And what a year it was…

I have to be totally honest. I almost didn’t want to put this post together, mostly because 1) this year has been so full and amazing that the prospect of gathering all the photos to document it seemed pretty daunting; and 2) this year has been so full and amazing, that I kind of don’t think there’s a way that 2013 can top it. It’s almost sad to say goodbye to the last 365 days!

But, in the end, I’m glad I did this exercise. There were a few little things I’d almost forgotten about, and it’s kind of fun to share some of my favorite moments of 2012 with you. I know there are some of you who might have only started following my blog recently, so this will hopefully illustrate what a crazy rollercoaster 2012 has been — but in the absolute best way possible! Settle in with a cup of coffee (or, you know, a glass of Champagne…) and take a walk down memory lane with me–

01. // We got engaged on January 13. You can read a little bit about it here.

02 . // It’s embarrassing to admit, but I didn’t get an iPhone until March of this year. I loved that gold chrome case (in fact, I just picked up a new one in this rosy hue)

03. // Left my job in February and launched Vivaleur. Am so grateful, blessed, and honored that the business thrived this year. And PS – a new Vivaleur site and another little surprise associated with it will be launching very soon!

04 . // Had a mini engagement weekend celebration with college friends in LA.

05 . // I am still obsessed with the dress I got married in.

06 . // Took a trip to New York in May to hang out with everyone in town for Blog Fest.

07.  // Continued to forge amazing friendships with other bloggers. The best part about this crazy world is when online friends become real life ones. Who I actually have Skype happy hours with.

08. // Saw Evgeny Kissin play with the New York Philharmonic — and caught four of his encores! I’m so grateful to Stefan and Grace for inviting me to this!

09. // Spent two and a half weeks in France. Made the requisite visit to Paris again…

10. // And Aix en Provence…

11. // (where we shopped local markets and cooked a lot of ridiculous food in our rented apartment)

12. // And toured the Luberon…

13. // And ended the trip in St. Jean Cap Ferrat, in the south of France.

14. // It really did not suck.

15. // After months of apartment drama, we had to quickly move over the summer. I never ended up telling the full story of what happened, and at this point months later, just trust me when I say it was the opposite of St. Jean Cap Ferrat. In that it sucked. But, we are so happy that we were able to find a new home quickly (and with far less, um…unpredictable landlords).

16. // Plus, we like living downtown waaay more!

17. // The best part about working for yourself is being able to wear whatever the hell you want every day of the week. My past two jobs before I started my own business never allowed denim in the office. Yes, even on Fridays. I did everything I could to make up for lost time this year.

18. // This Lake Tahoe wedding was beyond scenic. True story I think I forgot to write about on the blog (for obvious reasons, actually): I had horrible food poisoning the day before we had to drive up there, and in the end, the weekend could not have gone better. Thank god Joe was around to nurse me back to health before the long road trip.

19. // I still think it’s ridiculous that I got to see Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka play in the U.S. Open. Like, what?

20. // Also, that I saw the Monique Lhuillier show. Also a WTF moment.

21. // 2012 was totally the year of the Bloody Mary. So weird, but before this year, I just did not love them. After this year? Totally obsessed. I don’t know who flipped the switch, but brunch has not been the same since.

22. // Two World Series championships in 3 years. We’ve lived in SF for just over 6. The city’s good luck charm? Probably.

23. // Had a girls getaway weekend slash bachelorette thing in Palm Springs. It was awesome.

24. // Natalie Bowen is the shit. If you live in SF and are getting hitched, you should probably hire her.

25. // We got married at the Penthouse at the Fairmont Hotel.

26. // It was a fantastic day! Ooh, also, I’ve gotten wedding photos back, and promise to be sharing some more in the new year!

27. // We jetted off to Cabo for a few days after the wedding for a minimoon. The plan is to take a longer vacay some time in 2013. Excited to see it on the recap NEXT year! :)

28. // France, Texas, New York (twice), Tahoe, Monterey, LA, Palm Springs…and some other places in between I’m sure. It was a good year for airline miles!

29. // Oh Lucy. How much I love you. So much. The sweetest little fur daughter I could have ever asked for.

30. // I grew up with real Christmas trees, but Joe did not. He insisted we get one this year, and it was awesome to have our first real, fragrant tree together!

31. // This weekend we went to see The Book of Mormon, which I’d been wanting to see since it debuted. It did not disappoint!!!

32. // We’ll be spending tonight and tomorrow in Napa. I can’t wait to ring in the new year with my little family and to toast to whatever it is that 2013 may bring our way!

And one last little thing: Thanks to all of you for another year of supporting vmac+cheese. It had long been a dream of mine to work for myself, and in all honesty, it would not have been possible without this blog. Which means it would not have been possible without YOU. So thank you for all your love and support, and for being a part of this journey. It means the world to me!

Hope your New Years Eve is hopeful, joyous, bright, sparkly, and fun! Cheers to 2013!!

{Image Credits: All images by Victoria McGinley for vmac+cheese}