Happy New Year!!!
2017 was a wild ride! Early in the year, I got a new job working in remote First Nations communities and traveled a lot for work before leaving the job in August for a more subdued research position (details soon, I promise). Hubby and I said “yes” to a lot of new adventures: we joined the fire department, secretly bought a sports car (!!!), learned how to stand up paddle board, and went to Punta Cana with friends.
We also got Szuka a buddy (Hynda), which ended up being a HUGE disaster (they really don’t get along), but this little puppy has certainly brought more excitement to our days…
Because we’re now a two-pup household, I shared my tips and tricks for keeping the house clean.
Hynda has definitely upended our lives more than any other change, so I also shared some of the purchases that made dealing with Hynda’s crazy energy a little easier! That post has some adorable photos of the two puppers, if you’re needing some cuteness today.
I blogged a little less because of my new job(s) but I still shared some fun projects and I wanted to share my favorite posts from 2017.
The DIY Walnut Bed with Welded Legs
My favorite project of the year – and possibly all time – is the walnut bed with welded legs we made. The new bed prompted me to switch up our tired bedding and then we got a new mattress too, so this little project really made the whole room feel really refreshed and dreamy.
P.S. Can you believe this is plywood??? After completing this project, I rounded up 15 chic plywood projects for inspiration.
The DIY Wood Step with Welded Base
We actually got a lot of use out of my welder (huge thanks to my Grandpa, who gifted it to me). In addition to the bed, we also made a new step. If you missed the embarrassing progression of that, click here to read the post. All of my fellow project-procrastinators will get a laugh out of it!
Seriously, we were really into welding last year! We also whipped up this handy bench – let’s see how it weathers. So far, it looks exactly the same, even after getting pelted with rain, sun, snow and ice…
On the other end of the difficulty spectrum: here’s a project that took two minutes but looks so chic! This DIY walnut plant dolly was so easy and it functions beautifully.
The Lake Superior Inspired Soap
My DIY gemstone soap proved to be really popular so I started experimenting with other soap designs. After some ho-hum MCM-inspired ones that I never shared (plus my gold crystal version), I stumbled across a method for creating swirling bars of soap that look like the ocean – or lake. Even though it’s pretty quick and easy, I just haven’t had time to make soap lately but seeing this Lake Superior inspired soap makes me want to start experimenting again!
The DIY Zippered Tote with Pom Pom Trim
I LOVE this DIY zippered tote with pom pom trim. I always enjoy sewing with my Mom and it’s even better when we can make something practical and useful. Plus I was so, so excited about my first trip to Punta Cana and every time I see this tote bag in my closet I smile, thinking about the fun memories we made. I really wish I had a beach vacation planned for this brutal winter.
This bunny stool hack was such a ridiculous idea but I couldn’t shake it – and when I found an old, discarded stool at the landfill, I knew it was The Universe telling me to go for it. Sometimes I want to make something, just because, but I talk myself out of it because of the money/time/whatever. But I honestly laughed so much while Hubby and I made this, that it was totally worth all of that.
Year after year, I demonstrate my devotion to turquoise and this year I figured out how to make aqua smoothies and smoothie bowls!
I also shared my trick for making layered smoothies and experiment with blue a little more by whipping up this blue and orange, pumpkin-flavored smoothie bowl:
The Beachy Addition to Our Walls
After returning home from Punta Cana, I was inspired to make our decor beachier. That’s still my mission but you know I work slowly… One change with a pretty big impact was the addition of this gorgeous watercolor print to the office.
This year, I embraced my love of all things marbled – it makes me think of the water. Behind the scenes, I created more ice dyed linen, and I also tried marble pumpkins for Halloween.
The DIY “Watercolor” Stained Plywood Floor
This was kind of like marbling on a larger scale! In the fall, we knocked out what might be one of my wackiest DIY ideas of all-time: a DIY plywood floor with a blue watercolor-inspired stain. This was a labor of love and I am so thrilled with how the Fish Room makeover turned out. I’ll be sharing the FULL reveal soon…
The sink skirt we made for the laundry room was a simple and cute project but it normally wouldn’t top my year end, best-of list – except for the fact that this post showed a pretty big peek into the finished Fish Room space and even I can’t believe the transformation, especially since I kept the cost SO low.
The DIY Holiday Towel
This year I was so busy with my day job that I actually turned down a couple of large holiday-themed decorating contracts because I just didn’t have the time – or energy – to fully decorate my home. Instead, I made a couple of small wintry crafts on the weekends to help unwind. I love simple little projects, like this easy linen tea towel.
The Mini Potted Plant Ornament
This DIY mini potted plant ornament was such a hit – and it was crazy because the same idea popped up on other blogs too (like A Beautiful Mess). I actually like when a DIY idea makes the rounds because everyone puts their own stamp on it.
In 2017, I decided to return a little to my blogging roots: writing about random house stuff. Blogging has become so overly styled and so formulaic, I miss the messy posts people used to share: the projects that bombed, the ambitious plans, the experiments – the thrift store scores! So I wove a little more of that randomness back in, like when I shared my bleached and over-dyed embroidery experiments – and these random gems:
I talked about my epic plans for the growing driftwood heap (put on hold until spring, now that the bay has frozen – although I was still dipping my hands into the icy water when there were little icebergs floating by).
In the spirit of random fun, I also shared a long over due Treasure Hunting Report, with some of my best vintage finds. I don’t thrift as much any more and I buy less and less with each passing year, so these posts are so few and far between.
I capped off the year with a feel good post: I was able to gift my Mummu a brand new mattress! She was sleeping on an ancient mattress that negatively impacted her sleep and health, so I felt so good about being able to replace it for her. Plus you got a peek into her petite bedroom with pristine MCM furniture – she has the cutest 1960s bungalow.
I definitely opened up a bit more this year, sharing a peek into life on the lake, but I’ve still been keeping a lot of secrets – the sports car is just the beginning! This year I’ll be adding even more real life content, interspersed with the variety of DIY projects – big and small – that I like to write about.
I think 2018 is going to be a very interesting year…
I hope this year brings you all nothing but good health and happiness (and maybe a little crafting)!
P.S. You can see my other annual round up here: 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 (DIY) 2012 (Misc) | 2011
I enjoy your craft projects, and your decorating style, but the personality that comes through is the reason I keep subscribing.
Thank you! That is really lovely to hear.
I totally agree with you're comment about blogs these days. Although I love to see beautifully staged photos, sometimes I want some real life too.
Happy to know I’m not alone! I find I pin the beautifully staged stuff but actually READ the real life stories. It’s difficult to find the right balance between the two.
It's a delight to have followed you all this time, Tanya! One of the reasons I'm still here is that your taste and perspective are naturally different from mine and give me space to ruminate and grow. I love that you'll be sharing a little more with us this year, and am glad that we'll keep on seeing your real life ups and downs of being at home in your house and in your own skin.
I am so happy that we’ve been able to chat and connect all of these years. Thank you for leaving such a nice comment, it’s always a pleasure to hear from you. Happy new year!