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It’s that time of year again, friends, and wow...how the time does fly. Each December, as I bid the year farewell, I like to take time to reflect and share with you. I also love pondering previous years, and since journaling is a regular part of my routine, it makes it easy to look back.
As I’ve built and developed this small business, the highs and lows are the very things that have helped me become more tenacious, confident and fulfilled. What a journey it continues to be...
Looking back now, 2022 was a year when so many different parts of my life and CMD seemed to circle around one thing: community.
In 2022, we launched one of my all-time favorite projects, The Hand Project. This was the first time a concept for a project came before the design process for me.
I connected with friends and community members to show off the jewelry on all types of different folks. I’ve always been fascinated by hands and by seeing the same jewelry take on a completely different personality depending on who is wearing it. The results were better than I could have dreamed.
The Hand Project is no longer a current CMD collection, but the people, photographs and designs from that project remain such an important snapshot of this chapter of my life in Asbury Park. You can still read the story and meet the nine everyday models behind the project here.
Since my studio isn’t at street level, 2022 was also the year I started hosting more regular Open Studio events at The CMD Shop.
So many neighbors, friends and family helped us spread the word. It takes a village, y’all! I was quickly shown just how incredibly supportive people were in my new community.
That part of CMD has continued to grow. Today, you can still come see us in person during scheduled Open Hours and Pop-Up Events, or book an appointment with me when you want dedicated time together.
I also launched Full Circle, a conglomerate of some of my earliest designs that I revamped to feel more in line with CMD’s current aesthetic.
I literally traveled down the streets of my childhood and named the new pieces after some nostalgic places. There was something pretty wild about returning to the part of New Jersey where I grew up and finding inspiration in places that had been there all along.
Ciara Perrone photographed the collection right here in Asbury Park, and I was thrilled to continue collaborating with this incredible photographer.
It was such a joyful day when I was able to welcome Aryana back to the CMD Team.
Ary is the very reason we ended up in the Ithaca, New York area in the first place, and her talent and expertise added so much value back to our already KILLER team. At the time I originally wrote this, my team was five people strong, and I remember feeling like the luckiest boss on the planet.
Four years later, Ary is still an essential part of CMD and runs our production studio in Trumansburg alongside Sam. Some things really do come full circle.
Personally, 2022 was a REALLY fun year. I completely immersed myself in the Asbury Park community. Socializing inadvertently helped me get even more connected with other businesses like The St. Laurent and Patriae.
I also enjoyed getting to know lots of other local businesses and creatives, including The Transparent Clinch Gallery, Terra Earth & Surf, Lovelight Handmade, Jason Stumpf, Harley Rose, Robert Melee, Sweet Dani B, Interwoven, AP Greenery and Merle Works...just to name a few.
When I originally wrote this, I said I looked forward to getting to know even more of this community in 2023. Reading that now makes me smile because these relationships with Asbury Park businesses, artists, customers, neighbors and friends have only become a bigger part of CMD in the years since.
I had bought my first home at the end of 2021, and in 2022 I found so much joy in making it my very own. I had no plans of having a pool, but I fell in love with a house that happened to have one.
I was lucky enough to hire SP Landscapes to help me transform the backyard into a West Coast meets East Coast oasis. It felt like an ongoing art and design project for me, and I felt so grateful to finally have my very own home for me and Migs. It was like a dream come true.
I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. One bit of advice I shared when I originally wrote this is something I still believe: remember to always stop and really breathe in the year.
Some years are more challenging than others, but if you reflect, you can always find morsels of wisdom and knowledge just by sinking your teeth into the reflection. It’s one of my favorite ways to close out a year.
Looking back, 2022 gave me new designs, old designs brought back to life, a teammate returning, a home of my own and a deeper connection to the place I had chosen to put down roots. More than anything, though, it gave me people.
It really was the year of community.
With so much love and gratitude,
Colleen
© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: December 23, 2022
Updated: August 22, 2026
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