I'm BACK!! What's new and all the good stuff that has happened!

Wowza...I didn't realize that I had not written in my blog since my graduation post for my daughter Graci back in May! OOPS...time, business, and lack of train of thoughts really got in the way I guess. But I'm back and this blog will be an update on what in the heck has been going on! 

So yes, Graci graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology. She moved back home with us and it has been wonderful, but also an adjustment after having her gone for almost 4 years. She is actively looking for a job in the Medical Device world and right now, we are in hot pursuit of something. So if you are the praying type, good vibes person, or a manifesting all good things; please send them Graci's way!  

Then the BIG thing happened the very end of May. My memoir "Chapters of a Resilient Heart" was published and released to the world. I don't have exact words for how I feel about it, but the first few that come to mind are humbled, joyful, and resilience. It is not easy writing your story out, especially a story that is filled with loss and grief. I have been completely in awe of everyone who has read the book and has either messaged me directly, sent me a card, left reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or Google. The depths that I'm reaching per conversations with all of you, is exactly my hope while writing and editing this book. I wanted to touch people to the core, I wanted to guide you yourself and teach you that you also are a resilient human. The sales of my book have far exceeded what I envisioned (not really sure what I expected). Amazon was launched and it has also been going very steady. I have sold over 350 copies of my book. I have given away a few to certain organizations and people.  

My book is now at a local bookstore here in Omaha called the "Bookworm" off of 90th & Center. So if you are out and about and see it there, send me a picture of it in the wild. My focus now has been getting it into the hands of more stores, etc. I am starting my journey of Author Signings with my first one being Monday, July 22nd.  This will be at the library in Waterloo, NE and I'm so excited for this opportunity to donate a book and have them showcase me and my book as I was born and raised in Waterloo my entire life. Waterloo is also mentioned many times in my book because of the work that my late husband Jack did on the Waterloo Volunteer Fire Dept. I will be also doing a book signing in Valley, Ne at the local library and at Foster's Mercantile in Elkhorn, NE in August. I am open and willing if you know or would like me to do one somewhere. Spread the word! I also believe my book is a great option for a book club, so if you would like to read it and have me be a guest at your book club...I will be more than willing to do that.  (although I hear most bookclubs don't even talk about the books ;) 

June came and went in the blink of an eye for me. I had an amazing book launch party with family and friends that are near and dear to me. The support for that was overwhelming and I loved every single minute of it.  So THANK YOU if you participated in that. Graci and I took a 10 day trip to Europe for a graduation present for her with her bff from college and her mom. We did a Mediterranean cruise and we absolutely loved it! We definitely would like to visit Spain & Italy again. The food was amazing, the company was even better! 10/10 recommend spending some time with your child and or children alone. 

In June we also honored and remembered a couple people. June is a hard month. period.  My sis n law Brooke's angelversary was June 12th and her birthday was June 16th. My sweet angel Garret's birthday was June 21st and his angelversary was June 27th. We travelled on his birthday to Europe and then we spent the day out at sea on his angelversary. It was different this year, probably in most part because I was away. I still honor and remember him through sharing his beautiful smile and his big blue eyes on my socials. As I move through my journey of grief, Garret has now been gone 18 years, so I expect it to continue to feel further and further out and have it feeling different each year. Man, I can't imagine what year 20 will be like!  Like what the heck? That is a long time without seeing my baby boy. But each year I am around and we move from year to year; It reminds me that I am that much closer to being reunited with him. 

Here we are in July already and I don't have any young kids in school OR a college student anymore; so the anticipation of August with school starting and summer "ending" is not really on my radar. I'm at the point now that things have simmered down and I am full throttle in my business. I am releasing my 2024 Holiday card line to all my email subscribers today and then I will share them with the world probably next week. I have joined and will be a founding member of the "Get Griefy Small Business Collective" that my friend Kera started. This will be a big step for Butterflies + Halo's and my mission of working in the grief industry. There are SO many like minded businesses out there and this collective is going to be full of hope and help as we WILL NOT compete against each other, but collectively hold each other up and support our businesses TOGETHER! Kera also started the "Get Griefy Magazine" that is AH-MAZING and is full of articles and resources for grievers. Her 3rd quarterly issue is launching August 1st and I was able to submit an article about my journey of writing a book! I was also a cover girl on her first ever issue! 

I am still working a lot trying to build my wholesale line with my cards. I'm not sure it's going the best, but I will continue to proceed and adjust as I need to. I know my cards are amazing and I know that there are places out there that will want & need to carry them. It's like finding waldo in the card industry. Again, if you know of any business, hospitals, bereavement centers, anything, or anyone that may be interested, please DM me and I will reach out to them! 

I also am doing more writing. I have something SUPER exciting in the works with the Global Resilience Community. They released a book called "Resilient A.F." and they are releasing Volume 2 in January 2025. I am pleased and honored to be a co-author in this volume. One of the exciting things that will happen, besides working along side some other amazing authors, is we are going to be featured on a billboard in Times Square!!! Say what?? Yes, I will be heading to NYC in January. So stay tuned for all of that.  I am also writing and submitting an article for another small business that is growing up in the "grief" world called "journeyofsmiley".  Like I've said, we are ALL on a mission to grow this grief industry and change the stigma that grief has and we are all doing this because why?? WE ARE ALL BETTER TOGETHER!!! 

As I close out this blog, there was a lot of telling you what was going on in my life and my business world. Going forward I will start writing to offer guidance and hope. Make sure to follow me on my socials @butterfliesandhalos and you can find all the happenings and events there as I share them!  Thank You for ALL being here and reading this (if you still are).  You all make ME better and I truly inspire to make all of you BETTER! 

Peace & Love~Angie