Looking Back on the Past Decade

I thought about doing a 2019 recap post similar to last year’s recap, but it wouldn’t be fair to ignore everything that’s happened in my life that’s made me who I am over the past decade. Here’s a look back on each year, and what I’ve learned from the good, the bad and the ugly. It was the best 10 years of my life thus far, but also the hardest. I grew so much as a person, had a ton of fun, travelled the world, met so many new friends, learned that everyone’s path is different, and finally put myself first. Here’s the decade in a nutshell:

2010

+ Winter Olympics, Heineken House too many times to count, served, studied, partied, went to San Fran, Oregon, Pender Harbour and Whistler, met new friends, started a new relationship, learned how to compromise

2011

+ Partied every weekend, travelled to Costa Rica for a wedding, went to the Stanley Cup playoffs, worked as a Marketing Assistant downtown while serving and studying at the same time

2012

+ Moved out of my parents house into an apartment downtown, got an internship at Tara Parker Tait PR, threw an event for the Man Repeller herself, Leandra Medine, learned more than I could have ever imagined working with big brands like Joe Fresh, Gap and Old Navy, completed my degree, started an online business, and donated $500 from our business to the BC Cancer Foundation

2013

+ Officially graduated with a BBA in Marketing Management, got hired full time at TPT while continuing to serve on weekends, attended 7 weddings, travelled to Cabo, San Francisco and Vegas, got let go from my job when my boss shut the company down, started working with a friend and mentor, Tamara Taggart

2014

+ Freelanced, worked multiple jobs, had the pleasure of working for Jillian Harris, left to work another corporate job, got let go again, attended 7 more weddings (14 in 2 years, to be exact), travelled to Kauai, Chicago and Green Bay, started to get my first taste of the travel bug, and eventually found myself back in PR at Reformation

2015

+ Bought my first condo, managed and planned events for so many clients including Hudson’s Bay, Smash + Tess, Joyride, BC/Calgary Home + Garden Show, Vancouver/Calgary Home + Design Show, started my obsession with YouTube, travelled to Cabo for a wedding, got engaged, and genuinely thought I was on the right “path” to happiness

2016

+ Left my PR job for my current job, adopted my pup Dash, planned a wedding that never happened, got blindsided with a breakup, rediscovered who I was, learned how to live alone, religiously went to Zumba 3-4 times a week, attended a bestie’s bachelorette and wedding, visited the fam in San Francisco, picked up the pieces and jumped into the scary world of online dating

2017

+ Staged and sold the condo, moved back into my parent’s place, completely transformed their games room into my very own studio apartment (oh hey, it’s your interior design passion calling), jumped religiously back into hot yoga, celebrated with a soul-searching trip to Bali, went on girls trips to San Francisco and Whistler, bought my very own condo, travelled to Hawaii, and lost my Lola at the end of the year, making the holidays an extremely emotional time for my family

2018

+ Started the year celebrating my Farfar’s 80th bithday, but lost him suddenly 3 days later. It hit us like a ton of bricks - the loss stung more than any other loss I’ve felt before, and a few months later, we lost my Great Aunt too. I decided to start this blog as a new outlet, focused on gratitude and mental health, travelled solo to New York and Toronto, travelled to Mexico, Italy, Paris, and Sweden, then surprised my mom with an epic 60th birthday party

2019

+ Started my first day of school, spent my reading break back in New York, planned my bestie’s desert bachelorette in Scottsdale, bumped up the frequency of sponsored content and brand collabs including my kitchen updates with Wayfair and my patio refresh with H&M Home, found multiple streams of income to put myself through school, focused on making my friendships a priority, went on road trips to Portland, Seattle, and the Okanagan, stood at the altar for my best friend’s wedding, got a promotion, drained myself by completing 3 full semesters of school while working full time, and completed a few side projects

Despite the jobs lost, family members who passed, and the curve balls thrown my way, I’m so grateful for the last 10 years. I’m as happy as ever, and I’m so blessed to be able to live this little life of mine with so much love and support around me. 20teens, thank you for everything. 2020, let’s get it!

xo

Linnea

June Mood

June!!! My favourite month of the year. Not only does the weather improve, but I’ve got a few bdays to celebrate (including my Grandma’s 80th - hellooooo twin Gemini’s), I’m hosting book club for a patio hang, and it’s the last month of the semester... which means it’s finally time for vacay!! I’m not getting overly excited yet, because school life is INTENSE. Like, I don’t have a life intense! But I’m on track for my goal and it will all be worth it in the end! Summer, I’m ready for you!  

xo

Linnea

A New Year of Intentions

As we transition into a new year with a fresh perspective and appreciation of the year prior, I can’t help but think about all the endless opportunities and possibilities this new year will bring. To start the year off right, I’d like to share some of my intentions with you, put them out into the universe, and potentially help you find yours. Here we go!

1. Share more. I’ve been encouraged to share more of my life, more of my real thoughts, rather than just my interiors, so that’s what I intend to do. I want to be as authentic as possible on here, so if sharing more of my personality and what’s really going on in my life can do that, let’s do it!

2. Start the day earlier. This is a tough one for me, because I’m not a morning person, and I struggle waking up if it’s pitch black out. I looove waking up to natural sunlight. But where I live, that only happens a few months out of the year, so I’m making an effort to wake up earlier, and in turn, go to bed earlier. I’m going to try to do 2 morning workouts a week (in addition to my evening ones), and hopefully see a difference in my productivity and energy!

3. Start meditating. As a frequent yogi, meditating isn’t far fetched for me, but I’d like to start making time for it. I hope to create a new morning routine that incorporates meditation (along with gratitude) to start my day off on the right foot.

4. Listen to the body. I did pretty well with this last year, but I want to continue listening to what my body is telling me. I also want to start lifting more weights and mix up my workouts. I used to love lifting weights, so I’m excited to get back into it.

5. Let the soul sing. This one might be a little woowoo for some people to understand, but it’s pretty obvious that people often ignore what their soul is trying to tell them. Friendship not working out? Cool, maybe it’s not the right one for you right now. Job is draining you? No worries, find something that doesn’t. Not happy in your relationship? Maybe it’s not meant to be. Is your home stressing you out? Ok, maybe it’s time to KonMari your entire place. It’s times that we cut out the noise, ignore the excuses, and listen to what our soul is trying to tell us that we find the right path.

6. Challenge yourself. The first few months of my year will be busy to say the least. Longer work hours, school, the blog, and making time for my dog, fitness, my well-being, family and friends is a lot to juggle, but I’m up for the challenge. I’ve created a schedule that I think will set me up for success, so I’m excited for the challenge, and can’t wait to start learning.

7.  Be more present, especially with the ones I love. Even though this blog requires tons of screen time and social media attention, I want to make an effort to be more present, whether that’s with loved ones, having dinner with friends, or exploring a new place, I want to continue living in the now. It’s so important to remember that this is the main event. We aren’t living in some limbo mode just because our life isn’t where we thought it would be. So live like it’s the main event! Don’t waste your time thinking what if, maybe later, it’s not the right time... because wake up! There is no better time than now.

8. Enjoy what you have. As we head into the new year, I want to start enjoying everything I have, and spending way less. I regularly practice the KonMari method in my home (and omg the show is so relaxing - she’s killin it), and it’s made me realize that I really do have everything I need. I shouldn’t be spending money on material items, because I don’t need them. So I’ll be focusing on enjoying the simple things I have, releasing what I don’t love, and living more of a simple life.  

9. Laugh everyday. Once my Farfar passed away, I realized just how much he made me laugh. I have certain friends that I literally have stomach cramps from being with all night because I’ve been laughing so hard, and I honestly believe that laughter really is the best medicine! Even on days that I’m laying low, I want to be able to laugh at least once that day. And if that means cracking jokes in the mirror, then that’s what I’ll do lollll.

10. Go out less. As I’ve got older, going out has become way less important to me. And when my friends have similar mindsets and lifestyles to mine, we honestly don’t find a need to go out or drink our faces off. Instead, we catch up on life, have deep convos, watch movies, cook meals, and just enjoy each others’ company. As weird as it sounds, I’m actually looking forward to drinking less, staying in more, enjoying dinner parties and living the hygge life.

11. Get active outside. As active as I was last year, I wish I got outside more. That’s an intention I’d like to set this year - embracing the fresh air, more hikes, more runs, longer walks with Dash, and maybe even a few bike rides.

12. Accept that this is where you’re supposed to be. Even though I never imagined being where I am today, I’m exactly where I need to be. I’m starting a new journey, expanding my knowledge about something I love, and so stoked for what’s to come.

I’m sure this list will grow and evolve as the year progresses, but it’s a great starting point. Let me know if any of these intentions resonated with you. I’d love to hear yours too! 

xo

Linnea  

January Moodboard

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all enjoyed quality time with your loved ones over the holidays - I know I did! This month, I’m starting 2019 with a clean, organized, purged home... and it feels amazing! It’s already setting the tone for 2019 with a fresh mindset, and I’m feeling inspired to live more of a simple life. If you can’t already tell, my decor palette is leaning toward lots of white, black, neutrals, and lots of fresh greenery. I’m feeling ready to challenge myself at school, create new routines, lay low and focus, and nourish my body with loads of whole foods post-holiday. Curious about my 2019 intentions? I’ll be sharing those very soon! Happy 2019, all the best to you and yours!

xo

Linnea