2017 Reflections

2017 was pleasantly quiet. Shelby and I joyfully settled into married life and being homeowners, the cats have found their favorite napping spots, and I raised the pricing of my services for both businesses with confidence.

This year I focused on myself by scheduling more quiet time, improving my healthy cooking skills, and beginning to de-clutter our home. Each month I gave myself a focus that allowed me  a jumpstart and ability to just get started.

Here's a look back at my year of revitalization...

• In January/February, Shelby and I went to Florida with Dad, Charlotte, her brother, Mark, and his daughter, Sabrina. It was the first birthday I spent in a bathing suit! A few months later Nanny and I headed to Amish Country, PA; went to Montreal with Patsy; Shelby and I visited Aunt Lou & Uncle Bill in Mystic, CT (along with Shelby's relatives in Newtown); and I visited New York City for the very first time with Nanny and Mom.

• The MegaBug and I hit 200,000 miles!

• I found Aquarius, my dream 2005 Aquarius blue convertible.

• Through healthy cooking and more variety in my diet, I lost 25 lbs.

• I'm honing in on my personal style and have begun selling clothes that don't meet the criteria on Poshmark. I also took a plunge and cut my hair BELOW shoulder length and added bangs. =0

• Shelby and I hung more photos, purchased a gorgeous entertainment center for the living room, and are making the house feel more like our own.

• With the help of Tim and Shelby, I have added more fun customizations to my space at Serendipity Studios.

• I started learning French through Duolingo and started crocheting again! I even learned new stitches.

• Nanny moved to Littleton!

Thank you for giving me the power to revitalize my life, 2017. I look forward to the next phase in 2018.

Comforts of Home: First Snow at Mellow Meadows

It's here! The first snow of the season is here!

As I posted on the MegaBug Photography blog, there's something magical about the first snow. Winters are long here in northern New Hampshire, but the first sight of the yard blanketed in sparkling white is always delightful. (Even for Shelby, who has not been looking forward to driveway maintenance.)

What I love about the beginning of winter is how life seems to relax with a sigh. Thanksgiving and the holiday rush are still a few weeks away, and the coziness of colder temperatures is fully embraced.

With the cold and the shorter days, I'm definitely inclined to spend more time at home. I typically institute "Work From Home Fridays" where I tackle my business to do lists interchangeably with a load of laundry or cooking a comforting bowl of soup.

I'm an introvert by nature, and winter enhances that trait tenfold. My life has been full of rushing and productivity that it is calming to embrace the slowness winter brings and to enjoy more time at home with Shelby and our cats.

Shelby and I have joked that I'm a wannabe housewife without the desire for kids. (Mom prefers the term "homesteader.") Although much of my personal fulfillment derives from what I accomplish in Serendipity Studios, what brings me absolute joy and complete bliss is what I do at home.

I love cooking and cleaning, decorating our home, reading a book, crocheting, and updating my blogs- activities that are challenging to fit in during busier seasons.

Winter is my excuse to take a break and get myself back into balance. It's a time when I re-evaluate my life goals and catch up on housework and business tasks that I haven't had time for.

Even though I'm in the middle of holiday family photos and a few big marketing projects, I'm breathing easy this morning looking out the window at our beautiful Mellow Meadows covered in first snow.

See more First Snow photos.

Age of Aquarius

After almost seven years with the MegaBug, I added another bug to my swarm.

This 2005 1.8T convertible is Aquarius blue has been elusive until just last month. After purchasing the MegaBug it's been on my list to find one of these (which they only made for about two years) and she's now in my driveway!

As Aquarius is also my astrological sign, I decided to name her Aquarius.

(Thank you, Shelby, for snapping these shots of me and my new bug! Taken at Nanny's new house.)

As for the MegaBug, she's going into semi-retirement. I could never let her go.