Heading into 2022, I knew it was going to be an incredible year.

It lived up to the hype.

I usually go into a new year with a word, mantra, or theme. But, for 2022 I was simply ready for all the year had to offer. While I certainly had goals, I had no themes in mind. My road was open to where the year took me.

Before I dive into my year-end review, it’s important to look back on what I wrote the years prior: you can view 2021 here & 2020 here. I find it insightful to look back and see how I reflected on the previous years, what I was proud to have accomplished, or yearned to change with the coming new year.

While I know 2023 has big potential to give 2022 a run for its money – 2022 has certainly been fundamental for both Matt and I.

At first-glance 2022, had big things to celebrate! Matt and I finally got married. We went to France for our honeymoon – blog posts to come – and had amazing adventures. I even saw the following shows: Harry Styles, Tim McGraw, Lorde, and Pitbull to name a few. Matt and I finally made it on two long-awaited New England summer weekend trips. The first to Martha’s Vineyard and the second to Vinal Haven. We also celebrated the arrival of our first nephew!

So let’s dive into 2022 shall we:

January, February & March:

We had a pretty snowy, anti-climactic January & February – which is exactly how I like it!

The months were filled with slushy drives, ice fishing trips to New Hampshire, Mr. Trophy Q1 preparation, and multiple Dunkin runs.

In February, Matt and I went to Las Vegas for the Annual Trophy Convention. It was important to see new items and ideas in the industry. Matt loved the excuse to visit Las Vegas! All and all it was a fun trip, thanks to the good food, company, and a much-needed break from the cold weather.

The winter of 2022 was a long one. We saw snowfall at least once a week from January through March. So, we were excited when spring finally showed up come April!

April & May:

April & May went by so fast.

The months were spent wedding planning, preparing our home for the arrival of new living room furniture, and buzzing through busy season at Mr. Trophy – our best year to date! Plus, I was capturing my favorite flowers – daffodil season! I love daffodils even more than hydrangeas. Matt and I fit in a few Yardgoats games in May. And I took plenty of warm-weather walks with my cousin, Lauren.

I felt the year transition from winter straight to summer.

June & July:

We had a really exciting June & July because Matt and I completed TWO – yes, TWO! – home projects.

The first home project was eight months in the making. Our living room was under construction since we moved in during 2018. We waited almost a year, due to supply chain issues, for our furniture to arrive since most of our furniture we ordered in 2021. Needless to say, we were so excited once everything started to come together!

The second home project we were equally excited about was creating a deck!

Our home had a makeshift concrete slab as a deck. But, it was a safety hazard. So, Matt and I made a new deck a priority in 2022.

The project took a little over a month to complete and is now one of my favorite places to come home and enjoy.

In July, Matt and I also made it up to Kennebunkport & Vinal Haven, Maine to see where his grandfather had spent his family summers. It was quite the experience.

We steamed lobsters, swam in the quarry, got matching sweatshirts, and just dubbed around as they say on the island.

August & September:

August was a special month filled with so much good! This was the month our first nephew, Cameron Craig, was born. August 10th to be exact – which was very exciting!

Beyond that, Matt and I were showered with all memorable things in August.

The first week of August, I had my Bachelorette Weekend – thanks to Tessa, Sarah & Lauren! The trio planned it perfectly. We escaped to Newport, RI for an overnight. While there, we of course visited the seaport for shopping, took a sunset boat cruise filled with history and New England homes, and enjoyed delicious food.

The next day we woke up, went to breakfast, and enjoyed The Bodhi Spa! We then went back to Connecticut to glam for Toas and Pitbull (one of the best concerts I saw this year!) at Mohegan Sun.

The following weekend Matt and I spent in New Hampshire. And the final weekend of August, the two of us went to Martha’s Vineyard – all thanks to our high school friend Matt Dekoyer, who graciously hosted us. I’d never been to Martha’s Vineyard! So, I spent a lot of time capturing content and hitting the beach. It was by far one of the most fun trips Matt and I had been on in a long time.

In September, my Mom and I, headed to New York for wedding dress trial trips!

We picked out a scent from Le Labo for the wedding, ate a lot of Italian food, and even had the chance to see Harry Styles at Madison Square Garden – which was EPIC. I really wanted to see Harry on his last tour but missed it due to travel conflicts. So, I was pumped that we were able to get seats a week before the show and go.

To wrap up September, Matt ventured off to Nashville for his bachelor party. And before we knew it – the month of our wedding had arrived.

October:

October was by far the quickest month of my life.

The first two weeks of October were spent wrapping up work. That meant submitting and scheduling all sponsored content for October & November, pre-making all New England Interior posts for the entire month, prepping holiday content, and of course making sure Mr. Trophy was good-to-go without me. I’d be out-of-office for 3 weeks, for my wedding and Parisian honeymoon!

This was the longest amount of time I’d taken off work – EVER.

To prepare for this transition, I spent a lot of time in 2022 working with Alexandra from Grace Space Christian Coaching. The experience came as a recommendation from Amy Littleson: you can read her experience with Alexandra here.

Personally, I’m a fan of being in-control and taking things on. I worked with Alexandra on a bi-weekly basis to make systems and plans for me to feel prepared and allow myself to trust & release major responsibilities to others in all three of my businesses. If you’re going through any sort of life transition, feeling stuck, or honestly just looking for an unbiased third-party opinion as you work through some growing pains, Alexandra is a godsend.

Once all the work was done the rest of October was a dream.

Our wedding was everything I ever wanted! You can read more about that here & here.

Our two-week honeymoon was also a dream come true! It was the first international trip for just Matt and me. We always travel with his family or my family, so it was relaxing having it be just the two of us.

I’d always wanted to go to France. And I must have been too excited because I took over 10,000 pictures! Thus why you still haven’t seen any posts recapping my trip. But, I promise I’m almost done and you’ll see all the details soon in a three-part post!

Matt and I landed home in Connecticut on October 30th. We celebrated Halloween as a married couple. And then got back to work wrapping up the year!

November & December:

November was all about work, work, work for both Matt and myself as we played catch-up.

For me, that meant submitting all December content for the holiday season. We also spent the majority of November finalizing the launch of my new rebrand and website Aubrey Craig! Believe it or not, I’ve been blogging for 9 years now. Crazy!

The Coastal Confidence brand name will always have a special place in my heart. But, I’m so excited to step into my new married name while continuing to capture New England’s quintessential moments throughout the seasons and creating a home for our much-loved side brand New England Interiors.

Overall, it still feels like a double rebrand – personally and for my platforms.

With so much goodness we blinked and it was December.

December was another quick month – as we had family in and out of town almost every weekend. We finally got to host our first annual gingerbread home-building competition which had been in the making since 2020. The night was filled with laughter, tears, twists & turns, decked-out gingerbread men, and of course, a trophy for the winner to take home. It was the perfect way to end the year with both Matt and my immediate family cuddled up in our cozy New England cape.

For the holidays themselves, we spent Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas Day with Matt’s family – simply together.

All and all, 2022 was a really great year for both Matt and myself. I’m leaving this year with no complaints.

Not only do I have no complaints but I already have so much to look forward to in 2023. With an emphasis on leaning into: Family, Creation, Connection & Love. I look forward to bringing you all along for the ride, as I head into my 9th year of blogging.

I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy blogging and connecting with you guys here once a week more than ever as we head into 2023.