2011, YOU WERE BEAUTIFUL

I know I'm late to the party on posting a re-cap of my 2011, but man oh man, what a stellar/beautiful/emotional/amazing year it was! Going through pictures and blog posts has left me feeling quite nostalgic and, even more so, excited over the good fortune that 2012 will bring for us all. Without further ado, here's a look at what 2011 gave to me...



January - Most of this month was spent in Northern California, where I explored wine country for the first time. I honestly don't remember many of the wines that I tasted, but I do remember falling in love with the fog & all of the amazing nooks & crannies that the lovely town of Healdsburg has to offer.



February - I was able to spend some time with one of the great loves of my life, New York City. NYFW was happening, but we didn't go to any of the events and used the time as an excuse to connect with some of the loveliest ladies who call this great city home.



March - Nashville had me for the entire month of March. I consumed way too much coffee from Crema, a lot of tacos from Rosepepper and my sweet, sweet Sarah came to visit from Chicago.



April - This was a fantastic month spent in San Francisco. I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Ashley, Jen & Annalise - 3 girls who I am so happy to now call dear friends. I'm pretty sure this is also the month that I decided I wanted to call the Bay Area home.



May - Back to Nashville & definitely a relaxed month for me. I don't recall anything exciting happening, other than becoming acutely aware of Spring and the change in seasons. While I didn't realize it at the time, I'm pretty sure this is because I was beginning plans to relocate somewhere that doesn't really have seasons.



June - My birth month! I turned 33 and spent the time wandering around Washington D.C. I had not been to my nation's capitol since I was a teenager, so it was nice to experience such an amazing amount of history as an adult.



July - This is the month that I learned to play poker, played in a tournament, cleaned house in the first round and tragically failed in the second because my ego was out of control. I haven't played poker since.



August - Another laid back month in Nashville, but busy for sure, as this was a time of final preparation for my move across the country. I spent a lot of time with dear friends and visiting all of my favorite Music City haunts, saying goodbye to a place that gave me a great home base for several years.


photos by Isla Bell Murray

September - This month was huge! I got rid of most of my personal belongings, save what I could fit in a mini van, and made a solo trek across the United States, failing to document any of it. This is also the month that I went to the Alameda Point Antique Faire for the first time and quickly realized that being a vintage dealer in the Bay was going to be fruitful & exciting for me.


photos by Ashley Ording

October - If one thing is for certain, San Franciscans love Halloween. Isla threw an amazing party, we danced, drank wine/cocktails and made mischief happen.



November - This was an interesting month for me, albeit a quiet one. The highlight of this time for me was spending a snowy weekend in Lake Tahoe. There's magic in The Sierras! This is also the month that I got an iPhone and started to become a little too lazy when it comes to my DSLR - must change that in 2012!


photos by Ashley Ording

December - What a fantastic way to end such a glorious year! Jen hosted a fancy holiday party in her Haight Ashbury apartment. There was dancing, eating, drinking & more different kinds of cookies than I have ever seen in one place.

I hope you all had as fantastic a 2011 as I! Here's to having a fondness for the past & moving forward into a new age. 2012, I've got a great feeling about you!