2010: a retrospective

I so loved reading Jordan and Liz’s yearly retrospectives that I was inspired to do the same thing. And the whole exercise made me realize all over again how lucky and happy I am.

Last winter, we took a late-January trip to Dublin as the first snowdrop flowers emerged, and we stayed in an amazingly-restored stable smack in the center of Dublin. Back stateside, I overhauled a small corner of the kitchen, made pink marshmallows for Valentine’s Day, and wrote an article for Bust Magazine about beekeeping. My younger sister came for a visit (hooray! all the sisters in one place).

In early spring, I made what is quite honestly the best drink I have ever tasted, and with foraged fruit from my neighborhood, to boot. My wisdom teeth came out, and I recuperated with a stack of movies while hand-stitching and stenciling a dress. Mike and I road-tripped down to Santa Barbara to meet up with some of our best friends, and biked around town on beach cruisers.

Back at home, an embellished umbrella added cheer on grey days. I started a love affair with homemade marmalade after searching the city high and low for proper, bitter oranges. The end of spring launched a new season of beekeeping and a new Sunday tradition: homemade milkshakes with the newspapers, preferably outside. My parents came to town and we we ate under the sea and then all swooned at my niece's first ballet recital.

Summer! ReadyMade featured my revamped beach chairs. I dug up the first new potatoes of the season, which is always a thrill and a joy. I went on a whoopie pie-making kick (my friend ate 7 before dinner when I brought them to a barbeque, no lie), drove down country roads on the weekends, and took an wildly fun and funny RV trip to Shasta with both my sisters, our husbands, and my niece and nephew. We stalked the perfect lakeside camping spot, drank coffee outside every morning and celebrated birthdays in the woods.

But that’s not it for my most favorite season. I launched Lazy Summer with projects for cooking, crafting and kicking back. I made mint syrup with a glut from the garden, trifles-to-go for July 4^th, a traveling pantry for summer road trips and car camping, and lanterns from tomato cages for lingering outside after dusk. Mike and I headed for Washington state where we ate at one of the best non-restaurant restaurants I’ve ever been to, and I met my cousin’s sweet little baby boy. Then onto the coast with my best friend and her family, where we grilled oysters, made plum crisp (more foraged fruit!), watched the tides and plotted to live in the same city again (fingers crossed!). 

In August, it was onto Vermont for sewing, teepee cocktails and pondside saunas with Heather; and then the Cape with my parents and sisters to all barge in on my oh-so-game aunt, who keeps beach chairs, tote bags and sunscreen for all at the ready. More sister time!

When summer faded to fall, my husband made a towel rack that still makes me swoon. We made homemade miner’s hats for Halloween after joyously watching them emerge from the mine. Friends visited from Ireland and we camped and hiked in Yosemite, as well as introduced them to s’mores and Jiffy Pop over the campfire.

I managed to salvage a major sewing blunder (phew), and finally harvested some cherry tomatoes in November. We stayed local for Thanksgiving, drank champagne on the beach, and I made rather eye-catching rings (if I say so myself) from acorn caps. In December, I took in the wonder of the season with my niece and nephew got all kinds of crafty in preparation for the holidays – steel wool wreaths and snowflake chandeliers, and was featured on the radio talking about holiday crafts.

Then to Ireland to see the in-laws. My parents met us there and we had an enchanted, white Christmas – historic for Ireland and stunning to behold, especially from our cozy bedroom window.

So that's the whirlwind spin through 2010. Onwards and upwards for 2011 – creativity and happiness for all!

Comments

[brooke]

phew! what an incredible year (and recap)! so lucky to have spent some of it with you. may there be more in 2011...

[zan]

Happy New Year! What a beautiful year. Lots of inspiration for the rest of us in 2011!

[Courtney at Scattering Lupines]

I love your photos of Yosemite! I'm new to your blog, so this recap was a great way to get to catch up :) THANKS!!!!!!