Good Bye, October. Hello, November.
Does anyone else feel like this year is going by just a bit too fast? I can't believe it's almost November! However, November is one of my favorite months. It is now firmly appropriate to wear boots and scarves every single day until the snow melts. Drinking hot coffee at all hours of the day is equally appropriate and staying home and watching The Holiday and Love Actually (probably the only two rom-com films I will watch - ever) on repeat.
Oh, and it's my birthday month. More on that later.
Here's a little recap of October and what I'm looking forward to in November.
October Recap
This past month was a whirlwind. October brought a mountain of changes and change's best friend, anxiety. If you remember my post on breaking busy and doing more by doing less, I had to make some serious decision regarding my business. I realized that nobody can work 100 hours per week and give 100% to every task on the to-do list. I worked myself to a near breakdown. I made these decisions to create space and margin in my life for what really matters. I'm taking this focus into the final two months of this year, and throughout my 25th year.
I attended Leftovers Calgary Harvest Fundraiser, which was incredible. We were treated to bottomless kombucha from True Buch, delicious scoops from Village Ice Cream, fantastic coffee from KaffeeKlatsch and some great local musicians. It was great to see so many people come out for an amazing cause and help raise enough funds for a much-needed truck for Leftovers. I encourage you to learn more about this great organization and what they do to combat food waste in Calgary.
I had the opportunity to attend Next Big Thing on October 15. This one-day event was an incredibly inspiring and educational experience. Creatives, including branding strategists, photographers, graphic designers, influencers, artisans and entrepreneurs, gathered at The Commons, a gorgeous coworking space in Ramsay. The day was packed with speakers, breakout sessions and a constant supply of coffee. Huge thanks to Kait Kucy and Mike Morrison for curating such a fun event with a fresh take on social media, marketing and business. Here are some highlights for me:
- The best way to get better is to fail over and over again. (Fairgoods)
- There are WAY too many photo and video editing apps than my brain can handle. (Chris Dowsett)
- There's a lot to know about budgeting for your freelance business, but it's doable and extremely important. (Janine Rogan, tax specialist and blogger at My Pennies, My Thoughts.)
- Your inner critic is a big jerk. Learn to make friends with him or her. (Danielle Krysa of The Jealous Curator, keynote speaker)
- Creative entrepreneurship is really, really, really hard. But worth it. (Panel discussion featuring Kyle Chow of Plant, Sarah Ward of Sarah Ward Interiors, Ian and Lisa Davies of Fresh Laundry and The Uncommons, and Jeremy Ho of Monogram Coffee)
Finally, my parents came to Calgary and we celebrated my mom's birthday. We met up for some dinner and drinks after the Stampeders game. (I didn't go...sad face.)
October Best Of
As this has become tradition, here are some posts that you guys really loved.
This is truly the perfect fall soup, and you guys loved it and shared the heck out this post.
Behind the Name: The Origin of Bourbon & Honey
The story behind the storyteller. Thanks to all of you for your support of Bourbon & Honey over the past few months!
Feature Friday: United Way Calgary Gen Next Rouge and ChicFlicks
I truly love sharing these stories of incredible businesses and non-profits in this awesome city.
Hello, November
After this October, I am looking forward to November. I've got some great things up my sleeve for you. I've got a few "sweet" posts for you, some decluttering tips and ideas to make Christmas gifts easy this year. I will also be featuring more incredible businesses, non-profits and individuals.
I am teaming up with another blogger to put together a little workshop for you guys, but I can't release any details yet! Stay tuned for that.
I am also starting a Simple & Beautiful newsletter. Get the latest tips, tricks and inspiration (and few extras not included on the blog) on creating a simple and beautiful life. If you want to receive this newsletter, sign up using the form on the right-hand column of this page.
Stay tuned for some great content and Instagram stories filled with coffee mugs, scarves and boots.
Have a happy November, everyone!
