The Best of 2019: Highs and Lows
Like many of you, I’m sure, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the previous year. 2020 seemed to come so quickly and one fact that I’ve been smacked with over and over is that time keeps going no matter what. If I’m being honest, 2019 was a year full of challenges and change for my family, myself, and even this blog. As a person who isn’t always comfortable with change, it’s been especially difficult at times. That being said, I’m thrilled to have a fresh start from here.
Today’s recap reveals some of my favorite projects and posts of the year and because it’s always fun to dig into the analytics and see what posts garnered the most views, I will share those at the bottom as well. Let’s dive in.
10. Organizing a Small Pantry
Last January I launched the Clutter Free Challenge. A guided six-week challenge that was designed to conquer your home’s clutter. Each week had a theme or an area of the home to tackle and each week I shared what projects I was doing in my own home. As a part of that challenge, I finally organized my small pantry for good and it was a game-changer. We ditched the unattractive wire shelving and replaced it with wood shelves. I also shared exactly how I organized every single pantry item. I’m happy to report that this pantry stayed this organized until we moved out of our Florida house in the summer.
9. DIY Framed Canvas
This simple DIY was one of my favorites because it was something that I should have done long before but never got around to it. Once it was completed I realized how simple it was and wondered why I waited so long. I became a big fan of Brynn Casey Art a couple of years ago after discovering her work on Instagram. You know a beach scene speaks to my heart. The first piece of hers I purchased was this printed canvas and I had it hung on the wall unframed for about a year before I finally built a frame for it.
8. Where to Buy Wall Art
Speaking of beautiful art, I revealed my not so top secret favorite places to purchase art to fill blank walls. I love having unique pieces of art hanging on my walls. Buying original pieces from talented artists is always a dream but for my budget, purchasing lovely prints from reputable retailers is a satisfying alternative.
7. Real Life Review on the Pottery Barn York Sectional Sofa
This very thorough review of our Pottery Barn sofa was one of my favorites. The sofa really is my favorite purchase of the year (so much so that we bought it twice after our furniture was damaged in the move). Also, Pottery Barn doesn’t offer online reviews so if you are purchasing a big ticket item from them, it’s nice to have a real life review before shelling out the cash.
6. How to Navigate a Bad Military Move
I mentioned buying our sofa twice. In this post, I describe in detail why. We had our worst yet PCS and I chronicled it this summer.
5. Our 29 Palms Living Room Reveal
I shared my living room design plans in a separate post and then a month or so later, I shared the living room reveal for our new home. Leaving a home that we worked on for four years and moving into base housing was one of the biggest challenges of the year. Creating this space was the beginning of making 29 feel like home.
4. How to make any Wallpaper Removable
The number one compliment I get from friends who visit our home is how much they love this wallpaper. I am so happy I didn’t settle for a typical removable paper design because this one is so perfect for our space. Not to mention, I priced out temporary wallpaper from half a dozen retailers and traditional wallpaper was much more affordable. You have to see how I made regular wallpaper removable!
It’s not a surprise that my top three posts are very personal to me. From beginning a new entrepreneur adventure to the actual adventure of moving across the country these three posts share the real highs and lows I experienced this year and I’m happy to have them recorded here to remember forever.
3. Annie the Brave
I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since I started a girls’ clothing line. It’s not much of a topic here on my blog but it’s a huge part of our lives now. I first revealed this huge project in March of last year and it’s one of my favorite posts because it was just me following a dream. What’s more important than that?
2. The Post Revealing our Big Move
Gosh, writing this post was hard. We knew we were likely moving for months but I still held onto hope that we would be reassigned in Jacksonville. When we finally got news of where we were going I was a mess. Re-reading this post I go back to that feeling of fear and anxiety and I’m so grateful to be on the other side of it. I’m happy to report that many of the positive things I had heard about this place are true and I’m grateful for that.
1.A Letter to our Florida House
Probably my favorite post I’ve ever written, this goodbye letter to our house was therapeutic. When I say this was the hardest move for our family yet, I mean that in so many aspects. Leaving our house in Florida was like saying goodbye to a member of our family, one that had been through it all with us. Writing this letter was memorializing how important this season of life was to me, a time I don’t ever want to forget.
Now to the top posts by numbers. These are the ten most popular posts written this year according to google analytics. Funny enough, none of these are in the actual top ten most viewed posts of the year all of those are from previous years – it’s amazing how posts can live on and on and on.
- How We Organize Tiny Toys
- How to Organize a Small Pantry
- Blue Paint Colors in Real Spaces
- Organizing a Small Walk-in Closet
- 12 Gorgeous Tiles for Backsplash
- Favorite Sources for Wall Art
- Pottery Barn York Sectional Review
- TV Stand Ideas
- Winter Decorating Ideas
- 30 Items You Can Organize in 30 Minutes or Less
I love connecting with you! Is there a post this year that really resonated with you? Or perhaps you used one of our tutorials in your own home? Let me know in the comments below!
