This week marks the one year anniversary of D by denise! It’s been an exciting year celebrating all that is the modern middle-aged woman, from lifestyle to fashion. When I originally wrote My “Why”, I wanted to acknowledge being “middle-aged”, but I also wanted to acknowledge our sense of confidence, fitness, and feeling sexy in this stage. It is none the less exciting, and we have indeed arrived. This is our time to shine.

And shine we have! What a journey of learning, reflection, joy and friendship this 365-day chapter has written for me. I’ve loved the opportunity to write each week, to share thoughts, challenges, celebrations and experiences in the daily middle-aged woman’s life. Most importantly, what brought fullness to my heart was the stories, encouragement, and feedback I received in kind. Everything from “this is what I’ve been looking for – a place and a voice for my kind of women!” to “…oh Denise, I so know those days you’re talking about”. These words are far more powerful and appreciated than I could ever express, and the experience has led to moments of joy, tears, and revelation – more than I ever could have expected. Moments of hot flashes in the boardroom, cries during “alone time” in the bathtub, realization of making time to celebrate and be present, anguish over illness of loved ones, and heartache as I experienced my children growing older and more independent are all so real. Thank you for the sisterhood, for the stories, for the vulnerability, and most importantly – for the authenticity you shared through this journey. And, thank you to every one who took time to read, share, discuss, champion, and encourage this dream into a greater reality as the days played out.

Never in my life would I have anticipated that just one year into launching this passion project, I would have published over 50 articles, launched an e-commerce store featuring exclusive handmade and co-branded products, and most recently – had a piece published in The Fine Line (with more to come) and been approached to model as a 51-year-old woman?!

Through the many stories shared by myself and several other outstanding influencers this past year, there are a few things I learned meant the most to you, D by denise readers. I wanted to play them back, so we could enjoy them together again. Even though some are a few months old, it seems they are still very timely for most. Here, I share the top 10 stories from the first year of the D by denise journey:

1. Infuse Your Life With Wellness
2. The Love of a Son
3. “Recoupling” or just “Us Version Two”?
4. A Solution for Hormonal Transition and Not-So-Joyful Symptoms of “The Change”
5. Walk a Mile in These Shoes
6. Becoming a Mom: A Privilege
7. It’s Always Sunny in West Broadway – Inspiration for Fall Style
8. It’s Our Time
9. Holiday Style + Spirit: Because it is all about causing a smile
10. Botox or Not?

I also learned that you wanted to know more about middle-aged inspirations (the Women + Wine feature)! One day, I hope to make this dream a reality, and I do hope to hear who yours are – those women you would give anything to sit with over a glass of wine, and hear their stories and wisdom pour on.

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I believe we are all students in life, and I’ve certainly learned a lot from all of you. For the comments, emails, texts, and insta DMs (Instagram direct messages!) I received, and for the in-person conversations (standing in the grocery store, over dinner and drinks, in the boardroom, or curled up on your sofa) – I thank you. You are my inspiration.

As I embrace “what’s next” for the coming year, I will continue developing new relationships, opportunities, and content for D by denise. I will further explore conversations we started, and invest time in meeting more of the inspiring, powerhouse women I’ve encountered in this fascinating stage of life – there is so much to learn. As we can appreciate in middle-age, quality over quantity is the golden rule, so while I may not publish quite as often, you can bet I’m working in the background to bring more exciting opportunities, enriched stories, and new learnings your way. And – ideas are welcome! D by denise would never be where it is without your thoughtful words of feedback and encouragement (and…all feedback is a gift, as we know!).

So please, continue to tell me your stories, tell me what you want to hear about, and tell me if you’ve been there too.

Why? Because we can.

Cheers,

Photos: Kderk Photography,  Leanne Lynn Photography

D by denise Journal is published bi-weekly. To subscribe and receive directly to your inbox click here.