a bittersweet bye to 2025

what a beautiful year it has been

dear family, friends, and penpals around the world 💌

the last time i wrote something in this little space of mine, i was still living in japan enjoying my village life in kamikatsu… needless to say, a lot has changed since then. so as we wrap up the final few days left of 2025, i wanted to jump back in here to write my first (and only) newsletter for this year, as a bittersweet bye to 2025, and a hopefully hello to 2026.

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small wins in 2025

after receiving my diploma in floristry design back in 2024, i took the plunge (quite unexpectedly) and somehow survived my first year soft opening my (at-home) floral business - tiny home florals! (@tinyhomeflorals)

being stuck in an office job for the past 1.5 years (😭) and slowly stepping into florals has been a breath of fresh air in a (literal) windowless office. i have found deep joy in being creative again and my heart has found its home among the flowers.

through tiny home florals, i

• made and sold 15 bouquets this year (!!!)

• hosted 1.5 corporate wreath making workshops

• arranged floral decorations and activities for 2 bridal showers

• received great and loving mentorship from my flower school teacher

• (surprisingly and thankfully) didn’t end up in the debt after how clueless i was for not considering profit margins and over-buying flowers

• designed and created my own wedding flowers (an absolute dream come true!)

small wins towards some very big dreams - i can’t wait to keep bringing you on this journey as i plant some hopeful seeds for the new year!

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happy memories in 2025

in no particular order, some of my favourite memories from this past year include:

• travelling to japan, singapore, dubai (8 hour layover counts right?), mexico, and mauritius!

• celebrating 3 friends getting married to their best friend!

• trying new hobbies: baking, cooking, scuba diving, and stain glass making!

• celebrating 2 years with our life group that sadly (but joyfully) ended as friends embarked on new adventures!

• moving into a new place that became a cozy space to host halloween, brunches, and crafternoon (craft + afternoon) gatherings!

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my greatest joy in 2025

andrew’s surprise proposal, back where it all began in kamikatsu

if you told me in 2025 i would be engaged in april, planning a wedding and bridal shower throughout the summer, and then getting married 5 months later in september, i wouldn’t have believed you for a single second - but it’s true! all of it happened in such a beautiful whirlwind and my heart can’t contain how much love this past year has been

engagement photos with our incredible photographer @leeroninphotography

on a beautiful, yet slightly rainy, fall day in september, i got to marry my greatest love in front of our family and friends to start our new chapter together. i could go on and on and on about how perfectly wonderful that day was, but i’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

thank you to our family, bridal party, friends, and amazing vendors who came to celebrate us, to witness our love story, and to build our marriage with us. thank you is too small of a word to capture how eternally grateful i am to have you in our lives.

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a bittersweet bye to 2025

through all the ups and downs that these past 12 months have brought, i am so sad to be getting ready to say goodbye and coming to the end of 2025. this year has truly been my favourite.

i have experienced the wonders and beauty of both the grandness of the world and the ordinariness of my every day life, i have failed more than i am comfortable to admit, yet have grown so much because of it, and i have loved deeper than i thought was possible for my one little heart to contain and express.

so thank you. to those who played such an instrumental role in making this year so wonderful, to those who have cared for and supported me as i work towards my dreams, and to those of you on the other side of this internet who have chosen to stick around from my writing days in kamikatsu. i hope that 2026 will be the year i get to take you on a different kind of journey through these newsletters - slightly different but just as special.

wishing you all a happy holiday with loved ones, of rest and recharge in the final days of 2025, and a beautiful start to 2026 🌼

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