Oh, Hey There, 2015.

Well, 2014 is in the rearview and 2015 is here whether we like it or not. Did you get a New Year’s kiss from someone you love?

New Year’s Kiss

Before I get into what I’m proud of from 2014 and what 2015 holds, a quick message for you…

Thank you so much. Thank you for reading. Maybe you’re a loyal reader that checks the site daily and maybe you’re new and you’ve landed on this page accidentally because you typed in “mutant yew bushes.” No matter your connection to this site or how you ended up here, I appreciate you. I’ve been chronicling the things we do to this home for nearly three years and I still have a lot of fun doing it. I know that many of you have fun reading and following along, and please know that it means a lot to me. My audience is not large, but it’s grown a lot over three years and I hope that’s a testament to my content and attempted wit. I’m grateful for each and every one of you. Now, back to what I was saying about the changing of the years…

I revisited my house goals from the beginning of 2014 and I have to say, I’m really disappointed. We tackled three of the ten (#1, #3, #4) that we set out to accomplish. That being said, I think I reeeeaaaalllly underestimated how busy life would become with the birth of Harrison in March. Of course he’s the best kind of distraction and I wouldn’t have it any other way but I do wish we made a little more progress on some of the outlined projects.

It’s not all disappointing, though. While we didn’t come close to finishing all of those ten goals, we did get a bunch of other things done that weren’t on the list.

We tackled some challenging outdoor projects (cutting down mutant yew bushes, installing new garage lanterns, adding pressure-treated boards and gravel under the deck) and a challenging indoor one that I didn’t blog about at all (removing the old oil tank and replacing it with a new one - boring!).

Adding Garage Lanterns

My gardens had another wonderful year and I can’t wait for the Spring to show you all of the new spaces I carved out over the summer for new bushes and plants.

Homemade Garden Sign

We hosted a giant snapping turtle

Giant Snapping Turtle

…that laid eggs that eventually hatched!

Baby Snapping Turtle

On the craft front, I made a nursery mobile, a (modified) clock and learned to embroider.

Make a custom clock! Embroidery, yo.

The kitchen is nearly complete. After pimping it out with under-cabinet lighting and adding and finally painting the new cabinet trim, all we have left to do is finish painting the pantry door, re-hang it, upgrade the recessed lighting and add some fun decorative touches.

The bathroom renovation has once again proved elusive - we’re reconsidering the cosmetic upgrades for a bigger project i.e.. gutting it and adding a bathtub which will of course require us to move the toilet, heating unit and vanity. We may even bump out the wall a few inches. Good times. We’ll revisit this concept in the Spring or Summer, when the idea of using a porta-potty in 20 degree weather isn’t so… ridiculous.

Looking back, I think we did okay. For 2015, I think I’ll skip the “house goals” idea completely and organically work on whatever strikes me.

Let’s skip the To-Do list!

For January though, I’m hoping to finish Harrison’s jelly cabinet, repaint the paned back door and finally add fresh paint and new outlets in the guest room. Oh! I also desperately need to update the site’s House Tour page because so many of those pictures are outdated. They may not be official goals, per se, but a “guideline” of what I’d like to get done.

So yeah, bring it, 2015. It should be a big year. My baby will turn 1, my marriage will turn 5 and I may finally get a new bathroom. Amen to all of it.

What did you tackle over the last twelve months? Do you have goals for your home in the new year? I’d love to hear. Leave a comment below or comment on Facebook. Oh, and make sure you “Like” SHR’s FB page if you haven’t already. If you aren’t already a fan on Facebook, you’re missing fun status updates and extra pictures! Check us out here.

Wishing you all a wonderful and prosperous 2015!!

#To-Do #Holidays