SimpliciTEA

Happy New Year!! 2023 already, my oh my.

How are you feeling going into the New Year?

Do you have a new word for the upcoming year?

Resolutions? 

Anything you're looking forward to or looking forward to leaving behind? 

Dish the TEA here, we've got a safe space 💗

I am very much looking forward to January 1st! 

I love a Monday, a months start, a new season and although I am not a big resolution maker, I LOVE to try again. Make a list, brainstorm things, try something new, get knocked down, pick myself up and try it again, try it again. 

My word this year is something like 'Simplicity'.

You may know that we have been doing some pretty major home edits this last year.

We built a beautiful new shed, moved all the items from the unfinished basement into the shed & garage. 

Our amazing contractor then took the basement from a concrete room to a beautiful finished space with multiple bedrooms (we had to knock out windows!! windows from scratch! We didn't even have windows down there), full bathroom, rec room and all the fix-ins. 

We also added built ins to our main living room, a feature wall in our dining area, added a light fixture in the dining area, dimmer switches, painted everything, all the walls needed it after so much construction and materials being brought through this main level. 

We did paint the kids bathroom upstairs as well, this had never been painted by us and was painted with the wrong paint years ago. A satin paint was used by the house builders and it was SO dirty. I scrubbed and scrubbed but could not get that paint to look even remotely clean. 

Our primary ensuite had a leak early last year and unfortunately we have not dealt with that yet. Our shower has been unusable for many months but we are hopefully crossing that bridge in the new year and phew, we will finally be done!!

We really created our dream space, I am feeling so grateful and thankful for this space and these people who brought our vision to life!

I am thankful, thankful, thankful, I am so happy.

Along with all this change came a lot of dates, choices, appointments, meetings, picking things, designing things, choosing things, prepping things, cleaning things, moving things, you see where I am going with this.

I had to be available all the time to a lot of people and my, I am a creator but this project has been my biggest to date!! I felt pretty burned out by the end of it. 

Our house still has some finishing touches to add - cabinet doors, carpet on stairs, etc but its pretty much wrapping up/wrapped around December 23rd. 

We dove straight into the holidays after that with Nicks Birthday added into that week and a trip to Cape Breton.

So what does 2023 hold for Holly's House?

I am hoping a whole lot of nothing! 😂

I am craving some hot drinks, warm baths, good books, Netflix binges, skincare routines, craft room organizing, creating, creating, creating. 

I want to CREATE!

I want to play with makeup and chat about lipsticks. 

I so badly want to find myself again and reply to friends texts. 

2023 I hope to sleep more, bed earlier, yoga again, text back (at least half the time!😆) 

I dream of getting ahead of the planning for school PTO events, knit more, walk outdoors. 

Take more photos in front of Post Offices, go bowling, play board games, bake, soups (soup gets its own category. thank you), print photos, scrapbook, etc. etc. etc.

It sounds like a lot and it is a lot 😂 but I've always loved A LOT.

I am looking forward to moving all the things I love into a space with more simplicity. Now that the construction is done, I can construct a fresh set up in this home. 

I can't wait to fill my craft room with my treasures (aka my garbage finds😆) I look forward to showcasing my books on my new built in shelves, I can not part with books, its a problem!! Now they have somewhere to be 💛

 The kids toys have a new home downstairs and its encouraged more playing because they can see what they have, overall we can organize the chaos a bit more and  I can't wait to putter into 2023 with my slippers on and a good cup of tea in hand. 

All the love to you this New Year and beyond!💖

The Clarke Family

 

5 on Friday - Lumps, Bumps and a Happy New Year!

 It's not Friday but I have 3 seconds and I've missed you all so00 much and these 5 on Friday posts! Let's catch up as quick as we can, shall we!? 

I'm sure so many people get this feeling but it's super prevalent in the content community.. the feeling as if you can't/won't/don't feel like sharing something until things are 100% in order/complete but the problem is that along with being a content creator we are real people who's projects usually take just as long as other real peoples projects! 🤣 

I wish things happened as quickly as social media sometimes can make it seem but in reality we have had so much on the go for so many months now, I kind of forget what I've already shared and I've fallen so far behind I don't know where to begin!

Let's start with the PTO!

This is our schools first real year back hosting events and fundraising money.

I volunteered for President of the PTO this year and got it but holy moly I underestimated the commitment 😂

I also didn't want to give up my other volunteer commitments in the case that I didn't get PTO President so I definitely will have to make some choices next year and maybe drop a few things off my plate but everything I do I absolutely love, love, love with my whole heart! 

I feel so thankful for my community and the people I've met along the way.  I don't know how to express it because I am so awkward and uncomfortable with feelings, I always think people will consider me as being disingenuous but I truly feel blessed to have such an incredible community and neighbourhood/friends/atmosphere.

We have hosted 4 major, major fundraisers in 2022 and honestly by the skin of our teeth (there's been a lot of learning!)... but WE DID IT! Today was the final one and I feel so much joy for how well this year has gone, I almost feel lost not having a MAJOR PTO event on the calendar for the next few weeks! hahah

I will touch more on these in the New Year! 💝

OUR HOUSE RENOS!

How did we end up here!? I am not sure.. it kind of took on a life of its own! hahaha

Nick and I started to really confirm the thought that this would be our forever home a couple of years ago. 

So much in life is unpredictable and the kids were so young when we moved in we didn't know what the future would hold but after really planting roots with friends and the community here we just knew we could never leave. And we LOVE our house itself! We did not build it but there is almost nothing we would change, I truly believe it was meant to be our house but that's a story for another day. 

So we decided to go all in! Make it really function for our family with some extra space we were craving and well one thing leads to another and now we have the most gorgeous finished basement and some beautiful new builtins in the upstairs living room. We are painting the whole main level, which also is connected to the upstairs hallways and because the walls were being painted well we better do the trim or it will look dingy... oh well the ceilings are being done so we better move that light fixture that was always off centre...

You see where I am going with this lol We are in DEEP!

We started back in the summer and we're on the home stretch. 

Here is a sneak peek but this is all you're getting for now! You'll have to wait for that magic social media reveal. 

The Breast Rash. 

There is too much to unpack here but this is such an important topic and has consumed my life for about 5 months now so I am not stopping the boob talk after this is all resolved. 

Yesterday I had a punch biopsy on my breast and if you've ever wondered what that looks like I am about to show you the photo.. hold onto your socks. 

This is me 34 hours after biopsy. 

It did not hurt, I was frozen. 

It is swollen, itchy and a bit sore now.

I have dissolvable stitches because the other option would have to be removed on Christmas and who wants that Christmas present?!?!

It will leave a scar, I hope its not too bad but I know I will always look at that scar with admiration.

To me this scar is a reminder that life is precious and that I am one of the lucky ones (hopefully... results won't be in until possibly February)

& that when I felt something wasn't right I went after answers, advocated for myself & what my body was telling me.

 I am really proud of myself for always speaking up for things I believe in, even when people find it annoying  😂  I can't give up until I am satisfied with the answer.. its mildly obnoxious.. but I will also put my money where my mouth is and do the damn thing! So a after a bunch of Doctors appointments, here we are! Will let you know what the results are when they do come back. 

I am so thankful for friends like Incandescent for keeping me in front of the camera these last few months.

@shopincandescent Looking for some outfit inspiration?? We got that! #whatsinmywardrobe #midsizegals #dresswithconfidence #dailyfashioninspo ♬ original sound - Incandescent

It's felt so amazing to be creative, especially with fashion and beauty and bodies 💗

I am so looking forward to 2023 and getting back into creation and catching up with all of you!

Whats new? What's the hot goss? What's the 411? Let me know! Hope you're all well! 

@shopincandescent

RESTOCK ALERT! This gorgeous gorgeous dress in being restocked in sizes L to 3X....do not miss out on your chance to get her!!!

♬ original sound - Incandescent