Looking Back on 2012

[First row, from left to right: DIY business card I made for my first professional conference. DIY red envelopes I made for my nephews and nieces. Love Park in Philadelphia, taken during my trip there last March. Second row, from left to right: Hello Kitty cup at Yogurtland during the summer Sanrio promotion. Me at my new job, comparing my scarf to a 1950s design book I reviewed. My sister and I after successfully completing the Safari Park Half Marathon.

[First row, from left to right: Me and Levitated Mass at LACMA during the summer. My cousin and two sisters after completing a relay at the California International Marathon in December.  The Color Run in August. Second row, from left to right: It's a Small World at Disneyland, all lit up during the holidays. A latte at Coffee Tomo in Los Angeles. The boy and I at his department holiday party.]

2012 marked a transformative period for me. I graduated (**wooohooooo!!!**,) switched jobs and careers, ran the most I have ever ran in my life in three races (a half marathon, a 5k, and 6 miles of a relay marathon,) started to dress like a grown up (pencil skirts at J. Crew Factory are awesome, who knew?,) and healed after a particularly hard 2011. 2012 personally rocked with good memories.

2013 promises to be filled with excitement, as I get to be part of some rewarding and monumental projects and spend more time getting healthier and spending time with the boy. On the horizon...

+ A trip to the Big Island and Oahu. This will be the first long vacation the boy and I are taking since our honeymoon back in 2010. We have our flights booked and lodging on the Big Island taken care of, now we just need to choose a hotel (or rental) in Oahu. Any suggestions for places to go, things to do, and people to see are welcome and appreciated!

+ I'm going to keep running! I signed up for the Safari Park Half Marathon again, and I've snagged some more runners to do it with me, including the boy, our friend, my other sister and cousin (I think? Those two need to sign up still!) and my wonderful mentor. We have a whole team of people, it's going to be so much fun!

+On a more general note, I'm trying hard not to spend so much money. I'm on a no clothes buying spree (6 weeks and counting) and it is HARD. I'm giving myself until March, which is when I'll allow myself some items for our Hawaii trip. Having three months without buying clothes is probably a piece of cake for most people who don't drool over shoes and jewel-toned handbags, but this is who I am. I like pretty things. Not buying them is difficult. Because of my no shopping spree, I've unsubscribed from all the usual suspects (ModCloth, J.Crew, Anthropologie,) so that my email isn't laced in temptation. Be gone bright skirts and cashmere cardigans!

Oh, 2013. We have so much to look forward to.

What does 2013 bring for you? What do you hope for in the new year?