A Season of Change for Me and Wit & Delight

Lifestyle

Woman is standing in front of a blue-painted built-in bookshelf, pulling a book off of a shelf.
Photo by Suruchi Avasthi

When I started Wit & Delight at twenty-four, the world as we know it today looked very different. For a little context, the iPhone had just been released, the economy was in a tailspin, Obama had just been elected president, and I was broke, insecure, and scared. Despite how hard this time was, I was incredibly optimistic about the future and excited to share whatever I had inside of me with the world.  

Wit & Delight was where I grew up. I wrote posts about what frightened me, delighted me, inspired me, and made me feel at home. This website has supported me as I’ve broken down, gotten married, blown my life up, sent myself to therapy, grappled with mental health challenges, birthed babies, created product lines, and worked with the best brands and people one could hope for.

A Season of Change

It’s hard to imagine ending something that has ultimately been about creating things for a community of people who share a common thread: the beauty and delight in being alive. You are my people, and I have loved this time with you. 

I have felt the subtle calling to step away from publishing for some time. It terrifies me if I’m being sincere. I am unsure of what I’ll do next. I’m realizing that it’s ok not to have it all figured out. So I’m taking a similar leap as I did when I published my first blog post, stepping optimistically into the unknown.

While I will continue to show up on social media and share essays and project updates on House Call, running Wit & Delight full-time is something I know I have to step away from. 

In short, you’ll still be seeing me—just a little less often. 

The Team That Built Wit & Delight

Because I have decided to step away from publishing content full-time, it means the team who creates all the incredible content for Wit & Delight will be moving on as well. I am devastated to lose the people who put so much of their time, creativity, and passion into making this space what it is today. 

Simply put, Wit & Delight wouldn’t be the same without the team who built it. I would not have been able to continue to produce the amount of content we have at the quality we have been committed to without this team. Period. My gratitude and appreciation for those who have believed in the brand, me, and the value of what we do cannot be fully expressed. While I’ll be stepping away from running this brand full-time, my team is ready to move on to big things.

If you are looking for rockstar people who know editorial strategy, content creation, or project management, I would love for you to connect you with my team members. They know this business better than anyone out there. I cannot wait to see them go on to much bigger and better things shortly. 

Bridgette Dutkowski

Bridgette has been with me for eight years as our brand director. She does it all and makes it look easy (spoiler, it hasn’t been). There isn’t a project or problem she couldn’t figure out, and I am lucky to have been able to work alongside her. I wouldn’t be here writing this post without her brilliant mind and ability to make clear and actionable paths out of my creative chaos and often half-baked ideas. She knows influencer marketing inside out. You can connect with her via email at bkdutkowski@gmail.com or send her a message on LinkedIn

Jackie Saffert

Jackie has been with me for the past four years as our editorial director. I’m grateful for her steadfast guidance, intuition, and detail-oriented approach to editing. Her editorial strategy and gift for storytelling are baked into everything we post on Wit & Delight. I am a better writer and storyteller from working alongside her. Read more about Jackie’s expertise and background on her website. You can connect with her via email at jackiejsaffert@gmail.com or send her a message on LinkedIn

Greta Philip

Greta has been running our social media accounts for three years. She has her finger on the pulse of real-time shifts in social media. She has been our Swiss Army Knife for balancing the art of creativity and strategy around all of our social content. Not only has she been a sounding board for navigating a changing landscape, but she is also as reliable as they come. Greta is hoping to find another position in the social media space working as a social media manager or social media strategist. She is available for remote work in both the US and Canada, or in-person work in Toronto, ON. You can connect with her via email at gretaaaphilip@gmail.com or send her a message on LinkedIn

Nancy Lausch

Nancy has been my executive assistant for three years. She’s been the glue that has held me together and an incredible coach. She has the intuitive sense of knowing what needs to be done before the rest of us realize it. It is often the things we do not see that make the most impact, and I’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity to learn invaluable lessons from working with her. As Nancy steps away from her role at W&D, her aim is to grow her life coaching business with additional individual clients, as well as team and small business coaching. She has previously done interior design consulting and styling and hopes to continue as a personal assistant in a contractor capacity. You can connect with her via email at blueskieslifecoach@gmail.com or send her a message on LinkedIn

Carolyn Monke

Carolyn has been our designer for three years. While also working for other brands and clients, she has managed Wit & Delight’s graphic design needs, adding her own flare and creativity to our branded content, theme graphics, and social look and feel. I can always rely on Carolyn to add value to our creative ideas. She’s a quick study and has been adaptive to whatever design challenges we’ve faced. You can connect with her via email at carolynmonke@gmail.com or send her a message on LinkedIn

What’s Next and Where You Can Continue to Follow Me

We will continue regularly publishing content on Wit & Delight through the end of June. I’ll be digging into the archives and highlighting some of the articles that have been most meaningful to me—and to you, the Wit & Delight community—over the last fourteen years.

We’ll be publishing a few sponsored posts I’m excited to share, both in June and throughout the summer. I will also sporadically share design updates we make to our home. The website will remain live this summer and beyond. I may pop on from time to time to share additional updates.

I will continue to publish my newsletter, House Call, at the regular cadence. Please follow along here for essays and design project updates. I will also continue to show up on Instagram whenever the mood strikes.

Wit & Delight product lines will continue to be sold with our current stockists. We will continue to share updates, new product offerings, and collaborations on Wit & Delight and our social channels. 

If you’d like to connect with me in the future, my email will be the best place to reach me: kate@witanddelight.com

Thank you for being with me during such a transformative time.

I’ll see you soon.

BY Kate Arends - June 19, 2023

58 Comments
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Joe
June 19, 2023 7:45 am

Love you.

Bridgette
June 19, 2023 8:04 am

Thrilled to have been a part of this journey. Excited to see what comes next.

June 19, 2023 8:49 am

I wish you all a great journey and so you so much for all the beautiful articles!
Greetings from Germany, Sarah

Jessie
June 19, 2023 9:07 am

Bittersweet, excited for what’s next for you! Please don’t ever stop making planners, yours is the best!!

David Peters
June 19, 2023 9:44 am

So proud of you and your team.

Sara C
June 19, 2023 10:44 am

Can’t wait to see what’s next. Onward!!

Sam
June 19, 2023 10:49 am

Wild! I’ve been reading Wit & Delight for what seems like forever. Has been fun to watch your journey.

Nicole
June 19, 2023 10:53 am

This makes me sad! I’ve been following you for a number of months and your content is so refreshing! You’re so real and normal. There’s so many lifestyle influencers/bloggers that make readers feel inadequate and like they must always be buying something new to keep up. I never feel any of that pressure from you. Best wishes in whatever comes next! And looking forward to seeing updates on the Nine Pines house! 🙂

Katelin
June 19, 2023 11:21 am

Thank you for sharing with us through all of your seasons! You have inspired me and have felt like that (internet) big sister I never had over the years.

Wishing you so much good ahead in your next era!!

Anne
June 19, 2023 11:26 am

❤️

Myrna A.
June 19, 2023 11:33 am

I’ve been reading and following Wit & Delight for so long. It’s like the “end of an era!” I wish you the best in your next journey. Thank you for sharing your creativity with the world, Kate. You have an amazing eye for design that sets you apart from the rest. It’s been a pleasure following + reading.

anna
June 19, 2023 11:46 am

💛 following our hearts can be challenging at times, but it will never lead us astray. you always lead bravely🙌🏼. here for all of it!!

June 19, 2023 1:04 pm

As always, you lead with love. And bravery. And, ultimately, you’re doing so again by choosing your own delight. Rock on, Kate. You inspire by being fully you.

June 19, 2023 1:54 pm

Happy for you! The next chapter awaits.

June 19, 2023 2:30 pm

Enjoy the journey of figuring out your next chapter. I am right in the same phase as you. Who knows what’s next! Scary, sad but also exciting.
Been following you since the beginning, you’re super inspiring, gentle and kind. All the best!

Dave
June 19, 2023 2:56 pm

Inspirational. So proud of you, sis.

June 19, 2023 7:19 pm

Sending love!

Andrea
June 19, 2023 8:31 pm

I just love your site and will continue to follow along ❤️ thank you for all you have shared so far! There has been so much meaning behind it all and you and your team have impeccable taste 👌🏻 and I have been and will continue to be influenced by your personal style Kate!

Micah
June 19, 2023 9:09 pm

The end of a beautiful era! Been following since the early days, circa 2012…(!!) i hope you feel proud of what you have built in this ever-changing space. Beautifully done. Cheers to being brave and embracing change with grace and boldness, in true Wit & Delight style. ❤️ wishing you and yours only the best always

Nataly Djoukhadjian
June 19, 2023 9:18 pm

Ah! I’ve been following you and reading you since the very beginning, when I got married and blogs were becoming a thing! Thank you and sending best wishes!

June 19, 2023 10:03 pm

You will continue to inspire and do great things. Can’t wait to continue to follow along as the moment strikes. Be kind to yourself and the best new ideas come with space ❤️

Ali
June 20, 2023 8:16 am

Kate, you’ve always been such an inspiration to me! I have loved your content for years and watching you evolve in this space. I wish you all the best in this new chapter – thanks for all the great reads and for this community you have created. <3

June 20, 2023 9:43 am

Thank you for the update — good luck with all new adventures to you and your team!

Sofia
June 20, 2023 12:45 pm

Kate, I am both thrilled for you and sad that this little corner of the Internet is closing! You really are such a genuine and thoughtful creator and inspiration. Excited to see what comes next for you. I hope you will continue to do the design consultation calls!

Jackie Peters
June 20, 2023 6:45 pm

Onward and upward.
Jackie and Jurgen

June 21, 2023 1:44 am

I’ve followed you from the beginning and feel like I’ve also grown up along side Wit and Delight. It’s been a daily am read with my coffee for so many years it will be hard to break that routine. Wishing you all the best on this new journey. I can’t say I’m surprised…I’ve seen the shift in you and your passions, and you’re following that new dream – scary but always worth it. ❤️

Meg
June 21, 2023 2:49 am

Thank you for having us along for the ride these past 14 years. It’s been real, it truly has. Wishing you all the very best for your exciting new chapter! 💛

Alex Austin
June 22, 2023 10:45 am

From my early to days of blog reading, you’re the only one I still follow! I’ve loved reading your posts and following along with you (and your family). Sad to see you go but excited for you. As many others have said, you have been one of the normal and fun “influencers” to follow along with. Much love!

Bethany
June 22, 2023 6:17 pm

I’ve been visiting this website for a relatively brief period, but I instantly loved the space, mood and mindset it put me in. I appreciated the “behind the lens” perspective that Kate brings. Having moved into my first home in the interim and realized the true joy the comes from making your own personal haven, the site has become even more helpful. Thank you, thank you!

Kelsey
June 24, 2023 8:03 pm

Have loved following your blog! I followed your plans a few years back to make a cushioned bench seat & have watched our two little ones grow up playing all over it with their cars, buildings, books… it’s the little things. Thank you. Wishing you the best!

June 26, 2023 10:48 am

I’m so sad to hear this! I’ve been a loyal reader for years and years now and thoroughly enjoy the thoughtful and insightful content you post.

Tala Ciatti
June 26, 2023 5:44 pm

Thanks for the beauty over these years! It was a joy to receive and to be involved in very small ways. – Tala

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