My Top Five [LIST] (Edit!)

So Chris and I play a little game called "Top Five" aka Freebies (or whatever, we certainly didn't invent this); essentially it is the list of celebrities that, if given the chance, you can have a fling with without any infidelity rules applied. Awesome! So here's mine:

Jesse Lacey (08/06/11)

Jason Segel (08/06/11)

Jared Leto Jeremy Renner (01/08/14)

Matthew Lewis (who fought with Jackson Rathbone for this spot) Josh Duhamel (01/18/14)

Matthew Gray Gubler (but he'd have to act like Dr. Spencer Reid LOL)  (08/06/11)

Maybe I should find more J names!
I reserve the right to update this at any time. :-D

Places to Visit :: Travel Dreams [LIST]

San Alfonso del Mar resort - Chile
(Largest Swimming Pool in the World!)

Harry Potter Studio Tours - London, UK

Wedding Checklist, Part: Tres [LIST]

W - minus 4-5 Months

• Start thinking about cultural traditions for your wedding. - I've thought about this and honestly I don't even know what this means. LOL
• View wedding invitation styles and proper wording, place the order and book a calligrapher. - I still think it is more cost efficient to D.I.Y.
• Look at photos to get ideas for wedding cake designs, and meet with bakers to taste samples. - I think this is being handled by my Momager.
• Discuss menu ideas with your catering manager. - The reception venue has a menu.
• Purchase wedding rings and send for engraving if applicable. - Oh, again.
• Look for the groom’s tux and decide what groomsmen will wear. - I'll leave this up to Chris and the men.
• Confirm your bridesmaids ordered their gowns and decide on accessories. - I have yet to decide on this.
• Have your mother and future mother-in-law coordinate and select their dresses. - I will have them do that. ;-)
• Get ideas for wedding favors. - Yay! I've done this.
• Confirm dates for bridal showers and bachelorette parties. - Guess we're not doing these. LOL
• Make sure you’ve started your registries before bridal shower invitations are sent. - Opting out of registries.
• Reserve rental equipment such as chairs, tables, linens, tents, etc. - All through reption venue?
• Research and book your rehearsal dinner location. - Reception venue?
• Get ideas for wedding hair and makeup. - This I gotta do.
• Notify any family or friends whom you would like to give readings, sing solos, serve as guest book attendant, etc. - Guest book attendant? LOL
• Interview and hire any additional management staff and babysitters if needed. - LOL
• Update wedding website. - Oh man. I'm so behind.
• Consider getting wedding insurance. - ??
• Purchase wedding shoes and start dress fittings. Bring the shoes along to your first fitting so the tailor can choose the appropriate length for your gown. - Shoes. Damn it.
• Schedule hair and makeup artists. Make a few appointments with local experts to try them out. Snap a photo at each so you can compare results. - Vegas is so not local.
• Choose your music. What should be playing when the wedding party is announced? During dinner? To kick off the dancing? Keep a running list of what you want—and do not want—played. - This I've actually started! But this "do not want" - now there's a good tip!

Wedding Checklist Part Deux

W-Minus 6-9 Months.

• Send "Save the Date" cards to alert guests of the wedding date. - Not doing any. Brides who refer to them as "STDs" make me queasy.
• Begin dress fittings for gowns and veils. Bring stockings, heels, a strapless bra, and a hair clip to each appointment. - I've done this! But I wore sweatpants, so LOL.
• Shop for bridesmaids' dresses. Allow 6 months for ordering and sizing.
• Get in shape for your wedding gown by starting an exercise routine. - Oh god.
• Get ideas for honeymoon locations and research pricing. - See, now that sounds like something I want to do. Research a vacation!
• Start looking at floral designs and interview florists for style and cost. - *Shrugs.*
• Search for menu ideas and start meeting with caterers. - Hotel reception stuff.
• Research wedding photography and interview wedding photographers/videographers. - I'm hoping this works out. Videographer?
• Get ideas for music and interview bands/DJs. - iPod playlist?
• Choose your officiant and discuss ceremony ideas. - Dad thing.
• Start thinking about all your gift registry options. - Not registering.
• Select three hotels in varying price ranges and reserve rooms for out-of-town guests. - Ceremony/Reception is at a hotel.
• Launch a wedding website. Note the date of the wedding, travel information, and accommodations. Then send the link to invitees. - ?? Maybe.
• Start composing a day-of timeline. Draw up a schedule of the event and slot in each component (the cake-cutting, the first dance).

Okay, overwhelmed again. LOL

More On Organizing [LIST]

Kitchen: "Even Emeril doesn't need 6 spatulas and 4 whisks!" 2 each, max!
          Appliances (microwave?) off the counter! Keep counters clear!

Desk: Create Zones (Bills, Stationary, Mail, Reading, etc.)
          Purge!

Books: Donate ALL that do not fit into 3 criteria:
          -Books you love.
          -Books you read regularly.
          -Books whose content cannot be found on the Internet.

Knick Knacks: "You should own nothing that is not useful, beautiful, or loved."

Photos: Keep the gems, toss the rest.
          Ex. blurry, unflattering, redundant, bad shots. Organize into broad categories rather than labeling each.

Makeup: Sort & Purge! (Older than 6 months, etc.)

Closet: Let things go. Turn hangers backwards and purge unused items in 6 months.
          "When something new comes in, let something go."
          *Shoe storage ideas: Ikea Hemnes? Trones?

Clutter: Be sure ALL ITEMS HAVE A "HOME."
         

Wedding Checklist [LIST]

Okay, here is the "Wedding Checklist" I pulled off the internet. We're at 9-12 Months Before Wedding. (Well, to be honest, we've past that time frame, but we should start from the beginning, right?)

• Announce your engagement. - No.
• Plan an engagement party, and
• Place an engagement announcement in the newspaper. - Um, no and no.
• Set a budget. - Sounds like a Dad thing to me.
• Hire a wedding planner or purchase wedding planning software. - LOL. No.
• Select a date and reserve the venue. - Extenuating circumstances deem this impossible; no.
• Start a guest list. - Ok, I've got like 17 people on the guest list. Handled! LOL
• Find an officiant. - Dad thing!
• Start a separate folder for receipts. - Um, what?
• Select your wedding party. - Maybe.
• Start shopping for your wedding gown. - Haha, no thanks!
• Attend a bridal show and note vendors. - Nah.
• Purchase a calendar to keep track of important dates and appointments. - Isn't this called an iPhone?

I'm doing pretty damn good I think...

The Happiness Project Continues...

So I've had a little bit more time with my Happiness Project. Some gems I've found are:

• Stop telling yourself to get "organized." Start actually getting rid of stuff. You don't need any new nifty organizing containers if you PURGE!
• Don't keep excessive amounts of anything. The example the author gave was: A house with 2 adults doesn't need 15 mismatched coffee cups. So I started getting rid of coffee cups I didn't want/need.
• Get rid of anything for which you have duplicates. I had two mixing bowls for cakes. I kept the one that matched my kitchen and gave the one I bought when I was first starting out in my house to my M.I.L.
• Don't mark ANYTHING as "Misc." I have been super SUPER guilty of this one. I started making specific places for things that I wanted to keep for projects and stuff, instead of placing them all in one catch-all box. Separate boxes for stamps, greeting cards, and keepsakes have gotten me a little further in actually having a place for everything before everything can be in its place. 

Things I want to do or need to get better at doing:

• Make the bed every day. Makes a big difference.
• Get rid of old clothes. When I lose weight, will I really wear my old clothes or will I want to enjoy buying new clothes?
• Eating better - "Moderator" or "Abstainer" ?
• Go to bed on time. Make an "evening ritual" i.e. Make tea, read in bed, etc.

And the major road block in my own Happiness: the Workplace. I have resigned that I simply do not like my job and would rather not go. However, at this point in my life, quitting and starting anew is not a viable (or logical) option. Is there anything I can do to make my workplace more fun?

• Gather everyone's birthday and do something monthly (cupcakes, treats) for workplace morale.

Ok, that's all I've got for now!

Shit I want to do this year. [LIST]

In no particular order
(3/22/12)

• Write a novel.
• Record videos.
• Take more pictures.
• Drop some lbs.
• Swim with some manatees.
• Have more fun/be more positive.
• Rule #32: Enjoy the little things.
• Make more art.
• RELOCATE!

In no particular order
(1/3/11)

• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Record videos.
• Take more pictures.
• Stop eating. LOSE WEIGHT.
• Have more fun/be more positive.
• Rule #32: Enjoy the little things.
• Work on my website.
• Make more art.
• Learn more songs on guitar! (1/6/11)

Will continue later.

Jobs I would rather have [LIST]

Butterfly farmer - 1/18/11
Autopsy assistant
Phlebotomist
Headphones tester
Graveyard Photographer - 3/22/12

"Crap" Restaurant Names [LIST]

• CRAPplebees


• CRAPspers (Crispers)


• aCRAPolis (Acropolis)


• CRAPabbas (Carrabbas)


• CRAP Outback


• CRAP (Moe's)

Sh!t I want to do before I DIE [LIST]:

• Go on a hot air balloon ride (8/4/11)
• Go skydiving
• Road trip the 48 contiguous states
• See the rainforest
• Go horseback riding
• See the Hawaiian volcanoes
• Learn to surf
• See the glaciers
• Visit Australia & New Zealand :-)
• See the Northern Lights (2/3/12)

More later!

10 Things You'd Probably Know About Me If You Paid Any Damn Attention At ALL:

1. I LOVE Jason Segel. I want to marry him and have his hilarious tall puppet babies.
2. I HATE talking on the phone. This may stem from working as a telemarketer and in a call center, but whatever. I'd rather communicate in person, via text, email, status message, video conference, smoke signals, sky writing, whatever.
3. I LOVE Harry Potter and I am pretty much going to bawl through this whole last movie. Pretty much.
4. I (secretly) am obsessed with Twilight and am embarrassed that it (might be) [is] (one of) my favorite movie(s). D-:
5. I'm an accidental librarian. I don't know how it happened, or if it will unhappen or whatnot. It is what it is.
6. I like pink shit. I tried to deny it for a really long time, but I like pink. It's my fave. There's nothing wrong with it.
7. When I was little, I really wanted to be blonde. My grandpa told a lot of blonde jokes, but it didn't help. As soon as I could stand the bleach, I took it to my head and went for it. I don't know if blondes have MORE fun, but they do have fun.
8. I love DIY home improvement stuff. If I had a lot of money, I would probably renovate my whole house and after enjoying it for a little while, move to a new house to renovate.
9. Sometimes I play dumb so I don't have to do shit in my free time like fix people's computers.
10. I share a birthday with Jesse Lacey, who I also LOVE.
    

When I grow up... [LIST]

What I wanted to be when I grew up.

1. Doctor
2. Fighter Jet Pilot
3. Country Music Star
4. Tap Dancer
5. Pop Star
   
6. Marine Biologist
7. Veterinarian
8. Novelist
9. Journalist
10. Stylist
11. SNL Comedian
    
12. Marine Mammal Scientist
13. Psychologist
14. Musician
    
15. Environmental Scientist
16. Sex Columnist
    
17. Graphic Artist
18. Web Designer
19. Marketing Director
20. Happy.
    

Sh!t I collect [LIST]

No seriously, I collect this shit:

• Pencils
• Postage Stamps
• Rubber Stamps
• Vinyl Records
• Band Autographs
• Nail Polish
• Snow Globes
• Bookmarks
• Sea-Creature Figurines
• Keychains
• Buttons
• Buddhas
• Wigs
  

Shit I have too many of and have consolidated into a collective group:

• Stuffed Animals
• Books
• CDs
• Clothes
• Chuck Taylors
• Purses/Hand Bags
• Cats
• Pink and/or Hello Kitty Crap
• Thumb tacks
  
• Magazines with Angelina Jolie covers
• Tools (power, or otherwise)
  

Favorite "Friends" Scenes [LIST]

• Phoebe and Chandler singing Lionel Richie's "Endless Love"
• Joey puts on all of Chandler's clothes. "Could I BE any more Chandler?"
• All flashbacks, esp. Fat Monica ones
• When Rachel finds out that Ross was going to be her prom date when she got stood up.
• When Ross buys Phoebe a bike and he is trying to persuade her to ride it.
  

Favorite Books from Childhood [LIST]

... which have shaped my "adult" life (compiled in some semblance of chronological order):

• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
• Face on the Milk Carton (Janie Johnson series) by Caroline B. Cooney
• Soulmate and Witchlight by L. J. Smith
• The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith
• Sabriel by Garth Nix
• Biting the Sun by Tanith Lee
• Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

To be cont...

Murtaugh List [LIST]

Top 7 inspired by HIMYM

I'm too old for this shit!

• Pull an all-nighter
• Eat an entire pizza in one sitting
• Hang posters on the wall without frames
  
• Get piercings
• Crash on a futon
  
• Take shots/chug beer
• Go "clubbing"
• Cut my own hair to save money (1/7/11)
  

Shit to do around the house. [LIST]

1/6/11

• Flooring (Vinyl tile/carpet)


• Cabinets


• Appliances (stove/range microwave/refrigerator)


• Finish closets


• Finish spare room ceiling


• Front/storm door


• Paint