In 2015...

2015 is coming to a close -- just 14 more days.  It has been a good year, but a hard year, a year of a lot of changes and a lot of growth.

In January I opened an Etsy shop, then quit my job as a keyholder at Jo-Ann's.  I had a lot of reasons to move on, and I think it was time.

In February I spent time searching for jobs to replace the one I had left, but I wasn't desperate for one, really, so I only applied for jobs that sounded fantastic - and no one called me back.

In March I turned 25 and was maid-of-honor in my sister's wedding.  I gained a brother.  In March I also re-entered a long-distance relationship with one of my best friends.

In April I made stuff and visited a different best friend from high school in Wisconsin.

In May I visited my boyfriend and some of his friends... I think about this time I was also contacted by an MK acquaintance who asked if I wanted to move in with her and some other girls who were wanting to get a house together.  I said I would love to but couldn't because I didn't have a job, so no reliable paycheck.

In June I ended my long-distance relationship - sometimes friendship works better than a relationship, but I think we needed to try it to know.  The next day I interviewed for a job with the City of Duncanville and got it.  I started my job on June 23, 2015.  I also paid off the last of my student loans in June.  Debt free, baby!

In July I worked... and I let the girls who had contacted me about the house know that I would be able to move with them since I had started working again.  We started seriously house hunting.

August 10, 2015 we moved into our new place and I moved out of my parent's house.

September, October, November, December... lots of making stuff and meeting new people.  A great thing about moving in with people is that I get to know them better and get to know their friends, too. I started regularly attending church with my housemate, which has been really good.  It was the church I was interested in attending, anyway, but it helps to keep me accountable when I have someone to go with.  Sometime in here, I think maybe in October, I was at ALDI with one of my housemates and we ran into someone I didn't know, but she did, and I got to talking with her about art.  She mentioned the Arts in Trauma Healing course through GIAL.  I applied for gateway status (the easy way in) and will be taking the course starting in January.  I'm excited for the new connections I'm making with people and for the directions my life is turning.  I love that I feel like my life is going somewhere.  I don't know where, but I'm open to the adventure

Also in 2015...
I made and sold 8 cat mugs, 6 tardis mugs, 2 custom tea sets, a custom portrait oil painting, a couple custom journals/books, and well, I was busy making stuff during select times of the year - mainly entertained by the 8 cat mugs - 5 to people I don't know.  Apparently "cat" sells.