2020 in Review

Hey guys, and happy Tuesday! I am so excited to be back on a normal blogging schedule. I only blogged a few times last month. I can’t believe that 2020 is finally over. Thank goodness. It was such a weird year. And while I know 2021 is guaranteed to be perfect, I definitely feel hopeful about what is to come. 
2020 started out full of hope and ambition. I really wanted 2020 to be a big year for me.  And while it didn’t go as planned, it did have a few shining moments. So, today, I’m sharing how 2020 really went.
In January, I went back to school. I started student teaching, and I loved it. Doing my student teaching really solidified that I was meant to be teaching. I loved 2nd grade! 
February was good too. At this point, The Bachelor was in full swing. So, I was getting to see some of my girlfriends on almost a weekly basis. (Which is a Godsend when you don’t get to see them much.) 
And then March happened. I was almost finished with student teaching. I had plans to take one of my big certification tests as soon as I finished. Then I was going to work for the rest of April/May. But that isn’t what happened. The last day I saw my sweet kiddos in person was March 13th. I had no clue when I left the school that day that the next time I would be there would be in June, just to drop a computer off. 
The rest of March was spent staying up entirely too late, wondering when this pandemic would end, and watching an insane amount of Love Island and Tiger King. (Which is honestly the biggest hot mess I have EVER seen lol).  And I threw myself into my blog. 
Last year, my blog was one of the biggest blessings for me. In all the crazy and chaos, it was a constant. I wrote over 100 blog posts last year, and it really just gave me an insane amount of joy in a time where joy was hard to come by. 
I am also very thankful for TikTok. (LOL) I’m pretty sure that we can all agree that TikTok is entertaining, to say the least. I also think that it’s cool that TikTok gave us this sense of “togetherness” when we really needed it. 
I daydreamed a lot about traveling when the pandemic is over. (I’m still doing A LOT of that!)
I wrote a lot, not just blogging. So, I have always loved writing. One day, I would love to even publish a book or a few. I spent a lot of time brainstorming and writing in 2020.
March, April, and May seem to blur together in my mind. I finished my last undergrad assignment and finished college at some point in April. I honestly can’t even remember when it was. And then my school canceled in-person graduation. 
I was pretty devastated. I’m the first person in my family to graduate from a 4-year college. To me and to my family, it’s a huge accomplishment. I wanted to share that with my family, and I wanted to celebrate. 
I did get to see my friend group at the beginning of May though. I picked my diploma up and took some pictures with my girls. It made me so happy to see them!!
By June, I was starting to stress about getting a job. I had been anticipating already having a job before graduation or at least having one soon after. That wasn’t the case. 
This was around the time of the tragic killing of George Floyd. I, like many Americans, watched as another person died as a result of police brutality. I decided that I was going to use my platform here and on IG to educate myself and others. As a Christian, I can’t sit on the sidelines when people are being treated unfairly. I saw a generation rise up, protest, and demand change. Black Lives Matter today and every day. 
Over the summer, I felt myself beginning to shift in so many ways. I was educating myself on several different issues and finding out information on my own. I also felt my style/aesthetic begin to change. 
I found a job like a week before school started. I was VERY thankful. I’m teaching from home and I love my 4th graders so much! It’s been great. 
In August, I decided to rebrand my blog. I went from The Monogrammed Em to Emily’s Style Edit. And I couldn’t have been happier with the change. I looooove it! I hope you guys love it too.
And then it was November, and I voted in one of largest elections in US history. I celebrated doing my constitutional right and celebrated hope for a better future.
I definitely ended 2020 more hopeful than I had been in months. I’m still hopeful for a better tomorrow and that one day, things will return to normal (Or a new normal).
Thank you for following along with me in 2020. Having this outlet made 2020 a little less scary. I am so excited to see what 2021 has in store!
Thanks for reading!

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2019 In Review


Wow, I can’t believe that 2019 is actually over. This was one of the best and worst years of my life. I got to travel and do a lot of amazing things, but I had to say goodbye to my sweet grandpa. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve learned a lot this year. 


I thought it would be cool to recap my entire year just to see what I actually did this year lol. So I hope you guys enjoy this post!

January
I went back to school in January to finish up my junior year of college. Honestly, all I really did in January of 2019 was go back to school and shop. 

February
In February I started teaching in my placement for school (I’m an education major and we go into the classroom a lot during our junior year). Through that, I found out that I LOVE 2nd grade with my whole heart. I would love to teach 2nd grade next school year. I finished reading the Harry Potter series for the very first time (which was a thrilling experience for me).  I really love Harry Potter now lol. Also, the Jonas Brothers released music and that made me so happy. 
March
My spring break was at the beginning of March and I got to visit the Biltmore house. It’s an estate in Asheville, NC (which is super close to where I live). Anyway, this house is NO JOKE. It was built in the late 1800s and has an indoor swimming pool and bowling alley. If you visit you’ll feel like you’re in Downton Abbey, it’s so cool! In March one of my very best friends turned 21 so we got to celebrate and that was so fun! Something else I did a lot of in March was write lesson plans lol (If you’re a teacher or education major you’ll get me hahaha). I went to formal in March at school and had a great time with my friends! 

April
In April I said goodbye to my sweet second graders. I could not believe that my placement was already over and I only had a month of school left before summer break! In April I found out that Taylor Swift was definitely up to something! Lover came out later in the year but I was so happy when she started promoting her new music! April 22 was Easter and I am SO beyond thankful that I was with my family because just a few days later on the 24th my sweet papa passed away. That was one battle that made 2019 hard for me. It’s been tough, but one thing that I want to do is to make him proud of who I am becoming. 

May
I took a short little trip to Charleston with some girlfriends of mine at the beginning of the month and had so much fun! Charleston is seriously one of my favorite places ever. I got to eat at one of my favorite restaurants too! Tex 1 Coastal Cantina on Sullivan’s Island is a favorite of mine! In May I spent a lot of time with my family which was so sweet. And I sent my little sister off to her first prom.


June
In June we had another death in our family, so that was another tough season. I did get to go on a trip to the beach with my best friend Lauren! It was so nice to relax, sit on the beach, and not have to worry! I also was working at my summer job so that kept me busy!


July
I went to Charlotte with my sister and Lauren. We went to Ikea and found the heart mural that Evelyn Henson did (if you’re in that area go check it out)!! I went shopping a lot lol and my little sister turned 16! My coworkers took me out to dinner and the movies because I only had a few weeks left of working with them! They were the sweetest! I ended the month at the beach with my family. We went to Hilton Head which is one of our favorite spots!

August
I passed the state testing to become a teacher and started my senior year of college. I found out I would be student teaching in 2nd grade (I LOVE IT). I finished working at the job I had worked at for over 3 years. Taylor Swift released her album Lover (which is great btw). And I got to see some super cute little puppies which always makes everything better haha. 

September
I went to my last first football game of the season! I got super stressed out because of school lol. I got asked to be a bridesmaid in one of my very best friend’s weddings. I read one of my favorite books of the year, “All We Ever Wanted” by Emily Giffin.  And I impulsively bought tickets to see Thomas Rhett. 


October
I got to see Thoams Rhett! It was honestly so much fun! I graded lots of worksheets but it was fun, I didn’t mind at all! I bought my first bridesmaid dress ever lol. I went to the University of South Carolina v. Flordia football game with my dad. We ended up losing and got rained on but it was a memory I’ll never forget. I went to our school’s homecoming dance with my gal pals. I went on a field trip with my 2nd graders, and celebrated Halloween with them. 

November
I found out that Harry Styles was releasing an album (I’m a total fangirl if you can’t tell). I finished up a lot of school stuff for the semester. I bought concert tickets impulsively again. I’m going to see Harry in July of this year.  I went to see the 1975 and had so much fun!

December
I turned 22! I finished the first semester of my senior year. I tried to participate in vlogmas and only did it for two weeks. Through that, I realized blogging is a much better avenue for me lol. I had a super fun Christmas sleepover with some of my sweet school friends! Some of my other friends came over for a Christmas/end of the semester party. I WENT TO NYC AND REALIZED THAT IT’S MY FAVORITE PLACE THAT I’VE BEEN TO SO FAR.  If you wanna see more about that trip read this post! I came home from NYC and later that same week I went to ATL with Lauren and Rylie. We went to Jingle Ball and one of my dreams came true, I saw the Jonas Brothers live. And I’ve spent the past few weeks hanging with family and recharging before I start student teaching in a few weeks. 


2019 may have been a tough year for me, but I am so thankful for the ups and downs. I learned so much about myself and I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

I’m so excited to take on 2020 and see what God has in store for me this year.
Happy New Year y’all!












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