As I write today, I have a candle lit, an autumn playlist on, and a blanket draped over my lap. I don’t know how it felt for you, but in my corner of the world, this fall zipped by. It seems like just a few weeks ago that I could enjoy some of these seasonal ambiances with the temperatures finally dipping below 90 degrees in North Texas.

Alas, here we are at the end of 2025.

When I look back at what made this year so uniquely this year, becoming a homeowner and continuing in my creative efforts shine forth. 

If you know me, you know I am a girl who believes in a good reflection of where I’ve been over the past 365 days. 

Am I becoming the person I want to be? 
Am I proud of my efforts and growth? 
What did I learn? 
What sticks out? 
What am I proud of? 
What do I imagine God is proud of?

I thought I’d share some of that here, with you, because I am certainly (unabashedly) very proud of my work here on the blog, in my emails, on social media, and behind the scenes to build a brand and a business I believe in. My consistency, diligence, and passion have surprised me. It wasn’t always easy, but I do believe in the direction this ball is rolling, and showing up however I could, whenever I could, was more important than quitting. If you, too, are on this creative road—keep going, my friend. Your work matters, and it all adds up. 

Our Favorite Pieces from the Year

The following excerpts are key messages, themes, and samples of where we went together on the blog this year. What we dove into. What we were learning. What we were drawn to. The following pieces are what resonated most with you via email responses, comments, DMs, etc. 

I’d love to hear from you—what were your favorite pieces from the blog this year?

To kick us off, we were all very interested in clean, non-toxic products. I shared my favorite hacks, swaps, and brands that have taken my personal care and home products to a cleaner, more hormone-supportive space in January, and that conversation continued all year long.

When we pursue health and success, it’s easy to get caught up in the goals or where we want to be someday. So much so that sometimes we don’t realize we’ve reached the goal or are in the middle of what we once wanted. I have a hunch many of us are living dream lives and answered prayers as we speak. I hope we continue to step back and take in the view, never growing numb to the beauty and blessings as we journey toward Heaven.

Similarly, we can get so caught up in the details of daily life, to-do lists, and tumultuous trials that it can be easy to lose sight of future joy. The truth is that this moment isn’t all there is. There is more belly-deep laughter ahead. There will be new friendships that change us for the better. Opportunities we never could have imagined, a depth of joy we never knew we could reach. All that is coming and more—and we latched onto this reminder this year.

We talked a lot about hosting and hospitality a lot in 2025. Particularly, the idea that if we waited until we had our dream home to have people over, we’d never have people over. To me, opening up my home and inviting others in has always been a priority. I’ve wanted to show God that I will use what He’s already given me to bless others; I don’t need “perfect” circumstances. Here are the 6 hosting tips I shared earlier this year, along with specific details, ideas, and links for putting together dinner parties here.

This year I reflected on sharing my 100th blog post. I see so much growth—not just in my writing, but in my courage, perspective, faith, and voice. I never could have dreamed that the Lord would do so much in me since I wrote the first post in my college sorority house. I’ve written from college, from my first studio apartment and big-girl job, from singleness to dating to marriage, and from the ups and downs life has thrown at me, and I am so grateful I showed up at each stage.

We started talking about fashion again this year. My middle-school fashion-blogging self was so happy with this. We reflected on the psychology of getting dressed and how much more goes into it (or blocks us) than we really notice. And when it comes to wearing the things we really, truly love, we need to stop waiting until we feel a certain way to start wearing them. The feelings will follow. But we must begin. We must start wearing what we love or we never will. This book helped a lot.

Creativity was, as always, a big part of my writing, posting, and musing. I really urged you to consider starting a blog (yes, you!), and launched my creative coaching services to help you get started and keep going in your work. We need your words and art! This was a highlight of my year—seeing light bulb moments go off for clients was a gift to be a part of. I’m so excited for more in 2026. You can learn more and sign up for a session here!

In the same vein, I also released my first product, a writing guide called Ready, Set, Write. This was a labor of love and so. much. fun. to put together. I learned a TON through this process and was so happy to hear your thoughts, feedback, and excitement around the guide. You can grab a copy here for yourself or a loved one who needs a nudge to keep writing—it’s on sale for $10 through the end of the year. 

You guys loved my one-year anniversary reflection with Mitch. Looking back at this interview now has me teary! I love him so much. So grateful we captured this moment in time.

A necessary—and hard—truth about strength I relearned was that we don’t just wake up one day and find ourselves to be as brave, courageous, or strong as we want to be. It’s only through the refining fire and the face of opposition, adversity, and fear that we are actually able to become strong. But day by day, bit by bit, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we get there. More on that here.  

I was blown away that one of the most popular posts I shared (by far) was Our Most-Used Wedding Gifts: Advice for Brides-to-Be. This was so interesting and I’m so thankful it was helpful / inspiring / resourceful. Another close second to this post was My Holistic Sick-Day Protocol. 

One of my favorite pieces to write was the idea that new beginnings are always taking flight. I am always welcome to start a new path, choose a new thought, or repaint the walls of my mind with beauty, goodness, peace, or hope. This moment is as good as any to try again, start anew, choose the path I really want to be on. It’s a new day, and the possibilities are endless.  

A collection of poems I wrote years ago started making their way into the light. This series, Chasing the Sun, is full of poems of hope and light for the dark days of winter. Here is one of my favorites I published this year:

RESPECT
I always want to write about my feelings
And the depression
With respect,
Because they are real,
and I don’t want to treat them like the enemy.
Rather,
I want to learn
how to move and flow
and grow with them.
How to worship
and write
and love with them,
as imperfect and flawed
as they may be. 

Thank you for being here, friend. This community wouldn’t be the same without you, and I frequently pinch myself that I get to live this life and share this creative work with you. Here’s to a restful end to 2025 and a sweet start to 2026. 

What was your favorite part of this year on the blog? Drop a comment below with your favorite takeaways, posts, or ideas. It would mean the world to me to hear what you enjoyed most!

xo AR

Post Scripts

— Gift Guides for all your people and all your gift needs: fashionistas, homebodies, health and wellness junkies, creatives, faith-filled friends, engaged pals, etc. Great inspo for your wish list, too! 😉 

— If you’re on the fence about starting to share your writing (or start writing at all), my step-by-step guide on this front is just $10 this holiday season! Grab your copy now and start using your gifts one day at a time. It all adds up.