.the first time around.

During the first inauguration of President Obama, Dave and I had just moved to Virginia 6 months prior. We considered going to the inauguration and see history being made, we highly considered it. Then I remembered that I HATE crowds.....A LOT! Crowds make me feel anxious and not like humanity much, so we figured for my sanity we probably shouldn't go. Instead we went on a spontaneous trip before I started school and work again. We threw some clothes and food into the car and drove towards "the hills".  We had no idea where we would end up....and that was the best part of it all!!

We ended up going to the Blue Ridge Mountains and spending time doing a little hiking and taking in the views. We found ourselves a hotel room and then continued our journey through the Shenandoah the next day. It was a great, unplanned trip that I reflect back on now while watching our president being inaugurated for the second time. 

.misty from chincoteague.

Last night I started reading the children's book Misty from Chinoteague. It's an older beloved book that many people have read, including my pops. As I'm starting the book it has taken me back to the trip Dave and I took to Chinoteague in 2011 to see the wild ponies. Having been to where the book takes place I can visualize exactly what the author is writing. It had me thinking about our trip and how beautiful and amazing it was.  Check out my post about our trip and learn more about the wild ponies of Chinoteague...here!

.it's cold outside...

It's cold outside. Period, the end. It has been warm lately in the 30's, so dropping about 20 degrees over night just isn't right, mother nature, it's just not right.  So to help myself warm up a bit, I started thinking about what I was doing one year ago.

On January 12, 2012 my dad, Dave, and I were packing up all our items to leave the lovely town of Newcastle. My dad was going back to the states and Dave and I were going traveling for 3 weeks. We packed our bags and walked around all the spots we loved in Newcastle. The sun was shining and everything was warm and beautiful.

.our street corner. 

.we had one last fish and chips from Scotties and ate it at the beach. 

Oh, what I wouldn't give to be in the sunshine and beach of Australia again!!

.2012 books.

Here is the whole list of ALL the books I read in 2012!  I have highlighted my top ten books and linked them to amazon, this way you can read more about it and hopefully want to read it too!!

No Country For Old Men: Cormac McCarthy
The Ten Year Nap: Meg Wolitzer
Of Bees and Mist: Erick Setiawan
Deadly Decisions: Kathy ReichsL
Angela's Ashes: Frank McCourt
The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins
One Day: Nicholas Day
Catching Fire: Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay: Suzanne Collins
Meet Josefina: Valerie Tripp
The Book Thief: Markus Zusak
We Are All Equally Far From Love: Adania Shibli
Little Princes: Conor Grennan
Warrior of the Light:  Paulo Coelho
The Girl's Guide to Homelessness: Brianna Karp
Room: Emma Donoghue
Skinny: Diana Spechler
The Lucky One: Nicholas Spark
I've Got Your Number: Sophie Kinsella
It Looked Different On the Model: Laurie Notaro
The Genie and Joe Maloney: Anita Feagles
Run Like A Girl: How Strong Women Make Happy Lives: Mina Samuels
New Owner's Guide to Bulldogs: Hank & Card Williams
Weird Sisters: Eleanor Brown
Virgin Suicides: Jeffery Eugenides
Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me: Various 
Nickel & Dimed: Barbara Ehrenreich
Yiddish with Dick and Jane: Ellis Weiner
Still Mostly True: Brian Andreas
The Lost Continent: Bill Bryson
Through No Fault of My Own: Fesler Lampert
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Mindy Kaling
Geek Love: Katherine Dunn
Jemima J: Jane Green
Mostly True: Brian Andreas
A Wrinkle in Time: Madeleine L'Engle
On The Bright-side, I'm No Longer The Girlfriend of a Sex God: Louise Rennison
Edgar Allan: John Neufeld
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children: Ransom Riggs
Bright Lights, Big Ass: Jen Lancaster
My Fair Lazy: Jen Lancaster
Evil Genius: Catherine Jinx
Genius Squad: Catherine Jinx
Genius Wars: Catherine Jinx
Sadako and 1,000 Paper Cranes: Eleanor Coerr
Coraline: Neil Gaiman
Pippi Longstocking:  Astrid Lindgren
The Little Prince: Antoine de Saint Exupery
Was She Pretty?: Leanne Shapton
The Reformed Vampire Support Group: Catherine Jinx
If You Were Here: Jen Lancaster
Balzac & The Little Chinese Seamstress: Dai Sijle

WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE BOOKS THIS YEAR?

.a place to lay your head.

We all need a place to lay our sweet little heads...

Maggie..she has more than just one place to lay her (heavy) head. 

.my top 10 albums of 2012.

I'm a HUGE music fan and I thought it would be fun to do a little top ten list of my favorite albums. Not only did I love these albums Dave and I were able to see about half of these artists live in 2012 as well!! Anyways, let's get done with the small talk and right into the list:


10. Night Visions: Imagine Dragons
9. A Joyful Noise: Gossip
8. Hospitality: Hospitality
7. The Carpenter: Avett Brothers
6. Cynic's New Year: Horse Feathers
5. The Only Place: Best Coast
4. Bable: Mumford and Sons
3. My Head Is An Animal: Of Monsters and Men
2. Blunderbuss: Jack White
1. The Lumineers: The Lumineers 

Have you heard any of these albums or artists? If not it's your lucky day! I've created a playlist with a song from each of the ten albums to give you a little taste.  ENJOY!

.2012 in 12 photos.