Body Goals Inspiration

This woman is absolutely incredible. I will work to find even half of that balance and control through this year. 

xoxo

Book Needs

Dear Lovely Readers,

Recently I have signed up to be a part of a book club (# 11 on my 25 before 26 list) and I'm really, super incredibly, amazingly (should I find more descriptors?) excited to go to my first meeting half way through February.

Only one little problem. The book that we are to discuss at that point is The Night Circus. Now, I've been meaning to read this book for a while, and have glanced at it longingly while in the Target book aisles (or aisle I should say... the other ones are just trashy novels...) but told myself it wasn't a good idea for the price because I would probably read through it in a day or two.

That being said, I knew when I signed up to go to this meet up that I would need to read this book. So I put my name on the waiting list at the library. I knew it was a popular book but I figured with 6 copies (or more, not sure) that I would probably get the book into my hands pretty soon. I looked at the status today and saw that there are 42 people ahead of me in the line for that book.

Not ideal.

So, I'm putting this out to you dear readers... have you read the book? Do you still have it and not know what to do with it? I will send it back if you send it to me. I will cherish it and take good care. Or we could do a book switch and I could send you something I have... current list being:

Trade for keepsies:

The Help - Kathryn Stockett

Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou

One Day - David Nicholls

These I would want back:

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

The History of Love - Nicole Krauss

Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger

If You Have to Cry Go Outside - Kelly Cutrone

Good Omens - Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

I know this is a bit of a long shot but let me know! I am trying my darndest to not by any books (over $5) this month and quite possibly for the whole first quarter of the year! I'm starting to go to the library and check out books and read them in a timely fashion and look for others I want, put them on hold and wait for them instead of being impatient and buying them immediately.

Until next time, 

Happy reading!!!

xoxo

Happily Wasted

For starters, these are my bears from when I was just a tiny little thing. Like right after the womb tiny. Bixby is the bear on the right and Guardian Bear is on the left. Poor Guardian lost his button nose to a tiny dog I think... and his ears are lopsided due to years of squeezing and cuddling. Just thought I would share. 

This past week was crazy busy. I am not use to having such a busy week considering my unemployment for a bit and such. But it was crazy and wonderful and I went dancing three nights in a row (!!!) and saw two of my best friends and had so many hilarious run ins with random people... last week was a success to say the least.

Some of the things I read in the small amounts of downtime (or the week before...) are as follows. A great bunch of links if I do say so myself. :)

Confidence assassins. Hilarious.
I love this blog and I love her month to month goals.
A cozy new year celebration.
Non-goals... these are awesome and beautiful. I decided to do some myself.
These goals/resolutions are awesome!
Time management....
Adulting, my new favorite blog! Definitely need to do this and this.
...And then she saved, another new favorite.

Congrats to one of my favorite bloggers! Her and hubby just had their baby boy!

xoxo

52 photos in 52 weeks: Week 2

My favorite picture from the week has to be this one. Well, there were some awesome pictures from the beach, but I think I posted my favorite from those already. So here's my other favorite. I'm going to attempt to make all of my 52 in 52 from my point and shoot (or a DSLR if I ever get one...) instead of from my phone. Of course if I find a favorite polaroid from the week, or get Diana/Holga/Rollei film developed in the same week I shoot it then that's fair game too.

Aren't those little siamese kitten salt and pepper shakers cute?! Unicorn Sparkle(bottom)s gave those to me for my birthday one year. She's the best. The little Kodak camera is one of my favorite Goodwill finds... the thermos behind it is another favorite. My favorite looking polaroid camera, though my 600 is what I like to shoot with best, sorry sx-70, you're being a pain... user error you say? No way!

And then the mug that my mom and sibs gave me for Christmas. I mean, at least they know it. ;)

Oh so sleepy. This week has been a whirlwind. I'll update about it all later. Don't worry, it was a wonderful whirlwind.

xoxo

two thousand twelve: first quarter

This year I want to do so, so many things. Like, so many things, big and small. There are books I want to read and movies I want to see, and then there are projects I want to do, and fitness goals I want to achieve.

After thinking and thinking I realized the best way to figure everything out and not get bored half way... (or let's be honest, a quarter of the way) through the year is to break the year into 4 pieces. I have year long goals, and some not so year long goals, and this way both can be tracked in the same place! I'm so smart! Anywho, if you want to look at the year long goals, just click here.

WIth so many goals and lists, I have decided that when I turn 26 I  am doing away with the 2_ before 2_ project lists. I will have more than enough in my 2012 goals list to cover everything!

So with that being said, here's the first quarter, January through March!

+ get a car

+ get a full time job (so far, part time tutoring/admin/social media gig and job at local movie theater)

+ exercise 3 times a week for at LEAST 30 minutes
(w1, w2, w3, w4, w5, w6, w7, w8, w9, w10, w11, w12, w13)

+ pay for someone behind me in a drive thru line 

+ complete 3 crafts (one: photo an hour, two: word art, three: pattern painting)

+ go on at least 3 adventures, 2 of which are at least an hour away
(one, two, three)

+ shoot 3 rolls of 120 film either in the Holga or the Rollei (at least one of each)
(one, two, three)

+ read 6 books 
(one, two, three, four, five, six) 

+ pay off $3,000 on credit card

+ say yes to one thing I would normally say no to

+ make one vlog

The Artist's Way: Final Week

Confession: I skipped documenting some of the weeks. I really finished this workbook last week (a week late) and didn't really know what to say at the end of it.

Honest, I still don't.

The benefits are hard to really find at the moment, I don't know if I'm growing as a person because of the book or because I'm getting older and wiser as each situation happens. 

I can say that I've been nicer to myself, I've worked on spending my money more wisely and I don't get on my own case nearly as much as I use to. That might have started happening before this book though.

I know people have a lot of great things happen with this book, or so they say, and I don't regret reading it, but big things didn't happen. Maybe I didn't put enough time or energy into it. Maybe I should have stuck with the morning, or even evening pages. But I didn't and here I sit wondering what magical things were suppose to happen. 

I would like to try again someday with this 3 month (12 week) program. I would like to do it in a group, because I don't feel like posting at the end of the week to here was helpful. It felt boring because when I made it personal it was too personal. There are some things that don't quite translate.

So, do I regret reading this book? Not at all. I write more than I did, I take more pictures, and I am more gentle with myself than I was before. 

Did I have some big life changing epiphany while reading this book and doing the tasks? No. 

Would I recommend it to someone else? Yes. I would like to see what they get out of it in the end.

So there you have it, my thoughts on The Artist's Way.

xoxo

photo an hour: january ninth

nine o'clock

ten o'clock

eleven o'clock

twelve o'clock

one o'clock

two o'clock

three o'clock

four o'clock

five o'clock

six o'clock

seven through twelve o'clock

twelve o'clock

nine: after waking myself up by looking at instagram, twitter and facebook on my phone I feed myself

ten: I crawl back into bed, but sit up and read for 30 minutes, answer some of the 95 questions, I'm working on, and apply to a job

eleven: my lovely Chelsea calls, she's FINALLY in town!!! We set up a time to meet to start our day of wonderous hang outs. I pick out my clothes, take a picture and send it to Nicole to see if she approves, do my hair and make up and finish up with a end result picture.

twelve: wait in car reading for Chelsea to get to Rico's, then eat delicious burritos and chat chat chat. Chelsea wanted no pictures...

one: head off to run around, start with post office, then urban outfitter. it's new to our area and Chels had yet to see it. She is the sprinkle to my donut in case you are wondering.

two: Anthropology!!! Where we justified buying Anthology magazine because it was on sale (and gorgeous). I found a new friend AND we found a note forgotten in a book!

three: stopped by Rhino art... both guys working were super cute. then we headed to Pipes beach where we walked and looked at the tide pools until I asked to sit down because it was a little breezy.

four: started heading back to the car, enjoyed the beginning of the sunset. then went to Pannikin in Del Mar.

five: at the Pannikin, I ordered banana creme pie, Chels ordered coffee cake, she had coffee, I had tea. more chats to be had. we always have something to talk about.

six: stopped by the quilting section in Barnes and Noble. just keeping my mind open and ready for when I get to start it (read: when I have a job and therefore money).

seven through twelve: Chels and I went to our friend Kate's house for dinner. I didn't take pictures during this time for the sake of my friends and conversation. we at dinner with Kate, her boyfriend and her roommate/our friend Rachel (I hope that's how she spells it). I know there were lots of chatsies during the day... but you have no idea. we can talk. and laugh! I shared some awesome youtube and other videos... like the landlord, the weekend update where Kristin Wiig is a flirting expert, big group of girls, and more.

twelve: headed home, picked up milk at the store, stepped out of my car at home to a gorgeous sky, got ready for bed and answered a couple emails.

I picked a very eventful day to do this project. I'm so excited to be able to cross it off my list already. I didn't put filters on the photos or anything, this is really how it looked, well as much as the camera can pick up with the lighting in any given situation.

xoxo