My own twist on a 2011 round-up post…
Instead of photos or blog links that represent the past year, today I want to share with you our 2011 in objects.
You all know how I love chronicling the meaning of the objects we choose to keep in our lives.
I believe in things.
I believe that your belongings DO have meaning beyond just their physical makeup.
And I believe those things deserve to be recorded.
This is NOT about materialism …. this is about valuing those things that actually have meaning.
Take a look below – and I’d love to hear what objects represent your 2011!
Inspired by this article from Vanity Fair December 2011.
Our 2011 represented in objects:
(in no particular order)
Head colds
Oh my word, kids. I got so many head colds this year! Including on Christmas and on the 24-hour-day-of-travel from Scotland when every leg of our trip was delayed! I noticed something this year: I have been getting colds almost exclusively on days/long weekends when I know in advance I’m going to be off work. Even in March! I found out I was going to get Chinese New Year off (random benefit of my day job), and wouldn’t you know it? I woke up that Thursday with a head cold and had to call out sick the next day!
I think it’s a sign I need to quit my job 
I think I am just working crazy amounts that my body just gives out when I get an extra day off. Like Christmas weekend.
So above, you see a box of Kleenex (necessary), NyQuil (heaven) and apple cider vinegar. I found this home remedy for sinus infections earlier this year and it has worked like a charm.
30 Days of Lists
Back in January or February I got an email from Kam asking if I’d be interested in collaborating on this idea she had ….. What if we run a journaling challenge for list makers?
YES! Obviously, yes!
So for much of 2011 I’ve spent days and weeks and long weekends poring over 30 Days of Lists duties. Not only just helping come up with the list topics and posting the blog posts, but also all the marketing and infrastructure and tech troubleshooting and customer service and so much more. SO much of my 2011 has been consumed by 30 Days of Lists! It’s such a great memory from this year….
In this photo you see my #30Lists album. It’s a 6″x9″ 3 ring binder – I painted the blue and added the label and ribbon. Both my March 2011 and September 2011 lists are included in this.
Alaska
In June, Andrew and I went on an Alaskan cruise with his mother and sister. I had been on an Alaskan cruise previously (8 years ago), and enjoyed it so much I was excited to be able to take Andrew back and share it with him too.
We very much enjoyed this vacation …. PLENTY of time to read and nap and relax on the cruise ship, plus amazing natural sights on our days in port.
In the photo above is one of our souvenirs – a beer stein from the Skagway Brewing Company (Skagway was our final port in Alaska). It’s all cloudy because Andrew likes to keep it in the freezer.
Shooting weddings
I only shot 2 weddings in 2011. But both were incredibly special. One for a really good friend of ours. And one on my birthday.
I mean really, “working” on my birthday wasn’t even a consideration … I genuinely love shooting weddings, plus the bride and groom promised me a piece of cake, of course, AND Andrew came along as my assistant so we still got to spend the day together.
In this photo you can see my birthday gift from the bride and groom – such a sweet couple! The bride runs the etsy shop Pretty Perch and had handmade this brooch for me. They always were aware that I was working on my birthday for them and wanted to make sure to show their gratitude. Such a special wedding for me….
Scotland
In August of this year Andrew and I were lucky enough to get to go on ANOTHER big vacation (this one thanks to my parents and brother) – Scotland! We spent a week in Scotland with my parents and my brother and his girlfriend, going as far south as Edinburgh and as far north as Loch Ness.
It was MAGIC….
We try to always get souvenirs we will use …. so OF COURSE when we went to Scotland we brought home some Scottish whisky! Andrew had been reading Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide To Single Malt Scotch
Andrew picked out a whisky from Edradour Distillery since he had been able to tour that distillery earlier in the week.
Good, real food
In September I started listening to the Dishing Up Nutrition podcast and learning more about food and nutrition.
I had really (really really) bad food poisoning in June 2008 and literally ever since then I’ve had spells of sickness that feel a lot like food poisoning but without any definitive cause. So! I’ve been learning more about what kind of food my body needs and paying attention to what we eat. I’m not on any specific diet, and I’ve always been a fan of vegetables and eaten reasonably well, but since September I’ve been paying even closer attention!
In the photo above you see my typical breakfast. I have been perfecting my fritatta recipe (actually, I’m not even sure it’s a officially a fritatta, but that’s what we call it).
Saute up about a cup of chopped fresh broccoli (vegetable) in a couple tablespoons of olive oil (good fat) and then pour over it 2 scrambled eggs (animal protein) and maybe some cheese. Allow to cook, then flip it and cook the other side.
I have no idea if I’ve lost weight or inches or anything …. but I FEEL healthier and I have been sick far far less often.
Home-buying
At the end of October we met with our realtor for the first time and started our house-hunt!
2011 is not necessarily the year that we BUY our house (still a lot of updates and details that we’re waiting on), but it is definitely the year that we begin our relationship with this realtor Bryan – of the Firehouse Team.
In the photo above is one side of his business card – even more symbolic because my good friend from high school did the marketing and design for the Firehouse Team, and he’s the one that recommended Bryan to us!
New-to-us car
In April Andrew’s car got stolen. Awesome, I know. He has TERRIBLE luck with cars … getting stolen (this was his 2nd), getting broken into, getting towed or catching on fire on the freeway.
So, we had to got to buy another car! My loving husband the saint that he is, he let ME get the “new” car and he took over the 2004 Chevy pickup truck that is starting to die. Bless him.
SO! We found a new-to-us 2006 Toyota Corolla with less than 50,000 miles on it! Yes! Now I have something to drive that won’t fall apart on me ….. Except. It smelled like the previous owner. Distinctly. Not necessarily B.O., but still …
In this photo is a car air freshner! Ha! We’ve since gotten the previous-owner-smell out of the car but we’re not taking any chances….
Andrew’s record label
Over the last several months Andrew has been in the process of starting his own record label!!
It’s crazy exciting! This is something he has dreamed about doing for years and years and years but never necessarily felt like it was something realistic he could accomplish.
Just in the last few days he was able to pick up the actual 7″ records that will be officially available in a few weeks! He and his friend had a ‘packing party’ this week to put together each record in a cover and a plastic sleeve getting ready to be mailed out soon!
In this photo you can see 1 side of the record cover and the record itself – put out by Ghostbot Records (and Lauren Records)! I am soo proud of him!!
Look for a post later today from Andrew about starting his record label
Love
Every year is full of love for Andrew and I….. I don’t want to rub anything in, but we are crazy happy together and every year our marriage just gets better! We’ve been friends since 1999, a couple since 2001 and married since 2005. … he’s the best.
He’s really too good for me.
Case in point? This photos is clearly of a cup of coffee, right? First of all, it’s in our wedding coffee mug! We gave out mugs with our wedding date on one side and this image (and our URL) on the other. Andrew was totally in charge of designing/ordering a hundred or so mugs for our wedding.
Also, every morning (literally EVERY morning), he gets up an hour or so before I do, makes the coffee and when I get up all I need to do is sit on the couch and he brings me my coffee perfectly prepped the way I like.
Proof that he loves me and is way too good for me
That’s our 2011 in objects!
What was part of your 2011??
For more ideas about how to chronicle the stories behind your belongings, check out my ebook Tell Its Story (30% off today).You can learn techniques that I used in this very post including among other things specific photography tips and when to use which, specific journaling questions to consider and project ideas for how to record the story of your belongings.
