we have not met

thirty before thirty: no. 18. get an oakland library card

gosh, i didn't realize how much i missed libraries. number 18 on the thirty-before-thirty list was to get an oakland library card, and now i have one!

 

quilt

I finished the quilt for my friends wedding!

It all started when I found this house print at Ikea. I think it's so sweet, and wanted to turn it into something special for the newlyweds.

Carlton likes it!  

I learned a lot working on this, and it isn't perfect, but I am really happy with the result of my efforts. I will be trying quilts again for sure. Finishing this also counts as number 8, on my 30 before 30 list.

I didn't use a pattern for this, but after I made plans for my design I realized that it is very similar to the quilt in Amy Karol's book Bend the Rules Sewing. I kinda winged it—cutting the strips and arranging them on the floor till I found a combination that I liked. I think this method would make a traditional quilter's head explode. That is how I work in general, feeling it out  as I ago. Maybe it is a designer thing?

For anyone who might be curious, fabrics are:
Birds/Houses: Ikea
Floral: Daisy Doodle by Michael Miller
Trees/Birds with dots: Circa 50 By Monaluna for Birch Fabrics (100% organic)
Sofas/Chairs: Tufted Tweets by Laurie Wisbrun

thirty before thirty: 4. play tourist in SF

when my friends came to visit from seattle, it gave me the perfect chance to play tourist. there are some classic SF sights that i have seen countless times, and other that i had yet to see. unfortunately, the first two days it poured rain, preventing us from visiting Alcatraz or the seward street slides, or catching a ride on the trolley. three things that are still on my to-do list.

the third day was beautiful and clear, so we had the chance to walk across the golden gate, something i had been longing to do, and it was even better sharing the 3.5 mile walk with my two wonderful pals.

thirty before thirty: 22. enjoy an expensive bottle of wine

number 22 on my thirty before thirty list, enjoy an expensive bottle of wine. i picked this one up in napa this past fall, and have been saving it. i thought christmas dinner would be the perfect time to open it up.


i celebrated christmas-eve at my friends home, but christmas day was just me my roommate, cartlon + two little doggies i was puppy-sitting. we made this tiny little vegan roast, veggies, mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.

thirty before thirty: 28. put my feet in the ocean.

It only took me three days to cross off the first item from my thirty before thirty list. When I made the list I wanted to choose simple and attainable goals, but I hope I didn't make it too easy!

When I wrote number 28."put my feet in the ocean", I made the stipulation to myself that it be the actual ocean, and not the bay. I tend to go to chrissy fields  most often, and wanted to challenge myself to get to other beaches. As it turns out, I went to stern grove festival, with friends, and it was such a gorgeous day that we decided to head to ocean beach after. It was crazy warm, and no wind!

Maybe I will change this list item to "put my feet in the ocean as often as possible".

thirty before thirty

I was inspired to create a fun list of things to accomplish in my last year of being 20-something. I have just under 11 months to start crossing things off!

01. redesign my portfolio

02. sew a dress for myself and wear it {done: 03.15.2010}

03. have a cocktail party {done: 01.01.11}

04. play tourist in SF

05. make significant progress on my student loans

06. frame all of the unframed art in my house

07. visit a farm sanctuary

08. make a quilt {done: 03.10}

09. tour a winery {done: 09.25.10}

10. work on maintaining my flexibility (i don't want to be one of those old ladies who can't touch her toes!) {done: o4.01.11, started doing yoga}

11. get my passport

12. make pasta from scratch

13. be able to do 25 (real) push-ups in a row, no stopping.

14. get a replacement license from CA dmv and stop using my Oregon one. {done: 12.29.10}

15. make pickles

16. sleep under the stars

17. send postcards

18. get a library card

19. make sushi

20. open a ROTH IRA

21. have a fancy picnic

22. enjoy a really expensive bottle of wine {done 12.25.10}

23. enjoy a beer in the redwoods (via the nature friends tourist club) 

24. grow and eat tomatoes

25. take time to read a book each month
        August: "A Girl Named Zippy" [done: 3-stars]
        September: "The Chosen One"[done 1.5 stars]
        September: "The Tipping Point" [done 4.5 stars]
        October : "Escape" [done 4-stars]
        November : "Half Empty" [done 5-stars]
        January: "Foreskin's Lament      [done 5-stars]
       February: "The Moral Landscape"
       March: "Blink" [4 stars]
       April: "Bossypants" [5-stars]
                  "I like you" [5-stars]

26. revisit yosemite (or yellowstone)

27. learn to skip stones

28. put my feet in the ocean {done 8.22.10}

29. have a drink alone in public {done 12.12.10}

30. visit an old friend {done 8.29.20}