Berate

I have tried so many apps to capture my to do lists.  I love making lists.  I love crossing stuff off.  There are about a bazillion apps out there to help me with this.  Carrot, however, adds humor and judgement.  If I neglect my to do list for too long, the app starts berating me.  If I kick ass and get a bunch of stuff done, I get little funny rewards. 

 



 

 

Randomness

These photo montages of buildings are so cool.



My imaginary girlfriends consist of:
- Samantha Bee from The Daily Show
- Sarah Vowell, the author
- Linda Holmes from Pop Culture Happy Hour

We have imaginary hangouts.


Hello 1,000th post!


This baby carrier is a life changer.  Particularly when one has an exceptionally big baby whose determined to keep pudging out. 

Recent delicious wine find - Stark Raving Cab.  Yum!

Frustration turned into list-making

Gar!  Blogger is refusing to post pictures.  Hence a picture-less list-full post.

- I've cut two big bouquets of peonies and the smell in the house is absolutely heady.
- The phrase of the moment for me is "forward momentum".  This consists of making all sorts of progress small and large on home and personal projects.  Today I collected up all the un-usable household chemicals to drop off at the collection point, scheduled a pick-up for an old mattress that's been taking up basement space, and replaced some switchplates.  Even though I can't tackle a bathroom remodel all in one go, I can make incremental house progress.
- Salon appointment is scheduled.  I hate all the time it takes when I go to get a cut and color, but I just gotta make it happen.
- I've been taking a camera with me on my regular neighborhood wanderings.  I have a new idea for the front yard.  And pictures!  That Blogger won't let me upload!  Gar!  Also the boy-o and I may have agreed on a patio project we both can get behind.
- My little brother and I got to talking about books we wanted to read but had never gotten around to.  Suddenly, we're doing a sibling read-a-long.  The first book will be a Russian classic.  Love projects like this!

- My garden is chock full of heirloom tomatoes, but I'm still squeezing more in.  Today's addition - Purple Dog Creek. 

- This week, I've been experimenting with sangria recipes.  Mmmmmm peaches in red wine!

- I'm battling a small case of poison ivy from a recent volunteer project.  It's driving me nuts.  Feel free to share any sure-thing remedies.  Technu soap (my usual go-to) is not doing the trick.

Appreciation

Things I appreciate this week:
- The new birdhouse my dad & mum made me
- A visit from my sister
- Celebrating my father's 70th birthday (it's a family-heavy week)
- Avalon red wine
- My purple iris are abloom & the neighbor's lilac
- The best description of my neighborhood right now is verdant

More importantly

I watched the first part of the Oscars with a bunch of boys - until after my friend was able to get her baby to sleep and join us.  Nothing less satisfying than commenting on pretty dresses to a bunch of blank faces. 

My faves were Jennifer Hudson and Melissa Leo.  Hudson's dress was so pretty and those shoes!  So tired of her weight loss ads but loved the look.

Leo's dress has not gotten much love, but I liked how it stood out, and that collar was pretty.

I lost the little Oscar pool that I was in and the show was a snooze.  The company was good though and that's what really counts in my book.

Nominations

Every year, I would like to have a better informed opinion on which should film should get the Oscar for best picture.  Every year, I fall a little short.

For 2010, I have seen:

- Black Swan
- Inception
- The Kids Are All Right
- Toy Story 3
- Winter's Bone
- True Grit

Before the awards, I intend to see:
- The Social Network
- The King's Speech

I'm unlikely to see:
- 127 Hours - because of the infamous scene I need to watch this at home where I can cover my head with a pillow while it's going on. 
- The Fighter - boxing is pretty high on my list of so brutal it's hard to watch

Right now, I have to say I would pick True Grit for my choice of best movie of the year.  I very much doubt that it will go that way at all though.  What do you think?

Modge podge

Upcoming listyness totall inspired by Allison at Create Positive Spin.

Reading: The New Kings of Nonfiction - and loving it all particularly "Losing the War."

Watching: Persons Unknown via Netflix

Contemplating: Ways to be more thrifty this year in order to accomplish some honking big (and very exciting) new goals.

Today's to-do list: Consists of ordering seeds for the veggie garden, reserving some library books, sweeping the very hair-ball covered floors, and watching a movie.  Sigh......it's winter.

What I may do instead: Surf the interwebs for garden daydream inspirations.

Very much in need of: New music.  Link me up some good stuff please.  :)

Dairy magic

Made butter today with the help of my Kitchenaid.  Serious dairy alchemy.  One plain log and one maple flavored.

I'm working on a list of things I wanna have done before 2011 is here.  Almost like a before-year's-end resolution list.  And then of course there will be new goals and ideas for the shiny new year.  I love list making.

Checking it twice

DoBot To Dos app is helping me keep track of gift ideas and who's left on my holiday gift list.

Don't break the chain

My streaks app may be the key to crossing some more stuff off my 101 list.

Done!

Done!  Finally repainted my hoosier cabinet.  It came in a cream color with upgly orange flower decals on each cupboard door.  I prefer it in pale peach with no decals!

Sisters

Treeless Mountain is about two little girls in South Korea. Their mother leaves them with an aunt but promises that she'll ba back by the time they fill their piggy bank up with coins for being good. It's a simplely made movie but the interaction between the two girls is so natural and perfect. And the filming is very well done. And, as per usual, it's a bit of a heart breaker - as seem to be all the foreign films I watch anymore.

There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air.

One of my 101 list items is to read 20 books of poetry because I tend to fall out of the habit. I decided to jump back in by listening to poetry read by the author. Billy Collins Live had me smiling throughout. The man has a wonderful wit about him and listening to him read the words made it even funnier. Bill Murray's introduction was not so shabby either. I give this a 7.5.


One of the poems I loved best from this collection is "Litany".

Rain barrel

Crossed an item off my 101 listy already. Finally installed my rain barrel. Now all I need is a short hose....and some rain!

April flowers

Made progress on a 101 listy item - 77. Have fresh flowers in the house at least once a month. Here's April's flowers for you, picked from my front yard.

Time for a New Listy

Over to the right there, you'll see a link to my now defunct 101 listy. My 1,001 days have past. I completed 63 items, made progress on many many other things I wanted to do, and am now ready to start fresh. I always leave myself the freedom to change my mind about items or add more to the bottom. (Want to make your own list? Its lotsa fun and there's more info here.)


I Like Making Stuff1. Sew a top for myself
2. Paint 20 paintings (1/20)
3. Take a photo every day for a month
4. Make 5 softies
5. Make 5 wreaths (3/5)
6. Make 5 hair accessories
7. Make 5 pieces of jewelry
8. Make 5 garlands
9. Do 5 embroidery pieces (1/5)
10. Sew a dress
11. Stop using store-bought wrapping paper. Make my own from now on.
12. Print 10 clothing and/or houseware items (1/10)
13. Make my own undies
14. Start a new etsy shop
16. Learn photoshop
17. Do an inspiration board in craft room
18. Make my own grocery tote bags
19. Make an art card every day for a month
20. Do a street art project
21. Take 2 art classes / workshops

My Idea of Grown-Up Stuff22. Buy a suit
23. Get a passport already
24. Replace and upgrade makeup
25. Find a new signature perfume
26. Host 5 dinner parties (5/5)
27. Drop 1 dress size
28. Drop 2 dress sizes
29. Pay off credit card debt
30. Do 101 sit-ups every day for a month
31. Get a computer that doesn’t crash when running photoshop
32. Stop wincing when people take my photo
33. Upgrade my winter coat
34. Teach my dogs some good manners
35. Consolidate the amount of bags I take to work every morning

Foodishness
36. Make butter
37. Make macarons
38. Make homemade tortillas
39. Do a whole lot more preserving from my garden
40. Make salsa with garden bounty
41. Attend 5 wine tastings
42. Have a recipe & picture posted on tastespotting
43. Go to local farmer’s market at least 5 times a year (5/5)
44. Get a small chest freezer

Culture
45. Watch 50 foreign films(21/50)
46. Read Lord of the Rings
47. Watch 50 documentaries (30/50)
48. Watch 20 Oscar-nominated movies (14/20)
49. Read a novel by a Russian author
50. Read 5 Booker prize nominated books(2/5)
51. See 5 plays (3/5)
52. Learn to read music
53. Make Kristen teach me to play a song
54. Read The Scarlet Pimpernel
55. Read 20 books of poetry (2/20)
56. Visit 20 art shows (5/20)
57. Attend 10 concerts (4/10)
58. Read 10 biographies / autobiographies (10/10)

Home Projects
59. Get new hot pads for kitchen
60. New porch chairs
61. New patio furniture
62. Install new back fence
63. Plant decorative garden in back
64. Expand front garden
65. Replace ugly plastic planters with lovely cement or terra cotta or other pottery versions
66. Repaint hoosier cabinet
67. Get floors redone
68. Get new chair for craft space
69. Paint basement floor
70.
71. Invest in some pretty bed linens
72. Get a smaller bed frame
73. New kitchen cabinets & floor
74. Fix lighting issues in kitchen
75. Fix lighting issues in living room
76. Start a display of photos of all the people I adore
77. Have fresh flowers in the house at least once a month (24/32)
78. Have a light installed in bedroom closet
79. Put in backyard patio

Good Deeds80. Volunteer for an environmental group
81. Volunteer for a pro-choice group
82. Volunteer for an arts event
83. Do a good deed for the library
84. Volunteer for an animal rescue
85. Do a random act of kindness every day for a month
86. Post animal rescue poster about town 5 times

Frivolity
87. Send 101 pieces of mail (70/101)
88. Buy 5 things off etsy for myself
89. Take another dance class
90. Participate in wardrobe remix
91. Visit Toronto
92. Visit Boston
93. Send flowers to 5 people (5/5)
94. Learn a new card game
95. Go on 10 metro park hikes
96. Accessorize every day for a month
97. Plant “surprise” spring bulbs 3 different places that do not belong to me
98. Stay at a resort
99. Make my own cleaning products
100. Bike one of my library trips
101. Ride a motorcycle


My dear friend Kristen is doing this project with me. We start today - April 1st! Check out her blog for more listy fun.
Install rain barrel

Wishes

Wishing for

• a pot of blooming parrot tulips or some forced pussywillow sprigs
• longer library hours
• the skillz to make macarons
• tiny bird vases
• more days like today with home progress, swims, and sauna time with a nap in the afternoon

Resolution Time

I'm a big fan of resolutions. I make them all the time - not just December 31st. Still I'm not gonna miss an opportunity to make some now. And as my 101 listy is expiring in March, I'd best start finishing things on the list and compiling a new list.

Still the big ones for the new year are:
- Take better advantage of the farmers market and do some more preserving this growing season.
- Use my brand spanking new gym membership. (Cliche I know. I was planning on waiting til February to join - after the mad rush. However a new gym just opened near my work and their grand opening rates were insanely cheap and month to month so I had to take advantage).
- Focus on learning some new things (hello nearby rec center!) and flexing my creative muscle a whole bunch more.

Fiddle-dee-dee

(Picture by Konaboy).

I tried a new veggie last night. Fiddlehead ferns showed up in my local market, and I had to give them a try. I made up my own recipe - pasta, fiddleheads, pesto, and toasted pinenuts. It was good. I sauteed the ferns in butter before tossing them in. A little bitter, but good.

Also, one to mark down on the grand 101 listy.

Chock full of accomplishments

Today I
- bought a shiny new camera for my photography-loving boy.
- planted pansies & violas in my flower pots.
- purchased a composter (even the boy was amazed about how excited I was over this. I've wanted it for FOREVER!)
- played far too much of a game I'm addicted to - The Wonderful End of the World