Best of 2011

While this was supposed to be a "top 5" blog post feature, once I started to look back on this past year, I couldn't get lower than 10, and even that was hard to narrow down. What a year it was! So amazing. I traveled, I put on a fashion show, I fell in love with a great guy (who will make fun of me for that cheesy statement being on my blog), I visited my family in Michigan, I saw new things, I saved a kitty or two, I sewed like crazy and the list goes on. So these are my favorite 10 posts from the last year, in no particular order.

1. Castillo de San Marcos. Matt and I traveled to the nation's oldest city, Saint Augustine, in November for his friend's wedding. November and it was sunshine and short sleeves! We had so much fun being tourists. We visited this old fort, built in the 1500s by the Spanish, a lighthouse, explored the historic downtown area, and had a great time at the wedding!

2. Weekend getaway. Matt and I's September trip to Myrtle Beach with our friends, Katie and Kevin. Couples getaways are so much fun! Matt and I got to enjoy a weekend away from the chaos of our everyday life, beachside. And when the boys wanted to watch football, Katie and I had a photoshoot on the beach that our hotel room overlooked. Our bedroom's sliding glass door remained open all night, both nights, and we slept and woke up to the sound of waves. Oh is was so amazing. A rainy weekend was worth all the great things we experienced.

3. Look what I found. The little kitty Matt and I saved from my terrible neighbor's bushes. She was about 5 weeks old and only one pound! We named her Margot the night we found her while we watched the Royal Tenenbaums and she crawled and burrowed in our hair. She was the sweetest little girl and I had her for about a week before I found her a new home. I miss Margot.

4. Beerfest. The World Beer Festival Matt and I attended in January 2011. I can't wait for the next one later this month. In 2011, I really grew to appreciate new kinds of beer, not just my typical Guinness.

5. Lost in a forest. A really fun and magical shoot Rachael and I had in Pensacola when I visited in July. Another trip when it rained all weekend, but that didn't stop us from having a great weekend of thrifting, dancing, board games, and catching up.

6. Shortening a shirt sleeve - starring Matt. women's clothing tutorials get a little boring and overdone. I loved this one because I was able to include Matt and sew men's clothing. And I got him to model his "new" shirt. 

7. Beach time. My April trip to Pensacola, Florida to see my sister. The beach was so lovely! I really miss living near a large body of water. Hopefully this year will bring many more beach trips!

8. What I wore to my fashion show. A thrifted dress, slightly altered to be more current and flattering. What a great night! I had the best time, and it was such a great turnout. Click on the tab at the top of my blog for more from my December show!

9. Heart Shaped Pecan Pies. Part of Matt's Valentine's present. I loved learning new southern recipes in 2011. Pecan pies are the best! This recipe came from my friend's granny, a Georgia woman that grew up on a tobacco, cotton, and pecan farm. You know that makes it the best pecan pie recipe ever!

10. Down on the farm. During my May visit to Michigan, I traveled to my mother's hometown and the farm on which she grew up. I rode a horse, visited my grandpa, drove an 80s red Corvette and saw family. It was a great day!

2011 was an amazing year! Here's to hoping 2012 is even better! Thank you all for reading!