Ah, 2016. Let’s get real: it wasn’t the best year in memory. We had some personal lows and the world certainly saw devastation. As with every year, however, there were positives too and I think it’s especially important to focus on the sunshine when all you can see are clouds.
For me, the positives looked like this: the Blog turned 1 and I celebrated with a Luxe Beauty Giveaway which was successful beyond anything I imagined. It received over 1100 entries! (Thank you! Still in awe about that). Another huge milestone for me was blog traffic: In 2015, the blog received just over 3000 visitors the whole year, and in 2016, over 30,000 of you stopped by! It makes me SMH every time I think about it and I’ve thought about it a lot. I can’t wait to see what this year brings!
On the family front, the Boy turned 5 and we took him to Seattle to visit his favourite cousin and for his first ever premier league soccer game, and the Baby turned 2 and continues to be the fiercest child I know. She is #lifegoals. I had so much fun planning her party and surprising her with a Peppa Pig cake.
The Baby’s 2nd Birthday Party!
Last year, I was also lucky enough to meet and chat with the lovely and inspiring Rebecca Minkoff at her store opening on Melrose. As moms with two kids each, the same age and gender, we discussed #momlife and I captured some soundbites. I’m planning to share those with you really soon as printables, so keep an eye out for that!
The prettiest sunset I’ve ever seen! Zuma Beach, Malibu
Sunsets in LA are legendary and we made a special trip down to Zuma Beach to capture one. In the end, it wasn’t as romantic as I’d hoped haha. The Mr. was changing the Baby’s diaper in the back of our car, and the Boy was entirely unimpressed with it all so I just sat down, took a million photos, and marveled at it solo.
My Bedroom Makeover: I loved partnering with Hamlet for my mini bedroom makeover, and it all started with those beautiful indigo dyed pillows!
Last year, I was also fortunate enough to collaborate with lots of fun brands- from an ongoing partnership with Blushington to trying out products and services from Hamlet Home, the PopSugar Must Have Box, Maybelline & Rodial (Check my Instagram feed for all the fun!) Oh, and how could I forget, 2016 was also the year I launched The Shop! I so excited to continue start sharing amazing, curated content with you featuring all of my favourite stores.
Here’s my broken wrist in all it’s glory. Last summer was NOT fun.
The less fun parts were breaking my arm and spending all summer in a cast, being offered two amazing job opportunities out of the blue and having to turn them down, and finally, moving to a new home and having to leave it within two months- all of which were incredibly stressful. BUT we moved back to a city we adore and we began 2017 in Toronto, vacationing alongside family and friends, and I really can’t complain about that!
Here are the top 5 blog posts you loved the most in 2016:
1. For the Home | Removable Wallpaper for Renters (This post was number 2 in 2015!)
2. For the Home | 7 Brilliant Ideas to Refresh Your Home Decor this Year (Probably one of the most enjoyable posts I’ve written.)
3. For the Home | 8 Great Removable Wallpapers for Renters (Who knew temporary wallpaper would be so popular?)
4. For the Home | 12 Minimalist Ceiling Fans (This post’s popularity surprised me the most!)
5. Style Essentials | Help Me Pick the Perfect Frames from Warby Parker (I still haven’t decided! Eep!)
Here are my top 9 posts on Instagram:
And finally, let’s talk about Pinterest a little bit.
If you are a blogger and don’t already use it, what are you waiting for?? Pinterest has been a powerhouse readership generator for me and it continues to grow and bring amazing people to the blog and my mailing list (speaking of which, have you subscribed yet?). In November, I reached my highest view count on Pinterest ever when over 1.6 million people saw my pins! My average monthly viewers were around 850,000 last year so this was a huge deal for me. That said, here are my top 5 all-time power pins on Pinterest as of December 2016. FYI: Power pins are images that have a high mix of repins, clicks and more. I have pins with higher repins, but as with most social media, it is important to remember engagement often counts for more than just numbers.
From the boards: 1. Inspiring Interiors | 2. Street Style, etc. | 3. Scandinavian Style | 4. For the Home | 5. Outfit Inspiration
And there you have it! That was 2016 for me. How did you do last year? What goals are you planning for this year and how can I help to make So Fresh & So Chic a better place for you? Leave me a comment below and tell me everything! I’m raring to go!
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