P.S.

I wore my Ninja Dress to church today.

Thanks for buying it for me, sweetheart. I am spoiled, but we both already knew that.

No. 16: Organize Craft Boxes

I have officially crossed off four items from my 101 in 1001! One is not so exciting (updating my address on my driver's license), but I think I will post pictures and/or write a lil somethin' somethin' about the others.

Here are some pictures of number 16. Organize and label craft storage boxes. This was one of those things I'd been meaning to do forever ago, and my list finally motivated me to do it! Same with the driver's license change.

 It feels so good to be productive and to get organized!

Dad's 80th Birthday Book

A few months ago, my dad turned 80, and since you only have one 80th birthday (to my knowledge), I wanted to do a little something to commemorate the occasion (and really my dad's life too). Because my dad is great, and he should know it. So, with my trusty sidekick, I endeavored to make a memory/guest book of sorts. Dad complained that all of the pictures of him throughout his life + this guest book made his party feel a little too funeralish, but in the end I think he liked it. ;)

We finished the book, my sidekick taping and me positioning, late on the night of January 16th. It was ready just in time for Mom to take it home to Dad on MLK Day.

 

I got to use my new die cut on some of the edges. That made me happy.

And this was my favorite submission:

Maybe you just have to know Brother R.

Dad called and thanked us for the book the next day. He seemed excited to show it to some his friends, so I think this project was a success.

Photowalk Austin: Travis Heights

date: 1/1/11

neighborhood: travis heights

It's Friday, and I don't know about you, but I'm tiiiired. I thought these bright photos might add some cheer to this cold, damp, and foggy day...

not that I'm not cheery under this layer of tiredness...uh, hello, 3-day weekend!!!!!

101 in 1001: The First Week

I'm going to try to update my 101 in 1001 list with my progress each Sunday. I've also decided that I won't be updating the page I created (that's the one linked at the top of my blog) except to mark off goals I've completed. If you're confused at this point, don't worry about it. It's just that the post and the page are two different things, and it's kind of a hassle to have to update both each time I want to change something.

Anyway, I think I got off to a good start for my first week! These are goals I've started working on:

10. Clean out Google Reader: only leave most favorite blogs. I started with 180 blogs, and I've cut back to 136. I think I still need to do some purging though.
13. Shred documents in office once per month for six months. Pictured above. If we're being perfectly honest though (as we should always strive to be), I only did a small portion of the shredding that ended up in that large garbage bag. Henry did most. But I did help.
15. Spend 30 minutes each Saturday reviewing my schedule for the coming week for the rest of the 2010-2011 school year.
21. Photowalk around neighborhoods in Austin (South Congress, Downtown, South Lamar, Hyde Park, Campus, 360 area, etc.). I want to devote new posts to each neighborhood I visit.
33. Keep a family calendar for 2011.
47. Read the entire Old Testament (1184 pages). This one is slooow going.

48. Read the Book of Mormon as a family in 2011.

      50. Study topics for Sharing Time one month in advance in 2011.            

      51. Do something, anything, to have Family Home Evening each week.

57  57. Exercise twice a week every week for 3 months in 2011.     

     72. Compile a family birthday list.

     76.  Don’t use credit cards for anything other than gas + food + medicine in January and February 2011.

     77. Pay off all student loans by mid 2011.

     86.  Read 10 nonfiction books. Started Blink.

        I have four more goals I'd like to work on this month too, but I'm not sure if I'll get to them. My niece who is four months older than me (unusual family) is getting married the first week of March, and it is time to really move into high gear for planning her wedding!

dang, it feels good to be a ninja

Yesterday marked three and a half years since Henry and I tied the knot. I don't know why these dates stand out in my mind, but they do, so why not celebrate them, right?

So last night we went on a date at The Domain. The plan was to eat dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy (love) with some Christmas gift cards, but we quickly nixed that idea when we found out there was an hour+ wait for a table. An hour to an hour and a half for a table for two? Yikes. It's good, but we were hungry. We also wanted to make a run by Anthropologie before 9, and it was already 7:30.

Instead of Maggiano's, we stopped to share some yogurt. Ginger lemonade + caramel cheesecake is actually yummy. Then I convinced Henry to let me "window shop" in The Limited where I begged my way into two new shirts. Paid cash per our budget agreement though, so I didn't have to beg too much. Then off we went to Anthropologie.

We easily located the timer I wanted to buy, but since they are currently having a SALE, we had to look at everything in the store. That's the way it works, right? While I was sifting through the SALE racks, I asked Henry to open my wallet and look for my Anthro card. He did, said he found it, and that was that. We continued to look at things in the store. We both like the fabric covered fancy books they sell there and decided we could devote a portion of our home budget to a pretty copy of Robin Hood.

Next something magic and mystical happened. As we turned around to make our way to the cashier, the very SALE rack I'd just browsed minutes before had new items on it. Dresses! (I'm kind of a sucker for dresses.) Wouldn't you know there was a lovely printed dress there in my size? So I tried it on along with another full-priced dress for good measure.

I liked the dress a lot, and I was a little bit puzzled when I told Henry that I wanted to buy it. He seemed so okay with it. I didn't have to beg or plead or pout, even though I was pretty sure I had just spent the entire clothing budget at The Limited. So strange, but when you're getting what you want, you just roll with it.

We got up to the counter with our timer, the pretty book, and my lovely dress, and the cashier asked if we had an Anthro card. I said yes, and then Henry looked confused. Coming to find out, when I'd asked him earlier to find my card, he thought I meant a gift card, a gift card to pay for the purchase of my lovely dress.

.......

And that is how I unknowingly tricked my husband into buying me the lovely dress from Anthro. Completely and unintentionally bamboozled him. That's like the ultimate stealth. I'm so good, I don't even know how good I am. Henry's doomed if we have any daughters.

101 in 1001

 one hundred and one things in one thousand and one days.

start: 1/1/11 / end: 9/27/13

in progress: italic / completed: strikethrough
progress updated on 8/26/13

Travel

1.        Obtain a new passport.

2.        Go on a cruise.

3.        Go to 3 states I’ve never been to before (0/3).

4.        Visit a Texas city I’ve never been to before.

5.        Go to three new temples I’ve never been to before (1/3).

6.        Visit The Orange Show in Houston.

7.        Visit two new National Parks (2/2).

8.        Stay in a bed-and-breakfast once per year (0/3).

9.        Visit Enchanted Rock.

Organization & Time Management

10.     Clean out Google Reader: only leave most favorite blogs. (went from 180 to 100)

11.     Go without social networking/reading blogs for two days per week for six months.(7/48)

12.     Backup photos that are currently on computer.

13.     Shred documents in office once per month for six months (3/6).

14.     Update address on driver’s license.

15.     Spend 30 minutes each Saturday reviewing my schedule for the coming week for the rest of the 2010-2011 school year.

16.     Organize and label craft storage boxes.

17.     Be on time to 5 out of 7 appointments for two weeks (6/13-6/19/11, 6/20-6/26/11).

Developing Talents

18.     Finish reading the photography book I own.

19.     Take a photography class. (Completed with Kristen Duke on 1/29/11!)

20.     Research what lens to buy next.

21.     Photowalk around neighborhoods in Austin (South Congress, Downtown, South Lamar, Hyde Park, Campus, 360 area, etc.).

22.     Sing karaoke.

23.     Sing in a choir.

24.     Make a header for my blog.

25.     Make something pretty in Illustrator.

26.     Paint something. (1/22/11; painted a bowl)

27.     Make my college years’ online journal into a book.

Domestication/Home Front

28.     Try 2 new recipes a month for 6 consecutive months (12/12).

29.     Complete 3 chores a week for five months.

30.     Follow flylady’s flight plan for a month.

31.     Print photos for coasters.

32.     Make a craft I can display in my home.

33.     Keep a family calendar for 2011.

34.     Build a 3-month supply of pantry foods.

35.     Plant and eat vegetables from my own garden.

Experiences

36.     Go to a drive-in movie theater.

37.     Pick fruit at a pick-your-own farm and do something with it.

38.     Take a UT tower tour.

39.     Go on a photo scavenger hunt with a group of friends.

40.     Go to a Jack Johnson concert.

41.     Go see a play.

42.     Use our Netflix account each month for six consecutive months.

43.     Swim in Hamilton Pool.

44.     Attend a UT football game.

Spiritual

45.     Go to the temple 12 times in 12 months—2 sealings 2/2, 9 endowment sessions  5/9, 1 baptism 1/1

46.     Go to the Family History Center six times.(6/6)

47.     Read the entire Old Testament (558/1184 pages).

48.     Read the Book of Mormon as a family in 2011 (185/531).

49.     Read the New Testament as a family once we finish the BOM.

50.     Study topics for Sharing Time one month in advance in 2011 (7/16).

51.     Do something, anything, to have Family Home Evening each week.

52.     Write in gratitude journal every day for 3 months.

53.     Write in my journal for 30 minutes each Sunday for 6 months straight.

54.     100% visiting teaching for 6 months straight.

Health

55.     Get a professional massage.

56.     Get a facial.

57.     Exercise twice a week every week for 3 months in 2011 (Jan 2011: 8/8, May 2011: 9/9, June 2011: 9/9).

58.     Exercise three times a week every week for 3 months in 2011. (Feb 2011: 12/12)

59.     Take a reusable water bottle to work every day for 3 weeks (3/7-3/11, 4/4-4/8, 5/23-5/27).

60.     Eat 3 servings of veggies a day for a week.

61.     Eat 2 servings of fruits a day for a week.

62.     Floss every day for a month.

Family & Relationships

63.     Ask my dad to record five personal memories.

64.     Have professional photos taken.

65.     Go on a girls’ weekend trip.

66.     Go camping with my husband.

67.     Send letters to Russia with love.

68.     Have a "sister day" once per quarter.

69.     Send one hand-written letter a month for six months.

70.     Burn my old home videos to DVD & mail to my parents.

71.     Compile a family email/mailing address list.

72.     Compile a family birthday list.

73.     Send a birthday card to parents and siblings + siblings-in-law (2/22).

74.     Send a birthday card to nieces and nephews (1/21).

75.     Send out a family letter at the end of 2011 and 2012.

Financial

76.     Don’t use credit cards for anything other than gas + food + medicine in January and February 2011.

77.     Pay off all student loans by mid 2011.

78.     Purchase a new lens.

79.     Have $10K in emergency fund.

80.     Save for a down payment on a house.

81.     Live off of Henry’s income and save what I earn.

82.     Open a mutual fund.

83.     Save $100 monthly for one “dream” vacation outside of the U.S.

84.     Put aside $10 in savings for each task completed and put it towards “dream” vacation.

Knowledge & Career

85.     Read 12 classic novels.

86.     Read 10 nonfiction books (2 spiritual): The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, Freakonomics, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; Heaven is Here; Bringing Up Bebe; Make the Bread, Buy the Butter; The Happiness Project; Talking Back to Facebook; Ina May's Guide to Childbirth; Real Food for Mother and Baby; Food Rules: An Eater's Manual

87.     Go to an ASHA convention.

88.     Update my resume.

89.     Research background of SHARS/Medicaid in schools.

90.     Get caught up on Medicaid billing.

91.     Spend an hour reviewing ASL vocabulary once a month for 5 months

92.     Relearn 10 common phrases in Spanish.

93.     Learn 10 common phrases in Mandarin.

Good

94.     Visit thehungersite.com every day for a month.

95.     Choose a project on Donors Choose or Kiva and fund it.

96.     Volunteer at Capital Area Food Bank.

97.     Adopt a family for Christmas.

   Surprise someone with flowers.

  Surprise three people with treats once per year (4/9).

  Make five hygiene kits.

  Babysit for a couple so that they can go to the temple together.

Completed: 54/101

Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but I'm excited for 2011! I've been thinking about goals in a new way thanks to these ladies. And I'm working on a list of goals known as 101 in 1001. It should be ready to share by Sunday.

In the meantime, I just wanted to wish anyone who reads this a happy new year!

This year we sent out New Year cards to some friends. (If you're interested in receiving one, send me your address!) I spent a TON of time at the beginning of this week making the card along with our very first family letter. Even though it was a huge time suck, I loved every second of putting it together. I want to spend more time doing things I love in 2011, how about you?

Dots
Paper
Photo Strip 
Script Font (at the bottom of the card)
Heart 1, Heart 2
Date Stamps 
"Happy" Word Art
"New Year" Word Art
Faking Letterpress in Photoshop
Wording Inspiration
"Wishing..." font: Myriad Pro