2022 Year Recap

Well another year has wrapped up and we are officially moving full steam ahead into 2023. And let me tell y’all this past year was filled with some amazing highlights (hello Usher in Vegas and HGTV Magazine feature!) and also some incredible challenges. So let’s talk about it all and what my hopes are for the new year.

Starting with the home projects I planned in 2022, I was really excited about what I had on my home project list (you can find that list here) and making my home more organized and efficient. I really had high hopes on transforming more spaces in my house and finding and maximizing storage solutions.

You guys.

I. Did. Not. Complete. A. Single. Project. On. That. List.

However, I am not going to beat myself up too bad about it because I still had some amazing highlights when it comes to projects I completed and several small but impactful updates I made around the house.

At the top of the year, I worked with Annie Selke and Heat & Glo Fireplace to update this space in my basement.

Sidebar - We still don’t utilize this space. I really thought the kids would use this room more but they are typical teenagers and pretty much stay in their rooms and only come out to eat, lol.

I mean, do you see the indigo grasscloth wallpaper! I’ve dreamt of having grasscloth wallpaper for yeeaarrrssss! So this was a very excited thing to happen and a year later I still love it and the best part was I learned to install it. So yep, my first time installing pre-pasted wallpaper was with this beautiful grasscloth. Another first, was that I built a fireplace mantel for the electric fireplace I was gifted from Heat & Glo Fireplace. The fireplace essentially stays on all winter and I love the warmth it provides the basement because it can get super drafty down there because of the original sliding door that desperately needs to be replaced (and I refuse to show it online. Ha!).

I also had my master closet wallpapered in this beatuful textured grasscloth wallpaper from Brewster Home Fashions. Now, while I still don’t have a functional walk-in closet (we’ll talk more about that at another time, lol), I’m going to still see this as win in 2022.

I also was able to partner with Joybird to help furnish a space in my brother and sister-in-law’s home. A while back, they had framed out and drywalled, painted, and installed flooring in a room in their basement that started as a workspace for my brother’s apparel line but then pivoted into a private area, we affectionally call the Parent Lounge. It was so much fun to see the space come together and truly benefit two people who mean the world to me.

I also wrapped up my vision for the living room by installing this super affordable bubble chandelier and adding picture molding to the walls.

And last but not least, the feature in HGTV Magazine was released! I have a whole six-page spread in the September issue (you can read it here) and it was by far and continues to be one of the most incredible highlights of my life. (I plan on doing an entire blog post on the experience.) My family and I, are now included in a small group of homeowners and designers who have been featured in this magazine. I still can’t believe this happened to me. I mean look y’all… THAT’S MY HOUSE!

Now, let’s talk about the challenges. And boy there were many!

I started 2022 completely burned out from 2021 which isn’t a great way to begin a new year. In the latter part of 2021 I was DOING TOO MUCH. Everything from multiple brand partnerships, design clients, managing a marketing side-hustle, being a parent, and working full-time. You know the deal. So I took an unintentional social media break and began to wrap up all the outstanding items on my plate. I even shared an update on how the year started in this post.

Additionally, this past year I developed work anxiety.

I’d experienced stress related to work before but never anything that developed into anxiety and man, it was the worst. This was also the main driver on why I didn’t complete one project on my 2022 home list and to be transparent, only completed the ones where I was paid.

I got into therapy to help me deal with the stress of work and all the other things, but as everyone knows, the definitive way to alleviate work anxiety is to remove yourself from the environment that is causing the stress. So I entered into an intense but very intentional job search because I wasn’t going to allow myself to go from one miserable situation to another. It took me 8 months but I finally landed a new position (with an 18% pay increase and better benefits) and when I tell y’all that the work anxiety immediately ceased once I walked out those doors on the last day - I was so relieved!

But also another challenge I faced was having two high school students. My daughter had finally entered high school and with two active teenagers in sports and activities that happen during the same season… baby, It. Was. Intense!

So with all of this going on, I just had no energy to create. I am not one of those people who use design and DIY as a form of therapy. With work anxiety, looking for a new job, managing the lives of two busy kids, and trying to manage a household, when I had free time all I wanted to do was watch tv or go out with friends.

The best thing I did during this time was allow myself some grace.

Once I started my new job and the fall sports season ended, I cannot tell y’all how much lighter I felt. I didn’t beat myself up about all the things I wanted to do but couldn’t complete or the times where all I could manage was to order DoorDash while I stayed in bed all day. I actually patted myself on the back for moving through last year the best way I could.

Now, that I am back in a mentally clear space I cannot explain how excited I am to be more intentional and creative with my projects, partner collaborations, and how I show up for Brickendhaus. Last year taught me a lot and I most certainly will not waste the lesson I was taught.

If you were following along on Instagram the entire last year, thank you from the bottom of heart. I don’t take it for granted that you continue to choose me to be a part of your online community.

I feel great about 2023 and my creative juices are flowing!

I’m so looking forward to all the ways I can show up to help inspire, provide ideas, or offer a few laughs for you as we continue this journey of living a life that makes us feel safe, alive, and seen.

So with that… Let’s do this 2023!!!