Last Year

I haven't done a year in review post because I felt like I didn't get much accomplished last year. I haven't been able to sew as much as I wanted, and even though I got two quilt tops down, I haven't had time to take nice pictures or blog about them. 2011 was just a weird year for sewing and crafting.

So, I don't have a lot of super gorgeous sewing related pictures to put in a fancy layout, but that doesn't mean I didn't get a lot done last year. I have no reason to feel unaccomplished, but I found myself feeling that way. To make myself feel better/gain perspective, here are a few things I did last year.

I moved. Three times. Seriously. And one of those moves was basically across the country. That's a pretty big accomplishment I think.



I wrote TWO books! This didn't really occur to me until recently, but it's true. I didn't start working on Awake: A Fairytale (other than that first few thousand words I managed in 2010) until March. I wrote the entire thing (those first few pieces hit the trash bin pretty early in the process) between late March and early June. Not only did I write and edit Awake this year, in November I wrote my second book, Attempting Elizabeth. Yeah, it is in rough draft form and I still have several scenes to add, plus the laborious process of editing, having it beta read, rewriting, editing, etc., but the fact remains, 53k words of that book were written in 2011. (If you add together what I've done this year on the two, it is about 144k words, wow).



I started a pretty cool website. Indie Jane was launched in July and we've had 24 thousand plus page views to date and have had fun establishing an online community. The book club on our message boards is starting a Pride and Prejudice group read this week. Each week's discussion questions are being hosted by an author of an indie P&P continuation or re-imagining. We have some great authors participating and our community members are the best!


All in all, I think it has been a pretty darn productive year and I hope to make 2012 even more so.

2009 in review

When I think back on 2009 I tend to only think of all the stressful , unhappy things that have been going on . . . the economy tanking (not so great when you are a small business owner), financial issues, and our housing situation being up in the air . . . I was at first not going to do a year in review post, but when I really started thinking about it, we had a pretty amazing year! I guess it is all about perspective. So here is my month-by-month review of the awesomeness of 2009! ETA: This honestly turned out to be a much longer post than I originally intended (and there are lots of pictures missing, but I am posting anyway as it is getting a little too late into 2010 to still be doing 2009 in review posts). So glad I did it though, it has really been an exercise in perspective and thankfulness.

January

My wonderful husband, Ed, turns the big 40!

I make a seat cushion and pillows for my rocking chair, I also painted it black. This was one of my first sewing projects by myself. I had received my first sewing machine for Christmas and my Mom helped me make curtains while we were back east.

This uber cute picture of Maddie trying her first pineapple while watching the January premier of Psych earns her an honorable mention in the Psych fan picture contest and Season 2 on dvd . . . pic taken with my phone.

February

I finish my first (and to date only) Amish Knot rug, it looks great for a few months and then I ruin it by being overly-ambitious in the washing process . . . I learned a lot though - next time thicker fabric and thicker strips. Thankfully this was made with fabric I got in a bin on freecycle.

Maddie's first Valentine's Day, what a sweet pea.

Last but not least . . . on Valentine's Day Ed, Maddie, Liz, Daniel and I went in for a gender ultrasound and found out we were having a James!

March

Maddie stands!

I made some pants for my friend's son Zane.

April

Happy Resurrection Day! Maddie's first Easter! She got The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in her basket and a love affair was born!

I made this diaper cake for a friend's shower, my first one ever.

Maddie turns one and we have a huge birthday bash - complete with Daddy's band providing entertainment. It was quite a windy day, which is why the only pictures I have of her birthday sign some of the squares are flying about in spite of being stuck down with tape.

Maddie's birthday outfit (my first skirt of any kind since Junior Girl Scouts).

Maddie goes to Disneyland on her actual birthday.

May

Maddie takes her first step at Auntie Liz's house while Mommy and Daddy are out on a date seeing T4. I don't have pictures of course! But here is a picture of her walking a month or so later . . . it is an action shot!

We had some pretty maternity pictures taken at the beach. I made a skirt for me and a top for Maddie.

Mother's Day aprons for my Mom and Grammy.

We got 3d scans of James for my Mother's Day present.

June

We finished painting the nursery (not knowing we wouldn't be living here much longer, but I digress - at least they babies have a nice nursery while they are here), and they have this blessing from Aslan above their door: "Once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen."

My "July baby" makes a surprise June appearance! James is caught by Auntie Liz as he makes a speedy entrance into the world! We then had to go to the hospital (boo!), but so glad that James was born at home!

Three days after James turns 0 I turn 30!

July

Well . . . July 4th happened . . . I have no pictures because we didn't do much for it! We were still coping with doubling the amount of babies in the house.

We did watch a lot of Angel's baseball though!

Oh . . . and we made it out of the house to a Carl's Jr!

August

I repurposed Maddie's Minnie Mouse high chair cover into a pillow that was meant to be for the floor, but she now sleeps with it every night. Shockingly it washes really easily.

I actually made out of the house and to Walmart with both babies by myself, aren't these shopping carts awesome? It was on this mad dash to Walmart before church on Sunday that Maddie acquired the infamous pink Pooh sneakers. This is also on the way to Jamie's first day at church. She does actually love her brother more than it appears in this picture. . . and one of Daddy and Jamie for Jamie's first day!

Liz and I decided to start training to walk a marathon (we had a month and half off there at the end of 2009, but we are now back on the wagon) follow us at Walking Away With Ourselves.

September

Maddie got a hair cut!

We took the kids to their first Angel's game, we adopted a Rally Monkey to bring home so we could unleash the power of the monkey while we watched games at home. . . there are pictures but they are currently on my old hard drive . . .

We also went to the LA County Fair, Maddie's second and Jamie's first. While there Maddie rode a pony called Dr. Pepper.

James made it to Disneyland for his first visit. He was so good!

October

James ate his first solid food! Avocado! Maddie helped him prepare for his first bite by hugging him around the neck.

Halloween - James was Mike Wazowski and Maddie was Boo, both from Monster's Inc. I made the Mike costume the night before, nothing like being prepared.

November

My Mom visits!

James gets baptized!  There are pictures . . . just not here

My good friend Sarah gets married, I am a bridesmaids and do the flowers. I also made her an apron, the same fabric as the ones for Mom and Grammy. The picture of all the bridesmaids (the girl in black stood on the groom's side actually) is of our "sexy face" bridesmaid's picture.

Thanksgiving (only a few pictures on my phone! oops!)

December

Ed and I celebrate our 8th anniversary on the 21st with dinner at The Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland . . . we walk into Disney to buy Maddie's Winnie the Pooh at Pooh Corner, and make an unsuccessful attempt at locating a Mike Wazowski for James (again with the no pictures)!

So many projects completed during December. . .

Christmas!

So, in review, I think we had a pretty darn good year . . .