I feel like I should be tired of peonies by now, but I don’t think it’ll ever happen. Maybe it’s because of the long break we get after each spring peony season. I’m sure once springtime comes back around, we’ll all be dying for peonies to take over our Instagram feeds again. Just you wait. :)

A couple months ago, I randomly googled peony gardens in Oregon and found out there was one just 45 minutes from me! My friend Bee and I drove over to the Adelman Peony Gardens in Salem and marveled over how many different types of peonies there were. Each type was on display with a special name/description. We were even given little booklets that helped us identify each peony. So freakin’ cute.

It wasn’t exactly the kind of place where you could run through fields of peonies (still need to cross that off my bucket list) but it was amazing nonetheless. Aren’t those stripey ones the prettiest? See, I’m already forgetting the fancy peony names we learned.

Are you a shameless peony lover too? They’re quickly disappearing from every grocery store in town and it’s bumming me out! Till next time.

When I first moved to Oregon, everyone said it would take a while for me to adjust. And I stubbornly disagreed because “I’ve always loved Oregon, I know what I’m getting into, blah blah blah.” I wouldn’t say the move was very difficult, but I did have trouble finding the magic in my new home. Pretty sure that was due to a lack of community (and transportation!). I’m trying to make it a point to get out more and explore beautiful places here in OR. My two roommates are adventurous and spontaneous, so it’s exciting to have people to go on these adventures with! Last month while my roomie Em’s mother was visiting, we all went out to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, OR. If you’re from around here, you probably see a trillion tulip-filled photos this time of year.

We had so much fun being touristy and taking pictures of the quilt-like fields. Have any of you been to a giant tulip farm? If you haven’t, stop what you’re doing, google “tulip farm”, and scroll forever. Do it.

Hey all! This week, I’ve embarked on an intensive freelance learning sesh with the online workshop Be Free, Lance. It’s being led by Breanna Rose and Jen Serafini, both of whom I respect and admire a ton. I’m so excited to learn, grow and figure out how to do what I love with the time and resources I have.

In blogging news, I’ve been putting my energy more toward The Blog Market, but I’m ready to balance things out a bit and come back to Earl Grey. In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting more design-related projects and inspiration. I’m also going to focus on crafting without the intention of creating sharable finished projects. Making crafty messes without caring who sees it is so very good for the soul. :)

What a year! A lot of exciting things happened in 2014. I moved to a new state, tried new things, got new jobs…it’s been a roller coaster! I also met a lot of great people via blogging and I just want to say thank you for being such awesome friends. :) You all are the best.

Here are some of my favorite posts this year:

1. DIY Instagram Wall Calendar

2. Earl Grey Ice Cream Recipe

3. Intro to CSS + Cheat Sheet

4. Painted Magazine Files

5. Portland, Week One

6. Tiny Flowers Crochet Pattern

7. Create Gold Leaf Hand Lettering in Photoshop

8. My Personal Rules for Blogging

9. DIY Minimal Brass Jewelry Hanger

10. Internship with Bramble Workshop

I’ve been a little MIA for the past two months because I’ve been hanging out over on my new site The Blog Market! Hope you’ve gotten a chance to check it out.

The start of a new year is always so inspiring to me. Excited to keep on dreaming, creating, and exploring in the new year.

Do you have any highlights of the past year or things you’re looking forward to in 2015?