Taking Stock of 2013

2013 was a fantastic year. For me, it was a year of taking risks and challenging myself. I'm really proud of what I accomplished this year, and hopefully I can push myself to do even more in 2014. Here are some of the highlights of my year:

New York, New York
A recap of the trip that my mom and I took to New York. It's our favorite place in the world and makes for the perfect girls trip. We're hoping to go back this year!

Diego Turns One
In this post, there are some of the cutest pictures I've ever taken of the babies. Our sweet little Diego is about to turn 2 on January 6!

No Sew Window Seat Cushion
One of my most popular posts- an easy DIY tutorial for a window seat cushion!

The 3 Best Friends That Anyone Could Have
The sweetest pictures of my babies. The cats don't leave Maisy's side after she has surgery.

Dog Beach
Maisy's first trip to the Dog Beach. I don't think she's ever been happier!

Lily
We lost our sweet Lily girl. Her cross-eyed little face is so missed!

Calories, Running, and Weight Loss...Oh My!
One of my big accomplishments this year- I lost 15 pounds (and have kept it off!) I've always been a terrible dieter/exerciser so to stick with it for 6 months was a huge deal.

My First 5k & Mom and Dad Come to Town
Another accomplishment- I completed Couch 2 5k and ran my first (AND LAST! ;) 5k! I was glad to accomplishment my goal, and then I was glad to be finished running. It's just not for me :)

Surf's Up!
Doug took a surfing class and got up! And I was greatly entertained by the whole thing :)

Bark in the Park
We took Maisy to the Dodger's Bark in the Park and she had a blast. I love spoiling this girl.

Our Week in Paradise
Doug and I went back to where we honeymooned for our 3rd anniversary. We met some awesome people and had one of the best weeks of our lives.

Office Makeover
One of my favorite room makeovers to date- my parents' office. I love this room!

A Big, Exciting, Scary Announcement!
My biggest accomplishment of the year- I started my own business. I was seriously afraid of failing, but somehow I found the courage to do it, and I couldn't be happier. I love what I do, I love working with wonderful clients, and I love helping people simplify their lives. I still pinch myself that this is actually happening- that I'm a small business owner (NEVER thought I'd say those words!) and that I actually have clients and stay busy. I'm so thankful that I get to do what I love (and be my own boss! :) Here's my new logo!

The City by the Bay
Doug and I took a trip up to San Francisco- even though it was a short trip, we had a wonderful time!

Life Lately
One of my favorite moments of 2013- going to the Season 11 Premiere of Ellen! She gave us all TVs!!

Den Makeover
Another favorite room makeover- my parents' den. Just switching out some accessories can give you a whole new room!

Hiking the Hollywood Hills
This is another favorite memory of 2013- I loved being on top of a mountain with my cutie pie husband and precious pup!

If you want to join me and Katie and do a recap of your own, you can link up with us all week! Feel free to use this button on your post!

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Merry Christmas from the Mintons!

Merry Christmas! Here's this year's Christmas card- the only time we've taken a picture of all 5 of us! Thanks Mom for being a great photographer (and knowing how to get Maisy's attention!)

And here's the card in our Christmas Card Scrapbook! I'm loving this year's page!

In other exciting news, Katie and I are hosting a year-in-review link up, called Taking Stock 2013! More details to come soon, but I think the link up will be January 1st or 2nd. 

I hope y'all have a wonderful Christmas with the ones you love most! 

Hiking the Hollywood Hills

Last weekend was one of my favorites ever. The entire weekend was just perfect, and it was also the first time since I started my business that I had the whole weekend off. It was lovely :)

We spent Friday night walking around IKEA while I drooled over their kitchens and entertainment centers. I dream of the day that we own a house!

On Saturday, we planned to do the Hollywood Sign Hike but right after we left our house, we passed a dog running across the 6 lane road (55 MPH speed limit!), so of course, we made all kinds of u-turns chasing him down. I finally jumped out of the car and started sprinting and told Doug to follow me with the car (seriously, I've never run that fast in my life...and probably never will again!) So there I was, sprinting across busy roads with doggy bones in my hands yelling "PUPPY!" for 20 minutes. I finally caught him in a neighborhood, and the poor dog's ear tips were all black and rotted. Thankfully someone in the neighborhood offered to take him and get him checked out. So hopefully this pup will have a happy ending.

After the rescue, we stopped at Lazy Dog Cafe for some lunch. Maisy got the chicken and rice :) (Yes, they have a Dog Menu!)

Then, the hike. Going into it, we thought it was 4 miles roundtrip. Turns out that it's 4 miles each way. I'm glad I didn't know this beforehand because I may have psyched myself out. It was an incredible hike with the most beautiful views, and we couldn't have had a better time. 

Half way up the mountain

Above the Hollywood Sign!

At the top of the mountain

My sweet girl did so good!

I love this one :)

We also saw a celebrity, which you know made my day even better :) Michael McMillian- I know him from What I Like About You but apparently he's also in True Blood. He walked right up to us so his dog could play with Maisy, and he was super nice. 

Afterwards, we took Maisy to the Grove for the first time, where everyone adored her new peacoat :) I didn't take a picture of it that night, but here's a cute one of her in her new snazzy outfit!

We finished off the night with milkshakes and a dip in the hot tub to soothe our aching muscles (I was sore for days!) And to round out the perfect weekend, on Sunday we watched football at Chili's then saw About Time. I loooooved this movie- it was so sweet and so good. And that was our perfect weekend! 

Den Makeover

While I was in Atlanta for Thanksgiving, my mom and I were shopping for things to finish up their bedroom makeover. While at Michael's, I found this gorgeous white clock on clearance for $8.50! I had no idea where it would go at the time, but I knew that I'd be crazy to not get it. On the way home, I thought of the perfect place, and thus began our speedy den makeover. We only had a few days to do both rooms before the rest of the family came, and even though we were exhausted and sleep-deprived, I'm so glad we got it done. This was the easiest room in the house since we didn't paint the walls or get new furniture- it was just accessories! The room was so dark and dull (bye bye burgundy!), but with some easy replacements, they now have a bright, modern den!

We decided to keep it simple for Christmas decorations this year, and I'm absolutely in love with this look. Bring on the Christmas Cheer!