sometimes you don't always see "the forest for the trees..."

I've been trying very hard to "clean out"... "downsize"... whatever you want to call it... for several years now.

I set a goal over 5yrs ago... to give away an item for every day of the year... and have more than made my goals each year (this year... I gave away 470 items). Now... an "item" can be a simple gift (handmade piece of jewelry) or it can be, say... a bag of clothing... or a huge lot of firewood. All of which I have done thru Craigslist, gifting, Freecycle... etc. Not only does it help me organize... but hopefully, the receiver can really use it/ appreciate it.

Not so coincidentally, I've  been trying to make some extra cash to help pay off some bills. And I've been thinking of items I already have to re-purpose and re-use to make into something new... and I've come up with quite a few! All of which will be made from items I already have... and was trying to figure out the best way to use them. Which is awesome. So... just like the guitar picks that I make out of recycle gift cards... we will be listing some "clever" new stuff in the shop this coming year... and it's exciting.

Also (not so coincidentally)... I was racking my brain to think of a new word for the year. 

This is an idea that a friend gave me (and she got it from another friend)... whereby you pick a word that you feel compelled to focus on for a year... and see what it brings to your daily life. How it helps you to focus on things... be more mindful... be more grateful... you get the idea. Anyway... I had it narrowed down to a couple words (including the one I chose)... and then today it just hit me like a ton of bricks. FOUND. 

My word is FOUND.

How ironic that this year... I am hoping to concentrate items in my shop (things I actively make) as being made from found objects, recycled goods... re-purposed items. That can't be happenstance.

***

the photo for today's post is one I took on a trip to California last February.

It was my first time seeing the Pacific Ocean... and one I will always treasure. In many ways... it helped me to "find" myself more clearly.