Here we are at the start of a new year. Welcome back — I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday or at least a restful break. I did. It was so, so nice to spend time at home with Jeff and Arlo; I savored every moment.
This post has become a Studio DIY tradition: I review the past year and share what to expect next. This edition feels different. Looking back at my last few recaps, they each carried a tone of heartache and struggle — the year my lung collapsed, the year I had a miscarriage, and then another miscarriage. But last year was very different for me in the best possible way.
Professionally, the business did well. We bought a house. And personally, I became a mom. That last one is the real kicker; it’s something I wanted more than anything, and becoming a mom has exceeded every expectation. I’m endlessly grateful — to our son’s birth mom for her selfless decision, and to Arlo for bringing so much joy into our lives. Parenting is hard, and people often complain about it, but none of the tough moments even come close to diminishing the wonder of watching a baby learn and grow.
Studio DIY had a big year too. We launched a balloon shop and quickly sold out of many items. The Can’t Clutch This family grew by so many of you and those clutches flew off the shelves. We spent an incredible week in Palm Springs with an amazing team. Our Halloween season was wild, with hundreds of you recreating our costumes. Dozens of families recreated our Christmas village — seeing that community response was the best.
What made the year complicated was the contrast between my personal joy and the many painful events happening in the world. It felt like a heavy cloud over everything — bad decisions, shootings, natural disasters, troubling headlines. It’s strange to have a wonderful year personally while feeling that the larger world is suffering. For this post, though, I’m choosing to focus on my personal highlights and what’s ahead for Studio DIY.
Two months after announcing our intent to adopt, we brought Arlo home. I find myself repeating how grateful I am — honestly, I could say it every minute and still not convey it fully. Becoming a parent has been more magical than I imagined. We also bought a house two months later, a goal that felt huge for both of us. Adopting Arlo pushed us to make sure he’d grow up with a backyard to play in. Right now the yard looks like a project zone, but we’re excited for how it will come together.
Balancing a growing family and a business brought real challenges. We haven’t had regular childcare and don’t have family close by to help. The idea of bringing a baby to the studio didn’t pan out when our little one decided he prefers not to sit still. That’s meant a lot of juggling, frustration, and sacrifices. Jeff spent much of the year caring for Arlo while I split time between his job and mine at the studio, and Samantha picked up an incredible amount of work in between. If you want to give Samantha extra applause for keeping everything afloat during so many life changes, she deserves it.
Our house still looks mostly like we just moved in, and that’s fine. The struggles taught me to prioritize: I used to beat myself up for not posting frequently, but this year sometimes we simply didn’t have a post — and that was okay. Nothing catastrophic happened; readers stuck around. Learning to let go of unrealistic expectations felt freeing.
These life changes also clarified the kinds of DIY projects I want to share. Going forward I’ll focus on projects that matter, that last, and that my family can participate in or build traditions around. So in 2018 you’ll see fewer DIYs overall — not because I stopped loving DIY, but because I won’t make projects just to make them. The ones I do publish will come with more intention, authenticity, and personal meaning.
You’ll also see more home updates and personal family posts. From what I’ve noticed, blog readers prefer that content, and I’m excited to share more of it. We also have big shop expansions planned: new accessories (some requests have been heard!), additional clutches, and fresh summer and holiday products. I can’t wait to show you.
We’ll run our annual reader survey next week to gather your opinions on future content and products — please weigh in if you can. I’m working through details and excited to close the gap between my life and the content here, bringing more useful, relatable, and heartfelt projects your way.
Quick recap of last year’s goals: after three years of “grow our family” being #1 — it happened. We bought a house. I danced a lot with Arlo (the best kind of dancing). I didn’t read a single book, which I regret. We did bring more conversation to the blog — posts about baby names, grandparent names, and alternate names were some of my favorites to write and read. I didn’t fully master mono-tasking, but I’m hopeful that with an assistant and a nanny I’ll be more focused in 2018. I did document moments with my 1 Second Everyday app (even if I had to catch up on December 31st), got better at saying no, and completed two personal creative projects: stockings and Arlo’s latch hook.
Money confidence is still a work in progress, so that remains on my list. Here are my goals for 2018:
- Ask for help: We’re hiring a nanny and an assistant to get the support we need.
- Choose convenience without guilt: Recognize that paying a bit more for convenience can be worth the time and peace of mind — pre-made meals and a closer studio, for example.
- Feel more money confident: Take control of our finances now that there’s more at stake with a family and a home.
- Take ownership: Clarify roles at Studio DIY so everyone can take full ownership of their work.
- Eat better: If Arlo can’t eat something, we shouldn’t either. We plan to order healthy meals and welcome simple, healthy recipe suggestions.
- Wake up before Arlo: Create morning routines by getting up before him so I can be present and ready when he wakes.
- Take a vacation: Our last real trip was our honeymoon in 2015. We’re planning a relaxing Mexico trip with friends and hope to do a little house shopping while we’re there.
- Make a scrapbook for Arlo: I haven’t used his baby book, so I’ll create scrapbook-style albums that feel doable and meaningful. I hope to make one each year.
- Disney!!: We received Disneyland annual passports for Christmas and I’m thrilled to become regulars this year.
- Start the adoption process again: We’re beginning the process once more.
And with that, let 2018 officially begin. 2017 was pretty awesome: Arlo, a house, and several exciting product launches. I can’t wait to see what this year brings. I’d love to hear some of your goals for 2018 in the comments below.