Happy 2011!

I love the new year and the fresh start it brings, but I also love reflecting back. I tend to think back on my year and accomplishments more on my birthday, so because this is the end of a decade (um, weren't we just worrying about Y2K like last year?) I have been thinking more about that. This past decade has been all about learning to drive, figuring out boys, figuring out myself, earning degrees, traveling, fun times, eye-opening experiences, new jobs, many new homes, lots of friends, and so much love. I can only imagine that the next decade will bring much of the same, but I'm at the point in my life where my friends and I are turning a corner, and I have a feeling that this next decade will bring more weddings, mortgages, less new jobs, and babies.

{Photo}

Last year I said that I don't like resolutions and prefer to be in a constant state of improving myself (sounds a bit elitist now ha). This year I actually have resolutions, but I'm trying to make them narrow enough so that I can feel some sense of accomplishment with each.

Resolutions for 2011:

1. Eat less white sugar. I'm a total sugar baby, but I'm going to make a conscious effort to say no more.

2. Take more photographs. I got an awesome camera for Christmas last year and I want to take advantage of its features more. Sometimes I get so busy living life that I forget I might want to relive it at some point.

3. Get into good music again. I ran with a fairly artistic crowd in college and would always have new good music passed on to me. Since then I have become such a Top 40 girl.

{Photo}

4. Use the subject line of emails. Simple.

5. Train for something. Anything. Since racing nearly every weekend in high school and college, I have literally run 3 races (one of which was the Chicago Marathon, which hardly counts as a "race."). Although I still run many times a week, I have lost the competitive drive and would like to get that back.

6. Keep my apartment clean on a daily basis. Every weekend it seems as if I'm spending several hours cleaning (including today; I'm starting my new year spic and span) and it would be nice to do just a bit each night.

7. Procrastinate less. Today.

{Photo}

Judging by my celebration last night to ring in 2011 (I am sore head to toe from the amount of dancing that took place), it should be a good one.

{Photo}

Christmas Tradition

As I've gotten older I've realized how much I really appreciate and love my family's Christmas traditions. I think as a child you assume that everyone celebrates Christmas in the same way that you do, with Santa taking center stage of course. Perhaps as we get older and meet more people we learn about others' traditions, and, as wonderful as their holidays sound, we love ours even more. Some of my family Christmas traditions include...

{Photo}

Twink, the elf. Every night in December I would tuck Twink, a small elf doll with a bell for a body, into bed beside mine and during the night he would bring me small gifts to find in the morning.

Lunch under the tree at the Walnut Room. My parents and I would go into the city every year before Christmas and wait in line for hours to eat lunch under the Christmas tree at (then) Marshall Fields. We'd then take a walk around the store outside and view the decorated windows.

Last minute shopping. My Dad and I would always race to make it to the store before it closed on Christmas Eve.

Fish on Christmas Eve. My great-grandparents always followed the Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Christmas Eve, so my family has always had fresh fish for dinner that evening. Fish and pierogi, yummm.

Wrapping last minute presents. I would always wait until Christmas Eve to wrap my gifts while watching A Christmas Story. I wish this was for sentimental reasons but it's mostly because I'm a procrastinator.

Biscuits and gravy on Christmas morning. I love that my dad's mom is southern because it makes for a delicious and fun Christmas breakfast!

{Photo}

It's been a while (again)

I started my blog for me. Its objective was to serve as a journal to me, something I could look back at and relive parts of my life. Lately, as evidenced from my lack of posts, I have been enjoying living my life rather than reflecting on it. But whenever I see simple fill-in-the-blanks on other blogs I feel compelled to post them as a quick and dirty snapshot of my mind at the moment. So, the game of fours...

Four TV shows that I watch:

The Good Wife

Modern Family

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Grey's Anatomy

Four things that I'm passionate about:

Maintaining a lot of strong relationships

Equality under the law and justice system

Animal rights

Healthy living

Four words/phrases I use a lot:

"Hi love"

Awesome

"So good" (when referring to anything I eat)

Snugglebug/snuggleface/snugglemonster/snuggle[fill in the blank]

Four things I've learned from the past:

Don't regret anything

Don't take any moment for granted

Don't wish time away

If you want it bad enough, you can make it happen

Four places I would like to go (that I haven't been):

Thailand

Argentina wine country

Norway/Sweden/Finland/Russia

Mexico

Four things I did yesterday:

Got my hair cut in an attempt to fix last July's disaster

Went Christmas shopping

Talked to three of my favorite people on the phone

Made up my own workout and rocked it

Four things I am looking forward to:

Christmas (obvi)

Going back to work (turns out I get bored easily)

Warm weather!

Summer of weddings, part 2

Four things I love about winter:

Winter clothes/boots/accessories (so much better than summer clothes to me)

Watching it snow when I don't have to go outside

Having the heat on instead of the AC

The way it makes me appreciate summer

{Photo courtesy of a Tiffany & Co. ad}

Four things I love about this photo:

The hot guy

Dragging home a Christmas tree

With a (large) Tiffany bag

And how I can imagine he's coming to meet me ; )