The Best of 2017
Let me start by saying Happy 2018! Already one week in, I hope this new year is treating you well and that lots of love and light are coming your way.
Today, I thought it'd be fun to take a look back at some of the best moments of 2017. I put this list together based on analytics from the blog (which posts garnered the most views) as well as personal favorites I thought were worth revisiting.
However, before we get to the recap, I want to thank you for your patience with my recent absence. To be honest, I would have liked to take an entire month off, but since this is my job, I'm not able to do that. Not only was 2017 a crazy-busy, emotional rollercoaster, but I'm feeling a little lost and undecided in how to proceed with the blog. (More on that soon, but don't worry. IBC is alive and well.) For now, I'm proceeding with the attitude of "just start" and hoping that things will fall into place as I continue to work on creating a happy place.
Also, I promise to give you a little life-update soon since some of you have been asking about that. I hope to get that post up later this week or early next week. Stay tuned.
Now, let's take a look back at 2017. To keep this post from being overly long and unwieldy, I'm recapping things in sections. Some sections highlight several posts; others include just one. Many of these memorable moments seem like they happened years ago, while others feel like I posted them yesterday. Whether you're new to Inspired by Charm this year or have been following since 2009, I hope you enjoy looking back at the past year.
My Move to Pittsburgh
In early June I officially moved from my big house in St. Marys to a loft-style apartment in Pittsburgh. (It all started here with sun-dried tomatoes.) Because of that move, there were many posts about how I decorated my new home including my living room, dining room, office, and bedroom. You can expect more posts on my decor after I finally pack away the remnants of Christmas.
Celebrating Easter
Before my big move, 2017 brought a great deal of Easter content which I hadn't previously done much of here on the blog. To my surprise, some of these Easter-inspired posts proved to be the most popular of the past year. Your favorites included my Cottontail Martini, Easter Kabobs, Coconut Macaroon Nests, Soft Peanut Butter Cookies, and my Easter Tablescape.
That Time I Helped Design a Tiny House
One of my biggest professional accomplishments of 2017 was working with Nestea on the design of a Tiny House which was showcased in the middle of New York City. It was such a fun experience and a place I was proud to put my stamp on.
Another Really Good Pasta Salad Recipe
So many of you seem to love pasta salad recipes. I understand. I love them, too. In years past, I shared my Really Good Macaroni Salad and Ramen Noodle Salad recipes with you. Both continue to be immensely popular. In 2017, I added my Really Good Pasta Salad recipe to the collection, and it quickly rose to the popularity of the previous two. (Oh, and if you're looking for a warm pasta recipe, this One-Pan Chicken Sun-Dried Tomato Parmesan Pasta is a must!)
These Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake Bars
Speaking of food, I had to give some love to these Peanut Butter and Jelly Cheesecake Bars. This recipe surprised me. While it was one of my personal favorite recipes of 2017, it didn't seem to resonate as much with IBC readers. That's why I decided to give it a little more attention in this recap post. I promise you won't be disappointed. However, if peanut butter and jelly isn't your "jam" (pun intended), check out any one of these popular dessert recipes from last year: Salted Caramel Cheesecake Dip, Really Good Blueberry Muffins, The Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes, and the cookies from this year's Fall Cookie Week.
The Cheeseballs that Broke the Internet
2017 proved to be a winning year for cheeseballs. I made two this year that were off the charts. First, there was my pumpkin-shaped Everything Bagel Cheese ball. This guy even gained some notable attention by being featured on Country Living's Instagram feed.
More recently, I made a tree-shaped cheeseball for Christmas. Dozens of you recreated both recipes over the past few months and sent photos or shared them via social media. For me, this is the ultimate reward as a blogger. To see you creating and enjoying something you found here on IBC. Please continue to share your IBC-inspired creations with me.
A Year of Recipe Cards
As I did in 2016, I created a year of printable recipe cards to share with all of you. While the cards are inspired by the four seasons, this year I include two extras (one for Halloween and one for Christmas). In case you missed any, I've linked all of them here. They are my gift to you, available as a free download.
A Very Merry Christmas
Christmas continues to be the most popular time of year on Inspired by Charm. Like last year, IBC received over 1 million page views in a 30-day period. While it's not "about the numbers," that's huge for me. It fills me with so much pride and excitement to know that folks are enjoying what I'm sharing. It goes without saying that hitting that number wouldn't be possible without each of you.
Some of the most popular posts from this Christmas were my Apartment Holiday Home Tour (along with Christmas In My Bedroom), How to Add Ribbon to Your Christmas Tree, the recipe for my Cream Horn Cookies, and these free printable gift tags.
Cover Boy
Last, but certainly not least, 2017 brought a "pinch-me moment" that I'll probably never forget. Back in January, a crew from Better Homes and Gardens visited my St. Marys home to do a holiday photo shoot for their Christmas Ideas Magazine. To my amazement, my Christmas tree adorned the cover of that issue (along with a 10-page spread of my home inside). While I've been blessed to have features in magazines before, making the cover was the cream in my coffee!
This short recap only scratches the surface of content I shared in the past year here on Inspired by Charm. You can always access the IBC archives for a full list of posts from 2017.
If you're new to the blog, be sure to sign up for the IBC Mailing List. It's the best way to stay in touch and not miss anything that happens on the blog.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't let you know how much I have appreciated your support over the past nine years. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Here's to many more years together.
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