2014 A Look Back + Some Lessons Learned

Happy New Year y'all!
Even if I am about two weeks late. I love the beginning of the year. I love change ( to an extent) and I dig a fresh start. I love all the new year new me postings. And I love reflecting on how far we’ve/I’ve come in 365 days and how excited we all are to start anew. It's been so long since I've posted over here and for that I apologize! I've had ideas and thoughts but a lack of words and the ability to coherently express them. I spent the latter part of the year in a bit of a downward spiral internalizing negative vitriol found in the comments section while alternately laughing hysterically at random videos. Subsequently I had a hard time getting out of the heavy fog in which I was wallowing. I took a little (unintentional but necessary) time off from writing over here and focused on my writing for MommyNoire and For Harriet (and it's sister sites) while catching up on all the DIY's I had been putting off. It sort of felt good to check out of the 'need to post a blog' routine a bit but still be "social" via Instagram and Facebook. I was having a hard time gathering my thoughts for a cohesive posts and then when I did write for here, it was sort of all over the place. So I took a step back. Sometimes a break is the best thing for some clarity and inspiration and I got a little of that while I was "off".

Looking back on the year I saw how not having one word for the whole year kind of threw me off kilter and it took months for me to get back on track.
I've chosen my word for this year and it has me feeling positive and looking forward to whatever lies ahead.

In the year two thousand and fourteen :

• Baby Ninja turned 2 and we celebrated the only way Wild Things know how - at My Gym with the rest of the tiny tornado crew.

• We moved for the first time in 5 years, 5 miles down the street in the same town. It took 5 men approximately 5 hours and it happened to be the rainiest day of the year. Go figure.

• Sweet Pea turned 12, got a cell phone and started junior high. I am currently still recovering.

• We took a family road trip up to San Francisco and it was beautiful and tiring and exciting and majestic and everything I hoped for. ( I have plans to finally post about that later this month)

• I went to New York in the summer for Blogging While Brown and got to spend some much needed time with my East Coast besties in the heart of NYC, I took the subway, saw art, had brunch, was refueled with conversation and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was epic and I'll never forget it.

• I also attended my 2nd LUCKY FABB conference, saw my girl crush Nicole Richie up close & personal and got to reconnect with some old favorites as well as meet some awesome new ladies. Bloggers are my jam.

Danielle of The Style & Beauty Doc

• It was also "the year of the margarita" and I spent a great deal of time perfecting my blending technique with a variety of fruits and flavors. It got so serious I ended up with a margarita machine for Christmas. This is going to make 2015 that much more exciting.

• D &I celebrated 4 years of marriage. We had a fancy dinner at RuthsChris (my first time) where they sat us next to another couple celebrating 44 years on the same day. I took that as a sign and we made sure to speak and wish them well. Storing up our own good marriage karma if you will.

I took on more writing outside of the blog with contributing roles at MommyNoire and For Harriet and it's sister sites in the beauty and style categories and I hope to continue expand my work in the coming year.

There were a LOT of trips to Target and the Farmer's Market and while we weren't the most fit, we did eat cleaner. This year is all about bringing it all together, fitness, wellness and nourishment. I have a couple new cookbooks I'm looking forward to using to help us on that path.

I turned 35. It was.....both monumental and not. It's hard to explain but I have to say I felt good about it and really feel like myself more now than I ever have before.

I am SO excited about this year. It's not as if I have in stone HUGE opportunities planned or anything but I just feel a shift, not only in my psyche but in the energy in the air as well. Well, that's not entirely true, I do have some things planned and I AM super excited about them all but I'm okay with being patient while it all comes together and I work on my master plan.
I've got my vision board up and left a little open space so I can add to it as the year goes and things crop up. I spent a little time this week working on my office, a task I've been putting off and am excited to get even more organized and get the gallery wall up once and for all so I can be inspired on the daily.
In regard to the blog and the posts here, in years past I've tried to stick to daily themes and post up to five times a week and I've come to realize that's just not going to happen. So plan to post as often as I can , 3 days a week. Lots of fun features on up and coming business, events and life happenings. Should be pretty fun.

Last year was full of ups and downs. As always things did not turn out as expected. They were both infinitely better and worse. New relationships were forged, old ones flourished while others simply withered away. This is the circle of life and I'm learning to continue to cherish those who remain, be open to what comes my way and to roll with how things play out.

Welcome 2015, I embrace you with open arms and a smile on my face. Let's do this thing!