2011 was quite a year for our little family. Lots of changes and all for the better. Brad applied and was accepted to UCSD, we moved (after more than 10 years!) and Elliott started preschool. For me, I think of 2011 as "The Year of Change" as a whole, but except for moving, most of the biggest changes where focused on my boys and their school experiences.
Most of my "big things" are more or less where they were when I started the year. But when I look back on 2011 personally, I see a few big chapters that mark the year. So on a smaller scale, for me 2011 was "The Year of the Sewing Machine" since I was able to add my dream machine (and a fun little Hello Kitty travel machine) to my arsenal of tools at exceptional prices. It was also "The Year of the Guild" as my primary creative outlet centered around my monthly sew-in meetings for the San Diego Modern Quilt Guild.
2011 was also "The Year of Jane Austen". I started reading my way through her catalog and followed up each completed book with the movies and mini-series, as applicable. Heck, she even ended up as the theme of my Halloween costume this year when I made myself a Regency gown.
I would also be remiss if I didn't mention "The Year of the Gray Hair", since more and more have taking up residency. And finally, 2011 was "The Year of the Self Portrait". More on this later, but I did manage to work my way through nearly 365 daily self portraits, minus a few 'oops'.
2012 promises to be a busy year and if past years are any indicator, it will fly by in a blink of an eye. As a result, my goal this year (besides the proverbial "eat better", "live cleaner", etc. etc.), is to "be present". To live in our every day moments and not to worry so much about when things get done but how they get done.
Here's to a bright 2012!