The 9 Goals of 2011

1. Learn to sew!
CHECK!  I can make blankets, bags and pillows (easy stuff) but I want to work on it more so I can make nice gifts for everyone who is having babies <3

2. Get my stuff out of storage.
CHECK!  I have a great apartment that is one house down from work - I walk to work every day, plus can run home when I forget things.

3. Get in shape/loose the weight. Goal is 160!
CHECK!  I weighed in just before Christmas at 159 - hello!  I was at 184 a little over a year ago, wearing size 14 jeans and was generally grumpy all the time.  Now I am in a size 8 (ARE YOU KIDDING ME) and I am happy and healthy!

4. Save money!
CHECK!  Well, up until I moved in September I was saving lots of money - but I am trying to be careful with what I spend - big ticket items are going to be a Ski/Boot Lease from Pelican this week, a trip to Nashville & NC this spring

5. Read 20 new books in 2011! I read 16 new books in 2010.
CHECK! 21 Books with 3 days to go!  Working on #22, but its a tough read, so I am slogging through it.  Also I just got Skyrim, so that is burning up my free time.

6. Finish Decorating the Apartment
CHECK!  Its cute and has great orange accents - perfect for me!  And I finally have rugs!!

7. Wear fewer t-shirts.
FAIL Well, I do try to dress up a little bit for work (Not today, however, as I am in Leaders sweatpants and a Wawa T-shirt - whoops)

8. Reconnect with old friends
Meh - I see the people I want to see, which is good.  And I have made some great friends working here at the Y, which has been awesome.

9. Run a 5K
FAIL. Whatever, still cant get the hip to cooperate, but I am doing "Couch to 5K" here at the Y, and hopefully doing a 5K in Nashville this May.

Things like this. . .

My heart breaks for this child.  Why do we teach such HATE?

Favorites

Treepocalypse 2011

(Insurance company totalled the car - crushed hood, crushed roof and bent frame)

My parent's lost power at about 3:00pm on Saturday, and got it back at 3:30pm on Friday.  The branches have been moved out of the driveway and cut up a bit, but our tree service wont be back for a few more days - just way to many trees down.  We are going to have to take at least one tree down as a result of the storm - it actually wasn't badly damaged, but it revealed that it is hollow inside (yikes).

But besides a bruised shoulder on my part (HUGE chunk of wet snow came down out of a tree while I was out walking - OW) everyone is fine.

Cleaning up after the storm

These past two weeks have been a little crazy.  Work, Weather and having my parents stay at my 1 bedroom apartment with me because they didnt have power last week have kept me away from the computer.   I have photos to post from the treepocalypse that was my parents house, and hopefully I can get out of town and hike tomorrow.

Kitten Face

Framed

Went to ikea and got a frame for bike picture...not happy with the mat, so I may have to go get one cut. Would also help if I could mount the picture correctly and not at a slight angle :(

Glimpses

Just wanted to give you a glimpse of my new apt. Here is my little bedroom with new bedspread - LOVE IT :)

In my new house

Sleeping in my bed :-)

Why the Panda is Black and White

tribute

10

Down the Shore

Pictures from the weekend.  It was so nice to go down the shore and not have to worry about the whereabouts of 30 campers. :-)

Yes, this is a bicycle built for two!  My brother and I rode it and got about 10 feet before the front tube blew out - whoops.  This photograph will soon to be a nice print for my new apartment! I get the keys on Thursday, big moving day is SATURDAY!!

This is going to be a 16x20 canvas print.  I think it will look nice in my bedroom. 

We stayed at a house in Bay Head, NJ, 2 blocks from the ocean and 3 houses from the bay.  It was a beautiful day on Saturday!  Played in the VERY ROUGH ocean, laid out on the beach, looked for sea glass (still have never found any) and rode beach cruisers around town.  Overall a spectacular day!

Summer 2011

So many great memories from this summer... more photos coming soon :)

Fireworks at the Lake

The community where we own a lake house (we being my parents, that is) had its annual fireworks display on the 2nd of July this year, so that they could have the boat parade (which we missed).  The fireworks are shot from just down the lake from us, and they were awesome!  We were able to watch from our dock with some friends who also have a house in the community. It was great, and I can't wait to do it again next year!

(we warmed up with some sparklers)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY USA!

HARRRYY!!!

Dingo

Last night I got a phone call from one of my best friends from NC - DINGO!  (Aka Gabe the Dirty Foreigner!) He had missed a connection and was stuck in NJ for the night!  So we did it right, going to a NJ diner for dinner, then catching up on whats been happening in our lives.  It was great to see him (although next time he has to bring up his wifey, Tara, so that we can make him say "Haych" instead of "H" and drink way too much starbucks).  I miss my NC family, and hopefully can go down to visit them soon :)

Sweet project I am supporting - check it out!

New Digital Fonts from Rare Letterpress Wood Type Kickstarter Video from Bearded Studio on Vimeo.

1 in 7,000,000

Spring

iPad!

I got my iPad today! I am a little disappointed that many of my favorite apps are not designed for the larger format, but I think by the end of the year there will be a lot of good apps out. So far I havent done much- i didn't get home from work till 11! Tomorrow I will have a chance to play with it some more :-)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Two Kisses For Maddy

So this morning I awoke to a surprise package from my favorite online book seller - Matt Logelin's memoir: Two Kisses For Maddy.  I am a huge fan of his blog Matt, Liz and Madeline, so buying his book seemed like a logical choice.

The book is so much different than I expected.  The writing style of his blog is raw, emotional and highly stylized, leaving you breathless, but often is only the emotions of the day.  The book fills in those holes the blog leaves.  The back story of Matt and Liz's beautiful relationship, the full birth story, how he coped with the first year of life without Liz, his relationship with his in-laws, parents and friends, and how he started the Liz Logelin Foundation are brought to life in this book.
It was a beautiful and easy read, candid but polished, and left me hoping that Matt will continue to write and share his amazing story.  You do not have to be a blog reader to get into this book, but I guarantee that after you read this, you'll be following Matt's journey to see what amazing adventures he and his daughter will have next.

5K

So I have a new goal and that is to run a 5K. I have a few friends who are quite the runners and I think it would be fun, especially because there are such great causes that hold 5Ks as fundraisers. I am a little worried about my joints - rugby 2 weeks ago was fine on my knee but murder on my hip - which is an old injury that I thought was long healed. But hopefully rugby next week will be better and I also get some running in between now and then.

I am so frustrated by my joints. I know most people would be like "suck it up" but I could hardly flex my leg last week because of my hip, and it made work horrible. I am going to load up on the anvil before I run and stretch/warm up a lot. I just wish that i could be normal and not have these weird injuries.

Any runners out there with tips?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

No heat

Our 1989 furnace has finally quit.  So I am at my mom's computer, in front of the fireplace wrapped in a blanket.  We have opted to have the furnace replaced because the repair is going to cost over $1000 and its really time to get a new furnace.  The company that we have a heating and cooling contract with is going to bring over some space heaters today so that we wont freeze (its 41 out right now - but going to rain/snow all weekend).  Needless to say, I will be at work for a long time today because its just not that fun to sit in a cold house.

today

Today is a PJ kinda day... but the light out right now is pretty and we have crocus coming up so I will be putting on some non-bright-orange pants to go out in the front yard in.

grumble grumble

Just did some photo editing for my mom.  Photos were from the trip they just took to St. John in the US Virgin Islands.  Soooo jealous...

ohh crafty

http://www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/how-to-make-friendship-bracelets.html

Ice Ice Baby

Rest in Peace

Rest in peace, Liam.

http://www.princeliamthebrave.blogspot.com/

Worst Haircut EVER

This post inspired me to write about MY worst haircut ever, which happened during the last 3 weeks of 8th grade.

When I was in 8th grade, I had long thick dark hair, which I wanted layered (like Rachel from friends).  My aunt took me to her very fancy hair salon, where the owner, a man named PACO - WARNING SIGN #1, was waiting.  He sat me on an elevated platform in the back of the salon, in front of a mirror that looked like Cinerella's (WARNING SIGNS 2 and 3) and started to chat.  He told me all about living in Key West, and the time he broke his neck falling off a curb in NYC.  (WTF?)

Then he put my hair up in a high pony, AND CHOPPED IT OFF.

You can't fix that.  There is no going back once you cut a FOOT of hair off someone's head.  I started to cry almost immediately.  It was horrible.  My aunt kept saying "he'll fix it!", but when I left the store I had a very, VERY short PIXIE.  My mom came to pick me up and attempted to comfort me, however I think she was convinced I was going to throw myself out on the highway during the drive home. (She kept her hand on my leg the entire ride, as I sobbed into the window). Now imagine being a tall tom-boy of a girl, who then shows up for the last 3 weeks of 8th grade with a BOY'S HAIRCUT.   I was mortified and wore a lot of hats that summer.  The cut was actually really becoming in retrospect, but seriously, who does that to a MIDDLE SCHOOLER?!


(pics coming soon)

so dang cute

Violet, 7 Weeks Old from Jason Zada on Vimeo.

:-)

http://www.paper-leaf.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ct_1440.jpg

http://www.loiterink.com/photos/products/362_6399_500x500.jpg

I like this one :-)

http://photoshopetiquette.com/

It's my birthday!

Another year older.  Another year wiser?  Probably not, but I can say that this was a pretty good year for me.  Started with spending tons of time with some awesome friends, moving back home, working all summer, making some important decisions in my life, and getting a good job that I am really enjoying.  I am not sure what this coming year holds for me.  But I know that I have my family and friends to help get me through, and I am a lot tougher than I thought I was.

Me and my dad (his birthday is on the 18th - I was a great birthday present to him 28 years ago!!)

I also wanted to share this:

Best birthday present ever.  <3

 

Thank you, Jon Stewart

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
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Comic Sans

This just made my day

Are you a Comic Sans Criminal?


I hate comic sans.

<3

more lily

cuteness overload

while there is a cuter picture than this, it is going to be the 2011 family holiday card, so you'll just have to wait.

but man, this dog loves the snow, and is photogenic...