New Decade! New Days! New Dreams!

Happy New Year, sisters!

Can you believe we are on the heels of a brand new decade? I swear the older I get the faster the years go. I actually had a dream that I was 70 years old last night. ( I am 58 years young). Some of you are already there, ( thank goodness) and many of you are creeping up to it. Some souls never make it, and others live well beyond. What’s my point here? I think as we get older we become more mindful of how we spend our precious time ( and who we spend it with) because we truly appreciate what a blessing ” our ” time on this earth truly is. I always say, it’s never too late to begin a long-held dream or take a risk on a new one that you didn’t see coming! Let’s walk into the new year together with a keen eye and open hearts.  Where will your footsteps take you? Or better yet, where will YOU take your footsteps? You may recall the Vision Board exercise I shared last January as a way to ease into the new year with a focus on imagination and fun! I thought it would be fun to do it again this year! If you weren’t able to join in last year, click here to review the steps then share your vision boards with me at deb@maryjanesfarm.org. DUE DATE: FEBRUARY 6 TH 2020 

If you’ve cut way back on your magazine subscriptions, a trip to your local Saver’s or thrift store is a great way to gather some inspiration for your board for little money and you won’t feel guilty cutting up your pretty magazines! If you’re a techie, try using a program or an app that allows you to create photo collages with text boxes on your phone, iPad or computer.

I’m still working off of last years vision board because who says everything has to happen in one year? Making our dreams come true isn’t a race to any finish line. Some ideas never germinate at all, other ideas are sooooo BIG they need more than a few seasons to come to fruition. The point of taking the time to create a vision board is to remind you to slow down and enjoy the process. The joy is in the day-to-day actions we take along the way.

Here’s my year in review: Let’s see if all that cutting and pasting helped me stay true to my vision. Have you looked back at your boards to see how true you stayed to yours?

Making our goals and dreams a reality is about taking small steps and big leaps simultaneously. Getting out of our comfort zones and doing the things that make us nervous, doubtful, and sometimes keep you awake at night scared! Farmgirls know this! We keep moving forward despite those uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. With a steady breeze of can-do spirit under our wings ( and help from the sidelines ) we can accomplish anything we set our minds and our feet too!

I mixed in inspirational quotes and messages to motivate me and keep me feeling positive throughout the year. I also kept my vision board handy so I could see it from my desk.

This saying was very meaningful for me last year and it still resonates at the start of this new decade. I believe there’s always a world of ideas to draw from no matter what you’re dreaming up. The key is how do you whittle them down to fit YOUR DREAM?

As a floral designer/flower farmer this phrase motivated me to stay true to my passion for flower designs that would truly touch my clients on their wedding day. My goal was to deliver designs that were above and beyond my clients expectations. Part of that process was having a healthy, open dialogue with them throughout the planning process which allows me to get to know them better and create with them solely in mind. IT WORKED! We had the joy of working with some amazing families, couples, venues, and vendors. Each one plays a part in bringing an entire wedding vision to life. To see some of our recent work visit my website here! New wedding galleries are being added as they come in.

IT. WAS. HARD. WORK. And, IT. WAS. WORTH. IT.

My goal was to do 15 weddings and we did exactly that many. And by ” we ” I mean my Handsome Yankee and my friend and fellow freelance farmer/florist. Tara Riggs.

My hubby worked hard devising packing methods for flowers, setting up arbors, carrying the heavy stuff up and down stairs and keeping me calm during the panicky moments. And there were a few!

” No one can prep you for these day-of surprises”

1. Car starter goes out on delivery SUV morning of flower delivery.
2. Urn topples over going up stairs inside of the church before the ceremony.
3. High winds make it difficult to install draping on outside arbor for beach ceremony.

Luckily we prevailed and the flowers arrived on time and in beautiful condition thanks to quick thinking and moving on my hubby’s part.

Tara owns and operates a small CSA Flower Farm and Floral Design Business called Raising Bloom @raisingbloom. We bumped into each other at our favorite boutique wholesale floral supplier last spring. We got to chatting about our flower businesses and she offered to help me during my wedding season. I had 15 weddings already booked and no idea how I was going to get them all done myself! Tara grows the most beautiful flowers, has amazing design skills and did I mention she’s a mother of 5 boys ranging from early 20’s to 13 years old. That chance meeting was one of our biggest blessings for 2019. We had so much fun and worked so well together that we are continuing the Dandelion House/Raising Bloom collaboration in 2020!

Here she is above with an arm-load of her CSA Bouquets and below working away in my dining room on one of our weddings.

As you can imagine, working from my home dining room and kitchen is fairly disruptive to the rest of the family. Buckets line the floor on design days. Centerpieces and bridal bouquets over flow onto the kitchen counters, dining room table and stove top. Some  arrangements have even ended up in the living room! Everything must stay put until the wedding day arrives. If it’s a wedding week that means  that Tuesday-Saturday the spaces are UN usable except for brewing coffee and making a quick sandwich or snack. While we do have fun and make the best of it we have decided to build a small barn/studio on our property to work from this coming season. I have two dream work spaces glued to my Vision Board. One is a red barn and another is a retail space. I decided on a home studio rather than a full fledged retail business so I can focus on events only for now.

I’ve been ” pining” and ” pinning” away ( on Pinterest) for months and I think I’ve narrowed the exterior colors down to three possibilities. We have several Shed Building companies  right here in New England. I’ve gotten one quote and I’m setting up a few more appointments for home visits just to be sure I’m covering all my bases.

1). I love the drama of this Black ” Dark and Sexy” exterior. If your tractor can be sexy, so can your barn!

Bonus: We have black accents on our home and in the garden so it would compliment our home exterior which is a golden yellow with white trim and black shutters.

elephantceramics.blogspot.com

2.) I love an all Barn Red Exterior as well. This matches our Hen House and little garden shed already.

Grand Victorian: Sheds, Storage Buildings, Garages: The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages

3.) What about a combination of both Barn Red and Black! This adorable shed is made by Amish Builders. I love the metal roof and the arched windows on the doors.

What color would you choose? Can you guess which one I’m leaning towards?

Leave me a note in the comments below and let me know if you’re going to join the 2020 vision board party! I’ll be looking for your boards in my inbox!

Until our next shoreline visit~ Cheers to a brand new decade!

Keep dreaming, planning, believing, working, living and loving and having fun.

Happiest of New Years to you all!

Beach Blessings and Much love,

Deb

The Beach Farmgirl

#1199