last years goals, book worm exchange, & a few other things

The names have been drawn for the 2010 (which i now realize should have been called 2011) blogger book worm 'ganza gift exchange.
if you're signed up for the exchange, please make sure to go & check your draw!

last year, JenBunny posted a bunch of other bloggers goals on her blog. She posted mine, too!
here they are:

1. allow myself time to expand on my skills & creativity
2. live a cleaner life & purge all the clutter
3. maintain my weight
4. be presentable (stop looking like a slob)
5. take my blog to another level

i went back & took a look to see if i held up my word to myself.
at first look, i was surprised that i had been so.... vague? but, thinking about it, i think that i did... most?

1. i have def expanded my skills & creativity. this year i realized that i have many other creative skills than i thought. my etsy shop, twitterpated pretty went from being a "sometimes" hobby, to an everyday obsession that pulled in some pretty good cash!

2. Since i moved from CT to CA, i had to pack all my things into my car, sooo... i'd DEF say that i purged the initial clutter... but... i seem to have a really bad habit of accumulating more. I will make a point to continue with this goal & make sure my new home doesn't end up as cluttered as my old room did. [this will def mean i have to do some "spring" cleaning already!]

3. This one i'll give myself a pat on the back for. This time last year i had dropped about 30lbs from my start weight & was getting closer to my goal weight. In the first few months of 2010 i lost the rest of the weight i wanted to lose & have maintained it! I've lost over 50lbs since my initial start & have been successfully steady at my current weight for over 8 months now! hoooorah!

4. i'm not sure if i've reached this goal. i have a nicer wardrobe, but, most of the time, since i don't have a job, i spend at home, usually in pjs or shorts & a tank. i don't tend to put makeup on if im not going out & my hair, especially since cutting it short, is usually just in a pony tail... i guess i'd say that at home, or the grocery store, or to get the mail... ya, i'm still a slob. Going out, on the rare occasion, i dress up NIIIICE! hahaha

5. well, i took it to another level, just not one that was higher than the last years level. The blog world has gotten away from me in the 2nd half of this year, well, more like the last 3/4 of this year. so, i guess.... for all intents & purposes... i failed this goal... :(


i DID reach my reading goal. i read 16 books this year, which is the most, in one year, i've ever read. that, to me, is awesome, & i'm suuuuper proud of myself. :)

i fly to CT tomorrow. i'm so stoked. Bazinga isnt coming with me, so i'm sad about that, but i can't wait to see my fam & friends!!!

luvs it*

book three: How to (un)cage a girl

i finished book #3 a while ago, but, as you all know, i haven't had much time to write anything or update you.
i hate that i barely have time to talk about this book, but here are the basics.
it's written by my idol, my word goddess, Francesca Lia Block, who wrote my favourite, amazing, life changing book, Weetzie Bat, which you've all read my gush about a ton.
This is a collection of poems to fans, friends, inspiring angels, FLB's children & even herself.
it's a great book to have, but i suggest having it, keeping it on your bed side table, & dipping in to read a piece or two when you need something beautiful in your brain.

have you read it?

what did you think?

[any books to recommend

i add to my list of "to read",

please comment them! 

-you can also see my 

virtual book shelf here!]

luvs it*

sent my dreams first class shipping

i finally did it.
i finally had the perfect words, the time, the guts to write to my hero,

Francesca Lia Block

author of Weetzie Bat, Violet & Claire, How to (un)cage a girl [book read #3], & a bazilliondy other amazing books

she's just amazing. i'm so, unbelievably in awe of her.
writing to her has been a goal of mine for sooo long. 
i'm kinda freak'n out a lil bit that she's going to read something that i've written!
I sent her the Liminality: Alive in Wonderland piece that i wrote, as well as another poem.

was that a good idea?

why am i bug'n out?!?!

ahhh

keep your ;;fingers crossed;; for me that i hear back from her!
luvs it*

goal: 100 followers

it's coming! i can feeeeel it creeping up!
 
any new followers, try to take note what number you are & leave me a comment telling me!

something WONDERFUL is going to happen when i hit that luvly number!!!

 

i'm so excited!!! 

 

HERE I COME TRIP DIGITS!!!!!!!!!!

 

luvs it*

book two: Glass

Glass by Ellen Hopkins.

book two is done, & February isn't over! I'm ahead of schedule to meet my goal of 12 books in 2010!

this book is the sequel to the book Crank that i read last year.
the story is good, but what is really interesting about them, is the way it's written. when i read Crank last September, i posted about the intoxicating text format & the addicting rhythm it provides.

if you haven't read these books, i suggest that you do. don't be deterred by the size of the books [over 600 pages], they move along very quickly.
make sure that you start with Crank.

have you read it?

what did you think?

[any books to recommend

i add to my list of "to read",

please comment them! 

-you can also see my 

virtual book shelf here!]

luvs it*

book one: the lovely bones

i've finished the first book toward my reading goal, & i luvd it!

it was so good. i wish that i'd been able to give it more time, as it took me over a month & i've been hoping to read a book a month.

[i def started the month off reading two books,

one at home, one at work,

to avoid being without something 

to read on a smoke break.]

so, now that it's read, i can see the movie, directed by Peter Jackson, which looks uh-mazing!
 
if you haven't read it yet, please do. it's really great.
 
now, to finish the other book, hopefully with enough time to enjoy another & be a book ahead!

[expert level is 15 books this year!]

have you read it? have you seen the movie?

what did you think?

[any books to recommend

i add to my list of "to read",

please comment them! 

-you can also see my 

virtual book shelf here!]

luvs it*

goal: purge the clutter.

i'm so sick of being a slob.
 
my room is littered with loot, cluttered with chaos & all around doused in disgusting debris.

 
i want, desperately to be a cleanly person. to not have so much crap in my life.
  

  
God, beer me the strength to get rid of the gross gobs of garbage. tell me where to start to revolt against the repulsive racks of riff raff.
 

junk for sale, anyone interested?

  
maybe i should try to sell some of my things. a lot of the shit i have is actually in good condition, i just don't USE it. i have so many books on my bookshelf, so many unworn clothes, and so much... stuff... everywhere.

 
hmm, we'll see, but i hope that i can get at least half the things in these tiny four walls out... if i get 3/4 of the stuff out... i can go buy more!

[i like the sound of that...]

luvs it*

gripes make only bitter wine...

for 2010, i'm going to let something go.

i lost a "friend" this year, & it sucked, but for this year, i'm letting it go. i'm over it.

to get it out of my system, i'm making two dedications.

especially these lines:

 You wanna make me sick;
You wanna lick my wounds,
Don't you, baby?
You want the badge of honour when you save my hide
But you're the one in the way
Of the day of doom, baby
If you need my shame to reclaim your pride 

 

especially these lines:

I tried so hard
In spite of the way you were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I'm surprised

It got so far
Things aren't the way they were before
You wouldn't even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then
But it all comes back to me in the end

...

I've put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
And for all this
There's only one thing you should know

I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end it doesn't even matter
I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end it doesn't even matter

 
& with that... i'm done. it may be hard to do, but as far as i'm concerned, this "friend" is gone, i'm over it & i will try my damnedest never to mention it again.

 

i feel refreshed...

luvs it*

goals*

JenBunny posted my goals on her bloggie, NovelistaBarista.com

here they are!

luvs it*