Happy New Year! 2012 Review

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your 2013 is off to a great start! I absolutely LOVE a fresh, new year — however this year I already feel behind by a few weeks. Bummer. I'll have to catch up now or forever feel it as the months go by!

Well, I thought I'd go ahead and recap my 2012 so I can reflect on the things that I'm so thankful for as well as be able to officially close the door so I can move forward.

Overall, as I look back at 2012, it was a big year! Full of new product launches, new partnerships with companies, and for my business, it was getting the foundation laid and processes put into place to strengthen my years ahead. I also finally started to take care of myself...regularly.

So with that said, here's a review of my 2012 both in business and my personal life...

* 2102 was my first full year being self-employed! I loved every minute of it and can not tell you how thankful I am to be able to do what I get to do. So 'thank you' to all of you who make it possible.

* This was an exciting year as my artwork launched on a variety of licensed product lines including fabric, stationery, holiday cards, desk organization, personal organization, tote bags and cake! Psst...and more to come in 2013! (Which I'll be sure to share as soon as I can!)

* Throughout the year I was absolutely fortunate enough to be featured in Uppercase Magazine, Sew It All, Print & Pattern Blog, be interviewed for A Field Guide to Fabric Design by Kimberly Kight, have my licensed products featured in a handful of industry publications, be quoted in Pinterest Power, see Randy Jackson wear my print on American Idol, and even appear on a PBS TV episode with Sew It All! (Which BTW was one of the scariest, most interesting and rewarding thing to do!)

* After 5 years of owning a home out of state and being landlords, we finally were able to sell our home and move on with our lives. What a great feeling!

* I started weight lifting. Yes, you read that correctly. Me? Yep! I started this book called The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess. I highly recommend it! I don't know that I would say that I 'look like a goddess' but I bet I can lift more than some men now! And no, my muscles aren't huge. Girls, it's good for you!


* I attended Quilt Market for the first time (psst...AND met Anna Griffin! and Amy Butler and Tula Pink and Patty Young!)

* Thankfully Quilt Market was in Kansas City, so since we lived there for 2 years (when I worked at Hallmark), we made a mini-vacation out of the trip! My husband (& his parents) came with me and we had a chance to catch up with good friends & family=a WONDERFUL and much needed trip!!

* AND Quilt Market and Surtex were back to back - eek! So I took 2 weeks off and flew from Seattle to KC, then from KC to NYC all while carrying 3 overweight suitcases (NEVER again!...wait, I think I said that last year...)! I dropped off my husband to head back home to Seattle, and took my good friend Laura with me to NYC for Surtex.

* Attended Surtex 2012 and had a blast seeing current clients as well as meeting new ones

* The first morning of Surtex 2012, we walked in to find my back wall completely on the floor and learned that we rock & handle it when things are stressful. Funny that this should show up as an accomplishment, but hey, it sure felt like one!

* Hired a lawyer to write and review my contracts

* Upon shopping, I noticed 2 different companies who knocked-off and/or stole my artwork which turned into having my lawyer send out 2 Cease & Desist letters. (The not-so-fun part of running your own business). I would tell you all about it, but my lawyer advised me not to. All I would say is be sure you Copyright your work and have a lawyer in your back pocket.

* Painted a huge 10'x10' backdrop for my Hope Chest photo shoot, and had the photo shoot at the zoo's carousel

* Opened a pop-up shop to sell my holiday cards, gift tags, and 2013 Desk Calendars

* Finally, after many years of working really, really hard and long hours in the corporate world, and always putting off what I needed to do to take care of myself, this year I finally decided to do it. I finally went to Physical Therapy (which was prescribed to me by my doctor for the past 3 years & I never did anything about it), Acupuncture and a Chiropractor. No, I'm not falling apart, but it's amazing what years of stress does to your body...& years of sitting in front of a computer! Eek!

Overall, 2012 was an amazing year. Lots of learning and lots of growing, which is a great mixture. I've already sat down and set my goals for 2013, and I can say that I'm excited. Excited to wake up every day and run my business, create new artwork, build relationships with my current clients, and meet new ones as well. Excited to add beauty and creativity to the world. Inspired to continue to learn and grow. Inspired to give, and to listen, and to allow myself to be me.

If you made it through this long, picture-less post, thank you for reading! May 2013 be wonder-filled, prosperous and insightful for you. May it stretch you in good ways and may you get better and better at becoming the best version of yourself.

Happy New Year!

-Josephine