2019: A Year In Review

The end of the year is always a good time to reflect. An opportunity to look back at the past 12 months and see all you have accomplished and evaluate your goals for the upcoming year.

Well, I don't know about you... but by February of this year I was already doing everything I could just to keep all the balls I was juggling, in the air! 2019 was full of great moments of growth in business and design as I transitioned from Home Staging to Interior Design, and the re-branding process is still under construction.

This year also had many big changes: my family moved from Dallas to the Mid-Cities area, my husband became a stay-at-home dad, our little guy started the year not even crawling and now he has grown into a running toddler, we walked with friends who lost loved ones that we were very close to, our 14 year old dog finally became a senior and we had really hard moments where we thought we would have to make those tough calls, we made the decision not to to leave home while our dog needs extra care - so we did not travel this year, and we are looking for our new church home now that we are so far from our Dallas church. A lot has changed in 2019.

Oh, and did I mention that I am carrying baby #2!!!

2019 was packed with a mix of emotions and experiences.

In February we decided to make the move from Dallas to the Mid-Cities area so I didn't have to travel so far when seeing clients around the metroplex. If you have never been to Dallas-Fort Worth before - it is very spread out and takes over an hour to get from one side to the other.

The search for a home was grueling! The DFW area is currently the fastest growing metroplex in America; making our choices for a new home very slim! We ended up a little further west than we had hoped, but are close to friends ... so it was a win in the end.

In the spring I finished up a total home remodel in Mansfield. The couple wanted to modernize their home and give it a fresh new look. The new design really brightened up each and every space giving it the openness they were looking for. I will highlight this project in more detail in a future post, but if you want to see more images of this home, CLICK HERE.

This project was also really special to me because it was the beginning of a great new work relationship. I had been looking for a contractor who I could partner with and bring onto my projects that I could not just trust my clients to, but that I could also build a relationship with. In my business, relationships come first before anything else, making this partnership very important.

A friend introduced me to Will Benoit, Owner of Zion Home and Building and the rest is history! We have been working on projects together all year long and find ourselves in the same season of life with a toddler and running our own business. So it was really a treat to have him on board ... and as you can tell by the photos, he does an incredible job!!!

When summer came around, it wasn't filled with sunshine, pool parties and bbqs. A close friend of ours that had been sick for some time, got really sick, finding himself bed ridden and deteriorating quickly. We prayed constantly. For healing. For peace. For comfort. For a miracle.

On October 12th, he passed away and we had a Memorial Service to remember him. I had the honor of speaking at the service and sharing all the beautiful things about him and his life that left a mark on those he loved. His death left a hole in our lives that we will continue to grieve for years to come. I am grateful for his presence in my life and for the ways he celebrated me so well. His family will be my family forever!

The fall brought with it new projects to focus on that are in their final stages. I can't wait to share them as they get their final touches and become photo ready. These clients really handed over the reins and let me get super creative. Here is a little sneak peak into 3 new projects that will be complete in 2020.

The project on the left is a master suite remodel with touches in the kitchen and living room as well. We are in phase 1 of this project and later in the year or next, we will move on to other areas of the home. Spoiler alert ... we will be knocking down some walls and adding a built in library to house their books that is 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide!!!

The project in the middle is a full home re-design. They remodeled their kitchen and wanted help matching all of their furnishing to the new modern kitchen. The image you see here is not the final edit, so stay tuned for the debut of this amazing home makeover!

The project on the right was really fun! This is a bathroom that is shared by 3 girls and guests that come to visit. It was very tiny so we knocked out a wall and took the space from the hallway to build that double shower. The tile on the floor was one I fell in love with in 2018 and have been dying to use it in a design ever since! You won't want to miss this one!

Then winter rolled around and the holiday season was upon us. I was not really in the mood for celebration after all the ups and downs of the year. Honestly, I was ... am ... exhausted! We ended up hosting Thanksgiving in our home with close friends and it was just what my heart needed. A time to surround myself with laughter and friendship as I continued to process all that the year brought with it.

Then shortly before Christmas I received word that my best childhood friend was going into hospice care. Something that I still can't wrap my brain around. We met in pre-school when we were 4 years old and have had countless memories ever since. Getting this news left our holiday up in the air. We didn't know if we would be staying here to celebrate with friends or if we'd be on a plane to say goodbye.

2019 ended with a broken heart and it is being carried into 2020.

So as I browse social media and see everyone's end of year celebrations and stellar beginning of year goals ... I wanted to share my year in hopes that if you had a difficult year like I did, you would know you are not alone!

2019 was a year of suffering, grief and mourning. 2019 was also a year of growth, patience and refining. It will definitely not be a year in the books marked as "favorite", but I will leave it grateful.

I am grateful for the support of my family and friends.

I am grateful for the fire that refines me and challenges me.

I am grateful for the persistence in my belly.

I am grateful for life.

I do want to reflect on all the successes of 2019 and I do want to set goals for 2020. But I also give myself all the grace I need to do it in my own time, not by the calendar. I encourage you to do the same.

Perhaps you already have - that's awesome and I celebrate with you, friend! Perhaps you had a difficult year like mine and may not get around to it until March, I am with you! However your 2019 ended and your 2020 began - know you are loved, you are valuable and you are amazing!!!

If you are looking for a resource to set your 2020 goals and bring some order to your life, I found this downloadable Goal Planner. I love that it covers goal setting and organization for all areas of life, and it's FREE!

Happy 2020! I am believing it will be a year of redemption, peace and joy. For you and for me.

Thank you for stopping by ... it is always a pleasure to have you. Please leave a comment below and share with me how your 2019 ended and 2020 began. I desire to connect with you.