Favorites of 2018


Counting down some of my 2018 favorites…

Cannot believe that we are staring at the end of 2018. I feel like this year flew by. I also feel like I say that every year so maybe it’s just that time seems to be moving quickly slash I’m getting old. This year was full of joy, lessons learned, growing, and collaboration. If I had to pick a word for it, I would say formation. And not in the Beyonce, ladies now let’s get in it kind of way (well not strictly that) but in a way that taught me so much. I love when you can look back on spaces of time and feel as though they were formational to your journey. 2018 has been that for Doug and me in everything from careers to our marriage. Thankful.

In celebration of a meaningful year, here are some of my favorites. If something is listed that didn’t begin/happen in 2018, I must have discovered it this year. I would love if you would share your favorites with me!

  • FAVORITE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE: Bolt Treehouse in South Carolina…it was truly magical. I can still hear the rain falling on the metal roof and Sinatra singing on the record player.

  • FAVORITE MOVIE: Crazy Rich Asians and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before! Representation matters y’all…it was so powerful to see people that I can identify with in such major movies.

  • FAVORITE BOOK: The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy. Favorite passage from it: “He told me that there was room, so much room, for my doubt and my questions. That all of that was okay, because the God I had miscast into my narrative of a life and the God I’d misrepresented and mischaracterized for all these years that was so into condemnation and rules and legality and guilt and shame-the real him was never about that. And the churches and people who misappropriated his love as hatefulness in a charade of obedience? He told me their words came from the fraught authority and pretense that only conforming God to our own image can bring. More than anything, God spoke to my heart and revealed that he really was fine with questions. Because at the end of the day he knows that the answers to all the questions I’m wondering about, and have been wondering about for all these years, they’re always led back to him. So why wouldn’t they still?” [The Wondering Years, Knox McCoy]

  • FAVORITE PURCHASE: Annnything from the Atlantic-Pacific x Nordstrom collection. Blair, you’re a genius.

  • FAVORITE SONG: Tie between All We Got by Chance the Rapper and Say Something by Justin Timberlake. All We Got is actually from a few years ago but I listened the mess out of it this year. Say Something is just goodness.

  • FAVORITE PRODUCT: Too Faced Born This Way foundation…game changer!

  • FAVORITE LESSON LEARNED: Busy doesn’t equal signifiant. Spend your time wisely.

  • FAVORITE COLOR: Fell more in love with pale pink which is all the lovely.

  • FAVORITE TV SHOW: Schitt’s Creek! Thanks to my friend Abby for letting me know about it. Cracks.us.up.

  • FAVORITE PRODUCT: Dr. Dennis Gross Glow Pads

  • FAVORITE DRINK: Water still holding strong as my favorite but did develop a true love for Amaretto from Terra here in Grand Rapids.

  • FAVORITE HIGHLIGHT: Connecting with some amazing new women in this community and beyond.

  • FAVORITE MOMENT: This would be difficult to list just one so I’m cheating and giving you a few…

    • Any amount of time spent with my nephews and niece-they remind me to live life fully and approach each day with laughter

    • Reading books with Dougie on the treehouse swing while the rain quietly fell and the trees danced

    • My dear friend Kristin becoming a mama to little Apollo

    • One of our best friends getting engaged (YESTERDAY!)…seeing him so happy and adding an amazing gal to the fam.

    • Disneyworld!

    • Whirlwind trip to Chicago with my friend Abby to shop the Atlantic-Pacific x Nordstrom collection/meet Blair

    • Spending the afternoon at the beach all bundled up because we needed to get outside after a long winter with Mr. Handsome and Paisley

    • Celebrating Doug’s accomplishments with dance parties and impromptu dinners

Hope you enjoyed my favorites from 2018. Please share what some of your favorites were! Thank you so much for being here…I can’t tell you what happiness this community of sharing brings me. Praying that all of you have a bright 2019.

For auld lang syne, my dear, 
for auld lang syne, 
we'll take a cup of kindness yet, 
for auld lang syne.

Sincerely,
Ashley

LifeAshley Wierenga2018, 2019, Favorites of 2018, List of 2018 Favorites, New Years Eve, Grand Rapids Lifestyle Blogger, Sincerely Ashley, Sincerely Ashley Blog, Atlantic Pacific, Atlantic-Pacific, Say Something, All We Got Chance The Rapper, Too Faced Born This Way, Schitt's Creek, Crazy Rich Asians, The Wondering Years, Knox McCoy, The Wondering Years Knox McCoyComment