The Best of Gusto and Grace 2013 Edition

As 2013 comes to a close, I’d like to reflect back through this year, and celebrate not only a new beginning accompanying the calendar change, but this year’s growth and accomplishments. I hope you take time to not only set new goals for 2014, but to pat yourself on the back for the ones you reached in 2013.

The best part of blogging, or perhaps the most challenging, is the commitment to do it regularly. Midway through this year, I committed to posting twice a week, and other than a slip up or two, I have kept that commitment. Maybe the content is not quite the quality that I hoped. Maybe I’m not feeling too inspired and it is hard. Maybe, but I do it anyway.

Looking back on blog posts over the year, it is evident that the highlights in my personal life were wedding planning, my honeymoon, moving into and nesting in a new home and city, and adopting Nola.

DIY is my M.O. and can be seen through various themes and categories of the Gusto & Grace. I hope that some of my favorites posts, listed below, inspired or helped you in some way.

To see my wedding at a glance, watch our video.  You can also check out what I did to follow the “Something Old” wedding tradition. Some of my favorite DIY projects from the big day were my invitation suite, the floral shutter decor, and the gilded cotton boll boutonnieres.

My bridesmaids hosted some amazing parties to celebrate. Peek at my Hot Air Balloon themed Bridal Shower and my French Lingerie themed Bachelorette Soiree.

Moving to Austin has been an adventure-filled adjustment. I am excitedly decorating my husband’s former bachelor pad, that I’ve lovingly dubbed The Estate. Besides filling it with the many blessing we received from our registry, I think the biggest impact projects were painting the faux canopy in the master, repainting the kitchen cabinets, restoring the patio furniture, and the simple project of striping the dining room archway.

Anthony and I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively this year. The husband’s parents really blessed us by sending us on a Mediterranean Cruise for our Honeymoon. You can find a link to the slideshow above, and I wrote a bit about Rome too. We also enjoyed multiple trips back to Fort Wort-Dallas, and explored new additions to the metroplex like Sprinkles Ice Cream and ATM and the G. Dubya Bush Presidential Library. We took a road trip, Nola in tow, to Marfa, Texas where we stayed in a tepee and had a drink where James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor filmed Giant.

Holidays have been a little extra magical my first year of marriage.  I loved hosting a large portion of both of our families for Thanksgiving. The menu was a huge success and my miniature-loving-self was thrilled to find some tiny gravy boats for the feast. I’ve really enjoyed decorating for Christmas, and making new traditions in Austin. My favorite Christmas DIY was easily the $4 nutcracker stocking holders I made.

Cooking dinners for two, I have made a lot of savory meals, but my blogging doesn’t reflect that. When I was reviewing recipes I posted on the blog, I realized the best of them were sweets. In 2014 I hope to share some favorite classics and party recipes, meals I think everyone should have in their cooking repertoire. Until then, the Potato Chip Macaroons with Pop Rock Ganache, Tiramisu, and Hazelnut Chocolate Ice Cream remain my favorite blogged-about treats.

Thanks you for reading. I look forward to another year of blogging. Happy New Year!