January 1, 2016
2015 Year In Review – I typically don’t do a year in review, but I think 2015 is going to go down as one of my favorite years. I can’t believe how many changes, accomplishments, and amazing clients the year brought. It was epic! Photo below courtesy of Leah Bullard.
JANUARY: TRIP TO NORTH GEORGIA
Instead of giving Bobby stuff last Christmas and for his Birthday, I gifted him with a trip to Lucille’s Mountain Top Inn. This quaint bed and breakfast is a hidden gem in the North Georgia mountains with an amazing and affordable spa on site. I highly recommend checking it out if you’re looking for an affordable weekend getaway.
FEBRUARY: TRIP TO PITTSBURGH
We briefly entertained the idea of moving to Pittsburgh and checked out the city over one of the coldest weekends of the year. I was so excited to see snow, and we ended up spending an afternoon in a cafe watching a movie be filmed. Although I unexpectedly fell in love with Pittsburgh, we ended up deciding not to move there. Check out the details of our weekend here.
MARCH: SHADE-A-DELIC ONGOING PROJECT AND KATE HART LAUNCH
I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Mark Kimmet on the launch of his new product, Shade-A-Delic, a customizable lamp shade. From start to finish we worked together to create a logo and entire brand, website, and Shopify store. Check out the details of the project here and here.
I also launched the new website for my dear friend and client, Kate Hart, an amazing singer and vocal coach based in Detroit, MI. Check out the website here.
MAY: BUILDING A HOUSE
After driving around Chattanooga New Year’s Day last year, and recovering from my brother’s blow out bash from the evening before, Bobby and I realized the town was a hidden gem. I was dying to escape the chaos and congestion of Atlanta, and Bobby was wanting to leave Nashville. With our upcoming wedding, we were in a bit of a predicament not knowing where we were going to live. I can’t remember how we came to a decision, but it just sort of happened. After looking at several houses, we couldn’t really find the perfect house. With us being as particular as we are, we decided to build our dream home. Yes, we were nuts, but it was so worth it.
JULY: SAY GOODBYE TO ATLANTA
There are many people that love Atlanta, but I am no longer one of those people. After spending 15 years there, I saw the city go through many changes, with unlivable congestion and other big city problems that I no longer had the patience for. I absolutely adored my little home I had created there, but I was relieved to quickly sell it and move on to a new life in a new town.
AUGUST: HOMELESS ON HARSENS ISLAND, SHADE-A-DELIC & JOY CAFE LAUNCHES
Since I sold my house, and Bobby and I were still building our house in Chattanooga, the only other place I could go was my parents cottage on Harsens Island. Oh darn. 😉 I have been spending my Summers in this little paradise since I was born. This year I created a new design for our social club’s Silipint glasses, which you can check out here.
When I try to explain to friends what exactly Harsens Island is, I think this picture with the freighter, which travels by right in front of the house, sums things up nicely.
The excitement continued with the launch of the Shade-A-Delic website and Shopify store. I also had the pleasure of working with Joy Cafe on the redesign and launch of their new website just in time for their feature on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Check out the details here and here.
SEPTEMBER: WEDDING PLANNING INSANITY AND MOVING DAY
My homelessness continued, and I moved in with my parents in their house in Knoxville, TN. This worked out perfectly since I was in the middle of planning our wedding, which was taking place in Knoxville. At the end of September, we closed on our house in Chattanooga and got started on moving in.
NOVEMBER: WE GOT MARRIED!!!! AND HOSTED THANKSGIVING!!!
We survived building a house from afar, planning a wedding, and moving both of our households to a completely new city. The wedding was absolutely perfect, and we were so lucky to have our family and friends make the journey to share in our very special event. We did manage to squeeze in a mini honeymoon for a few days at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC.
We weren’t ready for the chaos to end, so what better thing to do than host Thanksgiving in our new home. My parents made the trip from Knoxville, and my brother, who lives in Chattanooga also, came over with his amazing friends. We had such a great time!
DECEMBER: HOSTING CHRISTMAS AND LOUISIANA ADVENTURES
Bobby and I have never spent a Christmas away from our own families, so the holidays this year ended up being really different than what we’re used to. We hosted Christmas in our new home and experienced nearly 80 degree weather and non-stop rain and then left two days later to have Christmas with his family in Louisiana.
Then we left a couple of days later to visit Bobby’s hometown in Louisiana with his family. It’s like being on a ranch with horses, dogs, and puppies galore! His dad is an amazing cook, and we ate and ate and ate. I felt like we finally had a chance to relax after this intense year of big moments.
Bobby and I are so lucky to have found each other and we’re looking forward to what 2016 has in store for us.
Happy New Year!
