It's going to be a long morning if I keep writing, deleting, and rewriting this blog entry. I guess I figure since its the first of 2010 it should be special, and nothing is quite making me happy enough to hit publish yet. I glanced back at my first post of 2009 and saw that this party dress never really got worn to its full potential so it of course became my 2010 dress. The look is slightly different compared to then, a different skirt option, hair and shoes, but its still absolutely beautiful. My favorite part, hands down, is the low dipped back that leaves a perfect backdrop for the jewelry I am wearing. I should get back in world at some point to take an additional picture of that, you can find it on my flickr later.

I've tried to not sit and ponder over the last year too much on my own, but instead while talking to some of my closest friends and Sands. Its been a crazy year for me, and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself where I am right now, with such an amazing new year ahead of me. I've learned a lot. About myself, about others, and much of that has changed because of SL, plurk, blogs, the community itself. On one hand I found heart break, betrayal, devastation and moments of depression for a while with a few people that turned out not at all to be what I expected. Then I watch as that hand turns itself right over and lets those people and all the negative emotions that came with them fall away into a year that has forever changed me. Surprisingly I am able to be thankful for every experience that helped me grow and make me a stronger person and leave it behind me with no grudge, or need of repair. I can simply smile at the lessons I learned and look over to the other hand. New friends have been filling my spare time, new games, worlds, challenges. While I met some of the worst people and some bad experiences, I also feel like I met some of the best and thank goodness they out number everything else.

So, just to touch on a few highlights here this morning. Ha, highlights. Anyway!

I could spend pages writing about the people that are in my life now but goodness knows I would forget someone or leave them out and they would end up with hurt feelings so lets just sum it up. You know who you are, and how amazing I think you all are and I am extremely thankful to have you in my life. Yet, what have I been thankful for the most this year? Should I do it in pinpoint format?! I haven't done that in ages.

• For Mandy and Emmor, their crazy ideas and hopes and the challenge that the sim brought us. It gave me a chance to see what I could do on an entire sim that I, and many many others, got to enjoy for a few months. We didn't fail, we all just made the choice to move on to things that let us be a bit more creative without the work of dealing with other people in order to keep our land. Besides, being ripped off on tier was never my idea of a fun time in SL! Thank you guys for staying the course with me, encouraging me, and giving me the feedback I needed as I was building/planting etc. I may never have a full sim to go wild on again, but boy was it fun.
• For all the designers that I have had the honor of meeting, sitting and talking with, learning from, and receive items from that I was able to include in my blog over the last 12 months. You all have amazing talent and I am eager to see what you create for the year to come and how much I can toss it around for my own looks. There are changes coming to SL, and I hope most of you are able to make it through with your businesses because my inventory isnt full yet! Well...close.
• To those that have let me abuse them in my studio for my photography as well as those that have shared their own little tidbits and tricks for photo manipulations. I am still learning and will be for some time but I am loving the process!! Thank you all for your patience as I toss you around on a pose stand or pose ball, and your compliments even on pieces I wasn't happy with! Trust me, I will be molesting your avatars in the year to come as well. Oh hush, you love it.
• For Kerra, for putting up with me in both RL and SL. Staying up late, holding me as I cry, laughing with me until we are practically hysterical and for doing many more naughty things that I would have to turn this blog x rated into just to share. I share enough, go away, Kerra is mine!! The best friend one could even ask for, to death and beyond wench. I love you. Think you can put up with me for another year?

Yea, I decided the last paragraph or two needed to be out of that format, because I am going to ramble enough that he is will want to throttle me here. The biggest change in my life this year has been finding Sands. We have both grown and changed so very much this year. I'm not here to pretend the world is perfect and we have never had an issue, that would be foolish. We have had our ups and downs, being apart and only together online will do that to anyone. However, every bit of the horrible moments have been worth it because of how amazing it is most of the time. Nothing else seems to matter when we are happy together, and right now we are. We even survived the dreaded holidays! Ha, surprisingly strongly I might add. I don't think people thought we would make it to 2010, better yet I am positive people hoped we wouldn't. Luckily those are people that don't matter in the least to me! We have gotten through some rough spots and come out all the stronger and more in love than I thought possible. Yea, it shocks me too, but you don't have to understand it. It is what it is, and its good.

Its not often you find someone that will open up about almost anything and everything. When that person opens up and you finally understand them, you can see them differently. It takes a lot to even do that, but I am forever thankful that I did, and that he did as well. I'm far from being a saint, or easy to love. I'm not kidding when I say I am stubborn and difficult. He has to deal with all of my bad points as well, like my jealousy, moments of insecurity and emotional tendencies. Thank goodness he thinks my best is worth all of the trouble I cause him! People would be shocked if they got even a moment to sit and listen to our conversations on skype. I look forward to shocking you all this year.

So what does the new year hold for us all? Well, for me and my own, that is. More work on Grand Illusion as a studio and shape store. Who knows what else I might take a hand in tinkering with. Kerra and I have big plans, always plan big. For some other friends and us, we hope to embark on new things in SL together. What that is yet, we aren't sure, you will just have to keep an eye on us! I also intend to start another blog with some friends as well, seeing as this one has become my rambling ground. I like it this way, so no there will be no changes to Grand Illusion. It will be whatever I want, when I want, and I will share fashion in it just as much as before. For Sands and I? We've talked about all the things we want to do this year, from more time in SL together, more pictures, more friends and a lot more raiding and PvPing in Everquest II! Never thought I would enjoy a game as much as I have been enjoying that one with him. We will also be watching the amazing set of videos he sent me for Christmas. He spent to much! What else? Its limitless, but for one we are going to hit the one year mark together. A full year I might add, nothing on and off. Who would have thought?

I know some people have had a rough year this last year, and others that have had one just simply amazing. That is my wish for everyone. Yes yes Sands I am being a care bear, but you wouldn't love me any other way. I wish everyone a fabulous year filled with love, friends, and much success. I can't wait to see what its going to bring us all.

Dina's Duds (links to be fixed when I am logged in, so so sorry)
Dress: VictoriaV Fashions
Jewelry: Alienbear
Hair: WAKA & yuki
Skin: Belleza
Shoes: Maitreya