A Year in Review 2021 Edition | travel, sewing, and more

Happy New Year to all of you! Like, almost, always this ‘year in review’ post was meant to be published last week but I’ve been feeling burned out due to this past school semester and the pandemic so blogging was placed on the back burner.

In any case, it’s never too late to look back on the past year. While these types of posts don’t usually bring as many views, I enjoy writing them because it reminds me of everything that occurred (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and like this blog, it acts as a time machine of sorts.

Since this year was eventful, I could not not write a summary of 2021 and so here it is.

2021 Year in Review

Compared to 2020, 2021 was better in terms of travel, sewing, and adventure. However, there were also some setbacks, dread, and general anxieties. If you want to read last year’s, check out my 2020 wrap-up post.

First things first…

blogging

This year was eventful for me and Plaid & Sugar. The main thing is that the blog is now self-hosted!

In August, as a birthday gift, I decided to self-host and it’s been quite a ride. It affected my DA, page views, and general Google rankings, and whatnot but I believe that all the challenge and stress will be worth it in the end. I know that it’s the best thing for Plaid & Sugar and plus I love having more control over my blog, the design, and everything really.

If you’re on Blogger (Blogspot) and planning to self-host (and moving to WordPress), I recommend reading Kayleigh Zara’s post along with WP Beginner’s guide on transferring content.

In other news, my favorite posts of this year were: Dior Exhibit beacuse I love the designer and 1950s style and the collaboration I had with Photowall which allowed me to transform my guest bedroom with wallpaper; among other posts.

Also, in 2021 I shared over half-a-dozen recipes on the blog! From sweet to savory and dessert guest posts, this year was the year for the “baking” aspect of Plaid & Sugar.

Through Twitter, I met the most amazing bloggers out there. They are always so uplifting, inspiring, and ready to help.

So while this year was not how I expected, it was better than I thought it’d be concerning the blog. And I can’t help but be proud of how far it has come.

But enough of that, let’s get one with the other aspect of this year in review.

life

where do I start lol? From Jan to mid-March we were in lockdown and life honestly felt hopeless. But soon spring arrived. With nature blooming and coming alive, and I too felt alive and hopeful.

Up until mid-November when restrictions started to be put up in place. But in the meantime between April and November, life was for the most part great.

I did lots of reading, watched Parks & Rec, made my own ice cream, and got stung by a wasp on my foot.

Compared to other years, this summer we took various day trips to places we’ve never been before and got to see a whole new side of the province:

• I went to the Montmorency Falls, about two hours from Montreal, and it was beautiful. The only thing I wasn’t prepared for was to walk up the side of the mountain on a hot extremly sunny day. But it was worth it.
• Plus afterwards, we went to Quebec City which was a 10 minute drive away and one of my favorite places. By the time we got there I was so tired from the hike and semi-sunburnt that I just wanted to sit down and do nothing. However, I did gather all my energy and ended up walking all of The Vieux Quebec and had an amazing time. Fun fact: Old Quebec is the oldest European settlement in North America and it’s buildings date back to the mid-1600s!

• Weeks later went up north to Mont Tremblant (the ski resort) which is about two hours north from Montreal and in the middle of the Laurentian Mountains. I was surprised at how cute, charming and European the ski village is and would love to come back in winter to get the full ski experience.

• In late Septmeber, decided top venture out of the provcince for the first time since March 2020. Desitination: Cornwall, ON. Not a very glamourous or large city, but the people were lovely and it had a small town charm that enchanted me. Plus as its on the St. Lawrence River, one can stand on shore and see the U.S!

• A week later, drove the opposite way to the heart of the Eastern Townships: Sherbrooke. A cute city with a river going accross is and beautiful walking & biking trails. Not much to talk about lol.

But apart from travel and sewing, the school was one of the things that were the most prominent in the year 2121.

Why? It burnt me out.

The winter semester was a tad challenging but nothing out of the ordinary, the summer course I took was ok but the fall semester wiped me out.

It was extremely challenging for me and there were times that I felt that I could not go on. That was my fourth online/remote semester and I think the stress, isolation, and general pandemic fatigue accumulated and led this to be the worst semester to date.

But somehow I managed to finish. With how things are going there is a chance this semester will be online (or at least a chunk of it) and I don’t know how I’m going to do it. But one day at I time.

Last year, I made (planted?) my first-ever vegetable garden and it has become one of my favorite things in the world. This year the raspberry bushes gave lots of berries, as in a half-a-dish full of berries a day! I also planted golden groundcherries and they just kept on coming, will differently be planting them again in spring.

However, when it came to my tomato plants, I had not much luck. It rained a lot this summer and with the high humidity along with cloudy days, this made the perfect breeding ground for slugs *shivers*. So my tomatoes were a disappointment this year. If you have any tips or advice for how to prevent bugs from affecting plants please let me know!

Oh, and I also finally started driving by myself! This might seem like a little thing but for years I could not drive alone due to fear that I’d crash or hurt someone. Yeah, it’s a bit of an achievement for me. Who knows maybe in 2022 I’ll do a solo driving trip outside of the city.

Also, I got my second COVID shot on my 22nd birthday. So that was quite a day to remember.

On another happier note…

sewing

Compared to the year before, I did way more sewing in 2021. I made about half a dozen dresses, some skirts, tops, and other items. Which you can read and see more about in my summer sewing post.

This year I also delved into historical sewing, specifically the late 18th-century. Not only did I make stays, chemise, and bum-roll but I also sewed a robe a l’anglaise. Finishing my whole 18th-century ensemble. While I have yet to write a post for the dress, I do have a post on the undergarments, one of my favorite posts of 2021.

Overall this year was amazing for me when it came to sewing or making garments. I started using my serger again, began to modify patterns, and made some of my favorite daily-wear garments to date.

regrets?

While regrets won’t change the past they can change future actions. One of my regrets is not self-hosting sooner because having to regain my DA & views plus working on SEO has been hard. However, it has been an experience to learn how search engines work and how to get to the top.

I also regret wasting so much time doing nothing. Whether it be on social media, T.V, or even just laying in bed for longer than I should’ve in the mornings. The time I could’ve spent sewing, baking, reading, or even going for a walk near the river. So my hope is that in 2022, I’ll be using my time much more purposefully.

Final thoughts

While this year had its down (online classes) it also had a lot of ups! Between sewing, traveling, and going through the whole self-host migration, 2021 is a year to remember. A year that was unlike other years although similar to the one prior.

But overall 2021 was a good year and I hope 2022 proves itself to not only be the end of the pandemic but also one in which I outdo years prior.

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Before I go, how’s the pandemic where you live? Right before Christmas restrictions were placed once a new and theaters/gyms closed again and for New Year a curfew was imposed along with no visitors. So yeah, this holiday season was almost the same as last year.

Hopefully, in 2022 all will go better and the pandemic will recede until it’s a thing of the past.

How was your 2021? Did you have accomplishments or achieved goals?

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