Once again I've packed away all my Christmas decor, and now it's time to collage all my blog posts for 2020 as a final step before closing the book, so to speak. I'll have all my posts bound in a yearbook style format using Blog2Print (no affiliation, I just love the product and service).
I only blogged 27 posts (counting this one!) in 2020. It was the year we stayed home, but finding new ways of staying busy (cooking and baking, mostly). Life in limbo while staying home definitely underscored 2020's theme, and it came in waves throughout the year from March and beyond.
What you'll see below is a photo collage of each of my topics this past year, with individual post links below the photos if you're so inclined. Alternatively, if you click on each of those topics at the header of my blog and then sort by date, you'll see the list of the posts pulled for each of the categories. All of the collages are by topic categories, pulled from my main menu. It's just another way of keeping things organized.
Tablescapes
Home & Garden
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| Hope Springs Eternal, Early Fall, Simply Stated, and a Winner, Hunkered Down at Home for Thanksgiving, I'll Be Home for Christmas |
Miscellaneous Musings
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| Miscellaneous Musings No. 17, Blenko Blow Your Own Bottle Workshop, Miscellaneous Musings No. 18: Life in Limbo |
Tales of the Traveling Tote
Panoply Antiquing  |
| Flowers and Birds as Inspiration in Beaded Purse Collection, Panoply Pandemic, Vintage Shopping 2020 |
Reflecting on the past year, family matters more than anything to me. Even though we're still in a state of limbo, I am happy to say I've grown stronger in my faith this year. I've also taken pleasure in noticing the smallest of things as tiny miracles. I have hope that we'll all be graced with taking notice of our many miracles each day.
I so appreciate each and every one you, my readers, and love the friendships struck and continued through blogging. I hope those of you who read but don't always comment will feel welcome to do so anytime. I always try to visit blogs if you have one, and try to respond by email to comments. It's rare that I can't figure out who the commenter is or that I don't have a contact to reach you, but if so (and you're no-reply commenter), I'll leave a response on the post. I'm really looking forward to hitting 2021 with optimism and enthusiasm. I hope you are, too.
Happy New Year!
Rita C. at Panoply
(A special thank you to Cecilia of My Thrift Store Addiction Vintage Charm Party #266 and Linda from Life and Linda Love Your Creativity #79 for featuring this post!)
Sharing: Pieced Pastimes, Love Your Creativity, Finding Silver Pennies, BNOTP, All About Home Common Ground, All About Home Follow the Yellow Brick Home, A Stroll Thru Life, My Wee Abode, Thistle Key Lane, Bluesky at Home, Zucchini Sisters, French Ethereal SYS, Katherine's Corner TFT, Grace at Home, My Thrift Store Addiction, Karin's Kottage Centerpiece Wednesday, My Hubbard Home FWF
I was hoping you would do a summary! Like you, I've taken pleasure in noticing the smallest of things as tiny miracles. A favorite quote of mine.... "Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people." - Roy T. Bennett. HAPPY NEW YEAR RITA!
ReplyDeleteDid you know your blog is on West Coast time? LOL
DeleteLove the quote !!! You made me smile!
DeleteA most gorgeously visual feast has been enjoyed at your lovely place this year, Rita. Oh, to stroll around your loft and look at all the pretties, and perhaps open a drawer or two to see what treasures lay within. Why, I think to sit at one of your beautifully set tablescapes would be a joy. There are so many miracles in the everyday, isn't there; we only need to look. May you find many tiny miracles as each day of this year unfolds. God bless you, lovely Rita.
ReplyDeleteYour home is such a welcoming place to visit, oh do post more often! Your purple heart table is still one of my all time favorites of all the bloggers I read. Can't wait to see if you use those dishes with your new table topper. It has been a year to celebrate small victories and miracles. Happy New Year to you, sweet friend!!
ReplyDeleteRita, I am certain I visited all 27 posts and enjoyed each one immensely! I just love your organizational skills even in how you keep your blog so orderly...each collage is just beautiful! Your posts are always interesting and well thought out, I agree with Carole do post more often. Thank you for your friendship and wishing you and yours a Healthy and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteRita, what a treat to see a post from you. Your collages are delightful! You are the best organizer I know! I could hire you full time to straighten out my mess!
ReplyDeleteI am going to check out Blog2Print again. I did that one time some years ago. Wish I had done it each year like you. You are a good example.
Thank you for your friendship. You have been a wonderful support to me. Wish we lived closer.
Happy New Year! Every day is a wonderful gift.
I love this post, Rita. It's a wonderful way to look back and boy -- I wish my organizing skills were a tenth as good as yours! I need to visit Blog2Print. I'd love to see what your finished books look like. You can pick the posts you want? I need to check that out!
ReplyDeleteI send you all good wishes for a beautiful new year. We all deserve one -- I'm hoping yours is filled with love, joy, good treats, great antiquing and most of all, good and continuing health for you both. You know how to live well and I admire that so much. Happy New Year!
A wonderful way to remember and reflect back on the year. Plus kiss it goodbye.....LOL
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year and cheers to a healthy & happy 2021.
Rita, I always enjoy your posts. Your posts are varied and interesting. Your 2020 ornament says it all. Thankfully with technology we can explore through blogs, you tube, etc. from home. Thank you for sharing the beauty you find and create with us. Wishing you and your family a safe, healthy 2021. Clara ❤️
ReplyDeleteClara, thank you so much. I appreciate your warm comments and visits. Wishing you all the best in 2021!
DeleteI really enjoy and admire how you showcase your year in collage photos. It is so interesting and well documented. You are so organized Rita, noticed that right away in following you. Wish you would do a tutorial on how to get started. Thank you for your informative and creative posts throughout the year. It's always a pleasure to see your blog post pop up in my mail. Happy New Year Rita!
ReplyDeleteKatie and I wish you the best in the new year.
ReplyDeleteHere's the recent news:
My mom is in a memory care facility with dementia, and she has Covid. She isn't doing well at all. Keep her in your thoughts that she dies peacefully and that some family member are allowed to be by her side if for only a few minutes. My one brother became clergy just so he could use that "card" to see her.
Katie had a hip replacement on 12/21 so she's hobbling around. She's doing well. She injured her hip some time ago, and then she got arthritis in it. She was in hospital for only one day!
Otherwise, we're trying to stay safe - only doing what is necessary out in the world.
Rita,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea! Happy New Year!!
Kathleen
I admire how organized you are, Rita! It was so nice seeing a year in review. Let’s hope that we continues to notice miracles in our everyday lives and that 2021 will hold new blessings.
ReplyDeleteI always love your summary of the year. Your year in review brings back lots of memories I am sure. Your pretty tablescapes and all the fun things you did when you could travel! Let's hope and pray that 2021 will bring us closer to be in a more normal routine and we can resume our lives. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I didn't visit all of your posts, I love your tablescapes and really enjoyed (and learned from) your post on your beaded bags. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteKathy, thank you so much for leaving that comment. I so appreciate it. Happy New Year!
DeleteRita, I always enjoy your year end collages! I marvel at your talent for organizing. I wish I were a fraction as organized. When I was teaching, I found I was extremely organized, but in retirement that asset has faded! I'm hopeful that I can renew my skills in that department.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and Will. Cheers to a more positive year in 2021.
Rita, I love that you're tying up loose ends on 2020 and embracing the new year with optimism and enthusiasm! (I, on the other hand, am going to enjoy my Christmas decor a little longer since I was so slow getting it out... and ease into the new year at a slower-than-usual pace.) I'm also very glad you were able to keep some level of blogging normalcy in 2020. Your post notifications in my inbox were like smiles from an old friend, and I enjoyed your posts even if I didn't always comment. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Rita. Thanks for always being a great blog "friend"!!!!
ReplyDeleteRita, Happy New Year! I am one of those readers who loves your blog, but never comments. I work crazy hours and am usually weeks behind in reading the blogs I sooooo love.
ReplyDeleteBut when I do, I’m in heaven. I appreciate the beauty and generosity of all bloggers. I don’t have a blog but I do have an Instagram and I’m a bit more current with that. Rita I love your style and I lived vicariously through you when you were downsizing. I’m a collector and will be facing that once my chicks have thrown the coop!
Susan, what nice comments - thank you! I am not on IG, but I really appreciate you taking time to leave your comment here.
DeleteMerry New Year’s Eve Rita! I always enjoy your wrap up posts. I’ve never used Blog2Print or similar service, what a beautiful way to document your year and posts. What a year it’s been. I love your statement, “I've also taken pleasure in noticing the smallest of things as tiny miracles.” It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Albert Einstein: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Wishing you all the best in 2021! If you find any vintage gardening treasures in your future antiquing and shopping, please keep me in mind. ♥
ReplyDeleteI always love seeing your sweet smiling face, Rita. Your tablescapes are works of art and I marvel at how you put them all together. I've so enjoyed getting to know you better this year and thankful for your friendship. Have a wonderful New Year's weekend and prayers for a better 2021! xo
ReplyDeleteRita, disregard Julie's comment. It was me, somehow logged into Julie's account on my iPad. Rita, I love your blog collage and summary. Such a great idea to journal our life. You are so organized. Your friendship is such a treasure. Many blessings for a bright new year. Cheers. Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Rita! I love the way you collage and do a round up of your posts each year, you are the Queen of Organization! I do think one of the positives of 2020 was the fact we all had to slow down and learn to appreciate the little things, smelling the roses so to speak...Cheers to 2021!
ReplyDeleteJenna
Happy New Year Rita! I love your collages and how they are organized according to category. It gives such a nice retrospect of the year past. Here's to a happy and healthy 2021 with lots of new adventures ahead!
ReplyDeleteI love your mosaics! We didn't get to travel much which made it sad for our TTT posts, but I', hopeful 2021 will be different! We don't put our Christmas decor up until the Twelfth Day of Christmas, and then we do a few little Epiphany or 12th Night vignettes. I almost want to skip it and go directly to Valentine's Day!
ReplyDeleteYour tablescapes mosaic is my favorite because you always set the prettiest tables!
Happy New Year!
xo,
RJ
Its always fun to see your past year in little squares and I wish I was as organized as you are with your photos!! I have Christmass all put away and my home looks bare - but clean and neat....My resolution is to start purging what i dont use, dont need, etc....let's see how long that lasts!! haha. i make myself laugh!!
ReplyDeleteRita, I always enjoy your end of the year posts, and I think most of us can relate to the periods of feeling in limbo you described. Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm--pinned!
ReplyDeleteHi Rita...I love your collages and all your posts. Especially liked the ornament...wishing you a very Happy, HEALTHY New Year - and look forward to more of your wonderful posts !
ReplyDeleteHi Rita, I love how you organized your posts. I need to check out Blog 2 Print. 2020 was such a unique year but it was also filled with family and friends connecting in different ways. I am grateful for friends like you that share uplifting, positive, creative things that you are involved in. May 2021 be filled with more joyous moments for you and your family!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Karin
It's always wonderful seeing your inspiring posts Rita, and especially this year end compilation. Love that your connection with family and faith were strengthened in 2020. In my mind, these are the most important priorities that one can have. Looking forward to seeing what you share in 2021. Your friend, Suzanne.
ReplyDeleteI love end of the year posts like this! It's always fun to look back to see what was shared. I've got a bunch of tabs open to check out posts that I missed.
ReplyDeleteI love your year end wrap up post. While many chose to focus on the negative you shared that there was still so much to be thankful for. Truly a year well lived!
ReplyDeleteHi there Happy New Year I am catching up and everything going on with my favorite bloggers.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how or what program to use to the the picture collogue like you do?
I like looking back at all the post pictures.
I'll keep up this year hopefully
Janice