Happy LEAP Day!

Hey! It's February 29th!
Enjoy the extra day this year and do something fabulous!

101/1001 Project

OK, so I was inspired by Karen Beth to join the 101 things in 1001 days project. It took me a while to get my list together but between my brain and looking at a couple other lists, I came up with mine. Although some things may seem a little lame, they mean something to me. They are all things that I have wanted to do for myself or with Tim and I am happy with the list. I'll cross things out as I get things done.

Here is some information on the project:

Taken from the Triplux: 101 Things in 1,001 Days — Guidelines for participation:

Creating your own 1001 Day Project
The Mission:Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria:Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as new year’s resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organising and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

Some common goal setting tips:
1. Be decisive. Know exactly what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to achieve it.
2. Stay Focused. Any goal requires sustained focus from beginning to end. Constantly evaluate your progress.
3. Welcome Failure. Frequently, very little is learned from a venture that did not experience failure in some form. Failure presents the opportunity to learn and makes the success more worthy.
4. Write down your goals. It clarifies your thinking and reinforces your commitment.
5. Keep your goals in sight. Review them frequently, and ensure that they are always at the forefront of your thinking.
There is also a database of other bloggers who are doing this exercise. You can see the list that are registered there and perhaps meet some fun new blog friends!

101 Things in 1001 Days
Start Date: February 28, 2008
End Date: November 25, 2010

1. Meditate every day for 1 week
2. Make coconut cake for Tim
3. Eat all meals at the kitchen table for one week (4/10)
4. Start etsy.com shop
5. Soak in the tub every Sunday night for a month
6. Brown bag lunch every day for one month
7. Organize night stand (1/1/09)
8. Paint the kitchen
9. Have a garage sale (4/12/08 @ Angela's house)
10. Have a theme dinner party
11. Learn a new craft (3/11/08 Needle Felting)
12. Make Mom’s banana cake with cream cheese frosting for Tim
13. Do something fun on Leap Day! (2/29/08)
14. Donate all unused clothing - big start, but ongoing
15. Complete adoption and bring home Oliveia! - not going to happen due to closure of Vietnam adoptions
16. Read Margot Fonteyn: A Life
17. Stretch 10 minutes every day for one month
18. Make prototype mirrors for sale
19. Clean out magazines and mail (12/4/08)
20. Organize desk
21. Clean off kitchen table and leave clean for one month (1/09)
22. Redo filing system
23. Make a list of things we need for Oliveia (5/22/08)
24. Write a small business proposal
25. Read and complete Creating a Life Worth Living
26. Make a great artisan bread or baguette
27. Knit my own legwarmers
28. Create pies A-Z list with recipes
29. Learn to can jam like Mom used to (7/26/08)
30. Visit Grandparents grave sites
31. Run one Women’s Committee Meeting at the Maltese Club (4/10)
32. Take a road trip (5/1-5/4/08 and 6/25/10-7/1/10 with Mom)
33. Make Easter Cards
34. Paint the living room
35. Clean and reorganize closet (7/31/10)
36. Get rid of bookshelves in bedroom
37. Move dresser and armoire in bedroom to make room for Oliveia’s crib
38. Make Christmas gifts by November 1
39. Write in my journal each day for one month (1/09)
40. Get 4 massages (0/4)
41. Clean out and reorganize dresser
42. Start taking ballet 2-3 times a week
43. Make 12 new recipes (9/12) Lemon Pound Cake 4/11/08 , Red Velvet Cupcakes 4/11/08, Lemon Meringue Pie 4/13/08, English Toffee 4/19/08, Hazelnut Butter Crunch Squares 5/11/08, Peanut Butter Toffee 7/5/08, Kung Pao 8/25/08, Angela's Lentil Soup 12/8/08, Split Pea Soup 12/14/08,
44. Enter a recipe contest
45. Make homemade ice cream
46. Purchase new bath towels and mats
47. Go pick my own produce - picked at Debbie and Steve's on 7/23/08
48. No sugar for one week
49. Make a patchwork quilt
50. Make Christmas stockings
51. Organize photos from basement
52. Buy a card table with 4 chairs (new or used)
53. Take a drawing class
54. Read If You Lived Here by Dana Sachs
55. Get a real haircut (10/5/08)
56. Ditch my car and take public transportation for one week
57. One week just eat fruits and vegetables (first week of lent 2010)
58. Double amount in savings account (2010)
59. Pay off auto loan (7/09)
60. Ask for and get a raise at work (5/21/08)
61. Make a meal with only local ingredients from the Farmers Market (7/6/08)
62. Ride my bike in Golden Gate Park
63. Purchase a grill pan (Christmas 2009 from Mom and Dad)
64. Clean out storage space downstairs
65. Go fly a kite at Chrissy Field
66. Listen to 5 books on tape from the Library (0/5)
67. Bind my own journal or idea book (1/2/09)
68. Get a pedicure
69. Have a BBQ on 4th of July
70. Get my eyes checked (7/09)
71. Walk everywhere for one weekend
72. Finish started embroidery projects (12/1/08)
73. Finish started altered book projects
74. Sell all unwanted/already read books (8/16/08)
75. Stay silent for an entire day
76. Watch all 6 seasons of Sex and the City again (done by May 08)
77. Write to my family in Malta
78. Shoot hoops with Tim at the park
79. Make lemon meringue pie (4/13/08)
80. Hang a clothesline in the backyard (6/09 on side of house)
81. Purchase a new blender with more power! (7/08)
82. Make Christmas Cards
83. Get travel shots updated for Vietnam
84. Open additional savings account for Oliveia - not going to happen due to closure of Vietnam adoptions
85. Organize a swap of some kind
86. Write to my sponsored children once a month for a year (0/12)
87. Keep my fingernails polished for one month (document colors) - silver, blue, red, burgundy (March 09)
88. Make saltwater taffy with Tim
89. Teach Tim how to bake cookies
90. Go on a picnic
91. Throw a party
92. Make one piece of clothing with my sewing machine
93. Write a letter of length to a friend or relative once a month for a year (6/30/08, 7/11/08, 7/24/08, 8/7/08, 8/22/08)
94. No TV Sundays for one month (0/4)
95. Take a dance class with Tim
96. Wash the outside of the windows
97. Take Tim to Lake Michigan
98. Do something special for 10th Wedding Anniversary - HUGE MISS
99. Go to secret beach with Tim
100. Make a list of 25 things I like about myself
101. Create a positive mantra to chant each day (4/07/09 - thanks to Ali!)

Beautiful

I really needed to see this today...sometimes I am way too lazy and I know I could do so much more.

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used everything you gave me.'" Erma Bombeck

Nice Weekend

Ahhh, I love Sunday's. I slept in and am still in my pajama's at 3:20 PM!

Yesterday, I had a lazy day as well, slept until 11 AM, eased into the day, did some stretching, watched the Food Network and got ready for ballet. I had class from 3-5, we started at about 2:45 though and ended at 5:20. Time totally flies when you are having fun. We worked really hard and I felt super good afterwards. I always feel a great sense of accomplishment when class is over. It kicks my ass, but I love it. My calves are a little sore today as a reminder of what we did in class.

After class Tim and I went to get some dinner. We have limited our dinners out to payday weekends only so we enjoyed every second of it. After dinner we went to Target to get some household items we were running out of. We decided to get some CFL bulbs as well since they were on sale for a whopping $2 a piece. Funny because I was just telling Wendy yesterday that I got them for $2.89 a couple weeks ago. They take a little while to get used to and give off a different light than the regular incandescent bulbs, but they are supposed to save energy, lower your bills and help decrease waste. One bulb lasts 5 years, you can get them that last 10 years as well. I urge you to try swapping at least one of your overhead bulbs to a CFL, check it out and see things in a new light.

Francisco!

I know, this is super nutty, but this is my lemon I have named, Francisco. Those of you who were there, you know why I named him Francisco, because it is fun to say!
Anyway, the lemon tree at the Garrison house was abundant a couple weeks back and when this little guy was spotted, it had to be mine! I got to pick it with the long picking device with the basket at the end. Check him out!
I am a little apprehensive about cutting him up, but when I do, I will take photos of what he looks like on the inside.

Date Night

Wednesday night I took myself out on a date, which I try to do a few times a year. It is basically a time for me to check in with myself, reignite my independent spirit and get out and do something fun to recharge my batteries. In the past these outings have included dinner and a movie, musical performances, museum and lunch, etc. This time I went to the ballet. For those who know me or have been a reader for a while, know that I love ballet and spend a part of my life dancing and am now taking ballet class again as an adult which is TEN times harder than when I was a teen. Not because it is physically hard, it is mentally hard to try to go back to something that you used to do so effortlessly. My body doesn't move the way it used to and doesn't want to defy gravity as it once did (not to mention I am about 2 times the size as I used to be) my mind wants my body to do it though, and that is what is most important and helps me to keep going. So, back to my date. I left work at 4:45 PM in order to get to the free lecture that takes place on Wednesday's at the Herbst Theatre next door War Memorial Theatre where the ballet takes place. The Pointes of View lecture series is really cool, free to the public and the topic is in sync with what program the ballet is performing so this time the topic was Giselle (my all time favorite ballet). I have seen Giselle more times than I can count on my fingers and have read about it, seen movies about it and even memorized the movements with the music, but it was so cool to see two current principle dancers from SF Ballet and one former principle talk about their roles as Giselle and Myrtha. They showed video clips, slides and spoke about the difference in roles and also technique and what they do to prepare for the role. It was a real treat to be able to see that. The lecture ended at 7:10 PM and I then made my way over to the theatre next door to use the ladies room, eat my bagel and get ready for the ballet to begin. I was super excited because I checked the casting the day before and my good fortune was that my all time favorite, light as air, principle dancer Yuan Yuan Tan (above left) was playing Giselle, how lucky! I took my seat (which was fabulous, 6 rows from the front and in the center) and as soon as the lights went down I was transported to a dream world in the Renaissance times and was watching the innocent girl with the weak heart fall in love but then be deceived and fall to her death. I was completely memorized by Giselle and relished each movement as if I were enjoying cotton candy and its sweetness slowly melted away in my mouth. Before I knew it the first act was over. I walked outside during the intermission, got a breath of fresh air and got back to my seat for the second act. I was told by my current ballet instructor, the lovely and talented, Jadin, to watch the arms and elbows - that is my weak spot in the studio. My shoulder tend to ride up a little and I let my hands move too much. In the second act, Giselle comes back as a ghost and dances with the man who she loved but betrayed her. The leader of the dead girls who have also died of weak hearts is Myrtha. The role was played by a guest principle this year with the ballet, Sofiane Sylve (above right), who was wonderful. The Myrtha role demands a good technician and she did not disappoint. It was a wonderful night at the ballet. It was a great date but in the same breath, it was nice to come home and cuddle with Tim on the couch.

Sunday in Colorado

Sunday was a more mellow day than Saturday.

Angela made blueberry pancakes for breakfast and we took it pretty slow in the morning.

Around 11 we decided to check out Sheplers - where I got my sweet cowboy boots online. They have stores in Colorado. I saw the sign for the store on Saturday when we were running around and had a fit, we HAD to go there.

Here are some photos:

I didn't get the pink boots, I wanted them and they were my size, but I showed restraint with the help of Angela.

After Sheplers we went to Whole Foods Market for lunch.

Sunday evening we had dinner at a HUGE Italian Buffet, it was incredible. I thought everything was big in Texas, I may have been wrong, I think everything might be a little bit bigger in Colorado.

Saturday in Colorado

Saturday in Colorado was awesome!

First, we went to Hammond's Candy Factory in Denver. Those of you who have read my blog for a while, you know I love Hammond's old school candy. They are the makers of art candy, ribbon candy and so many other delicious treats.

Here are some photos from our visit to the factory:

Following the candy factory tour, we went to Boulder to check out the Celestial Seasonings factory.
Following the tour, Brady came to meet up with us and we went out for Sushi and a walk about on Pearl Street in Boulder. It was so nice to see my old friend. We have been pals now for almost 7 years! Time flies for sure.

We had a mighty good time!

I was so happy to introduce Angela to Brady since her and Brian and Frankie are moving there in the spring. I can't wait to go back for a visit. More on my Sunday post...

Long Weekend Out of Town

More photos will post soon.
I went to Colorado with Angela and Frankie this weekend. We had a great time!
I will break it all down when I have the photos. The day we went to food factories, etc. I didn't have my camera with me so all my photos are on Angela's camera.
When they uploaded onto my flickr, I will update my blog.

Busy Busy Busy

I think the title of this post tells it all.

This coming Saturday will be my first day off in 12 days. I am so happy though, keeping busy suits me and so does teaching at the Craft Gym. This past weekend I worked both days; Saturday I tought a class called I Heart February - basically a card making class. It was super fun. Sunday, I tought a private party how to make sugar scrub and bath salts.

So funny, I started writing this post a couple days back and have been so busy, I am just now finshing it.

Today is Friday and I am wiped out.