Memories, Dreams and Reflections 2011

Well, if I scheduled this right, I'm still out celebrating the New Year! I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to 2012! Last year, Ashley started Memories, Dreams and Reflections, which is a great way to look back at the past year. Here are my 25 pictures from 2011: 

 

Me

A quick peek back at my pictures show that I am always in these sunglasses! I remember feeling particularly good about my hair and makeup the day this picture was taken :)

I Love You

I love my boyfriend AJ. We moved to Chicago together in 2011, and I couldn't be happier. This is one of my favorite pictures of him (although I don't know if he would agree!) but I love it because we had such a fun day when this picture was taken. AJ and I went to the DMV (not so fun!) but then we rented bikes by the parks and biked home, all while getting a great tour of Chicago. It turned into quite the adventure when the bike drop off by our apartment was closed, and we ended up on the other side of Lincoln Park, but there is no one else I would rather go on an adventure with, whether it be biking around Chicago, or moving across the country!

Still Laughing...

In July, my friend Allie and I went to Ikea out in the suburbs, and dragged the four boxes that make up this bookcase back to her apartment in the city. It was crazy, but we managed to get the boxes all piled up on a hotel cart and out of the parking garage. Then it was time to cross the street, I was so happy when our "Ikea angel" stopped and helped us get the boxes across the street and up the curb on the other side! Once we wrestled the boxes upstairs, we still had to make the whole book case!
I'm not sure what happened to our normally normal brains, but almost every line was met with "That's what she said!" and a new fit of giggles! Up until the very last piece - it just wouldn't go in! We tried pushing it in with our whole bodies, hitting it, even using a rubber mallet. Finally, we just started kicking the sides - and it worked! We still laugh about how Michael Scott our jokes got, how frustrated we got at that last bit, and how our ridiculous solution actually worked!
Every time I am at her apartment, I feel the need to tell everyone that we made that bookcase - by ourselves, while our boyfriends were at work!

Birthday

Birthdays mean lots of cakes and goodies!

Friends

I am so lucky to find such a wonderful group of friends here in Chicago!

I Was Inspired...

 I woke up super early while I was on LBI, and decided to take pictures of the sunrise. I saw my footprint in one picture, and was inspired to run up and down the beach to get my footprints in a picture to use with this poem.

Spring Fever

Nothing says spring little pretty yellow flowers!

Travel or Vacation

Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore (but nothing at all like the show!), our family vacation spot for the last sixteen years!

Summer Days

Summer days means boogie boarding on the Jersey Shore.

A Day in My Life

I spend a lot of time in my kitchen every day! This is my island where I keep the snacks, and the wine, and the menu for the week. There is always a lot of chicken on the menu!

All Smiles

Tommy and all of his friends the night before his college graduation.

Autumn Harvest

My brother attempting to climb a tree on a cold, gray autumn day!

Family or Home

My parents bought a second home out east on Long Island. Its so pretty out there, and its surrounded by vineyards. I can't wait to go out there this summer and tour the vineyards :)

Celebrate!

My brother's college graduation!

Let's Do It Again

I loved being outside in the city this summer. We walked everywhere, and one of my favorites was bike riding through Lincoln Park. I can't wait for it to get warm so we can do it again!

I Miss You

I love living in Chicago, but I miss hanging out as a whole family.

Beautiful

State Street :)

Dress Up

My mom and me all dressed up for my aunt's wedding.

Macro

A very pretty rose from AJ!

Holidays

This is my favorite picture that I took over Christmas. I actually took it on Christmas day with my new camera :)

My Favorite

This is one of my favorite pictures from this year. AJ's friends came for a visit, and we walked all over Chicago to see the city. We were looking for "The Beam", and found a large theater with all these beam looking structures, then we turned around to see what everyone else in the park was looking at, and saw The Bean. I'm so glad we figured out what we were really looking for, because I love the shots I got there!

Don't Ever Change

Ben :)

Just Because...So There!

Hopes and Dreams

I bought these jeans in 2010, over the summer (when they fit) and planned to wear them in the fall. Then they didn't fit anymore. My goal for 2012 is to get back into these jeans!

Click here to check out more memories, dreams and reflections on 2011: