The Lid is OFF!!: Plans & Schemes Ideas & Dreams!!!!

I have heard a lot over the last few weeks, "Can you believe it is already Christmas?!?!".... "Boy this year has flown by!" Whenever I am inclined to agree, I think back to last January and my head spins!
What a banner year!!!

If I have known what this year had in store for me I would have been a little scared! Let's just hit the highlights.....

*I was featured in Where Women Create in February
*I found my DREAM studio
*I was the Featured Artist at the Wesleyan Fine Art Show
*I got to design a Christmas line of ornaments and decorations
*I got to design a garden line of products for all of Jo-Ann's 800 stores
*I got to spend two weeks in the English Countryside and walked 100 miles of it
*I got ENGAGED to the man of my dreams on said vacation at Westminster Abbey
*I got a new car
*I got MARRIED on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium and had the most perfect wedding day!!!!

That's about 10 years worth of LARGE things crammed into 12 months. As you can imagine, I am overwhelmed with gratitude at my good fortune. I really am one of those people that feel that Love and Health are really the only things that matter. Any accolades or financial rewards this year represent for me-validation. Money is easily made.....A real appreciation for your efforts not so easily gained. Meeting goals that not only seem far out of reach but REALLY are far out of reach.....well.....there is just no confidence builder like it! And this little country girl is just beaming inside.

Here I sit in my studio, closing it down for a couple of weeks to head out with my good looking husband for a honeymoon. The overachiever in me says---"WHATS NEXT MOMMA!!!" and the practical side of me says----"How about you slow it down a bit Momma!!"

I can honestly say that most of my art success has been because "Preparation met Opportunity".
The most important work you can do as an artist is in your studio. And you can only be prepared if you have a plan of attack to do so, first. It's not the only thing it takes but it is a necessary thing.

I have always been a Write it down make it happen kind of girl. I make goals at the beginning of a year of what area I want to focus on- not really in detail of what but where. For example.....in 2014 my only goal was to work on Merchandise besides just canvas. To put my images on literally everything from jewelry, tshirts, candles, baseball caps, pillows and everything in between! I knew that the schedule of 10 shows a year minimum was not going to be my thing long term. So, I was experimenting with the idea of wholesale items and wanted to give real manufacturing a whirl!!

That little venture led to LOTS AND LOTS of research, supply ordering and developing products. There were a lot of contacts, receipts and deadlines. I had a little scrap pieces of paper with numbers and such on it EVERYWHERE! Organizing it all would have taken time I didn't really have. I started thinking........a lifestyle planner/scrapbook/pretty thing to doodle in was in order for 2015!! I hooked up with Tiffany at On the Spot Studio for a little collaboration. (check her out)
https://www.facebook.com/OnTheSpotStudio

She does really wonderful hand lettering and I just love her style. She enthusiastically said yes and did a lay out on a planner that is just amazing!! It's 188 pages of planning, goal lists, important dates, things to do, and really fun artwork on every month page!! Spiral bound so you and fold it easily, heavy laminate cover, great tabs that don't stick out! It even has a full page of stickers so you can paste that save the date card, invitation or the receipt for the item you need to return right to the date page it needs to be on!! We didn't want any lines to have to follow so, the contact pages and weekly pages have NO LINES!!!! Doodle away!!!! It is the perfect lifestyle scrapbook!!!! It is small enough to fit in your purse and big enough to be practical.

I want you to be able to look back on a year and see how and where you spent your year with a scrapbook you made along the way!

I will be shipping these out the first week of January. I can't wait to fill mine up!!!! 2015 HERE WE COME!!!!!

Photos Courtesy of Nikki Mellaci Photography! She got one to organize her year!
https://www.facebook.com/NikkiMellaciPhotography