Odds & Ends

1.  I saw the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo last night.  It was so, so good.  It followed the book pretty closely (I hate when the movie doesn't follow the book at all!).  And the acting- omg the acting!  Rooney Mara is awesome and may be my favorite actress now.

2.  Kingsley has an ear infection.  Poor baby :(  He will be going to the vet on Friday.  Maybe I can convince them to clip his Freddy Krueger nails while he's there, hmm.....

3. Five days 'til Christmas and I still have baking, shopping, cooking to do.  And send out some holiday cards. Aghhh!

4. Item 3 has me exhausted.  All I want to do is curl up on the sofa with a good episode of MI-5 (I'm hooked) and some coffee.

5.  I really wanted to do some recap posts of the last year, but I'm exhausted (see items 3 & 4).  Thus, it may or may not happen.


Happy Wednesday all!

Odds & Ends

A Christmas Wish List

1.  10-20mm||f/3.5-4.5 lens
I would love to take better pictures of my home decor... and I think this little gem would help.

via Amazon

2. 30mm||f/1.4 lens
I've heard many good things about this lens too.

via Amazon

3.  West Elm coffee table
Duh.  I've been drooling over this coffee table since I first laid eyes on it. *Cough* *Cough* husband.

via West Elm

4. Kindle Fire
I guess it's time to transition to an e-reader.  I do still read hard/paperbacks, but I also read a fair amount on kindle for iPhone.  Probably not the best for my eyesight.

via Amazon

5. Penguin Classics
For my future library :)  I already own a few of these (and of course I LOVE them) and they double as art work!

via Amazon

6. Perfume
Calvin Klein Euphoria Spring Temptation.  I tend to fall in love with items that are either 1)limited editions 2)go out of stock or business.  I believe this falls under category 1.

via Amazon

7. Donations to any of the following:

LFA

LLS

MD Anderson

Town Lake Animal Shelter

8. Classes for Knitting or Crochet

Stitch Lab

A Christmas Wish List

WEverb11: 8-12

Day 8: Choice
What was the biggest choice you made in 2011? What caused you to choose what you chose?

Oh my, this prompt is really hard to answer.  I guess the biggest choice I made was choosing to take the professional engineering exam and choosing to study really hard for it so that I would be able to pass it.  I have a long list of choices I would like to make for 2012.


Day 9: Appreciate

In which moment did you find yourself flooded with gratitude? How will you rally around gratitude in 2012?

I honestly can't think of one individual moments, I think I really felt appreciative year round in 2011.  There were so many moments when I absolutely felt so lucky to be surrounded by such a great network of family and friends.  I think 2012 will be the year that I take time to show more appreciation.  Little gestures like handwritten notes or phone calls come to mind.

Day 10: Create
Share a creative project you undertook this year (art, writing, DIY, cooking, home decoration, crafts, photography … whatever comes to mind). How do you use your creativity to express yourself?

There are too many to share ;)  I'm planning on doing a recap of 2011, in which many of my DIY projects will make an appearance.  DIY, home decoration, crafts, and sewing are my preferred methods of creativity.  I've found that I require them on a regular basis to really be happy.

Day 11: Try
What are12 new things do you want to do/accomplish in 2012? 

1. Regular Exercise: this is really a "must" on my list.  I'm aiming for a healthier lifestyle.
2. Crochet.  Not just lines of stitches, an actually item (blanket, rug, pillow, etc.)   
3. Making Dinner every night.  This is requires a balance between my husband and myself (because I don't think I can do this alone).  Also, part of leading a healthier lifestyle.
4. Participate in a photo everyday.
5. Stay organized.  I'm not sure on the "how" yet, but it needs to happen.
6. Give up Diet Dr. Pepper.
7. Have "Meatless Mondays".
8. Give up control.  I have a really hard time doling out tasks to others, but my perspective (of "I must do everything myself") will run me into the ground one day.
9.  Invest more money.
10. Take the dogs to dog parks.
11. Take walks with my husband.
12. Doing something that scares me.


Day 12: Thrive
What was your healthiest habit of 2011? What would you like to change or do differently in 2012?

I started making protein smoothies for my husband and myself for breakfast every morning.  We are definitely starting out our days more healthier.  In 2012, I have a long list of things I want to do differently.  See Day 11 for details.

WEverb11: 8-12

We Took Some Pictures

I have long been a fan of Stephanie's annual family photographs, and, of course, I want to share this tradition with my family :)  We missed a chance last year for our first anniversary, but I was bound and determined to get pictures for our second anniversary.  After much complaining and moaning excitement from my husband (please tell me I'm not alone in this!?!), we finally made it happen.  Our anniversary falls conveniently close to Christmas, so I'm pretty sure these photographs will double as our holiday cards every year :) 

Our wedding photographer shot these (she is awesome, by the way). I love them.  I think my husband does too.

The dogs missed out on joining us this time, but I assure you that I have some plans to include them in our cards (mwahahaha).

If you don't take photos every year, I highly recommend it.

We Took Some Pictures

Happy St. Nicholas Day!!!

I blogged about it last year.  You can find more about it here and here.

via

Happy St. Nicholas Day!!!

WEverb11

Last year I participated in reverb (and may or may not have finished....), so this year I'm going to give it another try with WEverb11.  Like last year, a prompt is given for each day in December and bloggers respond.  To find out more, go here.

Day 1: Choose one word.
Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why. Imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?


2011: Accomplishment
I became a licensed engineer, X started school again and got into grad school.  We somehow squeezed in a belated anniversary trip and our house feels more like a home now.
2012: Adventure

Day 2: Listen.
What song did you listen to in 2011 to completely change your mood?  Think about ways you can you add more music to your life in 2012.

I wouldn't say it was one song.  I listened to a lot of classical and opera music to get into "study mode" when I was studying for my exam.  I also discovered  Florence & the Machine, which puts me in the best mood.

Day 3:  Learn
What lesson did you learn in 2011 from “The School of Life” rather than a classroom?

 You can't afford to stress over every little thing.

Day 4:  Haiku
Sum up your year, via haiku. 

One more year long gone
Working hard to live our dreams
Loved every second

Day 5: Befriend
Did you meet any new friends this year? How did they impact your 2011?

Most of the new friends I've met have been online through twitter and Weddingbee.  Some people may not consider these "real" friends, but I look forward to hearing bits and pieces about their lives and they are some of the most genuine, sincere people I have ever met.

Day 6: Travel  
Where did you travel this year? What was your favorite part? If you didn’t get to travel, where do you want to go next year?

I traveled to NOLA with the 'bees in April.  My favorite part of this trip was getting to know some of these women a little better and, of course, it didn't hurt that we were in a fabulous city :) I went to the meet-up in 2010 and I hope to attend the next one in 2012!
Husband and I were also able to take a trip to Puerto Rico in June.  I loved being able to just relax and spend time with him. Also the food was ah-mazing.  One day I'll blog about it- promise ;)
Next year, we would like to travel to Seattle because I've had a crush on that city since forever. We'll see though what 2012 brings!

WEverb11

Fabric off the Rack

Sunburst Dress | Francesca's Collection

Echo- Scattered Blooms | Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics via Hawthorne Threads

Fabric off the Rack