Tag Archives: Life List

Goodbye to 38 by 38 Hello to 39 by 39!

CrownGood afternoon!

Yep! You have heard correctly, yesterday was my birthday so I am officially 38!! WHOO! HOO!! 😉

As some of you may already know, I every year I put together a X by X list. A # of objects by number of years I will have been alive by the time I finish this goal list! Two years ago was my 37 by 37 list, this past year was my 38 by 38 list, and starting today, I will be actively working on my 39 by 39 list. This is the list where I take 39 things from my master Life List and schedule the 39 things that I want to do before my birthday this next year!

Before I show you my 39 by 39 list, I thought I would start out by showing you how my 38 by 38 turned out!! 🙂

Here is my 38 by 38 list:

  1. Put $1,000 into a mini emergency fund – DONE!
  2. Pay off all of my non-mortgage debt – Almost there, almost about $4000 to go!! WHEW!!!
  3. Regularly tithe 10% of our household income – I did better on this one that I expected, but I wasn’t as consistent as I wanted to be.
  4. Downsize our belongings so that everything we own fit into our 2-bedroom, 1 car garage condo – DONE!
  5. Jog a mile – DONE!
  6. Take the train
  7. Go camping – DONE!
  8. Blow bubbles out of the car window while on a road trip – DONE!
  9. Clean out the garage – DONE!
  10. Hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls – DONE!
  11. Go on a walking tour of downtown Salem – I get a great deal on this from Groupon! I just have to schedule this before it expires and it will be done!!
  12. Take a cooking class
  13. Host a slumber party – DONE!
  14. Create a new line of inspiring art pieces of at least 12 designs
  15. Start my own company – DONE!
  16. Redesign my blog to make it a reflection of my personal style – DONE!
  17. Invest in blog/career business cards – DONE!
  18. Launch an interview series on my blog
  19. Send fifty handwritten handwritten notes (1 of 50)
  20. Lose an accumulative 100 pounds (105 of 100) – DONE!
  21. Volunteer in a cause that is near and dear to my heart
  22. Ride my bike for an hour straight
  23. Have a weekend vacation at the coast – DONE!
  24. Sell my entire collection of Pink Paisley Boutique jewelry (LET IT GO!)
  25. Host a movie-themed party
  26. Inspire someone to write a list of their own – DONE!
  27. Be featured in a creative publication
  28. Try at least 12 new recipes (12 of 12) – DONE!
  29. Prepare a meal using fresh ingredients from the Farmer’s Market
  30. Use re-usable shopping bags for all grocery shopping for an entire month
  31. Read every Jane Austen novel (1 of 5) – I read Pride and Prejudice
  32. Get a facial
  33. Revitalize 5 old pieces of furniture
  34. Teach an online class
  35. Read my Flying Lessons class book
  36. Wear bright red lipstick out in public for a day – DONE!
  37. Have at least 48 artist dates (35 of 48) – I did WAAAAAY better on this than I thought I would! So, I am going to consider this a win!!! 😉
  38. Have fresh flowers in the house every week for at least 10 weeks (6 of 10) – This was harder and more expensive than I thought, but I may try this one again!! 😉

As usual, I got a lot more accomplished than I thought I was going to, but there were actually a few things I was able to mark off of my master Life List that I wasn’t planning on. Here are those things:

  1. Fly first class – I did this on the spur of the moment on my last business trip!! First class was soooo worth the extra moola spent!!! 😉
  2. Learn to hula hoop – My friend, Jamie, inspired me to give this a try. I went out and bought a hula hoop, much to the chagrin of my sweetie, and I did, right there in my living room – almost breaking a lamp, but having a BLAST just the same!!! 😉
  3. Run a mile – I thought I would NEVER be able to do this!!
  4. Run a 5k – I thought either I was going to die doing this, or I was going to kill my sweetie for making me! But, in the end I was soooo happy I did this!!!
  5. Cross my legs – Who knew???? One day, I looked down, and realized, ‘Hey! I’m crossing my legs!!!’ It might as well have been free tickets to Paris! Yes, I was truly THAT excited!!! 😉
  6. Touch my toes with knees unbent – this was another one that I thought I would never be able to, but my sweetie insisted that I tried it. When I realized I could actually touch my toes, I wanted to sit in that position FOREVER!!
  7. Be able to do a complete Sun Salutation – Another shocker!! I am sure I don’t do it as gracefully as the ladies online do, but who cares???? I CAN DO THIS!!! Good morning, Sun!!! 😉
  8. Buy Jason a truck – Yep! I was VERY happy to be able to do this for my sweetie!!
  9. Create & post a video on YouTube – I am not sure why I thought this was such a scary thing!?? Easy peasy!!
  10. Do an entire cross stitch pattern – Another easy peasy goal!!
  11. Draw a piece of art that I am happy with – After I finished this particular piece I was surprised that it actually came out of me!!
  12. Go to a counselor – this was a requirement of the bariatric surgery, but it was still on my list so I am counting it!!
  13. Hire a nutritionist – same as 12!
  14. Hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls (10.4 miles) – This might have been the hardest 4 hours of my life!! UGH!!!
  15. Learn how to manage money – Thank you, Mr. Dave Ramsey!!!
  16. Learn how to purl – I did this, hated it, crossed it off of my list anyways!!
  17. Learn how to walk in heels – YEAH!! I’m a girl! I’m a girl!!
  18. Live without eating out for one month – bariatric surgery made this one easy!
  19. Live without junk food for one week – Same for this one!!
  20. Love my entire wardrobe – This is easy to do when you are down to two pairs of pants, a blazer, denim jacket, 3 dresses, and a few miscellaneous tops!
  21. Weigh less than 300 pounds – I will NEVER GO BACK!!
  22. Weigh less than 275 pounds – This was a little less than what I weighed when my mom died!
  23. Weigh less than 250 pounds – My goal is getting so close, I can almost feel it!!
  24. Weigh less than 225 pounds – This is so much harder than I expected!!! Keep going!!! 😉
  25. Eat at doughnut at Voodoo Donuts in Portland, OR – Such a LOOOOONG wait in a LOOOOOOON line, for an ok donut, but so much fun spending some silly time with my sweetie!!

WHEW!! I have been busy!! 😉

NOW, what do I want to see on my 39 by 39 list????

  1. Go to Brave Girls’ Camp
  2. Weigh less than 220 pounds
  3. Weigh less than 215 pounds
  4. Weigh less than 210 pounds
  5. Weigh less than 205 pounds
  6. Weigh less than 200 pounds
  7. Publish my own e-book
  8. Start my creative business’ website
  9. Start my creative business’ blog
  10. Watch a baby being born (my nephew – Liam)
  11. Become a life coach
  12. Be a mentor to someone else
  13. Be a spokesperson for something positive
  14. Beat Jason at a game of chess
  15. Read all of Jane Austen’s novels (1 of 5)
  16. Become a motivational speaker
  17. Become a plus-sized model for a day
  18. Build a loom
  19. Learn how to use a loom
  20. Grow a vegetable garden
  21. Carve a piece of art
  22. Build a piñata from scratch
  23. Climb a rock wall
  24. Cook an entire meal for Jason’s family
  25. Contact a distant family member & start communicating
  26. Share my art-making-process via a YouTube channel
  27. Purchase a professional camera
  28. Learn how to use it
  29. Create a time capsule
  30. Take a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway
  31. Do a backbend
  32. Do a cartwheel
  33. Do a flip off a diving board
  34. Do a handstand
  35. Gather a group of people to blow bubbles in a public space
  36. Get a life coach
  37. Get a passport
  38. Get a pen-pal from a different country
  39. Get paid to do what you love
  40. Go kayaking
  41. Grocery shop using only reusable bags for an entire month
  42. Hang laundry in the sun to dry
  43. Pay off all non-mortgage debt
  44. Have 3 – 6 months expenses in an emergency savings account
  45. Have a prayer alter in my home with stair-stepped candles
  46. Knit a scarf
  47. Learn French
  48. Learn HTML
  49. Learn the basic ballet steps
  50. Learn the proper way to open a coconut
  51. Learn to can food
  52. Learn to create a frame to stretch canvas over
  53. Learn to make a book from scratch
  54. Learn to make ambrosia
  55. Learn to make doughnuts
  56. Leave $100 for a haggard waitress
  57. Make & send my own Christmas cards
  58. Make a loan to an entrepreneur in a developing country through http://www.kiva.com
  59. Milk a cow
  60. Organize a large family picture
  61. Own a pair of fabulous fitting walking knee-high boots
  62. Own an income producing blog
  63. Perform 100 sit-ups in one sitting
  64. Sell all of my jewelry from my old jewelry business
  65. Start a book club
  66. Take a cooking class
  67. Take a nature walk & press the wild flowers you collect
  68. Take a painting class
  69. Take a photography class
  70. Take a weekend vacation by myself
  71. Teach an online art class
  72. Type up great-great grandma’s recipe book for the family
  73. Volunteer in a homeless shelter
  74. Wear a size 14 pant

 

Ok, so I can TOTALLY see that there are WAAAAAAY more than 39 things on this list!! I think, at least for right this moment, I am going to keep the list extra long like this, and shoot to complete at least 39 items off of this list!! It is my perogative to change my mind at any moment in time to completely rehash this list or to completely start it over. As it stands right now, this list really makes me happy, and the idea of removing anything from it, honestly, really makes me sad! SO, to heck with it!! THIS WILL BE MY NEW 39 by 39 List!!

Here is to a FABULOUSLY productive, artsy, and memorable year!!! 😉

Signature Line

If you want to have a different life, you have to live differently!!

Crossing Something Scary Off My Life List!

Good evening!

You remember I had told you my original plans were to stay close to home and just be homey, but I had a little change of plans!! This morning Jason and I had gotten together with our friends Errin and Dawn, for breakfast! Well, we were having a lovely time when, I am not sure how the subject came about, but Dawn blurted out that we should go down to the tattoo shop to get my tattoo. You know the one that has been on my HUGE life list, the same one that also made it on to 36 before 37 life list??? I am not sure how I let her talk me into these things, but I found myself waiting in the tattoo shop while the tattoo artist drew up a sample of the design I described to him.

After sweating it out, for what seemed like an eternity, he came out and showed my his translation of my design, and I LOVED IT!!! I knew that it was now or never, and the cost was a very minimal amount, something I had on my in cash (which is saying something because I hardly ever have cash), so I just

HAD TO GO FOR IT!!!

Dawn went with me into the back where I hopped up onto a medical looking table, and the tattoo artist transferred his drawing onto my right foot, exactly where I wanted it, and I knew that if I was going to chicken out, now would be the time to do it!

BUT I DIDN’T!

Before he started, I asked him how badly will this hurt? and he responded by saying that most people describe it like scratching a really bad sunburn. So, I thought, ok, I can handle that. I layed back and let the man do what he does best!! By the way, Dawn is with me this whole time and she is taking pictures, videos, asking me questions, which I honestly don’t remember answering, but she had promised not to leave my side. I was going to hold her hand, but I was terrified that I would crush her little hand!!

Anyway, long story short, I DID IT!! For the most part it really didn’t hurt so bad, except for maybe a couple of moments, but of course, Dawn got pics of those moments too! I have to say that I have inherited a trait from my family, that when we are scared or are in pain, we become really quiet and delve inside of ourselves. Today proved no different! Dawn was surprised that I was able to stay so quiet.

The whole tattoo only took about 10-15 minutes, it is isn’t very big after all! That just would not have been my style! and when he finished, I saw that he did a PHENOMENAL job!!! My tattoo is of 7 tiny footprints walking across the side of my foot. They represent 2 things to me, the poem of The Footprints, where Jesus carries you across the sand when you are not strong enough to carry yourself, and it also represents my Ohana, my family. Those that are my family by blood, those that are family by marriage, and those that are family by choice!!

I want to always to be reminded of them.

Both those that are still with me, and those who have gone on before me.

They are why I do what I do.

They are why I fight with all of my might.

They are why I constantly try to better myself.

They make life worth living.

I love you all, I truly hope you all know who you are and how much you mean to me! 😉

I love you!!!

With that said…

Have a FABULOUS evening!!! 😉

It’s My Birthday!

Good afternoon!

Happy BIRTHDAY to me!!!

Yes, it was 36 years ago today that my parents were blessed with ME – thier first and MOST FAVORITE DAUGHTER!!! LOL! 😉

In honor of today being my 36th birthday, I thought I would do something a little bit different and come up with 36 goals to do for thirty-six-year-young-girl’s year. A plan of what to do with my one and only life before I turn 37!!!!

My 36 things!!

  1. get a passport
  2. jog a mile
  3. blog every day for a year
  4. go to Women of Faith with my sisters
  5. take 100 pictures of historical buildings all over Oregon
  6. take a decorating class
  7. make homemade marshmallows
  8. plant a garden
  9. take the train
  10. go camping
  11. blow bubbles out the car window
  12. go for a walk in the rain
  13. clean out the garage
  14. get out of debt – again
  15. hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls
  16. go on a walking tour of downtown Portland
  17. take a cooking class
  18. get a tattoo
  19. pick strawberries
  20. get my nose pierced – again
  21. bake homemade cinnamon rolls
  22. take an art class
  23. set up a website
  24. teach myself how to take a picture using manual camera settings
  25. make at least 12 pieces of art
  26. lose 32.6 pounds
  27. put at least $1,200 in savings
  28. visit a ghost town
  29. teach an online class
  30. make homemade yogurt
  31. read the entire Bible
  32. crochet a queen-sized blanket using a difficult stitch
  33. volunteer at a homeless shelter
  34. take a French class
  35. make a wild dance mix playlist. dance to it.
  36. carve pumpkins with my niece and nephew

Have a FABULOUS day – I know I am !!! 😉

My Goal List for 2011!

Good morning!

Well, I was up bright and early this morning at 6:45 AM. Apparently that is what my body thinks it is supposed to do when I want to sleep in on this lovely Saturday morning!! I guess it actually did sleep in, since I have been up and at ’em every morning this week at 5:30 am – so there you go!! 😉

Yesterday, I had started thinking about My Life List, and thought about how I was able to cross a couple of items off for this year, belly dancing, and being on time to everything for a week. I realize it is already April, but I figured now was better later late than never to decide what other things I want to accomplish this year, and thought I would share this list with you!!

  • Adopt something from the French culture
  • Bake an authentic French baguette
  • Bake fresh croissants
  • Become a plus-sized model for a day
  • Become a vegetarian for a week
  • Blog every day for a year
  • Build a piñata from scratch
  • Cancel cable for at least a month
  • Cook an entire meal for Jason’s family
  • Create a time capsule
  • Create a warm, inviting & comfortable home where everything in it has a designated place
  • Crochet a queen-sized blanket using a difficult stitch
  • Do an entire cross stitch pattern
  • Eat at Voodoo Donuts in Portland, OR
  • Fill up a journal from cover to cover
  • Form a choir to sing Christmas carols
  • Gather a group of people to blow bubbles in a public space
  • Get a passport
  • Get a professional facial
  • Get a tattoo
  • Get an article published in a magazine
  • Get CPR/First Aid certified
  • Get eyelash extensions
  • Get paid to do what you love
  • Give everyone homemade gifts for Christmas
  • Go a day without speaking
  • Go fruit picking
  • Go out dancing
  • Go rock hunting for geodes
  • Go to a large water park
  • Go to Disneyland with Jason
  • Go whale watching
  • Go whitewater rafting
  • Grocery shop using only reusable bags for an entire month
  • Grow a flower garden
  • Grow a veggie garden
  • Hang laundry in the sun to dry
  • Have $20,000 in Savings
  • Have a grown-up sleepover
  • Have a home with an antique hardwood floor
  • Have a pin-up style photography shoot
  • Have a prayer alter in my home with stair-stepped candles
  • Have my photography displayed in a gallery
  • Have something studded with crystals
  • Hike the longest trail at Silver Creek Falls
  • Hold a jumbo garage sale to downsize belongings
  • Knit a scarf
  • Learn an authentic Hawaiian recipe
  • Learn how to build an SSIS package
  • Learn how to hula hoop
  • Learn how to make a ribbon lei
  • Learn how to make a white sauce
  • Learn how to manage money
  • Learn how to serve cheese
  • Learn how to take pictures with a Brownie Camera
  • Learn how to tile
  • Learn how to walk in heels
  • Learn how to work the camping stove, propane lights, etc
  • Learn scary advance SQL – subselects, unions, temp tables, etc
  • Learn to authentically barbecue beef
  • Learn to belly dance
  • Learn to can food
  • Learn to make ambrosia
  • Learn to make doughnuts
  • Learn to play piano
  • Leave $100 for a haggard waitress
  • Leave yourself a letter in a library book
  • Live without eating out for one month
  • Live without junk food for one week
  • Love my entire wardrobe
  • Make & send my own Christmas cards
  • Make a loan to an entrepreneur in a developing country through www.kiva.org
  • Make a quilt
  • Make Aunt Alice’s somen noodle recipe
  • Make authentic spam musubi
  • Make butterscotch from scratch
  • Make fire without matches
  • Make marshmallows from scratch
  • Make pasta from scratch
  • Make something powered by a potato
  • Make sourdough bread
  • Make yogurt from scratch
  • Meet Della Reese
  • Memorize the preamble
  • Milk a cow
  • Milk a goat
  • No cussing for an entire week
  • Organize a group of friends to spend a day picking up trash/litter from a public space
  • Organize a large family picture
  • Organize all of our personal photographs
  • Organize the scariest place in the house
  • Own a home furnishings boutique
  • Paint a mural
  • Paint a self portrait
  • Pan for gold
  • Pay off all debt
  • Perform 100 sit ups in one sitting
  • Play an entire song on a cornet, again
  • Play ping pong with Jason
  • Publish an e-book
  • Read every book I own
  • Read The Art of Being a Woman
  • Record a lullaby CD with my dad for my child in a recording studio
  • Refinish a piece of furniture
  • Ride a bike for an hour
  • Ride a paddleboat
  • Ride on a ferris wheel
  • Ride on a merry-go-round
  • Ride on a ride that scares the shit out of you – DO IT ANYWAY!!!
  • Ride on a roller coaster
  • Run a mile
  • See a classy burlesque show
  • See a view from the penthouse
  • See one of the planes my dad worked on in the Navy
  • See Pink Martini live in concert
  • See the filming of a Twilight Saga movie
  • Sell all of my jewelry from my old jewelry business
  • Send a letter to a politician telling them, “Job well done!”
  • Send a letter to Elisa every month for a year
  • Send a message in a bottle
  • Sew an entire outfit
  • Spend the day searching the Oregon coast for glass floats
  • Start a book club
  • Start a personal black & white photograph gallery of friends & family
  • Surprise someone with May Day flowers (Ding & Run!)
  • Swim 10 laps non-stop
  • Take a child to OMSI
  • Take a cooking class
  • Take a nature walk & press the wild flowers you collect
  • Take a photography class
  • Take a weekend vacation by myself
  • Take a yoga class
  • Take Jason on a surprise trip
  • Throw Jason a HUGE un-birthday party!
  • Try 10 scary fruits
  • Try 10 scary non fruit/veggie foods
  • Try 10 scary veggies
  • Type up great-great grandma’s recipe book for the family
  • Vacation in a yurt
  • Visit a historical cave
  • Visit a movie studio
  • Visit the Hollywood Museum at Max Factor Building
  • Visit the Winchester House in San Jose, CA
  • Volunteer in a homeless shelter
  • Wear a hat in public
  • Wear a size 14 pant
  • Wear a t-shirt that you’ve creatively changed
  • Wear a veil in public
  • Weigh less than 220 pounds
  • Wire a lamp
  • Write a celebrity a fan letter
  • Write a letter to the President

Whew!! That is a HUGE list!! Today, I plan on baking fresh croissants today, which I have never done before! Wish me luck, baking is NOT my forte.

I am also going to be working on my cross stitch pattern, which I almost have done, and my knitting a scarf project, which is about halfway done!!

I want to go swimming, take the girls for a walk, possibly meet up with some friends for lunch, play some games with Jason, take a nap (it sounds like I will need it), do some neglected house chores, organizing, purging, and reading done!! Again, I say WHEW!!!

Have a FABULOUS day!! 😉