Saturday 31 December 2011

The Past Year...........

......Okay, so a little yearly summery.....



Wowzer....what a year 2011 has been....and not in a particularly great way either. To be honest, I am SOOOOOOOOO glad to see the back of it. Tonight, I will be shaking off the coat that is 2011 and putting it firmly in the bin. I shall then be putting on a brand spanking new one with the hopes that it won't get as battered as the last one in the coming year. I really do hope that 2012 brings a little bit of brightness and hope with it. I am sure many of you reading this will be nodding your head to the last statement too!

It has been a difficult one for so many this past year, for a whole variety of reasons. It seemed natural disasters seemed to strike the world left, right and centre in the beginning months. Complete and utter devastation for many. To watch the news was difficult, so to imagine what it was like to be right there in the midst of it was horrendous. Tsunami's, flash floods, land slides, earthquakes, tornados. The precious Earth seems to have been battered from all sides this year.

War, violence and riots too.........so much pain.

And just to add to it all (as if that wasn't enough already), the global economic recession that we all seem to be caught up in at the moment has hit so many very hard and made it such a tough year. The loss of loved ones, young or old............it all seems to take it's toll.

I'm sure that if you've not been directly hit by any of these things, then you know a friend or family member who has.

If I think back on what this year has been like for me, I would say mainly worry. Family ill health has been a major worry this year for me. Ill health with several family members has taken its toll on us all...and as many regular readers will know, several months ago we lost a very dear young family member to Cancer, which completely devastated us all.

Now, this year has not been fab, and quite possibly, overall, really pants.......but......I don't want it all to be all doom and gloom. For every dark grey cloud in the sky, there is always sunshine behind it trying to get through! I have had a year of crafting and making things, that brought pure sunshine into my life. I have the priviledge of having some absolutely wonderful people in my life who are there for me whenever I need them......and, I have had a year with 4 males who have brought laughter to my heart and made me glad I am who I am. 



........ so as I kiss my Bears each night, I am thankful that I have them in this world. They make my life, all so worth while and make the lights inside me burn incredibly brightly.

So, I hope that 2012 shines a little bit brighter for us all.

I wish each and every one of you

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!


xxx

48 comments:

  1. Wonderful pictures and I really enjoyed your blog.
    ♥coco rose♥ - A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

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  2. A lovely post, you're right the sunshine always does manage to shine in the end. I hope 2012 is a better year for you and your family. Happy new year.

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  3. Happy New Year! I really do hope this year is a whole lot better for you than 2011 - full of joy, happiness and health. Take care xxx

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  4. What a beautiful and heartfelt post to end the year with... let's kick out 2011 and welcome in 2012 with hopes and dreams that it will be, must be, better... you bring colour and smiles to so many of us here in your bloggy corner.. I look forward to reading more from your very special blog in 2012... I wish you and your family a peaceful, loving new year.. :)x

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  5. What a lovely post! Wishing you and your family a very Happy and Healthy New Year when it comes :O)x

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  6. What a lovely colorful post. Happy New Year!

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  7. Happy New Year and a bright start to you too.

    xx

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  8. Hi there...
    You have a lovely blog. Certainly and inspiration for others as well as me! Simple and so effective....
    I wish you a nice evening and a lovely, great & wonderful 2012....
    Hartelijke groeten xxx

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  9. I just love every photo in your mosaic! What a clever lady you are!
    Wishing you a fabulous 2012.
    Xx

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  10. Happy New Year V!!

    Lovely photos as always and poignant words too - I hope you realise what an inspiration you are....

    hugs,

    S x

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  11. Sending you New Year Wishes for Health, Happiness, Success and creativity for 2012 xx

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  12. Gorgeous photograph, so much beautiful stuff :D
    Happy new year
    Karen x

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  13. Lovely perspective Vanessa, what a year it was -- interesting point about the crafting - it indeed brings sunshine and happiness to my life too.
    Best wishes for the year ahead for you and yours. Ren

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  14. Hello beautiful, such a lovely post. Am always in awe of your strength, talent and skill, You are a star shining in this universe, And am so honoured to know you my friend.
    And am also lucky to have had a cheeky cup of tea with you at 12:00! yippie,
    Looking so much to 2012, just like you. What a year!
    But like you I am also so lucky to have 4 beautiful males in my life which make me so happy.

    Big massive hugs,
    xxx

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  15. Wishing you a much less pants year hon!! Amongst all the yuk, I hope you know how much brightness, inspiration and pleasure you bring to us every time we pop by. Thank you so much!! Leah xx

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  16. Bittersweet moments touch all our lives. Lessons learned help us on life's journey. Amongst all the sadness, you have certainly created a beautiful, colorful world. Wishing you and yours blessings of health and happiness, peace and love. Tammy

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  17. Happy New Year to you lovely lady.I do so hope its a year full of less worry for you. Here's to lots of crafting!

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  18. bring on the year of happiness and good health to you and family my lovely xxxxxx you deserve the best x

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  19. Oh Vanessa! You are such a precious woman! (I can tell that even though we don't know each other!) Yes, 2011 has been a tough one. Hope this coming year is light and lovely. Filled with hope and joy. Much love to you and the bears!
    Jo xxxxxx

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  20. A very Happy New Year to you too Vanessa.

    For all sorts of reasons the past year wasn't great here either and a few pants things are already in prospect for 2012. But I shall join you in donning that fresh new coat and wish you and yours the same wonderful year ahead that I'm hoping my own family can enjoy.

    Happy New Year!

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  21. Hej my lovely
    I am right with you there!
    You have such a great way with words...
    Wishing you good health, wealth and happiness always
    LOVE PEACE enJOY!
    Julie
    x

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  22. A happy 2012 to you my friend. It will be a good one, I can feel it.

    Hx

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  23. I could have stopped by the vivid and colorful collage but I choose to take a moment to read as well. I am glad I did.
    You write in a very particular and catching way Vanessa and I can feel your relief of saying buy buy to 2011... Your honest words are so refreshing to read and you are a true inspiration not only with your fabulous crafts and pictures but with your way of just being a mom, potting along with bad times and good times, everyday life and daring to share it.

    For me 2011 was a good year. The year when bad times turned into good times. We had a terrible time a couple of years ago, a time when I didn't really know how to turn things around. But they did. After rain comes sunshine. It is true.
    I think it is important to have tough times sometimes. Pain is hard but also fruitful. From pain and devastation comes creativity and inventive minds. We open our eyes to what is really important and suddenly things start to fall back in place again.
    I wish you the very very best for 2012 and hope with my hole heart that this will be the year when tough times will be over shadowed by good things instead. Lets take on 2012. I am ready. It sounds like you are ready too. Bring it on!♥♥♥ Annette

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  24. Gorgeous collage, very cheery on such a dreary day! Here's to a happy new year all round x

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  25. lovely montage, great summing up (watched a review of the news yesterday - left me feeling v glum!)
    and hoping that 2012 brings more happy than sad for you and your family.
    There's not much good to come from illness or untimely tragedy...but knowing you are blessed and enjoying time with those precious to you is one of them.
    sending you love Vanessa
    fee x

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  26. I really hope 2012 brings you a much better year than this one... on a brighter note, the things that you have crafted and made this year are completely and utterly scrumptious! :-)

    Ashley xxx

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  27. I do hope 2012 brings you hope and happiness, I know how a bad year at New Years Eve can feel like, it is exhausting and sad,

    I love your honesty

    Denise

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  28. Such lovely colourful images in your mosaic. I hope 2012 will be a much happier and less worrying year for you and your family, Vanessa. Sending you warm wishes for a very Happy New Year.
    Helen x

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  29. Nice! congratulations!
    happy new year!!
    from Chile
    c@

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  30. I know what you mean, 2011 has been a tough year for me too, since I lost my granny.
    Like you I hope 2012 will be a brighter year, Happy New Year"

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  31. Happy New Year Coco Rose......✫¸.•°*”˜˜”*°•.✫ ✫
    ◕▄███▄◕──◕▄██▄◕──◕▄███◕──◕▄███▄◕
    ◕▀──██◕─◕██──██◕───◕██◕──◕▀──██◕
    ◕──██◕──◕██──██◕───◕██◕──◕──██◕
    ◕─██◕───◕██──██◕───◕██◕──◕─██◕
    ◕█████◕──◕▀██▀◕───◕▄██▄◕─◕█████◕
    ✿♥❀♥❁•*¨✿❀❁•*¨`*•.✿❀❁•*¨`*•.`✿♥❀♥❁♥❀♥❁.
    and that all your dreams come true!

    A big hug,
    Elena

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  32. I can share your sentiments about 2011 - nicely worded by you. I have enjoyed seeing your makes this year. I wish you an easier 2012.

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  33. I hope this year 2012 is better for all of us. At least full of hope and happiness:) Happy new year for you! And thank you about the beautiful and colorful pics:)

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  34. Happy New Year to you. Hoping that 2012 is a good one for you and yours. xx

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  35. Lovely post, and as always lovely pics.
    Hope this year is good to you and all you hold dear.
    After the year I have had I am just hoping for an ok year.
    Xxx

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  36. A lovely post, I wish you all the happiness you deserve for 2012 xxx

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  37. Hi Coco,

    I hope 2012 will be a good year for you and your family! Wishing you lots of happiness, joy, fun, laughter and LOVE!

    Looking forward to see your beautiful posts in the year ahead :-)

    Lieve groet,

    Madelief x

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  38. This is a beautiful post.

    I wish you all the best for 2012.
    Wear that new coat with pride and hopefully you can wear it till next year...or maybe longer with a bit of extra care ;-)

    xx

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  39. What a thoughtful post - it really made me teary. You are so right - 2011 was a very dark year in so many ways. I live in NZ and know many people effected terribly by the earthquakes we have had here. The world seems to be going through such a tough time. My heart goes out to you also on the loss of your young family member - so tragic and unfair. I lost a young nephew and I think the heart is forever damaged by such tragedy. Sending you a huge hug hon. Although I havent commented much, your blog has been one of the joys of 2011 for me - something lovely amongst all the darkness. Do take care and all the very best wishes to you and your family for 2012! Rebecca

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  40. Happy New Year! Haven't popped into the blog space for such a long time and I've missed it, but it was so nice to open your blog post this morning! All the best for the 2012 projects. Hope you get all the inspiration and I look forward to say hi more often again.

    South African greetings.

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  41. Happy new year! I hope 2012 brings you lots of joy, my friend! Cx

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  42. Wishing you a wonderful 2012 and thanking you for a lovely blog full of pretty happy things!

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  43. Blessing for a good year dear one...I hope 2012 shines brighter for you all too dear one. xoxoxoxoox

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  44. Thank you for so a beautiful blog I love stopping by every so often to see what gorgeous things you have posted. You photos are full of such amazing colors and are just mesmerizing at times. Hope your new year is better than the last and can't wait to see all the wonderous things you'll do this year!

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  45. Happy New Year! Thank you for sharing a little bit of your life with us. Yours is one of my favourite blogs. Best wishes for 2012.

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  46. I have been enjoying your blog over the last few months, the pictures you take and the words you use are simply heartwarming and I am looking forward to following your adventure over the coming year!

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  47. I'm a bit late but lovely words xx
    Love and light to you and yours for the future
    Nicky
    xx

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