Top 10 in '10

In honor of 10/10, I thought I'd do my own little Top 10 list. As shocked as I am that it's already October, 2010 has been a pretty great year. So, in no particular order, here are the items or events that made my top 10 in '10.

GIRLS TRIP

We took our first ever girls trip this year to celebrate some milestones (35, 30, 21). We rented a condo in Hilton Head, SC, and then ended the trip with some friends in Savannah, GA. We loved the beach, riding bikes, watching Sweet P in the waves & sand, and all the dolphins in Savannah. It was hot, hot, hot and luckily, the rain that attacked us the entire drive from Atlanta, held off for the majority of the trip. If you've never been to either place, you should go. Maybe celebrate a milestone there, like we did!

10 YEARS IN SEATTLE

As I mentioned earlier, we celebrated 10 years in Seattle this year. And, to commemorate the event, we threw a fiesta in the backyard, complete with fish tacos and Hatch green chile - a perfect marriage of our old home and new. We had a great time with our friends around the fire pit, and the weather was perfect!

THE BEST SURPRISE EVER

And, possibly the best birthday present ever, this year, my sis & Sweet P surprised me. Now, to surprise me is a feat in & of itself, so that makes it even better. Everyone was in on it, but me. Mr. Man, my best gal, Carrie, family members, other friends. Kudos to everyone for keeping the secret for so long. It ROCKED! To read all about it, head to sister's blog.

EIGHTIES INVASION

My sister's surprise visit just so happened to coincide with my Rockin' 80s Birthday Party, which was like, totally, a blast! Costumes required, karaoke, all the fried food you could imagine, and a cake made to look like a hostess cupcake. AWESOME! The costumes might've been my favorite part. My friends are SUPER creative. We had Michael Jackson, Madonna, a preppy country club couple, side-ponies, scrunchies, crimped hair, ornate velvet prom dresses, neon, neon, and more neon. I'll spare my friends the embarrassment of the pictures, but wow - RAD!

MY OPEN HOUSE

I already wrote about it, but my first open house definitely ranks as one of the best events of the year. And, it just opened a door to have many more of these fun evenings. I appreciate all my friends and their support for this little business of mine. I am the little engine that could, and it really has everything to do with my support system. PS - holidays right around the corner, so send me your orders.

BRANCHING OUT

Hosting the open house allowed me to showcase other handmade items, besides my Invitations and Announcements. And, it's been so fun creating custom pieces for clients. A hair flower for a wedding here, a triptych of canvases for someone's dining room there, with a name sign as a new baby gift thrown in for good measure. It's been a wild ride, but flexing my creative muscles feels amazing. If you are looking for one-of-a-kind gifts this Holiday, we should chat.

HI RO-RO

If you have nieces & nephews, you know the overwhelming feeling of pride when they say your name for the first time. When I received the video of Sweet P pointing to Auntie Ro-Ro when asked, I watched it over & over through tears. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it! And, now, since I talk to her mama numerous times a day, the phone is "Hi Ro-Ro". Gotta love that kid!

A NEW BICYCLE

In May, Mr Man's parents sent him his college bike, which of course meant I needed one. Now, if you know me, I am NOT sporty. I repeat, I am NOT sporty. So, to get a bike was a huge (ginormous) stretch for me. But, I'll admit, riding is fun. We rode to the beach on the weekends, downtown for dinner, and around the 'hood just for fun. The requests from Mr. Man were the best: 'hey, pop a wheelie real quick'; 'hey, just ride really fast & jump off the curb'; 'you can totally ride down that horribly steep hill without crashing & burning'. Ah, I love that man - he thinks I have such dare devil potential. For the record, no, I didn't do any of those things, but yes, I do ride barefoot, or in flip flops and a skirt. Told you, NOT sporty.

ADIRONDACK CHAIRS

Early in the summer, I decided I needed Adirondack chairs for our front yard. Since the sun moves from the backyard about 3:30, I wanted to still be able to enjoy the sun without sitting in the grass. So, that's what I did. I put them together and painted them. And most days, you could find me in my chair in the front yard with my laptop and a glass of water (or wine) with the windows open so I could hear my tunes. Oh, just another perk of being your own boss.

SUMMER CONCERTS

It seemed all my favorite bands from the early 90s decided to tour this summer. I missed some of the shows, but the shows I saw were awesome. And, there's nothing better than being able to sing along to EVERY song! Concrete Blonde, Sarah McLachlan, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Sheryl Crow. It truly was the summer of live music!

Have you had a good 2010 so far (it's almost over, you know, so I hope so!)? Let me know some of the fun stuff you've done; I may add them to my list for 2011.

Remember, the holidays are fast approaching (I think we're in under 10 weeks now), so order up those cards or gifts.