2018 A Year in Review

2018 was such a busy and amazing year for me. It seemed to go by in a huge blur. In January we took a family trip to Cuba. We had the whole family there, 8 of us went and stayed for a week. The trip was beautiful and we loved getting away in the middle of winter to warmer weather. We have been thinking about going to Cuba again this year but haven't quite decided yet.

In March I did a second fashion show with my good friend Madame Absinthe. The theme was Post Apocalyptic, but considering that really isn't my style at all, I decided on a Vampire theme instead for my collection. My thought was that of course the Vampires would survive the Apocalypse and come out of hiding to feed on whats left of the population. I was much more comfortable working on the Vampire theme so I could incorporate some of my signature velvet pieces. I won't go into too much depth and details about the show in this post as it really deserves its own post.

I did a few alternative shows after that including some new Pagan shows I hadn't done before which was really nice. I have been neglecting my blog for a long time which is a shame really because I do enjoy writing. The shows were a great success and I met some new friends and lots of friends I hadn't seen in quite a while. Hopefully I can do some Renn Faires next year as well.

I started doing more sewing related youtube videos and I would really like to get back to that. I smashed my IPad and that put a stop to the videos for a bit unfortunately. I stopped doing the Pagan related videos because I just find the topic too personal to share in videos to be honest. I admire those on youtube that can share themselves freely but that just isn't me. I am an Aquarius after all. There are some things I still keep to myself which includes my spiritual practices. However, I do love being involved in the community both online and in person. My local study group and coven had a full year as well. We discussed so many topics and didn't miss a single Sabbat this year. I am truly blessed to have such an amazing group of people to share my path with.

I did a few Harry Potter events again this year reading Tarot for charity. I love dressing up and playing Professor Trelawney for the events. I also taught a beginner Tarot class at my local book shop that went really well. Hopefully I will get the chance to teach again in the future.

 

We did several day trips in the summer with the Camaro, which is always nice. And a few road trips in the Jeep to trails in Cottage Country up north.

 

 


As for my sewing business, I did try some new items at shows and online this year. I introduced the Stevie Shawls in multiple colours and they were a big hit. I sold almost everything from the fashion shows, only keeping some of the special pieces like the black wool cape. I did lots of shows in the summer and fall but opted to not do so many Christmas shows this year. I'm glad I didn't because it made the season much more enjoyable for me and my family. I focused more on the online sales instead. I did make a few mistakes this year in my choices of jobs I took on. I need to be more selective in what I make and focus on my own style. When doing shows, it can be easy to get sidetracked into making items specifically to sell at shows instead of what you like to make. It's difficult to stay focused for me sometimes. I want to avoid being side tracked this year.

 


I also tried to share more Outfit of the Day posts on Instagram as people seemed to enjoy those. I learned a lot about myself doing that also. I learned what actually looks good on me and what I like to wear. I learned that I sew a lot but I don't have much of my own designs in my wardrobe which is a real shame! I need to make more items to incorporate into my wardrobe daily. I also want to start sharing more of the sewing progress both here on the blog and on Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 


My biggest success this year was that I made progress at losing some weight this year. I started a Ketogenic diet in the early fall. As of today, I have lost 30 pounds which is really exciting. The big issue with the diet is that I am also vegetarian. I have been vegetarian for at least 23 years now, so I wasn't about to just start eating meat. So I did the Keto diet as a Veggie which is really strict even with dairy included. I gave up sugar, bread, and pasta and tried to eat as low carb as possible. You can just imagine how tough it is for a Veggie, but I stuck to it. I am going to have to start introducing healthy carbs back in this year. I also want to get back to cycling this year.

So I would say that was a very busy and productive year all in all. It's good to see it all written out like that because I tend to beat myself up for not doing enough all the time. I think I will have to work on a list of goals for the new year now!

Happy New Year and thanks for reading!

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!