Painting Loose & Half-Dead Succulents

I painted these little succulents about a month ago. It was quick, fast, and loose, and it's one of my favorite things I've made this year. I painted it because I wanted to remember my 1st Mother's Day Succulents I bought for myself (from Henry, of course), before they dry up and die. I should probably re-pot them instead of paint them. Maybe this weekend if I get around to it. I have to give credit to my friend Marissa L. Swinghammer for telling me how to use the dirty leftover bits of your watercolor palette to get wonderful neutrals. She's also taking Yao Cheng's Creativebug class, and I'm so impressed by what she is making. I would love to take Yao's class someday when time allows. Not now though.

I made a couple more of these this past weekend. What a fun way to play, limit your colors, and be loose. I am really into neutrals these days and think it's influenced by all the Minimalist interior spaces I'm coveting on my Pinterest boards. I'm going to take photos and add prints  & originals to my shops soon. I think people will like these.

I don't like hot press watercolor paper as much as others do. I prefer the cold press and rough press, since they soak up the paint better. I bet I would love the plate finish of hot press for gouache though, so will have to try that soon. But not now (is there a pattern here or what?)

There are so many things I want to do, but I gently remind myself that I cannot do everything, especially if I want to focus on specific things, like painting and growing my art side business (after my day job and family priorities of course). I've been thinking about this topic often, especially as I read these amazing interviews from the Carve Out Time for Art series. I will interview myself soon! But not yet.

On Unbalanced Weeks and Dealing with The Murky Area

I had a lovely but hectic weekend, and am having trouble finding my footing this week. One of my best friends was in town for one day from Overseas, and I was able to drive 2 hours to spend some much needed quality time with her. I hadn't seen or talked to her in a year, and it was so special to have a day with her, and on her birthday no less! I wouldn't have traded it for anything, especially a week where my lunches were pre-packed and the counters were clean. With my husband's work schedule during the school year, a majority of the childcare and household activities are on me. It's something that we're working on, and is the main reason why I'm always looking for a Mama Life Hack or a way to streamline my routine.

Some days I feel like there is no way to ever get ahead, especially if I'm not feeling well or we were unable to get our critical household tasks done for the week. Other weeks, I feel like I'm on the top of my game, and I'm crossing everything off of my list. Perhaps I need to focus on the murky middle area and lower some of my expectations. Or listen to Marie Kondo and finally Tidy the rest of my house and solve all my problems (ha!). I'm working on finding my way, and remembering that as my son grows older and our routines shift,  I'll need to be flexible..

I don't think I'm different than others. We always have to choose, and weigh the odds. Sometimes, I say no to things, especially if it's with an acquaintance versus a lifelong friend that I get to see once per year. Other times, I think of what Henry will enjoy most. Sometimes I think about what I need for my mental sanity to be the best mom I can be, and I know that if I spread myself too thin, I suffer.

Last night we chose to play with our neighborhood friends for Pizza Truck Tuesday, instead of grocery shopping. I think it's evident that we all won on this outing. When I look back at my weeks, I'll remember the times where we played with our friends in the late afternoon sunshine after work, and will forget that we were all tired and cranky after a work day. I'll remember commiserating with a friend whose 4 year old was so cranky, she had to leave early.

I'll remember laughing with my best friend this Sunday while Henry threw rocks in the river. I won't regret not going to the grocery store, even though this week feels unsettled chores-wise. I'll remember the crisp air and neat shops we looked at in Elicott City, MD. I'll remember laughing at memories and trying to have 4 conversations at once with your best friends since it's been so long.

I'll remember catching up with our good friends in town from NYC on Saturday, and how Henry ran over to Mike's self portraits while visiting his studio to sit near Daddy. I'll remember playing with a soccer ball and having an impromptu picnic in Rittenhouse Square, like we did when we all moved to Philly in 2004 with our friend Coco.

We'll order the groceries online, maybe just this week. I'll settle into the murky middle parts of my weekly routines, and try to view it on a monthly basis as a whole, instead of week by week. And I'll be gentle with to myself, just like a wise friend told me to do when I was a new Mama. There are only so many hours, and only so many hours with a sweet little boy, who will grow up way too fast, as everyone tells me. But not today. Today, he is two.

Routine into Rituals (Or How I Live Out my 1800s Medicine Woman Fantasy)

Last October, every part of my life was feeling hectic, and I wanted to find ways to streamline my routine so that I didn’t dread the daily tasks that will never go away. I felt like I had to accomplish 30 things just to leave the house to go to work, and frankly, I had hit a wall. My version of Minimalism includes living with intention, creating a ritual out of a routine, and removing extraneous choices when possible. I decided that if I could find a way to enjoy (or at least not abhor) the daily tasks (putting on makeup for work, making our lunches, washing the never-ending supply of sippy cups for daycare, etc), I wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed.

I am a huge fan of Joanna Goddard, and particularly love the Beauty Uniform series on A Cup of Jo. The feature with Holiday Kumar inspired me to buy the book Absolute Beauty by Pratima Raichur. It’s a book on skincare based on Ayurvedic principles, and you use ingredients that you would eat to clean, nourish, and moisturize your skin. The idea of creating skincare concoctions spoke to the part of myself that wants to be a medicine women in the 1800s, and I found myself excitedly purchasing ingredients and essential oils at a health food store in Bloomington, Indiana while visiting my in-laws over Christmas.

After reading the book and determining my skin type, I have been washing my face with a mix of almond flour, dry milk, and a pinch of sugar ever since. I put sesame oil with drops of essential oils on to moisturize, and it has made the daily task of washing my face into a ritual that I enjoy. Although I have not incorporated all of the book’s techniques into my life, I have benefited from this small step. It makes washing my face feel like a fun experiment instead of a chore. Plus, my skin feels fantastic.

Last year, on a mama brunch & shopping date with my friend, Olivia, I also bought new makeup so I could get ready for work and not have to think about what to use. I work in a corporate office, and feel best when my makeup looks natural but polished. I love Nars and MAC cosmetics, and think that they last forever .

For choosing what to wear, editing my wardrobe and doing Un-Fancy's Capsule Wardrobes have been so helpful. I know that everything hung up currently fits and is something that I would like to wear.

When I wash the dishes, I do two things. If I painted my nails or my skin is dry, I put some olive oil on my hands and slip on dish gloves before washing the dishes. I also started bringing my iPad in the kitchen to watch funny 30 minute shows that don't require a lot of attention, like Blackish, Fresh Off the Boat, and Last Man Alive. It's a fun distraction and helps me enjoy the time while I get the dishes done and our lunches packed for the next day.

About 5 months into these changes, I'm feeling much better and think I have a handle on our daily routine. I know that things will shift and you have to be flexible, but the important thing is my mindset has changed.

P.S. As a former makeup junkie, you know that I had to draw all of my daily products, right?!

Barnes Foundation + Lights

The Barnes Foundation is a museum in Philadelphia with a controversial history and an amazing personal collection of post-impressionism and early modern art. Think Cezanne, Matisse, Gauguin, Manet, Modigliani, etc. Part of the controversy is that it just moved from a residential location in the suburbs of Philadelphia, to the Ben Franklin Parkway where it's adjacent to our other museums. Albert C. Barnes, the owner of this private collection did not want it to be moved. However, 100 years later, I felt that the intention of keeping it in the residential neighborhood hindered many people from being able to see the collection. Advance reservations months ahead were needed, parking reservations, and hoops to jump through based on zoning regulations for this residential area. Last week I attended the LEED Platinum Award Ceremony for the newly constructed Barnes Foundation through the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. It was a great excuse to mingle with volunteer colleagues, say goodbye as I'm stepping down this month, and see the new space.

Riding my bike past it for the past couple of years on my way to work, it didn't seem like construction would ever be done. But here we are, and the museum is beautiful. It's pretty modern, but the collection inside was laid out exactly like the original museum which was a good compromise to Barnes' wishes.

The part that irks me about the layout though, is that it's hung gallery style, which although looks great, can be overwhelming when there are tons of things you want to look at. My favorites are some of his Vouillard and Matisse paintings. However, there are seriously 3 of my favorite paintings there that are literally hung 8 feet in the air above the doorway. You can barely see them. I guess I'll have to purchase the museum collection book someday. Or continue to wish that they'd switch it back and forth from gallery style to museum style semi-annually! No dice...

Also on the Parkway, recently Mike and I attended the inaugural event of the Open Air, which is an interactive light installation that allows users to change the light patterns with their voice. There is an app people can download and the lights will move to the tone of your message, poem, vent, etc. I did not download the app, but some sweet older ladies asked for my help when I was waiting for the bus. I thought they needed help with the bus schedule, and they assumed I was a pro with the fancy app. We laughed and parted ways after I wished them luck.

It's funny that on opening night, the results were downright disappointing due to clouds. I'm glad that it's much more impressive now due to some crappy weather! People are enjoying it and participating, which is what matters.

Making Friends in Adulthood

Many of my friends have expressed how hard it is to make good friends in their twenties and thirties. I agree that it can feel as awkward as dating at first! Unless, there is  an activity. Honestly, I think that activities are the secret to making friends at any time in your life. You all have the excuse of being there to mingle, whether it's a volunteer group, kickball league, pub trivia teams or my favorites: book club and knitting group. I've definitely mentioned my lifelong friends made over the years thanks to Wednesday night knitting circle at Rosie's Yarn Cellar.

Weekly pub quiz (or Quizzo) in Philly for years introduced us to a wonderful group of men and women, and where I met my delightful Arch-Nemesis.

As a volunteer co-chair for the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, I made great professional connections, but realized that no matter what age, people usually bond post-meeting by eating, drinking beer and cracking jokes.  They can hold their liquor and  still speak quite intelligently on sustainability, energy grids, local government and policy.

So what does this have to do with crabs? Particularly Maryland Bay Seasoned Blue Crabs?

Last year, through friends of a friend, I added another wonderful group to my Philadelphia network, the Book-It Girls. A friend started a book club, and even though all of them don't enjoy reading as much as others of us, it has become a long-lasting and tight-knit group. What a welcome surprise as I entered my 33rd year. I'm actually one of the older ladies in this group, so it's nice to have younger group of friends, especially as many of my friends are having babies, moving away, etc. (I realize the irony of this now that I am having a baby...)

The members of our book club attended a Bridal Shower / Bachelorette Weekend in Annapolis, Maryland this weekend to celebrate our founder's upcoming wedding. We attended a laid back shower in an open barn with gorgeous weather. One of the girls even brought along her 2 month old twins and husband.

After the shower, we went to an All-You-Can-Eat Crab dinner, then dancing and drinking (excluding me!) past midnight. It was a blast, and my baby bump and I enjoyed breaking it down on the dance floor while I'm still feeling good!

It may sound sappy, but it makes me so happy to have amazing friends in my life, and still be meeting new ones unexpectedly over the years. Not being from Philadelphia, we had to create a new network almost from scratch. After 8 years, we're still meeting new people, and seeing how intertwined all of our groups of friends are. Knitting overlaps with Sustainability and Book Club, etc.. until they're all just friends.

The Book Club girls have become the kind that you feel comfortable to talk about anything with, to have slumber parties in hotels, and to go buck wild on an epic breakfast on the road trip home after your abs hurt from laughing 24 hours straight.

Lesson learned: when moving or looking for new friends, join a club! Good times.

Treat Yo' Self...Necklaces, Salads, Fine Leather Goods

Tonight is the revealing of Open Air, a 3-D Light Installation art project on Philly's Ben Franklin Parkway. There will be live music, food trucks, and a light show visible from 10 miles away. It should be fun! I'm even skipping the première f my favorite show, Parks and Recreation! However, I have a firm rule that TV should never take precedent over real life! I got into Parks and Rec a couple of seasons ago, and it is in my opinion, the funniest show on TV currently. The writing is hysterical, the entire cast so strong, and the humor is quirky but also broad-reaching. The "Treat Yo Self" clip below is one of my favorites.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsABTmT1_M0]

Speaking of treating yo' self, I did last month! When one of my favorite internet friends, Suzy, posted some beautiful new necklaces in her shop, I jumped to get this lapis one below. I've been wanting some longer necklaces to wear, and this one is perfect for me.

I also treated myself to what I consider the best Fall Salad in pretty much the history of the world (without exaggerating too much).

It's the Grove salad from Andrew Swallow's lovely book, Mixt. It has greens, honeycrisp apples, Asian pears, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese (I like that better than blue cheese), spiced candied walnuts and a champagne vinaigrette. I find that whenever I make and eat this salad, I stop every 3 bites to exclaim, "My God, this is the most amazing salad E-V-E-R!". My converts who I hoist this salad on agree wholeheartedly, or perhaps know that I'll un-friend them if they disagree!

Julia Child's Mushroom Quiché with the salad is pretty extraordinary as well. Quiché has become my soup of the warmer months. It also makes an amazing leftover or work lunch.

P.S. Thank you so much for your sweet comments about our news! It means so much to me.

Indiana Art Show

Exactly ten years ago, I drove back to Indiana University to finish college after a summer interior design internship in Las Vegas. When I returned to my college job as a salesperson at Pygmalion's, (which is the most wonderful independent art store), I had no idea that I'd meet the guy I'd end up sharing my life with. Mike thought I was a customer, and me being a typical smart alec, quickly put him in his place. We became good friends, but he was not my type. You know how ridiculous 23 year old girls can be with who they think they like. I very quickly realized that cute, intelligent and sweet guys should really become my type, and before he knew it, he was stuck with me! (I kid).

We have kept in close touch with the art store owners, and our fellow coworkers, nicknamed "Pygs" who are scattered all over the country. This art store had the most creative, friendly, knowledgeable, and cool people as employees and customers. We knew our technical information, and loved learning about new techniques and supplies. We ranged from sculptors to painters to designers to paper artists. It was a gold starred time in my life. I learned to garden from the owner, Jane, by tending to the plants out front of the store when it was too nice to be cooped up inside. We learned to make books completely by hand from Sandra, another beloved employee. I became serious about my lifelong love with artist grade watercolors. We got to make robot costumes out of old boxes, handmade signs (see one of Mike's below), and play with the store cats, Matisse and Cassatt.

Well, this year, with a lot of hard work from present and former owners and employees, and sponsorship from the John Waldron Arts Center, Pygmalion's is having a 40 year anniversary art show featuring the works of their talented employees. The opening is tomorrow, August 3rd. I'm so disappointed that Mike and I were not able to be there for the opening and reunion barbeque, but instead we both sent a piece to be included in the show.

The beautiful still life on the left is one of my favorite's of Mike's paintings. I sent a cut paper and gouache collage I made during my color study project.

This piece makes me happy, and makes me remember smiling while riding my bike home on a gray day and seeing pops of this cheerful hue everywhere.

Perfect piece to represent a gold starred time in my life for sure.

Ice Cream Friday

During one particularly uncertain summer at work, I made membership cards for an Ice Cream Social Club to lighten things up. Anyone could join the club, as long as you vowed to eat one type of frozen treat each Friday from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We called it Ice Cream Friday: A Summer Social Event for all 50 States. A super obvious moniker combined with a ridiculously long and slightly Southern inspired tagline.

Without further ado, I invite you all to partake in as much ice cream or any other frozen treat this summer. Unfortunately, the membership cards are long gone (and they were laminated too!), but I drew up the instructions below.

Rules: Eat something cold once per week, preferably on Friday. That's it. Anything counts!

This year's inaugural cone was a decadent peach scoop in a sugar cone at Philly's Franklin Fountain. It was so delicious, I urged a few people in line to follow my lead on that selection.

Maybe I'll even try out my ice cream attachment to my stand mixer this year. I'll add that to my summer to-do list.

Killer Plants

Until I can have an outdoor space for a small garden, my window herb garden is making me happy. This past April, I attended a free window box session at City Planter with Olivia. If you're in the market for a wide variety of window boxes, definitely check them out. Since I rent, I didn't want to invest in anything permanent, so instead purchased a Wooly Pocket. It can be hung inside or outside, and I secured it to a railing with zip ties. It couldn't be easier. For once, my basil is thriving! I'm usually so talented at killing herbs.

I also planted a few bulbs that I treated myself to at the Philadelphia Flower Show this year. The "beanstalk" is growing at an alarming rate. As in, 6 inches if you turn your head. 12 inches overnight. Every morning I take a peek, and it's even bigger now!

It may turn evil and kill me. Or I may be able to climb it to escape giants. I'm hoping for an option three, that it will turn into one of the pretty blooms as shown below at the flower show!

The Long Haul is Over

The events have been planned, the trips are done, my to-do list has been trashed. As you can see, my self induced stress levels have reached an all time low! Summer is here in Philadelphia, disregarding the flannel needed for the work picnic last week.

My twice weekly Spanish classes ended, which I'll miss greatly. However, I'm looking forward to practicing a lot, in order to improve my conversational fluency, reading and listening skills. I ordered some Spanish workbooks, and will watch a lot of Javier Bardem and Gael Garcia Bernal movies for pure educational purposes!

I was able to visit Ohio and Indiana for an impromptu trip to see my brother-in-law defend his thesis on Jazz in the 1910s and 1020s in relation to migration and social activism. Pretty fascinating and I was so very proud of him. This trip coincided with one of my best friend's birthdays, so it was a reunion of all types!

Besides work, my committee, and the upcoming fiasco of having to either rent a U-haul or walk Mike's eight feet by six feet painting 0.8 miles home from a show, I feel like I'm on vacation!

So what's on the list for this summer? I'm thinking ice cream. I'm thinking kayaking. Finally walking over the Ben Franklin Bridge. Painting. Helping my dad with his new blogging endeavor! Street festivals with friends. Holding new babies belonging to my friends. Fancy cocktails with elderflower liquor. Farmers marketeering. A return to Quizzo. And lots of bike riding!

What about you? Summer activities I need to add to my list?

P.S. I got to cross off #23 Participate in some type of race, triathlon, soapbox derby, or Tough Mudder once. Participated in the 4 mile Out and Back Party Run April 2012!

Life List (102 Things)

After seeing Erin Loechner's Life List on Design for Mankind last year, I decided to officially do mine. As in, scheme up new ideas and collect the tidbits in random journals over the years into one spot. It really got me thinking of all the things I'd love to do throughout my life. Even if I don't do all of them, just putting those thoughts and fun hopes out into the universe is something in itself. (This excludes owning a headdress though one day! I'm totally going  to make that and Viking helmut ownership happen.) It's like playing the lottery, most of the fun is talking about what you'll do with the earnings with your coworkers.

Life can be short. You never know what will happen, good or bad. Your loved ones may be gone tomorrow. My philosophy (at this moment in my life) is to be genuine, have fun, make sure that I'm a good to my loved ones and strangers, and to take chances! (I'm talking to you, my new favorite hot pink MAC lipstick).

Without further ado, here is my own 100 things, now 102 Things because I kept dreaming.

1. Drive cross-country with Mike round trip.
2. Skydive. Skydive a second time if Mom and Mike let me!
3. Have children.
4. Become fluent enough in Spanish enough to understand and hold a conversation with someone.
5. Do an immersion program in a Spanish-speaking country.
6. Attend a surf camp in Costa Rica.
7. Make a soufflé.
8. Buy a house. Refurbish a house. Own a washer and dryer!
9. Illustrate a cookbook.
10. Sell illustration prints and originals in an online shop.
11. Rock climb outdoors.
12. Shoot a shotgun. Shoot a Glock. Shoot an arrow.
13. Read Don Quixote, one of my brother’s favorite books.
14. Paint a self-portrait.
15. Catch a fish and eat it.
16. Go on a hot air balloon ride with a loved one.
17. Walk across the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge while I live on the East Coast.
18. Live abroad for a season, a summer or a year.
19. Bake an exquisite French baguette!
20. Leave an unexpected $100 tip for a well deserving waiter or waitress one day.
21. Be one of those people who reads the newspaper daily.
22. Mentor a young person. Be a mentee!
23. Participate in some type of race, triathlon, soapbox derby, or Tough Mudder once.
24. Make meditation a part of my life.
25. Eat breakfast at my house before work, and stop rushing every day.
26. Ice skating in Central Park.
27. Learn to finally ollie on a skateboard.
28. Teach my future kid to walk on stilts and go on a pogo stick.
29. Rent a convertible and drive up the PCH from LA to Seattle.
30. Have a garden and grow vegetables.
31. Live near my parents again for some time. Live near Mike’s family.
32. Fulfill my promise to my cousin Cara to take her on a trip when she turned 21. Key West, 2009.
33. Be in a skit, preferably for a ridiculous fake commercial for an “As Seen On TV” type of product.
34. Have a monthly advice column à la Dear Prudence.
35. Visit Yosemite National Park and the Redwood Forest.
36. Visit the Badlands / Black Hills in South Dakota.
37. Visit Niagara Falls.
38. Go into a zero gravity chamber.
39. Visit Singapore and my family in the Philippines again.
40. Visit Watkins Glen State Park, NY.
41. Ride horses in Wyoming.
42. Kayak at sunrise.
43. Camp out in Pennyslvania’s own dark sky park Cherry Springs State Park.
44. Go white water rafting and tubing.
45. Build a giant, larger than life, two room indoor fort with some of my favorite kids.
46. Scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef.
47. Re-upholster a sofa by hand, and then have to leave it in Indiana since it wouldn’t fit in the moving truck. Build a day bed from scratch with Mike. Build a headboard. Take an upholstery class.
48. Write a book (besides the “chapter book” in your pink Lisa Frank notebook you write in fifth grade). Children’s book or otherwise.
49. Attend a lantern festival and release one.
50. Take a tap dancing and / or a ballet class.
51. Own an in ground trampoline one day to relive my youth.
52. Visit the Gadds in Sweden for at least 3 weeks, and Copenhagen to see the Hansens.
53. Go whale watching.
54. Find a reason to own a Native American headdress.
55. Be in a parade and wear an amazingly tacky outfit.
56. Continue my love of hats and start an official collection.
57. Try out for a TV show. Try out again and compete in The Amazing Race with Helena and try not to cry too much or get dysentery on national television.
58. Travel to Hawaii with my mom and see where she, Aunt Marty and Larry went to college.
59. Road trip with my mom in California. Road trip with mom from Vegas to Indiana. 2002 complete with speeding ticket!
60. Win $1000 and walk away on Roulette with my brother-in-law Todd and Amaretto Sours.
61. Be a fun and crazy aunt for my nephews and nieces.
62. Go on trips with my best friends.
63. Have a Huber side family reunion vacation in a huge rental house where nobody will get arrested.
64. Ride the Trans-Siberian Rail Journey: Beijing to Moscow (thanks, Bonnie!)
65. Bungee jumping.
66. Helicopter ride.
67. Visit Old Holland Paint Factory.
68. See the Northern Lights or the Southern Lights.
69. Visit the Grand Canyon.
70. Start Ice Cream Friday for 2012, create punch cards and make a Flickr group for posting pictures.
71. Meet some of my blog friends in person, Susan and Shona especially!
72. Read the biographies of Julia Childs, Benjamin Franklin, Ghandi and John Adams.
73. Create fabric patterns and sell them. Silkscreen and print on fabric!
74. Start a scholarship. Mom and Dad started a memorial fund for Andrew in 2005 through Broward Education Foundation.  Donate money to Andrew’s Scholarship fund regularly when I am able to.
75. Finish knitting my Demi Sweater!
76. Host a Thanksgiving and learn to make Aunt Marty’s famous rolls.
77. Interview my parents. Get their life stories. Type it out and bind it.
78. Track down the family trees on my American and Filipino sides. Work with my cousins and relatives on this.
79. Make sure my mom and dad know exactly how much I love them. Without one ounce of doubt.
80. Pull my future kids out of school one day for a personal holiday. Establish a personal holiday for myself – an annual day where I can do whatever I damn well please! Encourage Mike to have his own too.
81. Convince Daniel and Sandra to send Norah to live with us one summer in America! Send mine to live with them in Sweden.
82. Host an exchange student.
83. Foster a child.
84. Have five dogs in my lifetime.
85. Wake up in the middle of the night to watch a lunar eclipse like my mom did when we were kids.
86. Watch a meteor shower and have a night picnic.
87. Ride on the top of an elevator à la John McLain in Die Hard.
88. Rapell off the side of a building or something else really high.
89. Volunteer for an organization and make a tangible difference in the daily lives of others. (Heifer, Kiva, mentoring, etc).
90. Embroider a portrait of Ron Effing Swanson.
91. Buy myself a pretty topaz ring, my November birthstone.
92. Create a signature cocktail.
93. Have a wood-shop and make sure I can use every tool we own.
94. Take Mike back to Italy for a summer in his beloved Florence.
95. Invest in a restaurant or business that I believe in. Work the front counter.
96. Purchase a real wood croquet set and use it often in my backyard. Re-initiate the college rules of drink in one hand and personal calls of triumph when one scores.
97. Finally use the beautiful panel Mike made for me to paint a still life.
98. Take some culinary classes or pastry / bread baking classes.
99. Take a dip in natural springs.
100. Work as a residential interior designer one day.
101. Try to do something every week (let’s be realistic here) that scares me, that makes me a better person, and that is just plain ridiculous or fun.
102. Have a pomegranate and fig tree one day. And grapefruit tree. You know, since all of those places surely grow in the same climate…

P.S. I'm reminding three people who commented before to get their own lists together now! Jenny, Julie and Jamie!