The Best of 2012

Happy New Year everyone!! I'm so happy we all made it through the busy season and are getting ready to start another wonderful year! I hope you and your families had a happy holiday season and are getting ready to ring in the new year in a fun and exciting way!

Even though I havn't been blogging for a full year yet, its getting pretty close! I also know that some of you might be checking out my humble bloggy abode for the first time, so if that is you, welcome!!! I'm so glad you are here and I hope you return again and again! :)

Since it is the end of the year, its a great time to reflect on all the learning and growing that I have done in the past year. I thought this would be a great opportunity to recap the crafts, recipes, and events that have been taking place here over the past year. So lets begin! 

**Please don't forget to participate in the poll at the bottom of the page! Thank you!**

MOST POPULAR POSTS - 2012:

 #1: DIY Candle Holders! This was the first ever craft that I made for this blog. It was so fun and I'm so happy that you guys have enjoyed it so much!

 #2: Burlap Table Runner! This was my first project with my sewing machine! It was fun to use a new machine and see how easy it was to make something that I thought would be so difficult!

 #3: Hurricane Vases! This was my first etching project and to this day, it is still my husband's favorite craft that I have made. I'm glad you guys like it too!

MOST POPULAR RECIPES - 2012:

Ok ok...these are the ONLY recipes I posted in 2012 but that is because I don't do a whole ton of cooking. My husband is the cook in the family, I'm the baker!

 #1: Nutella Muffins! These were a huge hit! Partly because they made it onto FoodGawker (Woo Hoo! My first ever acceptance into the "Gawker family") and partly because they are so darn delicious! 

 #2: My Delicious Homemade No Bake Cookies! Every time I make these, I get SO many compliments and its funny because they literally take about 10 minutes to make. Perfect for a potluck or get-together!

MOST POPULAR EVENTS - 2012:

 #1: Well Crafted Wednesdays! This link party was started after a few months of blogging. It's still a pretty small party (I usually average about 40 entries per week) so if you want to share it with your friends or put it on your list of link parties to visit that would be awesome! You can find the button here!

 #2: 31 Days of Halloween! This was such a fun event! It was a month long Halloween themed par-tay! Each day I featured a new craft or decorating idea! I am hoping to feature holiday themed crafts throughout the year in 2013 (Valentines day, 4th of July, even the some of the smaller holidays like Arbor Day would be fun!). If you have a craft that you would like me to feature on a certain holiday, let me know and I will get it scheduled!

 #3: A Crafters Dream Christmas Giveaway! This event had a lot of bloggers participating in it so it was a fun, community wide event and I'm hoping to do it again next year! :)

A few notes for the upcoming year:

• I will be posting projects that are Made By Me on Mondays (hopefully every Monday, but if I can't do one every week I will be featuring a different cool craft - if you would like to be featured, just let me know here!)

• Every Wednesday, I will continue to host the Well Crafted Wednesday Link Party! Be sure to tell your friends about it because I would love for it to grow!

 

• Every Friday, I will be featuring a cool craft! If you would like your craft to be featured, feel free to email me! You can find my contact info here!

Also, I have to show some love to my sister and my cousin! They have both been brave this year and opened up their own Etsy shops! 

  My sister's shop is called Valonia and Thistle and she sells beautiful handcrafted jewelry!

My cousin's shop is called KnitterBugg! She sells handmade knit items for the whole family!

Happy New Year to everyone!! See you in 2013!