2012...a blog year in review...

It has been my tradition for the last several years to do a "year in review" showcasing each month's blog header and sharing my favorite post of the month as well as the most viewed.

January's header actually showed bird photos as well as a Brooklyn photo before this proud grandma switched over to all grandbaby photos. 2012 was also the first year I choose a theme or "word" for the year like I have seen on other blogs. The theme for the year was Choose Joy which was reflected in each header and I personally really enjoyed making the extra effort to find joy in even the most mundane of days. The January 1st post titled "Choose Joy in 2012"" was my most viewed post that month but my favorite was "Project 365...days 13-23" in which I showed some photos from my warm vacation to Jamaica and returning home to see Brooklyn.

My favorite post of February was a "wordless Wednesday" with photos of a beautiful February sunset out my windows, but can you believe the most viewed post was "little things" where I showed a new paint can topper that made repainting the whole interior of my house a lot easier last winter.

The most viewed post of March was "a week in review" which announced baby J due in July was a girl named Bailey, some outdoor dog & bird shots and photos of my grandnieces, Kinley & Keena. My favorite post was "Spring arrives" where I got out the macro lens and took photos of the early budding trees and shrubs.

During April, Brooklyn turned 6 months old and the post titled "a little big girl" was the most viewed post. My favorite post was "mosaic Monday..Easter weekend" which highlighted a family Easter.

May brought the most viewed post in the history of my blog (2006-present) and that was a post titled "Pine Hollow" which showcased my fairy garden. I linked this photo to a blog party, was invited to enter it in a fairy garden contest (in which I won one of the categories) and it was also pinned many times on Pinterest. I guess with all that extra attention I can also list that post as my favorite of the month as well.

The most viewed post of June was also my favorite, "Butterflies and Brooklyn" showed a butterfly landing on little Miss Brooklyn during a photo shoot. Such a special memory!

I used two blog headers for July - the first one held a blank frame for the much anticipated arrival of our second granddaughter and it was updated with her photo once she arrived on July 25th.

Of course my favorite post was announcing her arrival titled "She's here!". The most viewed post of the month was "garden tour...part one".

The most viewed post of August was "a mosaic of garden shots", since I'm composing this review on a -3 degree night I would have to say it is also my favorite :)

September brought the beginning of the slacker blogger with only 2 posts for the first time ever! "Catching up" was the most viewed as well as my favorite.

October brought "bugs in the garden" which was the most viewed post. My favorite was "Brooklyn's birthday weekend".

November's favorite and most viewed post was "Happy Thanksgiving" in which we tried very hard to get three little "turkeys in ruffle skirts" posed.

December's most viewed post was "Merry Christmas" with photos from Christmas eve as well as our 2012 Christmas card. Until the Sandy Hook tragedy I was posting simple joy daily photos and one of my personal favorites was "JOY in color" showing some of the beautiful birds in my garden. I am so excited to finally have a resident cardinal and I can only hope that spring 2013 will bring a female so we have a resident couple! I'll be back tomorrow with a new header and a new "word" of the year...