2018 Year End Review

2018 Year End Review 

As 2018 draws to a close it's time once again to do a year end review.   Looking back I really thought I blogged more than I did. That's going to change in 2019.  A lot is going to change for 2019.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves.   We need to take a look back on 2018 first.

Winter 

January saw the plaid trend continuing and lots of hot chocolate parties.   I was also feeling a pull toward something but I couldn't place what it was.   It seemed like people kept telling me I was so good at motivating, inspiring, and encouraging people. It was everywhere I looked.  I had people telling me in emails, on the phone, and on social media posts.  What did it mean?!  I had to figure it out.  

Spring 

In March I combined succulents and St. Patrick's day.  We enjoyed a delicious brunch and created succulent gardens. I also called a business coach to try and figure out what all these signs coming in were trying to tell me.  Those signs being those emails, messages and phone calls of people telling me I was good at motivating, encouraging and inspiring people.  An hour long phone call with the coach later and I was looking at pivoting and becoming a coach myself.  Which is probably why I didn't blog much or host many parties because I was seriously trying to figure out what direction I was going to take Fizzy Party.  I was getting burned out of making no money for all the parties I was creating.  I love bringing you party inspiration and hosting parties but it all costs money.  I could have styled parties for other people but most parties people hire you for are kids parties, and if you've followed Fizzy Party long enough, you know I don't do kids parties.  I'm all about the girlfriends, leave the kids at home parties. 

I hosted a few succulent workshops because they're fun and I like hosting workshops.  I had this idea of hosting different craft events all over the Portland Metro area where I live.  Succulent gardens, sugar scrubs, cookie decorating, wreath making, so many fun classes.  It wouldn't just be a class.  It would be a class with a party atmosphere.  Party décor and a dessert bar.  I threw a few workshops but it got to be too stressful and un-fun.  Lots of people would say they were interested but when it came time to buying tickets it would be crickets.  People would buy tickets at the very last minute and then I would only sell about 2-6 of them.  Of course I would go all out at these workshops no matter how many tickets sold.  But it got hard to really know how many supplies to buy and I would end up losing money. So I stopped throwing craft workshops.

I did a lot of baking this spring too. Tried a lot of cupcake recipes I've been meaning to try.  When I don't bake for a long time I forget how much I enjoy doing it.  I have friends tell me I should start selling my cupcakes but I have no interest in that.  I'd need to take a food handlers course and rent space at a commercial kitchen.  We have cats and you can't get a home based food license when you have cats.  

I was still mulling over being a coach but I just wasn't feeling it. I knew there was a way I could use my motivating, inspiring and encouraging qualities in some way but coaching just didn't seem to fit.  I had also made the decision to close the etsy shop.  I felt like it was holding back an opportunity from coming into my life.  I was only making about 15 sales a year so it was a fairly easy decision to make.  

I appeared several times on Afternoon Live ,our local afternoon lifestyle t.v. program.  I really enjoy bringing you ideas on t.v. because you get a lot better look at the party and I'm able to  give you ideas and tips to use.  It was while I was getting ready for one of these segments that an A-HA moment happened. 

Summer 

My A-Ha moment was when I was prepping my summer party for Afternoon Live. I was laying everything out, making sure I had everything I needed when I thought, I'm damn good at this! Just like that the thought of coaching was out of my head and replaced by something else.  Remember, I wasn't really feeling the coaching thing anyway.  You see, every year I say, THIS is the year that I'm going for it. But if I really take a hard look at the past years, I only half-ass go for it.  Probably because I was trying to figure out just what IT was that I was amazing at.  Don't worry, the party inspiration isn't going anywhere. I'm just adding to it. 

I tried bringing my crafty skills to an etsy shop and it did ok but I didn't put the effort into it I really should have.  Which told me I wasn't really into it as much as I thought I wanted to be. I tried craft workshops and had a lot of fun at them but lost money every time.  So I'm closing my shop and not hosting craft workshops any more. I really enjoy hosting parties and brining you party inspiration so that will continue.  

What I'm really excited about, have been going all in on and will combine my party skills and motivating, inspiring and encouraging skills is... Wedding Consulting!!  I am pumped about this and am going all in. No half-assing this.  I'm working with three brides right now, brushing up on some skills with an online course and assisted at a styled shoot by Under the Veil.  I can not wait to bring you more information about this. I'll be adding my fizzy style to it, of course ;) 

Fall 

Fall was full of holiday parties,  Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Holiday's are my favorite time to host parties. Not just the fall holidays but all holidays.  I am definitely going to throw more and bigger holiday parties in 2019. 

I did a lot of behind the scenes work on my wedding consulting. Getting ready to book couples in 2019 and I'll be bringing you a lot more information on this in another post. 

2018 was a year of figuring out which direction I wanted to take Fizzy Party.  This resulted in not a lot of blogging or social media posts.  Well look out 2019!  Because I have so much planned and I hope you come along with me.  I appreciate so very much all your follows, likes, comments and especially those of you who receive my newsletter. You guys ROCK!