2019 was a busy year of growth both for the shop & personally.  One of my proudest accomplishments at the shop was hiring three super talented & wonderful women who love what they do and love all of you!  If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Chandlar, Karissa, and Rachel in person yet…here is a fun introduction:

Read more about Chandlar, Karissa, and Rachel!

We collaborated with so many of you this year and had the chance to photograph some projects that we were extra involved in:

A kitchen remodel that opened up the kitchen into the dining room, beautiful full tile backsplash with no uppers, and a classic black & white color palette.  See the before & after here.

We refreshed a West Omaha lakehouse with some of our favorite Verellen pieces in whites & creams.  A one-of-a-kind rug and pampas grass switch up a traditional coastal color palette of blues & greens.  We shared the before & after here.

We furnished a modern woman's dream of bridal boutique -- Arc Bridal.  Proving femininity is both strong and beautiful.  See the tour here.

We revealed a project we have been working on step by step for the last two years...incredible rugs, comfortable & eclectic seating, and a personal aesthetic.  See the whole house here.

 

We shared a glimpse into this peaceful, modern farmhouse with Cisco Brothers at its best! This moody, fresh basement features one of our favorite color combos of black & navy.  See the upstairs here and basement here.

And we partnered with Joelle Elaine Design on her personal home to bring fun, chic seating to her beautiful home in Ames.  See the tour here.

And personally — don’t laugh.  This was the year of the kitchen in our house.  Last summer, I purchased my very first KitchenAid mixer, Le Creuset set, and the quietest dishwasher ever (huge win for our noisy household).

I'm sharing affiliate links below for easy referencing to my favorite purchases of the year.  If you love what I love and use my links, I may earn a percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.  These are 100% my honest, unsolicited opinions.

I never had much confidence in the kitchen but Andy and I came back from our first silence retreat (more about that later…long story involving our favorite Angel art & The Cloisters on the Platte) feeling like we needed to cook for our kids more.  In July … in silence… we came back with the urge to bake bread from scratch & experiment with macarons, 4 hours carnitas…and so much more.  The recipes were good 75% of the time and the other 25% of the time we learned a lot about ourselves.

Andy & I picked out the Pro Line® Series 7 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer in the "Sugar Pearl" color.  We debated passionately between the 5 qt or and 7 qt but my personal philosophy is "go big or go home" so we went big and have no regrets.  I can make lots of pizza dough at once and he uses it all the time for his bread recipes!  It's on sale now for under $500.00 and it is tied with my second favorite purchase of the year...

I don’t know why I always hesitated to buy one of these — I had used my dependable hand mixer FOREVER and now am not sure how I lived without homemade whipped topping, royal icing, or any of the good stuff that takes 10+ minutes of consistent whipping.

 

Le Creuset 5 Qt. Braiser in Meringue Color

I invested in a couple of Le Creuset pieces this year and by far — this braised has been my favorite.  It makes an incredible risotto (we have been following Serious Eats this year and their easy risotto recipe is the best one I have tried) and an incredible carnitas (thank you Williams Sonoma recipes online…)

 

 

Bosch 800 Series Dishwasher in Black Stainless

Right before my birthday this past year, we realized that our dishwasher had been leaking.  For a few days.  Into the basement.  We washed dishes by hand for six weeks waiting for our floors to be replaced, drywall to be repaired, and other minor inconveniences.  A lot of you ask me where I shop for appliances and the scary truth is that we do most of our research online without ever touching, feeling the product in person.  I know that's the wrong answer -- but boy did we luck out with this dishwasher.  It is ranked #9 in built-in dishwashers.  So quiet. So efficient. And I'm obsessed with the extra third top rack for chopping knives, measuring spoons, and spatulas.  It is so quiet I never hear it and love running it right before I go to bed.

I have a million goals for 2020 for myself, my team, my family, and the shop…but the most important goal I have for myself in the next 365 days is to be less private.  I am so thankful for your community and encouragement.  Every time I hired one of the girls this year — I was so proud to explain that I truly have the BEST supporters/friends/customers/clients around.  I’m so thankful to be apart of your homes and your lives.

Monica