Happy New Year! I hope you’ve had a lovely holiday!

It was nice to unplug for a couple of weeks and spend time with family. Truth be told, it’s still Christmas at our house. The first pick up for the tree disposal is today, Monday, Jan 8th. There is one more on the 15th. I’m assuming they give options for people like us who hang on to Christmas just a bit longer 🙂 The kids adore having the decorations up so there is no rush. And really, it’s Radley who has to do the work to bring the tree outside.

Life has its ebbs and flows, and 2017 was quite a tumultuous year for us, having lost too many loved ones back to back. We miss them all dearly, but know they’re in good hands now, most likely having a party of their own up in heaven with mom.

We celebrated a few milestones as well. Radley’s extracurricular work was to start a UXPA chapter for Toronto. I’m so proud of what he and the team have accomplished thus far, having 2 sold out conferences before the year ended. My youngest, Aaron, started school; Vanessa’s first baby tooth fell out; and Ryan started University, celebrated his 18th birthday and performed at his very first concert.

As for me, the year ended on such a high note that I am still pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I launched my online store in November and was contacted by not one, but two incredible brands to work with – Wool and the Gang and Brooklyn Tweed.  I’m so grateful for all the blessings.

You can read about the latest partnership with Wool and the Gang here. As for Brooklyn Tweed, it’s still ongoing so I can’t say much at this time except that I was invited to preview knit a pattern of my choosing from their upcoming Winter 2018 collection. This collection launches on Wednesday, Jan 10th and I’ll be able to share more with you then.

The kids are back at school today and I’m ready to get back into my routine. All the legos are put away (for now) and I’m drinking my coffee in peace as I write this.

I have been thinking about my one little word for 2018. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, the gist is at the beginning of the year, you choose a single word to focus and reflect upon. It is meant to be a guide for you, to help live intentionally throughout the year.

For me, what I want to focus on is overcoming my shyness.

It’s not easy for an introvert like me to put myself out there and be vulnerable, but I really want to connect with you – knitters/makers/kindred spirits – and be a part of the community, the conversation.

So, with the new year comes new opportunities to learn and grow.

And I’m going to strive really hard to channel my inner Kanye for 2018.

That said, the word I’ve chosen to reflect on throughout the year is EMERGE.

If you’ve been following along on social media, (Instagram is where I’m most active but I also hang out on Facebook) you would have seen that I’ve started vlogging. I plan on continuing to do so every so often throughout the year and toying with the idea of maybe starting a podcast. Btw, next on my agenda is to edit and upload the December vlog so look out for it by the end of the week 🙂

Do you watch knitting podcasts? If so, I’d love it if you left a comment below telling me what you look for in one. I’d also love to know what your one little word for 2018 is?