Changes...

New Year's Eve is a good time to reflect, learn from mistakes, plan for the future, start a blog and stay up until midnight! I plan on doing all of these!

Reflecting...The last two and a half years of my life have been focused on opening SuzAnna's Antiques, keeping it running, making it bigger and better, meeting new friends and learning new tricks. I have loved every minute of it! SuzAnna's is, without a doubt, the best antique shop in the Raleigh Durham area. The folks that work there are very friendly and knowledgable. You will never feel the cold chill of upscale antique stores when you walk in this shop. If you leave without smiling or laughing, you are in the minority. Need help with design, just ask. Want to know how to create the distressed look on your furniture, just ask. Looking for a unique lighting source, just ask. You get the picture.

Learning from mistakes...As much fun as I have had, I must admit I have made some mistakes, too. My focus has been so intensly geared towards SuzAnna's Antiques that I have let family and home fall behind. Surprisingly enough, when I made the decision to leave SuzAnna's, I felt huge relief. It wasn't an easy decision to make and was mostly battled in my head during the hours I was supposed to be asleep. When I told my husband and children that I had made this decision, I was surprised at their reaction. They were stunned and worried about my feelings. Would I miss working there? Absolutely! It was the best job ever. So?Planning for the future...There is a huge list of things I want to do with my family and in my home. I want to spend a week at the Pamlico River with the boys without feeling my self-imposed guilt for not being at SuzAnna's. I want to write a book. I want to organize my basement into the perfect workshop! I want to walk around Falls Lake. I want to go to auctions with Susie and watch her shop! I want to paint my son's bedroom blue. I want to go on field trips with my boys before they wish for me to vanish from the face of the earth. I want to embarrass the crap out of them when they wish I would vanish from the face of the earth. I want to create beautiful things with my husband (NOTE: I did not say children!). I want to get my dog in healthy shape. I want to come up with creative ideas and see them through. I want to survive my children learning how to drive without screaming or smacking them. I want to learn how to tow a trailer behind my truck. I want to travel by myself. I want to travel with my family. I want to spend time with my niece so I can learn how to be around young girls. I want to laugh so hard that I snort at least once a day. I want to sit on my porch and read. I want to finish all of the quilts I started. I want to...this list could easily go on forever!

Start a blog...This is it! I have officially started. This was way easier than I expected. Now, all I have to do is stay up until midnight and I will have successfully completed the list at the top of this page! Yea, Me!