Hey there everyone! So it's officially 2019, and before we get too far in I want to do a recap post. Now I say recap because it will just contain a lot. Big things that happened, top posts, most loved IG posts, my personal favorite posts, and so on, plus maybe even a look into what I have planned for this year and 25 Sweetpeas!
Exciting and New things to 25 Sweetpeas in 2018
2018 was a good year for 25 Sweetpeas. I was so fortunate and lucky to work with so many amazing people and brands, and just had a wonderful time working on different projects. From normal reviewing, to photo shoots, creating art for brands, and so on it was just amazing to work with so many amazing people. Absolutely loved that aspect of 2018.
In 2018 I initially started the year with a mindset of wanting to do more lifestyle like posts. However the first part of 2018 was... well for the lack of better words, stinky, and overwhelming that when it came to blogging I just wanted to do what I loved and knew in what little time I had. There was so much going on trying to add in something new and out of my comfort zone just didn't work in that part of my life at the time.
However I still changed things up later, like by starting the Sweetpeas Picks on going series. Plus also releasing 2 magazines. The First one being the Summer Vibes magazine, which had nails, food, and travel which was super fun and different. Then just last month releasing the 2nd annual Christmas Cookie Mani Swap magazine. Oh and with the last magazine I got to work with Takko Lacquer to create a polish, called Baking Season! which was so cool, and its currently sold out! Not sure if it will be restocked but I will let you know of course! :)
Also, not blog related but, in December I did Nailmas on Youtube and that was so fun! 24 consecutive videos for the Holiday Season! I will do that again for sure!
I also feel as if 2018 was the year of Video for me. I finally tried so many new things on Youtube and fell in love with creating videos. Which is why I do that so much more now. Plus mid year I got new software to edit with and a whole new door opened, then I upgraded how I film from new lighting later on. Then even super recently I upgraded the camera too so I just feel like its been a great year for video growth, and I'm super proud of that, and am SO glad you have been enjoying it. One of the biggest things was actually being on camera, thats still a bit weird to me but its fun now. Ha, if you had told me at the start of 2018 that I would ever actually be in my Youtube videos I would have said you were crazy!
Top Blog Posts
I always find this super fascinating, at the end of each year I love to go and see what blog posts were most viewed each month, and then over all so here I will share two different line ups. Top posts by the month, and then top posts overall! Some of the blog posts that made it honestly surprised me, but that the part of this review that makes it so fun, and makes me smile too! For example I started Sweetpeas Picks in the Summer and its basically a weekly post of all the randomest things yet I love it so much and believe it or not one of the posts from it actually was a topped viewed post all year which is just crazy to me, yet SO cool! Now lets take a look!
Top Blog Posts By The Month
January - Urban Outfitters Polish Haul
February - Two Nail Art Tutorials for Valentines Day Nails
March - China Glaze Chic Physique
April - All Heart April 2018
May - China Glaze Shades of Paradise
June - Glam Polish Mermaid Tails Limited Edition
July - We had a tie this month! Music Art Youngblood Nail Art & Zoya Element Fall 2018
August - A Spa Day with Nails Inc
September - Zoya Jubilee Holiday Collection
October - Digital Dozen Day 1 | TV Shows
November - Morgan Taylor Forever Fabulous Marilyn Monroe
December - Moon Shine Mani Night Light Duo
Top 10 Blog Posts for 2018
1. Zoya Jubilee Holiday Collection
2. Sweetpeas Picks Vol. 15
3. Nails Inc Caffeine Hit + National Coffee Day Art
4. Two Nail Art Tutorials for Valentines Day Nails
5. China Glaze Shades of Paradise
6. Zoya Thrive Collection
7. Nails Inc Holler-Graphic Duo
8. Music Nail Art Young Blood & Zoya Element Fall Collection
9. Morgan Taylor Forever Fabulous Marilyn Monroe Collection
10. Maxus Nails You're Just My Type
The Year on Instagram
Well we all know Instagram has been quite the ordeal and its not what it used to be at all. That being said I still like it/use it in hopes that someday it will get better, plus I love the community of friends I have on there so I'm not giving up. Between the algorithms and timing, and having a pleasing "grid" look its something I think everyone finds a bit challenging. I literally have so many ideas yet some of them just don't work on my 25 Sweetpeas IG which is why I think this year I'll try to utilize my other accounts more. If you did not know I had others its probably because I never put much emphasis on them, however this year I plan/hope too! Especially since I have so many ideas in mind for them. Now enough chit chat lets check out the Top Nine that everyone has been posting for the past few weeks!
Well I think it's very evident that in 2019 you all want to see more nail art. I want to do more art too granted I love swatching as well so time to find a good balance to make everyone happy. :) I did Nailmas on Youtube last month which basically resulted in daily art and he fact that THREE of the looks from it made it into the top nine for the whole year really says something!
I honestly don't know what my personal faves are. I usually like all of my summer nail art looks and I think that still stands, really I try to only create art I truly love so if I stay true to that its super hard to pick favorites, I will have different faves for different reasons. You know?! Like when I was trying to sort through my mental lists of all of my faves the one I kept landing on wasn't really my favorite to where it was more of my favorite creatively. The 5 Seconds of Summer Valentine Nail art kept coming to mind. Its not a mani that I like LOVED to wear or anything but the whole idea process and the outcome of the crazy idea actually working just makes me feel like it was a big achievement. The mani idea was so far fetched, but it worked, then I had the thought to turn the mani into a gif to replicate the music video and crazily enough that worked. It was just such an exciting mani for some reason. All of the behind the scenes + creative process was just so different from normal too which I think is another reason I loved it. After it, things felt different, new, and fresh. Beyond those a few that stand out are.... Sea Turtles, Jelly Floral, Watermelon Slices, and the Sea Shell Nail Art. I am sure I am missing some important ones, but I have summer on my mind lol!
Favorite New Things of the Year
Now lets have some extra fun, and chat about some non Youtube/Blog things that I loved this year. I feel like once June came around things got fun. Summer is always my favorite and this was still the case. I LOVE beach days, sunshine and exploring. Lets set this next section up like a Sweetpeas Picks post! Here are some of my random favorites.
1. June 15th, My new ALL time favorite CD released and just made the summer. I know I've said it a million and one times, but the new Youngblood CD by 5 Seconds of Summer is just amazing.
2. So many beach days with my bestie! (Yes Momma, I'm talking about you! 💚)
3. Started Bullet Journaling and I LOVE it!
4. Started writing a new book this year and I honestly feel its the best one I've ever worked on and I wish I hade more time to work on it.
5. I finally started doing watercolor art again this summer, mainly because I could use it with my blogging for graphics, but hey it got me back into it which is all that matters.
6. I found over 70 shark teeth in one beach trip! That was one for my personal record books!
7. Saw a Porpita Porpita on the beach!
8. Cam across sea turtle tracks!
9. Explored a cute beach city close to home that I'd never been too.
10. Tried so many new/new to me brands beauty/nail related this year.
11. Started to play with more color in my makeup! YAY!
Favorite Music
Would this even be an authentic 25 Sweetpeas / Sarah post if I did not include music in it!? I think not, so lets chat favorite music of the year, and check out what Spotify says I liked the most too because I LOVE those sorts of stats! In 2018 I also started a Music Files series here on the blog, but really not because the Holiday season popped up, and things got busy so we missed a few, but that won't happen this year because I LOVE talking music, finding new music, and so on. Overall when I think of of music for 2018 I would say my music liking kind of changed, or maybe it was all just finally fitting, because a lot had new music out. It was weird, I had, had a list of CDs I was excited for and was just sure I would buy all of them and then a list of ones I would consider. It ended up being the reverse. The ones I was just sure I would like I did not, and the ones I didn't expect to like I LOVED. So that was just most interesting. Oh, and an artist I only ever liked every now and then became my favorite.
Music wise, the year definitely goes to 5 Seconds of Summer, Want You Back came out a the most perfect time and then the whole Youngblood CD was literally the best CD. I love all of the songs on the CD and that so rare, and they are now basically my favorite artist. Above is Spotify's summary of my music listening and I would say its pretty spot on. I listen to a lot of purchased music as well thats not included in these totals obviously so I think COIN would have been in the Top 5 artists but really those are all of my faves. The xovelytheband CD was most certainly a top CD for the year too, its ones of those ones I can play on repeat for quite some time. The new Panic at the Disco was really good too. The song line up is so interesting too! Some old ones popped up in there and then of course new ones as well. If you want to listen to my most listened to songs you can here. It's a pretty decent line up. I would say some songs that I don't care for anymore snuck in but....
Now here are some songs that I just have to go ahead and list by name because they are so good.
1. Moving Along by 5 Seconds of Summer
2. Talk Fast by 5 Seconds of Summer
3. Birthday by All Time Low
4. Make You Feel Pretty by lovelytheband
5. I Like The Way by lovelytheband
6. Cemetery by COIN
7. Simple Romance by COIN
8. Bad Enough for You by All Time Low
9. Way With Words by The Wrecks
10. Loser by Jagwar Twin
11. New Light by John Mayer
12. Its Not Living If its Not With You by The 1975
13. Pâquerette (Without Me) by With Confidence
14. Narcissist by No Rome Feat. The 1975
15. Best Friend by 5 Seconds of Summer
Well guys I feel like I could keep going on and on with things I loved especially music wise for 2018, but I must call it quits at some point. I hope you all have enjoyed it all, and in general I just hope you enjoying reading the blog this past year and watching all of the Youtube videos! Let me know what you would like to see this year, I know I have a long list of ideas and I can't wait to share. There are just so many ideas floating around, its just a matter of time. Again thank you all so much for being the best viewers/supporters ever! Love being able to interact with you on here, Youtube, and Instagram. Its so amazing and I just love it. So here is to what was a great 2018 and wishing for the best 2019!
~25 Sweetpeas
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