Lifestyle

2022 IN REVIEW

 

Just like every year, this one had its ups and downs. But I think as you get older, the ups feel different and the downs can feel lower. I wrote a little blurb last January for how I expected to feel in a year as well as what I would have expected to accomplish. Things don’t look exactly as I imagined, nor did they go as planned. But I’m still happy with 2022 and staying positive about 2023.

 

I actually had to pause this Spring because when I looked forward to the Summer I thought about my birthday and literally could not remember how old I was turning. I think a lot of people might have felt this way, no matter what age, because of quarantine. For the longest time I would have told you that I was turning 32… wrong, I am now 33 (insert montage of the episode of FRIENDS when Phoebe finds out she wasn’t actually turning 30, but instead 31). I kick myself sometimes for not knowing things when I was in college or in my 20’s that I could have been doing to prepare myself for this moment. Why didn’t I go to school for design? Why didn’t I start taking classes earlier when Jon was playing? Why why why… but now I continue to remind myself that I am still young and still have so much that I can do. I want to make the most of this time, this age, and this stage of life with the hopes that I get to see the next one.

 

2022 was the beginning to what I think will be a big step professionally, and I’ve only just begun to share with you just how big it was to me. The big reveal for Haverford Manor comes at the end of this month and I hope that you are as gobsmacked by the before and after as I am. I always said that I wanted this flip to not only be a smart and sound investment but also to serve as a starting point of a portfolio to show future clients and the world just what I can do.

 

And while it may seem like a small achievement compared to the other things I’ve listed out so far, but I feel like I’ve taken the business and marketing side of Manor Designs to the next level too!! December of ’21 I downloaded these newsletter templates that I thought would help me to elevate the reach to my mailing list, and man have they!! I spent all of December and January planning and drafting out every single newsletter for the entire year and I know for a fact that this was a game changer because of the clickthrough that I can track on Mailchimp. I know, this is getting all technical, but to know that I set out to do something last year, and spent the last 13 months executing it and am able to see the difference? That’s pretty gratifying if you ask me.

 

And my biggest reason for bringing this up is that people might look at where I am now and feel scared to get started or feel like they aren’t far enough along, etc. but people need to remember that I have had a blog for (now) 7 years! And that mailing list started over 2 years ago and it took me a whole year to even start to figure out how to execute it! Things take time, and while you might want to fast forward through the growing pains, that is exactly when you learn what works for you and what doesn’t.

 

WHAT’S TO COME…

While I already mentioned the reveal of Haverford Manor, I’m hoping that’s just the beginning of what’s to come in 2023. I was going to save another announcement until later, but I figured if you have gotten this far in the post you deserve a reward for sticking with it!!

 

I bought my second flip!

 

Woodvale Manor is an adorable two-story cottage nearby that I closed on a few months ago and have begun plans to expand, remodel and flip this year. Currently sitting at 2,000 square feet we are taking off the rear exterior wall, pushing the footprint back and adding an attached garage. The plans now bring Woodvale Manor to 4,300 square feet and I think she’s going to be a beauty. I’m so excited for this next year merely for the reason that I have learned so much in 2022 and have already taken actions to up my game in 2023. With that comes the confidence to believe in myself, my vision and my abilities which will (hopefully) result in an even more beautiful home.

 

And while I’m looking forward to certain parts, there are others that I know will be difficult. I have a hard time thinking about some of the emotional speed bumps that I know are coming my way, but I also know that after many years of practice (ahem, therapy) I have the tools to handle it. And if you have a similar year ahead, I hope that you can find a way to feel similarly. I think the hardest part for women sometimes can be the simple act of believing in ourselves and our abilities, but if I can ask one thing of you in 2023, it’s to do just that. Believe in yourself, your knowledge, your capabilities, your talent, your everything! As cheesy as it may sound… but I truly believe that that can be the biggest game changer to anyone’s year. So let’s change the game in 2023, let’s shake things up show the world everything you can be.

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