All posts by Sarah @ 702 Park Project

702 Park Project – 2014 Year In Review

January is definitely the month for the year’s-worth-of-blog-posts-roundup posts. For the most part, I enjoy browsing them, but the truth is that those of you who read this post most likely follow this blog in some way and have already seen those posts throughout the year. So I decided to create a Pinterest board of your favorite posts according to Google Analytics instead of doing a full-blown post. Just click here to see those!

Rather than recapping specific posts, I thought I would recap the blog as a whole. 2014 was a big year for the blog and I’m so happy with the direction it’s heading.

702 park project - year in review

January – I was so honored to be nominated for my first blog award, the Liebster Award.

February – I was nominated for another award at Apartment Therapy, which pretty much made my year! The blog also got a complete overhaul and a fresh new look.

April – I introduced the first series on the blog, the Room by Room Recap. This series features a different room of the house and its renovation from start to finish.

May – This might not have been a big step for the blog, but for us it was huge…we finally moved into our forever dream home after a year of renovations!

June – My first sponsored post went live. For me this was just a peek into what this blog has the potential to become, and I liked what I saw!  Since then, I’ve worked with several brands including Sharpie, Walgreens, Kirkland’s, and Zillow.

August – I introduced another series on the blog, Interview With The Designer. This series gives you a glimpse into the lives and work of different designers.

September – It seems that just about every step this year has been a milestone for the blog, but reaching 40,000 monthly views was a pretty big one for me. I totally get that this is a humble brag, but I’m ok with it. I also get that numbers aren’t everything (trust me, I know) and I get that to some mega-bloggers, this is laughable. But it made me happy, and proud, and that’s ok, right?

November – The latest blog series, Historic Southern Homes, debuted this month. In this series, I introduce old southern homes that have a lot of charm and a lot of history.

This blog started with about 5 readers (all family members) and was really just meant to be an easy way for me to virtually scrapbook the whole restoration process. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…blogging has become my therapy. And at a time in my life where a lot seemed to be going wrong, it has been a much-needed outlet. It could all go away tomorrow, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and how this blog has grown.

I’ve got some big goals for 2015. I’ve already got a few brand collaborations in the works, and there might be another series popping up soon.

So to those few of you who have stuck with me from the beginning, and to the rest of you that have joined in along the way, THANK YOU! I would still love this blog even if nobody ready it, but knowing that people do makes it all the more sweeter.

Cheers to 2015!

This Week’s Links

Happy Sunday lovelies! I hope you’ve been staying warm this week! Sorry my favorite links are coming to you a little later than usual this Sunday. Charles and I just got back from a wonderful, relaxing weekend at the beach with friends. Plus, we hit up HomeGoods on the way home and bought a rug with some Christmas gift cards. So all in all, I’d say it’s been a pretty fabulous weekend!!

Organizing tips from the pro.

If you’re looking to relax, check out this guide on crafting the perfect bath.

Some fun ideas for decorating those empty corners in your home.

Richard Gere’s Hamptons home is for sale and it’s pretty much my dream house.

702parkproject - RG house

A few trends we can look forward to in 2015. And a few more.

The best and worst of historic preservation in 2014.

This dining room reveal. I can’t even. That ceiling is drool-worthy.

702parkproject - design daredevil

Can you find the man hidden in these pictures?

One stereotype about my generation is being shattered. Booya!

Y’all, it’s been a good month in the fashion world. Kate Spade released their new swimwear line, and Target announced it’s collaboration with Lilly Pulitzer. Bring on the preppy!

And in case you missed it this week…

  1. Dollar Store Dinos
  2. My Favorite Free Desktop Wallpaper Sources
  3. Resolutions…Just Not Mine
  4. Why Historic Preservation Tax Credits Matter (We Need Your Help!)
  5. The Best Gift
  6. Quotable Friday

The Best Gift

This year, my dad wins the best Christmas gift award with this beautiful porch swing he got for us!

702parkproject - swing 1 702parkproject - swing 2

Excuse me. Not got…built.  He BUILT us a porch swing!  (Have you seen the mudroom built-in unit he made us too? He’s a master craftsman!)

702parkproject - swing 6 702parkproject - swing 5 702parkproject - swing 4 702parkproject - swing 3

It has a curved top and even has butt grooves, which is the mark of true craftsmanship in my opinion. Your butt just slides right on in. And it’s big! You could definitely fit three people on this thing.

The plan is to paint it a high gloss black to match the shutters and mount it on the front porch. Now we’re one step closer to sipping sweet tea on a porch that looks like this…

702parkproject - martha stewart swing 702parkproject - swing insp 1 702parkproject - bhg swing

123

Thanks, Dad! You’re the best! We can’t wait for this custom piece made with love to become part of our forever home!

What was the best gift you received this year?

Why Historic Preservation Tax Credits Matter (We Need Your Help!)

It’s very rare that I would push any sort of political agenda on you. In fact, I generally try to avoid politics at all costs on this blog. But this particular topic is near and dear to my heart, and we could use your help!

North Carolina implemented a historic preservation tax credit system in 1998 for both residential and commercial properties. Basically, this program gives tax incentives to those willing to rehabilitate historic structures: a 20% tax credit for commercial or income-producing properties (in addition to the 20% provided by the federal government), and 30% for non-income-producing residential properties. But it doesn’t just go to any historic property holder; the restoration guidelines are incredibly strict, and buildings must be restored in a way that keeps the historic integrity of the building intact.  This credit allowed Charles and I to restore our house on a large scale, and we wouldn’t have been able to get nearly as far without them. But as of January 1, 2015 these credits no longer exist.

Some of you may be thinking, “I have no interest in owning a historic property, so why does this concern me?” I’ll tell you why. Since the tax credits were created in 1998, they have stimulated $1.6 billion (yep, that’s a B) of private investment in NC and created over 23,000 jobs.* These investments have boosted our economy and brought out-of-state interests to NC. Not to mention the aesthetic improvements that these credits can bring to every community. Take our house for example…

702parkproject - fall before&after

But there’s still hope, and you can help! To sign the petition and keep the incentives that make North Carolina better alive, just click here!

*Facts and figures obtained here.

Resolutions…Just Not Mine

Resolutions. We all have them this time of year. Even if you won’t admit it. There’s just something about the new year that incites this “everything will be different now” attitude in all of us. For some, these resolutions lasts all year, and might even lead to a new lifestyle. For others, those fires have burned out by mid January.

I’ve decided to play my resolutions close to the chest this year…mainly because I have about 9,762,876 of them that reach in so many different directions it’s confusing to even me. Some will stick and some will go out the window, as is tradition. I’m not getting too serious about any of them. All I know is that 2014 was about the worst year I can remember for a whole lot of personal reasons, and I’m determined to make 2015 better.

702parkproject - resolutions

So instead of sharing my resolutions, I thought I’d point you to some great reads on how to get this year started on the right foot. I’ve created a Pinterest board full of resolutions, healthy habits, career motivation, life lessons, and just general pep talks that are all brand spanking new to the web. I hope you enjoy…I know I sure did!

Just click here to start your journey to a better you in 2015!

What are your New Years resolutions or goals?