You know how your twenties (or my twenties, at least) can feel like you’re “waiting for something to start”? Like you don’t know what your Actual Life will end up looking like, but you know (or hope) that it won’t look like what you’re living right then? In 2010 I was still grasping around, looking for threads of what I wanted my future to be, and – let’s be honest – being a bit of a mess, which is a job in itself. In 2011, we had a baby, and in 2012, we moved.
And in 2013, it felt like my Actual Life began. The life that isn’t somewhere off in the distant maybe, but just is. This isn’t to say that things aren’t perfect or even especially stable – they’re not, we’re still working our way through Kendrick’s first year of business school and trying to figure out what his graduation will mean for our future – but what I see when I look around me…I recognize it.
I like it.
So: 2013.
I started out the year with a shoot for IPPOLITA’s new Stella collection…
By hosting an event at the United Nations for Save.Love.Give…
And by running around on yachts in Miami. Very fancy, oh yes.
On the less glamorous side, the most disgusting thing that has ever happened to a dog ever happened to mine.
And The Great Ikea Meltdown. That was fun.
Clearly, a quick getaway was in order.
I also ran around the country – to Vegas, Minnesota, Seattle and Garden City – hosting events for Macy’s I.N.C. with Camila Alves.
I got the (incredible) opportunity to style the DKNY lookbook for Bloomingdale’s…
Did a shoot with Elle…
And started working as a brand ambassador for T.J.Maxx.
We took our first for-real (meaning plane-and-beach-inclusive) family vacation…
I got into no trouble at all in Vegas…
And I met a zombie on a shoot in Boulder.
This feature ran in Time Magazine, which was crazy…
We totally redid our living room, and now I love it.
I wore some very good pants for LOFT…
And had a pretty good run with my first garden ever.
In the summer, we took off for a friend’s wedding in Cape Cod, where I wore one of my favorite dresses of all time.
I wrote a book, which meant a dream – the dream, actually – came true.
RG turned into an LLC, which was exciting.
We family-road-tripped to Maine…
And I got to hang out in the accessories closet at InStyle.
As summer wrapped up, Kendrick got some very exciting news…
Which indirectly resulted in my very own late-night horror show.
In the fall, I teamed up with RedBook Magazine to host an event at Grand Central…
Gave Kendrick a big birthday surprise…
And learned to lighten up.
Next up: a pants-free trip to San Francisco to see Morgan.
I talked blog advice at the Lucky FABB and Simply Stylist conferences…
Took a quick trip to Los Angeles to hang with Francesca, panic in nightclubs, and get things pierced…
Had a Halloween Fail…
And celebrated a very big day.
As the year came to an end, I talked holiday style at an event with WHBM…
Designed a few bracelets for one of my favorite magazines…
And talked when is the right time and whether it’s all “worth it”.
It’s been an incredible twelve months. Thank you – so, so much – for coming along with me.
Happy New Year!
