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Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
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12:48 pm
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| Saturday, January 1st, 2011
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5:16 pm - 2011: A wish list
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2011 came in with many hugs and kisses amongst friends last night. There isn't much for me to say about 2010 since it was a quiet year. A few ups and downs, but nothing dramatically life altering. All in all, 2010 was a year where I slowed down and tried to adjust to life at that pace. Instead of reviewing the past, I'm going to look towards 2011.
Not exactly my new years resolutions, but more of a wish list...here are some of the things I wish to happen within the next 12 months:
1. I wish to be a good student.
If all goes well, by April I would have complete half of my Masters. I will devote myself to my studies and try not to be distracted for the next 4 months.
2. I wish to be a good teacher.
There are good days and bad days at work. I need to learn to appreciate the good moments and remind myself that a bad day at work will only last as long as I want it to last. Office politics and conflicting personalities aren't fun, but it comes with any job. I'm fortunate enough to be employed, and be employed in a profession that I love.
3. I wish to be a good friend.
Wedding planning, baby making, children raising....my friends are well ahead of me in terms of life stages. I have absolutely no idea what it's like to experience any of this, but I promise to be there with a helping hand and thoughtful head. I'm so excited for all of them!!!
4. I wish to travel.
This is selfish of me, but I need to get on a plane again. With friends, a traveling companion, or alone, the travel bug in me is going crazy. One of my goals before I'm 30 is to step foot on every continent. I have 4 more years and 2 more continents before I can cross this off. My next stop (if all goes well):
EGYPT!
The best part of starting a new year is the feeling of possibilities that hangs thick in the air. May the next 364 days be as wonderful.
x-posted on inbetweenwords.wordpress.com
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| Thursday, December 30th, 2010
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5:34 pm - Free Fashion Challenge: Month 1- Surviving Boxing Day
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Free Fashion Challenge: Month One
(How I came about the Free Fashion Challenge: read it here)
It wasn't nearly as bad as I would have thought. The first three weeks of December went by easily without a single clothing, shoes, makeup purchase. Boxing Day was another story.
I ended up at a mall, and although the sales were tempting, the lineups were not. I left empty handed and felt great. However, 2 days later I fell victim. I was grocery shopping when I decided to pop my head into one particular store. Nothing caught my eye until I came across a black bandage dress with a mesh top.
It was the only damn dress in the entire store that was my size. I tried it on, and of course it looked fantastic. I reasoned that this dress will be the one I would be wearing to a wedding in February, so technically I did need a dress. *sigh* And it's not over....
As I was walking to the cash, I spotted killer Manolo Blahnik knock offs. The real bad boys would cost me $300 US.
The knock offs are much higher, made with cheaper material, but it'll only set me back $50. Oh...since it was "Boxing Week Sales", There was an additional 40% off. How could I say no?
Most people would declare month one a failure, since I did made a purchase. I'm trying to ease the guilt a little since:
a) both items are for a wedding
b) Spent under $100 in total because it was drastically reduced
Excuses are bad, I know. I'm hoping that January 2011 (month 2) will be a better one). If this is the worst thing that happens all year, then I'll live with it.
X-posted on inbetweenpages.wordpress.com
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| Thursday, December 23rd, 2010
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12:09 pm - Christmas 2010
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(Early) Merry Christmas! I'm not much of a holiday person, so my schedule around the end of December is usually filled with non-festive activities (medical/dental appointments, reading binges at the library).
Last year, I spent Christmas and New Years with a friend traveling around California. We toured the lonely streets on Christmas day, bounced from city to city from hostels to hostels. We sat on beaches and just watched the waves.
This Christmas stands in stark contrast. I am home with a cold and dealing with snow and windchill. The surprising bit? I'm enjoying this too! I have the time to slow down and actually spend quality time with my friends. The apartment is clean, days without appointments, and evenings of dinners at friends.
I don't really have much to accomplish with my vacation, aside from relaxing and enjoying my sanity until the craziness of 2011 starts. It will be a very busy year, but until then...I am going to enjoy all 8 remaining days of this one.
X-posted on inbetweenpages.wordpress.com
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| Thursday, December 9th, 2010
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4:55 pm - Free Fashion Challenge
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I'm counting myself lucky, now that I got to see David Usher twice this year. There's something about a man with shoulder length hair, and a velvety smooth voice that makes me swoon like a school girl. ♥
This was a treat to myself, and if I have it my way...this will be the last one for a little while. There has been so many books and blogs where people are subjecting themselves to personal challenges for either one month to one year. Apartment Therapy had the 20/20 Fall Cure, where 20 challenges lasted 20 minutes over 20 days. I wanted to participate, but a busy work schedule made that impossible. Still, it may be something worth visiting in the future.
I came across the Free Fashion Challenge, where 30 bloggers are to refrain from buying any kind of clothes (new or used), and accessories for a year. This gave me the idea of starting my own personal fashion challenge, with some minor adjustments to the rules.
Sharon's Free Fashion Challenge Rules:
1. NO purchase of clothing, accessories, shoes, bags and makeup for one year.
(exception: bridesmaid dress, underwear, socks)
2. Gifts (given to/by me from a third party) are allowed
Deadline: December 1, 2011
The common new year's resolution I seem to make every year:
"Spend less, Live more"
The flaw to this is that it remains too general (which is probably why I repeat the same motto every year with good intentions). This will be the year I flush out the details.
Spend less: Money spent on frivolous purchases must be curbed! I need a roof over my head, not another Coach bag. My health in tip top shape, not another fitness magazine.
Live more: The difference between a bad day and a good day is how I treat myself. With that said: friends+wine+conversation will save me. And should I choose to indulge: travel+books
I'm giddy about NOT shopping!!!
X-posted on inbetweenpages.wordpress.com
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| Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
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10:21 pm
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I am ALIVE and well @ http://inbetweenpage.wordpress.com
One of the best thing to happen now that I've taken a semester off from grad work, is now I can catch up on all my reading. Only a month into the off semester and I'm into my fourth book.
I finished reading The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Guinea Pig Diaries. The first was a cleverly written fiction, and the latter a humorous memoir. Both were quick reads, which I liked since my schedule has been insane at work. The Art of Racing in the Rain didn't quite meet my standards of preferred fiction. The ending was quite predictable by mid book. It tried to pull my heart strings, but fell short. The Guinea Pig Diaries is another type of book altogether. Quick-paced, full of useless but interesting data that even my boyfriend enjoyed it. That said, it did feel like reading the NY Times only for the headlines. There was never enough detailed description to explore beneath the stereotypical surface.
 Now, the last book that I just finished 48 hours ago is highly worth mentioning. Cathy Erway is a 20-something New Yorker who chose to not eat out for 2 years. She blogged about this along the way. Along with gaining a legion of readers, she also scored a publishing deal from Gotham Books. (She's basically living my dream life - living in NY, being a writer, having readers...etc).
It was inspiring to read. What started out as a simple means to save money turned into teaching herself and learning about sustainable living from your kitchen. Yes, by not eating out you would save money, weight and the planet. That's basically the core tenets of the books.
This is how the book changed me:
- No more breakfast of a muffin and large coffee at Tim Hortons. By making my own coffee and eating pastries from Chinatown, I will save $15 a week.
- I will attempt to cook more at home. I'm not doing this to save money or lose weight, but rather the need to learn how to feed myself.
- Be more careful about wasting food.
To start off, I'm tempted to try these recipes from the book. They seem both easy and delicious.
- Coffee and Cigarettes Ladyfinger Sandwiches
- Baked Brie with Cranberry Sauce and Crackers
- Boneless San Bei Gi with Green Beans.
Her blog is still up and running: http://noteatingoutinny.com/
As I was finishing up the last few chapters of The Art of Eating In, the library informed me that my hold for My Name is Memory by Ann Branshares was ready for pickup. I placed a hold on this in the summer, and only got it now...so this was suppose to be my guilty summer read.
Ann Branshares is probably most famous for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. I started reading the first when I went on my breaks while working at a toy store. I was hooked (in a shameless "Harry Potter is cool" kind of way.) When that series ended along with my position at the toy store, we both moved onto different things. I became a teacher and Branshares started writing adult books. The first one, The Last Summer of You and Me was a bore. It had a overly-dramatic Judy Blume feel to it. Still, loyal and willing to give her another chance, I picked up My Name is Memory.
Barely 100 page in, it's already overly romantic to a fault. But...it has me hooked. It's kind of like watching Korean dramas or eating a box of truffles. People will tease me when I try to explain it, but I don't care...I'm enjoying it!
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jadepeony's journal