Writing yearly recaps have become my favorite blog posts, and I’m excited to share my most memorable moments of 2023! I like to read through the previous year’s reflection first, which was 2022, to compare and it only made me realize how blessed I am! My life isn’t perfect, but I’m so thankful to the Lord for what I do have! I’m tearing up typing this because I do lose sight of that sometimes, and I never want to take anything for granted. 2023 was another incredible year in all aspects of my life! I married my best friend in Hawaii, my baby boy turned 2, I signed with a new management agency, and my brand has continued to see amazing growth!
JANUARY
The first month of the year is always slow, but it’s always a great excuse to declutter and reset! My Kelsie Bynum x Buddy Love collection I shot the previous month in Palm Beach launched and was a huge success. I still can’t believe how perfectly the pieces reflected my style and brand!
FEBRUARY
Bo’s birthday is in February, so we went out to dinner to celebrate him! Any excuse to order a cookie cake! Lol. We also kept the tradition of going to the rodeo alive and watched Lainey Wilson perform.
MARCH
I was itching to go somewhere by March, so my girl Brenna and I planned a weekend trip to Palm Beach, Florida! The weather was so beautiful, and it was the perfect time to shoot spring content. I also secured a dream partnership with Whataburger! It was really fun to film that video with my mom helping! 🙂 I even joined Orangetheory and started working out consistently which was a 2023 goal!
APRIL
We kicked off the month with Baker seeing the Easter bunny, which went better than expected! Lol. Bo and I attended my 10 year high school reunion, and it was such a great time catching up with old friends! I had the coolest opportunity to travel to California with Lexus and document the trip on my social media. We started in San Diego and cruised up PCH 1 to Napa Valley!
Bo and I then drove to Nashville the following weekend for my early birthday trip! My favorite hotel is The Graduate, so we stayed there for the second time and I loved it. I know Nashville has become very touristy, but we still had a blast!
MAY
I celebrated my birthday officially on May 3rd! Baker, Bo, and I all went out to an early dinner at a favorite local spot! Baker took his first ambulance ride after having a fever induced seizure that scared us to death. We’re so thankful that it hasn’t happened since! I swear it’s not my birthday unless someone is sick! (Everyone got the stomach virus in 2022)
My best friend Tyler came into town later in the month, and we somehow ended up at the Volvo dealership trading in my car for the XC90! Lol. No regrets there! My mom and I also went wedding dress shopping, and I found exactly what I was looking for. A BIG bow! 🙂
JUNE
Baker’s birthday is June 17th, so I planned the cutest blue and brown rodeo themed party! I think this was my favorite one yet even though there has only been one other. Lol! Bo’s sister also had a baby, so Baker got his first cousin! I’m excited for them to grow up together!
We went on our first beach trip of the summer to Destin for Bo’s work conference! It was a great excuse for me to tag along and lounge around while Bo was working! Baker had a nice weekend with Gigi! 🙂 I partnered with Walmart twice this month which is one of my favorite brands to collaborate with!
JULY
Karli and I planned a last minute trip to 30A to shoot some summer content before the fall pieces started rolling out! We have been traveling together since 2019, and I’m pretty sure this was our 10th or 11th trip! We always have such a great time taking pictures and eating at the best restaurants during our breaks! 🙂
AUGUST
We decided to make last year’s vacation to Orange Beach with my family an annual thing! Traveling with a toddler isn’t easy so having backup is just necessary. Baker wasn’t a huge fan of the beach, but my boy loves a lazy river! Lol. After our beach trip, Baker started school back and I picked up my little white dress for Hawaii!
SEPTEMBER
September was easily the best month of 2023! Bo and I went on the most beautiful elopement trip to Hawaii and got married! We started on Oahu and then flew over to the Big Island where our ceremony was. It was our first time staying at a Four Seasons property, and it exceeded my expectations! I finally recapped our trip in a blog post HERE in case you missed it!
OCTOBER
Once we returned from Hawaii, my mind immediately went into fall mode! Brenna, Karli, and I planned a weekend getaway to Vermont to chase the fall foliage. Even though the leaves were nonexistent, we had the BEST time in Manchester! It’s hard to imagine Fall without a Vermont trip now!
The rest of the month was spent at the pumpkin patch, fall festivals, a visit to the fair, and trick or treating with Baker! Bo jokingly suggested our costumes should be Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift for Halloween, and I ran with it! Literally. I found a football costume for Baker, an 87 jersey in stock, and the rest is history! Lol
NOVEMBER
I made a huge decision for Sassy Southern Blonde in November and signed with a new agency! After being self represented for over a year, I knew it was time to find a team that could help push me to the next level. Although fashion will always be my bread and butter, I started incorporating more niches! I’ve already seen such a positive response from the beauty, mom life and recipe reels, so I’m excited to continue them in 2024!
DECEMBER
We ended 2023 with a family filled December like most people! Baker saw Santa and didn’t freak out, which is always a good thing. Lol! I talked Bo into buying a golf cart because I knew Baker would love it! We decorated cookies, looked at Christmas lights, and watched Baker in his first Christmas program!
2023 was a great year for us, and it’s always bittersweet to see it end! But y’all know me, I love a fresh start and a new planner! Lol. I can’t wait to see how my brand evolves, where we travel to next, and what Baker is up to in 2024! Cheers to a clean slate filled with many blessings! 🙂
XOXO
Kels