Goodbye 2008, Happy 2009!

I can't believe that 2008 is over... it flew by, but I'm actually pretty glad that it is gone, done and over with. There were some really bad times and I'm looking forward to 2009 with the hope that it will be wonderful! Of course, there were some great times in 2008, and some new things tried (it definitely wasn't ALL bad), and I wanted to go through and post all the good things that were accomplished in the last year (thanks Yarndancer for the idea!)... and yes some of it will incorporate pictures as I love me some pictures!

- I got to visit my family in Brazil and spend some relaxing days in beautiful Bahia.



- We went to Europe for the first time in my life and got to visit beautiful Romania (first pic) and gorgeous Paris (second pic)!





- I got married and it was an absolutely wonderful day! Seriously, I know it's cliche, but it was the best day of my life so far and DH and I were so lucky to be able to have that. We're looking forward to topping it, though! :) The picture below is one of our favorites from the professional photographer's blog... our completed and enhanced pictures should be done by the weekend, and I'm really looking forward to seeing that!



- Our honeymoon in French Polynesia was so wonderful and relaxing, we loved every minute of it!



- I knitted more than I have ever knitted in all my years of knitting, LOL! I only finished 12 projects, but I was very happy to be able to do even that considering that I really didn't get back into it until later in the year. I even learned to crochet for the borders of two different patterns! Very proud of that one. :)



- I practiced my photography and am really happy with how much I've improved during the year and hope to become much much better in 2009!



- I sold one of my photographs as a print and hope to do some photography eventually on the side... maybe.



- At work, I have re-focused myself and got more accomplished in my project than before. Hopefully I'll graduate in 2 years now! :D Sorry, no picture for that one, haha!

I think I accomplished and did quite a bit, though I hope that 2009 holds lots and lots more great things for us! For this upcoming year, I am resolved to do a LOT more knitting, to do a lot of work on my research and hopefully get published, to get Kubrick a little puppy brother (it's in the works!), to run a 10K (DH and I WILL do this), to take lots and lots of pictures, to go to Brazil with DH so he can meet my family there, and most of all to have a wonderful first year of marriage with DH! I think I can accomplish all of this, or at least I'll try my hardest!!!

The new year is already beginning well as one of my pictures of my beautiful dog, Kubrick, was chosen for the Havanese Forum calendar! It doesn't take a professional to get a picture in there or anything, but I'm still happy that one was chosen. This picture was taken at Kubrick's 1-year birthday last year (April 30th, to be exact), and since he is my #1 photo subject, it makes sense to end this post and to begin this year with the picture that made it into the calendar!



What are you all wishing for and what have you accomplished? Hope everything you want to accomplish in 2009 will be done!

Officially married

We finally got our marriage certificate in the mail today! Exactly 2 months and 1 day after the wedding date. Even though I had to call to "remind" them about the fact that we hadn't received the license, I am excited anyway. Now onto name changing (I hyphenated), which should suck as I have to hit the Social Security and the DMV which are both notoriously slow at getting ANYTHING done. We'll see how long I stand in line... I'll make sure to take my knitting with me.

I have decided that I would really love to knit at least 80% of my Christmas gifts this year. However, starting so late, I'm not sure how much of that I will actually be able to do. Hopefully enough so that I don't feel like a complete slacker, as I often do with knitting! I think I will make socks for my stepdad, perhaps a shawl for my mom, a sweater dress for my sister (luckily she's very skinny, so she'll fit into the Twinkle patterns, LOL), a hat for hubby, a hoodie for the nephew, and I have no idea what else for my cousins, the in laws and friends. Not sure if I can finish even half of these projects, but I'll try! I have the hoodie well on its way and really all I have left to do is sew it up and man do I hate doing that! Anyone else just can't stand finishing things? I love the knitting part but sewing is just NO fun.

I'll finish this post with a picture of one of my last FO's (finished objects for those non-knitters). I will probably be leaving every post with a picture as I really am photo-obsessed. :)

This was a tank top made from the awesome book And So To Bed. It's supposed to be a PJ, but really, I think it's too cute to be worn to bed! I gave it to my friend's daughter but she also has a new baby, so I'm sure I won't get a pic of her wearing it for a while. I really loved how it turned out and it was the first time I ever crocheted anything in my life (the border is crochet) and I found it not so hard... much easier than knitting for sure!