Thanksgiving is on my heels… in just a few short days we’ll host Bryan’s family at our home for Turkey Day. Brady’s first.

I can’t wait to feed him green beans and mashed potatoes and his Grandma’s pumpkin pie.

This year has been busy. Its been busy in the best, most crazy, amazing ways imaginable. And though I’ve found ways to be a mom and designer at the same time, I’m ready to be a mom for a while. Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Its full of so much tradition, so much family and so many amazing memories.

I can’t wait to introduce Brady to Santa for the first time, to take him to the crazy Chick Fil A down the street and show him the lights, the “snow,” and the choir. I can’t wait to wrap his presents that we’ll carefully choose. I can’t wait to fill his stocking and bake cookies together and visit Nana and Grandpa. I can’t wait. 

We’ll be doing a little traveling and lots of memory-making. And so on December 1 I’ll be closing the Pop Up Holiday shop and putting up my “gone fishin” (or cookie baking, or gift giving, or family visiting, or song singing) sign until after the New Year. And… I’ll be planning to make this a yearly tradition. It’s not easy being a mom and a business owner, but by carving time in exactly the right places and being diligent and hardworking and focused those other times… its not only possible, its conquerable.

I can’t wait to do more exploring, more breathing in the warm sunshine, more stories, more first birthday party planning. Oh the first birthday party… its going to be amazing. I can’t wait to dive in.

While I am away, you can find me on my personal tumblr, “Letters to Bman” documenting our family adventures and on Facebook. I’m sure I’ll have a post or two here of a personal nature. We’ll also continue scheduling Making Brands Happen clients for 2012 (filling up FAST!) as well as stationery consulting sessions.

Wishing you all a very, very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season!!

PS: Doing a little early holiday shopping? Check out the Emily Ley Pop Up Holiday Shop and enter code THANKFUL for a special discount! The EL Simplified Planners are selling out quickly here and on the ELP site!