Best of 2015
Can you believe it's the last day of 2015?! I'm really looking forward to the new year, but before the ball drops and the confetti is thrown, I wanted to take some time to look back on this year of blogging.
I've put together a countdown of my most popular blog posts from the last 12 months. Click the photos to read the original posts! Here we go...
10. How to Furnish Your First Home without going into Debt
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Debt-free living has become a big passion of mine in 2015. Anthony and I are following Dave Ramsey's 7 Financial Baby Steps, which you can read more about here. While we still have a lot of hard work ahead of us to become completely debt-free, I was glad I could share some of our journey through the blog this year. I got some great feedback on this post. Would you guys be interested in reading more about this topic in 2016? Do you have any specific questions about personal finance that you'd like to read more about? I would love to have your input. Comment on this post or email me at stevie@steviestorck.com!
9. The Cabin by the River
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Last January, I shared plans for a small cabin by the Susquehanna that my parents purchased as an investment. In the post above, I gave you all a little tour of what the cabin looked like when they bought it. Next, I shared a detailed post called Making The Best Use of Limited Square Footage, analyzing the problems with the existing floor plan and sharing my ideas for the renovation. I shared one Progress Update, and then....radio silence. To be honest, the cabin today looks a lot like that last progress report. Yes, more work has been done on the mechanical systems, but work to the interior has been on hold. I hope we'll be able to pick back up on this project soon so I'll have some after photos to show you in 2016!
8. Finding Happiness in Transition
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2014 was a very transformative year for me. At the beginning of this year, I shared this post, reflecting on my journey towards happiness and contentment. The main source of my frustration was our temporary living situation that seemed to be stretching on and on. Who knew that just 3 months we would be closing on a home that was even better than we ever could have imagined.
7. Front Porch Inspiration
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After we moved into our new home, I had a deluge of ideas to share! First on the list was improving our curb appeal. We decided to take the Graphic + Edgy route. So far, Anthony's pressure washed all the siding and I've painted all of the exterior doors but we haven't done much else. Summer turned quickly into Fall with Winter approaching, we decide to hold off on painting the porch floor until this coming Spring. Our plan was to let the snow and ice help us with removing some of the old peeling paint from the floorboards, but we've been having an unseasonably warm winter in PA so far! No snow so far, but we'll see what 2016 brings!
6. 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Decorating on a Budget
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Hands down, my favorite graphic from this year is this infographic I made with the help of my dear, Jamie Barchanowicz! This post was my love letter to all of my clients at the furniture store. These are the things that I tell all of my friends and family members to save them time, money and frustration.
When it comes to discussing your budget with a designer or salesperson, you don't have to be embarrassed, or feel like you have to play games. Everyone has a budget! Being upfront from the beginning with those who are trying to help you will only make the process of getting the room you want that much smoother. If you are starting a new decorating project anytime soon, or if you are remotely thinking of setting foot in a furniture store this weekend, I highly recommend that you read this post!
5. We're Buying a House!
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Yay! In April of 2015, we became homeowners! In this post, I made the announcement and shared some photos I had taken of the exterior. We LOVE our home and we are excited to continue making it ours in the coming year. There will be projects, galore!
4. Minion Yellow
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Remember that time Pharrell Williams posted a graphic I made announcing Pantone's new Minion Yellow color on his personal Instagram account? Yeah, he didn't give me credit which was kind of a bummer but to date the post has 97,300 likes so that at least is pretty cool.
3. How to Use Gold Leaf to update Thrift store frame
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This was such a fun DIY project, and it was really simple to do. I love the way the gold leaf brightens and elevates a simple thrift store frame into something special.
2. Christmas House Tour
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My holiday home tour was a big hit! I loved decorating our home for our first year celebrating Christmas here. I'm glad so many people stopped in for my virtual tour! I look forward to more house tour posts in 2016.
1. Why I'm Loving White Walls
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I wrote this post while we were still in our apartment, and it actually picked up a lot of steam on Pinterest! In our new home, I've continued my love of white walls, painting the hallway in Sherwin Williams Alabaster--which was then named the color of the year! I plan to use this color in our kitchen and office as well to help keep the first floor feeling bright and open.
Which is your favorite post from 2015?
Happy New Years, friends! Enjoy your celebrations and be safe! If you are on Snapchat, quick, you NEED to follow @timessquareball. My sister, Frankie is the official host for New Years Eve in Times Square tonight!!!
