Progress doesn’t always look like a trophy

I sat down tonight thinking about how to wrap up this year — and realized there’s no way to do it in just one post. Instagram only gives you 20 slides — not quite enough to tell the whole story.

Because progress isn’t just the headline moments.
It’s the prep, the pauses, the relationships, the rest.
It’s the quiet work happening off to the side that makes the bigger moments possible.

This year reminded me that progress doesn’t always look loud.

Sometimes it looks like rest.
Sometimes it looks like work no one sees.
Sometimes it looks like staying steady when things don’t go according to plan.
And sometimes, it looks like simply showing up — again and again.

And honestly? Sometimes it looks like burnout.

I hit a wall around my birthday in October. I didn’t ignore it — I listened. I slowed down. I’m still learning what that season is teaching me — and I’m letting that be enough for now. (I’ll come back with any tips I learn when I feel 100% back to myself!!)

Below are a few overflow highlights from my year — the moments that didn’t make the IG recap 😜 but mattered just as much to me.

After the JCPenney launch, I ended up traveling to a few stores around the country. When I was in Los Angeles, I invited a small group of women from my community to dinner — women I’d mostly known online and was excited to finally spend time with in person.

We sat around a table. Phones came out for selfies (obviously). But no one was “on.”

It was just a girls’ dinner — laughing, sharing advice, talking about life, and getting to know each other beyond the screen.

That time mattered to me.

It’s important for me to build real relationships within the curve community — not just online, but in real life — and to hear directly from the women wearing this line. What they love, what they don’t, and what they want more of.

Behind the scenes of a dress rehearsal for Roxie Hart.

I’m not vocally trained — I’d only ever sung for fun around friends, family, or in the car — so taking this on was… definitely a challenge. I started from the ground up, took vocal lessons, and leaned on an incredible team who taught me everything I needed to know along the way.

Watching this back is a good reminder that it’s okay to step outside the box people put you in. A lot of people know me as a model, but this experience showed me (again) that you can learn new things — even later, even scared — if you’re willing to try.

Footage from my promo shoot for Chicago The Musical.

Every Roxie who stars in the show does a shoot — this was mine, alongside two of my castmates. Nothing too serious. Just movement, music, and a little joy between takes.

A few moments that didn’t need a caption — but helped make my year:

1. A portrait taken at the Met Gala before things went sideways.

2. Justin catching me mid-cheers — beer for him, champagne for me — on a Miami weekend that felt like a pause button.

3. The twins on their birthday last January, reminding me how fast everything moves. (And then Isaac’s birthday was two weeks later!)

4. Heart hands with Justin in Tokyo, courtesy of a very enthusiastic guide who took approximately one thousand photos of us.

5. Seeing my Stuart Weitzman campaign printed in an Italian newspaper in Milan.

6. Pouring wine on a boat in Italy with friends, no schedule attached.

7. Behind the scenes on set with my team — the people who make the work possible long before it ever goes live.

8. Running into Fran Drescher at the Golden Globes (I screamed inside).

9. End-of-year karaoke with my team, which honestly felt like the perfect way to close things out. I feel like it is the perfect team building activity for any company! 😜
   

This year was about building. Adjusting. Listening. Fueling up for what’s next.

As we head into a new year, I’m not setting big resolutions. I’ve learned they don’t always leave much room for real life.

The rest that fuels you.
The relationships that ground you.
The work you’re doing even when no one’s clapping.

xo,
Ashley

• 77: My Spotify Wrapped age. Apparently, my listening habits are “sophisticated,” which is just a nice way of saying I’m ready for bed by 9:00 PM.

• 9: Curvy girls who walked into a honky tonk. Truly one of my favorite memories this year.

• 128,000: Miles flown. Whether it was for work or family fun, you better believe I was on a plane somewhere.

• 4: Burgers I tried in Miami.

• 17, if I had to guess: Bottles of Lambrusco shared with friends. Something about those bubbles! 🍷

• 5: Alarms I have to set so I don’t oversleep and nearly miss my flight.

• 1 million: The dollar amount raised at the Room to Grow gala. I am so proud to be on their board!

• 42: Pairs of ripped Wolford tights. I tore through them repeatedly while doing Chicago. Stepping onto that stage was a masterclass in confidence, but it really made me rethink my pantyhose budget.

• 90: Minutes late to the Met Gala. A series of unfortunate events—broken elevator, oil spill, NYC traffic—complicated my arrival time a bit.

• 29: Pieces in my first collection for JCPenney. I love seeing how gorgeous you all look in them. It seriously warms my heart, please keep tagging me in photos!

• 15: Years married to Justin. We celebrated with a weekend away in Detroit; the alone time was incredible, and we rededicated ourselves to putting each other first.

• 100: People we hosted on the Fourth of July. I still don’t know how we pulled it off, but it may have something to do with the margarita stand and bouncy house.

• 1: Runway slipped on. I had an amazing time walking the BOSS show during Milan Fashion Week…except for the fact that I fell during the finale. Thankfully, it wasn’t in front of the audience. It was behind some pillars on my way backstage and I went down like a sack of spuds. I recovered with a quick “bend and snap” like Legally Blonde taught me. Another model ran up to me after and said, “The dress is sold out now.” 😂

And then there’s the stuff you don’t track in numbers — but feel deeply.

• Hugs from my boys: Even when they’re covered in dirt, food, or who-knows-what-else.

• Dates with my husband: Unlimited. Always choosing to keep dating him.

• Airport stretch sessions: If you’ve seen a lady doing downward dog near Gate B12, it was probably me.

• Hours spent on TikTok Shop: What can I say? I love a late-night scroll, especially if it means buying something I may or may not need.

• Moments of faith: The quiet mornings with a Bible verse that reminded me to breathe when things felt overwhelming.

• Feeling of gratitude: For this community. Thank you for letting me be my unfiltered self with you all year.