:: 09/10: love and excitement and lots and lots of planning ::

i guess there's not much more to say than this: 2009 was a pretty fantastic year. my gut sort of wants to say that it was a hard year. a year of change and turmoil and anxiety and confusion. but my rational brain scans back over the year and keeps coming back to the realization that an awful lot of good came of this year:

• a full year home in new york with lots of family around;
• a new home that we love and that i still sometimes look around thinking, "whoa. this is ours?"
• a healthy (if physically and mentally uncomfortable) pregnancy;
• a sweet new baby (who is napping so so peacefully next to me in her swing as i type) and a possibly even sweeter (and now potty-trained!!) two-and-a-half-year-old who is slipping into his new position in the family with more ease than i ever even hoped;
• an amazing year for my business (i'm going to do my 2009 books today but i'm very happy to report that my business is in the black and i've got some money to spend in 2010 to help it flourish and prosper)...

these next few weeks are going to be crazy and overwhelming and exciting. brian has one more week off from work before he goes back and leaves me all. alone. with. two. kids. and i've got some new valentines stuff to get up in the shop (the above image is not one that will be in the shop but look for other new "i love you so much" cards for 2010). but most exciting of all is the planning i get to do for 2010. the business planning.

this time last year i was just starting to narrow down my focus in the shop and i spent most of the year sort of flying by the seat of my pants. a year later i finally feel ready to sit down and set some specific long- and short-term goals and to plot out a course for my little business. just thinking about it sends little tremors of excitement through my body.

i'll do my best to share all that excitement with you this year. this past year here at the new blog has been great and i've so appreciated your readership, your friendship, and your support. i'm so pleased with the wonderful comments you've left and i hope that you'll continue to leave more in 2010.

happy new year, all.