Thinking back to unwrapping Christmas gifts with Nick this year makes me laugh all over again. You see, this year, I didn’t really want anything. I was horrible about giving my husband hints on what to get me, but, about three weeks ago, he told me he had a few gifts in mind and smiled mischievously. “You’re going to LOVE ‘em, I know you will!”

Fast forward to opening our gifts Christmas Eve and, as I pulled off the paper on an art print he’d bought me, I looked up to this face of, “Well, don’t you LOVE it?” I smiled hesitantly and said, “Oh, this is sweet…where did you find it?” And then he looked at me and said, “But you put it on your Pinterest account!”

Oh friends…do you know how much of a jerk I felt in that moment? Ladies, here’s a lesson for you: If you pin things, you may get them! So, you know, maybe don’t become a Pinterest nut to the extreme, one who FORGETS THE STUFF SHE’S PINNED.

The next present? A sweater I remembered pinning, so I was giddy with glee. My last gift? A navy blue, fur-trimmed pea coat. I looked at him and said, “Oh gosh…don’t tell me….Did I pin this too?” And then I started laughing. You see, when you “repin” something on Pinterest—something someone originally posts with an “I WANT” comment—why WOULDN’T your husband think that YOU were the one asking for said coat?

I took 10 minutes to fully explain to my husband the way the female brain interacts with Pinterest. Then I apologized for how little sense that interaction makes (He was all, ‘Wait, you ‘repin’ stuff? I…I don’t get it.‘). Between the great Pinterest debacle and the LL Bean boots I bought him having their shoelaces sewn INSIDE THE BOOT, we looked at one another over a pile of wrapping paper and joked about how’d we really nailed it this Christmas, hadn’t we?

Be that as it may, I love everything Nick got me, even if I didn’t remember loving it in the first place! As we took a Christmas Eve walk (me bundled up in my cozy new coat), I told Nick I wanted to take my self-portrait as a way to remember that night. ‘Cause even with the goof-ups, the real present in all of it was hearing him laugh at my side.

Well, here we are, guys — a wrap on my 2011 self-portrait series. What an amazing year it’s been, filled with a few lows but so many incredible highs.

From left to right, top to bottom: 01.11 #67 … check and mark / 02.11 On Handling Grief / 03.11 Navigating NYC On My Own / 04. 11 Can’t this room please finish itself? / 05.11 I Got Back on the Bike / 06.11 Saying ‘Om’ Again / 07.11 A Room with a View / 08.11 My Couch Tour of California / 09.11 Getting My Geek On / 10.11 Hallelujah, It Still Fits! / 11.11 A New Way of Seeing Things / 12.11 A Very Pinterest Christmas

Last year, I was blown away by the number of photographer friends of mine who decided to start their own 2011 self-portrait series after being inspired by my 2010 self-portrait series. If you want to join again or, if you’re thinking of starting a series of your own for the first time in 2011, let me know in the comments with a link to your first post! While you might feel narcissistic for putting yourself in front of the camera, it’s SUCH a great way to reflect back on your year and relive months that all too often, pass us by far too quickly. I wouldn’t trade these 24 photos  and the precious words I’ve written over the past 2 years for anything! Can’t wait to see what’s to come in 2012!!

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

1. What is your favorite online-only store?

It’s a tie between Amazon and Etsy…but my checking account would probably tell you Amazon.

2. Do you enjoy wrapping gifts?

Ehhh…if you’re asking if I’m one of those gals who goes “all out” with artistic bows and such, then, no. But I don’t mind it. I like to help my mom out and wrap together as we watch a holiday flick. This year’s was “The Family Stone.”

3. What is the temperature in your city today?

Warm. It’s been ridiculously spring-like around this part of the Midwest. Which makes me worry winter isn’t going to show her true colors until January hits.

4. What time do you eat dinner?

Anytime between 6:30 and 7:30, but never any later.

5. Will you be making New Years Resolutions?

Hmmm…most likely, yes. But I never like to call them “resolutions.” Last year, I dubbed ‘em my personal 10 Commandments for the year. You know, now that I look at that list again, I think I can just keep with those!

6. How old is your oldest pair of shoes that you still wear?

I have a pair of hiking boots I bought myself at least 10 years ago that are still in great shape. And even though they’ve been chewed on and I only wear them to take the dog out, I still have a pair of lime green Crocs floating around my house too.

7. Do you have any restaurant phone numbers saved in your phone?

Oooh, not proud to admit this one, but yes. Jimmy John’s. I have a once-a-week lunchtime habit with that crew (I can’t help it — that bread! It’s delish!) AND they deliver to the office. Hmm..maybe I should add “Eat less Jimmy John’s” to my New Year’s resolution list, huh? ;)

8. What is your favorite and least favorite letter to write in cursive?

OK, WHO writes in cursive anymore? But if we’re gonna go there, I could NEVER write the uppercase letter “Q” properly. It always looked like a “Z.”

9. Do you know any good riddles?

Nope, no riddles. But I DO have a good (bad) joke to share that, when my coworker told it to me last week, made me bust out in laughter (I’m a sucker for this type of humor – sorry!): “A set of jumper cables walks into a bar and asks for a drink. The bartender looks at ‘em and says, “Look, I’ll serve you just don’t start anything.” HAHAHAHA

10. How do you feel about snow?

I LOVE IT. When, that is, I don’t have to drive in it. So while I wish we had more of it blanketing my yard right now, I’m not going to complain given all the traveling we’re doing this holiday season.

Ten on Tuesday Topics from Roots & Rings

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Hoping this weekend holiday is filled with laughter, love and family. Merry Christmas to everyone*!

*This was our Christmas card we sent out this year — after not doing cards last year, I’m so glad I went for it this year! I’ve LOVED getting them in return in the mail from friends (what can I say, I’m a girl who loves the post office and all things mail-related ;)). A HUGE thank you goes out to our friends Nate and Amanda at Turtle Pond for the holiday mini-sessions they did. We were excited to get in front of their camera again (that hadn’t happened since our wedding day!)

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

Seattle was our last stop on our Pacific Northwest vacation (believe me, if I coulda, I would have kept us chuggin’ right on up to Vancouver!) Another gorgeous city, one that Nick fell in love with because it’s right on a port. And if ever a man loved water, it’s my husband….

No sooner did we get into town in the late afternoon than we sought out the last “Seattle Underground” tour of the day. One of my students at Ball State, Kait, had told me this was a must-stop and she was right…The history buff in me is ALWAYS fascinated to learn more about a place — discovering that, after a fire in the 1880s, Seattle decided to build over again ABOVE sea level this time (darn tides!), essentially creating a city on top of a city. The tour guide was great too — very tongue-in-cheek.

My girl, Tira, had tipped me off to Kerry Park, letting me know it had the best views of Seattle. Before we checked into our hotel nearby, we stopped over and OOHHH was she right! So glad we did this at night (and that I had a tripod for proper exposure!) Nick and I stood there mesmerized by both the view and watching all the planes coming for a good 15 minutes. GORGEOUS cityscape! We stayed at The Maxwell and I can’t say enough wonderful things about the hotel. Cool and ecletic and close to so much, especially the Space Needle. And I can I just say I love that moment I see in person a monument or sculpture or painting I’ve seen a zillion times on TV or in other people’s photos? Still special, no matter how much I already recognize it. We meandered our way down to the famous Pike Place Market ….Rachel the Pig!!! The market’s mascot …Nick teased me about my compulsion to hunt down the original Starbucks and take a picture of it. Amazing to think of what this company has become in the 40 years since it opened this first small store. We picked up some yummy piroshkies and headed for the waterfront for breakfast… I was a woman on a mission to find the infamous Gum Wall. I know, I know..eewwwww. It’s gross and yet, I was strangely fascinated by it. Funny enough, I could actually SMELL it before we got there. The whole alley smells like one giant piece of Wrigley’s DoubleMint…. Is it weird I want to turn this shot into some kind of notecard? That little gum heart gets me every time. You didn’t think I’d go all the way to Seattle and NOT try to find McDreamy, did you? ;) We hopped on a ferry to see more of Puget Sound. All I could think about for a while was that one episode of Grey’s Anatomy where the ferries collide (also known as that plotline where Meredith “drowns” and the show jumps the shark). And leave it to Nick to instead be thinking about how he could do his best Jack Dawson impersonation. Man…what a VIEW. Can you see Mt. Rainier in the background? Yet another day where the weather held for us to be able to take in the beauty of Mother Nature in all her majesty. Countless are the times where Nick will tell me he’d rather not have his picture taken. And then, a tacky tourist shop comes along and he’s suddenly a camera hog. Lunch in the market at Lowell’s Restaurant. YUM! We finished off the afternoon heading back toward our hotel and setting our sights on the Experience Music Project. What an unbelievably awesome museum, both inside and out. The way the light reflected off this building made me feel like a bug heading straight for it ’cause I just couldn’t look away. The massive guitar sculpture in the entry. An awesome exhibit on Nirvana and the birth of the grunge movement meant I had the beat of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” stuck in my head for the rest of the afternoon. I was a 7th grader standing in front of a jukebox at a pizza parlor when I first heard that song. An exhibit on the lure of horror films had us giving our best “Scream” faces. I don’t watch scary flicks much these days, but still found the layout of this curation fascinating. We dressed up and headed 60 stories up the Space Needle to have dinner with one of the most spectacular views I’ve ever experienced. Our sweet waitress asked if we wanted our picture taken, then snapped this with my 5D. When she hesitantly asked me, “How did I do?” and I saw this on my viewfinder, I smiled and said, “You did great!” Out of focus though it is, I still love it. For sentimental reasons, of course. One last request for the night was made and my husband indulged me in getting a night snap of the market. What a great way to end this trip!

To read the first two parts of this vacation recap, visit: San Francisco, Mendocino & the Oregon Coast and 48 Hours of Fun in Portland

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Become a fan of Gail’s work on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.