2012 was an incredibly powerful and transformative year for me. Frankly, it was possibly the best year of my life yet. There were so many epiphanies, surprises, treats and a slew of great new people came into my life.  And I’d love to tell you about them all…if I had kept a damn list! Unfortunately, I barely blogged about my personal life last year, and I kept no real record of what my weeks and months consisted of (I’d check with my agenda, but I love the feeling of scratching something off so much, I scribble it completely illegible when I do!). Kind of annoying! So this year, I decided to keep track of my activities and advancements, both personal and professional. And as it’s the end of January, I’m ready to share my list of what January consisted of, chez moi.

The BIZ REALM

Wrote my first article assignment for Somerset Life and submitted earlier than deadline! (Article featuring my photography and writing will appear in the Spring 2013 Edition!) 

Pitched a second article concept to positive response

Passed hours in Photoshop manually digitizing the colors on my Heart “doodle” followed by paper testing, color calibration, blog post announcement writing and marketing of the Love Print Project.

Wrote the monthly Artist’s Way chapter letter for the bookclub I run

Coached a number of women, including one in Australia! Coached on creative business endeavors, blog redesigns, website aid, getting clarity about goals, self-care, time management and even created a priority overhaul + hourly month long calendar for one overwhelmed client. Introduced many clients to the concept of Intention setting, and Intentional Journaling. 

Had Epiphany: I want to know how to make my personhood and my business connect more clearly. Came up with a list of individuals I admire and want to emulate, who’ve created businesses that are synonymous with their personalities and lives

Recreated entire post and announced the next round of the Inspirational Deck Swap (the Deadline is March 29th!)

Was invited by my friend Christine, one of the founders, to work at the Matrilumina Retreat, which we attendees are now calling “A love fest of the highest order.”

Proclaimed the “Power of Yet.”

Wrote first “Guest Post” for my gifted Texas friend, Rachel Payne for her Sense-sational Life Series

Created the photoshop pieces for my first sponsored post on Superhero Life Blog

Encouraged you to Daydream like you mean it!

Organized all of the miscellaneous papers and books that had piled up in 2012 into very clear distinct “piles” of projects that I want to complete in 2013

(* this took about two weeks in total)

The PERSONAL REALM

Went into Credit Card debt for the first time in my life and subsequently flexed my “abundance mentality” muscle…a lot

Accidentally poisoned our brand new puppy at six weeks old; Marveled at the man in my life who stayed with him for 18 hours (including overnight) giving him chicken broth every single half hour with a syringe

Did research on “Blended Families” and created an Excel spreadsheet of “family needs”

Bought Red Lipstick, marking that off my bucket list! (Now, to wear it constantly!)

Organized all of my belongings into the rooms they would reside in in the future place, boxed and placed in the garage in different areas for different rooms to be while watching a three year old and a diarrhea-having puppy

Went country two-step dancing three times

Started and maintained the Paleo diet for three weeks, followed by a week of moderate cheating. Mostly with Mesquite BBQ chips.

Organized all Moving planning, including scheduling movers, van, equipment

Created Master Move “task list” for bills, to-dos, to fix etc

Discovered I love bacon

Painted one canvas over and over and over

Organized all of my remaining paintings for a Studio Sale in the near future

Created one giant care package for a stranger 

Had a photo shoot I’ve always, always wanted to do!!! More details after VDay

Spent a too-short weekend with a woman I loved upon sight and now admire like crazy

Purged EVEN MORE of my belongings

Did one kaJILLION loads of laundry

Brought home Sargeant, the six week old American Bulldog puppy and promptly fell in love

Marveled at how I could be so freaking lucky with the boys in my life. The three of them are beyond perfect for me. It’s hard to believe it’s truly my life. 

Got a puppy ,who bites and sent Liam back to school on Monday where he promptly bit a child for the first time…on the head

Had long conversations over dinner with husband, soon to be ex-husband, about writing our own divorce decree and filing a Pro Se divorce this month

Was handed the Divorce Petition by my husband the same morning I began moving in with Michael, my boyfriend of 18 months

Gave some to homeless and needy at street corners

Tried to remember eye contact with cashiers

Another big conversation (this one more stressful) about a new schedule concerning Liam

Season allergies from HELL set in. Austin may get up to 75 blissful degrees in January, but it comes at a price. 

Stayed home and didn’t get a single piece of work or real chores done for five days while toddler was miserable with the flu

Experimented with the Macro Lens for iphone