The Best of 2018

The Best Year Yet!

The Best of 2018 | Pine Barren Beauty

We Bought a House!

About three months before our wedding, Rob & I bought a house! I still can’t believe it. It was totally not our plan, but it was definitely meant to be. We might be a little crazy for making this decision while also planning a wedding, but we are so happy that we went through with everything! You can read more about why we bought, what the process was like, etc. in this blog post and this blog post.

Over the past six months, we’ve been making our house our home. We started by painting everything white and ripping out the floors in the hallways, living room, and kitchen. We installed a beautiful gray washed engineered hardwood that I am completely in love with! Our living room is about 90% complete. We have to finish the fireplace area, finish up some trim, and still decide on an area rug. The kitchen is coming along as well. After the new year we plan to paint the cabinets and install quartz counter tops! This is what I’m most excited for!! It is going to totally transform the kitchen and I can’t wait. After that is our master which needs a lotttt of work and is going to be a major process, especially the bathroom. As the rooms are completed I will be sharing before & after photos right here on the blog. I’m hoping to share a lot more home content during 2019 as different projects are completed so stay tuned!!

The Best of 2018 | Pine Barren Beauty

We Got Married!

We got married on October 5! It truly was the best day ever. Throughout the process we totally questioned if the time, money and stress would be worth it in the end and I am here to say that it was! We said more than once that we should have eloped, but after experiencing the actual day itself, we wouldn’t have had it any other way. I have an entire bridal category here on the blog, so if you’re a bride to be make sure you check it out for advice, tips, vendors, and all the inspo! I will be posting more photos from the day of as soon as we get them back!! For now, you can watch our highlight film here!

The Best of 2018 | Pine Barren Beauty
The Best of 2018 | Pine Barren Beauty

We Got a Puppy!

Shortly after we got married, we got a puppy! Again - not a part of the plan, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Piper is our newest addition and she is a red lab. Rob had been on the waiting list with a specific breeder for over six months! A couple weeks before the wedding, the breeder reached out saying his name was up and wanted to know if he was still interested. Although I was hesitant about the timing, there was no way I could tell Rob no. Literally it would have crushed his dreams lol. SO, off to Kansas we drove. We made it there and back in 48 hours. Again, call us crazy but it was a fun little road trip and we are so in love with our Piper girl. I did get asked for tips on training a puppy and I was going to include them here, but as I started typing it was getting to be super long. Instead, i’m going to dedicate an entire blog post to that within the next couple weeks!! Stay tuned!

The Best of 2018 | Pine Barren Beauty

With the Highs Comes the Lows

We haven't had any horrible lows this year (fortunately), but we were definitely challenged at times! As much as buying a house is high, it was so tough!! From the process itself, to the renovations, to really getting into a new routine together, our relationship was tested but we made it through. It’s all about remembering that the process of buying a home is temporary. Once you’re in the house, everything is worth it. There will always be a project and things will happen that you can’t predict (AKA your washer leaking water all over the floor the night of your rehearsal dinner 🤦🏻‍♀️) but you just have to go with the flow and give it time to get into a new routine.

When it came to the wedding, Rob and I definitely had our moments. In our moments, we had to remind ourselves that we are on the same team. Between the decisions, stress, money, time, appointments, etc; planning a wedding is HARD. And when shit gets hard we had to lean on each other instead of work against each other. Telling ourselves everything would go back to normal after the wedding was one of the best things we did. The constant reminder of life before wedding planning and knowing it would go back to that was what kept us strong. Because no one tells you wedding planning is tough. Everyone acts like it’s so fun, which it is, but not 100% of the time. Especially towards the end. The last month for us was crazy. We pushed through and now here we are. Back in our normal routine, married, and happier than we’ve ever been!

As I reflect on this year, it was super eventful. I am hoping that 2019 is a bit slower and allows more time for me to focus on the blog and really niche down. My blog is my baby and there’s nothing more that I want than for it to be a source of inspiration and place where you can come and feel like you aren’t alone. I appreciate each and every one of you who take the time to stop and read my posts. It truly means the world to me which is why I want this little corner of the internet to be all that it can be for you! But more on 2019 goals in next week’s blog post! For now, I hope you all have a safe.& happy new year! See ya in 2019 <3 xoxo