It’s the last day of the year and I’m sat here thinking “long time, no blog..” blah blah blah. You’ve heard it all before right? This space has certainly taken a back seat lately but without getting all soppy, I couldn’t step into the new year without one last 2016 post. I’ve been catching up on all of my favourite blogs today and with so many ‘Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017’ posts and the like, I couldn’t help reflecting on my own year and felt the sudden urge to write something. So here are a few quick thoughts and highlights from the last 12 months.
Accomplished: I like to think I have a fair few accomplishments to be proud of this year, most of which are Etsy related. I feel like I have worked my butt off and it’s finally starting to pay off. The release of a new product or another new order is a huge accomplishment for me but reaching the 100 sale milestone back in October was super exciting. It was my goal for the end of the year and as it stands I will end 2016 with 121 sales, which may not seem like much to some, but is something I am very proud of. Another big accomplishment was finally leaving retail and getting myself a wonderful new job in the textiles industry, that I actually enjoy! It’s hard getting up for work in the morning when you don’t like your job, so I’m beyond grateful for this new opportunity which has honestly made me a much happier person.
Created: I focused on introducing new products to my Etsy shop, particularly during the first half of the year. I added more fabric choices to my owl cushions which was a great success and also made embroidery hoop necklaces and woven wall hangings. I’m most definitely going to focus on the growth of my business in 2017 with lots more new designs and products. After some serious down time over the Christmas period, I’m itching to get the ball rolling again!
Inspired by: I find inspiration in so many places, such as Instagram, Pinterest, Etsy, my husband and the people around me, but in particular from the blogs I follow. There are so many inspirational people sharing their lives, photographs and words in their own spaces online that I look forward to reading every single day. Some of my favourite bloggers this year have been The Dainty Squid, Love Taza, Shutterbean, New Darlings, The Weaving Loom and A Clothes Horse (to name a few!)
Learnt: A few months ago I finally got myself a loom and learnt how to weave! It’s a technique I had wanted to try for quite some time and I’m so glad I made the effort to do so this year. I’ve really enjoyed experimenting with woven wall hangings so far but still have lots to learn. I will definitely continue weaving in the new year and hope to bring lots more woven designs to life.
Listened: Music has always been a big part of my life whether I’m listening to a favourite album at home or going to a concert. I’ve been fortunate enough to see some amazing live shows this year including Jeremy Loops, Foals, Frank Turner, Less Than Jake, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Babymetal. I’ve already got a couple of shows coming up in the new year and hopefully there will be a summer festival in there too.
Read: This year I re-discovered my love of reading and got through a fairly big pile of fantastic books. It’s something I’ve really enjoyed making time for and will definitely continue to do from now on. A few of my favourites were Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Looking for Alaska by John Green, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins, I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh and A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Feel free to leave any recommendations below!
Visited: Me and George went on a couple of super fun camping trips in the summer, which is definitely something I want to do much more of in 2017. We visited Cornwall and The Cotswolds which were both lovely, but there are still plenty of places in the UK we haven’t ticked off yet. Our main trip of the year was a long weekend in beautiful Amsterdam for our first wedding anniversary. I still can’t believe over a year has passed since we got married but we had the best time celebrating on our first visit to The Netherlands. I hope the next year will bring many more exciting adventures to new places!
Watched: A whole lot of YouTube. Spending most of my days working from home means I’ll always have something playing in the background. I hate working in silence so if I’m not listening to music, I enjoy catching up on YouTube videos while still being productive. Some of my favourite people to watch this year were Casey Neistat, The Michalaks, Fun for Louis, Ben Brown and Estee Lalonde.
So that was pretty much my year in a nutshell. It’s been a tough one for most but I hope your own reflections on 2016 are mostly positive and full of fond memories. I’m not one for listing my resolutions or goals for the year to come, but I’m looking forward to whatever the next 12 months may bring. Thanks for sticking around and I hope you have a very, very Happy New Year!
Midgins' 