30 Before 30 // Take 2

Last year when I turned 28, I posted a 30 Before 30 list.  It was quite a snoozer, admittedly, and I'm ashamed to say not many items got crossed off.  You see, several items that I WANTED to put on the list, I was too chicken to, like "Flip a house" (check), and "Own my own business" (check).  But seriously, 4/30 crossed off in a year? abysmal! Now that I have officially only 319 days until my 30th birthday (April 30, 2014), I decided to revisit, revise, and make it bigger and better than before!  I'm keeping some of the list and scrapping others for new adventures.  It's amazing how I always get great aspirations, but when I sit down to write these, they all fly out of my head!

Here's how my previous list played out:

1. Host a formal dinner party- Staying- why have I not done this yet??
2. Take a cross country road trip- With the new flipping business, this one will be put on hold until probably next summer
3. Get back in shape/live healthier- zzzzzzzz- still working on it, but not a measurable goal.  Ousted!
4. Buy a 'big girl' camera completed 6.12
5. Take a photography class (to learn how to use said 'big girl' camera) completed 6.12
6. Start an etsy shop- I may still do this, but now that I'm self-employed, focuses have changed.  I'm still going to take this one off the list to make room for something better
7. Have my home featured on a notable blog- Staying
8. Have a room I designed featured on a notable blog- Staying
9. Design a residential space that doesn't belong to a friend or family member- kinda completed, but this one will be morphing into "Start my own design business"
10. Build a piece of furniture- Staying
11. Attend a blog conference- Staying
12. Meet a blogger and/or designer that I admire- revise to 'design blogger' (more specific).  Although I did pseudo-meet John and Sherry from Young House Love at their book signing, I'm not counting it.
13. Guest post on another blog completed 7.11.2012 here
14. Run another 5k (without knee issues) completed 10.14.12
15. Visit Europe- revise to 'visit another continent.'  This one might be a longshot, but come on, almost 30 and never been off this land-mass??  Pathetic, Karen.
16. Go camping- this may still happen, but let's get some more exciting things on this list!
17. Visit the Brooklyn Flea Market- Staying
18. Picnic in Central Park- Staying
19. Get a 2nd tattoo (something meaningful)- Staying
20. Redesign my blog myself- I still wish I could have done this myself, but I finally had to admit to myself that it was over my head.  So happy that I hired the guys at Roundhouse Designs, though- isn't the new design awesome??
21. Visit New Orleans- This will be revised and condensed with other goals to be 'visit 5 places I've never been'
22. Explore my hometown- Staying
23. Reupholster a chair (not just a cushion)- Staying
24. Create an organized, creative, project/work area- Staying
25. "Finish" designing our house- We'll be tackling the last room, the kitchen this summer, but let's be real- I'll never be done with this one, so it gets the ax from the list.
26. Take a dance class- to be more specific, I'm revising this to a ballet class
27. Procrastinate less- vague much?? Ousted!
28. Take a weekend ski trip with Hubby- Staying (I don't really ski...)
29. Go cross country skiing- Staying (at the rate Mother Nature's going this year, I may be able to cross-country skii mid-summer! I exaggerate a tad, but seriously, New Englanders, where's summer???)
30. Give blood- Staying (and ashamed this isn't crossed off)

So let's try this one again.

It is my goal to do everything on this list before April 30th, 2014!

1. Host a formal dinner party
2. Visit 5 places I've never been
3. Go on a girls-only trip
4. Ride a horse
5. Swing on a flying trapeze
6. Start my own design business
7. Have my home (or part of it) featured on a notable blog
8. Have one of my designs featured on a notable blog
9. Instagram at least once a day (starting today 6.14!)
10. Build a piece of furniture
11. Attend a blog conference
12. Meet a design blogger that I admire
13. Establish a relationship with a mentor
14. Do something that scares the crap out of me
15. Visit another continent
16. Refinish or sell every piece of my collection of furniture in the basement
17. Buy a treasure at the Brooklyn Flea Market
18. Picnic in Central Park
19. Get a 2nd tattoo (something meaningful)
20. Host a giveaway on the blog
21. Own a vintage bicycle (and use it!)
22. Explore my hometown
23. Reupholster a chair (not just a cushion)
24. Create an organized, creative, project/work area in my disaster of a basement
25. Improve my cooking skills (or lack of skills)
26. Take a ballet class
27. Define my design aesthetic and develop it
28. Take a weekend ski trip with Hubby
29. Go cross country skiing
30. Give blood

My Buddy the Giraffe

I'm a little off schedule and routine here (and by 'a little' I really mean super duper off schedule and routine), so my posting isn't as regular as I was planning. Please enjoy this un-photoshopped, un-cropped and un-retouched giraffe picture I took at the zoo as an apology (yes we were that close!)

Any zoo which offers a highly interactive experience with the animals like the Brevard Zoo does is ok in my book. Feeding and making friends with giraffes and exotic birds is my idea of a fun trip to the zoo.

They let you buy snacks to feed certain animals so that they come up to you, land on you, nudge you, etc= awesome.

So far we've done a lot of relaxing on this vacation, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm craving some adventuring. Not too much adventuring here on Florida's space coast in the rain, so I think that'll have to wait until the next trip.

We'll have to get creative with our time today, it's a little huricaney (huricaney's a technical word....). Who's up for some puddle-jumping??

Poolside Greetings

My apologies if you saw the half-written post that accidentally got posted. I'm attempting to blog from the ipad for the first time and I blame user error....Plus, I'm distracted. This is my current view.

It's been a busy past few days, but a good busy. Before our early am flight yesterday to Florida (and lack of wifi yesterday... Disaster! Don't worry, crisis averted), we attended my college roommates beautiful wedding, AND accepted an offer on Clark(!!!!!!!!!!!). More details on Clark later since it still hast quite sunk in yet. At least when I started doing my ridiculous happy dance, I was at a wedding on a dance floor, so no one was judging... I hope.

Speaking of wedding, the venue was amazing!

They got married under that arch with an amazing view of Hartford in the background, and she DIYed all the decor. A girl after my own heart, no wonder we worked out so well as roomies.

The room with the dj and dance floor was a charming cabin ...

...complete with moose head. Normally I'm not a huge fan, but the groom put his touch on the decor with a baby's breath wreath, so it totally made mr. Moose rise to the occasion.

Beautiful wedding and congrats to the new Mr. & Mrs.!!!!

Maybe tomorrow I should get out of the sun to blog so I can actually see what photos I'm posting... And maybe I'll either figure out the Wordpress ipad ap or blog from a real computer.... Maybe.

Until tomorrow!