The #SWEATTour's Austin Stop - 4 YA Authors at Book People!

This evening, I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Austin stop of the SWEAT Tour. SWEAT: SoCal Writers' Excellent Adventure in Texas. Cute, no? Also, it was (of course) over 100 degrees today, so it's probable that that other meaning of sweat was a possibility.

In preparing for this event, I was looking into a couple of the authors' information and when I pulled up Amy Tintera's bio and picture, I realized she looked super familiar. When her novel, REBOOT, was released, I thought the name was familiar too, but I never looked into it, assumed that it rang a bell because I'm pretty involved in the YA community as a whole, and let it go.

Yeeeeah.

She and I graduated from High School together. So, that's pretty cool.

Anyway, a quick conversation with her via Twitter later, and I said I'd say hello this evening at the event (I did, and she's very sweet, and she even signed my book with a "Go [school mascot]!" which I thought was pretty darn cute).

The panel, as a whole, was really fantastic, partially because all the ladies were so very different and partially because the books they represented were all so different. Authors were:

Amy Tintera - author of REBOOT and its forthcoming sequel
Shannon Messenger - author of The Keeper of the Lost Cities and Let The Sky Fall series'
Debra Driza - author of MILA 2.0 and its forthcoming sequel
Kasie West - author of PIVOT POINT and THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US

photo taken with my crappy iPhone

The moderator - Jen, I believe - led the ladies through some really great questions. At this point in my YA Reading Career, I've been to quite a few author events, and I feel that her questions were the best I've experienced. I took a few notes on the questions and their responses. Here are my favorite highlights:

If you could summarize your book by using only the names of TV shows or movies, what would you choose? 
Amy: The Walking Dead meets La Femme Nikita
Shannon: (re: LET THE SKY FALL) The Last Airbender meets Twister
Debra: The Bourne Identity meets AI
Kasie: Pride and Prejudice meets Pretty in Pink

Then, they ladies played 2 Truths and a Lie. Mrs. West has a pretty hilarious truth about choking on her own hair. That's all I've got to say about that. ;)

What's the worst (and best) writing advice you've ever been given? 
Amy:
Worst: Always know the end before beginning to write.
Best: Finish the writing.

Shannon:
Worst: You can't move on to the next chapter until this one is perfect.
Best: from Ellen Hopkins: "It's never to early to begin treating writing like a job."

Debra:
Worst: It's OK to query before the writing is done.
Best: From Cindy Pon: "Let yourself write utter poo."

Kasie:
Worst: You have to outline to be a serious writer.
Best: Don't compare yourself or your experience to others'; No two stories or writers are the same.

Which "current" books do you wish you'd had as a teenager? 
Debra: SAVING FRANCESCA by Melina Marchetta (and several members of the audience, me included, gasped. Because YES. ALL KINDS OF YES. Marchetta FTW.)

Amy: IF I STAY by Gayle Forman

Kasie said she didn't have a specific favorite, but that she wished Sarah Dessen had been a writer when she was a teenager. Shannon said she simply wished YA had existed; it would have stopped her from becoming a non-reader in her teens.

When was the "moment" you realized that this was real, that you were a 'real' writer?
Debra: The day before her book released, and she promptly had a panic attack as she considered all of the possibilities ahead of her.

Kasie: When she received her first review from a stranger.

Shannon: At her launch party, when a class-full of Middle Grade aged students were actually in attendance; also, the first time she received a letter from a parent saying that her book was what made their child a reader.

Amy: There was a moment in her kitchen in which she just determined that she was going to write, and after that, she began to work toward publication.

photo taken on my crappy iPhone

I found it really interesting to hear so much of my writing style in various comments the authors made. Amy advised that her main character arrived first, and the world was built around her. This is often how things work with me -  more often than not, actually. Kasie said she can't outline; it takes all the creative juices out of her. I am a terrible outliner. It's impressively bad. Shannon said she *can* write for hours and hours on end, but the outcome isn't pretty and she'd rather not. It was kind of cool to hear others express the same traits that I see in myself.

Anyway, at the end, I bought a copy of Amy's book and she signed it; I also picked up a few signed bookmarks and a tattoo for REBOOT. It was a pretty great event... and it's one more thing to check off #59 on my 101/1001 list.

:)

10 Things I've Finally Learned

(in no particular order)

1. Letting go is better, sometimes. Even if you're not good at it. Even if it hurts all the while. You shouldn't have to fight for some things. If you do, they weren't worth it to begin with. Sometimes, life gets in the way. If a separation happens, but you come back together later, it's probably genuine. So it goes.

2. Chbosky was right: We accept the love we think we deserve. If you don't love yourself truly, you won't allow anyone else to, either.

3. It's OK to not be OK.

4. Do not ignore your own needs. Not for long, anyway.

5. It really is the little things. Be reasonable, but don't deny yourself.

6. You should always be developing and growing yourself. Learn, change, move. That's life.

7. "Call few people enemies and call fewer people friends." * Watch who you open your heart to.

8. "Don't do it for the wealth; do it all for the love. Love everything you do and do nothing halfheartedly." *

9. "Be what you speak, man. Never speak on what you be." * Only you can do you. Respect yourself and be who you are.

10. You are responsible for your inner peace. You can let people or situations rob you of it, but ultimately? It's on you. Hold onto it.




* lyrics taken from Deep Puddle Dynamics' song "The Scarecrow Speaks" which contains an insane amount of quotable lyrics. We can talk about my attachment to that song in another post.

15. Throw Bella a crazy awesome 5th birthday bash - DONE!

Bella's fifth birthday was the biggest party we've ever had for her, and it was Alice in Wonderland themed. It was really simple to put together, though, and she was so excited all day. All of our People were there, and there were tons of kids. We had cupcakes, Eat Me cookies, sandwiches, unexpected barbecue, perfect weather, and an amazing array of gifts, when all was said and done.


I was also able to take off work for her actual birthday, and we spent the day together, just relaxing and wandering around town. It was an all-around great day.

(all photos are mine. do not take them without permission, please.)

Big Top Candy Shop! :)

We so rarely allow her to eat candy, this was a big thrill for her.

DIY goodie bags at the party.

I put up quotes around the space the party was held in.

NOMZ.

My little archery fiend. ;) 

I'm so glad I was able to put this together, and that it went off (mostly) without a hitch. Thanks to everyone who came out, and to Erin for allowing us to take over her house for the afternoon.

Til next time,
Ang

Update: Summer Reading Challenges!

Well, hi there.

At this point, with 23 days before Kindergarten is slated to start (OMG WHAT), Bella has made great strides in all of the reading challenges she entered this summer.

1) Reading Challenge #1: Austin Public Library's Summer Reading Program
As of right now, we are on book 22 of 32. The deadline for this program is 8/24. She'll reach this goal, no problem.

2) Reading Challenge #2: Barnes & Noble's Imagination Destination Program - DONE!

3) Reading Challenge #3: Book People's Give Me Summer, Give Me Books Program
As of today, this is DONE, too! We'll probably take her to Book People tomorrow to pick up her gift card and let her pick out a book to buy. So exciting!

I plan on taking a photo of all her spoils once she's done with all three challenges - should be three brand new books - and posting it here. It's so cool and so great for me to see her excelling as a reader. I simply love it. And her, of course. To the moon and  back.

As for me and my Goodreads Challenge, here are my current stats (I won't hit this goal til probably November/December, but still, I'm working on it throughout this summer, so here we are):

Books read: 61 of 85

Pages read thus far: 23029

Thanks for reading this! ;)

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Reading the Summer Away

This blog? It's really just a glorified Mama Brag, so prepare yo'self.

This summer, my Beautiful B agreed to be a part of not one, not two, but three reading challenges. Yes, some of the books will overlap, but the point is that she's agreed to read just under 40 books this summer, most of them by herself.

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Reading Challenge #1: Austin Public Library's Summer Reading Program
For this challenge, she's got to keep a log of which books she's read and once she meets her goal, she can turn in her completed list and she'll get a free paperback book from the Library to keep! I asked her how many books she wanted to read per week, and she said 4. I multiplied that by 8, to cover two months of time, so her goal for APL's SRP is 32 books of her choosing. I'm making her read most of them, but I've also read one or two with her.

Reading Challenge #2: Barnes & Noble's Imagination Destination Program
For this challenge, she had to read 8 books of her choosing and keep a log of them. Additionally, she had to make recommendations on who should read each book. Once the list was complete, her "prize" was  free book, based on her age group.

This challenge is actually done already! B chose the classic RAMONA QUIMBY, AGE 8 for her free book. I can't wait to read it with her.

Reading Challenge #3: Book People's Give Me Summer, Give Me Books Program
This program is a bit more structured than the other two, in that Book People has a list of recommended books according to the child's age. Granted, B's skillset is a bit more advanced than some of the books for K-2, but it's good practice for her, so I don't mind. I've gotten 4 of the recommended 6 books on their way to us from the Library and I'll let her read two other books of her choosing. Once she finishes this challenge, the reward is a $5 gift card to Book People, which we'll let her use on a book of her choosing.

We'll get our girl a library of her own yet. ;)

For the record, I, too, and part of a reading challenge for the summer. It's hosted through the APL as well, and for every 5 books I read, I am entered into a drawing for some pretty sweet prizes. I'm also still trucking along on my Goodreads Challenge.

What are you reading this summer?

MWAH,
Ang

The Skinny Bitch Chronicles: Initial Goals

(Don't worry - I'm not going to post every week about this, but I do want to keep a record somewhere of what I'm doing/where I'm at on this so, here we are.)

SO, exciting thing: My Les Mills Combat DVDs and first order of Shakeology arrived today. Shakeo is delicioso, and I'm pretty impressed at the sheer volume of recipes that Beachbody provided up front (as well as by the fact that there's a schedule of when to do which workout, because I was legitimately concerned about what that was going to look like). AND I went through the Basics DVD, because although Combat speaks to my inner bad ass, I know next to nothing about mixed martial arts, and I want to at least be comfortable performing the movements.

Man.

Just moving through them, engaging my muscles the way that they instructed to, doing everything from capoeira to karate, and I was already sweating.

That...

Well, it makes me CRAZY excited about the next 2 months. KIA!

So, here are my goals. Keep in mind that these could be crazy-conservative - I've never done anything like Combat before, so I have no idea how my body will actually respond, only that the only changes that can come are good ones.

5 GOALS
Dates: July 1 - September 1:

• Replace breakfast with Shakeo every day for 60 days. 
• Follow the work out schedule (Supreme Warrior) listed in my Fitness Guide. 
• Lose 15 pounds (I'm hoping this is really low-balling it).
• Lose a cumulative 10 inches (I actually have no idea how to approach this bit, so if you have advice, please let me know. Maybe this is way too low). 
• (Keeping this one hidden for now)

 I took measurements tonight, and I'm planning on a detox of sorts for the coming work week. Then, on Monday, July 1, it begins.

LET'S DO THIS.

PS Here's some more pics of Pink and her killer figure (please note that none of these photos are mine, but I completely spaced on keeping the source links):

Trim waist, strong abs.

#killerlegs

101/1001: #90. Wear false eyelashes

Donezo! I wore false eyelashes while I stood for one of my dearest friends in her wedding. Maid of Honor, baby!

Wheee!

Courtesy of my Instagram Feed.

Can't I wear them every day, forever? Sigh. 

In Which There is an Apple

Hey guys.

This is going to be a sort of "update" blog. I guess they all sort of are, aren't they? But I wanted to give anyone who's interested an update on all the goings on in my life at present.

First up: I've made a good dent in my 101/1001 list, but not as much as I'd like at this point. That said, I've made progress on a few of the items that will take the longest to complete, which is nothing to shake a stick at.

Some notable accomlishments (in my opinion, anyway): 

1. I've read six of the twenty recommendations I requested.
2. I've kept record of one of six months in "My Day in Six Words" journal.
3. I've written a short story to begin my Short Story Project.
4. We have plans with regard to savings/paying off various debts in mind.

For my comprehensive 101/1001 list, you can click here.

Second, I have read 31 of my intended 85 books this year. Thus far, this equates to 11688 pages.  Cray cray!

Third, I started at what is essentially my Favorite Day Job Ever on Monday. Working at this company was always the game changer for me, and I'm hoping to be able to move from contract to permanent employee in a hot second. Good thoughts appreciated. :)

And lastly, I've decided to be more comment-y in my blog reading. I very rarely get comments on this thing, and I know how much it means to me when I actually do get one, so I want to be sure to pay that forward a bit. :)

I'll leave off with this, just for some TRUFAX:

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How are you? What's new? Are you working steadily toward any of your own goals?

PS HOMG THE WALKING DEAD AUGH.

Marissa Meyer at Book People

#59 on my 101/1001 list is to attend 5 author events. I'm really excited to say that I've gotten to check one off this list this evening!

Book People, Austin's indie bookstore, held an event this evening for Marissa Meyer's SCARLET tour. for those of you who may not know, Meyer is the author of The Lunar Chronicles, which is her reworking/revamping a set of four classic fairytales. The first in the series is CINDER, a cyborg, futuristic retelling of Cinderella. The newest installment is centered on a reworked Little Red Riding Hood, and it's called SCARLET.

(Sidenote: Amazing cover art, no? Some of my favorites, if I'm honest, and I'm hoping the publisher doesn't decide to change them mid-series. I'd be super bummed.)




What I really love about this series is that, really, Meyer has just kept to the bones of the original material, so Cinder's stepmother is evil, and Scarlet's grandmother is missing, but she generally deviates from the rest of the story. Basically, she leaves enough there to allow the reader to make some educated assumptions about the characters, and those assumptions generally play out as you'd expect them to.

And yes, there is a big, bad Wolf in Scarlet. And he's about 100 kinds of delicious, but that is probably beside the point.

Book People is really one of my favorite places in town, so I was really excited to head down there this evening, and they definitely did not disappoint. There were a good number of chairs set up, and they had the cutest snack set up, which really surprised me. Every author event I've ever been to was just Q&A and the author reading a bit of their book. Here's a pic that I posted on Instagram from the event:

 Seriously? Cutest thing ever.

Anyway, Marissa is super adorable. She shared her story - how she started writing, how she began writing CINDER, in particular, and what the inspiration for her writing at all was. It turns out that she started writing Sailor Moon fan fiction, which is probably the best thing I've heard in a long time.

She read two pieces of her novel, and then told a few classic fairytales - Cinderella and Red Riding Hood, of course - in their original formats - no Disney here! Then, she opened the floor up for questions, and there were some really great ones (and one real clunker, but that's besides the point). I asked what we could expect from her - will she be writing more fairytale retellings, or is she interested in expanding into other genres? As it turns out, she's got ideas for two other series, a paranormal thriller and a contemporary one (both YA), and she's just sold a stand alone novel, but it's so new that she couldn't release any real details about it, aside from saying it's a fantasy sort of story.

I really enjoyed the discussion this evening, and Marissa is an inspiration for a writer like me - in listening to the story of her beginnings, I feel we have a lot of similarities, which was a really cool thing to realize. Normally, I'd have purchased a book and had it signed by her, but initially, I didn't think I'd be able to attend this event, so I ordered a signed copy from my favorite book store in Nashville, and it's on the way, via mail to me. (Regardless, though, I've already read an ARC of SCARLET, and it's pretty damn fabulous.)

This was a great event, and I hope Book People has more like it, and soon...

And now begins the incomprehensible wait for book 3, CRESS.

101/1001 - #56: Paint a canvas - Done!

i went to a great painting class tonight with a dear friend. it was one of those classes where everyone paints the same prompted image, and it was held at GeeBerry Art Studio here in austin, texas. it was so fun, and the instructors were really wonderful. we're already planning to go back.

so, here are a few photos. pardon the probably questionable quality; they're from my really old 3G iPhone.

me, painting the initial blue background.

near the beginning of the process - just the background colors.

outline for my eiffel tower

 

 

finished product

so, i'm definitely *not* a painter. i'm also really heavy handed with the paint, but i found that i really like the texture the canvas has as a result. 

our table was most definitely the coolest of the four, and all the ladies we were with were really kind and funny. i definitely recommend taking one of geeberry's classes to anyone, because everyone is really supportive, so it's a really low stress environment where you can just sort of create what you create. 

they offer kinds courses from age kindergarten up, so i'll definitely be looking to take my munchkin when she's of age. 

regardless of my personal talent, though, this was a really good time. you should try it yourself. :)

p.s. when i arrived home, my husband's first response, aside from telling me he liked it a lot, was to say, "hmm, the eiffel tower or narcissism at its best?" hardy har har, sir. hardy har har. ;)

 

101/1001 - #78 - Complete a Photo Challenge - WIP!

in order to cross this one off the list, i'm participating in fat mum slim's photo a day challenge. i've even managed to get all but one of this month's prompted pics posted (say that 5 times fast) on their assigned days.

i'm still debating on whether i'll post all my photos here, particularly because one of them from this month includes two of my friends' kids, and i don't want to put their adorable faces on the internet without parental consent.

however, for posterity's sake, i'm going to make a list here, and cross off each month as i complete it. :)

january 2013

february 2013

march 2013

april 2013

may 2013

june 2013

july 2013

august 2013

september 2013

october 2013

november 2013

december 2013

My 101 in 1001 List

My 101 in 1001 List:  

(to be completed by September 27th, 2015)

I'll update this post as progress is made on each goal. :) It will remain in the right column over there if you're ever feeling nosy. :)

(I originally blogged about this here, but since I will no longer be using the actual Day Zero site to keep track, here we are again.)

1. Have a $1000 in a "just for fun" fund - WIP

2. Get to my goal weight and maintain - WIP.

3. Query a novel - Began January 31, 2013.

4. Write a letter to myself to be opened when the 1001 days is over - done - 1/2/2013

5. Go on a spontaneous road trip

6. Have professional photos taken

7. Run a 5K race - The Color Run, Austin; May 4th, 2013

8. Go on a cruise - possible: Fall 2013

9. Get a nose piercing - priced with True Blue

10. Get a tattoo - Researching

11. Go vegetarian for a month

12. Buy a house

13. Pay off my credit cards - WIP

14. Pay off my car - WIP

15. Throw Bella a crazy awesome 5th birthday bash - Done! Alice in Wonderland extravaganza!

16. Record a song in a professional studio

17. Write a collection of short stories - started writing.

18. Enter a writing contest

19. Find a job that I love - Done. 

20. Get laser hair removal

21. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day

22. Have a romantic weekend away

23. Do 5 random acts of kindness - WIP, February 2013

24. Get a Brazilian Blow Out done on my hair.

25. Wear my goal pants size. - DONE! October 2013. Working on stretch goal size now.

26. Find a yoga class to attend regularly - Done. At work of all places!

27. Take an internet sabbatical (1 month)

28. Get purple highlights

29. Stop biting my nails - done, January 2013

30. Reread the Harry Potter series - WIP, beginning March 2013

31. Be an extra in a film

32. Attend a music festival

33. Attend the midnight premiere of a movie

34. Actually attend my graduation ceremony - registered to attend/walk DONE!

35. Throw Ken an amazeballs 40th birthday party - PLANNING! Done. :)

36. Make Valentines Day Wedding Anniversary 2013 into an event - This had to be adjusted. WIP, still. Included in Ken's birthday bash. DONE!

37. Donate hair to Locks of Love - growing my hair out.

38. Do ACL as a VIP

39. Get to know my dad

40. Learn Spanish - WIP

41. Learn Italian

42. Get a passport

43. Give flowers to someone

44. Give a 100% tip

45. Cook a three course meal - researching course options - April 2013

46. Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all - WIP 1/4/2013

47. Visit Miami.

48. Go back to NYC

49. Have a spa day

50. Dress up for Halloween - planning

51. Make Christmas cards for my friends and family

52. Rewatch Dawson's Creek - WIP

53. Have a '90s theme party

54. Have a slumber party

55. Do some volunteer work

56. Buy a canvas and paint a piece of artwork - Done 2/1/2013
57. Buy a Keurig

58. Attend a wine tasting

59. Attend five author events - Marissa Meyer (2.13.13) - The SWEAT Tour (8.12.13) - ATBF 2013 (9.28.13) - Marissa Meyer (2.17.14) - Ransom Riggs (1.21.14)

60. Get a pedicure

61. Have $10000 in savings - WIP

62. Donate $5 to charity for each task I don’t complete

63. Be pescatarian for a month

64. Have an impromptu overnight trip.

65. Try out Indian food

66. Spring clean and donate or chuck out - Done, Spring 2013

67. Start meditating - Begun 3/3/2014

68. Enroll Bella in a dance class - possibly this summer (2014)

69. Make baked brie

70. Surprise someone with an unexpected gift - Kimber's care package, August 2013

71. Surprise someone with a picnic lunch

72. Go to a movie by myself

73. Make the move to organic produce/foods - WIP

74. Get a puppy

75. Have a kick ass 31st 32nd birthday party 

76. Visit Nashville again - planning

77. Spend an afternoon reading at the park - January 2, 2014 (Arboretum w/Erin & Bella)

78. Complete a 365 day photo challenge - WIP (#fmsphotoaday) Instagram
79. Complete a 1000 piece puzzle - Purchased Van Gogh's "Starry Night"

80. Begin the writing of one of the entries on my Writer's Bucket List

81. Whiten my teeth

82. Learn how to knit or crochet - Done! Loom Knitting, November 2013.

83. Spend a day in silence

84. Spend a day exploring my city

85. Make homemade baskets of goodies for Christmas - planning

86. Try 15 new restaurants-- Tomo sushi, Thai Cuisine, Frank, Kohnami, Gloria's, North, Full English, Homeslice Pizza, HopDoddy Burger Bar, Banger's Sausage House and Beer Garden, Golden Wok, The Brass House, Peche, Tortuga Flats (14/15)

87. Spend a weekend away with Bella

88. Have a weekend away with my girls

89. See a musical - Wicked, March 1, 2014!

90. Wear false eyelashes - Done! (Vicki's wedding, 4/13)

91. Be able to do 100 sit ups - WIP

92. Keep a “My Day in Six Words” journal for 6 months - WIP (January 2013)

93. Watch all of the James Bond movies - started!

94. Send a secret to PostSecret

95. Go to a symphony

96. Bake something with Bella (from scratch) - Beignets, June 1, 2014!

97. Buy a throwback bathing suit

98. Wear a dress or skirt every day for a week

99. Go see the bats

100. Write a handwritten letter to someone

101. See Mumford & Sons in concert (again)

101/1001 - #46: Book Recs - WIP

#46 on my 101/1001 list is:

Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all

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i've started this one! i put together a google form and sent it out, as well as poked around on facebook, and i'm pretty excited about the recommendations I received. see below (in no particular order):

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (rec'd  by Jes) - read 1/15/13
Everyday by David Levithan (rec'd by Tricia) - read January 2014
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (rec'd by Ken) - read 2/7/13
Shadow of Night by Deb Harkness (rec'd by Kimber) - read 4/28/13
Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield (rec'd by Tonya) - read 2/9/13
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (rec'd by Jen) - read 1/10/13
Bed by Tao Lin (rec'd by Krystal) - read 8/22/13
Matched by Allie Condie (rec'd by Mandy) - read 9/22/13
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (rec'd by Vicki) - read 10/6/13
Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah (rec'd by Roxie)
The Wool Series by Hugh Howey (rec'd by Brie) - read 3/4/13
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (rec'd by Erin) - read Nov 2013
Empty by KM Walton (rec'd by Mary) - read 6/16/13
Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson (rec'd by Michelle)
Dirty by Megan Hart (rec'd by Lins)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (rec'd by Chey)
John Dies at the End by Oliver Wong (rec'd by Yvonne)
Flat Out Love by Jessica Park (rec'd by Bec) - read 3/8/13
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (rec'd by Beth) - read 6/14/13
Feed by Mira Grant (rec'd by Anna)

in these 20 books, many genres are represented - historical romance, supernatural, realistic fiction, steampunk, and even a short story collection and some erotica (which i don't generally read much of). there's a good amount of YA, but also a good amount of non-YA, and even some non-fiction and a bit of satire, and one book by the author of my all time favorite short story.  (also: zombies. wheeee!) basically? my friends are awesome.

all in all, i think this makes for a really great selection, and i'm super excited to get started on the list. (side note: a handful of these are already on my shelves, either literally here in my living room, or on my tbr list on goodreads, which is pretty cool.)

have you read any of these books? do you want to?

oh, PS: i'm about to be in a book club again, and i'm insanely excited about that, too. :)

Goal Making and Such

hey hey hey! happy new year!

i had a fabulous holiday season, and i'm pretty damn sad to say that christmas/etc is over, but with the end of the holidays comes a brand new year, and i decided that, instead of making a random list of goals to accomplish in 2013, i'd make a different sort of list.

i've made a list of 101 things to do in 1001 days - i'm using Day Zero Project to keep track of it. :)

yes, that is roughly three years, and i've made sure to make all of my goals things that are measurable. some are absolutely free of charge, and others will cost a pretty penny, but all of them are things that i really want to accomplish in the near future. some will technically be repeats for me, some will seem meaningless to anyone else, but i'm absolutely excited about all of them.

i plan to blog about these things as i pursue them, but here's the list, for posterity's sake:

   

My 101 in 1001 List:  

(to be completed by September 27th, 2015)

1. Have a $1000 in a "just for fun" fund

2. Get to my goal weight and maintain

3. Query a novel

4. Write a letter to myself to be opened when the 1001 days is over - done - 1/2/2013

5. Go on a spontaneous road trip

6. Have professional photos taken

7. Run a 5K race - WIP (Registered 1/17/2013)

8. Go on a cruise

9. Finally have a ceremony/reception in our 10th year (2015)

10. Get a tattoo

11. Go vegetarian for a month

12. Buy a house

13. Pay off my credit cards

14. Pay off my car

15. Throw Bella a crazy awesome 5th birthday bash

16. Record a song in a professional studio

17. Write a collection of short stories

18. Enter a writing contest

19. Find a job that I love

20. Get laser hair removal

21. Watch the sunrise and sunset in the same day

22. Have a romantic weekend away

23. Do 5 random acts of kindness

24. Get an agent

25. Sell a series of books

26. Find a yoga class to attend regularly

27. Take an internet sabbatical (1 month)

28. Get purple highlights

29. Stop biting my nails - done, January 2013

30. Reread the Harry Potter series

31. Be an extra in a film

32. Attend a music festival

33. Attend the midnight premiere of a movie

34. Actually attend my graduation ceremony

35. Throw Ken an amazeballs 40th birthday party

36. Make Valentines Day 2013 into an event - WIP :)

37. Donate hair to Locks of Love

38. Do ACL as a VIP

39. Get to know my dad

40. Really learn Spanish

41. Learn Italian

42. Get a passport

43. Give flowers to someone

44. Give a 100% tip

45. Cook a three course meal

46. Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all - WIP 1/4/2013

47. Visit Vancouver CANADA

48. Go back to NYC

49. Have a spa day

50. Dress up for Halloween

51. Make Christmas cards for my friends and family

52. Rewatch Dawson's Creek

53. Have a '90s theme party

54. Have a slumber party

55. Do some volunteer work

56. Buy a canvas and paint a piece of artwork - WIP (registered for class)

57. Buy a Keurig

58. Attend a wine tasting

59. Attend five author events

60. Get a pedicure

61. Have $10000 in savings

62. Donate $5 to charity for each task I don’t complete

63. Be pescatarian for a month

64. Try 15 new recipes

65. Try out Indian food

66. Spring clean and donate or chuck out

67. Start meditating

68. Enroll Bella in a dance class

69. Make baked brie

70. Surprise someone with an unexpected gift

71. Surprise Ken with a picnic lunch

72. Go to a movie by myself

73. Make the move to organic produce/foods

74. Get a puppy

75. Have a kick ass 31st birthday party

76. Take a family vacation

77. Spend an afternoon reading at the park

78. Complete a 365 day photo challenge - WIP (#fmsphotoaday)

79. Complete a 1000 piece puzzle

80. Begin the writing of one of the entries on my Writer's Bucket List

81. Whiten my teeth

82. Learn how to knit or crochet

83. Spend a day in silence

84. Spend a day exploring my city

85. Make homemade baskets of goodies for Christmas

86. Try 15 new restaurants

87. Spend a weekend away with Bella

88. Have a weekend away with my girls

89. See a musical

90. Wear false eyelashes - WIP (Vicki's wedding, 4/13)

91. Be able to do 100 sit ups

92. Keep a “My Day in Six Words” journal for 6 months - WIP January 2013

93. Watch all of the James Bond movies

94. Send a secret to PostSecret

95. Go to a symphony

96. Bake something with Bella (from scratch)

97. Buy a throwback bathing suit

98. Wear a dress or skirt every day for a week

99. Go see the bats

100. Write a handwritten letter to someone

101. See Mumford & Sons in concert (again)