Your Favorite Posts from 2019
Happy New Year, dear readers! How I’ve missed you guys. I thought I’d start 2020 by looking back at your favorite posts from 2019.
Happy 2020, friends! I realize we’re already 8 days into the New Year and a WHOLE new decade. What are your goals for this year and this new decade? I usually spend the holidays reflecting on my goals but we had Luke’s parents visiting from Cornwall, England. They stayed with us for the holidays, just returning yesterday. So, I haven’t opened the computer until now. I haven’t worked on any home projects or watercolor, but I can’t wait to start creating new projects this week. I’d love to know what you guys enjoy reading about and if there are any types of posts – recipes, DIYs, crafts, home decor, or maybe you just want to read more about our town or our family. Would love to hear!
As I ease back into blogging and creating I thought it would be fun to take a look back at 2019. It really was a busy year, despite my desire to slow down. It seems like you guys like to read about home makeovers and home decor. If you click on the title, you’ll be taken directly to the post. I’ll also write a post of my top favorites 😉
Your Favorite Blog Posts
1. Cozy Fall Living Room
Over the fall I mixed in tribal elements like this amazing lamp from Guatemala and silk ikat and mudcloth pillows. I also offered up some cozy ideas which work in any seasons – fresh flowers, candles, decorating with items you love, and of course, a cozy fire. If you look closely you can see sweet little Max in his favorite spot, on top of the couch.
2. Annie Sloan’s New Neutrals
As you guys know, I’m a huge fan of paint and adore Chalk Paint®, decorative paint by Annie Sloan. The paint is now being made in the UK and is slightly different than it was previously. This post has side by side comparisons of color and what the new paint is like. A must read for any paint enthusiasts!
3. Living in Scituate Harbor
We dreamed of raising a family in our sweet, coastal town. This post is truly a love letter to our little town. I loved writing it and love living here. We feel very blessed to be raising a family in coastal New England.
4. A Classic New England Christmas (holiday housewalk)
We just took down all these beautiful Christmas decorations and the house is feeling slightly empty. I do miss the twinkling lights of our Christmas tree and all the classic Christmas touches. I kept things pretty simple this year as I wanted our home to feel like a big hug.
5. Simple Spring Home Tour
A full post on spring decorating ideas. If you love flowers then you need to check this post out.
6. Coastal Decorating Ideas for Summer (summer home tour)
Summer by the sea is my absolute favorite. I love spending time by the pool or relaxing at the beach with the kids and dogs. I also love how our home seems to feel so big as we spend so much time outdoors. Check out these fun coastal tips for your homes.
7. Coastal Bathroom Makeover
One day we’ll completely overhaul this bathroom but we don’t currently have the budget to do so. Instead I opted to use Oxford Navy Chalk Paint, a brand new color, with brass hardware to create a dramatic focal point. I also used a beautiful and modern floor cloth on the floor. If you don’t have a big budget to redo your bathroom you may want to check out this post.
8. 8 Ideas for Keeping Your Home Cozy this Winter
Go dark! Paint one room in your home dark and it will instantly feel cozy. Check out this post for other cozy ideas for beat the winter blues. 😉
9. Modern Coastal Pool House Reveal
We converted my little she shed into a pool house over the summer. The plan was to do this project in 2018 when we installed the pool but we ran out of time as we did all the landscaping ourselves. I’m so glad we waited because it gave me time to really think about what we wanted for this space. It’s only a 8 x 10 shed so we had to maximize storage with custom built ins. The bench has built in storage for outdoor cushions and created a butcher block counter and raw edge shelf to add warmth to this white space.
10. How to Keep White Slipcovers Clean
I’m a HUGE fan of white slipcovers. I have white slipcovered dining chairs, a white slipcovered sectional, and two white slipcovered arm chairs. These are my tips for keeping them clean and looking like new. I will add, on Christmas a full glass of red wine was spilled across two chairs and a white table cloth and these cleaning tips worked like a charm. I had a slight panic attack but proceeded to strip the covers and soak them in my tub.
Well, that’s your top 10 favorite posts of 2019. Do you have a particular favorite? I’ll be sharing my favorites in a later post 😉 There were a few overlaps.
Happy New Year 2020 Danielle!!! Welcome back.
I was wondering how has the bathroom cabinets painted in chalk paint has held up? You mention it’s your only BR so it gets a lot of traffic and steam vapor. I want to do my guess BR so it would not have so much traffic. I was surprised to read you used wax to seal it. I am thinking of using a poly for a tougher finish??? Is the wax working out?
Thank you!!!
Happy New Year, Josette! Wishing you all the best in 2020! I had thought about using the clear lacquer but my stockist – Nancy Chace of the Sea Rose Cottage thought the wax would hold up. She was right! It’s working great. It’s our only bathroom and is used heavily by the four of us and also guests. The great thing about wax is you can always apply more if needed in time. Also the ease of touching up if needed. If you use poly it could yellow over time and wouldn’t be as easy to touch up areas.
Happy New Year Danielle! I love all of your posts! I think my favorites though are your Creativity over Coffee posts. I love reading about creative spirits, artists and small business owners that are living their passion! Inspirational! Thank you for bringing their stories to us!