Plan to be Surprised
2015 was full of surprises, some good and some less than stellar, but in the end, I am closing out the year feeling grateful for all the things I didn't even know I needed or wanted until they showed up knocking at my door, metaphorical as that may be. Meeting Elise and getting to work, learn, and laugh with her has been one of the most wonderful surprises I encountered, and now we're on that wonderful path where we are hoping to surprise others with what we come up with as a result of all that collaboration.
This flair release brings more - some journaling cards, die cuts of the flair images for those who prefer not to have a lot of dimension to their pages and spreads, and with all of that, I cannot help but feel excited, but also just immensely thankful to have met someone who nudges me in the best possible ways, who ask questions of me, and herself, that cause us to want to try more, to do more, and to trust in ourselves and each other enough to make it happen.
Last month (maybe it was last month? time is flying), an online friend posted about her love for the movie Dan in Real Life, and I was so elated to find someone who loves that movie as much as I do, especially the last line - plan to be surprised - so I knew it had to make its way into this months planning flair collection. I want to be the kind of person that plans to be surprised enough that I am ready to embrace whatever comes my way, even if it might look less like a blessing and more like a curse at first. Not all surprises are good upon first glance, but I don't want to always wait for hindsight to appreciate what is really working when the unexpected happens.
This layout is a home for some of my favorite floral bits from a variety of die cut packs I've been hoarding over the years, and if anything was going to be right to pair with my new most favorite flair, it had to be all these things I always thought I didn't have the perfect place for. There is no perfect, really, but this small message to myself, with a tag tucked in full of intentions for the new year, well, it's about as close as it gets because it's just what I needed to make right now. As Shauna Niequist says, "Present over Perfect." Every. Single. Time.
Okay, enough of my rambling. If you haven't already, head over to Elise's blog to see her stunning layout, and then check out the shop for all the new items ( I really think you might love them).
Thank you so much for supporting us this past year - it's really made everything possible, and I am so excited for what 2016 will bring because of it!