Laurie Miller Designs - Designed with Heart. . .Dazzled by Hand.

A new year. . .a new month. . .a new day. . .a new moment.

As I have looked around at my favorite blogs, there is a repetitive theme of the new year.

How could there now be.

As an artist and a person with creative endeavors, this is a time for reflection and planning and looking back at the things we have accomplished. What worked? What didn't? What goals were accomplished? What weren't?

We have been talking alot about those things in our home.

Changes we want to see in our creative business, our creative lives, our family. . .

In some ways, the new year fills me with feelings of hope and repurposing.

In other ways, it leaves me feeling overwhelmed.

I prefer to focus on the positive things.

This was an interesting year for our family - in many ways it was very difficult.

But in many more ways, it was filled with miracles . . .

* we added a member to our family with the birth of our first grandson and were blessed to be a part of the miracle of birth

* we watched two of our children graduate from school - one from high school and one with his associates degree

* our home grew with daughter and baby moving back in, blessing us with the ability to interact with our grandson every single day

* we attended the most fairs and festivals that we ever have - some were fabulous, others were not - but as a whole, it was a great season of art and selling

* we met new friends and rekindled relationships with old friends

* we found our products being sold in more stores and meeting some of our past goals

* we are expanding our horizons with an updated Etsy shop and looking at other opportunities as well.

I welcome the new year. I welcome the chance to attack some of my new family, artistic and professional goals.

I look at the gray skies that cover our corner of the world accompanied by rain and I welcome the chance to stay warm and cozy in our home - paint brushes in hand.

This time of year affords me the opportunity to work on different projects because we aren't gearing up for a "big" festival. I am using this as a chance to reexamine what I want out of this roller coaster ride called life.

I would love to know what other people are planning for this upcoming year. . .share your goals. Maybe we can all support one another. That is the only way to make the ride worthwhile!