2017: A Year in Review

Hello friends! It’s time for another year in review (you can read last year’s review here) – and let’s talk about this year! The best one yet personally – I GOT MARRIED and so many personal wonderful life events, but yet another year of tragedy. Who knew that it could get worse than 2016 – with all that happened last year, it’s surprising to feel like this year was even worse. The natural disasters and the worst mass shooting of all. It is heartbreaking. I have A LOT to share about this year, many amazing life events for me and my family, but also, I plan to reflect more on how I can get more involved in my New Year’s resolutions post. For this post, I’m highlighting the positives of 2017. Get ready for a picture overload!

I GOT MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ending 2017 as Mrs. Sobieck 🙂

October 14, 2017 was the MOST amazing day of my life. Our wedding day was truly magical. Every detail just as we pictured. And our friends and family, beyond what we could have ever pictured. Being surrounded by each and every person you love and hold dearly in one room cannot be explained in words. I could go on and on about my husband because he is my true and forever soulmate. I couldn’t be happier and married life is the best life! I haven’t gotten a chance to get to all of our photos yet, but I will be sharing our wedding details with you all soon! Promise, for now, here’s a sneak peek at some pictures!

More wedding-related posts:

• Loving Him is Red
• The Proposal – Our Engagement Story
• How We Met
• Save the Dates Review
• Wedding Registry Picks
• Wedding Dress Shopping

My Sister Got Married!

My little sister and one of my best friends tied the knot with the love of her life! We celebrated this glorious day on July 1, 2017 and I couldn’t be happier for them or more proud of them! I gained another brother, Phil, and love that my husband and I can hang out with them in Minneapolis! I will be sharing more of her big day and events as well. As you might guess, we learned A LOT about wedding planning between the two weddings, one summer and one fall. We have lots of vendor recommendations and tales of caution for all you brides-to-be! Read more in my post dedicated to my sister:

Kaitlyn’s Wedding Day

Became an Auntie!

My sister and brother-in-law always knew they wanted to be parents, so it was only a matter of time before I became Auntie Rachel! My family was blessed with Miles on August 10, 2017. He was born on a Thursday and I flew out that Friday to meet my nugget of a nephew! He has truly brought so much joy to us all. What a sweet baby boy he is! I can’t wait to spoil him and hopefully remain a “cool” aunt even into his teenage years haha. Love you Miles!

Hahaha, nephew was ready for mommy again 🙂

My Mom Retired!

My mom, after years of dedicated service to teaching and shaping our future, retired and is blissfully enjoying retirement. Well, as much as she’s been able to between two weddings and a grandson! My mother is the most amazing, selfless, hard-working, hilarious and beautiful person! She deserves every single moment of happiness in retirement. Congratulations mom!

 

My Bridal Showers

Thanks to my lovely mother in her retirement and my best friends, I had the most beautiful bridal shower on July 22, 2017! We hosted a champagne bar and had a ton of fun. I meant to do a post on this back in July (haaaaaaaaa) but promise I will be sharing more details on this as well. Why not right?! And thanks to my wonderful *new* family, I had another beautiful bridal shower on September 23, 2017! Thank you Sobiecks 🙂

 

My Bachelorette Party – #RachelsBeachloretteBash in Miami!

One of the things I was admittedly most excited about when I got engaged was being able to plan a bachelorette party! My bestie and MOH Robin helped me plan the most epic weekend getaway for my bachelorette, or should I say beachlorette, party in Miami. I again, want to write a separate post about the details of planning, where we stayed, what we did and more photos.

Travel is Always a Good Idea

Every year, I make it a goal to travel as much as possible. It truly is one of the most life-changing things you can do – even if you are just traveling a few hours away. To see life from new perspectives, to see the wonders of the world and to meet the locals. I am OBSESSED. My husband pokes fun at me when I freak out about not having my next trip planned, but I know lots of people who feel the same way! It’s addicting! Anyway, this year – even with the expense of the wedding – I felt fortunate to go on a few trips, including an amazing HONEYMOON in Italy 🙂

February – Sister trip in Denver, CO

March – 6-year dating anniversary trip in Tofte, MN (my first time in northern Minnesota!)

August – Visiting my nephew in Denver, CO

August – Beachelorette Party in Miami, FL

October – Honeymoon in Italy! (Florence then drove to Porto San Stefano on the coast – my first time in the Tuscany region and Porto San Stefano!)

November – Family weekend for the Michigan/Wisconsin game in Madison, WI

December – My friend Patrick’s wedding in Houston, TX (my first time in Houston!)

Of course, I wish I would have shared more about each of these trips, but life this past year with the craziness (as you can tell) I just didn’t get to it! I do plan to share more as mentioned above on my bachelorette party in Miami and a post on our honeymoon! Here’s a few snapshots from my travel adventures this year!

 

Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you…

And I will hold onto to you…

 

 

Thank You!

As always, thank you for another year of your incrediable support. Thanks to all of you, I have been logging into WordPress for more than five years and writing down my thoughts, sharing my personal style, gushing about my dog and trying to find the best deals for you! I love having something to look forward to at the end of a hard work day, and I wouldn’t still be doing this without you. I hope you will join me for another year of fashion, beauty, and travel here on Rachel’s Lookbook.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year – and hoping the best for you and your loved ones in 2018!

 

Here is a round up of additional photos from this year’s festivities!

 

Thank you for an amazing year xoxo, talk to you in 2018!