Family and friends,

Happy New Year!

Chance and me ~ Christmas 2012

My personal farewell to the year 2012 begins here with a long overdue zesty Hiatus Interruptus.

2012 has been a remarkable year in my zesty life. It has also been a whirlwind year filled with change, shared experiences and family milestones mixed with travel, visits from family, finding professional growth, and never a dull moment in between. Yes. 2012 has been filled with remarkable, momentous moments, events and experiences. Yet somehow it’s taken me all this time and a new year to start somewhere. In all that I have said, I didn’t say easy, and I didn’t say fun. Yet in these profound moments I found the remarkable. In all the savory bits, the bumps, the valleys, the laughter, and the many tears, I found a pace that never caught up with me. A pace I did not chase and could not chase. Knowing that I would catch up to the moment only when it was gone forever.

I have been selfish in the best way I know how. By preserving and keeping these moments to savor just for me, knowing my heart will break a little when I share these precious photos and deep words. Yet somehow I shared what I could and when I could, and found strength, comfort and peace while making soaps in The Herb Room, cooking in My Zesty Kitchen.

Accepting the laws of time, through a year’s perspective, 2012 marked the moment I would see my son graduate, and would see him off to college. A year spent preparing for a successful launch when I myself could never be prepared, yet realizing I have really been preparing for the last 18 years.

But if I had to sum the 2012 year into “some things” or a list of sorts, here is where I would start. In this sharing the richness deepens, a moment’s hue may fade yet the meaning stays alive. It all comes down to today, a new year. My very own launch and self directed Hiatus Interruptus. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy moments

are a walk in the park.

Phew. Now that I have that out of the way, I can start with these moments that have not been easy to write about. A little bit of zesty this and whole lotta zesty that. In celebration of new beginnings I give you my

12 most remarkable moments of 2012:

1. New Digs. My Zesty Life is MOVING! That’s right folks, Wimberley Texas, here I come. We are moving out of our Austin McMansion and into a cozy and quaint stone cottage on February 1! I am packing as we speak and have a whole lotta adventure and hard work ahead… Welcome to my upgraded zesty life version 2.013!

Nuestra casa.

Home sweet home.

Meet my new neighbors.

2. The CA family in Texas + Campout x The College search + Travel = Loco in the cabeza. The college search led to lots of travel, NOT vacation. College visits were all over the country from Indiana to Arkansas – not Bermuda or Bahama – sigh. I am not complaining. Okay well maybe a little. A jam packed zest fest of comings and goings that I am not sure which of the two happened more. Whew. Phew. Pooh.

Arkansas to

Indiana.

BuRRRRRRRRRRR.

3. … and only one Chance. Trust me you WILL be hearing and seeing more on the one and only Chance in the days to come – this is just to get you started.

Somehow the Chance-man (formerly C$) managed to get both of our families here to watch him graduate and even stay for a campout. He also managed to turn 18, go to prom, get out of HS, play a ton of lacrosse, and is currently attending Southwestern University, with studies in Computer Science and Architecture.

18 years and only one Chance.

From My Zesty Kitchen with love

an 18 candle German Chocolate Cake

Happy Birthday Chance!

Senior year and lots of Lacrosse!

The Grad.

Family Campout and lake fun with the Blossom cousins

Did I mention that he is also playing NCAA lacrosse for the Southwestern Pirates?  If not, he may be in your town soon, feel free to check out the Pirates game schedule – go Pirates!

Ahoy matey. SU Pirate #30 defends the goal with all his might.

And if that’s not all, in his spare time he is training as a circus master while learning to juggle Werecats. Riiiiiiiiiight. Whew. Phew. Pooh. Indeedily do.

The Rufferee takes a break from all the action.

4. My Zesty Kitchen celebrates with ONE food recipe in 2012. Okay I am the first to admit that sharing one food recipe in 12 months is pretty laughable. On the other hand, I always enjoy any amount of time I get to spend in my Zesty Kitchen, one recipe at a time. My zesty test kitchen has been inventing, test tasting and cooking up a storm. So much so that I have a journal full of hand written recipes that may reveal themselves in 2013… Mmmwaa haa haa

Insert pie drool here.

5. A smoke free year. 2012 marks 1 full year of being smoke free.

It’s official, I am a non-smoker and completely free of the cancer sticks! Whooo hoooo and YIPEEE!!!!!

Buddha approved

6. The Herb Room soaps goes local….. and sells out! Yee haw! The Herb Room saw tremendous growth and change in 2012. The Herb Room Soaps ~ Local Holiday Showcase Success debut was amazing marking the first year that The Herb Room soaps SOLD OUT! Thanks folks!

The Herb Room soaps wrapped in beautiful Holiday gift packages.

The Herb Room will be brewing soaps, as soon as we are settled into the new casa. I will keep you posted when I have some stock available. In the meantime, I have some great new soap creations planned for 2013, as well as a re-stock of the Classics and will be working on some much needed renovations and updates to The Herb Room store front. Stay naturally clean and up to date – Sign up here for The Herb Room news

Lovely Lavender mini-bar & Mint Momentum with slotted soap dish.

A gift of The Herb Room soap is

Good clean fun naturally

7. Babies! Special deliveries! The cutest Bastropian Babies arrive

Congrats to Anne and my Bro!

And this bundle of

Joy Starr Blossom. The latest and greatest 4th addition to the Blossom family! Congrats to the glorious Mama Harmonious and Jules!

8. Celebrating a 40 year old Cave Man.

In a Man cave.

The handsome cave-man Beandog (formerly B-man) emerges from his primitive cave dwelling to celebrate 40 years on the planet, as well as somehow having the ability (cave man wifi?) to co-create the beautiful MZL banners you see at the top of the page. Happy Birthday Beandog McPlug!

Many happy returns.

9. Furranimals ooodles of love and cuteness

Yo friend me on facebook. I’m serious.

Bunny

Izzy the fuzzy snuzzler is happy as can be.

Group hug. Izzy, Santa and me.

We always know where to find Sasha. Snuggled up and cozy under the tree.

A smiling face greets me Christmas morning.

Another smiling face greets me Christmas morning. But this smiling face contains a very devilish grin.

Sasha was way to easy to find for this

Can’t you tell she loves turning into Unicorn kitty?

Why let just one in on the fun?

Chance, ahem, I mean WB is looking like a very happy Unicorn kitty.

NOT.

Unicorn kitty escapes to her magical cove to find that her pillowy horn impedes her passage.

WB has magical napping powers even when not donning her Unicorn horn

These have magical powers that make me squeal and squirm AHHHHHHHHH. Everyone loves a cute basket of puppies!

10. Z-College

Architect in training

Arch Showcase – Fall 2012

Goes to show

You’re never to old to learn to ride a bike.

11. and 12.  Remarkable memorable moments shared with remarkable people. This means alls y’all. I am ready for 2013 and am looking forward to the unknown and new beginnings. I hope that you and your family, all that you love, are healthy and wish you all the best in 2013.

I can’t think of a better transition into the 2013 year than with a zesty New Year’s proclamation! It’s been a long time coming, time to take a breath and say - 2013, here I come! Hope you are ready.

Whether you are near, or far or if you just happen to be on your own Hiatus, please stop in and interrupt me when you return. I would love to hear from you.

Zesty Love and Cheer,
Robyn

PS I hope you enjoyed the various quality of these photos, many are just candid shots of the moment and were captured on whatever phone, or camera was nearby. Funny how some of the best moments happen when a camera is nowhere in site….

Ta da!