DISCLAIMER: This post is sponsored by World Market. All opinions are my own. Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post! Post contains affiliate links (read my full disclosure).
Marble Coffee Table / Wood Side Tables / Similar Chesterfield Style Sofa / Cream Tassel Pillow / Oatmeal Pillows / Fur Lumbar Pillow
Every Day is A New Opportunity to Make a New Happy Ending…
Friends!!! I have missed you guys! It’s only been a couple of weeks since I have been immersed in the blogging and social media world but it somehow feels like forever. As I mentioned in my first IG post of the year, I’ve been on this weird “so motivated that I can’t actually get going” struggle bus for the last week or so. Yes, that makes exactly zero sense but that’s kind of a peek inside my brain at all times. I am so all or nothing that I usually either want to take over the world or live in a cabin the middle of nowhere and see only my family for the rest of eternity. There’s never an in the middle. BUT, I always end up crawling out of my hermit shell to face the world and my laundry list of goals and aspirations. I credit Mark a whole whole lot for that. He’s truly the most motivated and motivating person I have ever ever met. Always there to remind me of my love for creating and being creative as well as my love for working. As crazy as that sounds.
Before I get going on all things 2019, I wanted to share that there is a HUGE World Market Furniture Sale going on right NOW! As I say time and time again, World Market is one of my top go-to destinations for affordable furniture, home decor and accessories. They always have the cutest finds at the BEST prices. I have gotten soooo much for our home and both of our cabins from World Market. This Sale is UP TO 60% OFF furniture and I am sharing full, detailed round-up of all of my faves in every category at the bottom of this post!
Looking back on 2018, going down memory lane through my camera photo and Instagram feed, it’s amazing to see what all can happen in a year’s time. I honestly cannot hardly even remember what I hoped would come out of the last twelve months but it honestly surpassed even my biggest expectations. I only made one resolution for 2018 and I am happy to report that I stuck to it 1,000%! Probably a very first for me. That goal was to raise our children completely technology-free and for us and our family, that has been the absolute best decision we have made for our girls in their post-toddler days. You can read more about that here… “Why We Have Chosen to Raise Our Children Technology-Free“. Be looking for an update post with how this has gone for us as well as ideas on how to keep your kiddos occupied “sans screens” early this year!
We started off 2018 with quite a few homes and projects on our list. We were in the beginning stages of “Our Fixer Upper- Highland House” which we completed in November and sold 10 days later…
Before…
After…
We were also getting ready to start renovations on “Our Wilderness Wonderland” which we ended up completing and getting onto the rental market by the end of May. You can get details on renting our North Georgia cabin RIGHT HERE…
Also in May, we had the amazing opportunity to film a sizzle with a big named production company that we signed with in late 2017. A sizzle is the big step between the initial pitches and filming a very first episode. I am honestly not sure what all I can share about that, possibly not even this much, BUT I know you guys have been wanting to hear an update on all of this for a loooong time so in summary I will say that we’ve learned that television is basically a roller coaster. One minute things are looking one way and then another minute we are being steered down a completely different path. I dealt with pretty severe anxiety in my twenties and then God placed some horrifically wonderful obstacles in my life about six years ago that I later learned were to rip me right out of the stronghold of anxiety. It most definitely worked along with some major life changes and coping strategies that I plan to share a TON more about soon, but looong story short, that has all helped me immensely in this career journey I have been on the last few years. Not that exciting opportunities are any reason for anxiety but even positive stress is stress along with the impatience associated with the unknown and the “what should I do next” that I have sat with since May. A whole lot of waiting and deep breaths and forgetting about it all later, in 2019 I have decided to move forward as if none of it ever happened so that if it does, WONDERFUL… I think. LOL. And if not, I will be that much farther down the path of Door Number Two.
Literally two weeks post-sizzle shoot, we boarded a plane to Europe for truly the trip of a lifetime. I pinch myself quite often that this crazy Summer-ing idea I had three years ago has actually become a reality. I have always said that my crazy big dreams may be just that… really huge and really crazy BUT I am also willing to work for them. Willing to work super hard and make them happen as much as I possibly can. Or not. I am good either way but extra extra thankful when they do become reality. And at the very end of 2018, we finalized the very last detail of our 2019 Third Annual Summer Away! This time we are hitting four countries for what will definitely replace last Summer as the TRIP OF A LIFETIME! Stay tuned for the full details and links to everywhere we are staying this Summer (yes, I will be sharing them all BEFORE we leave this time) AND I am finally going back and blogging details on last Summer as well! Agh so so behind y’all but finally catching up!
After six weeks away, we arrived back last July and just two short weeks later we had “Our Treehouse Wonderland” under contract, Just this past weekend, well two weekends ago now actually, right before New Years we pretty much COMPLETED this tiny little mountain retreat. It is not actually a literal treehouse but it most definitely looks and feels like a modern treehouse but with all of the fabulousness of indoor plumbing and wifi. LOL. I shared several updates that weekend on Instastories but the full completed tour will be coming to the blog early 2019 as well! Oh and it will be hitting the rental market this Spring!
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It was right around this same time late last Summer after purchasing “Our Treehouse Wonderland” that I got a call from my amazingly talented friend Brian Patrick Flynn about joining his design team for HGTV Dream Home 2019. It came at a time when I was a little impatient about the path of some things I had hinted at before so I was extra extra extra thrilled and honored with his invitation. I am always dying to do something different and new and fun and challenging creatively and of course being involved with anything HGTV related was at the top of my career bucket list so WOW what a freaking blessing that was. As you all may have read about two weeks ago, I flew out in October for the career trip of a lifetime and I still pinch myself on the daily that that is now part of my portfolio.
And then to finish out 2018, completely non-career related, I had a surgery that has quite possibly changed my life and more specifically my lifelong battle with anemia… a uterine ablation. Will share a full detailed blog post very very soon about all things ablation!
SO… what a dang good year 2018 turned out to be! I am endlessly thankful for everything that has come my way the last few years and if it all ended tomorrow I would truly feel that I have lived out some of my biggest dreams. HOWEVER, you guys are still here and still reading and still following so I am ready to tackle MORE! I learned many many moons again that this girl HAS to work. I adore my kids and my hubby and my home life but I go absolutely nuts when I am not expressing myself creatively. Mark literally had the funniest conversation EVERRRRR last week with the guys who owns a local auto shop so I had him share his story… “The other day I was talking to my mechanic about servicing our vehicles and then a little life talk since we’ve known each other for a while when the conversation got WEIRD… He was asking about Brit’s recent trip to Montana for HGTV Dream Home with just normal questions and compliments and such. And then he said “She’s really really creative so I bet it’s hard for her to do nothing. Creative people like her are like a full breed dog that when caged up all day, they go crazy. It wants more than anything to just get out!” A lightbulb went off in my head and I said YES!!! That is so her! I’ll make sure and tell her you compared her to a dog. LOL! But he was so right! You can’t pin up creativity or it will sure find it’s way out. He described Brittany to a T!” -Mark… So yep, that’s me! LOLOLOL.
When I started Addison’s Wonderland waaaaay back in 2010 as a children’s bedding company, I wanted to envision and design and create beautiful children’s spaces. But I also just really really wanted to create a BRAND. To take all of the colorful, whimsical and wild ideas out of my head and marry them all into a tangible product and recognizable brand. And as much as my life has taken me on a roller coaster of a path since 2010, I find myself still wanting that very same thing. For Addison’s Wonderland to be more than a children’s bedding company, more than a blog, more than a space I’ve created or a tutorial I have written. So that my friends is where I am headed in 2019. I wish I could share more and honestly it isn’t even that I am all hush hush about sharing more, it is literally that I just can’t! I cannot put into words in one blog post what I plan on creating and building and launching. It’s something Mark and I have been thinking and praying on for quite some time now so it’s way more than a pipe dream now. All I can say is STAY TUNED!!!
Although this will be my main career goal for 2019, I am also launching something else much sooner as well. Something I am very excited about and something that is a little mesh between an early love of mine and something that has done really well on my blog in recent months. Kind of marrying ideas to fulfill one of my very first passions. Hoping to have that off the ground later this month! Eeeeekkk!
I warned you guys that this one was a doozy! A novel in and I still haven’t even really started on 2019! So as I shared at the very start of this post, I am an all or nothing kind of girl. I either do it ALL or sit on my booty and watch Dateline. Okay, that hardly ever happens BUT I would totally do that daily if I could. So in really diving into 2019 and wanting to take that very first step into my biggest dreams, I knew that for me I have to align everything else in my life FIRST. So as opposed to last year’s measly one resolution, I decided to hit the ground running with like 5,789…
First up, the most important and biggest goal for me selfishly in 2019 is to TAKE CARE OF ME! I have never truly taken the time to put me first in my entire adult life. My new favorite quote that I saw recently truly sealed the deal that to be a better mom and better wife and to truly tackle my dreams, I have to take care of me from the inside out…
- Juicing– I am a self described juicing fanatic. As I have shared on my IG Stories over the last month or so, I read this article HERE about juicing celery in relation to my frequent migraines and decided to give it a try. I will share my full results and suggestions and all of that jazz in a dedicated blog post soon but let’s just say that I am hooked! So for 2019, my goal is to drink celery juice every morning and to juice fast one day a week. More about that soon!
- A Dedicated Beauty Routine– I am getting old y’all. Like for real. I turned 37 last October and I feel like everything has started to hit all at once. I have always been so-so with skincare and such but over the last maybe six months and I have been really trying to be more consistent and have seen such HUGE progress! It has motivated me to be even more routine about it all and to add more as well. From skin to lash care to hair care… I literally made a morning and night plan and have it all laid out on my vanity to remember to do daily. Sharing every detail SOON! I am sorry I keep saying that but I PROMISE I will have full dedicated blog posts about everything starting THIS WEEK! I just don’t have enough time to detail it all now and I am sure y’all are at least half asleep by now anyways 😉
- A Doable Fitness Routine– I am quite possibly the absolute WORST about being consistent with a fitness routine. I get sooo motivated and then BAM! Life hits and I get busy and fitness becomes absolute last on my priority list. I have been on and off with a two day a week early morning training session for a little while now but I want so bad to do more. AND make sure I do SOMETHING when I go through my no-gym ruts. So this year I decided to be real with myself and what I will actually accomplish and I came up with a mini fitness routine with the help of a combination of several Pinterest pins that I have been doing every single day I am not in the gym. After I drop the kiddos off at school, I come back home, do this little workout and then get ready for my day! There are ZERO excuses for why I cannot handle this on the daily…
- 1o Push-Ups
- 20 Sit-Ups
- 25 Squats
- 20 Lunges (each leg)
- 60 Jumpking Jacks
- 30 Second Wall Sit
- REPEAT THREE TIMES!
- “Me” Days– I am going to be a brat really quick and generalize and say that I feel like men, some men, take the time to do things for themselves. Golf and long lunch outings and long workouts… not that I even care one single bit because I truly love when Mark gets the chance to have “him time” but I always thought what about ME?!? I know, I know. Such a bratty things to say and I really do think Mark deserves every single chance to do such things so I decided that in 2019 I am taking every Friday OR every other Friday off. I am going to get a massage or get my nails done or have lunch with a friend or sit on my booty all day and watch Dateline. I truly feel like my brain needs breaks so this year by darn I am going to get it!
- Mastering My French– Another completely unnecessary focus I have for 2019 is to finally master my French. As I have shared before mainly on social media, I am fluent-ish in French. I studied it through high school and minored in it in college. That along with several trips to France and some Rosetta Stone “brush-ups” have left me relatively fluent in the beautiful language. I can write an essay or read a book or get my way around the country but having a fast talking full on conversation with a local is a wee bit more challenging. SO I am taking private tutoring from a local French native on conversational French weekly and I am SOOO excited about it!
Next up, I am doing a little bit of life shifting and re-prioritizations in my life. Nothing crazy or huge but just several things to help me make better use of my time…
- From IG Scrolling to Book Reading & PodCast Listening– Yep, as much as I need and want y’all to scroll Instagram and Facebook to “like, comment and engage” on everything I share, I am admittedly making a little switch. Less time blindly scrolling and more time investing in things that will help me grow in my faith, as a mom, as a wife and as a businesswoman. Will share books and PodCasts I love as I read/listen to them!
- Two Days A Week Technology-Free!– Social media and blogging and being on my phone a lot can wear you down a little over time. As much as I love it and what it has done for my career and for our family, I need more dedicated breaks. I learned in 2018 that I need week(s) off every now and then which I did quite a few times over the last year but I also need weekly breaks as well. SO I am taking off one weekday and one weekend day every single week. Not just from my blog and social media but pretty much from my phone completely. Considering I am terrible at answering my phone and responding to texts anyways, not much will change. LOL.
- Ask for Help!– Agh I am the world’s absolute WORST at this. Truly. Even way back in my Addison’s Wonderland bedding days when sales were good, I did it all. I was the designer, the marketer, the packer, the shipper, the secretary… Yep, I did it all. And in some ways I honestly felt like I was doing myself a favor. Money-wise and otherwise I guess. However I have learned waaaay too late that for my sanity and for my growth, I need help!!! I think part of my resistance has been the fact that my field is so creative and subjective and finding someone to align with my vision seemed impossible BUT this past Fall, I had a change of heart. Completely inspired by my time with Brian Patrick Flynn and his incredible team, I saw firsthand what all a great team can accomplish. He has the BEST and I was encouraged to run home and start building my own. Considering I can hardly accomplish what I already have going on any given week by myself, I finally saw that it was time to step outside of my comfort zone and seek help. SO I did. And it has truly been THE BEST DECISION I have ever made. I will introduce you guys to Abigail very very soon but let’s just say that she is everything I wanted in someone but thought I would never ever find.
As far as house flips and renovations, we are always so spontaneous and notorious for buying homes on a whim… or in Mark’s case buying them without even telling me, that we aren’t quite sure yet what is in store for us this coming year. I do have one really huge and really crazy and super out there goal for 2019 that I am afraid to even put into writing BUT it’s a real thing and something we are shooting for and considering SO… I have a really huge dream to purchase a home in France. A house or a loft or a downtown apartment style home… one to renovate and keep and possibly rent out. Okay, okay, okay… I know. Yes, I really am that crazy. Well, WE are that crazy BUT if we do it you guys will be following along at some point so I can’t hide my dreams for too long! We have been doing some research and will be doing a little house hunting over the Summer while we are there. I fell in love with the South of France last Summer and one city in particular so that is where we are focusing our thoughts. It’s a really big “we shall see” but I always feel like if you share your dreams and write them out as crazy as they may be that the universe may actually start listening and you will actually start to believe it could happen yourself and you work that much harder to make it a true reality.
Whew, so that is that as far as house flips and renovations. Basically we have no clue. LOL. We do know that we are turning our focus from renovations to a joint focus on my goals for 2019 which makes me so happy but also so nervous. Mark is actually planning to devote at least one full day a week to working with me. Super excited about that! We haven’t actually worked one on one like that in quite some time now. Not counting flips and renovations… talking more like true office days. ANYWAYS, so that is the plan!
Cheers to 2019!!!
My Faves from the World Market Furniture Sale…
Bedroom:
Living Room:
Office:
Dining Room:
Outdoor Furniture:
XOXO, Brittany Hayes
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