I will always remember when I called Jacinda in 2009 to say “Hey girl, let’s start a blog. Let’s make stuff everyday, and write about how we made it. It will be fun. Maybe some people would like to read it.” Jacinda said something along the lines of “You’re a little nuts, that sounds like a lot of work. But yeah, let’s do it.” And here we are, 7 years later, still best friends, still trying to be creative every day, still mothers and makers. Also still goofy enough to copy a Heart album cover for our author photo. #DreamboatAnnie 
We had a lot of fun in 2015. We threw a marching-band themed “Band Together” party at Alt Summit Winter, and spoke about the business of blogging to a packed crowd at Alt Summit Summer.
I traveled a whole bunch and wrote about it here. I took Scarlet to Oahu, Carlsbad, Arizona, and New York City. I took my girlfriend Macki to Jamaica, and went on a Caribbean cruise with Jacinda and some friends. I took myself to South Dakota for a week and Copenhagen for a weekend. 
I wrote guides to my beloved hometown of Los Angeles for Mommy Nearest, and started hosting an online TV Show called FM in the AM with the adorable Susie Meister where I showed how to make these easy flower napkin rings, host a terrarium party and more. 
We spent 2014 frantically developing projects for our book, Pretty Prudent Home, which we are so proud of. The book came out in spring of 2015 and I was thrilled to share it. We did a fun Pretty Prudent sale with Zulily (where I scored my most favorite mermaid salt and pepper shakers). 
We went on a book signing and crafting tour with Land of Nod, which was a blast, and just reveled in holding our ambitious, project-filled beauty in our hands. I was also just wiped out. We had put so much creative energy and focus into developing hundreds of projects, the best of which made it into the book, that my brain seemed like it simply could not come up with a new idea. Blog fatigue set in. 
Our beloved Colleen, who managed our site with such grace and attentiveness, made some of my favorite project tutorials last year, including this faux leather bucket bag and these simple but impactful polymer clay rope baskets. And then she moved away to Portland, where she definitely belongs. She even got engaged! We miss her and feel the lack of her presence on Pretty Prudent, but we know she is making herself the wonderful life she deserves. 
2015 was a complicated year for me personally, and I think that was reflected here on Pretty Prudent. When my mother got sick and passed this summer, I lost my moorings for a while. That’s a whole other discussion about grief and loss, but what it meant for this site was more specific. I simply lost my desire to get up every day and make stuff. My creativity seemed to just up and disappear. I used to be one of the most productive and energetic people you would ever meet, but this year I just lost it. I just wanted to rest.
But as some time is passing, I feel that desire to “make” coming back. I have a long list of ideas and I’m slowly getting back into my office. I spent a good two weeks purging my workshop (in my converted garage) of broken craft punches and oblong fabric scraps, ending up with almost a dumpster full of things that needed to go. I refinished a dilapidated table with a high gloss shine and set up some chairs around it. Got myself a blue tooth speaker and downloaded some podcasts. Dusted off my embroidery and serging machines, and put every single sequin and sewing needle into labeled boxes on elfa shelves. My space is ready for me.
I am hoping to find my creativity again in 2016. I think part of that is just getting back into the zone where I am making things every day, even when the inspiration isn’t there. Just getting my mind back into a place where sewing and weaving and paper cutting bring me joy and a bit of meditation. I hope I can bring that back to the blog.
In the meantime, I plan on doing a lot more personal blogging here, like we used to do back in 2009 (before Pinterest! before Instagram!). This site and its readers have brought me such joy over the years, growing with my baby (now 7!) and with me. It’s time to get back to it with a full heart. 
