First Row: One, Two, Three, Four // Second Row: Five, Six, Seven, Eight // Third Row: Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve  (I have updated the  “Shop the Post” widgets on the bottom of each post with current shopping  links)

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…Aside from being part of the opening line from the book, A Tale of Two Cities, that phrase also describes 2016 perfectly, doesn’t it??  There have been so many ups and downs this year, as with many years, but this year has been particularly rough.  Many of us have experienced personal losses and other extreme hardships.  I won’t get into all the negatives (there are so many, I wouldn’t even know where to begin) in this post in an effort to stay positive, but I’m happy to see 2016 go.  Reflecting on 2016, I want to focus on the positives and be grateful.  Gratitude turns what we have into enough.  Remember that!  One thing we can all be grateful for is that we made it to this point!  So many people did not.  God has allowed us to make it till the end of the year, and God willing we will all make it to see the end of next year, and so on and so forth.

Many positive things happened to me this year…meeting new friends/family, connecting with friends and loved ones, concerts, travel, etc.  Speaking of travel…a few months ago, I went on an awesome, WEEK-long vacation to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic with one of my best buds.   It was my first trip to the Dominican Republic, and I had an amazing time.  It’s always great to visit new places.  I try to visit a new place every year.  If you want me to do a post about my trip to Punta Cana, I can…just let me know! Send me a message or let me know in the comments if that’s something you would like to see.  I was also blessed this year to accomplish a couple of things on my vision board, like going on a cruise for the first time and starting this blog!  So, lots of great firsts for me this year!  I hope 2017 will hold even better firsts for me.  As we look forward to the new year, all we can do is reflect on 2016 and figure out what worked and what didn’t, then try to make next year better!!  Speaking of trying to make next year better, I want this blog to be better for you in 2017!  If you have any suggestions about things I can improve or things you would like to see, please let me know!! Send me an email or message.  I look forward to hearing from you!

I hope you have an amazing weekend and a fun, safe New Year’s Eve.  Thanks so much for reading!  See you next year!!