2012 in Review

Really quick (well, by quick I mean long), before diving into 2013, I want to revisit the last 12 months :) 2012 was a good year, full of challenges and triumphs, delicious food and adventures. I want to remember everything 2012 taught me and then barge straight ahead into 2013!

JANUARY

The first picture of 2012! I was about to make fried rice, mmm

In January I started my second quarter of grad school, and quit my job at Northstar Cafe. While I met some great people and ate a lot of awesome free food there, the job took up too much of my time and made me miserable. Needless to say, being a waitress is not up my alley, unless I'm serving coffee only.

Homemade sauerkraut

I also began experimenting with making funky foods at home, like almond milk and sauerkraut. The almond milk was great!  The kraut (above) was good, but way too garlicky.  (Sadface. This may have had something to do with me adding way more garlic than I should have, because I generally love at and believe there's no such thing as too much. Lesson learned!)

I prettied up my apartment with some paperwhites and other new houseplants.

 I made some fun and goofy new friends with Ben,

and cooked lots of yummy foodz!

FEBRUARY
In February I kept cooking new and delicious things, mostly pastas with veggies.

Spicy brown butter fettucine with asparagus.

 I began working regular weekends at the Winter Farmer's Market selling apples, a job I continue to work today.

Jam!

We had an unexpectedly warm winter, and tree buds began showing up this month.

On my mom's birthday (the 18th), we went to the Columbus Zoo and saw the new polar bears!

MARCH
March was beautiful and fun! Flowers started appearing:

Periwinkle

And I hung out with these ever-so-goofy boys.

Sumo-wrestling, duh.

 More deliciousness was to be had:

As well as much needed spring outside-time on my balcony!

Flowers suddenly began cropping up everywhere.

And then it was Ben's birthday...

Ceremonial cheesecake

 And two days later, Adry's!

Goofball. The big oh-four. :)

A few days later, my beloved grandpa passed away. God rest you, you merry old gentleman :)

APRIL
I started off April with some fancy-pants coffee at Stauf's.

 And began planting seeds for my balcony garden!

 My dog morphed into an Easter bunny:

 And I spent some fun evenings with girlfranz!

 I tried not to let Adry eat TOO many dandelions while I babysat him.

Just kidding- he's trying to blow the fuzz off :)

 And I made more yummy noms.

Bacon wrapped dates for book club!

In just a couple of short weeks, my seeds began growing into Little-Shop-of-Horrors style monsters!

MAY
In May, the Friday night wine tastings that my mom hosts started!

Mmm, bubbly + pepperoni + sausage.

 I made a new squirrel friend.

(outside the screen, haha)

 My dog and mom were super cute.

And I found my new favorite lunch/dinner! Avocado and tomato on an English muffin.

And, you know, wine.

I celebrated my 23rd birthday on May 21st by moving all my herb and flower pots outside!

JUNE
In June, my first year of grad school ended, woo!

This little monster joined the boys around the corner :)

Baby Zombie!

My garden became a veritable rainforest of herbs and flowers!

 I found an ironic pot :)

 And Jim was just way too cool.

JULY
In July, my family took our annual 4th of July trip to Northern Michigan.

The view from our little cabin.

A few of the books I brought. Yep.

Ice cream! Also what's up, freckles?

The lazy Platte River

Aand my little namesake :) just kidding, but his name's Sammy and all week, we bantered back and forth: "you're Sam!" "YOU're Sam!!" Stinkin' adorable.

Redneck yacht club at the sandbar. :)

Happy 4th of July!

When we got home, I met John Glenn!

The man himself, on his 91st birthday.

...we saw an amazing sunset in Grandview.

 ...and went to the Ohio State Fair!

'Nuff said.

AUGUST

The day after eating ridiculous amounts of fried food at the Fair, I started running.

Non-makeup-ed, sweaty, tired excited mess after my first day of Couch-to-5K

 My little brother moved into his very first place on his own! (i.e. not a dorm.)

Six of them live here. SIX.

Ben, Jeremy and I took a mini-road-trip out to Prospect Place, a purportedly haunted estate outside Columbus.

...and we had lots of fires on my mom's beautiful patio.

In August, my second year of grad school started. OSU switched to semesters, and I had no idea what I was in for. Hello, stress!

SEPTEMBER
This month, fall started showing up...

 And I walked the dog in the rain!

 I started making cookies...

 ...lots of cookies.

I also started a long stretch of dog-sitting for this adorable little guy.

Gunther!

 And took a trip to the Columbus Zoo to see my favorite animal, the okapi!

 The Farmer's Market began it's late summer transition, full of sunflowers and apples and cider.

 And my dog was still being a goof.

 Yay fall!

OCTOBER
In October, my mom and I went to our annual OSU football game. 12 and 0, baby!!

 I moved some of my garden inside.

 Zombie was unstoppably cute:

 And my mom had my back when school got stressful.

 We enjoyed the last wine tasting of the season!

(They switched glasses, haha)

 And Ben and I made some AWESOME Halloween costumes.

By costume, I do mean mask. But how cool?!

NOVEMBER
In November, it got cold. I finally started doing some schoolwork that was assigned at the beginning of the semester and was due at the end (oops).

The Oval

The Farmer's Market moved inside. Also, note the new mug! I found a new favorite coffee place.

Pretty leaves.

 I had some good beers at some fun places:

 And I discovered the joy of buying used clothes on Instagram (my poor bank account!)

 We had Thanksgiving at my mom's house this year, and it was amazing. My contribution? Roasted sweet potatoes and onions!

At the end of the month, I finally got the tattoo I'd been wanting for a while to remember my grandpa by. A quote from a letter he left me:

This was also a way to congratulate myself on completing (finally) Couch-to-5K! I can now run a 5K pretty easily about 3 times a week :)

DECEMBER
In December, I was running one morning and saw a hawk land in a tree about eight feet away from my face, haha. I love running in the mornings. Fall semester finally ended after what seemed like a lifetime, and I got a teeny cold that derailed me from running... but hey, what's winter break for if not being lazy and eating like a grizzly bear preparing for hibernation?

 We put up a Christmas tree at my mom's house.

 ...and I reminisced about holidays past. Needless to say, I wasn't a big fan of the Santas on whose laps kids sit.

Most fake smile ever. See me clutching my necklace, white knuckled?! Aww. :)

 I put up a Christmas tree at my place!

 And after Christmas, it SNOWED!!

The dogs loved it.

And then we celebrated New Year's Eve! Woo, a new year! I love the turn of the year, it's always a big celebration full of reflection and excitement and resolutions and champagne. What could be better? :)

Mom, Jim and Christy

Mom and me :)

Sorry for the mega close-up, Ben! :) Ben, Loretta and Dave.

So, there you have it. A wayyy too long recap of 2012. I'm sure I forgot tons of things. But hey, I'm looking ahead now. In 2013 I will be getting my Master's degree, hopefully finding my first full-time career-oriented job, and getting into still better shape by continuing to run and lift and eat delicious and kind-of-healthy foods! (My resolutions are pretty classic this year, ha.) I'm also hoping to blog more regularly, and find some fun weekly features to put on here!

*Sigh* only four more days of winter break. I'm off to enjoy them!

--Sammie