Remembering 2009
The last few weeks/months around here were beyond busy and for that I’m immensely grateful. There were a bunch of orders for albums, some trying to hit the Christmas deadline and others just trying perhaps to check “wedding album” off of their list before the new year. Either way, it was a fun filled and busy time.
I have a ton of posts to blog with images of some of my favorite albums that I worked on last year that hopefully will make it from my brain through my fingers and on to the internet in a somewhat timely fashion. I realized that sometimes my posts feel too overwhelming. I have so much to say and not enough time to sit and type it all out, sort through the photo’s to accompany the post and upload them all, that they never make it live. I’ve always been a bit envious of those bloggers who are so good at the “short” post. The one that is an update with a photo that makes you smile for a moment. We’ll see if perhaps I can pull that off and communicate what I want without pouring on and on and on. I guess it’s kind of like when I tell Matt a story and he gives me the look of “how long is this going to take?” because I insist on telling with every detail that I think is important which pretty much encompasses everything from what color the paint was on the wall to what whomever it is that I’m talking about was wearing. Do I really need to include all of that??!! YES! It always makes for a better story! But, I’ll try my best to keep some of the posts short and sweet. It’s not a New Years resolution, really it isn’t. I don’t necessarily believe in those, but, I guess it sort of seems like it’s a resolution. Hmmm….we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. But, I digress.
Here’s a shot of one of the shipments that went out a couple of days before we left for the first leg of our vacation.
I can tell you what packing all of these albums did, it made me want beautiful boxes and shipping supplies. I’ve decided that I want my clients to receive a beautiful package in the mail that they can’t wait to open. I’ve said it before that I’m a fan of the brown paper wrapping and I do like the thought of using the boxes I have from a recycling standpoint so, maybe I’ll come up with a way to incorporate both ideas. The recycled aspect of using what you have and the beauty aspect of creating art and shipping a gift that my clients can’t help but smile at when it arrives.
Now, to wrap up the rest of 2009. I love the idea of looking back a bit to see where the year started and where it brought me. Definitely on a bumpy ride in the finance department. I do have to give thanks that we are a family that was able to pay for the roof over our heads, the food on our plates, the cars that we drive and the “extras” that made their way into our home. I feel terribly blessed about the growth of FMN Design as well.
On NYE we were with two other couples, good friends, and one person asked us each to say something we were proud of. This was a great way to end one year and start another with the thought and verbalization of an accomplishment.
What I shared was how proud I was of the growth of this little business. That while it felt like the fruit was dying on the trees around me, there was this small seedling that was sprouting from the earth. It was growing strong and standing tall in the midst of everything going on around it.
Here are some of the things that have happened over the last 12 months. This list is a great reminder of all that I have to be grateful for.
1. FMN was featured on multiple blogs including Green Wedding Shoes, Emerald Weddings, Images For A Cure, Save The Date Magnet.com
2. FMN was featured in two national magazines. Inside Weddings and Brides Local Editions
3. FMN was featured in an article on the uber cool e-zine Utterly Engaged.
4. My mother lived with us for 4 1/2 months and while here was given a golden ticket of health in that the cancer seems to be under control and manageable. That her life expectancy is not the limited amount that we had been told at the end of 2008.
5. Spent some wonderful time with Matt’s family at the wedding of his youngest brother Paul’s wedding. Such a great time!
6. We walked our oldest little boy Mason to his first day of Kindergarten. What a huge transition for us all.
7. We added a new addition to the family.
8. We added another new addition to the family.
9. Climbed to the top of a cider cone volcano with my family.
10. I snowboarded for the first time in over 15 years. I was able to get right back up, almost like riding a bike and the best part was I went with Matt. It was a blast to see him jump around on his board and share that time with him.
These are just a few of the highlights of the year. There are so many more but I’ll keep them to myself. At least for now. But, before I go I want to express my gratitude for life and for God and the love that he pours on me each day. I am grateful to my husband and his continued support of me and Forget Me Not Design. It can be challenging and a little rough on the pocket book but he’s always there with his love and support. I have to thank Leila from Be Inspired PR as well as her team for all of their hard work and faith in my business and I definitely am grateful to my children who have given up having mommy around all of the time because I have had to “work”. I am grateful for my friends new and old, for Martyna who watches my children with such love and joy. I am grateful for this life and the ability to create whatever it is that I can imagine. It truly is a gift to be walking on this planet.
Happy New Year Everyone!
(so much for that short and sweet post I mentioned earlier!Maybe next time. 😉
