eleven

Note: This is a super long post. Feel free to just skim & check out the pictures.

Since my pre-teen years, my favorite number has been 11. Which I guess is partially why I was so looking forward to 2011. And now, with the year coming to a close, I thought I'd take the time to reminisce about the year we are about to leave behind. As much as I sometimes get into a funk about the whole economy/job situation, 2011 has been an okay year.

[caption id="attachment_296" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Being interviewed during Iron Chef."][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My mentoring program had two awesome fundraisers, one duct taping a security guard to a wall (voluntarily) and an Iron Chef competition. They were both fun, and my team won the Iron Chef. Seriously, great great events. I went bobsledding and it was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had in my life. It was awesome.

[caption id="attachment_297" align="alignleft" width="224" caption="Bobsledding!!"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In March, I turned 23. It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. I got a cake made for me at the dining hall, thanks to my mother. Eileen sent me flowers with the most beautiful note, I was in tears. A few of my residents from the building I lived in gave me flowers too. I found out our building won an energy conservation challenge. I really could not have asked for that day to have gone any better.

[caption id="attachment_298" align="alignleft" width="224" caption="Flowers from Eileen!"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I competed in my school's Elevator Pitch competition in the non-profit/social advocate category, pitching a mentoring program of course, and won 2nd place! I helped Kayla with her One Day Without Shoes events, and we walked in the rain down Church Street in Burlington. It was a cold but fun day, and got a lot of local press!

[caption id="attachment_303" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Leaving campus at 5AM (and running on little sleep) for a weekend in Maine!"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I spent a weekend traveling with DREAM, my mentoring program to Maine where I was able to spend quality time with my mentee, as well as the other kids and mentors. I was impressed with the ability of the mentors, staff, and kids to handle whatever was thrown at us that weekend, including our bus breaking down and a late late night getting home.

[caption id="attachment_300" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="YAY Graduation!"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was able to go home right before graduation and finals to spend time with my friend Ruth for her Easter birthday. I graduated college in May. It was a beautiful ceremony (albeit in a stuffy building). I got to spend time during Senior Week with friends, attending a Red Sox baseball game, taking a cruise around Lake Champlain. I attended a dinner for the Senior Class and the Trustees of the school, where our Senior Class Gift committee announced that we had over 50% participation, beating prior years and our goal. I got to see the girl I mentored for the past two years "graduate" 8th grade. It meant so much for me to be able to be there for her. When she saw me there, she was so excited, and you could tell it meant a lot to her too.

I ran/walked 3.1 miles as part of a relay team in the Vermont City Marathon, on behalf of Outright Vermont, a great organization that works with LGBTQA youth in Vermont. I had a wonderful graduation party with many family and friends there to spend time with me.

[caption id="attachment_305" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="My mom and I at Ruth's wedding."][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was glad to be able to be the maid of honor not just once, but twice this year. In June, I was in my friend Ruth's outdoor Maine wedding. And in July, I was in Eileen's wedding. They were both beautiful days with memories I will cherish for a long long time.

[caption id="attachment_307" align="alignleft" width="214" caption="Eileen and I."][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I adopted Charlie, and got to go visit my friend Natasha when I did. I had a wonderful visit and Charlie was amazing on the 5+ hour car ride to Maine... he barely meowed at all!

[caption id="attachment_299" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Charlie!"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got to go to a concert with a friend, and a concert with my family. My mom and I did laughter yoga, and my dad got my copy of "Design Sponge" signed while he was on a business trip. I started Cool & Pretty Things & this blog.

[caption id="attachment_301" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Cool & pretty things!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_306" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Tattoo!"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got my first tattoo! It's the tree of life, with hearts for leaves... and the red and turquoise hearts are for my grandparents. My mom and sister got the same design, and the same day we went, my two cousins went and got red cars (for Richard "Red" Carr).

All the while, I met new friends, became closer with some, reconnected with some old ones, and have so many friends now that I consider family. I couldn't be more grateful to have them in my life. For Mike and Ruth's family to become my "Aunts" and Moms... same with Natasha's family. The kids that Ruth and I both babysit, we call "our" kids we love them so much.... it's really made this year so much better.

This year was not without some trials and tribulations. I had some major airport problems getting home from an out of state interview. I got waitlisted or denied from all 6 grad schools I applied to. I found out that my grandfather had passed away the day before my graduation (and since I went straight to the out of state interview, it was a few days before I was told of the news). I've spent a good 3-4 months of this year unemployed, and have been dealing with a lot of migraines lately. We found out that our roof of our house was underbuilt and had a huge deal with getting the entire roof replaced.

[caption id="attachment_302" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Roof Construction"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I'm ending the year with a sinus infection. But, what can you do!

There are definitely way more positive things that have happened this year than the negatives. And really, most of those bad things that happened aren't the worst thing in the world. I'm grateful to have a roof over my head, food to eat, clothing and shoes. And books, computers, and to be alive.

If you made it through that then I am SO thrilled! And you should let me know so I can send you some baked goods or something. Like really. Also, I will never ever write another post that long.

Credit to the picture of Charlie goes to Natasha, picture of Eileen and I, is Eileen's.

Rablings of my Busy Brain

I've slowly been trucking through my to do list that I made back on Monday or Tuesday of this week. I've been filling out a million and one applications and sending my resume and cover letters out. Here's to hoping that I get somewhere with one of them. And I finally finished the picture collage that I did for The Pinterest Challenge.

I also wrote out all of my student loan checks for December. And yes, I was able to afford December's student loan payments and still have a tiny bit of money left over. It was mostly thanks to my cousin Kyler asking me to fill in for him on a weekend gig. And my favorite little family from down the street who asked me to babysit like 4 times in the past few weeks or so. I was excited to have more money than I had orginally thought I was going to have, plus get to do these things anyway.

I also made a new item for my shop. I had sort of come up with the idea but finally brought it to fruition today... and I'm very pleased with the outcome. Hopefully I will have a few new items up shortly! I joined an etsy "team"... the Etsy Maine Team! Hopefully this will help me get my stuff out there more. I've also been brainstorming local shops that I could sell my stuff.

My mind has also been following with an idea for a business and what to get for my Lovely Package exchange partner. I'm emailing back and forth with my exchange partner and my mind is excitedly figuring out what to get her and how to package it! Can't wait to show you more soon!

Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday & Etsy Folks You Should Check Out

[caption id="attachment_227" align="aligncenter" width="529" caption="from http://www.facebook.com/shopsmall"][/caption]

I love small businesses. I know many small business owners, and I just think they're fabulous. My parents and I did our part and went and supported local small businesses and crafts people this weekend.



I've been looking for something for the extra bracelets and jewelry that don't fit on my hanging jewelry holders... and this cool bowl made out of an old record was super cool and fun! Now my dresser looks less cluttered!

And now I want to share with you a few small etsy buinesses folks I'm loving at the moment... This is definitely not a full list, but just a few people I want to share with my friends. :)



Megan has an etsy shop with a ton of cute things. I have this watch. I'm loving the hats, and pretty much everything in her shop! She also has a blog, as well as a blog with her sisters (she's a triplet!)



These eco friendly cat toys are awesome. I especially love these made from wool sweater scraps. I definitely want to get some of these for Charlie!



I'm actually known for drinking cold Starbucks drinks in the wintertime, even though it makes my hands freezing cold! I love these cozies, it would be the perfect thing to keep my hands warm(er). I love the best friend cozies, but there is such a variety!



I love these! Olivia started this business in college and it's taken off. I just got mine in the mail on Friday and I have been wearing them since! She has tons of colors, and a huge variety. And the best thing is that when I take my hair down, it doesn't leave that dent that you sometimes get from other hair ties.... and I can just put it on my wrist and wear it like a bracelet!





If you're a pinterest addict like I am, then you probably saw these legwarmers. After these hit pinterest, Melissa, the owner of Sienna's Closet, got so much interest that she's had a steady stream of people going to her etsy store and facebook pages asking for them. I ordered a teal pair that I wore when we got some snow last week, and they are gorgeous as well as being cozy and warm! Your best bet is to check out her facebook page, she will keep you updated as to what she has in stock and when!



I happen to think that you cannot go wrong when you mix pearls and ribbon! Twillypop does just that! I have my eye on a few of them.

Also, I did not get paid to mention any of these lovely folks... I just like sharing good finds with others! All photos/banners belong to the shop owners!

Cool & Pretty Things

I'm pretty darn excited about this. My little etsy store that I'm hoping will be a cool side business for me.



 

 

 

 

Currently I have a few bracelets up there. I also have the reflective dog collar that is shown in the picture below. I'm planning on expanding to do headbands and watches too, because many people make the bracelets and collars (though their prices are not as good as mine!) but I haven't seen people expand to other items. I'm also planning to do items that don't involve paracord.



 

 

 

 

For the fabulous few blog readers out there, use the code SMALLTOWN for 25% off for a limited time if you like something that is currently listed for sale!

twelve by 2012 check in!

With about 7 weeks left until 2012, I figured a goal check in post might be in order. I made my list about 3 weeks ago, so let's see how things look!

In progress goals will be in blue, finished or unobtainable goals will be in green.

1. Read 2 books. - I'm currently reading The Power of Half by Hannah and Kevin Salwen. I need to finish this book so that I can move on to my next one.


2. Give Mia, Lila, and Jordan their belated birthday presents, and buy Dan his. - I bought Dan his birthday present. I need to either wrap or get bags for these presents and bring them over to the kids I babysit. So this goal is one that is almost near completion.


3. Post on my blog 3 times a week. -I feel like I'm doing well at posting multiple times a week.


4. Open my etsy shop. - Check it out! YAY One goal completed.


5. Get a job. - Multiple interviews. I'm trucking along with this one. But this one needs to be completed (as apposed to reading books) so I can pay off my loans.


6. Visit Eileen and Kyle before they head to Alaska. - So I set myself up for failure with this one. I don't have the money to take a trip, so unfortunately this goal is not going to happen.


7. Start a little freelance business. - I have business cards designed, though I need to print them. I have a friend with a business who needs a website, so I guess I can consider myself having my first client? I have started planning out what my portfolio will include. But need to make more headway with executing and finishing it.


8. Spend quality time with my friends here. -I've definitely been successful here. I've done dinners and gone to concerts with my friends here. I'm gonna call this goal good.


9. Finish my room design/clean/reorganization/set up. - Really haven't done any work here either. Maybe I will post pictures of what it currently looks like and what I need to do with it!


10. Figure out budget and start saving! -I haven't really worked on this goal yet. I should probably wait until I have a job.


11. Make 5 things (either food or crafts) I've pinned on Pinterest. - Doing well with this goal. I've made 2/5 things.


12. Visit Burlington! -I haven't even figured out when I might want to go. But if I want to go before they leave for Thanksgiving break, I should go soon. Or wait until after they get back from break.

Okay. 6 in progress. 2 finished. 1 unobtainable. Should get crackin on those other 3 that I haven't really worked on yet!

Crafty Productive Weekends

So, I'm feeling like the last two weeks, I've been crazy productive on Saturday's.

I've been applying to jobs, getting things crossed off my to-do lists, and especially have been really crafty on Saturday's.

I've been making more of those survival paracord bracelets like the black one I posted last week. I made some turquoise ones last Saturday, and then made more turqoise, white, and pink ones yesterday. I even mentioned to my mother making and selling them, and she thought it was a great idea... which is awesome that she is behind me on this.

She also suggested making cat and dog collars, and I ended up finding reflective cord for making animals easier to see in the dark, which I think is awesome. So supplies have been ordered!

 



I also made this, which I found on Pinterest, and found a tutorial from here. It was so easy, and I actually had all of the items on hand. My mom agreed that it looked great, and although I love it, I'm thinking it will make an awesome Christmas present for my dad, who is the one person in our house my dog loves best, and he loves her too. I know this would be something my dad would love!

And then, and I'm sure people are going to hate me for saying this, but I started my Christmas shopping for folks. I know it's October, but it works out. I've been saving on getting great deals, and it will be nice when my school loans come due that my shopping will be hopefully finished.

twelve by 2012

So I have 125 different blogs that I am subscribed to in my Google reader. (You can see a bunch of them listed on the right.) I get a ton of inspiration from these blogs, and from Pinterest. This was how I stumbled upon the blog Oh, hello friend today. Danni is the girl behind the blog. Like me, she has tried doing 101 things in 1001 days. But I love this great idea that she had. I'm a little late to the party, so I have about 10 weeks left in 2011. I'm going to make my own list of goals I have for the rest of 2011. So go and check out the other people doing twelve by 2012 and what other people have planned!

Edit: Items in progress will be in italics, and finished items will be crossed out!

1. Read 2 books. - I have a whole bunch of books in my room and books on my to-read list. So hopefully I can get 2 books off my list read!


2. Give Mia, Lila, and Jordan their belated birthday presents, and buy Dan his. - The kids I babysit all but 1 have already had their birthday. I need to buy one more gift and make sure all the kiddos get their gifts, though they are very very late!


3. Post on my blog 3 times a week. - I definitely feel like I am doing well at keeping up. But I need to keep on trucking. Hopefully I won't loose steam with everything else going on!


4. Open my etsy shop. - I need to make more items for the shop, I need to figure out packaging. Other than that, I already started making the site on etsy, and I have figured out pricing. Check it out!


5. Get a job. - Hopefully I can find something to pay the bills (boo student loans!) and hopefully still give me time to spend time with friends and work on my side projects.


6. Visit Eileen and Kyle before they head to Alaska. - You've heard of Eileen (I <3 My Airman) and hopefully I can see her and her hubby before they head to Alaska!


7. Start a little freelance business. - Hopefully I can find some local businesses that could use web design/marketing/social media or event planning assistance, and take on a client! I made business cards! Need to work on my portfolio and start looking for clients!


8. Spend quality time with my friends here. - I need to see friends I haven't seen in a while and work on spending time with people face to face on a more regular basis. Went out to dinner with a friend today, and I'm going to a concert with a friend on Thursday that I haven't hung out with in a while.


9. Finish my room design/clean/reorganization/set up. - My room has been a serious work in progress. I need to make it fun and functional and definitely update it!


10. Figure out budget and start saving! - Figure out a budget where I save some money aside each month for specific long term goals, and how much 'fun' money I have per month.


11. Make 5 things (either food or crafts) I've pinned on Pinterest. - I've pinned a lot of different things on pinterest. I would like to make a few things whether they be food or DIY projects. I made the silhouette in my last post from something I pinned. Participated in the Pinterest Challenge. 2/5!


12. Visit Burlington! - I need to go back and visit friends at my alma matter! It's very much an overdue trip.

Now go check out other lists or make your own!

Fun Little Small Town Saturday

Warning: This post is very picture heavy.

I had a lovely day, which started off by getting my hair done at my favorite hair salon! I got bangs, which I was worried was going to make me look younger than my age, but my stylist told me she thought it would look good. So I went for it. And I am so glad I did. Bangs just make me feel fabulous. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to show you because I'm not happy with how the ones I've taken have come out.



I attempted to do some organizing in my room.

I did get some file folders put together, and ended up putting together a nice place for all of my fun paper type things to go.. like coupons and Charlie's paperwork.



I also got some clutter off of my desk... seriously, the picture on the left is way cleaner than my desk usually is.



I still have to work on the clutter and organization and storage in my room. The picture on the left shows some jewelry holders I made. They're great, and I love how they turned out. They were super easy and inexpensive, but you can tell by the picture that I have way more stuff that I need to put on top of my dresser. That doesn't even include a fun little thing I bought online recently... but I'll save that fun little thing for another post!



I'll probably steal these shelves that we have down in the basement and hang them up in my room. As long as they are hung up to where Charlie can't reach, I think it would be perfect for displaying artwork and trinkets, and maybe even moving some of my jewelry so that it is farther out of Charlie's reach.



 

 

 

I'll probably also steal this desk from our basement too. It's never used, and I think with the closed storage (for Charlie) and the amount of workspace it would be great in my room. I could also do a nice paint job on the top, and even change out the handles.

 



 

 

 

 

Also, as far as getting some containers for storage, I'm loving these paint can containers from the Container store. I think they are adorable, and definitely show off my love of interior design. Though I love most things from The Container Store. I just wish we had one closer!



I'm also loving AMAC boxes, which they also have from The Container Store. Unfortunately, they look nice but I'm not sure how functional they would be.

 

 



In other really fun and exciting news, I'm gonna open a small Etsy shop at some point soon. It's going to be called Cool & Pretty Things, and some of my first items I'll be selling with be survival bracelets made of paracord, like the picture on the left. That black one is the first one I made, and now that I have more cord and also, buckles to make it easier to put on and off, once I get a bunch made, I will be putting them on Etsy!



I also kind of went crazy with my camera. I took this picture of Charlie. It was completely accidental but I love the way it turned out!

 

 

 

 

 



 

I was also excited to find this delia's catalog in my mailbox today. Although I'm sure people consider it more of a Juniors/Teen store, I love their Bailey jeans. They have some of the best fit jeans for my body that I've tried. And as you might or might not be able to tell from that picture, Jeans are by 1 get 1 for 1/2 off. And you can save 15% off your purchase. I'm also trying to shop smarter. Although I've been treating myself to a few things here and there, I know that the more I save, the more I can put towards my student loans, and the faster I can pay them off and the less interest I pay... which is a WIN-WIN!