I'll admit, since the semester ended I haven't done much in the way of fashion or illustration. I started working on some patterns and a muslin for a costume, but once I discovered that tuck darts in an empire bodice look really bad and there was entirely too much volume in the skirt, I took a break and haven't gone back to it yet. I also started sketches for a few illustration groups because I wanted to experiment with alternative holiday colors to the typical red and green, but I haven't gotten very far with them. I do plan to finish them before classes start again, though. Even though I won't have the holiday spirit or that immediate anticipation of the holidays to fuel my inspiration as much now that the holidays are mostly over, I'll at least have more time to work on things now.

Speaking of which, happy new year! I have been making my resolutions this morning. Among other more personal goals, I have resolved to work harder, keep drawing, not get burned out on my work, and keep the blog/site updated, which is really what led me to this update. I also wanted to look back on the previous year and think about some of the things that happened in 2011 that made it such an important year to me.

Probably one of my top experiences in 2011 was my trip to Italy in June. I spent an entire month studying abroad in Florence, and while I was there I was also able to visit Rome, Venice, Siena, Chianti, and San Gimignano. I visited museums and galleries, took hundreds of pictures, ate so much gelato and pasta and other great food, and, most importantly, broadened my horizons. Although it doesn't feel like I had nearly enough time to go everywhere and see everything and at times I even felt uncomfortable being so far away from home, I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.

Another part of 2011 that I particularly enjoyed was being able to attend Otakon for the third time. I dressed up as Sailor Neptune (one of my favorite Sailor Moon characters), met with Peter S. Beagle (who is only my favorite author of all time) for a second time, and even attended a panel with legendary Japanese composer Nobuo Uematsu. I might be getting a little old for anime conventions, but I always have a great time meeting people and taking pictures and just taking a vacation from my normal life. It is also the only time I get to see one of my best friends, and we always have a great time together seeing everything and fighting over which of us gets to buy the other presents.

I was also able to visit my dad in northern California and spend time with him and my stepmom and her family during the summer of 2011. By then I was getting tired of traveling that summer but it was generally a good visit and a nice change from the hot weather on the east coast.

My spring and fall classes were also a very enjoyable part of 2011, even though they didn't take place in beautiful Florence. For the first time, my class was able to design garments that would be eligible for our school's annual fashion show, and both of the garments I designed and made in the spring were chosen. I also enjoyed my fall studio classes, and particularly my portfolio class, which provided me with an opportunity to redesign and update my website for the first time in over three years.

The last event of 2011 that made the year uniquely awesome was the Dir en grey concert I attended only a few weeks ago. Since I've already written about it I won't go into detail again, but that concert was the cherry to top off an entire year of great experiences.

But those are just a handful of my best memories of 2011 and by no means a complete list of all of the great things that happened. 2011 was amazing and will be difficult to top, but hopefully 2012 will be even better, assuming the world doesn't come to an end.

Labels: new year