1.01.2020

2020: Word of the Year ♥



Hello 2020!

I am convinced I must have been Cinderella in my past life.
Yes, I married my prince charming :)
And while I occasionally wear glass slippers wish for a fairy Godmother,
I know that I'm very VERY blessed ♥

But here it is - nearly midnight on the first day of the new year -
and I'm already watching the clock nearly strike twelve!

I do love the freshness of a new year ...
 the clean slate, the chance to start anew.
There's a certain magic in knowing the next 365 days of the year
can be anything you want them to be.

Every year,
 and for the past 8 years here on my blog,
I have a Word of the Year that becomes my 'mantra.'
It's one that inspires me, and often nudges me,
and reminds me to grow as a person on different levels.
 
The funny things about my Word of the Year
 is that I don't choose them. 

They always chose me ♥ 

My husband wanted to go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve this year.
 I find that a lot of my funniest thoughts happen when I'm sitting in church.
{You might remember this year when I was daydreaming in church
and I got my WOTY ... loud and clear!}

This year - as righteous as holy water - there it was again.
I was on my phone sitting in the pews, lost to the latin prayers being said,
and took a quick scripture quiz on what my WOTY could be.
After 20 or biblical questions, it was the exact word I'd been contemplating!

:::: cue the angelic music and rays of light ::::

And I just knew.
I said it out loud for a couple of days,
trying it on for size.
And, unlike most of my clothes, it fit.




Bloom.

 By definition, bloom, as a verb, means:
 to mature into achievement of one's potential;
to flourish in freshness or excellence;
to shine out.

I'd been thinking of this particular word
because there is so much growing I hope to do.

As a wife.
mom.
grandmother.
steward.
daughter.
sister.
friend.
crafter.
writer.

It's more than just living - growing - in the moment ...
it's thriving, reaching, exploring, soaring!

Bloom.

On a creative level, my hopes are to carry this into my card making.
In order to bloom best, I'm also giving myself the gift of creative freedom.
If the 'one a week for 52 weeks' didn't work,
I'll just adjust the way I set out my potted self to grow :)
This is, after all, a wonderfully FUN journey of paper, stamps and ink!

What do I have planned for this year?

This!.

1. There's room for leftovers!
For this card series, I'll create a card with anything left over
from a crafting session.
Goal: Try to keep/use as many bits and pieces as I can in a creative way
and add them to a card.

2. Carded, Twice.
The world needs us - now, more than ever.
We're big on recycling ~ in our home, as volunteers locally helping to clean up our waterways, previously in classrooms.
Goal: Finding ways to reuse an item of a recycled nature on a card!
Items will be used, not tossed, on CARD + for the second time (Twice!)
Waste not, Want not!


3.  Grab it and Add it!
Don't you love having a stamp set with 8-10 stamps on it?
And then sometimes we use ........ one stamp.
In this series, I'll create a card by GRABBING a random stamp set
and ADD on as many stamps as I can from the set on to one card.
Goal:  Once a month,  using a different stamp company/set.

4. A grateful he(art)
Becoming an Oma to my darling granddaughter, Alice, 
has gifted me a love I could have not imagined.
She is the greatest treasure and my sweetest joy!
Seeing life through her eyes has given me a sense of grace and beauty
that I want to carry over into everything ♥ 
Goal:  Reach into my joy jar and pull out a word at random
and create a card based on that one little word ~
this will be a quarterly project!

In addition to these, I'll still continue on with The Project Bin design team,
the CCEE Stampers challenges,
 my One Plus Twelve card challenge for the second year,
 the 3 Musketeers, the Ready Set Go
 and Hot Mess Success challenges and the Crafters of Faith card groups.
And my newest venture, Stamp What? as created by my son
to use my 'old dusty Stampin' Up stamps'
 and he'll surprise me by choosing which one!

So, while I don't have a Jaq or Gus and I can't wave a "bibbidi-bobbidi-boo",
I'm excited to see what 2020 holds!

"Have enough courage to start and enough heart to finish." 
- Jessica Yourko

I always believe there's room to grow.
and thrive. and reach. and explore.  and soar.

I just hope I'm on time for it!

Happy New Year!
Big hugs, bigger blessings ♥
~Kelly

16 comments:

  1. Kelly that's an interesting perspective. Can't wait to see your creations this year. Wishing you the very best in 2020.

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  2. Have a wonderful and blessed 2020 Kelly, and BLOOM! Hugs, Valerie

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  3. Your thoughts are always so deep and interesting, Kelly!! Well done on your Word of the year!! Waiting to see your fabulous, inspired and inspiring works of Art!!
    Have a Fabulous and Happy 2020, dear friend!!
    Big hugs!

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  4. I really enjoyed reading this post and how you came to select your word for the coming year! Best wishes with your 2020 goals, and I hope it's your best year yet! Happy New Year and thanks for being such a regular visitor to my blog.

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  5. What a sensational word of the year, Kelly!! It fits you to a T!!! Bloom, girlfriend!

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  6. Kelly, your post makes me smile... and while I already think you are amazing, I'm going to enjoy watching you BLOOM this year! I love the ideas you have for series! What fun!

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  7. Kelly--I love the word Bloom that "picked" you! Just like a beautiful flower that blooms, you are a beautiful lady that will bloom in 2020! You are already blooming, but this year will be even better--I know that! I love the new series that you have in store for us and I am so happy to continue in the crafty groups that we are a part of! Here's to 2020 and a boatload of blooms!

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  8. Love that the word Bloom choose you. Cannot wait to see your new creations.
    All the best for 2020.
    xxx Margreet

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  9. Happy New Year, Kelly! May your creativity continue to 'bloom' in 2020! xx

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  10. Happy new year from me too Kelly

    I'm looking forward to seeing your new creations 'bloom'

    June :)

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  11. Happy New Year! I love your word of the year. I am still formulating my goals.

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  12. Swung over here from a link on Jeanette's blog. I love your humor in your blog writing. And love your BLOOM word choice. Hugs!

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  13. Happy New Year Kelly and this card is beautiful. The flower colouring is brilliant. I wish I could bloom but it's freezing here!! Big hugs and blessings, Carol S.xxxx

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  14. I read this the other day, and It got me to thinking about my word of the year. I was having trouble picking one. I have been doing that for about 7 or 8 years now...and some of the words have really worked for me...and some of them not so much. In the past I have picked "believe", breathe, they worked. I picked words like Perseverance...that one did NOT work...because sometimes I couldn't remember what P word I had chosen...smile. And neither did the work "focus" work for me. I always put a negative thought with it...as to how unfocused I was, etc. So this year I tried to find some help for my word. So I googled some words and a help site to pick out your word came up on the DAyspring Greeting card website. After you answer some qustions they give you a word, and the word they gave me was BLOOM!
    I imediately thought of you and how you had chosen the word bloom. So I guess it will be bloom for me too. (sorry I made this so long... Hope you have a great new year and your word helps you to BLOOM!

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  15. I have so enjoyed reading this post Kelly. You have a lovely way of writing your blog posts, that I really enjoy x. I too married my Prince Charming and I am blessed x. So 'Bloom' it is then Kelly and looking forward to all your amazing creations in 2020 x.

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  16. What a great word Kelly, and awesome goals. You have really put a lot of thought into this. My word also found me - it's Praise... as in praising the Lord. I have already been tested!
    Blessings
    Maxine

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