small sweet steps

Wishes, Dreams, Life and Living in the Present. My Hopes for the New Year.

I love the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. It is the perfect time to reflect on the year that is leaving you and make plans and dream of new dreams for the coming year and beyond.

This past year was filled with highs and lows, challenges and dreams come true. I left my full-time job last November and started my freelance business, my non-compete contract expired and I started my licensing business!!! I spent three months getting treated with IV antibiotics for my 12 year battle with Lyme disease, I'm still not sure if it worked and it was by far one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Since then, I have been trying to get my life back in order and it has been challenging but, it has also been filled with so many amazing things as far as my career is concerned! I have great news to share with you about licensing my art. I have to wait until I have the details all worked out. I am also talking with some licensing agents about representing me and my brand. After a decade of wishing, I finally made the leap and will be showing my work at Surtex this year. I still can't believe I am finally doing it! Oh gosh, what else?

I sent this package with my pattern design off to my top pick in the quilting fabric industry.

The creative director called me last week with some amazing news!!!! I will share all of the details with you as soon as I have a signed contract.

I am absolutely amazed over this last year. There has been so much to be grateful for, even the challenges because of the lessons and insights I have gained from them. So grateful!

I live a very simple life. I am married with two dogs, no kids because of my health challenges. We live in a little house in the country, not too far away from the city. I have amazing friends and family that I love so much. I honestly, never dreamed that amazing things like fabric deals, my own dinnerware collection and getting my art out to the world could ever happen to me. This past year as opened my eyes to the reality that great things can happen, I am worthy! Which leads me to this coming year.

This next year is going to be about nurturing my spirit and my physical body. I need to release the feelings of being less than and embrace who I am and love myself more. This may sound very self-serving but, it is a necessary step on the road of recovery. There are so many people out there that don't value themselves, that don't believe they can make a difference. Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all believed in our divinity? I am always telling other people how amazing and powerful they are, if only I could believe that for myself. Well, I am starting to see it, I am starting to feel it.

It is my dream for this coming year to be fully present with myself. To nurture and heal my wounded soul and to practice self-love in all it's forms. In doing so, I will open up the world of possibility in my own life and be able to share those lessons with others through encouragment, nurturing and inspiration. Small sweet steps to healing and helping others to heal as well. That sounds like a pretty good goal to me.

I would also like to thank all of my friends out there in the art/design/blogging world. It is through your belief in yourselves, your inspiring art and thoughtful words that have inspired me to keep pushing myself. I don't know where I would be without your beautiful lights shining and illuminating the path before me. Thanks, dear friends.

Happy New Year!

My Work Featured on Sweet Sprout Designs Blog

A big thank you to Jennifer Cox for featuring my work on her blog! Jennifer's blog is Sweet Sprout Designs and I love it. Check it out!

Thanks again, Jennifer!

Happy Holidays!

Sweet wishes for a peaceful, joy filled holiday to all of you! Be present with your family and friends, forget about work and life's stresses and enjoy each minute of your time together. Happy Holidays!

Big hugs and love to you!

 

Hello Soul, Hello Business!

I was so excited yesterday when I received this gift in the mail from the lovely Kelly Rae Roberts, and Beth Nicholls of Do What You Love for participating in their e-course, Hello Soul, Hello Business! Thanks ladies! What a nice gift, I love it!

I can't wait for the e-course to start on January 16th. Are you participating? Please, please, consider it. I would love to see you there.

Here is a small taste of what is being offered. This excerpt was taken from the Hello Soul, Hello Business website.

AND! There's more!

Go to the Hello Soul, Hello Business Website and see for yourself all of the great contributors )the list is amazing!) and content!!!! Treat yourself for the Holidays! Go for it!

 

Hello, Friend. It's been awhile.

It is the crazy season and time for an update! Life has been very full these last couple of weeks. Work has been busy, I have a few licensing deals in the works and I am hoping to sign with a licensing agent soon. I still keep pinching myself and hope this good energy continues to move forward. My health seems to be steadily improving, I am able to get a lot more accomplished these days and I am incredibly grateful for that. I also sent out a package with my pattern designs out to some fabric companies for licensing, keeping my fingers crossed there!I have dreamt of having my designs on fabric for so long now, what an amazing gift that would be.

Next big thing for me to start preparing for is Surtex, I am a little nervous about the amount of work that needs to get done in the next couple of months but, am looking forward to the challenge.

I am also happy to say that I finished all of my Christmas shopping in two days! YES! So, it is now my plan to enjoy my holiday. It's so weird to post about having all of these positive opportunities. For the longest time I have been ill and struggling in so many ways... it feels so strange to read this post and realize that things are going really well. I am so grateful!

Happy Holidays, my friends.

New Prints Available at my Shop!

These two prints are now available at my Etsy shop. Also, check out today's offerings over at the Artist Charity Auction!

Floating Flowers available here.

Full of Dreams available here.

Artist Charity Auction! Check it out!

Check out this great charity auction sponsored by the amazing Khristian A. Howell! 100% of the proceeds will be donated to charity! What a great way to celebrate the holiday season and get some great gifts for your favorite people! I will be participating in the auction too, so please head on over and and treat yourself or your loved one to some great products and help someone in need too.

 

Celebrate the Season!

Loving Kelly Rae Roberts

I read this post today by Kelly Rae Roberts that I love. The post was written to congratulate Do What You Love's Beth Nicholls on her one year business anniversary. In the post Kelly talks about that moment in time when you sense that change is coming.

Excerpt from Kelly's post:

"I often think about a journal entry I wrote in 2005, just before discovering my passion for art:
ever have that feeling that you are just going to bust at the seems with happiness, anticipation, and inspiration? like you are on the edge of something great? like you are about to make a grand discovery. and it just might be inside of you, in your heart, in your hands, in your vision? i am feeling like that right now and i am going to pay attention to it this time."

Follow this link to read more.

Has this ever happened to you? It presents itself in different ways, sometimes it's just a sense that something is about to give birth or it can also be a feeling of angst or unrest. It is the energy changing and making room for what's next. When you start to get these feelings it means that things are about to manifest. I have had this happen to me several times over the years. I remember when I worked full-time at Lenox as their Senior Concept Designer. It was a great job, and amazing opportunity. It was a job that people would love to have! But, I got the sense that it was just a stepping stone, I wasn't meant to stay there. I remember talking to my husband about the fact that I needed to start searching for new opportunities, that I needed to take the next step and he thought I was crazy for wanting to leave such a great job. I had the feeling that I needed to start looking for something else and not long after making that decision the next opportunity presented itself and I was ready for it because I paid attention to that gentle nudging, the feelings of unrest in my chest... I am so glad I listened. This same feeling came knocking two years after that and again I listened, this time it led me to where I am now, working from home, blissfully happy because I was given the gift of freedom with my life. Something I will forever be grateful for. I am starting to get that feeling again, something is coming, I need to prepare, be open, stay quiet and listen. I wonder what it is? It's a little different this time, it's more about me physically, I think. I keep getting visions of me taking better care of myself, that I need to prepare for what's next. The flashes are quick but they are getting stronger, I feel like they are nudging me to become more empowered and take charge of my life. I think that is the only way I will be able to succeed with my new business and the life I want.

Do you have any similar stories? Have you experienced the nudging? How did it present itself to you?