First blog post of 2012 so Happy New Year to one and all – I sincerely hope that it brings us all much joy and happiness. Looking back on last year for this post I realised that I had done far more than I had remembered and I bet that goes without saying for all of us – some things get forgotten as more important events seem to take over. And as Dermot O’Leary would say “in no particular order” this is what I managed to achieve in 2011 whilst keeping on top of Heart Gallery in a challenging climate:
Becky and The Pox, Jan 2011
I watched Becky suffer badly for three weeks with Chicken Pox for the first time in her life at 13 and then gradually morph throughout the year into a beautiful young lady that seems to be taking her own path as a leader and not a follower:
Becky started 2011 off almost black!
Becky changed to brown hair mid 2011
Becky with light brown hair by the autumn
Becky nearly blond by Christmas - much nearer to her natural colour finally!
Becky
I proudly saw Adam buy his first place in Newcastle after years of paying far too much rent on pokey little rooms in shared houses whilst at University:
Adam
Adam's new flat, July 2011
Adam's bedroom
Corner of Adam's living room
Adam's 'Christmas Tree' and view out of his living room window
Adam in the city he loves - Newcastle
I went to two weddings:
Nic and Joe in Heart Gallery's garden
Nic on her wedding day with sister india
Emma and Richard cutting the cake
Emma and Richard's stunning cake
Celebrated my 15th Wedding Anniversary to my gorgeous hubby Bart – there aren’t many men made like him in this world:
My Barty Boy
My 15th Wedding Anniversary (Crystal) ring from one of my super talented makers Adele Taylor
Went to a 40th:
Julia's eighties themed 40th Brithday Party
Julia
Enjoyed three big 50th Birthday parties:
Louise's era themed 50th party
Louise's amazing cake
Ang's 50th dinner party
Ang's very apt cake
Debi's 50th and her Dad's 80th
Travelled to a 60th:
Drinking games at mum-in-law's 60th
Mum-in-law's 60th in Leicester
Celebrated Heart Gallery being five years old:
Heart Gallery's 5th Brithday bash
Scattered my Aunty’s ashes and enjoyed our bi-annual visits to my mum’s resting place and sister’s resting place:
Aunty Ruth's resting place 2011 Wharf Wood overlooking Pen-Y-Ghent
Mum's resting place Skiddaw overlooking Derwentwater Jan 1997
Rachel's resting place at Friar's Crag Keswick Jan 2005
Derwentwater
Had a relaxing holiday in Egypt with a friend:
Extremely quiet and unbelievably cheap holiday in Egypt
Saw Dad and my Step-Mum take their first ever All-Inclusive holiday:
Dad and Sandra in Tenerife
Visited some amazing exhibitions, this one being by far my favourite at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park:
Jaume Plensa at YSP
Jaume Plensa at YSP
Jaume Plensa at YSP
Enjoyed lots of incredible walks, locally and nationally, alone and with family or friends:
Luddendendene Valley
Canal walk from home into work
Hadrian's Wall Northumberland
Walk to Castle Carr fountain
Fountain switch on
Blackpool beach
Bamburgh Castle
Brighton Beach
Ate well and socialised lots with those who mean the world to me:
Chateaubriand
Dinner parties
Fish platters
Cupcakes
Gatherings
Thai
Dad's another year older but no wiser - he loves those silly hats!
Italian
Fancy dress parties
Healthy breakfast
Birthday bashes in new places
Greek
Had my best friends over from America and miss them dearly:
Carol and Neil
Joined the Hebden Bridge WI and learned to knit as well as enjoying many great Mondays organised by our fabulous President Amy Leader:
Hebden Bridge WI Ladies
How much knitting did we all do to decorate Hebden Bridge with?
Suffered a painful and horrendous stay in hospital in the summer and quite a bit of time off work after removal of my appendix but enjoyed the lovely flowers bought for me:
flowers
flowers
flowers
flowers
Was inspired by my beautiful friend Hilly who has spent 2011 fighting cancer and although she is continuing to do so she looks and feels amazing and has already miraculously said goodbye to 4 tumours.
I treated Hilly to a haircut to 'soften' the blow before she started her treatment
Hilly after the chemo took her hair - she will not be beaten x
Heart Gallery won two awards at a Totally Locally event:
Magic Tenner Award and Top 5 Shops in Calderdale
Bart and I opened our second Milk Bar in Halifax:
Milk Bar Halifax
I have experienced peace:
Peace
love:
Love
and joy:
Joy
And I hope that 2012 is a continuation of everything 2011 has left behind for me and wishing you all the same; one thing is for sure you really do have to seize the day as time flies and none of us know what is around that corner. Happy New Year.
Seize The Day
Time flies
