It’s funny how when you’re in the thick of things, you can really see the why or how of it all. 2104 was a year in which every month I wondered, how could things be going so quickly? Looking back at it all, scrolling through my instagram feed and revisiting old posts, I realized why it felt that way.
It was a year full of changes, of stretching myself into new territory in pretty much every way possible, and tackling new projects. Which made it a year of major growth for me – a lot of which I’m still learning from and adapting to.
So before I go jumping into resolutions, I thought it might be good to revisit some of the highlights … sometimes we have to look backwards at where we’ve been and what we’ve learned before we can move forward…
1. In February I moved from my sweet little apartment in Green Lake…
To a large loft in Pioneer Square, just a few blocks from my office. The result? I absolutely love my new neighborhood. Seeing this area transform over the past year has been amazing and has given me a revitalized love for Seattle in general. It’s also been a new design challenge, and you can expect the full ‘house’ tour up on the blog this spring!
2. In April, we launched our Supper Club series, which has been absolutely amazing. My friend and talented chef JJ Proville has been the best partner in this endeavor. And it’s been so fun to meet the adventurous people who are willing to dive into a dinner party with strangers. I hope some of you will join us in 2015! (You can get on the mailing list here.)
3. I met this guy, and we did fun things. Like our first little getaway, and many other adventures. He took me to Michigan to meet his parents, and I gotta say, their lakes certainly rival ours. Our next adventure? Living together. I’m leaving (sob!) my loft for his house and I’m fairly certain you will be seeing a lot of it on here as we tackle everything from his & her decorating to some major remodels.
4. Last year, travel was at an all time low for me – which isn’t to say I didn’t hop on a plane more than a few times, but I definitely lowered the mileage in 2014. Intentionally. I wanted to focus more on growing my presence and connections here in Seattle, so what seemed like monthly trips to NYC and LA were cut to just a few. I miss them. But the best trip I had was one I haven’t even shared with you yet – a visit to the Okanagan Valley in B.C. Canada. Stay tuned for that blog post. You’re gonna want to add this place to your must-see list.
5. Professionally, there were quite a few big moments for me in 2014, but this partnership with Starbucks may have been my most proud moment. What you didn’t really see was how, in a matter of three weeks, we pulled together about 20 pieces of content for them to use in a site they created for the launch of their fall product. That project knocked me on my ass, but it has also inspired me to reach for more of these types of partnerships. It also made me insanely grateful for the photographers and interns I had working with me to make it all happen.
6. One of my personal goals for 2014 was to get people to pay me to throw parties in our space. Bing did, and it was awesome. (No literally, that was the theme of the party. To be awesome.) I made the theme a little jungle-inspired and did a tabletop workshop, and we had a blast. More of this in 2015 please.
7. We made ‘rooftopping’ a hashtag. Have I mentioned how much I’m going to miss my loft? But seriously, it was one of the best summers we’ve had in Seattle – so much sunshine – so it had to be acknowledged. I was a very happy girl.
8. One major moment for me, and something I haven’t really dove into yet, was the launch of our new company The Emerald Studio. What is it? We’re still defining that a bit, actually, but basically it’s everything we do in the studio, including offering interior design services, events, brand collaborations and more. You can expect to hear about this a LOT more in 2015!
9. Oh, and then, there were workshops! Calligraphy, wreath design, food styling … we did a little of everything. And this year, I’m hoping to host them at least once a month. (If you want to get on that mailing list, sign up here!) I’ve been wanting to have classes in our studio ever since we moved in – they bring such great, inspired energy to the space, and I love meeting new locals. This was kind of a bonus to 2014, but something I’m going to be more intentional about in the coming year.
10. And last but not least… designing again. This blog was founded on my love of interior design – a career that I attempted for a while, but paused while I focused on coco+kelley. At the time, the blog was the most important and creative outlet I had in my life, and it still is. But, the creation of The Emerald Studio has allowed me to partner with my friend Sara to start designing again, and I have to say, I’m insanely happy about it. Above is one of our current projects, and I can’t wait to show you more.
And in case you managed to miss all of these happenings because your’e not following me on instagram yet – get to it! In the meantime, I’m working on my goals for 2015. Mapping out the months ahead and making them focused, realistic, and doing things a little differently than I have before… !
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