Wow, what a year it was! I have to say I didn't realize how much fun it could be looking back on my photos from last year (mainly Tangleweeds Instagram.) I have a small personal goal that I take and post at least one photo to Instagram everyday. It's my way of making sure I stay involved with social media for my biz, but it's also my way of making sure I stop and take the time to document all that I'm doing over the course of a year. It was a bit hard whittling down the 352 photos to a manageable dozen or so, I must say!
Looking back was a really awesome reminder of just how much I did this year. I'm not trying to sound full of myself, rather I am someone who constantly pushes herself to do more. I'm rarely satisfied with what I've done, always wanting to push myself to do more (I am working on this, working on appreciating accomplishments. The hamster wheel does need to stop turning every now and then.)
This last year was a smorgasbord: time with my nephew (in Disneyland!), visits with the neighborhood goats, hilarious cat photos, a trip to Boston with my honey, began to teach myself how to weave and more. I hired and kept on my first part-time (permanent) employee, vended at so many amazing events (highlights include the KPFA Craft Fair and the Gravenstein Apple Fair), expanded on my re-purposed tin collection, released my largest collection yet (the Essentiality collection in the spring), designed and created a series of wall hangings (more to come this year), got back to posting outfits-of-the-day (even if it was rather infrequently), and landed my first shop for Tangleweeds in Japan.
I worked harder and longer hours than any other year in my life. I know this without tallying the hours. The counterpoint to that: I had to better learn how to slow down and take care of myself. I started seeing an acupuncturist and continued to learn about herbs and herbalism. Overall, I tried and am trying to be the best caretaker of me: the physical, the emotional and mental, and the spiritual.
Remember how I said, up above, how I'm rarely satisfied with what I've completed. Well, looking back on 2014 I'm feeling pretty darn content and happy.
And here's to a wonderful year to come!