The Be Fed Again Top 10 of 2015

This time last year when I was jotting down the projects that I wanted to accomplish for the year, the list seemed grandiose.  A lot for one full time blogger and full time mommy to take on.  But with careful planning and a very forgiving time line, those monumental projects were completed.

Fortunately, those lofty projects brought in huge numbers as far as page views go, and I would love to share with you the Be Fed Again Top 10 blog posts for 2015.

Most “Top” lists go in countdown form, but with me, I’m going to start with my most viewed, my #1, and the project that is, so far, my most favorite of all time:

Small Town U.S.A.!

Painting a flag on the side of our 1700’s barn had been a vision percolating in my mind since the day we moved in to our old farmhouse.  Once I got the nerve to attempt to overcome my fear of heights, I got to work on that vision.  And talk about satisfying, this flag on the side of our barn is a traffic stopper.  Literally.  Cars pull over on our grass for those that need to take a closer look.  Senior pictures have been taken in front of our grand old flag, along with engagement photos.

Veterans have stopped by too.  I see them from my office window and it’s an unspoken language that tells me that they just need a moment or two, to release a heavy memory and reacquaint their deep love of our country.  Little did I know, when I was painting that flag and patting myself on the back for picking out the “right” blue, that this project, this flag on the side of our barn, would touch so many hearts.  Small Town U.S.A. has reached over 4 million people.

The next 9 projects all come in a close 2nd.  And, in no particular order of affirmed page views, here they are:

Let’s talk shutters!   Talk about closeted, these 34 shutters that were found in a dark corner of our barn needed to come out and breathe a new breath of fresh air.

I power washed, hand-scraped, sanded, primed and painted each one.  And I knew by only the 4th shutter, that I may have taken on more than I could chew.  But I kept persevering over the bleeding hands, knuckle cramps and tennis elbow, and the last shutter was finally hung the end of August.   And when I go down to retrieve the mail every day and take a glimpse of our house, it’s almost like our house stands proud.  These shutters were meant to be hung in all their glory, not stuck in a dark corner of a barn.

Don’t think for a second that I hit a brick wall after that project.

Well, I didn’t hit a brick wall – I just built one.   In our dining room.  And my readers loved this project too.  Like big time.

After watching countless YouTube videos and absorbing sound advice from my post sponsor and favorite home center, I was no longer intimidated.  I layed brick.  I piped in mortar.  And in a sense, I brought back a brick wall that was most likely there at the beginning.  1820.

Here’s another one that made my numbers sky-rocket.  A Quick Tip that I follow constantly.  I was almost embarrassed to write about it as I so badly want to be the Emily Post of manners that already knows everything.  But with a little help from my fingers, I do know everything – at least where my bread and drink are placed on the table.  Check out this post.

Everyone loves a good rags to riches story and these chairs in my office should be awarded a Blog Oscar.  I’m not sure if it’s because of the fact that I spent less than $20 for each chair or the fact that the fabric is so dang loud and cheerful, that these chairs have been viewed and pinned thousands of times.  And as I sit and write and look at these chairs facing me, I can’t help but smile and be happy.

I think Lara Spenser needs to give me a call.  Earlier last year, I helped a friend and completed a fabulous Flea Market Flip.  The post says it all.  And because I loved how this table turned out, I refinished a buffet in the same manner.  Hello gorgeous.  The buffet now proudly lives in our den.

I often talk about my favorite haunts and salvage shops that I frequent.  And of those favorites, the owner of one passed away on July 19th, 2015.  Rosemarie was a matriarch in my world.  Not a day goes by that I don’t think of her, and miss her deeply.  Fortunately, I am reminded of her in every room of my house.  This glass cloche was the last gift Rose gave to me, and it proudly hangs over the sink in my kitchen.  The journey of this glass cloche can be found here and has fortunately garnered a top 10 spot in the Be Fed Again Top 10!

In the two short (long) years that I have been writing my blog, it has given me many rewards.  My own show, Brooke’s House & Home, is among my hard-earned rewards, and the first episode aired in September. Brooke’s House & Home will become a weekly how-to, DIY show come early spring, and I couldn’t be more excited.  My Thanksgiving episode hit the ratings jack pot.  Check it out here.

And one more post that has garnered a top spot on my top 10 most reached posts.  It is one that is spoken only from my heart.  I have made it a rule that I do not speak about my political beliefs nor my faith on my blog; two rules that would naturally lead to not delving deep into my heart.  But the love of my family and his story that I hold so close to my heart, are the very reason that I breathe.  Looking back, I don’t believe that I really inhaled a deep breath until my little guy came into my life.  His story has reached thousands, hence reserving a spot in the Be Fed Again Top 10 for 2015.  Rest assured, his story has and will always carry the most weight within me and my very being.   He is my sunshine.

And as are you.

Thank you for following me, believing in me, and encouraging me to preserve with our beloved farmhouse.  I am eternally grateful.

So much more to come.  Cheers to 2016.