3 So long, 2011!

What a crazy year this was.

Perched here at the top of 2012 sometimes I have the sensation that nothing happened during 2011. Am I ever wrong. It was only putting together some these pictures that I realize what a pivotal year that was for us.

First we finished all the repairs to our apartment. Finally! We are so relieved. Then a trip to Denmark. I came back to a family crisis when my mom was treated for Myelodysplasia, a disease that is usually fatal at her age. Rounds of chemo and lots of worrying later (compounded by the usual worries that only people who live in countries without universal health know) she recovered fairly well. We spent some days with my family, the first time we all get together in nearly 5 years. I found out I had a little niece arriving sometime within the next few weeks. There were road trips and school activities, some crafting (not as much as I would like, unfortunately) and a lot of work for me, some great professional milestones too.

And you know one of the craziest things that we did? If you follow our story of serial home-buying and moving you won't be surprised: we are putting our apartment on the market after we bought a lot a few weeks ago. Yeah, that is right. We decided that last year's repairs were not enough craziness for us and we intend to build a home within the next 2 years.

Maybe the reason my memory tricks me into thinking nothing happened last year is because sometimes it is best to forget the bad parts. But here at the beginning of a new year it all seems worthy. I came out stronger and in the end it all worked out.

  

Here's hoping for a very boring 2012. May you all have a boring, uneventful year.

6 Lazy Saturday

I love Saturdays. They are my favorite day of the week.

So on Saturdays we almost always do the same thing, do some shopping, wonder around, eat where it pleases us and maybe have friends over for dinner. This is how our village looks on Saturday.

And yes, I almost always carry a camera with me. And sometimes I even remember to bring a memory card with it.

6 This hurt me more than it hurt you

From this:

We went to this:

9 I am back!

Ok, so not many people even noticed I left, but a few friends asked why I had stopped posting in this blog. It's not like I went off the grid entirely, after all this is my work (not this blog, but I am a pro-blogger).

Here's the thing, life has been extremely complicated for me these days. And here I am trying to look at it from the right perspective: for all the things that have been going on these days, at least my child is healthy, my husband is healthy and so is our marriage.

3 Summer inspirations

This post brought to you by Pier 1. All opinions are 100% mine.

Anyone who's been reading my blog for a while knows that life in our home revolves around our lower terrace. We play, eat, entertain, nap, craft and pretty much everything short of bathroom activities (for which my neighbors are eternally grateful).

So, looking for some inspiration to add some color to our terrace I turned to an old favorite of mine: Pier 1.