I did this same post last year and it was fun to look back on everything, so I thought I'd do it again this year.Project: What did you start this year that you're proud of?
We've fixed up 4 rooms in a little over a year! It's been a huge struggle to get through all the dust, mess ups, and drama that goes on when you DIY, but it's totally worth it! My favorite project we did this year was our bathroom makeover.
From this...
To this!
Recipes: The yummiest cooking from the past year
There's so many! I got into a bit of a cooking obsession for awhile when I needed things to keep my mind off the stress going on. These are a few of my faves (and your faves):
Chocolate Pecan Coconut Macaroons
Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs
Crock Pot Orange Chicken
Best Craft: What got your creative juices flowing?
Again, so many to pick from! Here's some of the ones I liked the most:
Night Out: Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?
It wasn't a night, but does day count? We spent a day at the zoo in July when I needed some cheering up. It was just what I needed and I had such a fun time! We went super early and got to take advantage of the petting zoo being completely empty. You really don't want to be with me in a petting zoo because I'll spend hours petting all the cute animals and "awww"-ing at every little thing they do!
Moment of Peace: An hour or a day or a week of solitude. What was the quality of your breath? The state of your mind?
A moment of peace and me don't go together. Even the thought of peace makes me laugh! I'm usually a ball of stress and anxiety! No matter what I do, my mind is always racing with thoughts and I can't relax. My best teacher for peace is Kitty. Just watching him snuggle up in a ball makes me smile and I love watching him sleep.
Challenge: Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the biggest challenge of the year for you?
Unfortunately, this question is easy to answer. In July, I spilled my guts here and confessed that I've been undergoing fertility treatments since January of 2009. It's been a very overwhelming, stressful, and emotional thing to go through. I was excited to find out I was pregnant in June and my life was great! 8 weeks later, the heart beat was gone and I had to terminate the pregnancy. It was definitely one of the hardest things I've ever had to endure. The pain, anger, and questions still stick with me months later. As I continue on this fertility journey, it's quite a challenge as you can probably guess. I'm just hoping for a good outcome in 2011.
The Best Place:
The bed. Obviously. I spend a LOT of time in here! I eat, blog, sew, cry, laugh, snuggle, sleep, and would pretty much live my life from here if I could.
New Food:
It's not completely new, but peanut butter is back in my life! I've always disliked peanut butter unless mixed with chocolate because I was scarred for life from a bad experience with PB&J when I was younger. (The thought makes me want to vomit.) Anyway, when I was cooking those fabulous peanut butter pretzel truffles above, I took a lick of the spoon and realized what I've been missing out on! Now I spread it on anything I can for a quick & easy snack. Love ya, peanut butter!
Best Accomplishment:
During the spring and summer, I posted a lot about how I got into running all of a sudden. I've never been able to run more than about a minute without stopping, but something changed in February and I could do it! It was such an accomplishment for me that I kept pushing myself to beat my best times. Throughout the summer, I broke record after record for my personal best and it was an amazing feeling. My final goal was to run an official 5k and I finally did it here!
New person/people:
All of you! My blog went from pretty much non-existent to now having a lot of "friends" that I chat with regularly! It's been so great to meet all of you living all over the country and seeing the creative talent you have to offer.
Web Tool: It came into your work flow this year and now you couldn't live without it. It has simplified or improved your online experience.
Flickr! In July, I posted that my photos weren't looking very nice when I uploaded them with Blogger. I didn't have a lot of other options because my Mac laptop at home is so old. But a few of you suggested Flickr and it made a huge difference! I used up all my free uploads and now I'm going to have to give in and pay for it. Worth it?
My goals for 2011:
• Finish remodeling the man cave
• Finish remodeling the craft room
• Finally get to be a mom
• Try to remember why I started this blog: to remind myself of the things that make me happy
Happy New Year!
Linking up to:
Southern Hospitality's Top Projects of 2010
Savvy Southern Style's Best of 2010
Congrats, on a great year of blogging!!! = )
ReplyDeleteSo many fantastic projects! You have inspired me to try and recreate a few on my own.
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much for sharing.
Have a very Happy New Year!
i still need to try those PB pretzel truffles!! i have all the ingredients at home just need to make them!
ReplyDeleteThose gloves are adorable! Good luck with your goals for the New Year. I find posting mine always helps me accomplish them.
ReplyDeletei have loved getting to know you recently, but i love your post b/c there were some things i definitely did not know. that scarf from a curtain is super smart, and you were brave to blog about your struggles. my best wishes in this new year, and i can't wait to see what 2011 brings!
ReplyDeleteWow! There's definitely a lot in this post! First off, your projects are fantastic and your food looks soooo yummy! If you love peanut butter and chocolate, I'm sure you have tried buckeyes! We make them every year at Christmas and give them away. Hope you accomplish all of your 2011 goals, especially the 3rd one :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great recap! Awesome year.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE these recaps!! What a best way to show us all the fun stuff and things we may have missed. I'm so making those gloves!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I think the glaze would ROCK on turkey!!!
ReplyDeleteI've said it before, but you are so crafty! I've been paying for my Flickr for about 2 years now and I think it's worth it. You can pay for 2 years at a time or have someone gift it to you.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun looking back at all we accomplished in the last year. Thanks so much for linking to the party! Those peanut butter things look yummy. It is ashamed I need to lose weight!
ReplyDeleteHow did I miss those peanut butter pretzel truffle things? YUM! Gotta go to that post! Looks like you've had a great year. Love your red bathroom. Makes me want to finish my red bathroom.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a fun year of accomplishments for you. Thanks for linking up!
ReplyDeleteLisa, what an awesome wrap-up. What an incredible, creative year full of so many accomplishments! I'm still dying to try those peanut-butter pretzel truffles. I'm looking forward to more wonderful things from you in 2011. Best of luck to you in accomplishing the new goals you've set forth. Warmest wishes, Jenn
ReplyDeleteEVERYTHING looks AWESOME! FedEx those foods to me IMMEDATELY! YUMM! I found you at another linky BUT you have GOT TO link these up at my Whassup Linky! Im your newest follower and wou;d LOVE it if you became my newest follower...Hope to see you!
ReplyDelete*ENTER LINKY PAR-TAY Here *
xoxokara
That's a great bathroom transformation! I think I need to try some of your recipes...yum!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about the miscarriage :( I've been there.
LOVE the list. Isn't the New Year great for reflecting on what made us happy in the past year and looking forward to what we want to accomplish in the new year???
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up and sharing on Thrilling Thursday @ Paisley Passions :)
Your bathroom is beatiful! Do you want to be my interior decorator in the future? :)
ReplyDeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteI just received the Stylish Blog award and am choosing 15 blogs to offer it to. I choose you!
You may or may not accept it. That's up to you!
You can pick up the details here:
http://grandma-sez-so.blogspot.com/2010/12/hey-my-first-award-stylish-and-7-things.html
Happy New Year!
Laurie
(Grandma Sez So)
I love your bathroom redo and those cheesy stuffed meatballs look delicious..
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! I can't wait to try that orange chicken recipe... I love cooking with the crock pot.
ReplyDeleteWhat a year! I just came across your blog and will be returning often :) I love love love your bathroom makeover(!) and am pretty much drooling over here over those peanut butter pretzel truffles. Just sayin'...
ReplyDeleteIsn't blogging the best ;) Enjoyed your recap and found you via Southern Hospitatlities link party. I've been blogging for three years and this is the first re-cap post that I've completed and it really makes you appreciate all that you accomplish in a year. Best wishes for the New Year. Fondly, Roberta
ReplyDeletehttp://con-tain-it.typepad.com
Oh good, I'm so glad you came back to the wonderful world of pb! It's soooo good and hits the spot when I'm super hungry. Your crockpot orange chicken looks so yummy. Thanks for this cute post. I love to read year-in-review posts.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you!
Sarah
OK. I'm ohhhing and ahhhing over here. The red bathroom is sooooo beautiful! All the yummy goodies! Yum yum yum! Happy New Year to you.
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for visiting my blog...there is a LOT here that I'm interested in clicking to and looking at. Looks like you have a fabulous blog :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I missed that crock pot orange chicken so I'll have to go check out that one and those peanut butter cookies. I am proud of you for getting into running and making your goal!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful year you had! I missed some of that during the year - great to have a recap!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Lisa! :) I look forward to your creativity (and recipes) in 2011!
Roeshel