Looking back, and forward (Part 1)

As I mentioned in my little post about Time, I had a LOT going on in 2011. Back on NYE 2010/11 I went through my iPhone diary and every month had something so exciting to look forward to, and I do love a little Year in Review on New Year’s Eve. So here you go…

 

2011 in brief

• I had some exciting guest post opportunities with some lovely wedding and lifestyle blogs. I was rather proud of myself. I only hope I get to do more and more as time goes on! Check out my self promotion here

I was rather pleased with some of my summer outfits and winter ones

I did some serious stamp collecting in my passport. A trip to Rio for carnival kicked off the year, completing my goal of visiting every continent before turning 30, followed by a grand tour of Europe over the rest of the year with trips to Paris, Lake Como, Budapest, Istanbul, Athens and Santorini, not forgetting some trips in the UK with weekend breaks to Bath, the Cotswolds and Knebworth.

An abundance of special birthdays - 18ths, 21sts, 30ths, 60ths... and there are more to come. Hooray!

January (a particularly Australian-themed month)

 

•  My birthday! Australia gets particularly excited about it and gives the whole country the day off on the anniversary of my birth…
• Also about eight other birthdays, so this was a month full of parties. One particular birthday was my baby sister-in-law turning 18. Special indeed!
• Oh, and Katie Jane popped in, from Australia, to celebrate Lucy’s big day
• Our family friends also popped in, again from Australia, so we could meet their baby boy Oscar. He’s too cute!

February (some detox downtime)

• Engagement parties and Valentine's Day. Love is truly in the air!

March (the biggest party on Earth)

• Carnival in RIO baby! IT.ROCKED.MY.WORLD (but broke my body)
• Murder mystery birthday parties (themed on a wedding...heaven)
• A gorgeous baby girl got christened.
• Essex Fashion Week - totally chavtastic but I loved it! My first taste of the TOWIE world!

April (more party time)

• Easter - celebrating Jesus' the ever living with chocolate and lay ins! Go organised religion.
• A zillion bank holidays and birthdays (just like lambing season!)
• THE ROYAL WEDDING!!!! www.mademyyear.com. We had a big old party at my parents’… afternoon tea, vintage china, big hats, flags and bunting. So much fun!

May (getting started)

• Family wine tasting at Vinopolis
• More bank holidays
• And more special birthday parties
• One of my besties came home from travelling. Yayness
• I started my blog. My very own little blog. A lovely little project that, so far, I’m rather chuffed with.

June (my tour of Europe commences)

• Trashing the Dress/Rocking the Frock/Getting Down in the Gown in London Town (check it out here) Thank you Jasmine Jade Photography!
• The Mother Ship turned 60 and en masse the Hale-Griffith-Harveys whizzed off to Paris pour le Weekend. Mais oui mais oui. Ladauree Macaroon anyone?
• A gorgeous London hen day with afternoon tea, treasure hunts, rooftop champagne and bistro dinner. Lovely. I dedicated this post to the very special Bride.

July (wedding season starts)

• Take That made a million girls/mums/grans cry. But I was not one of them.
• A wedding in the Cotswolds, however, made me sob buckets. For days! A great day Liz and Tom. I heart your style.
• The Duke of Essex Polo – I got my fake tan and legs out to re-acquaint myself with the TOWIE crew. (I was also secretly hoping some MIC crew would slum it and show up so I could meet them too, and so I overcame my aversion and fell in love with TOWIE's reality/unreality TV competitor)
• I said some emotional goodbyes to Harry, Hermione and Ron. Totes emosh.
• But most importantly, this month - Blue Baby Sones arrived (aka Luke Thomas Sones). He's my god daughter's Baby Bro, my bestie's second child, he was much awaited and longed-for. He's such a little dude! (also, he almost shares a birthday with Ollie, my other little mate - good timing Kim and Caroline!)

August (even more party time)

• No carbs before Como - the Matthanach Nuptials. A gorgeous weekend in the Italian lakes with great food, great friends and great scenery. Great Times. Except for the Limoncello. That was less great...
• The Hale-Davis clan take over Knebworth for Robert and Em's wedding. More great times (aside from the riots causing a disappointing lack of sleep). Also the last of my wedding outfits went on show!
• Chelmsford chucks a massive party - V Fest. Named after me! Fanks. This year however, we didn’t bother attending. All of a sudden I felt too old.
• Lots of east London Goodtimes for more birthdays and another bestie flew home from travelling. Girls re-united. So happy!

September (more stamp collecting)

• The Hale-Griffith-Harvey tribe made like the Romans and invaded Istanbul, Athens and Santorini (may require fact checking with Baby Bro). A fortnight full of antiquities, cocktails, sunshine, amazing sunsets and my family (minus a few faces that had to stay home)
• 24 months since the joining of me and the mister... we're doing well! 
• Kim turned 30 – we celebrated in style, with LOTS of cake!

October (crazy-good weather)

• Fancy dress central with more 30th birthdays, a 21^st birthday and a Bug-tastic hen do in Bath
• AUTUMN TELLY SCHEDULE! Staying in is the new going out, although, the weather was so lovely there was lots of going out as well.

November (or should I say Mo-vember)

• More afternoon tea with the girls, a bit of Burlesque at Proud Cabaret with my work girlies (amonst other nights out) and some grown up, coupley dinners and speakeasy cocktails.
• Mr G grew a Mo for Movember. hmmmmm
• And then let the X Factor/Strictly live show parties/pyjama nights in begin...

December (let the festivities begin)

• A reunion with the Como Chicas got me thinking about holidays again...
• ...so it was lucky I had a foggy, but festive trip to Budapest with the girls planned.
• Of course there was the usual Christmas countdown and Christmas celebrations (during which I received some outstandingly lovely gifts)
• Mr G and I get to spend our first NYE together for years
• Planning began for mine and Lucy’s 30th BIRTHDAY PARTY!!!

And so what does 2012 have in store?

• The 30^th birthday party year continues – including my own celebration and Mr G’s.
• The Mr and I will move house. We will we will we will.
• A two week road trip on the west coast of the USA is almost finalised. Schweeeeeeeet!
• Four weddings, and counting, in some fabulous places – Ireland, Blenheim Palace and a some great memories will be re-lived as I return to the setting of mine and Kim’s big days. Fingers crossed for no funerals.
• The Diamond Jubilee – cause for a party and some red white and blue theming?
• The Olympics – well, it’d be rude not to re-use all the red, white and blue flags and bunting…
• I’m hoping for another girlie weekend break and possibly a weekend away with the Mr after a hard summer of Olympic overtime.
• 
  
  More special cocktails with special people!

And then who knows… watch this space!

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you enjoyed 2011 as much as I did and that you also have some wonderful things to look forward to over the coming months.

Wishing you all health, wealth and happiness for 2012

xoxo