Best of 2016

So here we are at the very end of 2016.  Where on earth did it go?  Today I thought I would round-up my most popular blog posts of the year to showcase the best of 2016.  Here they are:

A letter to my 16-year-old self

A lacy yellow dress

My sister’s 21st birthday

Feminine Dressing

Where to find happiness

Why it’s important to take time for yourself

Two ways to wear Sissy Boy jeans

How to wear a t-shirt dress

Spring outfit inspiration

How to wear an off-the-shoulder ruffle dress

Bardot dress by Shop Brett Robson

Olive and white

A jacaranda spring

Which post on this Best of 2016 list is your favourite?  This year has by far been one of the most difficult I have experienced to date.  I’ve had so much going on between finally being back at work full-time after my stroke and I’ve also written three sets of exams this year which was terribly daunting and extremely stressful.  I lost my cat, Ryan lost an uncle, I lost a very special family friend and then I lost my Grandmother who played a vital role in raising my sister and I after we lost my mom when we were both very young.  It has just been devastating to be completely honest.

On the up side, Ryan and I have been living together for a year now.  It was quite the adjustment moving out of home and in with someone who has their own habits and preferences but luckily we ironed out any creases within the first two months of living together and the rest has actually been quite wonderful.  I did get terribly homesick at first which is quite weird considering I live about five minutes away from my dad and I still pop home to see him and my sister a couple times a week.  The one funny thing about living together, I’ve noticed, is that Ryan and I actually see each other less than we did when I was living at home!  

Another positive of this year is that I travelled to Hong Kong and Macau for the very first time and absolutely loved the experience!  I’ll be sharing more details of what we got up to while we were there soon so stay tuned for that.  I also headed back to the United States for the third time.  I always thought the States would be last on my list of places I’d travel to and yet, I had the opportunity to go when I turned 21 and completely fell in love with the country (California particularly).  Ryan, my sister and I met up with my incredible friends who live in California and we had the most amazing time.  I honest think I laughed so hard I’ve given myself such bad laughter lines but I wear them proudly after having so much fun!  After having had such a difficult year, I could not be more grateful for the time we spent all together.  It’s just what I needed.

I have a feeling that 2017 is going to be a much better year.  I have a suspicion that I am on the cusp of a lot of change and while things are very uncertain, I’m looking forward to what life is about to unfold.  One thing is for certain though, Arum Lilea is going to keep growing and getting better and better.  I want to thank you so much for all the support of this blog, for all your comments that brighten up my day, for your likes on Instagram and Facebook and for taking this journey called life with me.  I very rarely share anything personal on this blog so I hope this wasn’t too much information!  

Bring on 2017!