2012 obsessions

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2012 has been an interesting year filled with ups and downs and many, many changes. While I can't believe the year is already over, I'm looking forward to 2013. But before the clocks strike midnight, I definitely want to review my favorite things from this past year! 

IN REAL LIFE

1. My 90s themed 25th Birthday party. I turned 25 in February and I decided to throw myself a 90s themed birthday party to celebrate! I am a total 90s kid at heart and I thought it would be so fun to enter into the quarter-life reliving my the decade I grew up in. Everyone dressed up in 90s outfits, danced to 90s tunes all night, decorated the apartment with old Backstreet Boy posters, ate 90s candy, and had Saved by the Bell playing in the background! It was a total blast and we even had security called on us! Success!

2. One Year Wedding Anniversary. In June, my husband and I celebrated one year of marital bliss! Marriage has been quite the journey and the first year was definitely a time of adjustment and learning how to merge our lives together. I honestly feel like we hit our stride after our first year and now I think we function as a couple better than ever. 

It was so fun reminiscing about our special day. We looked through our wedding pictures and watched videos from our ceremony and reception. I loved our wedding and it's still so surreal that it was over a year ago! To celebrate we took two trips: one to the wine country in Sonoma Valley and one to Vegas! Both trips were so fun and romantic. I couldn't have asked for a better celebration of one wonderful year married to my best friend!

 

3. Travel. Besides Sonoma Valley and Vegas, we were able to take several local trips. We love to travel together and living in California gives a lot of opportunity for being adventurous. This year we went to Joshua Tree National Park, Santa Barbara, Zion National Park, and Catalina Island. In 2013 I'm looking forward to traveling internationally to Berlin, Germany to visit my sister for a week while she studies abroad! Wohoo! 

4. Getting Inked...Again. I got my second tattoo in May. I had been thinking about it for awhile and decided to just take the plunge! It is a simple ampersand on my wrist and I wrote about the meaning behind it here. I absolutely love it and I already want another one! 

5. My husband being awesome. One of the best things about being married is watching your spouse grow as a person. It's been amazing to see the ways my husband has become an even better person over the years (he already started out so wonderful!). In October, I was so proud to watch him achieve two of his goals: receive his undergraduate degree and complete a half-marathon! I see him more confident, more disciplined, and just happier than he's ever been. October was a good month that saw him reach his dreams and inspire so many people around him. I am just so so so proud of the man he is and I am so lucky to call myself his wife. 

6. Weddings Weddings Weddings! My husband and I attended five beautiful weddings this year and in October I was in a wedding for the first time! I loved being a bridesmaid and I can't wait to do it again in February 2013! I'm so happy for my dear friends who said "I Do" and I wish them nothing but happiness and love!  

7. House Hunting. Earlier this month my husband and I started the exciting and exhausting process of searching for a house to buy! It's already been such an emotional and tiring process and it's only been a few weeks! But we have faith that the right house is out there for us and we feel so blessed to be on this journey. So wish us luck as we navigate the house hunting process in 2013 and find the house that we will one day call home!

ON THE BLOG

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to all my lovely readers. This year saw my readership grow in ways I couldn't even imagine! I'm SO THANKFUL for every single person who has read one of my blog posts. I use this blog to work through the things I'm learning every day and it's great to have such loyal readers along for the ride! I hope that I help inspire, challenge, encourage, or just make you smile! Your feedback has been invaluable, so keep it coming!

My blog has come a long way since I first started. In October I celebrated my blog's first birthday and earlier in December I typed up my 100th blog post! I've participated in synchroblogs and blog carnivals. I've had the chance to write for other blogs and websites and even had some amazing bloggers return the favor! I've made some great blogging friends who have become such a source of virtual encouragement and light. 

I started some new series on my blog this year: Lessons From a Newlywed, Grub with the Hubs, monthly Obsessions, and joined Christie from Bedsidesign for Dates on the Cheap. I also continued my Fabulous & Free series which highlights my favorite things to do in Los Angeles for free. 

When you blog, you never really know which posts are going to really connect with people. Sometimes I'm surprised by which posts are the most popular! I write from my heart with every blog post, and it's very rewarding when I know other people can resonate with something I've written. But in 2012, some of the most read posts on my blog weren't even written by me, but by some of my guest posters! 

5 Most Popular Posts of 2012

5.  guest post | sarah quezada - why i am raising a bicultural kid

4. guest post | randi riggs - why unconditional love & marriage don't mix 

3. a love letter to my body

2. wedding guest etiquette 101  

1. the privilege of denial

2012 had a lot of highlights, both in real life and in blogging. The year didn't come without its challenges, but overall I can look back over the last 12 months and see why things happened for a reason and how even through the tough times I've grown as a person. I welcome 2013 with open eyes and an open heart. Next year, this blog will continue to chronicle all of my new adventures and of course, all things beautiful.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!