Another Year Wiser...?

Thirty-nine. Not quite forty, but I can see it from here—and whew, what a view.

If I’m being honest, this birthday feels… big. Not because I’ve hit some magical milestone or figured it all out (spoiler: I haven’t). But because I’m finally letting go of what I thought 39 was supposed to look like. The career. The relationship. The house on the hill. The laundry that’s always folded within one business day.

Instead, I’ve got a growing, messy, sometimes exhausting, sometimes exhilarating dream I built from scratch. A business. A life. A son who keeps me grounded and makes me laugh—especially on the hard days. Loving family and friends and the most supportive customer base ever!

This past year? Let’s just say it was chaotic, clarifying, and character-building.

Running a business like REMA isn’t linear. It’s stitched together by human hands, unpredictable timelines, and a whole lot of faith. And when one link weakens—whether it’s a pattern maker, a production partner, or a vendor—everything ripples. This year we had to restructure. Let go of key players. Scrap months’ worth of development and start again. That’s not just heartbreaking—it’s expensive and exhausting.

Finding new talent in the U.S. hasn’t been easy. The kind of skills we rely on are rare. And when you don’t produce at massive scale, the costs don’t just rise—they multiply. But I believe in ethical production and I believe in staying close to the work. Especially when you’re building something that matters.

One of my biggest personal hurdles? Showing up.
I’m a private person by nature, and it’s way easier to stay in my cozy little VIP bubble with all of you—kind faces and sweet messages—than to step onto the big, scary, comment-section-filled internet. But this year, I’m choosing to stretch. (Figuratively… and literally. No, for real, I’m not very flexible.)

I’m letting go of the idea that 40 means I should have “arrived.” That love has an age limit. That building something meaningful has to happen on a specific timeline. I’m choosing to believe again that we can wake up any morning and something amazing can happen—something that shifts the whole story.

What I’m calling in this year? Excitement.
Real, giddy, butterflies-in-my-stomach excitement—for what’s next in business, in love, and in life. I want to feel lit up again. Inspired. Open to joy. And wrapped in something cozy while I chase it all down.

Speaking of cozy—I’ve been living in this oversized cardigan I’m designing for fall. It’s the kind of piece you throw over leggings and a tank and feel instantly pulled together… even if your life feels anything but. It’s simple. Comfortable. Powerful.
Just like how I’m learning to show up.

So here’s to 39.
The stretch before the stride.

The quiet before the boom.

The last lap before the milestone. 

Still growing. Still soft. Still strong. And always, always in stretchy pants.