april 2025 issue

April was all about leaning into the fresh start feeling that comes with spring. I picked up some old favorites in fashion and home, experimented with more color, and incorporated new activities, opportunities, and hobbies that brought me joy and a newfound confidence.

After a difficult couple months at the beginning of this year, April was a welcomed change and refresh. For me, it also felt like the start of spring. A new season can be such a catalyst for change, growth, and restoration. God was so intentional when He made seasons, and I am really learning to appreciate that this year.

April's finest: farmer's market, fresh flowers, dinners on the patio, jeans and a button down with a pair of sunglasses, and touches of color in my home.

There is nothing quite like sitting on the patio with a nice breeze eating a delicious meal made with produce from the farmers market, a front seat full of fresh flowers to fill vases when you get home, a Saturday morning stroll through the farmers market, or the joy that a perfect color combination brings as you incorporate it into your home (chocolate brown and light blue = my current obsession).

I am typically a fall and winter gal when it comes to fashion. I gravitate towards dark or neutral colors, rich textures, and edgier elements. So, for a girl who 9 times out of 10 would be caught in black, I was surprised by April's ability to give me a little zest for some color!

I loved relaxed, effortless fits. I immediately fell in love with the track pant trend, and it was absolutely an April staple for me! Dress them up or dress them down - they were my most worn fashion item this month. I also really enjoyed linen button down shirts, classic white t-shirts, chunky sandals, a good pair of dark wash jeans, and classic sunglasses.

Some fashion favorites this month were my leather jacket (sad to put her away until fall), Amazon wide leg track pants, a staple white tee, boyfriend fit oversized button down, and my Adidas Sambas. A stand out purchase was this stunning floral dress from Zara that I got for my husbands 30th birthday - it's perfect.

Just like with fashion this month, I loved incorporating a little bit of color into my home. My design style is rustic, modern, and minimal, and typically pretty neutral. However, April sparked a love for light blues and greens.

I added in color with fresh florals, art pieces, throw blankets, and other little details. I really loved the contrast of rustic woods with light linen materials and light colors. Also, give me all the light blue and chocolate brown things! It brought me a lot of joy to see those touches of spring throughout my home. Again, leaning into the natural ebb and flow of the seasons just felt good. It felt cozy, intentional, and refreshing.

Some home favorites this month were this gorgeous blue throw blanket and my taupe linen bedding.

April = try new things! Recently, through loss and trials, I experienced a lot of personal and spiritual growth. I realized that I have been living my life so small. I want to honor God by using the passions, creativity, and resources that He has given me. This month was just the beginning.

Notable April Activities:

1. Saturday Farmers Market - Tote bag in hand collecting fresh produce, a spring bouquet, homemade bread for the week, all while getting fresh air with a latte and a bakery snack. That's a good Saturday morning.

2. Iced Green Teas & Hot Chai Lattes - lived for iced green teas and my husband made a few perfect chai lattes

3. My Husband's 30th Birthday - We celebrated, laughed, reflected, and looked forward to the future accompanied by good food and live jazz music.

4. My best friend got engaged!

5. Poppy June - we have two dogs and they are always notable.

6. Plant Nursery - took an afternoon to do research and explore for my pending garden project.

7. Patio Season - Whether it was a few minutes for a mid day break, a few hours on a Saturday, or our evening dinners, I definitely clocked some time in these chairs soaking up the nice weather. Time outside was one of my April favorites.

8. In Town Days - My husband and I live more in the country, so I decided that I would start doing "In Town Days". Once a week, I drove into town, ran errands, went to appointments, had lunch with my husband, worked at a coffee shop, etc. It made me feel more connected to the world and people around me.

9. Co-working Day - My fellow WFH friend and I did a weekly co-working day together at a coffee shop.

10. Neutral Nails - my go to April nails were a classic and simple jelly pink.

For more of a breakdown on my picks this month, check out my editor picks; april 2025 blog post!

April was a good month. It taught me the value in the seasons changing, that color can bring me a lot of joy, and living in fear of new things is a waste of potential. I intend to carry my new found appreciation for spring and my pledge to live bigger into May.

xx, AJ

"allow yourself to shine without the desire to be seen" - unknown