will be a year old.
May Shawn will graduate high school.
Going to get busy on the weight loss. I have too! No excuses.
We might shoot for year three at Paulding Meadows.
And finally I really hope to get my Thirty-One business up and off the ground. It has been slow going for me since July but hopefully this new year will bring in some new customers, new orders and maybe a few shows.

So what do you hope the new year will bring for you? New Changes? New Goals? A New You?
I hope 2012 brings you everything you have been looking for.
I hope it brings you love and happiness.