What I Read in 2022

 I read a total of 45 books in 2022 and wanted to share my list of what I read, what I loved, and maybe what I didn't love as much. I laughed, I cried, I was inspired. Here are the 45 books I dove into....

A Weekend in Venice

During our trip to Austria we planned to visit Germany, along with taking a train to Venice for a couple of days. We booked our tickets and enjoyed the very scenic views from the six hour train ride from Salzburg to Venice.

Hiking the Bavarian Alps to Hitler's Eagle's Nest

Being avid history and WWII fans, Josh and I had planned on visiting Hitler's mountainside retreat, The Eagle's Nest, in Berchtesgaden, Germany. When researching our visit we discovered that you are able to hike the Bavarian Alps up to the historical landmark. We knew right away that was the route we wanted to take, instead of the tourist bus that, according to our tour guide, 99% of visitors use when touring the site. We decided we wanted to be that 1% and hike the exact same path the Easy Company of the 101st Airborne took when discovering the fortress. 

The Hills Are Alive: Touring the sites from The Sound of Music

My favorite childhood movie, and the first film our family ever owned, was The Sound of Music. I watched it more times than I can count. I used to pretend I was Liesl and jumped from couch to couch while singing "Sixteen Going on Seventeen".

I knew if the time ever came where we got to visit Austria, we would definitely be touring the scenes from the iconic film. I will have to say, in my opinion, that the popular bus tour did, in fact, disappoint. It was, not surprisingly, very commercial and for the time and money, left out so many great spots that I was hoping to see. I decided that in addition to the bus tour, I would just research the sites myself and visit them. I am so glad that I did. I have complied the list of places we saw here in this post so if you ever plan to visit, perhaps this article will be helpful. 

Our Austrian Adventure

 

Josh and I had the amazing privilege of traveling to Austria and a couple of other European countries at the end of the summer. We flew into Salzburg and spent ten glorious days exploring the loveliest city, hiking the Bavarian Alps, and jumping on a train to Venice for a couple of days. It was literally the trip of a lifetime. 

All things dollhouse...

 We are a little dollhouse obsessed over here! It has been so much fun recently designing an interior for my DIY dollhouse (that the Maileg mice and mice furniture fit perfectly in!). Coco loves anything tiny and I totally get that obsession. :) I have been a huge fan of Maileg ever since we had Coco and it's been so much fun collecting their sweet pieces over the years. They create the most adorable teddies, rabbits, bunnies, mice, and furniture for their own dollhouse. FYI, If you are wanting to collect the Maileg animals and furniture, I have found that the Maileg dollhouse works the best for those pieces! 

Designing a Dollhouse for Coco's 4th Birthday

 I knew that I wanted to gift Colette a really special dollhouse one day and I thought, "Why not for her 4th birthday?!" I was able to partner with Bohemian Mama for this gorgeous Dollhouse and I had the idea to DIY the interior by designing and decorating the rooms for the sweetest little mouse family. 

Our Outdoor Side Patio Before/After

Our side patio has been a work in progress for awhile. It was a carport before we installed a window in the den and fenced in our backyard. It's just been sitting there, very plain and ugly for some time before I decided to paint the concrete a fresh coat of white and create a functional outdoor space.

Here are a couple photos of the side patio before we did anything...

Bathroom Renovation Reveal

This bathroom has been a work in progress over the past few months. We installed a new bathroom vanity and toilet from Signature Hardware, as well as retiled the shower, and added all the little details in between. I am completely obsessed with how everything turned out and couldn't be happier.

 

Our Kitchen Renovation Reveal With Smeg / Pt. 2

 I wanted to share the other side of the kitchen renovation! One of my dreams was to be able to partner with Smeg on this kitchen design and I couldn't be more honored or excited that they chose to work with me! 

Dining Room Refresh

 Since the kitchen was getting a complete makeover I thought it was high time that the dining room got a little refresh as well. I was so thrilled to partner with Lulu and Georgia to freshen up the space! 

Our Kitchen Renovation Reveal with ILVE/ Pt. 1

We began renovating our kitchen back in January of this year and really started planning and saving a lot longer than that. I am so excited to finally reveal the space to you, along with a few before photos! 

Living Room Makeover with Castlery

 This past Christmas I surprised my sister and brother-in-law with a living room makeover. I wrapped up a mood board for them of their space and what I planned on creating for them and gifted it to them on Christmas Day. It was so fun to see their reactions! I was so excited to transform their space into a relaxing but stylish retreat for their family of six.