2015 – A Year in Review

Thank you all for your patience and understanding as I took some time off in December to enjoy our family, the holidays and our newest addition, sweet Andrew!  It was such a relaxing and enjoyable time to focus on what’s important, and I am so thankful Andrew arrived early and got to spend the holidays with us!  I am trying to get back into (somewhat of) a schedule in the new year as I learn to balance life with two boys (more on that later).

As it is already the 5th of January, I am a little behind on this, but it is important to me (and hopefully fun for you) to stop for a second to look back on 2015 to see what you loved (and what you didn’t love) and to set some goals and brainstorm some ideas for 2016.  I am making a conscious effort to make the site more user-friendly and to bring you more of the content you want.  For example, I noticed the about page was one of my top visited pages so I partnered with Cody Bess to bring you this fun video to share more about me and HOUSE of HARPER.  (We also gave the about page a fresh look to house the video.)  It also hasn’t gone unnoticed that you share the same obsession with interior design and house updates as me.  So, I teamed up with Chloe Digital to create a beautiful and organized landing page where you can quickly find all our home projects, room reveals and interior inspirations.  (It now lives on the top menu bar for easy access, just look for ‘Harper at Home‘.)

Interiors:

Speaking of interiors, this is a major passion of mine right now, and I have some exciting announcements and projects to share in the coming months!  But in the meantime, here were your favorite interiors post from 2015…

1. Office reveal // 2. Powder Room Reveal // 3. Master Bedroom + A Giveaway // 4. Knox’s Airplane Room // 5. An Updated Fireplace

Family:

Transitioning from a personal style blog to a lifestyle blog brought it’s set of challenges.  I constantly worry about the perfect balance of the right content mix, disappointing my early fashion readers and not sharing enough of the rest.  Taking a look at the site analytics is really the best way for me to know what it is you want (other than comments and likes on social media), and you have made it very clear that you love our boys and getting to know our family on a more personal level.  My top post on the blog and social media continue to be personal announcements, pictures of the boys, and other fun lifestyle pieces.  Here were your favorites in 2015…

1. Andrew’s gender reveal // 2. Pregnancy Announcement // 3. Knox’s First Day of School // 4. Meet Andrew Nolty // 5. Knox’s Barnyard Birthday Party

Outfits:

This is where it all got started (as Caroline in the City): outfit post.  This category was harder to narrow down into a Top 5 because there are so many post!  I added two personal favorites that didn’t make the Top 5 list, just because I couldn’t imagine leaving them off.  Also, incase you were wondering how I categorize maternity vs. outfits, I do it by the clothing, not by my status. If I am wearing maternity clothes, I categorize it as that.  If I am wearing non-maternity clothes that just happen to work with a bump, I don’t categorize it maternity.  Hopefully this helps when browsing for yourself. 😉

1. Lace Shift Dress // 2. Denim + Lace // 3. A Formal Affair // 4. NYFW Day 1 // 5. Drop It Like It’s Hot // 6. Art of Fashion // 7. Snow Covered Vintage

Maternity:

I was obviously pregnant 9 months out of the year so I couldn’t leave this popular category off the list.  Even post from my pregnancy with Knox continue to get traffic, as well.  I try to keep it easy for readers to browse the maternity category so you can seek some inspiration when it fits your personal timing.  Here were your favorite maternity post from the year…

1. Maternity Pictures // 2. Overalls // 3. Wedding Bells // 4. Over the Knee Boots // 5. All You Need Is Love

Travels:

Our traveling has slowed down quiet a bit since my husband’s business school days.  With FMK working a traditional job now and with two kids in tow, we didn’t travel as a family in 2015 as much as we use to.  But, the trips we did take were wonderful experiences and we made some special memories along the way.  Read more about them here…

1. Explore Tulum // 2. An Alamo Drive Along Highway 1 // 3. Bee In the City

Beauty:

I love testing new products and switching up my beauty regimen.  My only stipulation is that I have to keep it simple, if there are too many steps, it probably is just going to sit in my drawer (unused).  These post made the Top 5 this year.  I love that there is a good mix of products types and price points – hopefully this means you are just as open to try new things as I am!

1. 30’s Skincare Routine // 2. Super Start // 3. Top Lipstick Shades for Summer // 4. Double Wear Foundation // 5. Boots Beauty Now At Walgreens

Partnerships:

As a professional blogger, it is an honor and a privilege to be able to partner and collaborate with the brands I admire and love.  I am so thankful and I certainly don’t take for granted the opportunities that came my way in 2015.  This ‘hobby’ of mine became my ‘job’ after I had Knox, and it has been such a blessing to myself and to my family.  I have been able to structure my days to ‘work’ in the mornings and spend my afternoons with my family.  I know it is rare to find a career you love and are excited and passionate about, but thanks to my readers, I have found that.  With that fortune comes responsibility which I also don’t take lightly.  I carefully consider all the offers that come across my computer screen, and I never enter into a partnership that I am not excited about or that I don’t think my readers will benefit from.  With that said, here are a few favorites from the past year…

1. Dr. on Demand // 2. Fisher Price (1 + 2) // 3. Kendra Scott Mother’s Day // 4. DL1981 Denim // 5. A Touch of Sparkle

Thank you for making 2015 such a memorable year!  xo, CHK