Best of 2018

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This is a compilation list of some of my favorite things.  Not comprehensive by any means, but I hope you will get inspiration and enjoyment out of this list.

God has been good to us in 2018 as a family.  He has grown my business.  He has made my husband successful in his.  He has grown my children in their education.

2018 hasn’t been without its trials though.  I would love to leave those behind.  But, God has always been and will continue to be faithful to us.

Books: My goal was to read 60 books this year.  That didn’t happen.  I only read 52.  But, that’s ok.  You know.  I watched some Netflix, hung out with my family, painted, prepared Bible studies, exercised outside (and I don’t like audible books).

Best Fiction 2018: I decidedly read more fiction this year than non-fiction, probably just because I can read fiction faster.  I re-read the Narnia series this year again, which I love to do.  I read it every other year and listen to it every other year (so I switch back and forth).

  1.  The Saturday Night Supper Club.
  2. Five Days in Skye
  3. Voyage of The Dawn Treader (re-read)
  4. Gone to Green series
  5. Goodnight June

Best Non-Fiction

  1.  Even Better Than Eden
  2. The Advent of the Lamb of God
  3. Footprints of a Pilgrim
  4. Roots and Sky
  5. Women of the Word

Best New Recipes – I cook new recipes all the time.  I seldom cook the same thing twice.  But, these two have already been made several times and are winners every time

  1.  Cranberry Brie Tarts
  2. This cake

Best Kids Books

  1.  Goldfish on Vacation
  2.  The Cow Said Neigh
  3. God Made Me and You

Favorite Podcasts – these are the ones that I listen to almost every episode.  There are definitely some popular podcasts that I just can’t listen to – the hosts or the depth of conversation just fall flat for me.  I listen to so many each month. These are the ones that stand out for today.

  1.  Signposts
  2. From the Front Porch – so much so that I want to go visit Thomasville, something I’ve not done since I was a teenager
  3. Cultivated

Favorite Creatives:

  1.  Love-Lettered
  2. Ivey Gibb
  3. Cathy Nugent (we have a new barn door)

Favorite Local Things: (Local to Augusta GA)

  1.  Rooted Coffeehouse
  2. Takosushi
  3. Columbia County Library
  4. Charleston Street
  5. Diablos

What were some of your favorites from 2018?

Photo from my favorite styled shoot that I got to be a part of: Linda Threadgill Photo

Looking back at 2017

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I’ve not always enjoyed having a birthday that was so close to Christmas.  Hint: most of the time we were out of school for my birthday which usually would be great, but that’s how I saw people and got anything for my birthday (other than from family), so if you were out of school most people forgot about it.

But, now I thoroughly enjoy it because it prolongs that year just a bit for me.  Most of my new year’s resolutions don’t start until after my birthday because you know, you want to eat cake! 🙂

So, 2017 wasn’t really a great year for lots of people, and it wasn’t a stellar year for me though it had highlights.

Let me first tell you about the highlights:

  1.  We bought a home.  We moved to the Augusta, GA area and were able to buy a home.  We had owned a home before but not since living in ATL, and now we can get settled.  I like being settled (as long as I get to travel).
  2. I was asked to do many cool lettering projects including a styled shoot which was published twice (here and here) and to letter t-shirts for a concert tour/album release.
  3. I surpassed my reading goal.

Ok, but really, 40 was not my favorite year.

I had to start again, again.  Building community at 40 is hard.  And ATL was hard enough as it was.  When you are 10-20 years older than most of the people in your same creative field, its difficult to feel like you fit in.  Social media doesn’t always help, but it also has been good to build community.

Fear was the word that permeated 40/2017.  Insecurity in my health (colitis flare ups, autoimmune diagnosis, weight gain).  Insecurity in my relationship with Christ.  Fear of failure as a wife and a mom.  Fear of how my boys will turn out.  Fear of not being liked.  Not in a 13 sorta of way, but in a 40 sort of way.  Fear of never being good enough to measure up to anything.  Fear of always being mediocre at everything I do.  Never excelling at anything.  Fear of loss: both my grandfather and my mom have been in the hospital and just sick in the last few months.

So, when people ask me what I want for 2018 and 41: just please be better than last year.

For 2018: Peace is my word of the year.  I want peace in my relationship with Christ.  I want peace in not-striving.  I want peace in our home.  I want peace in my body.

My verse for this year you will find above:

Since God created the world and everything in it is upheld by his words and his power – there should be no chaos in it – only peace.

Isaiah 45:18