An End‑of‑Year Reflection

There’s something about the quiet stretch at the end of the year that invites honesty.

The decorations are still up, the house feels softer somehow, and the noise of the world turns down just enough to hear your own thoughts. This year asked a lot of me. More than I expected. More than I planned for. And yet… it also gave me moments I’ll carry with me forever.

I wanted to sit down and write this not as a highlight reel, but as a real reflection. The kind you write with a warm drink nearby and a lump in your throat. Because if you’ve followed along here, you deserve the truth.

The Highs I’ll Always Be Grateful For

This was the year Sincerely, Kari Anne became more than a dream scribbled in a notebook.

I opened my shop.

That sentence still feels surreal. What started as late‑night ideas, thrifted finds, and a deep love for cozy homes turned into something tangible. Orders placed by strangers who believed in my vision enough to bring it into their own homes. That alone feels like a miracle.

Then came a moment I never imagined for myself…

Being featured in American Farmhouse Style Magazine.

It was just one page. A single photo of my Christmas tree.

But that page meant more than numbers or headlines ever could.

It felt like something I had quietly imagined, hoped for, and held onto… finally finding its way into the real world. A reminder that sometimes the things we whisper to ourselves, the dreams we don’t always say out loud, do come true. In many ways, it felt like something I had manifested simply by believing and continuing to show up.

Not louder. Just truer.

There were also smaller wins that deserve just as much space.

Messages from you telling me a post made you feel seen. Someone saying they recreated a cozy corner because of something I shared. A sale coming through right when I needed encouragement most. These moments didn’t trend, but they mattered deeply.

The Lows That Changed Me

This year wasn’t gentle.

There were days when joint pain and health struggles slowed me down in ways I didn’t expect. Days where creating felt heavy instead of joyful. Where my body asked for rest while my mind begged me to keep pushing.

There were seasons where sales stalled.

Where I questioned if I was shouting into the void. Where effort didn’t seem to match outcome. Where I wondered if I was being foolish for believing this could work.

And then there was the quiet emotional weight…the kind you don’t always post about.

The doubt.
The comparison.
The wondering if you’re doing enough or being enough.

But here’s the truth I’m learning: the lows didn’t mean I was failing. They meant I was human.

What This Year Taught Me

That success doesn’t always look loud.

That slow growth is still growth.

That rest is not quitting.

That building something meaningful takes time, and heart, and a willingness to keep showing up even when the results lag behind the effort.

And maybe most importantly… that I don’t want a life or a business built on anyone else’s standards.

Thank You, Truly

If you’re here…reading this, following along, supporting quietly or loudly, I want you to know how deeply grateful I am.

This space exists because of you.

Because you chose to stay. To comment. To share. To shop small. To tell me a corner of your home felt warmer because of something I created. To remind me, often without realizing it, that this work matters.

On the days when my body hurt, when motivation felt thin, when sales slowed and doubt crept in… you carried me further than you’ll ever know.

My Wish for You

As this year comes to a close, my wish for you is simple and sincere.

I hope you give yourself permission to rest.

I hope you stop rushing past the moments that feel good just because they aren’t loud or impressive.

I hope your home becomes a place where you feel safe to be exactly who you are: unfinished, evolving, and enough.

And I hope you remember that growth doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it looks like staying. Sometimes it looks like starting again. Sometimes it looks like believing, even when proof comes later.

Thank you for being part of this year, this journey, and this little corner of the internet I’m so proud of.

Here’s to carrying the cozy, the courage, and the hope with us into whatever comes next.

Sincerely, Kari Anne