30 THINGS TO DO BEFORE I TURN 31: AN UPDATE

Well, I’ve been avoiding it for the last week, but I think now is the time to give you an update on my 30 Things to do Before I Turn 31 post:

• Take an introductory photography class. – well, I haven’t yet taken it, but I’ve signed up for one, does that count…??
• Take a basic Photoshop class. – just finishing up!

• Recruit 15 more followers to my blog… – I love you, I love you, I love you!
• Transform my hideous entertainment unit into something I can stand a little more! – The knobs have been ordered at least! Hope to start next week after husband disconnects and moves the TV for me (hint, hint honey…).
• (Finally) Make a stagecoach curtain for the guest room window (which I will definitely blog about later). – yeah, epic fail. For some reason, I’m scared to death of sewing! But I’ll get there….one day.
• Start a daily journal. – Woo hoo!
• Establish a consistent gym routine – and stick to it! – another epic fail, no excuses.
• Regularly wake up earlier in order to make and enjoy a healthy breakfast with my husband. – well, it doesn’t help that the husband seems to have stopped eating breakfast (tsk, tsk Man!).
• Sell 2 more furniture pieces. – now that my shop is up and running…SOON (I hope – any takers?)!.

• Reopen my Etsy shop. – can I get a woo woo?!! I still have dozens of items to add though. Coming soon!
• Find and purchase a new rug for my office! – Done! But not the one I originally had in mind. Instead, I purchased this one from West Elm. My office is currently a horrific mess, but once I have things cleaned up and organized, pictures will ensue!
• Find an unwavering confidence in myself… hmm, perhaps a resolution for the New Year?
• Refinished the recent flea market bread boards I recently purchased. – such a simple thing to do and I haven’t finished! I have sanded them down, I just have to stain them appropriately. Coming soon!
• Host an end of summer soiree. – how about a Welcome to Fall soiree? I managed to book myself every single weekend in September, but October will be the month!
• Go golfing with my new golf clubs! – I can’t say I golfed well, but I did it!
• Finish the wall galleries in my living and dining rooms. – 3 more frames to fill…(and I know, I also need to straighten all the frames!)

• Clean out my closet. – perhaps my soiree should also consist of a clothing swap??
• Host a book club. – I haven’t hosted yet, but it’s booked for October 16th! We are reading The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton:

• Read at least one of the dozen books I have on raising chickens (next Spring, fingers crossed!). – yep, and I still want them. Four of them. Badly.
• Tell my husband that I love him at least once a day. – ok, he may disagree, and perhaps I forgot a day or two, but it’s the thought that counts! I managed pretty darn well, thankyouverymuch.
• Begin drafting a business plan for my non-profit idea… epic fail. I very badly want to start a non-profit, and I think I have a pretty darn good idea, but I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew with this one. Frankly, I need to get the rest of my shit straight before delving into extracurricular activities!
• Register for a race (running). – as of today, actually. Running a 5k. Not a long or hard run, but for an excellent cause: Shelter for Help in Emergency (www.shelterforhelpinemergency.org). And honey, if you’re reading this…I registered you as well

• Get a haircut – and learn how to wear my hair more naturally. – ummm, epic fail. For both. Last time I got my haircut at a well-loved Charlottesville salon, my poor hair was mutilated. I’m scared.
• Clean my car. – yep. still dirty.
• Recruit 1 guest blogger for blog… – it will be posted soon, my friends, soon!
• (With help of husband) Build a console table for behind sofa. – we’re actually not quite sure how we want to build it just yet…it’s all about compromise, right?
• Call dentist to schedule removal of wisdom teeth. – Definitely a fail. I mean, all I have to do is pick up the phone! But the thought is terrifying. I’m fine getting my teeth cleaned, but when they are removed…hell to the no!
• Learn how to cook 2 more go-to, quick and delicious meals. – All I can say is….YUM!
• Find and paint 3 sample paint colors in kitchen (orange!). – samples have been painted, but not a single one is orange (all samples are Benjamin Moore: Silver Sage, Soft Fern, and Nimbus). Which one do you like? It’s really quite amazing how different each one looks depending on the lighting and time of day.

• Take pictures of my home (after my photography & Photoshop classes…) and (finally…) upload them onto “My Home” blog page. – to procrastinate just a little more….I do need to finish my photography class first!

Of course, I’m well aware and quite self-conscience of the fact that I did not complete my list, but it did offer me the motivation to DO and to move closer toward a creativity that I feel swimming just beneath my skin…and sometimes, that’s all you really need. I am still determined to complete every single item on this list, of course. What’s leftover is all the simple stuff anyhow (other than that darn stagecoach curtain. Argh!) – update #2 coming soon!