I love doing these annual posts so much. This is my tenth round up, and it's still fun to think about a year in terms of cool stuff I tried. Some of the links below are affiliate. Most are not.
Cripe Cottage | The most obvious one. We are so thrilled we found it and SO excited to move in this June.
Six soundtrack | Remember when I was obsessed with The Other Boleyn Girl? (I blogged about it in 2006 for sure.) This soundtrack rekindled my love. We are obsessed in our house. I am hoping to take the girls when it starts traveling.
Facebook Marketplace | I have found SO MANY gems. Blog post here and updated one to come.
wallpaper | my first project was a success! I have plans for four more wallpapered rooms in 2022.
couple's therapy | so this is actually something we did last year but it's on the list right now because it changed our marriage and I have continued to see the benefits. When Paul was deployed he had decent internet access and we did online therapy through regain.us (it's the couples' version of betterhelp.com). We logged on weekly and chatted with a therapist for two months. I would not say it helped with the deployment stress but it did really help us work through some other relationship pain points. I am so grateful that we did it. I hate deployments so so much but they do have a way of helping you hit rock bottom! We used it to our advantage this time around.
Olive & June nail polish | I didn't paint my fingernails for like five years and then I tried Olive & June and was completely obsessed. It's the only polish I have ever tried that stays on my nails for more than a day. (Seriously, I have had it stay perfect over a week.) My favorite colors are Lava (a coral), CV (the perfect red), Obsessed (a dark burgundy), HZ (an opaque light pink) and LHG (a very faint opaque pink). If you're a new customer and use code ELISEC20 you can save 20% off a mani or pedi system. (I have the mani system and I love the foot serum and foot balm from the pedi system).
Maintenance Phase podcast | most likely you're already listening but if not, it's great. Every episode is a gem and I think it's especially relevant for anyone who was a teenager in the early 2000s and/or anyone with a body. I am learning so much.
rock climbing | we started taking the girls to a local indoor rock climbing gym this past fall and it's been such a fun activity for all of us.
Recess | I have cut back on how much alcohol I drink and am always looking for alternatives to "transition" my day into evening. Recess has been amazing for that. It's CBD fizzy water and the flavors are all good (though my least favorite is coconut). I get a sampler delivered every four weeks and it's a highlight. Code ELISE15 will save you 15% if you want to try!
The Actual Star by Monica Bryne | I read this at the end of 2021. The briefest summary is that it takes place in the years 1012, 2012 and 3012. The stories mingle together beautifully but my favorite part was reading the author's imagination of the year 3012. The technology and social changes were fascinating to consider. My one recommendation would be to refer to the glossary at the back of the book as you read. I think that would have helped me understand the future better if I knew the terms (I didn't realize there was a glossary until I finished!).
Encanto | I imagine the soundtrack is also seared into your brain, yes? The whole movie was so wonderful.
MacStitch | my cross-stitch design program! It helped me launch a brand called Playbook Patterns this year!
Wordle | my favorite word game. I love that it's quick to do. I love that it's just challenging enough.
framing art | last year I started buying original art for any and all business milestones. It was a joy to search out artists and pick the perfect pieces. But the best part was starting to frame them all! More on this soon as I begin hanging my collection all over Cripe Cottage.
my 2021 Christmas quilt | this took much longer than I expected but it's finished and I LOVE it. You can see a simple tutorial for how I build the tiny squares right here.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo | I read this last spring. It took me a few pages to get used to the style – it's written with very little punctuation – but shortly I realized it was like reading a poem. The characters are all so different and so detailed. Their individual stories intertwine in amazing ways. (After I finished, I diagrammed how their relationships all fit together.) I loved it. One of the best books I read in 2021 without a doubt.
project breakdown notebook | my own product made the list! The project breakdown notebook is something customers have been asking for for years and I finally made happen. What surprised me wasn't that it sold well but that I LOVE to use it. The graph paper + breakdown page is a perfect match.
Sticker Mule water activated tape | I bought this for my MAKE36 packaging and it's great. Super impressed.
mindset shift | I was completely struck by the quote "Beware the soul-sucking force of reasonableness" on this Instagram post from Cup of Jo. I immediately added The Power of Moments to my reading queue (it will probably make the list of 37 things next year) and haven't stopped thinking about it. I decided to make so many changes to my life and work this past year. Most of them (from buying purple clothing to selling our San Diego house and renting it back for nine months) were not what I would have considered "reasonable" last February. But here we are and it's working.
our custom epoxy garage floor | of course!
family dinners | sometime in December, overwhelmed by the girls eighth shouted request for a snack, I said to Paul "that's it. We are bringing back dinners!" And since that night we have all sat down at the table together with candles and ate together. (What were we doing before this? I don't even know. Mostly, in year 700 of a global pandemic we were just taking the path of least resistance and letting them eat whatever at 4:35 and then again at 7pm.) It's been a big habit shift with a huge payoff.
Beauty Counter mascara | I am still using a lot of BC products (current skincare favorites are the foaming facewash and sheer sunscreen) but the mascara is a newer addition and the results are legit.
our cats | surely these girls were on my list last year? (I checked and they were.) But it's fine. They are back. Poppy and Sugar are our adopted sister kittens and they bring more joy to our house that I could have ever imagined.
Clue | I bought the girls Clue for Christmas because it was one of my favorite growing up. I still think it's fun! We have loved playing it as a family and continue to marvel when somehow Piper (age 6) guesses all three cards correctly with limited information. The "looks like a book" version is a cool bonus too.
David's Tea advent calendar | I bought myself an advent calendar last year and it was amazing. I got to try a bunch of new teas (my favorite was Cinnamon Rooibos Chai) and it made December feel extra special (also! A non-alcoholic transition drink!) I will be doing it again for 2022.
DIY apron | one of my few 2021 "just for fun" makes. I made it for wallpapering (of course) but it worked great at the holiday market I sold at too. Such an easy, satisfying sewing project.
Vouri joggers | look... I realize there are a lot of joggers out there and these are pricey. But they are v v good. I have two pairs and Paul even bought a set.
the color lilac | here for it. I want it in my decor. I want to glaze all my pottery in it. I want to wear it. I want to frost a cake in it. I just love it.
florals | just all of them.
Ellerie's bubble mirror | this was a DIY from early this month that felt like coming home.
flannel sheets | these were my birthday gift last year. On February 23rd when we climbed into bed Paul and I literally giggled at how warm and cozy they were. Legitimately changed our winter bedtime. (Still loving linen sheets for all the other seasons.)
the Poppy Clutch | my first sewing pattern! I love that I finally made it happen. Now I just need more life events to happen so I can USE IT.
cabbage plates | I saw a post about these on Emily Henderson's blog last summer and I thought "hmmmmm." Then I went to an estate sale and found a set of four by Bordallo Pinheiro for a song. Since then I got a set of four bowls on etsy (which I think are OOAK based on the bottom markings). We have been using them for snacks and meals and they are just more fun. Adding whimsy for sure. I have my eye out for more.
Blick Essentials gloss glazes | I have been experimenting with painting designs on my clay pots and this glaze is really fun to work with. I have so so much more practice to do and a shelf full of colors to do it with.
flower pattern tile | our laundry room is far from done but my flooring plan still stands and I can't wait to get it in.
"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful" - William Morris | I vividly remember sharing this quote in 2010. I think I made a whole mini-book around the idea? But I am back into it again. Especially relevant now as I drastically change my entire life and style outlook and have spent the past year pouring over Morris collection wallpaper samples.
AGING! What a tremendous gift that keeps on giving. Here's to another birthday and to finding 37 more amazing things this upcoming year.