this photo isn't from NYE, but, close enough. (it was from pete's work Xmas party back on dec. 10th.)

i have been around, but busy. i also got an iPad and that derailed my blogging big time...went into deep media digestion mode and created virtually nothing in a virtual sense. pinterest and Flickr efforts excepted.

it was a crazy year, full of a tremendous amount of change. good change (moving, poppy growing up and getting potty trained (!), and starting at a new preschool), and bad change (health problems, peter's dad passing away, etc.).

but overall, the year ended on a good note, i would say.

-poppy's new school is great. very urban and forward-thinking, as well as kind of hip. her head teacher has pink hair! they even make a point to serve them healthy organic food and emphasize environmentalism, which is a nice touch. she's going 5 mornings a week and seems to love it. yay!

-poppy's school is about a mile away. i usually walk back home after dropping her off, and walk back over to pick her up. lately i've been taking the stroller with me to pick her up so i can walk us home too, so I get about a 3 mile walk in each school day. hooray for exercise! i need it, as it's been a non stop sweets and candy fest around here since Halloween...(maybe you can relate???)

-while poppy is at school, i usually head home to sew. i've been getting into quilting, big time. i made my parents a large quilt for Xmas, and also finished one baby quilt (for my newest niece marabel, born mid-dec), as well as a full size red and white zig zag quilt, which now resides on our bed. i've also finished multitudinous quilt tops in the past little while and have more ideas and quilts in the queue.

-on a quilt related note, i joined the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild in dec and met a fabulous group of ladies there...including one famous quilter, jacquie, who lives in my building. she and i have even gotten together a couple times since at her place to chat and sew. she's amazing. so happy to make a friend here, especially one as nice as jacquie, and especially one who sews/quilts!

-i signed up for a fabric silk screening class, it starts next week, and runs for ten weeks. so excited!

i'm off to do some sewing RIGHT NOW. a perfect way to start the new year. while i sew i plan to ponder my goals for 2012. still formulating plans. *smile*

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what have you been up to? i've missed you. :)