The Year In Review

Well here it is ladies and gents, the obligatory end of the year post. But, not only is this post special for that reason, it is also my 100th blog post ever!! Which I think is kind of monumental. I never stick with anything this long! So in honor of all that, I wanted to review some big events and special moments from this year. Not only is it important to study our past so we don't make the same mistakes, but also so we remember what things to do this year, the times we really got it right.

To begin with, this blog originally got it's start in April of this year from what we thought was going to be a huge monumental event in our lives that we wanted to capture: pregnancy. It ended up being a huge monumental event, but not in the way we expected. Just a few short weeks later, we were told be the doctors that it wasn't a regular pregnancy but rather a mass that my body had made and reacted to as it if were a baby. It was a terrible roller coaster experience- the excitement and fear, joy and worry of thinking we were pregnant, to the total terror of surgery and emotional ache afterwards. But what I thought was an unthinkable pain was slowly but ever surely healed up by the greatest medicine: love. The love of my husband, family and God got us through those rough times and on the other side. Thinking back on it now, I still feel that same aching twinge, like an old scar, but I know it was written in my story for a reason, and that gives me peace. Full story here.

The next month, May, I posted my first ever creative writing piece and one of my favorites to this day that I've written about Calvin:


And the curve of your collar bone makes me ache for things I've forgotten, like my Grandma's willow tree and all of the flowers that have died in vases right in front of me and windy home videos with no sound. It makes me remember why I ever held your hand or wrote your story into mine, thoughtfully and completely, like a bright stained tapestry made with tired hands and sold out of a trunk at the Grand Canyon. After my Grandpa died, fuzzy and dry and repenting, my Grandma had a man come cut that weeping willow down to just the stump, because she was tired of mourning.


Full post here.

After that was my 20th birthday which we celebrated as a family by going up into the mountains to one of my favorite antiquing towns and trying on ridiculous headwear:

Full post.

Then a crazy scrumptious picnic with my Yeti:

Full post.

What can I say, I'm spoiled :P

In June, we did a huge home tour post

Then in honor of our 6 month-aversary, I did a huge wedding post detailing literally every single aspect of our little winter wedding:

And later that month, I posted the writing that inspired the title of this here blog:

I store your facial expressions up in mason jar memories and organize them on my shelf. Your finger creases and forest brown eyeflecks and soft rosy red ear curves. I have it all. Alphabetized and organized, folded, stacked, and preserved like spring peaches and zuccini and yellow white corn cob kernels. I'll never miss a thing, I'll never go hungry.

Then there was a Father's Day post:

And in July, Calvin's sister Vikki and I had a neat train track photoshoot:

Then, after tons of procrastination, we finally took our Honeymoon to the dang amazing Universal Studios and saw Hogwarts! :D

Full Post.

August was a little less exciting, but we did have our first ever blog giveaway!

I made up this super neat Treasure Jar full of all sorts of teeny vintage things and the lovely Vintch won it :D

Full Post.

In September, Calvin had his birthday and I surprised him with something he'd always wanted- ferrets! :D

Full Post.

In October, we had some sweet dates 

and were Princess Bubblegum and Finn for Halloween

Then in November, we completely redecorated the downstairs spare bedroom into a wicked cute little craft and clothes storage room for me :D

Full post.

In December, I chopped off all my hair: 

And then we Celebrated our One Year Anniversary! :D

And had a crafty handmade Christmas:

Full Story.

All told, I think that's one stellar year we've had and I can't wait to see what this next one has in store for us. I just wanted to thank you all so much for reading and I hope so much that you stick around for the next 100 posts! You're all the best :)) I hope you have a lovely New Years, to kick off this lovely new year.

All the best,

Grace Elizabeth.