EtsyMetal Blog Carnival: New Year's Resolutions?

A new month brings a new EtsyMetal Blog Carnival post.

This month's EtsyMetal Blog Carnival topic:
New Year's Resolutions?

Eeek! It's that time of year again - A new year, a fresh outlook, new ideas... what are your plans? New goals? New disciplines? Old disciplines and goals you want to try again?!! Spill it! Make it a reality... tell us all! Recap this past year and what you've learned, where it's taken you, where you would like it to take you in 2013.

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I am not one to make New Year's Resolutions. Well, at least not out loud. To be honest, I spend most of my life contemplating what I can do that will bring changes for the better for myself and my family. It is nearly obsessive at times. And yes, at this time of the year I tend to contemplate more.

We have had several years in a row that have been difficult ones. Started out back in 2009 when Paul was involved in a motorcycle accident. He was injured and had to undergo several surgeries over the next few months. One month after his accident he lost his job. 2009 ended really bad and 2010 started out pretty crappy as well. Back then my thought processes focused on surviving. My resolution was to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. We made it through the the really tough times but I came out of it with high anxiety and calloused fingers. It is funny how when your intentions are truly set on something, you can create what you need. I had some of my busiest months of 2009 and 2010 making jewelry for people. I helped bring in extra income for several months as the unemployment checks were quite lower than the income we were accustomed to.

2011 and 2012 had their hardships as well. However, to bring this into a more positive light, I will switch gears and move toward a more progressive thought process. We made a big move in 2012. After several years of long commutes and too much money poured into the gas tank, we decided to move to Olympia, WA. Paul's job was there and Port Orchard (our previous home) had become somewhere we didn't want to be anymore. We found a sweet little house in an older neighborhood that we are renting and I moved my business into a really neat studio space in downtown Olympia. And that brings us back around to this month's topic: 2013 New Year's Resolutions. Sometimes I take many turns to get to short destination ;)

One of my goals in getting a studio space set up away from the house was to be able to offer classes. As of January 2, 2013 I started on this new journey. My first class of a series of four started on the 2nd. First goal of 2013 is already underway! I am hoping that this is just the very beginning of this new direction for me. My plan is to offer many different varieties of classes from single day courses to multiple day series. I have SO much information and experience rolling around in my head and I am ready to offer it to anyone interested in learning.

Paul and I spent several days of the holiday break getting the studio classroom ready. A great new workbench was constructed, new tools were purchased and a big dream started to become a reality. Here is what we end up with (pictures are of the classroom right before the beginning of my first class):

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I hope that this year is a good one for all. I know we all have some battles to fight but try to focus on the good things. They are really what is the most important. And they are out there. Sometimes all you need to do is just start looking...

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Click on the links below to keep reading about other EtsyMetal members resolutions and goals:

Lou Hunter
Laura Jane Bouton
2Roses
deborahleetaylor
Mary Anne Karren
Theresa Kwong
Danielle Miller
Nodeform