out with the old...

 {via jeff rogers}

i returned to nyc earlier this week after a 10-day trip down south (south carolina for christmas and georgia for new year's) feeling renewed and ready to take on whatever 2012 brings my way. don't get me wrong, many wonderful things happened in 2011, but last year also had some low (maybe even super low) points.  to re-cap, here are my "highs, lows and uh-ohs" for yesteryear in no particular order:

highs
1) birth of my nephew jack
2) traveling cross-country/the world for work
3) a budding romance
4) an assortment of nyc visitors (jason/tj, ethan/john, sara and jean)
5) delightful musical endeavors (the dodos, beirut and dent may)
6) loved ones united in matrimony (cathryn/palmer, catherine/chad)

lows
1) my sweet friends katherine and victoria moved out of nyc
2) heartbreak twice over
3) moving from greenpoint (my beloved brooklyn hood) to a different neighborhood that shall remain nameless, and...
4) dealing with less than stellar/shady brokers 
5) getting into a scuffle with management over no heat last winter

uh-ohs
1) identity theft
2) uninvited guests showing up at our door at the wee hours of the morning
3) my sorta new suitcase losing a wheel mid travel season

so clearly the ups trumped the downs last year (phew!), which is always a plus. stay tuned for my list of resolutions for the new year...

our mansion in the sky

these treehouses (via apartment therapy) have inspired me to go back to my parents' house in south carolina and spruce up our own "mansion in the sky." i helped my dad build our treehouse when i was in seventh grade (even had my first kiss there! shhh don't tell my parents), but i honestly don't think i've stepped foot in it in over ten years. kind of sad to think about, really... anyways, i think it'd be a fun little project to tackle one weekend.