C: Mommy, I made a wish in Paris* and Santa didn't bring it and it didn't come true.
Me: What did you wish for?
C: A unicorn :(

*tour boat operators claim it's supposedly good luck to make a wish as you ride beneath the Pont Marie bridge.


I can't even handle the cuteness.

Christmas is such a wonderful way to end the year. But before we jump into the next one, I wanted to take a look back at some of the memorable things that happened in our little corner of the internet in 2014:


A fun fabric collaboration with my brother


A beachy back porch makeover


A trip to Paris


DIY-ing my own blurred beach photo


Sharing a top-to-bottom Rambling Renovators Home Tour


Painting up DIY nautical oars


Styling a contemporary nursery for Pottery Barn Kids


A Frozen birthday party, complete with DIY Frozen peg dolls

Pondering the challenges of blogging and when it's time to let the blog die


A cute cloud mat for the playroom


How have our renovations held up? I checked back on the kitchen renovation and the laundry room renovation too


A feminine bedroom for my sister

And I started the year writing an epic ode to blogging. I was finding myself overwhelmed by the pressures of social media and the shifts in blogging and lamenting days gone by. And now, at the beginning of a new year, I've come full circle... the pressures are still there and the blogging game has certainly changed but I'm optimistic.

I'm not quite ready to make resolutions but I think this year will be about blogging my way, of tuning out the noise, of forgetting the "rules" and climbing out of the trap of 'sameness' we bloggers fall into. I crave a diversity in blogging, in look and in opinion. I yearn for original ideas, not rehashed Pinterest inspired ones. For real living and months-in-the-making DIYs and the messiness of it all... the crispity white-washed photos of Instagram aren't enough to sustain my curious mind and idle hands. I've even come to appreciate slow blogging because the days and minutes in between result in posts worth waiting for. Those are the things I look for in the blogs I read and are what I want to infuse back in my own. I want to blog truthfully, unapologetically, joyfully, differently. I hope you'll continue to join me for the ride.

Whether this is your first time here or you've been reading along for the last 7.5 years, thank you. In this crazy mile-a-minute, distraction filled world, I appreciate the moments you spend here. Wishing you a very Happy New Year.