2017 felt like both the longest year and the shortest year, amIright?? Amidst personal and worldwide heartbreak, problems, setbacks, (and victories and joy, too), it was quite the year. It was a big year for us, from selling our first home and buying a new one, to traveling the world, to undergoing IVF to become pregnant, it’s been a pretty wild ride. I get all sentimental around the new year, so I decided to round up my Best of 2017 blog posts – these are the posts that you guys loved the best or were particularly significant for me.
Check out the blogs posts below, which are a nice mix of renovations, craft projects, trends, and how-to’s. Then be sure to let me know in the comments what you’re looking forward to in the new year here at Dwell Beautiful – what kind of posts do you want to see in 2018?
Best of 2017 – Old House and New House
We started off 2017 by putting our house on the market. We worked on this place tirelessly for the past 3 years, updating and styling every room in our 1970s cottage.
We then purchased and moved into a new house (after bunking with my in-laws for a few months!) – we like our new house and are looking forward to putting our personal touch on it with these before photos and renovation plans.
New House Tour and Renovation Plans
Best of 2017: IKEA Tour and Hot Items
My local IKEA got a whole new makeover, and I got to tour it on a preview weekend. Check out the digs, as well as some hot items from their new lines that you just gotta have, even going into 2018. Who doesn’t love IKEA??
Best of 2017: Cactus Crafts Roundup
Cacti were super hot in 2017 (and I’m hoping they continue to be as I’m using them in my nursery design for 2018!) so I rounded up some adorable and easy DIY and craft ideas that feature our favorite prickly amigo.
Best of 2017: Boho Living Room Mood Board
Since moving into our new house, I’ve gone into full designing mode and came up with this cozy boho style board for main floor living room. I’ve started slowly adding pieces from this style board to our home as budget allows, and I’m hoping to have a full reveal coming at ya in 2018!
Best of 2017: Finding Your Personal Design Style
These tips and tricks for finding your own personal design style are just as applicable in 2018 as they were in 2017! Follow along to find out where your tastes lie and then how to bring that specific look into your home! Make 2018 the year of great home design!
How to Find Your Personal Design Style
Best of 2017: Monthly DIY Challenge
Our Monthly DIY Challenge game was strong in 2017 – our group of bloggy ladies created something cool each month using various materials or by working with brands. One of my most popular challenges from this past year was using FAT paint to transform this adorable jewelry box. Sadly, the DIY Challenge also ended in 2017, but that frees us all up for more exciting collaborations in 2018!
FAT Paint Jewelry Box Makeover
Best of 2017: Modern Girl Must-Haves
I started up a new series in 2017 – Modern Girl Must-Haves. Every month (or at least close to every month) I let y’all in on my top 5 products for the month, whether it’s clothing, home decor, personal items, books, or something else altogether! It’s been a fun way for me to share my faves with you 🙂
Best of 2017: Best Online Stores for Home Decor
2017 was definitely the year of online shopping – I could count the number of times I actually went out to stores to buy home decor on one hand. Online shopping is wayyyyyy easier, amIright? So I rounded up the top places for buying home decor online to make decorating your home as easy as possible 🙂
Best Places to Shop Online for Home Decor
Best of 2017: DIY Cactus Pillow
This was another Monthly DIY Challenge where we needed to use a white pillowcase to make something new. Playing on the popular cacti trend, I made a sweet little cactus pillow (that I will likely put in our baby girl’s nursery!). I love sharing craft tutorials with you and will definitely continue to do so in the new year!
Best of 2017: Our Family is Growing!
For me, this was the best part of 2017 – we finally got to announce that we are expecting! We dealt with infertility for over year before finally succeeding in getting pregnant via IVF. It was such a joy to finally let the world know that we are bringing a new family member into the world in March 2018! (Also stick around in 2018 for a detailed series on our IVF journey).
We then got to announce what gender baby we are having, which was exciting, because a.) it’s so exciting to find out what you’re having, and also exciting in the scary sense of finding out my gallbladder was dying at our 20 week appointment and then having to have surgery at 21 weeks pregnant a week later. Yowzah.
And finally, I’ve been posting monthly Bumpdates detailing my pregnancy journey, with pics and answers to common questions, my thoughts, hopes, and fears. I will absolutely continue these updates until baby girl gets here! 🙂 <3
And that’s my Best of 2017 roundup! I hope you enjoyed all of the posts I worked hard to produce this year – it’s definitely a joy crafting them and writing them for you! Be sure to let me know in the comments below what kind of posts are your favorite and I’ll be sure to include them for 2018!
What are your own 2017 highlights?
