30 Before 30 Progress

6. Journal for 30 days.

I thought this was going to be an easy thing to cross off my list but it wasn't. In February, Beezy bought me a journal. He knew that this was one of the things on my 30 Before 30 list and it was also one of my Valentines Day presents. Yes, I have this blog but it's also available for anyone to see and read. Strangers can stumble upon it, ex friends, co-workers etc. I may post about my life to the interwebs but there is just some things that I want to talk about but never on the blog. Having a journal is a place that I can do that in.

 

I started writing in my journal on February 12, 2014 and finished on April 27, 2014. I did 30 days over that time period. In that time, I also visited San Francisco, Napa and Puerto Rico. I was a little busy but I was able to get 30 days in. I plan on continuing to write in it whenever the urge hits me. I love this journal and I love  being able to write down everything that I've done during the day. What I'm thinking about and the things that I'm hoping for and dreaming about. As for the journal itself, I love the strap that let's me hold it all together. I'm really glad Beezy got it for me... good choice!

So there you have it another thing off my list.

Maybe once I fill this journal up, I'll start another one. For right now this one will be just fine.

Christmas Cards 2013

I love sending and receiving real mail. There's nothing better than going to your mailbox and finding real letters, cards and packages. No one jumps for glee when they receive a bill. Naturally I send out Christmas cards every year. However this year I did something a little different and had three different designs. I couldn't decide on just one.

The first design was this one...

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is one of my favorite Christmas movies. When I saw this card, I knew I had to get them and send them out. I only wish the inside could have been the speech that Clark gives ones he receives his "bonus". Who wouldn't want that delightful message?!

The second card...

My second card was Elf! I love this Christmas movie and think it's cute. It has so many quotable moments. The outside of the card said, Smiling's My Favorite. The inside of the card said, Because I see you! Merry Christmas! Now if it would have only asked you, "What's your favorite color?"

My third card was a personalized one...

This was the first year that I had done a personalized one. I always see year after year my friends send out their family cards so I decided to do my own! The back featured a personalized message. I mainly sent these to family and a few closer friends. I got these from Shutterfly and I thought they did a great job with the printing. They also came really quickly once I ordered them.

If I sent you a Christmas card this year, I hope you enjoyed it!
PS: Don't forget to enter my Amazon gift card giveaway!

30 Before 30 Progress

#8- Write letters to the people who mean the most to me.

I can cross this one off my list. On Friday, August 30th I sat down and wrote letters to people who mean the most to me. While I'm not going to share the contents of these letters, I will tell you that I sent them to my mother and my two best friends: Kristin and Erica. I've known them both for at least ten years. We went to college together, we were in the same sorority together and we've got years and years of memories. They aren't just friends, they are family.
Letter writing in this day and age has became a lost art. I make it a point to send out cards multiple times a year. This gave me a great excuse to put pen to paper and write real letters to some people who mean the most to me.

Number 8 is complete.

Mail Call!

I love getting mail! 

Not the bills but real, snail mail. Nothing brightens my day more than to get a letter or a card from someone in the mail. If you remember this post , then you know that this year I have sent out cards to family and friends/bloggers all year long. It originally started with Christmas cards then it continued on with Valentines Day, Saint Patrick's Day and Easter. After Easter I didn't know if they'd continue until later in the year but I decided to get a little creative and send out a Memorial Day/Summer card wishing everyone a great summer.

Then I moved across the country in August and sent out a Just Moved card. 

Now that Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas is upon us, the cards will be going out again. There's just one little thing... a lot of the people that I've sent cards to over the year have sent me texts, emails, a card or something to let me know that their enjoying them. I appreciate that, it lets me know that they got it and that I'm not wasting my time and money on something that I'm hoping gives them a smile in their day. Soooo....

If you have received a card from me this year and would like to continue getting them can you let me know? Also if you haven't received any this year and want to then let me know and I'll add you to my mailing list of happy mail goodness! Leave a comment or shoot me an email and I'll get your address and add you to the list! During the move, I misplaced a few addresses so if you happen to hear from me asking for your address, then you know why! It really is fun to get snail mail! 

I'm single handedly keeping the United States Post Office in business. 

Dear So & So: The Bad Service Edition

Dear Comcast, 

I love how I turn on my television and my screen has turned black and white and the only channel that comes on every channel is now QVC. Then finally the next day when you say it's fixed and I go to turn it on... it's nothing but a blue screen. Not cool. Then you tell me you're going to show up from 9:00 am- 11:00am and then never show up. So now I've went numerous days during prime fall television without CABLE! 

Screw you CSR Wayne, unplugging the box and counting to 20 did not work. 

Dear Bob Evans Restaurant, 

I was hungry. No, let me rephrase that, I was famished. When I called in that Carry Out order that meant that I was ready for it to be done when I got there so I could take it home and dig in. I loved standing around waiting for food while complete strangers gawked at me. Then when I finally did get my order and made it back home, I was shocked to find that the bacon was raw. As in left it on the grill for maybe 20 seconds to make it feel luke warm. The potatoes were sill raw and the pancakes were burnt..... black. 

Exhibit A & B

I Will be thinking twice before going there again

Dear Target,

Stock your Missoni collection again. You should have known that fashionistas would invade the store. Too bad many of them just bought clothes to sell on ebay for enormous prices. 

Bitter. 

Dear DMV,

When going to get your car inspected for a new inspection sticker it is important to have your registration. I gave you my money, now give me my registration. It's been 5 business days and I'm still not seeing that slip of paper in the mail. Wonder how well it would go over if that's what I said about a payment you were wanting. Oh you'll see it in 5 business days from now. 

Don't pull me over because of my inspection sticker

Friday Confessional

I confess... this is the first time I'm participating in Friday confessions and I'm doing it because I have a lot to spill.

I confess... I've been seeing a guy for a few weeks and I like him. Is this a bad thing you ask? Well I'm moving 2,500 miles away so make your own decision on that one. 

I confess... I got a Borders gift card for my Birthday and couldn't wait to spend it. I bought Bethenny Frankel's A Place of Yes and the new Charlaine Harris book, Dead Reckoning. 

I can't wait to read Bethenny's book. I love her and I watch her show anytime I see it's on. I even want to find a bottle of her Skinny Girl but no where around here has had it! 

I confess... I'm thinking of ordering HBO just so I can get True Blood Season 4 on Sunday. 

I confess... I'm behind on reading a commenting but I swear I'll catch up in the next few days! 

I confess... I'm going out of town again this weekend for my friend's Birthday. We're suppose to be going to the Beach Water park in Cincinnati but it's suppose to rain. If it does we'll be heading to the Aquarium, which I love! 

Dear So & So: The Obsessed Edition

Dear Beef Jerky, 

I am obsessed with you. I had never tried any kind of beef jerky till about 2 weeks ago and since then I have become your #1 fan. I am especially fond of the Jack Link's Teriyaki flavor. In fact, I may have admit that I ate two bags in two days. Must get more...

Dear Dexter, 

I am obsessed with you. I had been hearing great things about you for a few television seasons. This past weekend, I purchased seasons 1 & 2 on dvd and finished season 1 in two days. You are awesome! You're a killer and I actually want you to not get caught. Can't wait to see what keeps happening! Keep those blades sharp.

Dear American Idol,

You surprised me this season. I thought with the new judges and the same ol' rules that you'd be just another snooze fest. Then something happened and you found a few great singers and performers! I'm loving every Wednesday and Thursday. I even text in my votes. Now if only the tweens would quit voting for who they think is cute instead of who can actually sing. Crossing my fingers for James.

Dear Forever 21, 

I am obsessed with searching on your website! At work, at home, in the morning, in the evening, I'm all over that site drooling at the cute dresses and fun tops. The accessories are fabulous and so inexpensive! I wish I had tons of money. I would shop till I drop. Come on down!

The Good, Bad & Ugly

The Ugly...

Have you seen the weather lately? I don't know about where you live but it's been balls freezing cold every single day here for as far as my over worked mind can now remember. Winter started way too early and now it feels like it's never going to go away. I'm also extremely over snow. It can stop now.

The Bad...

I have become addicted to shopping for cute jewelry on ebay. I can't help it. I find so many cute rings and bracelets. I like them so much I don't even want to share my links to them haha! However I will show off a cute bracelet I found...

It's cute, right? Sadly, even though I'm addicted to jewelry on ebay, I've curbed my spending and just follow the auctions drooling over the items till they end. 

The Good...

My savings plan and get out of debt plan for 2011 has started off on the right foot! I've been able to meet all of my goals for the month of January. I've also chipped away at my book reading goal (50 for the year) and have finished 3 books and currently started reading my 4th. Now if only I can keep this up for the rest of the year! 

Dear Santa

Santa, I'm really hoping you can bring me all my wishes and dreams this year. I feel I've been a nice girl for the last   day or two 11 months. I know there's been times when I've been naughty but who hasn't been? And isn't that what karma is for? I feel the karma takes care of the bad decisions and poor judgement skills. So basically I feel there's always room on the nice list. Go ahead Santa, put me on the nice list... pretty please? I don't ask for much. 

I'd like to get a few materialist things but I'd really love to spend the day with my family, eat some good food and have friends reach out to me. Because in the end, I could be dirt poor and have nothing but still want for family and friends to show me they care. Lately, I've been struggling with that and I feel like I need it more than ever. It's never fun to feel forgotten, unwanted or unneeded. 

So Santa, if you could can you come through for me? Thanks. I'll work on being nice more of the year. 

Shh.. It's a secret!

I've had this blog since 2008. I'm sure many of you know (if you've followed for awhile) or have heard this story before but I started blogging near the end of 2008. In the beginnings of this blog, I was completely anonymous. Obviously, not so much anymore. I'm fairly sure that anyone could figure out who I am, where I live, where I work etc and I'm basically ok with that. However, I do keep a few things private (ie, my love life). If you hadn't noticed... I barely if rarely talk about it here. Maybe one day I will. 

Anyways so where is this going? When I first started blogging I didn't go out and scream it from the hills. Only a handful of people knew. I mean it's not like the first thing you're going to do when you see people is say, "Oh guess what I'm blogging now, go visit my blog!" No. At least that's not how it happened for me. After a few months, I started slowly letting my close friends know that I was blogging. A few of them are actually now bloggers themselves. Over time I've started letting more and more people in my real life know about my blog. It's a part of who I am, why would I not? But maybe that's just me.

So... the question is, Do people in your real life know that you blog? Or have you kept it a secret and if so why?

The Art of Letter Writing

Let's face it, writing a letter has become a dying art. In today's technology we've progressed past the point of taking pen to paper. We have texting, e-mails and instant messaging, even when it comes to paying our bills we can pay them without ever having to look for a pen. 

In my opinion this is sad. 

I love getting mail and I love getting e-mails...don't get me wrong. But I just think it means so much more when someone sits down and takes a pen to paper. Maybe it's because it makes me think of another world. It makes me feel like I'm apart of history (think Pride & Prejudice). I just love the idea of it. I love that someone has to take time out of their day to sit and think about what they want to say. There's no backspace, there's no spell check. It's just you, the paper and the pen. It's such an amazing way to communicate feelings.

I've always said it and I'll say it again, someone could never buy me a gift ever if they just gave me a heartfelt letter in it's place. 

So I leave you with this:

Henry IV to Gabrielle d'Estrees From the battle field before Dreux

June 16, 1593  I have waited patiently for one whole day without news of you; I have been counting the time and that's what it must be. But a second day--I can see no reason for it, unless my servants have grown lazy or been captured by the enemy, for I dare not put the blame on you, my beautiful angel: I am too confident of your affection--which is certainly due to me, for my love was never greater, nor my desire more urgent; that is why I repeat this refrain in all my letters: come, come, come, my dear love.  Honor with your presence the man who, if only he were free, would go a thousand miles to throw himself at your feet and never move from there. As for what is happening here, we have drained the water from the moat, but our cannons are not going to be in place until Friday when, God willing, I will dine in town.  The day after you reach Mantes, my sister will arrive at Anet, where I will have the pleasure of seeing you every day. I am sending you a bouquet of orange blossom that I have just received. I kiss the hands of the Vicomtess if she is there, and of my good friend, and as for you, my dear love, I kiss your feet a million times.