les filles take a rest, originally uploaded by mintyfresh.

Looking back, it should probably surprise not a single person that I knew when I was eight that I might one day attempt to be my own boss. That was the summer where I started my own ‘Learn to Read’ camp on our front lawn, collecting the small children from our neighbourhood and teaching them to read Amelia Bedelia books over and over for a smidgen of their parents pocket change. I’m pretty sure my childhood marketing brain determined that we needed branded workbooks for our afternoon lessons.

We made sandwiches, and drank jugs of lemonade from concentrate and in essence, I babysat people’s children for hours on end for just pennies a day while their babysitters sunned themselves on back porches in bikinis with bottles of hawaiian tropic tanning oil at their sides. It was the eighties, and I was the (nerdy) kid who ran a reading school in my front yard.

Flash forward to today, and don’t be surprised when I say that I’m ditching the 9-5 workforce for something a little more unpredictable. Last week I turned down a great-sounding, great-everything job because while it was a fantastic opportunity with lovely people, I just wasn’t *excited* about it. Unbelievably, I am about to tell you that what I am excited about is not knowing what my future holds or where my next paycheque is coming from. And in case you were starting to think I might be crazy, I should say that I’m also terrified.

I’ve always thought that everything worthwhile should be mildly terrifying. Booking ocean-bound sailing trips without a stitch of sailing experience, jumping out of planes, and leaving a regular job and a steady paycheque behind all fall into that category.

Starting tomorrow, with a handful of projects lined up, and my home office ready for action, I become a marketing superhero for hire (no kidding, it’s on my business cards). And I have no idea where it goes from here, but good things will happen. They always do.

tree cozy day!, originally uploaded by mintyfresh.

I just love collaborative projects that lead to laughter, smiles and the occasional pedestrian stopping in their tracks.

Thanks to the FABULOUS Mel at spinsandneedles, I had the chance to participate in today’s NCC Press Conference announcing Winterlude 2010. And all I had to do was skip a meeting or two to help decorate a tree while standing on a giant snowbank in a skirt (I obviously come prepared, no?) with my tree cozy in tow.

Now that you’ve seen a sample, get knitting! Ottawa’s trees need you.

xo

festivus., originally uploaded by mintyfresh.

The only place I’d like to celebrate my birthday from now on is Atelier. I need a “fine dining” trust-fund. (Also file under: best birthday cake ever).

2010 and my 31st year bring with them a host of fresh starts, most notably the one where my job ends in a few short weeks and something yet-to-be-determined will begin.

This year I learned to really, truly run (and how!), I learned how to sail, how to properly summon help in case of pirates (not kidding!), and to tie impeccable knots around docks in tropical places. We gave up our car. We adopted a cat and gave up fostering.

I had dreams about adventure, and in 2010, they get even bigger.

Happy new year, friends. If the last two days are any indication, it only gets better from here.