Stealing a list from Mariel because I can do that.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
I spent 75 hours in Poundland over 4 weeks. i’ve never done that before. It was for work experience, not some kind of weird bargain obsession. I also spent time with my very own little sister! I’ve never done that before because I only had 3 brothers before.
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t think I made any last year. For 2012 I’ll probably resolve to finish 200 Portraits and get back to reading as much as I used to.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My Mum! I now have a 6 month old sister named Olivia-Rae.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
My cat.
5. What countries did you visit?
Scotland, Wales.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A job! A steady income.
7. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Liv’s birth.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving the whole Poundland thing? Ha. I don’t know…I feel like I started a lot of things this year and I’ll start raking in the achievements/rewards in the next few months.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Still not having a job feels like a mighty failure to me.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Anything bad?
A few things that weren’t really specific to this year, I suppose. Also as usual, the lead up/beginning of winter saw me get the flu or a cold 3 times within about 5 weeks. Every. Year.
11. What were the best things you bought?
I don’t think I bought anything very major or particularly life enhancing.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Johnny. We had a pretty rocky start to the year but he stuck by me and is an absolute sweetheart.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
This utter witch who was involved in the previously mentioned rocky start to the year. Thankfully, I didn’t have to deal with her beyond January.
14. Where did most of your money go?
It depends. During phases where I was feeling a little manic, I’d spend most of my money on tiny cheap things from ebay like earrings and crap. I also bought a couple of the Sims 3 expansion packs. And some clothes. I don’t know.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Sherlock Holmes 2 (I mean it. I felt like I had been waiting YEARS. It was all deeply sad), my new kindle and obviously the birth of my baby sister.
16. What songs will always remind you of 2011?
Video Games and Born To Die-Lana Del Rey
Florence + The Machine’s entire new album.
Paper Forest (In The Afterglow of Rapture)-Emmy The Great
There were probably other ones at the start of the year but this is what I remember listening to over the past few months.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. Happier or sadder? Happier.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Probably the same.
iii. Richer or poorer? Poorer for sure.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Spontaneous and adventurous things.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spending time with people I don’t even like.
20. How did you spent Christmas?
At my Mum’s boyfriend’s family’s house.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Nope.
22. How many one-night stands?
Zero.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
I really enjoyed “Life’s Too Short”.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yesssssir.
26. What was the best book you read?
The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides, maybe. I really liked Paper Towns by John Green as well. I read a lot of other books but those are the two that I really remember being brilliant.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Lana Del Rey. I know, I know.
28. What did you want and get?
Uhhhh. I don’t think I’ve ever gone into a year thinking ‘THIS IS WHAT I WANT OUT OF THIS YEAR.’
29. What did you want and not get?
Still nothing.
30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I loved Captain America, Hugo, Sherlock Holmes 2 (I know that it’s not the name but it’s easier). I’m not sure I could pick one.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
12,335,000. Johnny and I went to a lovely Mexican restaurant in Penrith. My Mum also had a Doctor Who cake sent to me.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being able to spend more time with my family.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
All over the gosh darned place.
34. What kept you sane?
I don’t think anything in particular did it.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don’t really get crushes on people. I didn’t even have a crush on my boyfriend before we got together. I thought he was wonderful and then it just clicked and seemed right so I went for it and I ended up being right. I definitely can’t see myself having a thing for someone I don’t even personally know.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Don’t even want to talk about it.
37. Who did you miss?
So many people.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Everyone I worked with at the University of Cumbria was nice.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011
Not to make excuses unless one is asked for.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year
Oh come, and we will celebrate the things that make us real,
The things that break us open, and the things that make us feel
Like these accidental meetings up and partings of the way
Are not so much our choice but in the blood of how we’re made,
It’s like the way I have to write down almost everything I see,
So that the record does obscure the thing the record used to be,
And I know I’m not unlucky,
I was just born this way.
Paper Forest (In The Afterglow of Rapture)-Emmy The Great
I may not be 100% on what this song is about but I definitely feel something when I hear it.
Looking Ahead: 2012
1. Will you be looking for a new job?
Already am.
2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?
Not a chance.
3. New home?
It’s possible but probably not.
4. What will you do different in 2012?
I think I’ll try to find people I love instead of people I can tolerate to spend more time with.
5. New Years resolution?
None. Like I said, I think that stuff is pretty pointless.
6. What will you not be doing in 2012?
Ahhhhhhhhh. I don’t know yet.
7. Any trips planned?
Edinburgh a week after I go home and in March, I have tickets to see Emilie Autumn in Glasgow. VIP ones.
8. Wedding plans?
Nope. I have plans to go to my Mum’s wedding though!
9. Major thing on your calendar?
My Mum’s wedding!
10. What can’t you wait for?
I think I just want to see how it turns out.
11. What would you like to see happen differently?
How I feel. I’m working on it though, so I’m sure I will.
12. What about yourself will you be changing?
I have no plans to have some drastic new year makeover but I do want to work on my confidence.
15. Will you dress differently this year than you did in 2011?
I don’t have any plans.
16. Will you start or quit drinking?
Nope.
17. Will you better your relationship with your family?
I think that that’s something everyone should always be working on.
18. Will you do philanthropy work?
Possibly.
19. Will you go to bars?
I doubt it, I’m not a bar person.
20. Will you be nice to people you don’t know?
I always try!
21. Do you expect 2012 to be a good year for you?
I couldn’t say.
22. How much did you change from last year to this year?
A fair bit.
23. Do you plan on having a child?
God no.
24. Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with now?
I think I will be but I hope that there’s new people too.
25. Major lifestyle changes?
Not too major but I guess I should be more active.
26. Will you be moving?
It’s being considered but probably not.
27. What will you make sure doesn’t happen in 2012 that happened in 2011?
Another thing I have no super specific plans for.
28. What are your New Years Eve plans?
Spending time with an old friend.
29. Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?
No, my boyfriend is in Ireland. But I will call him.
30. One wish for 2012?
I just want stuff to be good.
