Top Phoenix Life and Style Blogger

New Year, New Resolutions

Happy New Year, friends! We hope that everyone has had a very, very merry holiday season filled with tons of quality time with family and friends… or if you’re not really into that, we hope that you’ve enjoyed all the alone time, relaxation and reflection you could possibly handle before getting back to the daily grind!

We really packed in the family time on both sides of our family, and couldn’t have been happier about it. It’s so rare that we get to spend time with both of our respective families during the holidays, so it was a pretty cool way to close out an awesome year.

Her: J.Crew Chateau Parka, J.Crew Textured Polka Dot Raglan Sweatshirt, Paige Verdugo Ankle Skinny Jean, J.Crew Italian Wool-Blend Striped Hat, Hunter Adjustable Back Boots, Warby Parker Preston in Gimlet Tortoise, Laura Mercier Velour Lip Color in Mon Cheri

Him: J.Crew Cashmere Sweater,J.Crew Plaid Shirt (Old, Similar Here) J.Crew Coat (Old, Similar Here & in this previous post Here), Aldo Qorellan Boots, Levi’s 511 Slim Jeans, Eye Buy Direct “Indian Creek” Glasses

Reflecting on 2016

2016 was an incredible year for us, and we just can’t reflect on the last year with anything but love and a deep sense of gratitude to all those near and dear to us that helped make it so special.

Our wedding week and wedding day in Northern Michigan in August, which you can read all about HERE and HERE, was one of the most magical, perfect, euphoric moments of our lives thus far, and more and more of you stopped by and visited this little blog of ours from all over the world to share in our lives, love, travel adventures and especially our ridiculous DIY projects, the most popular of which you can read about HERE, HERE and HERE.

We learned more about business, photography, design and what really ignites our respective passions creatively than we could have ever imagined, and we’ve gotten a little taste of what it means to be bonded as husband and wife and the joys of marriage in these few short months that we’ve been newlyweds. And what we’re finding out is that being married is a pretty amazing experience, full of joy, discovery and endless possibility. One of the things we’re trying to remind ourselves daily? That marriage isn’t about what I’m getting or what they’re giving me. Marriage gives us the opportunity to live unselfishly (which when you’re single until you’re 30 can be a bit of a forgotten concept), putting the needs of our partner before our own needs. By both of us wholeheartedly embracing that philosophy, our hearts have been forever changed and our lives enriched beyond measure. Basically, we’re loving the married life!

As for 2017? It’s already starting out with a bang in our world! Chris has been working tirelessly on a stunningly beautiful new restaurant concept with a group of really talented and seasoned restaurateurs called Mora that’s opening its doors at the end of this month on bustling 7th St. in Phoenix, and he’s never been more passionate or more excited about a project.

And for those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of hearing us complain about this, we started renovating a large part of our little ranch house in November, and it’s been a long, arduous process ever since that has required a lot of patience. Included in the reno is some new paint for all of the walls in the laundry room, kitchen, living room, den and office, new floors throughout the entire house, some new hardware and a few more little updates here and there. It’s a labor of love, and despite what a tiring undertaking it has been, full of delays, we’re so excited for the finished product. We can’t wait to share it all with you once it’s complete!

Aside from the projects that we already have in progress, like it does for so many people, this time of year always gets us thinking about the next year as a whole and the things we’d like to focus our energy on over the next 365 days. And what we find so amazing about each new year that comes is that life just keeps getting better as we age. We know more, we experience more, we love deeper and live larger than we ever had before, and that’s honestly surprised us both a bit… and we’re loving it!

Every year at Christmas dinner, the Miller family goes around the dinner table and reveals their New Year’s resolutions, so we always come prepared at Christmas to talk about our big goals for the next year. Our first resolution? Don’t let Anna Miller catch us with nothing to say – that’s a bad Christmas right there! But afterwards, Chris and I always end up talking at length about what we said and even more things we’d love to focus on in the coming year, and the list always ends up being pretty long.

But talking openly about our goals, our dreams and some possible left-field additions to the list always helps us stay connected to the things that the other person is thinking about and really passionate about, to hold each other accountable throughout the year and most of all, to be able to properly support each other in what’s important to both of us individually. So we’re sharing all of our resolutions here in hopes that you’ll also share yours with us! It’s so inspiring to hear other people’s hopes and goals for the year ahead, so drop us a comment in the comments section below and tell us your 2017 resolutions, and advice you have about any of our resolutions, and how you work to stay the course! Cheers!