Mad About

We're still mad about our red lipstick, inspired by Mad Men and the bright berry colors the ladies wear. Here we are sporting our own Red Zin from Bare Minerals. My girl Ada and I are finding the red an inspirational color for hunting a Christmas tree.

And of course, red goes wonderfully with cocktail hour in Seattle at a dark little bar/restaurant called the ZigZag.

A very very very fine house

So, at long last, some photos of our new house and and the move! October was a month of ceaseless work in anticipation of moving in.

We ripped up the carpet and re-did the floors. Notice, under the tools, the amount of paint and dirt to be removed, not to mention oodles of screws and staples. And then there were the holes that had to be replaced with new boards.

We color tested, primed, and painted!

Here's the upstairs with refinished original hardwood and fresh paint (although I just redid the yellow).

We installed our Brian-made shelves!

And we made it home!

4 by 2012!

A few steps closer from accomplishing  my 12 by 2012 goals. This week, I hope to get the downstairs painted completely, my yoga goal completed, save-the-date cards published, and a few caterers in mind. I am planning on using a 10-day pass to the gym every day this week, grade for a little while every day, and read for the pure joy of reading.

1. Blog: update and rethink blog with steps taken/initiated toward new design for the new year. Done!

2. Academics: Complete my grad. level PSU class with an A and a possible publication. Done! 

3. Painting: Finish painting the bedroom sky blue, the guest bedroom hazel green, the hallway a turquoise/teal and the downstairs a creamy latte/chocolate brown.

In progress. Yesterday I painted first coat of downstairs hallway in Divine Twilight.

4. Donate old clothes and books. Done!

5. Host a friend's Thanksgiving: Invite people over for a Thanksgiving potluck the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Done!

6. Host some thank-you dinners for friends who have been super helpful in the past month of stress and madness. Done!

7. Unpack. Done!

8. Buy a washer and dryer. Done! 

9. Buy a new phone and get set up on family plan and teacher discount. Done!

10. Take real steps for wedding planning. 

We have three houses rented and the wedding spot rented, and I've started to look at dresses. Photographer is confirmed. Need to call caterer and print and mail save-the-date cards.

11. Start taking photographs and publishing them again. In progress.

12. Go to yoga at least 7 times. In progress.

The 10 List

It's Friday. Here are ten things for which I am grateful.

1. Oh, so grateful for the fact that it's almost winter break and I have two weeks off to work out, to read, to paint my house, to decorate my house, to spend time with friends, to sleep in, etc!
2. I'm grateful that our friends got us 10-day gym passes to use over break! My lazy butt needs some exercise!
3. That I am healthy right now (even if I'm out of shape).
4. That my mom, dad, and sisters are healthy.
5. That I found two great and affordable photographers for the wedding.
6. I'm grateful for my family, all of them, even though I miss them a lot right now.
7. Grateful for our Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Hopefully I will be able to upload pictures soon.
8. Coffee. I am, every day, grateful for coffee.
9. Grateful that I have someone in my life who loves me a lot, even when I don't love myself that much.
10. I'm grateful for having such an intense, challenging, fun job that keeps me connected to kids, creativity, intellectual growth, and forces me to examine how I treat those around me--and that I always strive (though don't always succeed) to do so in a compassionate, patient manner--on a daily basis.

Wow. Some big, some small. What are you grateful for?

6 by 2012!

Setting goals on Monday, I've been finding, is a great way to focus myself for the week and hold myself accountable to what I want/need to accomplish. Knowing that I am publishing this, and writing a weekly reflection has also helped me be mindful of exactly what I can/did get done. I feel excited about being able to report that I completed one of my goals, and I purposely schedule in ways to check other goals off the list. I think that I am going to continue this Monday habit in the new year. I want my goals to reflect a variety of areas that are important in my life: academics, career, creativity, health/exercise/diet, home, and socializing (doing things for others).

This week: publish some photos, take some photos, go to yoga at least once, buy a new phone, host birthday party, look for a wedding caterer, settle on photographer.

For winter break: finish painting interior, stencil interior, settle on caterer.

1. Blog: update and rethink blog with steps taken/initiated toward new design for the new year. Done!

2. Academics: Complete my grad. level PSU class with an A and a possible publication. Done! Not sure of my grade, but the class is over.

3. Painting: Finish painting the bedroom sky blue, the guest bedroom hazel green, the hallway a turquoise/teal and the downstairs a creamy latte/chocolate brown.

In progress: finished the second coat of hazel green in the guest bedroom and finished the blue in the bedroom.

4. Donate old clothes and books. Done!

5. Host a friend's Thanksgiving: Invite people over for a Thanksgiving potluck the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. Done!

6. Host some thank-you dinners for friends who have been super helpful in the past month of stress and madness. This one has morphed a bit, but I have tried to return the karma. I am hosting a birthday party for one friend, another stayed at my house this weekend because she needed a place, and we hosted our Thanksfriending. So this one is in progress.

7. Unpack. Done!

8. Buy a washer and dryer. Done! 

9. Buy a new phone and get set up on family plan and teacher discount.

10. Take real steps for wedding planning. 

We have three houses rented and the wedding spot rented, and I've started to look at dresses. Plus, I think we found our photographer! Still need to find the caterer.

11. Start taking photographs and publishing them again. In progress.

12. Go to yoga at least 7 times. In progress: I am going for the 6th time tonight!