Top Ten Posts of 2018

Here’s the top ten posts of 2018!

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you had the best Christmas and great start to 2019. We have had my sister’s family staying with us so it’s been non stop laughing and filling our bellies to the maximum. My kitchen has been working overtime and these moments make me so thankful to have a home that works hard for our family. Since it’s now officially 2019, I wanted to share a recap of the top ten posts of 2018.

This allows me to look back on the past year and see all that has happened with Love Your Abode. This past year has been one full of tremendous growth. I have been stretched personally, creatively, spiritually and it has been a year full of opportunities that truly still leaves me in shock. I am humbled and thankful for this little blog of mine. Thank you for following along, commenting, liking and supporting this little space on the world wide web. You are a big reason why LYA continues to grow.

Here are the top 10 posts of 2018 along with some highlights.

10: Italy 

This was a huuuge trip for us because it was the first time we left all 3 kids for an extended period of time. We had a belated 15 year anniversary trip and celebrated with some of our best friends traveling through a few cities. Traveling truly makes you appreciate diversity, culture and gives you the space and time to reflect on your life. If you are thinking about traveling to Italy, I shared a 3 part series on Rome, Florence and Venice. 

9: Open Concept Breakfast Area

My final project of 2018 was working with Home Depot on giving our breakfast area a major refresh. The timing was perfect because we hosted a bunch of gatherings during Christmas and we were able to fit so many people around the table. Since my style is a mix of traditional and modern, I mixed traditional materials with more contemporary shapes to update the space and make it our own. We love it!

8: Design Dash with La-Z-Boy

Working with La-Z-Boy was a huge highlight for my career this past year. It stretched me in so many ways because I really had to test my design skills during this competition. If anything, this experience taught me to stay true to my aesthetic and have confidence in what I can do. I am so thankful to LaZBoy for the amazing opportunity.

I am also so grateful for everyone who supported me and cheered me on during this competition. I didn’t win the competition but I was so blown away by all the FB shares and kind words from so many of you cheering me on. Thank you so much again for all the encouragement because I truly feel like a winner. And a huge congrats to my talented friend, Jenni at ISpyDIY for winning. She is so deserving!

7: Patio Makeover with Home Depot

This past Spring, we gave our patio a major refresh  with some new furniture and decor. One of the perks of my job is that I get to partner with brands that I love and Home Depot is one of them. This space used to be lifeless and it really got revived with a new conversational set. I can’t wait to fully utilize it again in the Spring. The fire pit has definitely has gotten a ton of use from us roasting marshmallows and making s’mores. 

6: Staging FAQs

It’s been a little over a year and half since I started staging homes for realtors. I have learned so much along the way and continue to do so. I always receive questions on how I got started on staging and to tell you the truth, I’m not even close to being an expert on this topic since I’m still a newbie. But because I continue to get questions, I wrote a post on the most frequently asked questions. 

5: A Christmas Makeover for my Sister

This project was probably one of the most fun ones I have ever done. I was able to gift my sister’s home a Christmas makeover with the help of Home Depot. I shared a post on a bunch of behind the scenes photos  because so much happens behind all the before and after makeovers. I’m so thankful that this blog continues to provide opportunities to help others beautify their spaces. My sister joked with me the other day that she may keep these decorations up for a few more months. Ha! I mean, it’s only 51 weeks until Christmas! 😉

4: Modern Farmhouse Plate Rack

You guys really loved this project! I still have to write a tutorial post for this so I’m sorry if you’re still waiting on it! This is one of those DIY projects that was fairly simple but = made a huge impact with very little cost. I have loved decorating it and changing it up every season. 

3: Respite Foster Care

Our family continues to provide respite foster care and I wrote a post on what that actually looks like. For this season, respite foster care is something we can do well and feel that it’s the best way to partner with other foster care families. We recently finished our training and got re-certified for the next year. You have to continue with yearly training to obtain a certain amount of hours to receive certification year after year. It’s a sad reality that there are so many children who have to enter into foster care. We pray that our families can serve as a a light to these children who have experienced much pain. 

2: Painted Cabinet Update

Our painted cabinets continue to be a popular post on the blog. Earlier last year, I shared an update on how the paint has held up the past couple of years. If you’re thinking about painting your kitchen cabinets, I highly recommend reading this post along with my DIY tips. 

1: Mom’s Bedroom Makeover

The most popular post on the blog this past year was when I gave my mom a bedroom makeover for her 60th birthday. I’m so glad this post was a popular one because it was such a special project for me. My mom is so deserving and I was so happy to help give her a bedroom that she loves. If you know anything about most immigrant parents, they are the most hard working, selfless people you will ever meet. That’s why doing this makeover was so important for me. 

 

There were so many other projects that took place this past year including client projects, design tips, recipes, home tours and DIY projects.

There are too many to write about but I’m truly thankful for each client space I’ve completed, every home I helped to sell by staging and I hope that you get inspired to create beauty within the walls of your own home. You don’t have to have a bunch of money (although that helps ha!) to create a space you love. Remember, a little effort and creativity can truly go a long way.

I hope that Love Your Abode inspires you to create a home that is unique to you and not just beautiful but functional. I’m a strong believer that our homes are supposed to serve us and not the other way around. 

 

Thanks so much, friends for an amazing 2018. I’m excited to see what 2019 brings! I hope you have the most wonderful start to the new year. Many blessings!

xoxo,

 

 

 

Let all that you do be done in Love. 1 Corinthians 16:14