Happy New Year, I'm Home Again.....

So, the New Year has rolled in once again, can you believe that? And I've got some new and exciting things in store for me this year. I'm officially home again....as in, I quit my job right before Christmas. Yep, that's right. That wonderful, cushy, good fit for me job is no longer. You see, it seems my dear sweet hubby would much rather have me home again than to have another paycheck, so home is where I'll be. He values my time at home more than money. At first, I was reluctant (kicking & screaming is more like it!). It was a great job, really decent paycheck, & I enjoyed the people. But, I had to make the decision that was going to be best for my family, so I gave my notice. They were very sorry to see me go and I was a good fit for that position. After all, I had only been there a short time, but all in all, they were very understanding. And now, I'm excited about the new year ahead.

My hubby has been very supportive of me trying to do something at home, using my talents and abilities, so I do very much appreciate him encouraging me with this venture. I know a lot of women are prodded to go out & get jobs by their husbands (I have witnessed that firsthand), & I'm thankful that mine is old-fashioned when it comes to that and he loves me being home and having the time to do what I want to do, as well as being a homemaker. I was momentarily blinded by a nice, steady paycheck & would have probably stayed there several years just to keep that going & give us extra income. My hubby works at home and is very entreprenurial in spirit, whereas I go the safe route. We are an interesting mix, to say the least. It might be time for me to get out of my box. Did I mention that I have worked 30 years in corporate jobs, in large corporations and small companies as an Administrative Assistant? I've always done pretty well with it, but he also hated to see me getting up at 5:30 every morning to get to the office by 7:30, just so I could leave at 4:30 & rush to do all I needed to do at home too. And I was too tired to get it all done. I know all of you who work full-time know exactly what I'm talking about. I can't even imagine how you working moms handle all of this. You girls have my utmost respect.

So, it's time for a change....again.

I'm now excited about what the New Year might hold for me. I've loved decorating for a long time now and have always wanted to do something with that. So, I think that now might be the time for me to really explore that in more depth and figure out how to launch myself in a decorating business from home. I'm not quite sure how to do that yet. I'm asking lots of questions from other friends who are in this business and starting to do some research, so I'm very excited about the possibilities. I know there are a lot of people out there who love decorating too and it's not that easy to start a business up from scratch, but that's where my interests lie and that's what I'd love to do. I'll never know if I don't give it a try. I'm going to look at taking some courses, where that will be online or here at a local college, I'm not sure yet. I will have to do some research on what will be the best course of action for me. I do have 3 months of some good, in-depth training from Ethan Allen when I was a design consultant for them for a few short months back in 2003/04. Retail, I discovered, was not my thing. It was way too much "sales pressure" and way too hard to making a living like that, so I know that is not the direction for me to go. I don't claim to be an interior designer, I didn't go to school for that. But, I think I can decorate pretty well, and I think I can help the average woman with putting her home together, so we'll see where that leads me. I'd like to focus on redesigning & helping women rearrange rooms, using things they have in different ways, color consultations, shopping for something special & maybe even redoing some furniture. I love taking something that is not that great & turning it into a treasure.

I've got plenty to keep me busy for awhile at home. I'm looking forward to not having to get up at the crack of dawn, getting to the gym several mornings for workouts (instead of having to fit it in after work in the afternoons), having time to plan & prepare meals, getting my cleaning done during the week, & having some girl time with some of my friends too. I've got closets & drawers that need cleaning out & reorganizing...funny, we just moved in here 2 years ago & that already needs doing! I've also always wanted to have some time to give to volunteer/ministry opportunities & because of working fulltime, have never been able to do much of that. So, I'm trusting the Lord to lead me in all of this. I know He has a plan & he will take care of us, all I have to do is trust Him. That's been so hard for me at times over the years, as I tend to jump in & try to control things by doing it MY way. I can figure this out & I will fix it, by golly! Any one else relate to that? That is something that the Lord has been teaching me this past year...to rest in Him. How hard that is sometimes. I think I'm finally learning that one, but it's taking me long enough.

I'd love to hear from all of you too! I know many of you work fulltime or part-time. Do you like what you do & if money were no object, would you quit work & stay at home or pursue something else that you love? I've heard a lot of women make the comment that they could not stay home, they just feel like they have to work for their own well being & satisfaction. I have never felt that way. I have always worked too & looked enviously at the women I saw who did stay home. For those who do stay at home, do you feel totally fulfilled by being a homemaker and/or mother? I know homemaking is almost a lost art these days, as most couples are struggling to stay afloat & most of the time it means 2 paychecks are needed. Finding that balance is hard sometimes.

Y'all will be on this journey with me too, so you can hear all the ups & downs as I figure this all out! Thanks for all the support from each and every one of you this year. This time last year, I barely knew what a blog was, much less thought about starting one. Blogging has really opened up a lot of doors for me too and I'm very excited to see what is ahead of me this coming new year. Thanks for tagging along with me and thanks for all the support I've felt from this wonderful blogging community. That's one thing I'm really grateful for this past year. Moving to a new city two years ago was more challenging than I had imagined. Making new friends was difficult at times, but 2007 brought some wonderful new friends into my life, all of you included. Hope y'all have a very Happy New Year! I'm geared up for some decluttering & hopefully some fun projects this year, so I hope you'll all stick around! (signs from Art.com)