2012 Revisiting the Future Letter & A Year in Reivew

I first read about the idea of a future letter from Jess Lively, who has been writing herself letters for over 6 years. The idea is to write a letter to yourself in the beginning of the year, as if it were already the end of the year and you knew what you had accomplished. It's a fun way to set goals and expectations for the year that's coming.

Last year was the first time I sat down and wrote myself a future letter, and now that 2012 is over and I'm able to look back on what I predicted vs what I actually accomplished, I am really amazed at how productive and growthful 2012 was for my business.  Here is the letter I wrote myself last year, and here are the milestones I hit:

•  We finished our flooring and kitchen remodel. I'm not done with the home yet, but I love how it turned out.
• I did get my Tax ID number & am officially an LLC
• I put together a thorough pricing list, and I update it regularly
• Believe Notes grew tremendously - new products were launched, the NSS was attended, and staging photos has become a whole lot easier (and prettier)
• Networking is still a challenge, but I reached out and made tons of new friends and contacts this year, including the awesomely awesome Jainé, of Brklyn View Photography, who snapped my gorgeous new head shots (which were also a goal of mine!)
• Mike and I did not get to travel nearly as much as we wanted to. We went to Vegas for your one year anniversary, and we had an amazing one year anniversary dinner at home. I don't know that Mike will ever be able to outdo himself. We still aren't thinking about kids, although all of our friends seem to be popping them out lately. Peer pressure ain't got nothin on us
• I've grown a lot on my corporate profession and still hate flying
• And yes, I think I definitely do deserve to congratulate myself! What an amazing year!

I had some other HUGE accomplishments in 2012 that I didn't even know were on my horizon, such as launching Designers Care. Obviously, nobody could have predicted Hurricane Sandy and the damage she would have caused, but I am so proud of myself and the designer community for coming together and creating something awesome! After tackling so much in 2012, I cannot wait to see the huge things that are bound to happen in 2013!!

Vendor Review - Location, Location, Location!!

It's mind blowing to think how incredibly lucky we were to get married at such a unique and sentimental location. Really, I get all teary just thinking about it.... and I'm not going to lie - hands down the number one reason the wedding was so amazing was because of the location.

Our reception was held at the Nikon Jones Beach Theater, and no, they do not "do" weddings, and yes, they made an exception for us....

Mike and I met at Jones Beach back in 2003 when it was the "Tommy Hilfiger Jones Beach Theater" and we were both working for Aramark at the concession stands. We met in the Food Court, where I worked on a register and Mike flipped burgers. We both continued to work there every summer...I became a supervisor and Mike left when he became a cop. The staff there became like family to us, and so when Mike and I cancelled our original wedding venue because they double booked our wedding, the folks at Jones Beach offered to let us have the reception in the VIP tents. It took me a few months to think it over - they had never done a wedding before and the location is totally 100% outdoors, so weather could be an issue. In the end, obviously, I said OK, because really, how many people have the chance to get married in the very spot they met? Oh, and it helps that the location is BEAUTIFUL!

I cannot thank my boss/coworker/catering manager enough for all of his hard ward. Rowland has been there since day one and was the single most important person in making this day come to reality. He worked 'round the clock with me and really outdid himself. Let me also say that the staff that worked for our wedding could hardly be called "staff", in reality they are the people Mike and I have been working with for the past 9 summers. They are our coworkers and our friends, and we were thrilled that they were a part of our day. I made it a point to thank them in front of all the guests.

Also, can I just say how flippin' awesome it was to be able to take our wedding pictures on the stage and in the seats at Nikon Jones Beach Theater? It was an breathtaking backdrop, and at times it just didn't feel real.

So I give our location ten million thumbs up. It touches my heart to know we got to start our lives as husband and wife in the very place we started our relationship at. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everybody that works with us for helping so much!!! I really believe that the whole feel of the day was dictated by how special the location was. For that one day in time, the entire theater belonged to us. I have never felt so much love before in my life, and I think that's the right feeling to have on your wedding day.

Wedding Wrap Up - Vendor Reviews!

When I close my eyes I still get the butterflies I felt just before walking down the aisle...man, I cannot believe it was almost two months ago!

I wrote up a quick post when I returned from my honeymoon, and I have spent the last few weeks putting together reviews of all of my vendors.  Part of why I wanted to wait is because my photographers rocked the house and I really want to use their pictures in my reviews. Now that I have the pictures, I am ready, ready, ready to rave about my people!

Let's do this!