and happy new year from me!

{It should come as no surprise to any regular readers that my happy new year post comes weeks after Kristen's}


2011 was a good year.

I learned a lot about relationships last year. I learned to value the good ones. I learned to not worry about the rest of them.

I've long struggled with the 'what do you do' part of being an adult. For the greater part of the past decade I've done a little bit of a lot of things - never knowing which was really my... job. Interior design leapt ahead in 2011 cementing its place as my real job. It's nice to have one answer.

After a few silly foot injuires sidelined any sort of exercise for me in 2010, getting back into running and yoga last year was huge for me. I've always done both but temporarily losing the ability to do either made me realize their importance - and it's far beyond physical fitness alone.

I became more comfortable in the kitchen last year - cooking in the new house is far more enticing! - and I had a revelation: if you love good food, you should eat it. all the time. One night at a wonderful dinner, I was raving about how I wished I could eat "like this" all the time. One of my dinner mates flatly said 'well, then you should.' And so I do. try to. most of the time... There are not a lot of great restaurants in town, so finally putting into practice the theory I've long had about being better at preparing for myself the meals I love most has finally started to become a reality.


A lot of progress was made at our house in the past year (and beyond). And though it is still so far from finished, it is starting to feel a lot more like home and a lot less like a project.

entertaining re-entered my life in 2011. All parts of the move sent me into an entertaining hiatus. By late last year, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I remembered that all you have to do is keep champagne in the refrigerator - and I do that anyway (and if a little more effort is involved, there's always my sweet neighbor, Melissa (remember?))!

faith is something that is always important to me, but not always present. For some reason, I let it fall away - often. After struggling with some decisions - for a very long time - it occurred to me recently that I haven't even considered praying over them - for shame! As soon as I did, all of the anxiety went away - like that! I still don't have all the answers to every burning question inside of me, but knowing that all things aren't up to me anyway ended up being the answer I'd been looking for all along.

One last - and certainly not least - part of 2011 that was particularly stellar: travel. I really like to go. anywhere, any time. I always have. Last year, beyond the standard trips I can take in a car, my sister and I spent two weeks in Spain. It was incredible. Every single part. Even the parts that didn't seems so incredible while they were happening.


on that note, i think i just came up with my resolutions for 2012:

eat {better}
work {hard}
live {freer}
host {frequently}
pray {without ceasing}
go {everywhere}
move {daily}
love {completely}

(did not mean for this to sound like a favorite book. but the girl did have a point)