2018. Where do I begin? This time last year we were gearing up to announce publicly we were pregnant again for the second time in a year and fast forward to today; my 18 month old daughter and 6 month old son are napping upstairs while Chris and I are attempting to organize our home that has become innundated with toys and all things baby. Living the dream, really and truly.
Caleb is such a joy. I don’t know how I got so lucky with the happiest and easiest of going babies, but we did. I He smiles. ALL.THE.TIME. and just wants love. I truly can’t remember what life was like before these two treasures and I will forever be grateful to be their mama. I stepped back from social media and work after he was born to soak in all the baby and toddler snuggles I could before Fall season arrived and it was so good for me to be present and focused on the babies.
Caroline is such a great big sister. Having them so close together meant no jealousy from her towards Caleb, which is wonderful. She’s curious about him and getting more weary now that he’s getting a little more mobile, but she mostly spends her time kissing his head and smiling at him. I can’t wait to see what they’ll both get up to next year.
2018 also brought 16 beautiful weddings with the most gracious of brides of which some fully entrusted me to bring their weddings to life during my third trimester- our last wedding of our spring season only 11 days before our little boy entered the world. I made it though. Two years in a row hugely pregnant producing big and remarkable weddings is no small fete. Super proud of this body of mine. Our weddings this year were everything I could have dreamed of and more. More than gorgeous flowers and beautiful days though, my brides this year have become dear friends and that’s all i could hope for for OSDIM. One you become a One Sweet Bride you are one for life. Hundreds and hundreds of garden rose, peonies, dahlias, and greenery went into this year’s events, and I couldn’t be more proud of this company and what it is a part of every year.
It wasn’t easy getting back to work days and learning how to harmonize businesses, mom life, and wife life. I feel it will always be a learning process. I give myself a lot of grace though and most of the time have low expectations. It’s been a tricky thing to work through this whole surprise baby #2 thing, hormonally it’s been a roller coaster and amongst the best days of my life these past 6 moths there have been some very dark days. I’m not ready to share all the details of this part of this season as I’m still working through it, but I will. Promise.
Ruffled Lane also had a big year and an even bigger (yet simpler) one is in the works for 2019. This Winter we are relaunching with 2 all new fabrics and colors. We will also be making the shopping experience easier with less options and a cleaner look. This business keeps me on my toes and I keep bouncing back and forth on bringing someone aboard as an assistant behind the scenes. - Stay Tuned for my decision on that! I have VERY big dreams for this company, but in this season I’ve learned to take it slow and to tell myself “all in good time.” It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all my ideas that run through my head at 100mph so I want to take a deep breath and navigate correctly. I’m excited to see where Ruffled Lane will be a year from now.
So what else is ahead in 2019? Tomorrow right here on the blog I will be sharing my word of the year (Something I haven’t done in 2 years! I blame babies haha) along with my goals both professionally and personally. Check back!
For starters we are rebranding! I’ve loved this home of mine on the internet for almost 4 years, but I’ve outgrown it and my weddings and my business as a whole look and feel different and I need a new home that represents that. I’ve been working with Ribbon & Ink and I’m so excited to see that finished product in a few weeks! It will be such a fun and celebratory launch week with giveaways and more! I will keep you updated on the festivities! I Thrilled is an understatement for how I’m feeling about starting the new year with a fresh brand.
I am also going to be launching an extension of OSDIM next Spring! More details to come on this, but I can tell you we are going to be launching something for special occasions exclusively for Richmond, VA locals; my hometown.
We have 17 lovely weddings to produce next year, 3 of which are full planning and design events that are going to be incredible. They will take me all over Virginia and D.C. and there are quite a few outside of the box design wise for me. Loving on my brides and their families is truly what I love about this job. Their planning journey with me whether it’s for floral services or planning should be one that is just as remarkable and love infused as the finished product on their wedding day. So I’m really looking forward to giving my best and all to my couples and bringing on more events for 2020 and beyond.
Some wedding highlights from this year…
Finally, thank you for following along with me this year and sticking by through another pregnancy and baby. I love sharing my life with you all and will continue to do so into next year. Have a wonderful new year and check back tomorrow for my word of the year and goal post! I’m looking forward to a glass of champagne for the first time since 2015 when the clock strikes midnight. Hooray!
Warmly,
Michelle