Toasting 9 Years of wit & whimsy and A Look Back at 2015

December 29, 2015

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Today marks nine years of blogging for me! When I type that it is hard to even realize how this blog I started back in college has now been a part of my life for nearly 1/3 of it but I simultaneously get overwhelmed with gratitude when I think about it.

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Meghan Donovan I styling denim on denim

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Culottes Jumpsuit I wit & whimsy

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Casual Style in Vail, CO I wit & whimsy

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Suede Mango Skirt I Stuart Weitzman Boots I wit & whimsy

Fall in New York I wit & whimsy

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Party Time I wit & whimsy

I want to take a moment to thank every one of you who have supported wit & whimsy, commented, engaged, emailed, read along…everything! It truly means so much to me. This blog has brought so much enrichment to my life and I’m forever thankful for the opportunities it has afforded me. It wouldn’t be the same without each and every reader who make this ride so worthwhile.

I have to say that 2015 was probably one of the most memorable years of wit & whimsy I’ve ever had. I’m so glad you came along for the ride. Below are some of my year’s highlights that I wanted to share (alongside the images above from favorite posts of mine this past year.) I can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store!

xo,

Meghan

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Redesigned wit & whimsy

One of the major highlights of my year was bringing a brand new look to wit & whimsy. At the end of April I unveiled the site you see today. A way cleaner aesthetic, easier to navigate and a focus on making your visit as enjoyable as possible. I still love what Whitney and I came up with together and am so grateful the hard work paid off in what was easily my most favorite year of blogging yet. A personal favorite new feature? My guide to New York City!

Ran my first half marathon

Running a half marathon had always been on my mental life bucket list of sorts but it took staring down the “I’m turning 30” lens for me to actually pull the trigger, register, train and then actually run the race itself. It turned out to be much harder than I thought but one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. You can read all about what it taught me in this post.
 

 

Turned 30

I absolutely loved turning 30. I felt like I seized the milestone and took the months leading up to it to really reflect. I penned this post which is probably one of the most personal posts I’ve ever written and in doing so allowed myself to really think about my last three decades. I of course also took the opportunity to celebrate with friends in New York, headed to Nashville with some girlfriends for one wild weekend and was surprised by my best friends in San Francisco with an amazing dinner and special night together that I’ll never forget. It was truly a very wonderful time in my life.

 

Pursued wellness

My wellness has been an ongoing battle for me over the years thanks to chronic conditions like headaches and thyroid disease but this year I felt like I hit my stride a bit more. I worked hard to lose weight by making exercise a regular part of my “social calendar,” and I was more honest with myself about what I was eating, drinking and putting into my body for things like vitamins and supplements. You can read more about my pursuit of wellness in this post and this post and my thoughts on body confidence here.
 

 

Worked with some awesome brands

I feel very grateful for the opportunities wit & whimsy has afforded me when it comes to getting to work with some really interesting people and companies in industries I love and admire. This year brought projects and partnerships with brands including EcoTools, Nespresso, Madewell, DSW, Gap, Ulta, Bloomingdales and many more. My goal is to always make this content interesting to you and to continue to work with brands that bring compelling posts to my readers.

 

Launched a new series

While I would of course categorize this blog as a “personal one” when I redesigned the site I also wanted to make it about adding more compelling content aside from my usual style + beauty posts. With that, Witty Conversation With was born. The series is centered around profiling people in my life whom I find inspiring, interesting, creative and all around very cool. Their stories are worth sharing and I hope you have enjoyed the series as much as I have enjoyed putting each “chapter” together.
 

 

Traveled a ton

This year brought me to California many times. It introduced me to two new U.S. cities I had never been to, Austin & Nashville. I checked the state of Delaware off my list. I spent five glorious days in Grand Cayman (posts here and here). I returned to Seattle, Washington DC and Dallas for work and pleasure. I took a week off at the end of summer to spend it in one of my favorite places: Colorado (and would later celebrate both Thanksgiving and Christmas in the mountains to close out the year with my family.) And a major highlight was returning to London and Paris in October. I feel so lucky to get to explore the world and visit friends and see new sights. These opportunities always end up shaping some of my most favorite memories (but of course!)
 

 

Watched my best friend get married

I wish I could put into words what this experience was like (if you’ve watched your BFF get married then you know!) but it was so emotional and magical for me. I’ve been best friends with Andrea since college (right around mid-2004 to be exact!) and have shared so much with her. Getting to watch her meet Matt, fall in love and having the honor of being her MOH leading up to and on the day of their wedding were all experiences I won’t soon forget. My heart beams when I look back on so many amazing moments they have shared and in particular when I think of August 1, 2015. Standing next to them on their wedding day in Napa was so special, so heartwarming and so memorable. I’m grateful every day God brought the two of them into my life.

 

Celebrated 4 years in New York

I’m about to celebrate five years in New York which frankly I find unbelievable  as it seems as though just yesterday I was penning this post toasting and reminiscing on four incredible years. While today my mind does wander to thinking whether I’d like to explore another city or attempt a brave new chapter, I know that I’ve still only scratched the surface of this wild, challenging, utterly awesome city I am lucky to call home. I can’t wait to see what New York holds for me next.

2014 look back here. Last year’s anniversary post here.
 

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  1. Jess Zimlich says:

    Cheers to 9 years! That’s so awesome 🙂 You’ve had an amazing 2015 and I’m so glad I found you so I could follow along! I like the idea of pursuing wellness, opposed to working out. I’ve got the sweat sessions down, but I really need to focus more on what I’m putting into my body and how it’s making me feel as we move into 2016. I hope you have a great time ringing in the New Year!

  2. Lauren says:

    Congrats on 9 years of blogging! I enjoy reading your blog on a daily basis and I’m glad you had such a wonderful 2015! May 2016 be just as good!

  3. Congrats on 9 years! I’m such a fan of the blog…and of you! 🙂

  4. Peter Buck says:

    Congratulations on 9 years! Enjoy sharing your travels vicariously. So happy that I am fortunate to call you a friend.

  5. megan says:

    cheers to nine years!!!! i have loved being here from the beginning and watching the blog grow. you have put so much into it, and it is so beautiful to see all that it has become- for you and for so many others! congrats, and here is to many more! xoxo

  6. Katie H. says:

    Congrats on 9 years! Although I only recently found your blog, I love your style and content. Look forward to following along the next 9! 🙂

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