In these first couple of weeks of 2021, I am still finding myself looking back on the year with a level of gratitude. While our worlds were turned upside down and there was so much uncertainty and unknowns, I find myself reflecting back grateful for having a home where David and I were able to stay safe and healthy. One of the things I am most grateful for was the lesson of learning to be present. I am still learning and growing in this regard, yet looking back through photos from 2020, most were images from home, caught at random moments to capture something that made me happy. That being said, there were lots of moments to be grateful for.
Here are 20 moments I am grateful for in 2020.
Moments to be Grateful for in 2020
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January started off with so much joy and excitement, much of which I expected for a new decade. It included two girls trips to Baha Mar and New Orleans and a fun filled birthday celebration at a swanky restaurant, that unfortunately didn’t survive the shutdowns. Those trips were the only two flights I took in 2020, and while I was sad to see other trips canceled (Chicago, Pittsburgh, NYC to name a few), in hindsight, those trips were wonderful and I am filled with gratitude for them.
Outfit Details:
J. Crew One-Piece | Brixton Hat | Michelle McDowell Earrings (on sale for $9!)
Rent the Runway Sequin Dress | Mignonne Gavigan Earrings | David Yurman Bangles 1 2
David and I have always had a weekly date night, and in February, we prioritized weekend brunch together, too. Towards the end of the month, I was in a car accident that luckily wasn’t worse than what it was. However, I did end with a concussion, a partial tear in my rotator cuff, and a break in my shoulder. Looking back, I shared how I was grateful for the opportunity to slow down and rest. How little did I know that I would be getting a lot more time in the coming weeks.
Outfit Details:
Free People Sweater (on sale!) | Mignonne Gavigan Earrings | David Yurman Bangles 1 2
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Looking back, it’s interesting to see how March started versus how it ended. It started with me checking off several things from my Raleigh bucket list like getting a crab BLT from Cousins Maine in Morgan Street Food Hall. I also spent a glorious early spring afternoon at Junction West and shooting a dream campaign with André. Our stay-at-home order went into effect March 15, so David and I started having at home happy hours with take-out for our date nights. I also started reading for fun again, which was a welcome distraction. Check out some of my favorite stemware here!
Home Details:
Window Seat Cushion | Euro Pillow Sham | Pom Pillow Sham | Lumbar Pillow Sham
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[/one-half]April was such an emotional rollercoaster. I think we all knew that our stay-at-home order wasn’t just going to be a two week ordeal, yet, the thought of truly being quarantined without a lot of answers really got to me. I worked really hard on maintaining boundaries with work and life since those were super blurred during this time. I spent a lot of time soaking in snuggles with my best boys and trying new recipes. I really enjoyed making the bolognese sauce the most.
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It was a lovely May in North Carolina and I learned the art of the picnic. Though prior to this I had never been one of outdoors activities, the pandemic taught me a lot about getting out and enjoying the small things. David and I had backyard picnics as a new take on our weekly date nights and I started having weekly picnics with girlfriends in various places around Raleigh. David and I also mostly finished the guest bathroom project we undertook and we are both still thrilled with how it turned out.
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[/one-half]One of our other favorite home updates was the area around the fire pit. We both adore how it turned out and we finished it just in time to enjoy in June. We also celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary in Charleston, which is also where we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We were both excited to return and enjoy the change in scenery while having spaces to social distance and get take out from some of our favorite Charleston restaurants.
While July was a rather hard month for me in terms of maintaining boundaries with work and personal life and I frankly blurred the lines too often, David and I did take our annual trip to Ocracoke. We were grateful to get back to our favorite place and to experience the island, which we honestly weren’t sure was going to happen after Hurricane Dorian.
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[/one-half]In August, I visited Kayd in Charlotte and am so grateful and excited to have her back in NC! We had a great time exploring some of the places she had been saving prior to her move. I also visited Blowing Rock with Clarke and got to experience the Meadowbrook Inn!
We celebrated David’s 36th birthday in Asheville with our boys. They had the best time hiking and hanging out with us at breweries, restaurants, and in the yard at our Air BnB.
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[/one-half]October was a great month full of trying some new things including checking out some of our favorite places in Durham during the Streetery and escargot for the first time at Jolie in downtown Raleigh. I was also so excited to head back to the Western NC wineries with my girlfriends from college and to take a day trip to eastern NC and experience a quaint town!
A historic election was such a bright spot in 2020 and made for an exciting November!
David and I were especially excited to experience Asheville, particularly the Biltmore, during December. We thoroughly enjoy traveling together and this was one thing that we missed so much this year. We celebrated the New Year with a delicious takeout meal from The Rockford on Glenwood in downtown Raleigh. Our original plan was to have a picnic at a favorite park, but it started raining, so we ended up having our picnic in the back of our car for our NYE dinner. It was honestly such a nice way to end a year that was uncomfortable, confusing, and at times, scary.
We are so grateful for all that we learned, experienced, and how we grew during the year. We know that there are others who experienced more loss and hurt than us, and we send our love and light to those always. Thank you for being here and following along with I’m Fixin’ To. I am eternally grateful for your support and trust in my recommendations. Here’s to a better year!
What are some of your 2020 moments to be grateful? Let me know in a comment below!
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