best year yet

Like so many other bloggers (although, I'm not sure I can call myself a real "blogger", posting once a month and all...), I feel like commemorating the year with a small list from 2010. So many amazing, happy things happened, and I don't ever want to forget them... here are just a few of my favorites.

Pumpkin patch visiting is always one of my favorite parts of the year, and this time did not disappoint. Look at all those punkin's!

One of my goals for the year was to visit New York... I put it on my "Resolution" list as a wild card, because I didn't think it would actually happen. But it DID! And it was AMAZING and everything I wanted it to be... it was not only a dream fulfilled, but a fantastic time spent with my sister and mom, and I'm so very thankful for that one, small day.

My Etsy shop turned a year old, and proved itself to be so fun and a little lucrative... it might be small, but it makes me happy, and it's something I truly enjoy doing.

The prettiest little niece I could have asked for was born in February, and my heart was stolen yet again by a tiny little human being (the first time by the most amazing nephew I could have asked for).

Here are a few more that I don't have pictures for:

-Visiting Z's sister and brother-in-law in South Carolina for a summer vacation. It was full of so many laughs and good times, and we brought home so many great memories, that it's a vacation we'll both hold close to our hearts for years to come.

-My sister and her family moved back home to good ol' Indiana. Now I get to see my sister and brother-in-law on a more regular basis, AND I can do normal aunt duties, like babysit, go to ball games and birthday parties!!!!!

-Finally figuring out part of my future plans and signing up for classes once again... As of January 10th, I'm on my way to becoming a teacher!

-Getting to spend Christmas with my new family. Although I missed my actual family horribly, it was a fantastic holiday, I loved EVERY second of it, and it made me realize how incredibly blessed I really am.

-Planning a wedding with the AMAZING help of my mother... it's going to be a day filled with love, personality, and fun, and I CANNOT WAIT!

-Living with and loving Z. He continues to be my best friend and the favorite part of my life.

There's so many other things that I could mention, but I would probably bore everyone that reads this, so I'll stop where I am. 2010 was an amazing, blessed year, and I just know that 2011 will be the same, but better!

Happy New Year's, everyone!!

snow

Snow lined streets.

I stayed warm in the car while Z did the scraping. Such a gentleman.

Pretty shot of the crab apple tree by Z.

It finally snowed this weekend... not just a wimpy snow, which we've already had one dose of... nope, this time it was a full fledged snowing storm. And it was gorgeous.

something new

I just added a few handmade items to the shop, with a few more to come.

Perfect little stocking stuffers!

small, sappy moment

In this small, sappy moment, I would like to say how very blessed and happy I am to be engaged to this sweet, supportive, hilarious, goofy, loving, handsome man.

(Z, don't kill me for posting this!)

A year ago today, he asked me to marry him in a sweet song he had written just for me. A Star Wars tie fighter also made an appearance, holding my oh-so-perfect-for-me ring inside. It was geeky (in the best way) and full of happy tears.

Now, I'm counting down the days ( 3.5 months!) until I can call him my "husband" and it actually be for real!!!

Z, you make me happier than I ever thought possible! I love, love, love you!! I'm so excited for the life we have ahead of us, and I can't wait to experience every up and down with you by my side.

OK, sappy moment over!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Our family pup, Mickey, playing in a Christmas blizzard last year. He love, love, loves the snow!

It's snowing today in the Midwest and I am SO excited about it. I'm not sure what it is, but snow always puts me in the Christmas mood... it's finally helping me realize that Christmas is right around the corner, which seems so unrealistic to me. We just had Halloween! And Thanksgiving! Regardless, I'm excited for more snow and decorating our tree and house this weekend. I think once I have something so sparkly to look at every day, I'll be convinced that Christmas is here!

The whole idea of Christmas shopping also has me smiling, especially the joy of the hunt, which has doubled this year in taking on the pledge from Off Of Broadway. I'll admit, it has been sort of hard coming up with handmade, thrifted, or locally bought gift ideas... but it's also been so much more thought provoking, which is a good thing! The shop was recently featured in this Etsy treasury, and it's full of great handmade and vintage present ideas for under $10. There are some great gifts, like these tiny air plants and this hipster deer art prints from near modern disaster (who I've mentioned before and I love!). I love stuff like this!