#2011 recap

[vocclothing-blog]

[vocclothing-blog]

Our first product.

[ginagwen]

2011 Recap

I didn’t really recap 2011…probably because 2011 seemed a much more difficult year than 2010. I guess you have to get through some tough times…

I can tell you one thing. I never imagined I’d be watching an amazing thunderstorm outside my sliding glass door, playing the banjo as the lightning flashes. My tortoise shell cat is silhouetted against the window nicely.

My goal for 2011 was to KBA (Keep Being Awesome)…and I think I did that, even if it felt like I didn’t.

Drew everyday for several months

Painted many paintings, more than I ever had before

Was there to witness my twin sisters son being born (well, right after he was born)

Ran the Austin Half Marathon

Submitted to a couple of art shows and got in (hey, 1 is big to me!)

Had an awesome birthday with the amazing Julie

Visited NYC alone and walked myself sore going to lots of museums

Improved my roller derby skills – even if I became burned out by the end of the year

Went to my first festival (FFFFest for a day – and proceeded to drink too much and puke a lot!)

Lost about 25 lbs! (back to my pre-divorce weight…oh wait, smaller!)

Got to know Joe

Picked up my violin again, which I had almost forgotten (and am playing often)

I’ve been introduced to all types of new music

I am listing these, because these are things I keep forgetting to reflect on. Instead I linger on insecurity, the things I am not, loss and hurt, and why I’m not doing more…the list could go on. It’s okay to reflect on those things, but not to let it overwhelm me. I’m glad that I wrote this post, as you can see from my first sentence, I just automatically assumed I’d write how unhappy I was. Tough times yes, but Gina, look what you can accomplish in tough times!

I didn’t give myself a New Year’s resolution. Maybe KBAing it, is still a worthy resolution.

[rabbitroom]

2011 Film Round-Up Part 4: Top 20 for 2011

20. Love Exposure (dir. Sion Sono)

19. Drive Angry 3D (dir. Patrick Lussier)

18. Kaboom (dir. Gregg Araki)

17. Stake Land (dir. Jim Mickle)

16. Cold Weather (dir. Aaron Katz)

15. Machete Maidens Unleashed (dir. Mark Hartley)

14. Martha Marcy May Marlene (dir. Sean Durkin)

13. Another Earth (dir. Mike Cahill)

12. The Last Circus (dir. Alex de la Iglesias)

11. World on a Wire (dir. Rainer Werner Fassbinder)

10. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (dir. Tomas Alfredsson)

9. Hobo with a Shotgun (dir. Jason Eisener)

8. Melancholia (dir. Lars von Trier)

7. Submarine (dir. Richard Ayoade)

6. Attack the Block (dir. Joe Cornish)

5. The Tree of Life (dir. Terence Malick)

4. Marwencol (dir. Jeff Malmberg)

3. Amer (dir. Hélène Cattet and Burno Forzani)

2. Hugo (dir. Martin Scorcese)

1. Drive (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)