365 Update: Wrapping Up 2011

Final 365 update for 2011!! Many start a project like this at the very start of a new year, but my case was a little different. I did not get my new camera until February of 2011, and I wanted to start it on my birthday, March 31st. I thought it would be a neat way to remember my 25 birthday year.
It's going by fast for sure, it's still fun, but I'll be ready for it to be over come March 30th!!

Nov. 29 - trying out "Toad in a Hole" and seeing if it's worth doing it with my students for one of their labs.

Nov 30 - Chili Verde with Chicken - thanks to W.Sonoma for their starter sauce for this...yumm-o!!! And my mom joined us as well, which was great!

Goodbye November, Hello My 2nd Favorite Month of the Year (March being my #1!)

Theme for this month (for the most part) is ornaments. And now after having done it my mom and I were talking about how her, her mom, her grandma never really "collected" anything...except ornaments. My mom has definitely passed this on to me, which now makes my theme for this month even more special!

Dec 1

Dec 2

Dec 3

Dec 4

Dec 5

Dec 6

Dec 7

Dec 8

Dec 9 - Girls Night! Laura and I became friends at age 3 in preschool, she was one of my Maid's of Honor, and our Mom's are great-great friends! It was such a fun night out for a tapas dinner and then back to Laura's for drinks and dessert!

Dec 10 - Made Sadie's Birthday cupcakes today. Special mix for dogs and peanut butter flavored! Mmmm!!

Dec 11 - Happy 2nd Birthday Sadie!!

Dec 12

Dec 13

Dec 14

Dec 15

Dec 16 - Sadie looks guilty - do you notice all the stuffing in her bed with her? Yep, that's from a toy. Typical.

Dec 17 - 3rd Annual Christmas Party/2nd Annual Wine Tasting! All bottles unwrapped after everyone had tasted and voted. It was a great time!!

Dec 18

Dec 19 - Sadie had her Christmas party at school today, which also included a Secret Santa exchange. She brought home her gift and we opened it together. A yummy gingerbread-man treat and a beautiful sweater!

Dec 20 - New little arrangement I tried out this year

Dec 21 - What better way to kick off being on break than with some T.Joe's Vintage Ale!! Mmmm, sooo good!!!! (Sad that as I write this I'm on my last day of break!)

Dec 22 - Presents are finally getting wrapped!

Dec 23 - One of my favorite pictures from break! Jack and our niece Kailey bowling together on our traditional Pinstripes Christmas-Eve-Eve bowling night!!

Dec 24 - All of us on Christmas Eve

Dec 25 - Loved these PJ's for Sadie!!

Dec 26 - Little one enjoying her leather couch the day after Christmas

Dec 27 - Experimenting with one of the new lenses I got

Dec 28 - Sadie enjoying a new toy from Christmas, her "I-Cube". (Get it? IQ...I-Cube!! haha!) There are 3 toys in there and she's got to work hard to get them all out. It's an amazing gift that keeps her entertained for a while. The thing about her is she can actually get her whole face in the holes, haha!

Dec 29

Dec 30 - Sadie "made" us this ornament last year at her old school, but I just love it so, so much!! :)

Dec 31 - Went out for our traditional NYE dinner and Jack never ceases to amaze me with his dessert orders. This cake was HUGE...but sooooo good and worth it!!

I must say, 2011 started out pretty shitty and provided some major life questions I was forced to ask myself. But...I gave it some time, trusted in "everything happens for a reason" and behold I had a quick turn-around to what was the greatest happiness and end to 2011! I hadn't really realized life could be so grand!! Cheers to 2012 being wonderful and filled with lots of adventure, excitement, family & friends!!