2011 in Review

Welcome to the largest post in the history of Orchid Grey. Steel yourselves...

This year has been- to date- the craziest year of my life. I usually find myself debating whether or not to do a re-cap at the close of each year, but this time there was no question at all. I mean, holy crap. Did I think last January that I would be living in Pittsburgh by October? Noididnot. So, without further chatter, for those of you brave or bored enough: here it is.

January

Chris and I spent last New Years literally in the middle of the woods. I was honored to be a guest ModStylist for ModCloth. I celebrated National Swap Day with Jen and Punky. And celebrated my 27th birthday.

February

In February I traveled to NYC for the IFB Conference with Jen and Punky where I caught the worst cold ever. We creeped on Lady Gaga. The Delightful Dozen launched a new blog. I started volunteering at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum running a ship-themed scavenger hunt and teaching simple machines, as I searched for a full time job.

March

In March, Punky and I attended the TjMaxx spring preview. We had Buddy Brunch with some of our favorite friends. And Visited home more as we ramped up our wedding plans.

April

In April, I volunteered at the Earth Day Clothing Exchange, where I won tickets to Wine Riot for putting on a mint colored snow-suit and dancing like a robot. We also attended the Whiskey Plank party for the schooner being built next to the Shipbuilding Museum. I was volunteering a lot for the Swapaholics and the Shipbuilding Museum at this time as I continued my job search.

May

In April, Chris and I celebrated our seven year anniversary! We spent the night in Portland and saw Steve Martin and the Canyon River Band, which was one of our best dates ever. Our friend Hans moved to California and we welcomed his sweet cat, Louie, into our home. We also went to Brimfield for the first time. And helped out at the Canal District Swap & Shop.

June

June had us traveling back and forth to Maine almost every weekend as we scrambled to plan our wedding. Somewhere in there I landed a contract position at Swap.com with the Swapaholics and left my retail job for a barista position at a local coffee shop. After this move, things improved significantly. I was working for a company I love, drinking way too much coffee, and enjoying summer.

July

July began on a sad note with the sudden passing of Louie.We celebrated the 4th of July with our wonderful group of friends. I participated in ModCloth's Dear Creatures/Be The Buyer collaboration (my dress was picked!). Took some photobooth pictures with my husband-to-be. And saw Prairie Home Companion at Tanglewood. I was also running around like a chicken with my head cut off because we were getting married in one month.

August

August was the best, most friend filled month ever. Chris and I received our engagement photos. I had an amazing bridal shower. We saw Alison Krauss and Union Station at Meadowbrook. Even though all our wedding photos were posted in September, we were actually married on August 20th. Looking back, I'm so glad we decided not to elope (something we had discussed). Now that we find ourselves 1,000 miles away from home, the days spent with friends and family leading up to our wedding day hold so much love and meaning for us, those days made all the stress worth every second.

I actually never finished posting about our wedding. But it was the most amazing time. The love showed by our friends and family still gets me a little "verclempt".

September

We rolled right into September with the start of NYFW and the Lucky FABB conference. The Swapaholics hosted ModSwap with ModCloth. I attended the Lulu's.com brunch. And announced the blogger jewelry collaboration with ModCloth! The Orchid Grey Bracelet is still available! My contract with the Swapaholics also came to a close.

October

October was the slowest month blog-wise, but quite the opposite life-wise. In early October, after many, many interviews I received some of the most exciting and anxiety producing news ever: I got a position at ModCloth as a Blog & Fashion Writer and would be starting in...THREE WEEKS! Bold, italic, capital. Needless to saw, we were excited. and terrified. We also needed to find a place to live, immediately. After an extremely tough year and a half looking for a full-time job, I never expected to find it in Pennsylvania. All of our energy went into finding a place to live in a city we'd never even seen, and spending as much time with our friends and family as humanly possible (included in this was a night of re-living high school at a NOFX/Anti-Flag show and having the greatest time ever). It didn't seem real, and I admit that I shut out blogging a little. After so many close calls with job interviews, I felt like I was walking on eggshells with this news. That if I talked about it, everything would be taken away. So, that's why I dissappeared a little in October, and the explanation for the hinting tweets, etc. Thanks for sticking with me.

November

In November, we started settling into our new home of Pittsburgh. We explored parks and new places, and I started getting back into the habit of blogging again. Through my job, we started meeting new friends. We also spent our first holiday ever with just the two of us. Thanksgiving was the most perfect this year, with a hike, the Muppet Movie, and too much food.

December

And now it's December. We're still settling in to our new city, and think of New England probably too often. We traveled home for the holidays. And I found some new places to thrift. Life feels like it has slowed down a bit, but I know it's just because we're settling in.

I know that each year brings it's lessons, and this year's lesson was all about looking forward. There were times of panic, of being unsure of what the following day, week, or month would being. I started 2011 by giving myself an ultimatum, that I would either figure my life out, or else just go to trade school. I felt bleak at the beginning of 2011. The last few months of 2010 had been rough, I had been chewed up and spat out and I just wanted things to get easier or at least better. But the thing about ultimatums is: they're unrealistic. It's ridiculous to put a time-line on your life. Somehow the puzzle pieces started coming together though, and even the bad experiences that I'd had began to take new meaning and I noticed how those experiences contributed to the possibility of success. I hope I'm making sense. I guess I'm just glad that we kept looking forward and pushing forward.

I'm very interested to see what 2012 has in store for us. 2011, you were a real doozy, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Thanks for the memories.

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this blog, I have exciting plans for Orchid Grey in 2012, and I can't wait to have you all along for the ride! Please have a happy and safe New Years! See you next year (har har har).