• Blog
  • About
  • Shop Our Instagram
  • Weekly Newsletter
  • Contact
  • HOUSE + HOME
    • All House + Home
    • Mudroom
    • Kitchen
    • Dining Room
    • Living Room
    • Bedroom
    • Kids Bedrooms
    • Family and Playroom
    • Office
    • Outdoor Living
    • Woodworking
  • LIFE + STYLE
    • All Life + Style
    • Entertaining
    • Holidays
  • FOOD + DRINK
    • All Food + Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
  • Shop
    • Our Home
    • Window Shades
    • Paint Colors
    • Nick’s Workshop

Nick + Alicia

Lifestyle

January 1, 2018 | by Alicia

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

Good morning friends and Happy New Year! 🙂

It feels so wonderful to welcome a new year, don’t you think? Generally, I love the Christmas season and I try to draw it out as long as I can, but around mid-December, I started to get restless. I was ready to take down our tree and all of our holiday decor. I just felt as if I needed a fresh start and a clean slate. I was feeling creative and ready to tackle new projects and expand on new ideas. So a few days after Christmas it all came down and we packed everything away until next year.

Did anyone else feel the same this season? 

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

I’m really looking forward to 2018, and like most of you, I feel as if the beginning of a new year brings with it a new chapter. It opens the doors of possibility and promises great things. I have so many plans, hopes, and aspirations for this year and I am eager to see how they will all take shape.  

Taking a look back at 2017 I like to consider our successes and achievements, as well as think about our defeats, as an individual, a family and on a professional level. It helps bring clarity to all of those plans, hopes, and aspirations I have and to guide me in a meaningful direction for the year ahead. 

So, I thought I would take a few minutes to chat with you and share a few of our favorite highlights from 2017 and my thoughts on design and the future of our blog.

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

Last year was a wonderful year for us with so many highs and thankfully, only a few lows. We continued to work away on our home, creating a space that feels welcoming and inviting. My favorite project of 2017 was definitely designing a “big girl” bedroom for our daughter, Zoe. I loved playing with a different color palette and working with our little one to choose the perfect details to make this room her own. It’s just a happy and bright place! 

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

We had our first big magazine feature in Romantic Homes, and it was so incredible to see our story in print alongside the photos we’ve taken of our house over the years. It’s a special feeling to know people find inspiration and encouragement in the work we are sharing.   

Speaking of work, we took a weekend to attend an event we had been hoping to visit for a few years. We traveled into the city to take in all of the amazing speakers (including the keynote speaker Shea McGee of McGee Studio!) at Blogpodium and meet with some great brands. It was entertaining and enlightening and really helped to drive a lot of the goals we have set for the year ahead.  

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

Sadly, 2017 also brought with it the loss of our sweet cat, Finnigan. He was such a big part of our family, and we miss him every day.

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

Finally, the year ended with us taking part in our local Holiday Tour of Homes to raise funds for a local charity. Hundreds of visitors toured through our home to see how we decorated it for the holidays, it was a little nerve-wracking, but everyone was very sweet and kind. We love giving back to our community and this was such a fun way to do just that.

Those are just a few of the more memorable highlights of our year, but of course, it was filled with little moments that were just as special. Now for the year ahead… 

In terms of design, I feel like I am leaning in a new direction. I still love our cozy little home with every fiber of my being, but I feel like this year will bring about some changes.

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

I want to take more design risks, I feel as if I am always playing it safe. I tend to gravitate towards classic pieces and neutral color palettes, which is wonderful, except I think it’s starting to hamper my creativity. I am going to dig myself out of this creative rut I am in and just have fun with our home. I am going to have fun with color, fun with pattern and fun with all of the little details. 

Our home will still be full of the timeless pieces we have come to love, but I hope to keep it feeling modern and fresh with clean lines and a contemporary style. I’m also really loving feminine details and soft pastel colors. I’m thinking this spring will bring with it a lot of soft greens, pinks and of course, blues! But who knows, like I said, I’m just going to follow my instincts and let my creativity guide me.

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

I’ve come to love this blog of ours so much, and I feel so fortunate that I have been able to turn this dream into a career. Every day that I get to share our ideas and our home with you brings such joy into my life. We are always working on making sure this space is an inspiring and creative resource for everyone, so if you have any suggestions as to how we can improve it or anything new you would like to see we would love to hear from you, leave us a comment or shoot us an email.  

We have some really fun projects planned for the new year, both big and small. So far my favorite is shaping up to be a complete renovation of our lower level. We will be turning our basement into an office, family room and playroom. It’s a big space that we just don’t utilize very well, but all it needs is a little love and I just know it will be our family’s favorite hang out spot.  

We are also working towards a master bathroom renovation, which we hope will take shape this year too. 

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

Another big hope I have for 2018 is to share more of our family life with you, candid moments to show who we really are in hopes that you will be able to get to know us a bit better. We want to be real and true and authentic and we hope you’ll share that side of yourself with us too. It’s hard to put yourself out there and be vulnerable, but I think once you break through that barrier it can be a wonderful thing! 

So, through our blog, and probably more likely, Instagram (because it’s a whole lot easier to be social on social!) we will be sharing more glimpses into our lives and giving you a better look at what goes on behind the scenes. 

Looking Forward | Sharing our Plans and Hopes for 2018

I’m telling you all of this because I hope you’ll hold us accountable. It’s always so easy to lay out these goals and desires, but sometimes we need friends to remind us why we set them in the first place. 

And of course, we hope you have an incredible 2018! Remember to set goals and dream big! 

Alicia xo 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

  • Farmhouse X-Style Planters │Free Plans
    Farmhouse X-Style Planters │Free Plans
  • Free plans to build 2-drawer end table with shelf
    2 Drawer End Table | Free Plans
  • A simple renovation turns a basement into a modern and sophisticated family room, playroom and home office.
    Our Top 10 Posts of 2018

Comments

  1. Sara says

    January 3, 2018 at 10:08 am

    Looking forward to 2018 with you!! We as well are planning some big renovations that I am sooo excited about – they were years in making and dreaming! You are such an inspiration for me! Keep up the good work 🙂
    Love, Sara

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      January 4, 2018 at 1:11 pm

      I hope you’ll share all of your renovation plans, I can’t wait to see what you have in store! And thank you, Sara, for your sweet message. xo

      Reply
  2. shawnna griffin says

    January 5, 2018 at 8:20 pm

    hey girl- Happy New Year! Love the post! Zoe is getting so big. I just love those boots she’s wearing, so darling.

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      January 11, 2018 at 12:55 pm

      Happy new year to you too, Shawnna! 🙂 Zoe is growing by leaps and bounds, every day I ask myself where my baby went to! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Pam Stonehouse says

    January 6, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    Hello Alicia and Nick

    I was on the tour this year and it was inspiring, so now we are replacing our floors in our kitchen and my craft room.
    I also want to paint the walls in my craft room, I am thinking of a neutral grey/stone with white trim.
    I will use my art work to give it some colour. I am also going to organize my kitchen closet that is only 36″ by 40″.
    It is under our stairs ,so I do have a bit of height to work with for storage. My daughter had fun tearing everything out of this closet, on Christmas day, no less. She was a bit excited to see a change.Do you have a suggestion for either of
    these rooms, Please, I would love your ideas.

    Reply
    • Alicia says

      January 11, 2018 at 12:53 pm

      Hi Pam,

      So glad to hear you enjoyed the tour! 🙂 And it sounds like you’ve got a lot of fun projects ahead of you. I would suggest making a plan before you get too far into a makeover so you don’t become overwhelmed. Check out Pinterest, your favorite blogs and magazines to keep track of designs, styles and colors you love. Pinterest is another great place to find storage ideas! When you’re choosing paint, always pick up a sample can and test the color on your walls. You’ll want to see it in different lights and at different times of the day to get a feel for how it will actually look. We’d love to see photos of your finished projects once you’re done! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A place to find design inspiration, entertaining ideas and simple recipes. Take a few minutes to learn more about us, shop our favourite things and sign up for our weekly newsletter.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

I am so glad we added miniature trees to the girls I am so glad we added miniature trees to the girls' bedrooms this year. They absolutely loved having their very own tree to decorate with their collection of ornaments and handmade treasures.It was a simple and inexpensive way to add an extra dose of holiday magic to their rooms, after all, there is nothing better than witnessing Christmas through the eyes of a child. They truly find such beauty and magic in even the smallest of details. 🎄
This view looks a little bit different this year a This view looks a little bit different this year as we're in the middle of our kitchen renovation. See that little half-wall with the hats, well we've removed it so that we see right into the kitchen now and it's amazing! We've been making great progress, just yesterday our new sink, faucet, and counters were all installed. It's all of these little changes that are making such a big difference. We'll have a few more details to take care of after the holidays, but we're really looking forward to crossing the finish line and sharing it all with you!
I wish our dining looked this tidy at the moment! I wish our dining looked this tidy at the moment! It’s currently under a pile of toys and kitchen essentials. If you’ve been following along with our behind the scenes account, @nick.and.alicia.bts, you’ll know we’re making some big progress on the kitchen. Early next week our window and countertop will be installed, so Nick’s been busy removing our existing counters and sink. It’s so exciting to see it all come together and I’ll be happy to have running water again next week!
Most of our snow has melted, but I'm hopeful we wi Most of our snow has melted, but I'm hopeful we will have a white Christmas this year! I just think everything is a bit more magical when covered in a blanket of fresh snow. ❄⁣ ⁣ Are you team snow or no?
Earlier this week we shared our holiday home tour, Earlier this week we shared our holiday home tour, and now we’re giving you a closer look at the girls’ bedrooms, along with a few helpful tips for decorating kids’ spaces for the holiday season.Do you decorate your little ones’ bedrooms for Christmas?
This year I took my time while decorating our home This year I took my time while decorating our home for the holidays and focused on incorporating simple touches that bring us joy and evoke the spirit of Christmas. Our home feels cozy and inviting, and the girls are loving every minute of the holiday season. 🎅🏼Stop by our blog, nickandalicia.com, to see our holiday home tour, along with new tours added every day this week! Tap to see who joined us yesterday.
Sometimes all it takes is a bow to add a festive t Sometimes all it takes is a bow to add a festive touch for the holiday season! 💙

Join our Newsletter

Copyright ©2021 Nick + Alicia
  • Contact
  • POLICIES + DISCLOSURE