Can you believe it ? We are in the final hours of 2015. As though I blinked and here we are. I was not looking forward 2015. I entered 2015 just waiting on the other shoe to drop, but 2015 has been a pleasant surprise. My heart is filled with gratitude to God for how the year turned out and I feel incredibly lucky for all of the experiences, highs (and even the lows) that came with 2015. Here are some of my favorite moments and a few snapshot from an incredible year.

Personal Moments I will never forget:

February 4th, 2015. I got the news that I passed the CPA exam. A seven year journey was finally over. I still tear up remembering that moment in Winslow, ME when I got the news. You have got to watch this video clip from Big Bang Theory - it adds an air of cool to my profession.
July 2015. New York, New York. This was not the first trip to New York - but this was the first one without the CPA exam weight looming over me. Plus some of my nearest and dearest live in NYC now and I had ten days of quality time with them.
October 16th, 2015. It's official - I am going to Europe. Two years of planning and saving up is finally going to be a reality.
October 24th, 2015. Watching the sunrise in Miami. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Add it to your bucket list. There is nothing like it.
November 11th, 2015. Arriving in Monaco and dining at Cafe Paris. I don't have the words to express how it feels to see a lifelong dream become a reality. I look calm in the photograph, but I was doing monster sized cart wheels on the inside.
November 19th, 2015. Arriving in Paris five days after the attacks. On the advice of friends and family, I initially cancelled plans to go to Paris, but while I was in Barcelona - I had a aha moment and I knew I needed to go to Paris that week, not just to catch a flight (as I did 2 days after the attack), but actually explore the city. The trip was my version of Je Suis Paris. I spent two days in Paris and it rained most of the time I was there, but walking around that city and having a new appreciation for being there, I fell in love with Paris again.

Blogging Highlights:

Rebranding the blog. I let go of Rain Drops Roses for Portland | Grace. This is a much grown up version of the blog. It was a scary decision, but I am glad I took the leap. Portland | Grace has been a joy to write and curate every week. Also got blog logo and business cards - all the stuff grown up blogs are made of.
Launched the Portland | Grace Shop (and New York, New York Collection). Alongside the blog rebrand, I also launched the Portland | Grace shop and the New York, New York Collection. I am incredibly proud of the final product. The next collection is arriving in the new year.
Upped the Anti with the blog photography. Still have a long way to go and I am still learning lightroom and figuring out the photograph identity of the blog, however, the blog photos have come a long way from the early days.
Launched the Portland | Grace Facebook page along with the rebrand. You can follow here.