Without further adieu :

We adventured over the river and through the tunnel into Brooklyn, for an amazing lunch at Marlow & Sons.  Walking around Williamsburg reminded me of Portland, but apparently mentioning the similiarities is offensive.

I cut about seven inches off of my hair, got some fringe, and continued on my path to red.  My hair had reached crazy lady length and I am glad to be rid of half of it.  Thank you so much Robbie at Damian West!!

The Move is happening one week from today.  Our apartment is currently a labyrinth of boxes and stacks of things to donate or sell.

Chloe & I learned that Doc Marten’s are no longer all that awesome, which is unfortunate, since she had to buy a new pair.

Chicken had a catnip party.

 Yes, it totally is.

And lest we forget :

• Ryan surprising me with roses on one cold afternoon for no reason at all.
• Getting matching Marc Jacob wishbone necklaces with Chloe.
• Discovering the most delicious burger of all time because of How I Met Your Mother.
• Having multiple going away dinners and lunches with family and friends.
• Knowing that this time next week I’ll be in my new city, and I swear I’m not freaking out at all about it (maybe just a little).
• Participating in the January Photo a Day challenge on Instagram.
• The Tarot Deck scented candle I bought for our new place at Catbird NYC.

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1. A Bit More Than a Week in Photos
2. Week in Photos : Instacheat

2011 didn’t seem so exciting or major to me while it was happening, but now, in retrospect, it really was.  I spent the year living in New York City with my wonderful husband, Ryan, and Chicken the Hairless Wonder Cat, working in a bar in Chelsea, not really paying attention to my old hobbies – I barely picked up my SLR all year, never updated this site, and didn’t devote as much time as I used to Haute Macabre.  Another year past where I still can’t take a self-portrait that isn’t looking into the mirror with my phone – how the hell do you girls do it?!

Last January, Ryan and I went to New Orleans for the first time.  We were instantly magically-love-at-first-sight smitten with the city. It felt like home, in a way that New York never has for me.  After the first trip, we returned twice more.  We made new friends, found new bars and restaurants that we love, explored the city, rode the streetcar up and down St. Charles Ave, got absolutely drenched in a storm while we were running across the French Quarter, and had more fun than I could really describe (except for the one night we discovered my allergy meds didn’t mix well with gin!).

One night in November, Ryan got home from work at about 5:30 in the morning, after an incredibly long night behind his bar, woke me up, and said “Let’s just move”.  I blearily said sure, fell back asleep, and started apartment hunting the next morning.  We move into our new home in our new city in just FIFTEEN DAYS!!

New Orleans :: Los Angeles :: Mexico :: Atlantic City

For our second anniversary, Ryan & I spent a very rainy week in Mexico, proving my theory that at any time, anywhere in the world, episodes of Law & Order SVU are going to be airing on TV in whatever language you speak.  I went to Los Angeles in September and found old treasures, useless junk, and weird shit in my storage unit.  I saw the Tim Burton exhibit that I missed out on in New York with Courtney and had color coordinated breakfast with Zo.  Ryan & I spent a night in Atlantic City, played the slots (he actually won!) and walked the closed for the season boardwalk.

The Empire State continued to be my favorite building in NYC, entirely because of the novel Veronica.  We survived Snowmaggedon, Snowpocalypse, and Thunder Snow.  Chicken continued to be adorable.  We went to the opera and left early to go drink beers.

Ryan & I got matching Harry Potter tattoos, and later I got a bunch of hyacinths.  I saw Patti Smith preform and stood so close I had to lean back when she’d reach her arm out.  I ate meat.  I ate A LOT of meat, and it was awesome.  I became more conscious of what my food is and where it came from, diet, and exercise, and continuously ignore my higher self when she said to stop eating crap.  I saw PJ Harvey play a fairly lackluster performance, but her sub-par is most performers’ superb.  I saw Bon Iver, and it was the most emotionally moving performance I’ve ever seen.  I had adventures with my husband all over town and quiet nights at home and loved both kinds.

I started wearing colors other than black, and started compulsively buying dresses from ModCloth.  My hair got so long it goes down the back of my pants and I stopped dyeing it black, but still don’t have any decent photos of it.  I didn’t smoke a single cigarette – not even a single drag – all year, and I don’t miss it one bit.  I turned thirty, and was glad to be done with my twenties.

Had many a cocktail hour in many a bar, some that Bukoswki would approve, some a little swankier.  I caught quiet moments on Sunday mornings while walking to work on early shifts.  I hung out with Radeo and my husband is convinced she is my long-lost little sister.  I finally got to use my fancy skull dishes on Thanksgiving.  I put Chicken in her Chicken hat, and she hated me for it.  Chloe would come out and play whenever she was in town.  I read a lot, as you already know.  I watched a lot of TV, and I’m not ashamed of it.  We survived the Hurricane-That-Never-Really-Happened-But-We-All-Freaked-Out.

I fell in love with Instax cameras.  I spent time with friends I grew up with in New York, friends I spent my years with in California, and friends I’ve made since moving back.  I drank Pimm’s Cups on a rooftop pool in Midtown, had Budweisers to go in The Garden District, glasses of Gruner in posh NYC restaurants, and pre-last shift drinks at silly bars in Meat Packing.  I spent time with my family, but not enough, especially now that I’m moving away again.

I am very excited about 2012.  So many things are happening already, and life is about to change in a giant way.  In just two weeks, I’ll be living in with someone I love in a place that inspires us both.  My only resolutions for the year is to build our life there and keep being happy.
What are you looking forward to the most this year?

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2. 2009 : In Member Review
3. stacked :: 2011

Giant dinners full of pork belly and wine at The Spotted Pig ::  Postcard stands in Union Square  ::  Trying and failing to take a self-portrait in the bathroom at Employee’s Only  ::  Chicken’s adorable hands  ::  Having beers in the East Village while apartment hunting in New Orleans via text message thanks to my amazing friend Sharon (she found us a place!) ::  Bacon wrapped chili and avocado hot dogs at Crif Dog

Wandering around Strand Books – I can easily spend hours in that place.

Walking past a spider-webbed, sweater wearing, Christmas bauble decorated tree  ::  Eating my body weight in seven layer rainbow cookies, strawberry shortcake, and candies for dessert on Christmas Day  :: Receiving an amazing crystal skull clutch purse for Christmas.

• Signing a lease for our new home in New Orleans!
• Seeing Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo for our Christmas morning movie
• My mom finally getting a computer – an iPad, no less!  Hi, Mom!!
• Treating myself to a new dress from ModCloth
• Mom treating me to a new wallet from ModCloth (yes, I’m a little obsessed with that site)
• Not being (too) worried that I’m about to be unemployed
• Drinking gallons of egg nog with friends on Christmas Eve (and then falling asleep on the couch before 8PM)

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3. 2011 Review!

 I think I’m still full from last night’s massive dinner at The Breslin.  We polished off scrumpets, beef pies, pear & gorgonzola salads, and then demolished a rib eye steak that took up most of the space on the cutting board.  All this, along with wine parings for each dish, made me very glad I decided not to wear a belt.

And for the puzzled looks, in the last year that I haven’t been blogging, I’ve (obviously) started eating meat.  It’s delicious.

After a few pints at our favorite bar, we had to try the fancy Cuban cigar a friend gave to me.  I wound up not having any, but The Mister enjoyed it.  It made us feel pretty nifty.

Other Bits of Awesome !! (yup, totally stealing this from Chloe‘s Honorable Mentions)

• Triple Grande Soy Lattes
• Chicken (always)
• Miscellaneous items I find while cleaning out our apartment
• Weird old sinks in below street level bars on the Lower East Side
• Ryan buying me a roll of Impossible Project B/W Polaroid film
• Winter being postponed by unnaturally warm weather
• Answering questions honestly
• Putting in my notice at work
• New ridiculous slippers from my mom
• Being very excited to move to New Orleans next month

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Viva la Mexico!!

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