Another year, another list

Another year older and another list of things to try...

1. Get married!
2. Take a class.
3. Try a new restaurant.
4. Go on holiday.
5. Create some self-care policies.
6. Pay off $5000 of debt.
7. Complete Project Life.
8. Paint a feature wall.
9. Reupholster a chair.
10. Get my licence.
11. Paint a dresser.
12. Finish paying off my computer.
13. Sell a painting.
14. Fill my Smash Book.
15. Upcycle my cabinet.
16. Have professional photos taken.
17. Fit my wedding dress.
18. Find my passion for blogging again.
19. Finish my portfolio site.
20. Have an Arrested Development marathon.
21. Fill my art journal.
22. Finish my Secret Project Life album.
23. Find wedding shoes.
24. Start running.
25. Put all my old photos in an album.
26. Decorate the hall.
27. Make a vege garden.
28. Get more indoor plants.
29. Go offline for a while.
30. Find a ritual to enjoy this winter.
31. Have a massage.
32. Buy myself flowers.

31 Things List :: report

With one more week until my birthday, I can't believe another year has flown by. My list this year has been steadily checked off but the reality of owning our own home and a few other life curves has meant that a few of the high-ticket items have had to take a miss. And the rest, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get done in the next 6 days either.

So here it is, my 31 Things List...

1. Go on a road trip
2. Let the cat out
3. Paint and complete a room
4. Get another tattoo
5. Fill an art journal
6. Go soda-free for a month
7. Get a bike and ride to work
8. Send an unexpected gift
9. Read all the unread books
10. Have a massage
11. Start baking again
12. Go to Stewart Island
13. Take a class
14. Go somewhere new
15. See a movie alone
16. Pay off a loan
17. Get stronger
18. Disconnect for a week
19. Paint another room
20. Fly to Wellington for the weekend
21. Grow a garden
22. Do something brave
23. Go swimming
24. Take a photo walk
25. Make a big decision
26. Spend the day painting
27. Try macarons again
28. Be more grateful
29. Try 12 new recipes
30.  Complete a photo challenge
31.  Have a progressive dinner

I've only missed 10 things and I'm pretty proud of that. Although there are some pretty simple things in there that I could easily have accomplished, if I hadn't allowed my fear and anxiety to stop me.

I've been umming and arring about what I want to do this year. Do I want to carry on with a list that is only going to get longer and longer each year? Do I want to change the format? Or do I just want to give myself a break?

So far, I'm still not sure. I've written a new list of 32 but I'm still not sure. Watch this space.

Brave

The concept of being brave feels hard, overwhelming. Like to be brave I should be jumping out of planes or moving to a foreign country. I forget that I can be brave everyday, even if it is in very small ways ...

It is brave to tell the truth even when it might not make you popular.
It is brave to try something you've always wanted to even if you're afraid of looking foolish.
It is brave to start making your dreams happen even if you might fail.
It is brave to open up to someone even if it makes you vulnerable.
It is brave to be yourself even if people might judge you.
It is brave to wear your favourite colour even if it isn't fashionable.

I got inked ... again.

Finally managed to cross this one off the list. Stevie at Agency Inc did a fantastic job, didn't hurt a bit!

It's been two years in the making but I finally completed my wrist tattoos. I'm happy that they still mean as much to me today as they did back then. Something to keep in mind for life.

I have to choose the life I want and then I have to create it.

Macaron success!

Finally, I conquered my fears, prepared for the heartbreak, then jumped up and down for joy when I managed to make perfect little Vanilla and White Chocolate Macarons! I used this recipe from Two Spoons and I have finally found a use for my good-for-nothing-except-making-macarons oven.

Happy List

A couple of weeks ago, Kaylah made a list of simple pleasures. I was having a pretty bad day yesterday, so I decided to take a leaf out of her [note]book and make myself feel better by focusing on some happy stuff instead.

The list worked great. But what really made me happy was this ...

Turns out my little Melly has a bit of a stationary thing as well.

The List Update

So, only two months to go before my birthday. Where has the time gone? I'm still slowly crossing things off the list but I can see there are a few things on there that aren't gonna happen.

1. Get another tattoo
2. Say goodbye to the Blythes
3. Art-journal every day for a week
4. Buy that bike and ride to work
5. Recycle all my old clothes
6. Take a road trip to Queenstown
7. Have a tea party
8. Take a photo everyday for a month
9. Go to Stewart Island
10. 26 more scrap layouts (1–4) (5–7) (8–11)
11. Use typography everyday for a month
12. Enjoy being a bridesmaid
13. See a movie alone
14. Walk Lily every day for a month
15. Send a surprise gift
16. Go on a photo walk
17. Buy nothing for a month
18. Send a thank-you note
19. Get some new boots
20. Have a massage
21. Do yoga everyday for a week
22. Go on a thrifting adventure
23. Complete 200 sit-ups
24. Join the library
25. Blog every day for a month
26. Fly to Wellington for the weekend
27. Update my blog design
28. Play with paint everyday for a month
29. Go to the theater
30. Take a class or two

I am more than halfway though and I can see a few more getting crossed off. Of course there are a couple of things that I've done that weren't in the original list so they have to count for something -

1. Bought a house
2. Started a diploma in photography

Both seem to be taking up a LOT of time lately but hopefully things will level out soon and I'll be able to get as much done as I can before I make next year's list!

Some changes round here...

You may have noticed somethings a little bit different around here... I've finally given my little bog a style update. Blog design is really not my strong suit but I managed to stay (reasonably) calm and I finally managed to create something to be proud of. And it is another thing crossed off the list!

What do you think?

An unplanned adventure...

Yesterday, with a long rainy Sunday stretching out before us, we decided to take a road trip to Queenstown for lunch.

 The drive was beautiful with long open roads and breathtaking scenery.

Lily didn't seem quite as excied as the rest of us but she still seemed to enjoy herself.

We had a yummy lunch at Joe's Garage and then got some delicious fudge or the trip home.
After taking lily for a walk around town (in her little pink puffer jacket which caused quite a stir and a few tourist photo moments) we jumped back into the car and headed home again.

What a great day! And another adventure crossed off the list!

Off the Rack

Its been a while since I've done a wardrobe post but today I have new boots and they deserve a post all of their own!

Yay for new boots! And yay for the first thing crossed off my list!

The 30 before 31 List

Without further ado, I present my 30 before 31 List...

1. Get another tattoo
2. Say goodbye to the Blythes
3. Art-journal every day for a week
4. Buy that bike and ride to work
5. Recycle all my old clothes
6. Take a road trip to Queenstown
7. Have a tea party
8. Take a photo everyday for a month
9. Go to Stewart Island
10. 26 more scrap layouts (1–4) (5–7) (8–11)
11. Use typography everyday for a month
12. Enjoy being a bridesmaid
13. See a movie alone
14. Walk Lily every day for a month
15. Send a surprise gift
16. Go on a photo walk
17. Buy nothing for a month
18. Send a thank-you note
19. Get some new boots
20. Have a massage
21. Do yoga everyday for a week
22. Go on a thrifting adventure
23. Complete 200 sit-ups
24. Join the library
25. Blog every day for a month
26. Fly to Wellington for the weekend
27. Update my blog design
28. Play with paint everyday for a month
29. Go to the theater
30. Take a class or two

Fingers crossed, I have a good feeling about this one!

No. 2

Today I reached 1,010 photos uploaded onto flickr. I'm going to call this one done.

Fear (and control)

No. 10 on my list of things to cross off this year is: Stop letting fear control me.

I'm going to cross it off. Now.

Am I still afraid. Yes. Will I ever stop being afraid. Probably not.

But I am also brave. I do brave things. In spite of my fear. I am strong and capable and I trust myself to be able to get through anything. Not just to survive but to thrive. I finally feel it. I don't have control over everything. I never will. But I can control how I react and respond. I won't get it right everytime. But I'm going to keep trying. Everyday.

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.

Eleanor Roosevelt

No. 13

As a little Christmas gift to myself, I subscribed to two new magazines.

Can't wait to get the first issues in my mailbox!

No. 27

Dreams vs Plans

Last week I did this page in my art journal...

I've always loved dreams. I'm a big dreamer. And these were just some of the dreams I have for myself and my future.

The problem with dreams is that, they don't tend to happen unless you put a plan into action.
I'm big on plans too. In the way that I like to have a list and see things get checked off.

So I decided that instead of just waiting to see whether my some magical chance these dreams come true, I might have to make sure they do.

These are definitely not part of my yearly lists but they will form a part of my life-plan. Some sooner than others but hopefully all.

I am going to make a plan. Watch this space.

28 BEFORE 29 (7 weeks to go)

Only 7 weeks to go until 29 (!) so thought I'd better check in with where I am up to.
Still a few things to do but think I'm doing pretty good.

1. make a new handbag
2. have a girly weekend in Christchurch (was cancelled twice, so mum is coming here instead!)
3. try on a wedding dress (wedding on hold till 2012 so this might be on next years list!)
4. make macaroons
5. re-scalp blythe
6. buy myself some beautiful flowers
7. eat dinner at a new restaurant
8. sell something blythe
9. fix blythes gaze
10. exercise regularly and lose 10 kilos (walking twice every day!)
11. get a pre-approved mortgage (the house plans are on hold)
12. design/make/print/sell a zine
13. buy a pair of levis
14. make another pair of pants
15. wear bright red lipstick
16. crochet a scarf for myself
17. have a tea party with friends (planned for the week before my birthday)
18. bake a loaf of bread
19. finish my ruffle dress
20. take an online class
21. buy a house (not on the cards anytime soon)
22. use my new library card
23. save another $2000 (I decided to pay off debt instead of saving)
24. get a tattoo
25. buy 3 prints i love on etsy
26. draw and sell new prints on etsy
27. go out and try a new cocktail
28. write more letters

28 Things Before 29

Time to take stock...

1. make a new handbag
2. have a girly weekend in Christchurch
3. try on a wedding dress
4. make macaroons (Tried, failed, will try again soon)
5. re-scalp blythe (I'm halfway but it is taking a loooong time)
6. buy myself some beautiful flowers
7. eat dinner at a new restaurant
8. sell something blythe
9. fix blythes gaze
10. exercise regularly and lose 10 kilos (I'm serious this time, two weeks in and I've lost a kilo)
11. get a pre-approved mortgage
12. design/make/print/sell a zine
13. buy a pair of levis
14. make another pair of pants
15. wear bright red lipstick
16. crochet a scarf for myself
17. have a tea party with friends
18. bake a loaf of bread
19. finish my ruffle dress
20. take an online class
21. buy a house
22. use my new library card
23. save another $2000 (I was halfway there but then I got a dog!)
24. get a tattoo
25. buy 3 prints i love on etsy
26. draw and sell new prints on etsy
27. go out and try a new cocktail
28. write more letters

Sadly, there are things on this list that I know will not get done this year as my priorities have changed but I think I'm making pretty good progress. Four months to go!

28 Before 29 Update

It's been a while since I even looked at my list so I thought I'd better update it here...

make a new handbag - DONE
have a girly weekend in Christchurch
try on a wedding dress
make macaroons
re-scalp blythe - STARTED
buy myself some beautiful flowers
eat dinner at a new restaurant
sell something blythe
fix blythes gaze - DONE
exercise regularly and lose 10 kilos - NOT EVEN CLOSE
get a pre-approved mortgage
design/make/print/sell a zine - DONE
buy a pair of levis
make another pair of pants - DONE
wear bright red lipstick - DONE
crochet a scarf for myself
have a tea party with friends
bake a loaf of bread
finish my ruffle dress - DONE
take an online class - DONE
buy a house
use my new library card - USED IT HEAPS
save another $2000 - HALFWAY
get a tattoo
buy 3 prints i love on etsy - TWO DOWN, ONE TO GO
draw and sell new prints on etsy
go out and try a new cocktail
write more letters - DID FOR A WHILE, HAVEN'T LATELY

The first on my list - DONE

The first thing on my list was to make a new handbag. So I sat down yesterday and designed this one. So far it worked out very well. The handle is the right length, inside there are all sorts of little pockets for my things, its grey on the outside and very sturdy denim but inside is bright and cheery and colorful. Sorry for the awful pictures but I won't be seeing sunlight again til August so they'll have to do for now.