I found this in my Matt and Nat purse

I love this saying:

2011 in review!

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
I started living with my boyfriend at the end of July, 2011. I’ve never lived with a significant other before, so that was pretty huge! I also graduated university, another first (but that was more of an inevitable first, I wasn’t going to be a student forever!).

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I’m pretty sure I didn’t make any for 2011. Maybe to take more pictures, and if that’s the case I certainly did not keep it. I seem to make resolutions ever other year…

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don’t think so, actually! No babies in 2011.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My dad’s sister, Joan. She was only 50.

5. What countries did you visit?
Went to the US, visited Las Vegas and Palm Desert in February!

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Peace of mind and closure.

7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 7. I moved back to Edmonton from Calgary to start my first post-university job.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting back into sports and being active. In the new year I’m going to be doing yoga, diving, and a dance class! Also, finding a great job eventually in 2011.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Taking photos of events. Big time fail.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got food poisoning in Palm Desert and holy shit that was one of the worst things I’ve ever experienced. Up and sick all night, and I couldn’t eat much of anything for the next couple of days my stomach was so beat up.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Either plane tickets to Ottawa, or my new D3100.

12. Where did most of your money go?
Food, moving costs, expenses/bills.

13. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Blink-182 in August, moving in with Thomas in July, trip to Ottawa in October, new job in November! Apparently I was just really, really, really excited this entire second half of 2011.

14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO. I love that song!

15. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Older or wiser? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?
Happier, wiser, thinner?, poorer.

16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
I wish I figured out my energy issues sooner, so I could have done more period. I gave up red meat in February 2011 and wasn’t getting enough B12 vitamin for nine months. Sigh.

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Procrastinating, dwelling, feeling guilty for things out of my control.

18. How did you spend Christmas?
Thomas and I stayed in Edmonton and had a great holiday with my family on the 24th and the 25th.

19. What was your favorite TV program?
The Office, Nurse Jackie, How I Met Your Mother.

22. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t think so. I dislike more people than I thought I would and that’s sad, but it’s not just coming from me.

23. What was the best book you read?
Hmm. Frankenstein? I read it for my English class. OR 1984, even though I’ve read it before (it’s one of my favourite books!).

24. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Foster the People, Smashing Pumpkins, Matthew Good (rediscovered), Travis.

25. What did you want and get?
A new camera, a couple trips, a job.

26. What did you want and not get?
Dental crowns (I know it’s a weird want).

27. What was your favorite film of this year?
Inception or Easy A.

28. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 23, and I ended up going climbing with my friend Cam. I’ve never made a huge deal out of my birthday, this year was no different .

29. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Leaving Calgary on a good note, not having my roommate/friend hate me and refuse to talk to me.

30. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Simple and fun.

31. What kept you sane?
Friends, family, Thomas, my cats.

32. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don’t know, I don’t really get celebrity crushes…

33. What issue stirred you the most?
SOPA (even though it’s not my country’s legislation), Canada pulling out of Kyoto, Harper’s majority win in the election…

34. Who did you miss?
My grandmother. I miss her every day of every year.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
Chantelle from work, probably!

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
If you can’t change it, let it go. Take care of yourself first and remember to be kind to others.

new camera!

So, if you don’t follow me on Twitter, you wouldn’t know that I picked up a new DLSR body today!

It’s funny though, I’m feeling first-world guilty about it. I don’t really need a new DSLR, in that my old one still works just fine. I feel seriously conflicted about this because it’s something I wanted and not something I needed! And it wasn’t cheap (but it was the least expensive one I found…) so I think that’s adding to it. I’m not the person to drop huge sums of money on things (I bought my laptop last winter when mine died on me, and it almost gave me an anxiety attack in the Apple store) and especially not for things that I don’t “need.”

I also stopped taking the amount of photos that I once did with my D40, so again, more guilt. A good photographer doesn’t need the best equipment, just a good eye. I don’t know if I still have the eye, but I want to take more pictures in 2012. Put more up around the house, have a couple of albums so that we can show our friends and family places we’ve been and events we’ve had. 2012 is going to be the year of travel for Thomas and I — two trips at least for us both, probably three for me.

Definitely first world guilt coming on. Ugh. Am I gonna use this? Should I have saved my money and spent it on something more practical? What about my braces in 2012? What about the Mexico trip in February, what about the trip to Coachella Thomas and I want to take? What if what if what if, etc.

Way too in my own head for my own good.

Here are the pictures of Luna I promised:

And some photos I found on Thomas’ memory card from Vegas that are too good not to share!