2013 Resolutions

1. Leave the country at least once. Iceland? Germany? At least Canada, right? That's totally plausible.
2. Get my motorcycle license. Take the class at PennDot and get certified to ride.
3. Learn to use my SLR camera better. It's such a beautiful piece of equipment (and so expensive!) that i rarely pull it out for fear of messing it up. but it takes amazing photos and there are so many pretty things in my life! i'm pulling this thing out more frequently, becoming more comfortable with it, and learning how this sucker works.
4. Interview my family. Video interviews with at least my immediate family so I have a little time capsule of who they are at this point in their lives.
5. Compile a writing portfolio. (2 spec scripts, 1 original pilot) If you're going to call yourself a writer you should probably write something to back it up.
6. Build at least 2 puppets. This has been on my list for a long time. I have the supplies I just have to nut up and do it.
7. Learn a little German. Maybe even buy Roestta Stone? The dream would be learning german then renting an apartment in Berlin for a week. That would be two resolutions in one go!
8. Make more videos. Generate content! 
9. Make one new recipe a week. Girl, you have enough cookbooks/pins/old Rachael Ray magazines. About time you worked through them. 
10. Read 20 new books. Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Confederacy of Dunces, and White Teeth are all waiting for you on your nightstand.

what are your big plans, amigos? 

2012 resolutions: let's check in

i resolved a lot of things this time last year. i posted the list on my blog, kept it written in the back of my notebook, and was diligent in making sure things got crossed off. here's how it went:

• go on a new england road trip. DONE! went up to new hampshire with the TU crew this past August.
• do something different with my hair. DONE!  I cut that mane down!
• build a tee pee. DONE! it stands proudly in the corner of my living room.
• graduate college. DONE! this was definitely a freebie.
• fix up my etsy. kind of done. i listed a bunch of things to try to move old stock and i'm hoping to re-vamp everything in the coming months.
• go to chicago. DONE! only got to spend a day here but it was wonderful.  i want to go back with mikeyaz in tow.
• learn three full songs on the ukulele. DONE! santa baby, sentimental heart, chimbly sweep, vibe so hot, you and i - i'm all over this one.
• more karaoke, more wigs, more theme parties. DONE! new favorite karaoke song is "In the End" by linkin park. new favorite wig is my short black bob. favorite theme party of the year was librarian's delight. or wizard party. or no white sheets toga party. it's a toss-up. 
• throw a dinner party. DONE! french onion soup, pumpkin & spinach mac'n'cheese, spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. carly, tim, ben, katy, laura, jonah, suzie, and scott were all in attendance.
• knit a sweater. kind of done. half way done. work in progress. 
• go to more concerts. DONE! sufjan stevens, led zeppelin experience,
• learn a few conversational words in a foreign language. nothing on this one. i'll push it into the new year.

not too shabby, amigos. i think i was pretty good at achieving goals this past year - i have a book full of crossed off to-do lists to prove it. up next: 2013 resolutions. 

dinner partay

 

check that off my new years resolution list! boo-ya! take that all you nonexistent nay-sayers! stick that in your nonexistent noses!

jimmy and forrest and kelsey and christine came over for an improutu dinner last week. the menu consisted of salad (arugula, feta, almond, and cucumbers with greek dressing), fancy pizza/not-really-pizza (one with apples, caramelized onions, and cinnamon blueberry goat cheese and the other with blue cheese, avocado, tomatoes, and corn), asparagus, and trader joe's no guilt brownies for dessert along with some delicious whole foods cookie sandwiches courtesy of chrisfish. we dined, we conversed, we acted like grownups. there was a table cloth and water in a pitcher and a wooden salad bowl. i set up tv trays to hold the food since my table is on the small-ish side. it was legit and wonderful.

the journey to nu hempstar: part c

 

then we went out! on the town! specifically, a beach town. chrissy took us to a trashy beach bar but made the mistake of walking me past the arcade on our way in. as soon as i saw those neon lights i was itching to get my skeeball on. we stuck around for one drink and got hit on by some creepy dudes before we decided to bounce and hit up the arcade. score one for caitlin.

we all got our skee ball on and set our sights on a prize - the harmonica. i went back to inform the posse that we were still short fifty tickets and some young man in a suit (what?) came up and gave me all his tickets. it was just like an episode of touched by an angel. i almost wept on the spot. we got our harmonica and beth said it sucked because it only played three notes and you couldn't breathe in the make a sound but she is a hater and i recognized the magic of the harmonica that was made possible by the kindness of strangers.

then we got photobooth pictures!

then we went to a bar that looked like somewhere freddy prinze jr. frequented in 1999 - low ceilings, all white, with blue ocean-y lights everywhere. their clinetele was all over 40 divorcees but they had a swinging band and we got smoking patron shots. bliss bliss bliss.

the next morning was full of brunch and good byes, followed by another crazy long car ride. but it was a beautiful beautiful weekend in the most summery fantasyland of all time, the ever lovely, new hampshire.

the journey to knew hamper: part dos

 

DEAR SWEET GRAVY BEANS. there are so many pictures from this one weekend! looks like someone can't be trusted with an i-phone, ammiright?!

after the beach, we all took turns taking showers (one bathroom, ten buddies, tons of prep time) and getting ready for dinner and sitting around in christine's gorgeous backyard. she lives on a tiny back road and has a total backyard fantasy working behind her already adorable home. there's a hammock, a barn, a garden, a fort, a firepit - the works. seriously ideal. i was cruising around in bathing suit bottoms and a t-shirt feeling like a billion bucks. if heaven is in new england, i'm pretty sure it's at christine's house.

after we were all ready, we put on red lipstick. then we were really all ready.

drove to portsmouth and had dinner at the friendly toast. oh man. serious food coma. they pushed two tables together and we all sat around like a giant family dinner. highlight: christine got pbr in a bottle! crazy pants!

PART THREE IS ON THE WAYYYY! HOLD ONTO YOUR HORSES!

the journey to new hamster: part one

 

we went to new hampshire ya'll.

former roommate and dear friend, chris fish, was living there for the summer with her parents in the most adorable home surrounded my all of gods green earth. the EIGHT HOUR DRIVE (capitalized, because it should have been six hours, but connecticut hates us) was full of mix cds, frustration over the people crossword puzzle, cheesey party mix, and delirious conversations. but upon arrival we were greeted by the rest of our posse and fireworks and solo cups full of rum and ginger beer.

all ten of us slept in the house like some sweet ass camp. the next day we ate salty bagels and went to a class england beach with some wes anderson-y name like 'little plum island' or something. the sand was chunky and the water was cold and somehow we all magically had black bathing suits on (though veronica was quick to point out that hers is actually navy - typical new england shit). this baby fell asleep on the beach as expected and got sunburn all up on my lower back, also as expected.

PART TWO ON IT'S WAYYYYY.

the teepee

lookie here! i made a tee pee! a giant ass tee pee that's forever chilling in the corner of my living room! i bought the wood and sewing the canvas together and viola! a whole friggin' tee pee! which means now i can a) cross 'make a tee pee' off my new years resolution list and b) have a backup plan for when my roommates decide i'm too crazy and kick me out onto the mean streets of philadelphia! EVERYONE IS WINNING!