What did 2011 bring?

Once again it's time for another one of these posts, summing up my 2011. It's been a hard year, for me and those around me, with a lot of pain, frustrations, anger and bitterness. I've experienced a lot, learned a lot, cried a lot, shopped a lot - and last, but not least.. I've loved a lot. 2011 has been a year of chaos, of fright, but despite everything.. I fought my way through everything and survived. There's still some unfinished business to take care of come January, but I've regained the much needed faith in myself. It wasn't an easy task to sum up 2011 in a few short sentences, but here's my list:

• Øyvind successfully started our own Christmas tradition with the perfect pork rib
• I was told to consider a tracheotomy, scaring the living shit out of me
• We attended our first puppy show with little Cuda, he was awarded BOS!
• I became the very proud owner of a Tiffany & Co. Heart Key, a gift from my beloved
• Fieran and her man came to Trondheim, and it was awesome finally meeting them
• Thanks to Fieran I added 15 Inglot eyeshadows to my makeup collection!
• I had a CAT scan
• Øyvind and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary
• I decided to cut my long hair, and went totally rock chick
• Onboard M/S Color Magic again, having a fantastic time with four of our friends!
• I felt invincible yet again and pierced my right ear for the fourth time: tragus
• I received an autographed copy of "The Tattoo Chronicles" by Kat Von D
• The CAT scan showed scarring on my cerebellum, traces of an infarction or blood clot
• Our family grew +1 with my new Apple MacBook Air 11"
• My heart kept on racing like crazy, which landed me a prescription of β-blockers
• We started planning our 2nd trip to Paris, France!
• I became the very proud owner of an authentic Christian Dior Gaucho Saddle Bag
• We went on an impulse road trip up north, and my niece Catharina came into our lives
• I had an MRI
• I won another Facebook contest, scoring me a lot of Sleek MakeUP goodies
• .. I got the MRI results back, and had an anxiety attack
• I had the honor of being picked as a guest blogger from Stila Cosmetics
• I decided to add a category where I could blog in Norwegian, it's got one post
• Øyvind proposed in Paris with a gorgeous diamond ring, and I said YES!
• I got to meet Amira for the first time, and had a blast with her
• We went to Louvre, saw "Mona Lisa" and purchased an Apple iPad 2 each
• .. Exploring Paris during a heavy rain fall, all dressed in white, is a seriously bad idea
• I spent a lot of money on makeup at Sephora Champs-Elysées!
• We bought ourselves a LMC Musica 560R!
• .. and I turned 32
• Cuda turned 1 year
• I learned that trusting myself helped me a lot more than listening to certain doctors
• Cuda was neutered after his sister had to be put down because of sudden illness
• Theo turned 2 years
• I wanted a new compact camera, and chose the Canon IXUS 220HS
• Onboard M/S Color Magic with our families this time, and our parents finally had the chance to meet and learn to know each other
• I contracted a nasty cold, but fought it and won
• I purchased tickets for IMATS London 2012!
• A cardiologist gave my heart two thumbs up, nothing to worry about!
• I decided to stop going to St. Olavs, and felt 10 tons lighter after making that decision
• KICKS opened up a store in Trondheim!
• After a year of frustration, fright and anxiety I finally got a thorough explanation of my health condition and had some kind of closure
• We decided to redecorate our apartment, starting with our bedroom
• We celebrated had our very first Christmas at home as a family
• We're attending The Gathering 2012!
• I got to meet Renate, another fellow makeup blogger and a wonderful friend

Once again I raise my glass to you all. I've made many new friends, I've met several of my online friends for the first time, and I have to quote myself from last year: "I've cried a lot of tears - tears of sorrow, tears of happiness, tears of frustration and thankfulness. Thank you for being there for me, for helping me keep my head above water whenever I'm in a rough spot, it means the world to me. And a special thanks to all who's reading my diary, following me through shopping, whining, fluffy cuteness and frustration, and leaving me comments here and there. You make me smile, and I'm grateful for that every day.", because I mean it just as much today. You've all helped me get through another year, and know that I appreciate every single one of you. I raise my glass to all of you, and wish you the very best in 2012. May all your dreams and wishes come true!

Photo: New Year's Eve