A New Year…

The New Year does feel like it needs some announcing, some acknowledgment, some celebrating! If you were anything like me, the months of November and December were full of new challenges and intentions to capture the holiday spirit that didn’t always come to fruition. I have been reflecting on the notion that sometimes you have to let go. As someone who rarely gives up and usually pushes through to all ends, this takes extra consideration. I remember how liberating it felt to write about this in one of my past posts about scrap booking- how you have to give yourself grace sometimes. But I don’t always heed my own words and a little reminding is good for the soul. Here’s my current insight into what’s been a success for Katie Jane Interiors and what I’m looking forward to as we embark upon 2025!

Community

The word community came up more and more for me behind the scenes this year. Communities can be physical pockets of residents and businesses and it can also be social networks of support. I enjoyed an especially successful Small Business Summer Series that merged both. The selection of off-the-beaten-path businesses I patronized seemed to really appreciate my perspective on their establishments.

I’m not a reporter trying to state facts and I’m not a promoter trying to increase their sales revenue. I don’t write or create for likes and clicks so my content is a bit more genuine. So much of our current worth is measured by these online metrics and while I always thought one day I might strive for more, I realize I am far happier with these more personal connections. It’s inspiring to have a place where that still matters.

Wellness

On the very surface of Katie Jane Interiors design is about pretty things. Simply put. “Pretty things” in the deeper scope of the conversation are the things that bring you joy, make you feel calm, welcome you home.

I have always believed that interior design and “pretty things” can affect your mental well being on a day to day basis. And while I keep it light around here, I have suggested a time or two about how this is true. Being a foster parent I have become especially invested in good mental health practices. Things like changing your outlook, coping skills and building strength and confidence for your future self. This has inspired me to dive deeper into the Wellness movement. I think self-care is more than pedicures and Starbucks and I am down for exploring it this year and giving some honest feedback.

Balance

I wrote about the flooded garden, the compost corn and the wildflower between here and Facebook.

This was a culmination of energy spent challenging arbitrary rules, caring about the environment, acknowledging when things are out of your control and learning to appreciate the way life sometimes turns out for the better despite the obstacles in our way.

Although all connected by the same threads these stories actually represented opposing ideals- the rain and the garden was about acceptance and letting go while the wildflower was about preservation and fight. Knowing the difference and how to invest your energy is where balance is achieved.

A New Year

The time goes by faster and faster and while I haven’t unlocked the secret to getting it all to slow down, I have allowed myself to live more in every day. Part of letting go, for me, is getting comfortable with movie nights instead of trying to get one more thing accomplished for the day. It’s looking forward to those leisurely mornings where my husband and I drink coffee and discuss everything before we tackle our chores. And it’s taking trips that are planned around being our old “Nick and Katie” selves instead of hitting the most trendy travel locations.

It’s about the feeling of everything I conjure up on here. I mostly want to enjoy this voice I have. I always want the content on this website to sound like something I would want to read. So the goal is to treat it like the gift that it is. It is my goal with all my career aspirations right now. I’ve turned the corner from the hardest years of my life earning respect and making money, to find myself here.

Doing work that doesn’t stress you out- is a gift.

Working with people you want to see succeed- is a gift.

As I continue to express more and more from my own life experiences some messages get louder and louder-

“Time is the luxury”

Happy New Year!