2019: A YEAR IN REVIEW

One of these years I’ll look back and say, wow….it feels like exactly one year ago that it was New Years Eve. But once again I’m shocked at how a year can feel like an eternity when I’m looking into the future. Yet a year in the past always seems to have gone by in a flash!

This year was an exciting one with new ventures, a new job, new projects, and new scenery.

Let’s look back.

January

We celebrated Chris’ 30th birthday on the coldest day of winter! A dinner date and a college basketball game was how we spent the day and it was perfect.

February

Nebraska got more snow than usual which meant that we had a blast hiking through the snow drifts at the lake nearby. We also found a path after a heavy snow storm with the most surreal, magical scenery I had ever walked through! Teddy didn’t mind the view either!

March

After a few months (honestly more like years) of mulling over a name change, I decided to rebrand and rename my business to Nadine Stay. (Formerly Refined Design) There were a handful of reasons why, mainly due to changes in my business and the desire to distinguish myself from the other 30+ businesses with the same name Refined Design. So I made the plunge to start a new(ish) chapter as Nadine Stay.

April

We found a studio space and signed the lease for a new venture – a podcast recording studio! April was the start of the studio makeover and as you can see it needed a bit of work! It was the beginning of us feeling like we were totally in over our heads (which we were), but life isn’t fun unless you’re pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone right??

Oh yes, I also celebrated my birthday with the best guy in town!

May

May was consumed with projects – mostly for the studio. We spent many hours in our garage putting together plans and even more hours driving to and from the studio with a load of tools and 10 foot boards hanging out the back of our car.

June

Chris got a new job working from home! He loved his old job, but a new opportunity presented itself and he took advantage of it! So of course that meant that we had to give our guest bedroom a proper makeover for the two of us to share as an office!

July

I have no photos in my phone from July and no record that this month even existed in my life. 😉 Nothing to report here other than my favorite photo of all time!! Just two boys hangin’ out on the couch! 🙂

August

August was a busy month. We finished our studio makeover! Hurray! It was such a blast giving this room a refresh and a heavy dose of the Nadine Stay treatment.

We also took a weekend trip to Minnesota to see my family and help replace the roof on the cabin my dad built back when he was a teenager. That’s a whole story in itself, but in summary – my dad built a rustic cabin in the woods with two of his friends when they were teenagers. It was later abandoned and was in danger of being torn down. My family (minus my parents) put together plans to save the cabin and move it to my parent’s property. We surprised my mom and dad on Christmas in 2017! My dad has since been working hard to restore the cabin and in August of this year, my family got together to replace the roof! It was a special moment for all of us, especially my dad!

September

August marked our 6th year anniversary so we celebrated it with a trip to Colorado. My goodness we had a blast! It was a short trip, but filled with hiking, site seeing, driving up one of the most dangerous mountain roads in the US, and of course eating delish food!

October

We launched the Nadine Speaks podcast in October and it’s been so fun to do! It’s been exhilarating (and slightly scary) to allow you to eavesdrop in on our conversations about design, renovations, life, business, and our everyday experiences.

We also had a mini staycation with two of my brothers and their families! The tour of The Robbers Cave was the highlight for sure!

November

November weather flip flopped from 70° to 20° so we spent half our time outside soaking up the last bit of warmth and the other half bundled up next to the fireplace.

Every Thanksgiving we go to a local state park and spend a few nights in cabins tucked away in the woods. It’s always good to unplug!

December

This month has been filled with puzzles, games, hot cocoa, and Christmas movies. We made it a goal to be as cheezily festive as possible and I think we succeeded!

As always I am so so grateful to everyone who reads my blog, shops my home decor, and follows along on Instagram! Without you, this business wouldn’t exist and I’m so thankful for your support! Here’s to a new adventures in a new decade!