For the last few years I have created myself a list of things to do before my next birthday, and as my birthday is this week I thought it might be time to update last years list and share my new list. In the past I have done them on a separate blog, but I have found myself not updating it so I am scrapping that idea and I’ll be doing the update of last years list and sharing my new list here it here from now on.
Now I realise this looks a little pathetic with it’s half finished-ness, but I see it a guide, rather than a ‘my life will end if I don’t finish it’ kind of list, so here goes. {The ones in bold have been completed – or completed enough for me to think I have done them, and there is a little description in red!}
- Make macaroons. They scare me with their complicated-ness! But one day.
- Make
new cushions for the flat. Something that says ‘me’ in the room – there isn’t
much around the flat that is me or mine. It’s very much my housemates space.
And I have seen some gorgeous Orla Keirly-esque fabric too! Done. And they’re still in use at my new house. - Run 5k. Not necessarily in a
race, but all at once. Preferably without my lungs collapsing. I have nearly done this. 4.8Km – that almost counts right? - Become
more self reliant. I have let myself rely on people this year and it’s only
lead to me being let down. If I rely on myself more I’ll only have myself
to blame when I’m let down, right…… The last few times the boy’s been to India I have found myself in a position where it is just me and even though I was let down by people cancelling and backing out of stuff, the last time he went, I have learnt from it and I am ok with this next trip – I have figured out who to rely on! - Make
an item of clothing from a pattern, from scratch. {Clearly, I won’t be making
the fabric, but you get the idea right?} So, I haven’t blogged it, mostly as I couldn’t get a decent picture, but I have done this – I made this style top but in a big print fabric and I love it. I have plans for more. - Read a book a month and
and document it here. It might work out that I have read one a month, but have I blogged it? Have I balls! - Take a TTV picture or two. This was
on the list last year but I failed. I have the camera now, thanks to Lizzy, but
I need to mod it and make it work for ttv. Nope – but the camera looks very pretty. I will do it, it’s just a case of when! - Making
a Blurb book out of my 2010 Shuttercal. Done and blogged. - And whilst I am at it – carrying on
my Shuttercal 365 for 2011. I like having a documentation of the year. This fell by the wayside about March. - Learn one new recipe a month. Be
it soup, cake, a proper dinner or a snacky snack. And this fell by the wayside about May when I moved and stopped entering IronCupcake as much! - Take a class. I fancy letter
pressing. Or a language. Or maybe the silk scarf class @vogue_ismybible saw and thinks we should attend. I went to a pottery painting class with Lianne at Mellorware and I started my Crafternoon’s. They aren’t a class, but we teach ourselves. - Go to more gigs. I went to Glasto 😉 but no more gigs.
- Vent less – I read a quote a while
ago, that I can’t quite remember totally, but it said something like ‘50% of
people don’t care about your problems and the other 50% only care because it
makes them feel better about their problems’. It made me think – they’re my
issues. I should keep them that way. Especially around the people I have a
feeling fall into that later 50%. Nope, I still moan as much. But ah, everyone does it! - Sort
out my finances. I am half there – and with my finances I’d say that counts but I doubt the boy would. - Get a tattoo – this was on last year’s
list, but since it took me a whole 27 years to decide my first one, a year to
decide the next one might be a bit much. {this might be on lists for a
while……..} Erm, still thinking. Maybe next year? - Host
a dinner party {and not serve Fajita’s or soup!} I said host, not cook. The boy and I, since getting the table have defo done this. He cooked for us all, I got drunk. - Take
part in some Blogger events – I’ve really enjoyed the ones I did in
2010 – Pin it Forwards, the Souvenir Foto
School classes and the August Break. So, I have done Pay it Forwards, August Break, Lovely Package Exchange & loved them all. - Send
little surprises to friends in the mail. Last year I made a start on this. This
year I shall continue. Who doesn’t love surprises? Done. - Go to the bit of the A625 that has collapsed. No idea why but I have a feeling it’ll be a
little ‘end of the world’ like. Nope. Although I have thought about it. - Get my knees on the way to being sorted. I saw a specialist. I have been doing exercises. I ought to go back and see a physio again.
- Swim. I love swimming and I don’t do
it enough. Nope, I haven’t even seen a pool! - To get back to the weight I got to
pre-glasto. Before I gave up on the health kick and put the weight back on. Grrrrrrrr.
I think I’d quite like to lose a stone, maybe one and a half of them. Two would
be a dream. If anything I have put on weight. Oooops. This year will be the year. - Make frozen yogurt. I love ‘fro-yo’
but Leeds seems to be all out of good places to buy it. I clearly wrote this full of hope as I added some things I’d need to my Amazon wish list. But that was the last I thought of it. - Crochet something other than a
beanie. Not that beanies aren’t useful, but I’d like to expand my skills. I’ll be honest, I don’t think I even picked up my needles this year! - Go to
the theatre. Only the once, but we went to see Othello at the Crucible. It was pretty amazing. - Get
one of my photo’s printed onto canvas. It was one of the boys pics, but I picked it, got it done and hung it so I think I can count it {plus he needs some imagery input in the house!} - Make
myself attend a Buns and Roses event. {well, hopefully more than just the
one!} Edit – this’ll have to be a Seven Hills event
now I am in Sheffield! I have joined Seven Hills. Yes I am a WI member. - Learn
more about photoshop. Enough to that I can ‘create’ rather than just get by. It’s all been self taught or from Pugly Pixel tutorials but I think I am getting better! - Picnic in the summer. We majorly failed on this one. We barely even BBQ’d let alone picnic’d. Although we did have a sports day, kind of picnic for my friend’s birthday.
- Take at least 6 roles of Holga film
{and develop them} I’ve taken 3 rolls this year, but they are still sat, un-developed, in my room.
I've never tried to make macaroons either, my friend at where I use work has been trying but she's on her fourth attempt.
Happy birthday for later this week!
Can you share how you made that great top? I really want to have a go myself, you've inspired me!
Rachael – The boyf's mum wants to make them too, so I am going to put a macaron making kit for her. I say I am going to do this, but I am swiftly running out of time.
Helen – I just followed this tutorial – sweet-verbena.blogspot.com/2011/07/simple-bow-tie-top-tutorial.html – I'd do one myself, but I didn't take any pic's as i thought it might go wrong……but that tut was super easy to follow. I am going to get some pretty blue silk {if the boy remembered next time he's in India} and make me a dress version next I think.