Goodbye 2016! I’m kind of happy to see you leave.

On the one hand, we had the best year with Charlie. Having the ability to watch him grow each and everyday is such a joy. A gift that I will never ever take for granted. He made this year go bye so. fast. It’s crazy to think that he was just three months old in January 2016 and now he is 15 months old. Here are a few highlights from the year…

January: My New Normal and a simple casual look
February: Matching with Charlie (a favorite post)
March: We went to Turks & Caicos and I said goodbye to breastfeeding
April: I shared the best flower shops in Chicago (one of my favorite posts), talked about dating my husband and celebrated my first Mother’s Day. 
May: Wore a pretty romper in Charleston, shot a breezy look with LOFT and this stripe jumpsuit at the Art Institute.
June: Went to the Farmer’s Market with Charlie and Dave shared this cute summer look (plus, a pretty stripe dress). 
July: One of my most popular posts to date + our favorite activities to do in Chicago (also loved this look). 
August: I shared how motherhood has changed me and good vibes: “together anything is possible.”
September: I wrote a love letter to Dave on our second wedding anniversary, Charlie turned one and why I love Chicago. 
October: Dave and I went to Sun Valley and we celebrated Charlie’s first birthday party and this dress was also a hit!
November: Some serious designers scores, our holiday cards and casual holiday outfit looks. 
December: Cozy essentials (obsessed with this look) and workout motivation for the new year!

It’s funny, before going through the S&S archives, I kind of felt like this year wasn’t my best professionally. It was a year of learning for me. Learning about myself, what I wanted as a business owner and mom, and the direction I wanted this site to take. I can honestly say that the above posts make me feel proud of the content I created and it also helps me clarify what I want the future to look like for Sequins & Stripes. I think I floundered a bit in the social media department – there is so much growth in this part of the internet that it is sometimes hard to keep up. I am going to share more of our personal lives on my social platforms in the new year. Sharing more, documenting more and generally creating more. I’m excited!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey! Your support of me and my family means the world to us. Here is to a bigger, better, brighter and healthy 2017! xoxo