30 things i'm glad i did in my first 30 years

remember that 30 before 30 list i made last year on my 29th birthday?
well ... i didn't finish it.

i started out the year marking items off the list w/ gusto:

√ finished our wedding book
√ read 5 out of 12 classics off time magazine's all time 100 novels list
√ went to a roller derby match
√ kept a budget!!!
√ went to a u-pick farm
√ purchased a tajine (though i didn't master it!)
√ watched a sunrise at percy warner park
√ volunteered regularly w/ calvin house ministries.
√ completed 3 pottery classes - not just 1.
and last but definitely not least ...
√ visited ethiopia!

10 out of 30. not bad considering it was a very ambitious list.

i plan to launch a "31 by 31 list" tomorrow (because i'm crazy like that).
but before i do ... a little pick-me-up for the last day of my 20s:

(in completely random order!)

1. married my best friend. i love you, wade. i could easily fill this list w/ 30 things i'm glad "we" did in our first 2 years of marriage. you make life so much more worth it!!! 

2. volunteered w/ calvin house ministries. this year i will watch this group of girls i've mentored since their freshman year graduate from high school!

3. ran not 1 but 2 half marathons. boy do i hate running ... but i set a goal and i stuck with it! thank you, emily, shelbie & the barefoot team for encouraging me!

4. moved to nashville. this is big considering at 10 i couldn't spend the night at a friend's house w/o crying bc i was homesick. my parents encouraged us to write our own adventures even if that meant more miles between us & heartache for them. i'm not bashful, i'm from nashville!

5. started blogging and decided to continue to blog only as long as i enjoy it!

6. honeymooned in morocco vs saving the money for a down payment on a house. big lesson learned here - memories are so much more valuable than things.

7. however, i'm going to follow that up with ... bought myself a grownup purse. wade has taught me that you deserve to reward yourself for hard work.

8. dealt w/ a bad bout of depression in high school. and became a kinder, more understanding person bc of it. (i also learned that taking better care of myself physically makes me feel better mentally!).

9. graduated college finally after 3 different schools and about 5 degrees with a job.

10. kept a great job for almost 10 years! 10 years this year. i am so thankful for a boss that i enjoy & respect. and a creative outlet - even if i'm designing for country music. ;)

11. saw the pyramids in egypt despite only having a short layover. you were right, wade. it was worth every penny. another lesson in "the memory is worth it".

12. spent my summers participating in community theater w/ the springfield muni opera. i met wonderful people w/ walks of life completely different than my own and gained from so many of those unique relationships. i also gained so much confidence in my own ability. gosh i miss those days!

13. got a tattoo and still do not regret it. thinking about getting a tattoo yourself? i say go for it - just put a lot of thought & research into what you want.

14. stayed up all night to explore london during an 8 hour layover! completely worth it (and drooling down my new husband's arm). ps - london is magical at night.

15. lived independently before getting married. it might have been easier had i married right out of school - yes i'm stubborn and like things my way - but i'm thankful for the lessons i learned & the woman i became on my own before settling down.

16. visited the awassa children's project and ethiopia for "vacation". i am so thankful for this glimpse into my husband's past. and for the work this project is doing over the pond.

17. had a beautiful, handmade wedding. (thank you, mom & dad. and everyone that pitched in to make the night of our dreams.)

18. gave a speech at a political event in my husband's absence. never again!

19. had my heart broken and learned from it. and always called my parents to get through it.

20. forgave the female gender. sounds funny - but it took time to really trust girls again. i'm so thankful for the ladies in my life.

21. conquered my fear of heights (we joined climb nashville!). where shall we climb next?

22. surfed in hawaii despite the theme song from the movie jaws playing on repeat in my head.

23. spent my summers camping & visiting grandma + grandpa in martinsville and collecting freebies at the illinois state fair with grandpa hammond rather than go on fancy-shmancy expensive vacations. lesson learned: it doesn't take $$ to make wonderful memories.

24. designed something that was in stores all across the country.

25. did the "purpose driven life" bible study with my mom - which strengthened our relationship & friendship. i am so thankful for your leadership, mom.

26. invited laura along that first weekend at belmont. who knew the "annoying freshman in the front row" would become my best friend and a huge accountability partner in my life.

27. made a special 7-hour trip to see my grandma julia one last time before she passed away.

28. sang songs i had written at the blue bird cafe.

29. signed up for a small group at church. amazing how a small group of people can make a big church feel like home.

30. made mistakes only to realize the ultimate love and forgiveness of Christ. thank you, Jesus.

my mom teased me that i should probably include potty training and walking in this list. okay - so this is a very limited list. of course, i'm thankful for those lessons too. ;)

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your turn! { insert your age here } things your glad you've done - go!

baby it's cold(er) outside ...

brrr ... it's sooo much colder today in tennessee! one of the best things about being married is that a husband makes the ultimate foot warmer. each night, i thaw my icicle toes by tucking them between his knees! husband cruelty? maybe. of course wade is traveling again this week ... brr!

which of course means it's totally time to whip out the crochet & knitting needles!

{source: dottie angel / wood & wool stool /  unknown, happiknits on etsy}

i have 1 // learn to crochet flowers + 2 // finishing knitting a pair of socks on my 30 before 30 list. so it's definitely time for me to get busy. of course that's only the icing on the crochet/knit cake! 

{someday} when w+i have our little farm ... it will be warm & cozy and filled w/ homemade creations. like that amazing stool by dottie angel & that simple little heart garland by wood & wool stool. have you seen this tutorial for how to knit a jumbo knit blanket by nocturnal knits? *hint hint* broom sticks for knitting needles! and of course ... everyone could use a new cowl! beautiful work by happiknits!

and last but definitely not least, this crocheted doily blanket by goodknits (in gold) ...

{source: goodknits on etsy}

yup - every farmhouse definitely needs a doily blanket!

definitely time to get busy. of course ... i'm not opposed to santa bringing me any of these lovelies! ;)

pottery 101

hi lovelies ... i tried and tried to put together a {hello munday} post yesterday but to be honest, i needed a little blog break. :) instead i caught up on several small projects ... and w+i went on a fun little movie date. (we saw 50/50 ... have you seen it?)

pardon my absence - and enjoy a little preview of my pottery progress thus far:

1 // taking a hint from anthropologie's adorable little farmer's market baskets, i decided to make my own fruit basket! this one is still in the leather hard stage - a work in progress. i brought this little project home to sculpt in my free time, because i'm devoting class time to practice throwing pots on the wheel (practice make perfect ... or at least a little less wonky!). 1 down, 3 to go! more free time, please!

2 // boring little handbuilt plate ... i think not. "put a bird on it!" 

3 // remember this guy? the great brain! coil pots are probably my least favorite pottery technique that we've learned so far in class. i think they look like something a little kid could make. but it's so much fun to see how a project changes w/ a little bit of glaze. (can you see the little pops of teal and rust?) i actually love how this little coil bowl turned out.

we'll see if i'm brave enough to post any of my thrown pots this semester. luckily i've already convinced wade to spare me for a few more thursdays next year! i am determined! :)

{30 before 30} my first pottery class

i finally had my first pottery class last night. and to tell you the truth folks ... i was super nervous. {the idea of going back to school (even just extracurricular) makes me nervous.} day 1 // "becoming one w/ the clay". we created coils and other designs and pressed them into pots and onto molds:

those that finished early made pinch pots. my pinch pot definitely reminded me that i'm a beginner - stay humble (and my unzipped fly for half the class was just an added bonus!)  random pottery fact for you: clay shrinks on average 10% during the drying process. and so i wait impatiently until next week to see exactly what becomes of "the great brain" ...

thankfully ... i loved the instructor & his very laid back method of teaching. and i'm pretty excited that his plan is to teach us a techniques in the first few lessons and then let us bring in inspiration and go to town! very fun.

and so ... a little inspiration:

{source: 1 // hideminy ceramics , 2 // anthropologie, 3 // anthropologie, 4 // tasha mckelvey, 5 // inkypots, 6 // anthropologie}

oh hey. we've been under construction. a brand new, much cleaner blog is in the works. thanks for your patience. xo.

{whatever wednesday} busy busy

i know i've been rather absent lately ...

in part because work has been extremely rough. so rough that the g.m. has put a bunch of new practices ... well ... into practice that will hopefully save me some time and major headache. thankfully each year the music business rests during the holiday season. and this year the holidays couldn't come fast enough!

in part because i might have bitten off more than i can chew w/ my 30 before 30 list. as an example ... last night after w + i returned from the gym, i spent an hour reviewing rosetta stone french followed by an hour practicing my penmanship. then i picked out a new book from time magazine's all time 100 novels --- animal farm which i continue to accidentally refer to as "animal house". while i keep reminding myself that i have ALL year ... quite a few of my tasks are monthly ... even weekly.

i did however finally finish + hang curtains in our living room and the bathroom! that means all of our rooms have curtains! and somehow that makes these rooms feel finished. of course ... who am i kidding ... there's no such thing as finished.

thanks for sticking around, folks. :)

on my merry way ...

... to illinois for a girls' weekend w/ my mom + her sisters. (i hope they don't mind that i'm tagging along.) but before i left town, i decided to leave wade a little something just to remind him that i think he's perty special.

armed w/ scrapbook paper, 6 pushpins and elmer's glue ...

and this little upcycled cork pirate ship diy from crafting a green world.

i saw 3 ships come sailing in ...

yes yes - those little pirate ships on crafting a green world were probably intended for little boys. but if our halloween costumes from last fall are any indication, my husband is definitely a little boy PIRATE at heart. {in fact every other picture of him on facebook is dressed as pirate. is that a problem!?!}

okay my party people ... have a great weekend!

*** random: today wade stopped by the office to eat lunch w/ me --- lovely to be soooo busy at work that i have to take lunches by computer monitor --- but that's beside the point. while he was here, he happened to find his BIRTHDAY PRESENT. apparently my husband isn't just a pirate ... he's also a detective. boo.

best of ...

our climbing gym has very few chick magazines - it's all politics or outdoor adventure blah. as a result, i've read through every O magazine from 2008. apparently way back when, she did a series called "oprah's best life" (maybe it continues?). for today's little bloggety-blog i found inspiration in o's monthly "best of" interviews. a fun little opportunity to reflect & share a bit:

BEST HABIT // making the bed everyday. we have a very small apartment w/ 4 rooms (kitchen, living room, bedroom and bath). i can't imagine having 1/4 of the house unkempt. nowadays, however, wade beats me to the task!

{how to make your bed like a soldier via the art of manliness}

BEST SUBJECT IN SCHOOL // physics. truth! i had a professor in college that thought i was majoring in physics. my real major was commercial voice w/ an emphasis in music business. i should have however stuck w/ physics - i'm sure the pay would be better. ;)

BEST TIME-WASTER // pinterest. come on now - if you've discovered it ... you will agree. i can easily waste an entire hour sifting through inspiration. not on pinterest? click on my profile below to see what all the fuss is about.

BEST QUOTE // "God accepts us just the way we are, but loves us too much to let us stay that way." - rob bell

BEST GUILTY PLEASURE // reality tv. it's true. last weekend w + i stayed in a hotel w/ CABLE! and while he napped i watched jersey shores. honestly - bc i'm super vanilla ... it's entertaining to see all the craziness i've (thankfully) missed out on. i live vicariously through snooki for an hour - and then realize how great i really have it. ha! anyone checked out that show love in the wild? seriously where do they come up w/ this stuff!

BEST SHORTCUT TO FEELING BEAUTIFUL // 30 minutes in the sun. a little vitamin D and a bit of pink on the cheeks and i feel rejuvenated. when the sun just won't cooperate (october-march in nashville) a little peach blush on the apples of the cheeks does the trick.

BEST HIDDEN TALENT // i am the queen when it comes to making a cheap knockoff. i thank my bargain shopping mother for this trait! this summer, we've traveled a bit too much + i've been doing freelance design projects for a little $$ ... so i haven't posted many new projects. i'm pretty excited for colder months when we spend more time in.

{free people // my version}

BEST FOOD FIX // 1 cup of vanilla non-fat yogurt + 1/4 cup of udi's original granola + a handful of almonds = heaven! especially in the heat of summer when a mid-day binge can weigh you down for the rest of the day.

BEST RECENT READ // i'm already halfway through the catcher in the rye (1/12th of #10 on my 30 before 30) and i really am enjoying it! but as far as a book that i've recently completed, i loooooooved the help. we attempted to start a book club a year ago but life got super busy. pretty excited to get the girls back together to go see the film!

BEST SATURDAY MORNING // when we first got married, we were determined to prove my mom/sisters wrong and use our gifted waffle maker. each week i came up w/ a new recipe. finally we're looking forward to a saturday morning at home. tradition continued! these blackberry cobbler waffles from how sweet it is look divine (and perfectly in season)!

{source: how sweet it is}

BEST COBWEB CLEARER // yoga! i have horrible balance ... horrible! a yoga class requires my full attention. i mean seriously try and hold a headstand while sorting out your "to do" list. it presents the perfect opportunity to clear my mind of the frustrations/responsibilities of the day for at least an hour.

w + i finally have a night off tonight. and speaking of "to do" list ... mine it growing. hopefully i'll have something new to contribute to the world wide web tomorrow. in the meantime ...what's your "best of ..."?

{whatever wednesday} metro classes

each year i learn a little something new about nashville that makes me fall even more in love w/ it.

i'm particularly impressed w/ centennial park! in the spring, you can enjoy movies in the park every wednesday night @ sundown. july through august spend your saturday afternoons enjoying musicians' corner and stick around for swing dancing complete w/ live big band and free dance lessons. mid-august, the shakespeare festival presents romeo+ juliet thursday through sunday. and of course twice a year, i look forward to the taca craft fair.

recently i found out about classes held by metro nashville through the centennial art center. i'm pretty excited to sign up for my first pottery class (and to √ that off my 30 by 30). at only $85 for a 12 week class - it's an absolute steal!

{source: an apple a day}

live in the nashville area? then you should definitely sign up for a class too! click here to download the fall 2011 schedule.

{30 before 30} my birthday challenge

so yup ... it's my birthday! w + i are headed to grand rapids, michigan for the coast guard festival this weekend and more importantly to celebrate the recent nuptials of our friends taylor and reid. but before we go, i'm kicking off a BIG OL' challenge for the last year of my 20s ...

my 30 before 30 list:

1 // finish our wedding book!

2 // be able to do 15 of those special pushups where you hold plank and touch your knee to your shoulder in between ... pushup, right knee, pushup, left knee = 1.

3 // enter a pie into the martinsville agricultural fair pie contest.

4 // learn how to make homemade gluten free gnocchi.

5 // take a hip-hop dance class.

6 // knit my own pair of socks. and wear them!
7 // crochet flowers.

8 // take a cooking class.

9 // do an unexpected/romantic thing for wadely (at least) once a week.

10 // read a book a month from time magazine's all time 100 novels.
1 - 8/13 catcher in the rye
2 - 8/28 animal farm  
3 - atonement
4 - revolutionary road 
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

11 // go to a roller derby match.

12 // see a movie by myself.

13 // walk to work 2x a week.

14 // create and keep a budget.

15 // learn 5 christmas carols on the piano & accompany a family sing-a-long during the holidays.

16 // learn at least 1 non-christmas song on the piano.
17 // purposefully run into the "mean girl" from high school when home visiting my grandma - and ask her about her life + little girl. (this might kill me - or at least give me hives.)

18 // find an organization i’m passionate about and volunteer my time regularly.

19 // send 1 postcard/handwritten note to a different family member or friend each month.
1 - 8/13 care package to bro-in-law 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

20 // relearn to write in cursive - and become comfortable w/ my penmanship.

21 // go to a u-pick farm.

22 // host a fancy dinner party and use china!

23 // open an etsy shop.

24 // purchase and master the tajine.

25 // watch the sunrise at percy warner park.

26 // purchase & complete a coloring book.

27 // finish rosetta stone french. (this is a BIG ol' challenge!)

28 // take a pottery class through metro parks. {8/22 - enrolled!}

29 // read a book on music therapy.
30 // visit ethiopia.