Each year I choose one photo from each month to remember some highlights. You can read my 2010 recap too. I must admit this year was incredibly hard to narrow down! From starting a new fashion line, to saying "I do". 2011 was incredibly full of loving moments, hard work and celebrations! January: I was lucky enough to take newborn photos for my pal Katie when her family welcomed the most beautiful baby girl! Family was an important theme in 2011 as I was married to the kindest man, my friends were having babies and my sister and I became closer than ever.
February: We launched our first dress collection for Red Velvet! This was one of the biggest dreams-come-true of my life and a huge step for our brand. You can read the full story here. Definitely a life changing memory.
March: Our shop was featured in Readymade Magazine! Emma and I had lots of cocktail night celebrations this past year. Enjoying each milestone together has been one of the sweetest parts of owning a biz. I love her.
April: Yikes! We'd better start planning our wedding... haha. We threw together our wedding in about two months. I don't regret a single thing! It was so much fun. A few favorite memories were switching wedding dresses about 10 times, helping my bridesmaids pick dresses, choosing our dance songs with Jeremy and having a week packed with quality time with some of my favorite people on the planet.
May: I became Mrs. Larson! Our wedding day was everything we dreamed of. I'm proud to say that I had 0 Bridezilla moments... although Emma and I had a memorable fight about gelato flavors. It made a good story, though, don'tcha think? I can honestly say that May was one of the happiest months of my life!
June: While we were honeymooning we made lists of newyled traditions to begin! We started re-decorating our newlywed home in June and got into the habit of frequent date nights... it was a lovely month!
July: A little bit of much needed girl time! This was a wonderful weekend with my ladies.
August: In August I got a little blog-crazy! Emma and I worked super hard to start bringing more frequent DIYs to this blog. It was a fun and challenging month. I love a good challenge, so I remember this month fondly. It was a happy-crazy work month!
September: We gave birth to our second dress collection! It was five times larger than the first collection and we had a good night of celebrating after that launch. Woohoo!
October: Hooray.... my baby brother married the sweetest lady! It was a day to remember... I love Autumn weddings... and there was PIE!
November: My fondest memories of November were riding around on our matching bikes, turning 29 and feeling loved. November is always a good month. It just is.
December: Jeremy gave me the biggest surprise of my year when we told me we were getting a new puppy. This Christmas can go down in history as the best Christmas of my whole life. It's been puppy time, all the time ever since!
I hope you've enjoyed peeking through my year! Feel free to share your own 12 photos on your blogs too, I'd love to see them. HAPPY NEW YEAR! xo, elsie
You are just super inspiring! I admire how fully you live life. All the best for 2012
Posted by: Emma @ The Hearty Heart | December 31, 2011 at 06:25 PM
all the best for 2012, Elsie! I am enjoying your Dream Job E-course so far! I was wondering where you get your colorful photo back drops, though!
polly XOXO
Posted by: the littlest polly | December 31, 2011 at 06:38 PM
What a wonderful year. Quite successful, happy, and full of love. I had a blog to recap my year ---> rachelphotographs.com (under the "blog" tab, of course). There are more than 12 pictures, but there were tons of highlights. :)
Hope your 2012 is magical!
Posted by: with love, rachel | December 31, 2011 at 06:44 PM
Polly, do you mean for outfit photos? I find them in town, but I was planning to do a post about that soon. Let me know if there are any other details you're curious about! XO
Posted by: elsie | December 31, 2011 at 06:47 PM
Awe what an amazing year for you! Congratulations on all your success and happiness! Wishing you even more in the New Year!
Posted by: Chloe | December 31, 2011 at 06:50 PM
Wow, gorgeous year-in-photos. I may try this!
Posted by: Catherine Denton | December 31, 2011 at 06:52 PM
your puppy is so so so so so so so so so so so so so cute!!!!! she is so SO adorable and tiny!! your fashion line is AWESOME and so was your wedding!! And your bikes look awesome!! Happy new year!! i hope you have a great new year!! love from emily oxoxox
Posted by: Emily Wind | December 31, 2011 at 07:06 PM
I love that baby picture! Happy new year. Best wishes for you andd your family!
Posted by: Aleksandra | December 31, 2011 at 07:14 PM
Your photos never fail to amaze me!
Wishing you the best in 2012! :)
Posted by: vivienne k | December 31, 2011 at 07:15 PM
The sweetest pictures from the sweetest woman, happy new year Elsie, hopefully this 2012 is going to be wonderful for you and your family :)
Posted by: Dulce | December 31, 2011 at 07:17 PM
can't wait to keep on being a beautiful mess reader in the new year!
-georgia
http://swonderfulgd.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Georgia | December 31, 2011 at 08:13 PM
Gorgeous photos! What a year!
Wish I could do mine but we are on holidays so uploading photos is pesky booooo :(
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Neen | December 31, 2011 at 08:15 PM
love that little pup so much. congrats on a great year + good luck in 2012.
kelly christine
www.kelly-christine.com
Posted by: kelly christine | December 31, 2011 at 08:21 PM
Congratulations on such an eventful year full of love! Thank you for sharing so much of yourself here on your blog. I've said it before, but it bears repeating: your photos + words are such an inspiration. I can't what to see what you're scheming for 2012! ;]
Happy New Year to you + yours!
Posted by: Sarah | December 31, 2011 at 08:45 PM
What an eventful year you've had!? I've loved watching your blog evolve, and I hope to enjoy continuing to read about your world in the coming year.
www.alittlevintagestory.blogspot.com
Posted by: Fran | December 31, 2011 at 08:48 PM
Hooray for another new year! : ) And I love love love that photograph of Poe! I'd seen it on Katie's blog, but hadn't realized that you took it!
x
www.lostinthehaze.com
Posted by: Jo - Lost in the Haze: Fashion Blog | December 31, 2011 at 09:02 PM
My 12 images! :)
http://www.evelinastar.com/2011/12/31/i-love-you-2011/
It's such an inspiration to follow your blog - on a private, as well as a professional level. I'm especially intrigued by how you develop the business together with your partners (and close friends/sister!), and how you utilize your websites, blogs, Instagram etc to spread the message across the globe.
Thank you for your work! Some of it is reaching all the way to central Europe :)
I wish you and the other Red Velvet ladies an amazingly productive and fun 2012!
xo,
Evelina
(writing from an Austrian mountain)
Posted by: Evelina Lundqvist | December 31, 2011 at 09:08 PM
What beautiful photos and such a special year.
My photos aren't amazing but the memories they represent are!
So much left out it is untrue.
http://holesinmysocks.blogspot.com/2011/12/year-in-photos12-photos-12-amazing.html
I hope your 2012 is just as inspiring and beautiful as your 2011!
Hannah xxxx
Posted by: Hannah K Chapman | December 31, 2011 at 09:39 PM
Happy New Year! It's fun looking back at your memories. They're so inspiring!
http://www.thoreausdaughter.com/
Posted by: Hillary | December 31, 2011 at 09:47 PM
Lovely! 2011 looks like it was a super hit for you. Hope 2012 behaves as well!! Happy New Year :)
Posted by: Deepthi | December 31, 2011 at 10:16 PM