2010 Recap

I love this idea, a little recap of the end of the year. 2010 definitely had its ups and downs, but overall, I will remember it fondly.

January:

Best Accomplishment: This is Why I Scrapbook Mini

Best Date (on my birthday): Pike Place Market + Michaelangelo at the SAM

Best trip to the Zoo

February:

Best Cherry Blossoms:

Best four dollar flea market score: Anscoflex

 March:

Most practical scrapbook project yet: Address Book

 Best stay at a hipster hotel and worst camera disaster: Portland trip and the Death of my Rebel XTi

Also, prettiest latte. Thanks Stumptown

April:

Most intesnse documentation: Week in the Life

Best new nephew:

May:

Best typewriter find: Cursive typewriter!

Best self portrait. Thanks random brick wall.

Best photo field trip at the library

June:

Best organization tip: Punch index cards

Most polaroids taken. Thanks summer sunshine

Best concert: Glitchmob at the Showbox

July:

Best summer festival/fair: Urban Craft Uprising

Best Summer Party

Best weekend adventures: Linkin Park and Alki trips

August:

Favorite place documented: Luna Park Minibook

Best mobile food truck festival: Mobile Chowdown

Oldest project finished: I heart pictures minibook

September:

Favorite Class: LSNED 2010

Cheapest Weekend Getaway: Olympic Peninsula Rain Forest Adventure

Best Festival that made me feel old: Bumbershoot 2010

October:

Best trip below the Mason Dixon Line: TN to visit Steph!

Best Halloween Costume: Greg as Sabretooth

Best trip out of the country: Clipper trip to Victoria BC (currently unblogged, but it was a good time).


November:

Best thrifting find under 15 bucks: Vintage Stamp Carousel

Best dress-up event: Steamcon 2010

Best Value at CKC: Tattered Angels classes

December:

Favorite new obsession: Twine and tag making

Best new ornament: Snow Fox from Anthropologie

So, I also wanted to call out a total of my creative accomplishments (handily tracked on a blog sidebar):
11 Layouts finished
5 Minibooks finished
4 Minibooks in progress
3 Completed full-sized Albums
4 ATCs
43 Tags
18 cards
1 Altered/Other
15 Art Journal pages
46 Pages of Europe Book
168 (ish) blog posts

Not too shabby. Hoping to be much more productive in 2011. Those minibooks sure do take up a lot of time though. ;)

 

It's been a busy year. Really looking forward to seeing what 2011 has coming. I have a few ideas, and a few surprises up my sleeves though.
 
Be on the lookout for a few more posts to wrap up December and show a bit more of my progress on current projects (cuz I've got 3-4 a'cookin right now.)
 
Cheers!

speak easy-licious

This is what it looks like when you go out on a Wednesday night with your friends for cocktails at a speak easy on Capitol Hill. Really, it gets just too dark for proper photos of people.

On the other hand... you really get some good experimenting with light and your aperture.  Until people make you put your camera away. Harumph.

Christmas Stamp PSA

A fair number of my lovely readers have asked me what stamp set I used on my tags.

Primarily, it was this Martha Stewart Scandiavian stamp set. I bought it from Michaels this year, but I think there are a few places you can still get it on line (and hopefully on sale). I also bought the matching snowflake set (I know, I know...).

The little nutcracker guy was from Impress. And most of the other ones were either Paper Source or Catslife Press.

Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or if there is any further enabling I can help you with. :)

My Christmas Traditions

I decided that unlike previous years, I would stop taking daily photos after December 25th. That's as far as my still-to-be-finished 2010 December Daily is going to go.

I still have a few other posts to write, but I wanted to add this one as one last holiday-themed addition to the blog.

In the early part of December, I started a running list of all my Christmas traditions and favorite things about the holidays in my notepad on my iTouch. Looking at it now, it's both funny and satisfying to see that in 2010, I actually got to accomplish EVERY single thing on my list.

Exceedingly serendipitous. Here's the list.
* chocolate oranges
* Christmas card crafting
* urban craft uprising
* tree trimming
* nog
* shopping
* candles
* Starbucks red cups and ornaments
* hanging stockings
* wreaths
* cinnamon rolls
* wrapping presents
* dinner with family and friends
* a Christmas story
* Christmas morning presents
* december daily
* wishlist making
* snow photos
* making ornaments
* nutcrackers
* store displays
* gingerbread anything
* knitted cozy things
* good boots
* shimelle's JYC class* downtown decorations
* seasonal playlists
* peppermint anything
* giving to a charitable cause


Pretty cool, neh? 


I think next year, when I have a bit more energy, I'll redo this post and throw in some photos. Or maybe I'll just do a minibook... Hmmm.... 


;)

December 25: The Big Day

This post is written and posted retroactively for documentation's sake.

I got up at the ridiculous hour of 6:30 am on Christmas morning. (Ridiculous because I am a childless adult. Properly I should have been sleeping until at least 10:30.)

I fired up a batch of cinnamon rolls from scratch, and while they were filling the house with their delicious aroma, I turned on the TV and found A Christmas Story playing. I sat in the dining room, with everyone else asleep and did a little scrapping and present packing. It was so peaceful. 

When the buns were baked and the boy was up, we trekked over to his folks' house where we had coffee, strata and my tasty cinnamon rolls. Stockings were opened...and then we got to the good stuff: presents!

I got a delightful beach-themed present from my sweetie that included a tiny plushie octopus, tickets to the newly revamped aquarium and a pair of very functional black Wellies. Hurray!

There was much rejoicing and enjoyment in the spoils of our Christmas victories. And then whilst some people were napping, Greg and I stole away to Alki to get a nice walk (and so I could try out my new boots!).

Later there was dinner and laughter and the company of good friends. It was a very merry Christmas indeed.

December 24: Christmas Eve

This post is written and posted retroactively for documentation's sake.

I almost titled this post "ain't no rest for the wicked" but decided against it, as it didn't seem quite right. ;)

It surely was a "go go go" kind of day though.

Christmas Eve was ridiculously busy. I am soo glad I had the day off.

I got up early for one final trip to the post office, then made a stop by the French Bakery for stollen and coffee. Later we did a quick trip to costco for Christmas dinner supplies...then later we went to Pike Place Market for tea at the Crumpet Shop and some spices at the new Penzeys (yaaay) so I could make cinnamon rolls. In the evening, we ended up picking Greg's parents up from the airport and having some dinner at their place. We finished decorating their tree, had champagne and the stollen, and then went home to collapse.

I turned in pretty early, as I had to get up super early the next day.

December 23: Baby it's cold outside

This post is written and posted retroactively for documentation's sake.

Hurray! No more work before Christmas! I had Friday-itis sooo bad today. Luckily, I was able to peace out at three thirty and then meet the gang for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants (Luna Park)!

Despite the freezing cold weather, Greg and I shared a milkshake like kids. We're kind of going steady, so it's cool. 

Later there were board games and last minute Christmas present wrapping activities. It was the best Friday on a Thursday ever!

December 22: Winter Wonderland

This post is written and posted retroactively for documentation's sake.

It was really really cold all day. Winter seems to truly have arrived. (And for some reason, I'm running around in skirts with no tights. Sigh. I'm weird, what can you do?)

Anyway... It was a lovely day to disburse presents to co-workers, and when I got home, I snuggled up to a virtual fireplace with some cocoa to edit the seemingly endless pile of photos I've taken recently.

Trying to stay caught up. Trying to stay ahead of the holiday madness. 

Sort of succeeding. ;)