This is why I love January

I actually had meant to write this earlier, but an email that I just wrote reminded me..
I have decided that January is my favorite month of the year.

It started probably with living in Chicago. The holidays are so much fun, I love them. But they are also hard sometimes when I spend my entire first 3 weeks of December rushing around to filling orders - staying up to 3am to get stuff taken care of.
I learned quickly that I have to get my personal holiday preparations ready by Thanksgiving. (that means WRAPPED!)

In January, however - the snow would fall. The decorations would come down - give us a little more breathing space - though we always left our lights up through January - because the thought of 4 more months of snow can be a little disheartening. and it is C-O-L-D!
However, over the years, I have also noticed that in that breathing space after the holidays - and in the reflective spirit of the new year - I am more creative and more inspired than any other time of year.

I have more time (i.e. business is slow!) to work on projects. This year it was curtains and slipcovers for the new house, the new cards, and even some potential ideas for new products. One year, I spent 30 hours on a collage that I worked on while it snowed outside and I nursed a back injury. (It's one of my most favorite works of art that I have ever completed)


People are around in January. Friends are accessible. Times are cozy and it's fun to sit around and get to know people in January... no one has huge plans. The last two years, J has had a huge chunk of time off between jobs, so we get lots of family time.

That settles it, I love January.