Just before writing this post, I found an old fortune I keep in my jewelry box that reminded me of the perfect sentiment as we start a new year.

“Don’t pursue happiness, create it.”

I love this quote because it reminds us that happiness isn’t bought or achieved. It’s what you make of your situation. It’s finding joy in the little things, celebrating moments, and being honest with what you want out of life, then prioritizing it. Prioritize living!

If 2021 was the year of change, 2022 was the year of flourishing. And it was, indeed, v busy.

Before we recap, a quick note on 2021 intentions.

• Do more with less: This was really challenging with a wedding and all the events I had. I did however, maintain my rule of purging with every new purchase (typically one in, one out). I also started a shopping wish list in my Notes app so that I’m not as tempted to impulse buy and instead try to purchase items I really covet or need. Lots of purchases went towards the house reno, too.

• Read a lot, write more: I did read a lot (15+ books in total (need to track better, but Colleen Hoover was on repeat!), and I’m happier for it. I also maintained writing on the blog but 2x/week was tough, especially during busy periods (i.e. traveling, wedding week, etc.).

• Consistency: This was probably the hardest for me. My schedule is constantly in flux between my step-kids’ schedule, the house renovation, etc. I still can’t find a planner I love - something where I can plan AND take notes, jot down all my random thoughts. I also find its hard to maintain one place for everything. Not sure the solution on this so experimenting!

OK on to 2022...we traveled quite a bit last year, nearly every month, which made it exciting and adventurous (though at times, exhausting!).

January - girls trip in Tahoe
February - skiing trip w/ family in CO
March - local weekend in Carmel
April - visited beautiful San Miguel for a wedding
May - Punta Mita for my brother-in-law’s birthday
June - quick trip to LA and Disney
July - celebrated my bachelorette with my best gals in Charleston, SC
August - my parents joined us in Tahoe and celebrated my dad’s birthday
Sept - Jackson (our wedding!)
October - annual local pumpkin patch visit to HMB
November - Chicago and Nashville in one month
December - HOME for the holidays

We also started (and nearly completed) our landscape renovation. There are just a few minor things to finish up, and I cant wait for warmer weather to be able to enjoy all the work that was put into it! I’m looking forward to gardening and having fun warming up the space and embracing outdoor living.

But by far the best memory of 2022 was marrying the love of my life.

Our time in Jackson was magical, and we soaked up every minute being surrounded by a close group of family and friends as we celebrated our relationship. Honestly, the day was perfect and it was so lovely to see it all come together.

Weddings are so emotional. It was hard juggling wedding planning with house planning and navigating becoming a step-mom. I had decision fatigue many times (and still do!), and we also both got really sick right before the wedding which was immensely stressful. I leaned on my husband, my friends and personal coaching to keep priorities in check and set boundaries where needed. Also, having wedding planners was one of the best decisions we made!

I wanted to really enjoy every moment of the big day (and many of you reached out with the sentiment as advice, so thank you). That said, I didn’t commit a ton of time to documenting the wedding process. That’s something I plan to do now. It’s important to me to capture it, and perhaps it will inspire others on their wedding journey as well. Another thing that helped us during planning was to get clear on what we both wanted for the wedding upfront. That way, when other influences came up, we stayed the course and true to our original intent.

I’m looking forward to feeling more grounded in 2023. So much has happened around us the last few years, and while much of it was amazing, I’d really like to find time to slow down. Wouldn’t we all?!

So for 2023 “grounded” is my word. I want our travel to be intentional (Europe for our honeymoon hopefully!), CO to celebrate my nephew’s birthday and Big Sur for creating a new memory that’s not too far from home. There will be disruption with the house remodel but I’m so thrilled it’s finally happening and really hoping we can wrap up the majority of the house this year. And as always, I’m looking for opportunities to learn and grow and to see where this blog takes me. I love being inspired by various content creators and am hoping to take a more lifestyle focused approach, while honing in my aesthetic and eye for editorial photography/short film. I also want to just live and have fun! Not in the sense of busy fun - but just really soaking up the moments we do have at home or enjoying the chaos of building our dream life.

Here’s to another one, and creating our own happy.