I think it's inevitable that with every new year, you reflect on the past, and think about the future of the coming year. While out to dinner with friends on New Years eve eve we reflected on our rose and thorn of 2016. So your best and worst part of the year. This is something we do every night around the dinner table and it's such an insight into a person's day. As always, I like to start with the thorn. This was easy for me, I wish I had done more with this blog. I wish I could have written more posts, or improved on a few of them. I was posting more often after I first started, but realized that to live a balanced life, I would have to pull back. It was difficult at first, but I became a better Mommy and had more energy to enjoy my boys. That was the period of don't count how many ounces of Coke you drink a day period. But my rose, was also easy to decide. I am so damn proud of myself for finally starting this blog, for putting myself out there, for writing 49 blog posts, while balancing life. I learned so much about technology (quite the learning curve for this non technology lady), for pushing myself in my writing, and for still learning and appreciating different styles of interior design. Naturally, our conversation then quickly lead to our goals for 2017. Is anyone else still wondering how we're actually in the year 2017?!! I remember Y2K like it was yesterday, and how at midnight everything was going to crash! So my goals for 2017 are to continue this blog, but to try and write more unique posts that you haven't seen before. But my biggest goal for 2017 is to start taking clients, paying clients that is, under Tucker Donnelly Design. I know I'm a good designer and have a good eye, but to work under your own name, when your name is on the line, is quite nerve-racking. But as the saying goes, you'll never know what's possible if you don't try.

This all started last year on January 4th, so I thought I'd leave you with that very first post. It's probably the post I'm most proud of honestly. It's raw and vulnerable, yet explains why I continue to push myself. Thank you all for joining me on this journey. I appreciate all the comments and emails, and you just spending your valuable time reading something from me. I don't take it lightly. Lord knows we all have a busy life.

What Am I Doing??? January 4, 2016

SHITTTT!! Wow, yea, I just started my first ever blog post with a curse word. What in the world will my Mother think? Please forgive me Mother and keep reading. I promise it gets better. But that one word was the one word that came to me when I finally decided to pursue this crazy idea that I've had in my mind for the longest time, blogging. You know, that inner voice that nags at you but you shush it because you're scared and it feels like a mountain what you want to do. Well that's been me.....for a long time. I've been telling myself why start another design blog when there are so many great ones out there already. Well, the answer is why not? If it feeds my design heart and makes me happy, I'm going to do it. So, I'm doing this for me because I love interior design and maybe, just maybe, one day one photo or one thing I say inspires someone to take a leap on their special place they call home. Mother, are you still reading this? This is the good stuff and I promise not to curse!!

Postcards from The Tichnor Brothers Collection

I think sometimes you're born to do something. I'll never forget the story my Mother loves to tell about how when I was three years old she was helping a friend shop for new fabric for a sofa and chairs. She and her friend were engrossed in piles of fabrics when I come up and hand her two fabrics that coordinated perfectly. I could have named all the presidents and she probably wouldn't have been prouder. You see, this love for design I think is in our blood. I got it from my Mother, who got it from her father, Mr. Harry Treidel. And because of him I have a pretty great name for my blog. You see, Opa, my grandfather, escaped from Nazi Germany in 1936 and moved to New York and sold dresses just to survive. After serving for the US Army in WWII he ended up in California and opened a furniture store, The Berkshire House. He became quite successful and at one point had four stores in southern California. And so I guess they say, the rest is history. But you don't know me so I'll fill you in and then say the rest if history.

I am Tucker Hamilton Donnelly. I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, went to college for interior design at Western Carolina University in this tiny town called Cullowhee. I was lucky enough to meet my future husband, Bradley, and fall in love with him and those beautiful mountains all at the same time. Upon graduation I moved to Chicago so I could pursue my design profession. Fast forward several years to moving back to North Carolina, and having our first baby, Asher. We then decided that life is a journey so why not pick up and move an 18 month old to Peoria, Illinois and a few months later welcome our second greatest accomplishment, Whitt. So here I sit, now in Denver, Colorado with a four year old and two year old living the dream. But not really, because you see, once you have kids you dream up the world for them, telling them anything is possible. Anything you want to do in life you can do, what's stopping you?? FEAR. I don't want my boys to ever say to me "well you were scared and didn't try. So I'm not going to try". So there you have it. That's me, pursuing a dream.

Thank you again for reading and supporting this dream.

Tucker

1 Year Anniversary of The Berkshire House