2015: The Year in Review

2015 has come and gone. And what a strange year it was for me. The last few months have flown by in a blur. In fact, this past year was far too busy for my liking. Like most women do, I took on way too much. I've come to realize it's all about the quality of life not the quantity. In my rush I missed out on quality time that I would normally spend with family and friends. I tried to spread myself too thin and ended up over scheduling every free moment I had. Sure I had some new adventures and met a lot of amazing and wonderful people this past year but the whole time I felt like a hamster on a wheel. I was running as fast as I could and still managed to get no where near my goal. By the time December came along, I thought I need to make some serious changes in 2016! 

I started to think about what I really wanted in life. What are my goals? Where am I headed in life? I had hardly taken the time to even think that through. In short, I started to do some serious shadow work through the holidays. Here are just a few things I need to change in my life this year. 

1) Make time for fun! This is the most important item on this list. I mean really...What is life really about if you're missing all the fun? If you're rushing through life not paying attention to the little things that really matter? I missed some important opportunities to spend time with my family this past year and that needs to change! I'm going to make time for fun! This includes things like take my dog for long hikes, take my son to Fan Expo, ride my mountain bike more often, spend long leisurely sundays in the Camaro, go to midnight movies downtown, dress up more often for events, travel to new places, and enjoy all that life has to offer by being more spontaneous in general. I love going places at the last minute. In fact, yesterday I went to a local Psychic Fair with a few friends and had a great time meeting new people. 

2) Learn new stuff! I've been on a spiritual journey for the past few years. I've been taking classes at my local Wicca Shop and soaking up as much information as I can. Currently I'm taking a spell casting class on Saturday mornings. It's amazing to meet new people that are interested in similar things. Finding a group of people that I am completely comfortable with and can be my true self with is priceless. I have always been an avid reader and researcher. If I find a topic interesting I will research it to death until I become an expert on that topic. Right now I am fascinated at learning all I can about the ancient Pagan Religions and Occultism. It is such a vast topic that I don't think I will ever learn all there is to know. Who could? I'm also doing some research into my family history. Hopefully I can plan a trip to North Carolina this year and see the small towns my parents grew up in. A very wise man once told me that you can not know where you are going until you know where you came from. 

3) Be Creative! I've been wanting to make some larger projects that require more time for a while now. I'd like to make at least a few of the large scale designs that have been swimming in my head for years now. I really want them to become a reality this year. I'm also moving forward with my business this year.  I want to expand into Home Decor again. I was a professional decorator/stylist for years and my love for home design needs to be satisfied again. I hope to make some more quilts and other decor items for sale very soon. In the mean time, here are a few items from my Etsy Store. :)

The wind was really picking up in that last photo. Lol. 

4) Get Organized! Speaking of home decorating, my poor house has been severely neglected the past few years. I always spend far too much time working on everything but what I actually should be doing! Maybe you've noticed I've been a little absent from my blog lately. When I get too distracted with social media (Facebook and Pinterest- I'm looking at you!) I waste too much time surfing. Well, last month I unplugged more often and finally did some cleaning and organizing around the house instead. I still have a long way to go though. There are boxes in the basement that have never been unpacked in at least 10 years. Yikes! 

5) Enjoy Nature! I've always loved wandering in the woods. This year I intend to make more time for outdoor activities like hiking or gardening. I also love mountain biking. However, I should say I'm not in it for the exercise. I just love being in the woods. Getting fit is just a nice side effect of loving the outdoors. When I was little I would spend the entire summer exploring the marshy woods by my house or walking on the rocky beaches. I'm a west coast girl at heart so that means I'm a Tree Hugger through and through. 

Basically I just want to spend this next year doing what I love to do and get back to what's truly important to me!