HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A look back on 2011, an exciting year filled with travels, really fun firsts for me and lots of pictures!

January was a snowy lazy month. The kind where you get a bunch of projects done and plan for the upcoming ones.

In February we frolicked with friends in a blizzard that brought Chicago to a  halt. We had about ten FEET of snow some places! It was wild. We lost our bunny, Peter Jennings which was very difficult, but were wonderfully comforted by friends and kind strangers alike. That experience really made me appreciate all the friends I've made on the internets in 2011!

In March I embarked on a journey to the East Coast with Christopher and Trevor as they played their songs in The Wiitala Brothers. We saw some old friends and made some new ones. It was wonderful. That was an exciting month as we got a new little bunny, Seymour after losing Peter Jennings. I also had some Polaroids published in Elle Girl Korea! Very exciting to grace the pages alongside Whitney & Amanda!

In April I saw one of my best friends become a wife & was a bridesmaid. It's so different to attend a wedding and not be shooting it. I loved every minute. The wedding was beautiful and perfectly Tiffany & Todd. It's always fun to go back to Florida.

In May my Mom and I took a train trip to Washington DC to see my Polaroids exhibited (for the first time!). It was really fun and special. After DC I took a bus to NYC and played tourist. It was a great little trip. May was also our 3 year anniversary. We went to see Bill Cunningham NYC in a super cute tiny independent theatre here in Chicago. That movie was so inspirational and I'd been looking forward to seeing it for so long.

In June Christopher, my Mom and I packed ourselves in a blue Subaru and headed down to Florida for my cousins wedding. It was...an adventure...a very long drive. Florida was wonderful as always. We got back just in time to head down to work at the festival we work for every summer. It was the funnest time yet!

July brought joy in the form of my friend Daniela. She came all the way from Switzerland to hang! It was so fun to see her and to do fun summery things together. Sadly one of our bunnies, Zooey (he was our favorite!) died rather randomly. We still don't know just what happened and we miss him every day. On a nicer note I got to pal around with a photographer I'd long admired and was so happy to make a new girlfriend, Lindsay Josal.

In August I went back to Florida again to shoot another wedding. It was so quaint and wonderful. I shot my one and only pack of ID UV (thank you Juli!). We went to Hamtramck Michigan to visit Christopher's parents with my Mom, which was really fun. Always a relaxing time in Hamtramck. There's something so special about Detroit that I hope to explore more with my camera this year. I was also featured on Paul Giambarba's blog, which was truly an honor!

In September I met with New York again. This time on a girls trip with my Mom and Aunt. We did really really touristy things but it was so fun and my Aunts first time in NY!

I shot two great weddings in October. One in Florida and one near Asheville. It was so peaceful to be up in the mountains and the wedding was extremely special and cute! After my trip I decided to take the plunge and pursue wedding photography more seriously! I also got to catch up with my pal Israel who is a full fledged hippy mountain man. I was also featured on The Impossible Projects blog series- 8 Exposures- where they ask different photographers 8 questions. It was such a thrilling honor!

In November I made some wonderful new photography friends. I got to shoot a Tory Burch runway show at night in The Field Museum with the wonderfully talented Paul Octavious....with our iPhones! It was such a unique experience! I also turned thirty. Yikes!

December was a strange month. The holidays were stressful and we were met with some surprises around every corner it seems. Christopher gave me the gift of Ryan Adams for Christmas. It was amazing. I saw him play solo at a great theatre here in Chicago with my friend Nathan. Christmas never felt like Christmas for some reason but in a very neutral way.

It's been so refreshing to connect with creatives this year and to be so very inspired by friends! I am so thankful for the many friends I've gotten to know and spend time with this year both "online" and in real life. It's so fun to recap the year and all the wonderful things that have happened. Here's to a beautiful 2012!
XO