101 Reasons

31. Paint at least one wall I really do like the place I live...

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:24:10 -0400

31. Paint at least one wall

I really do like the place I live in, but my main complaint is with my kitchen. It’s a galley-style kitchen which means little counter space and everything can feel a bit cramped. I had this idea when I moved in to take off the cupboard doors to sort of make it feel a bit more open and finally - six months after moving in - I have done it! While I was at it, I decided to paint the backsplash too and now I have a little cheery part of my otherwise bleak kitchen.

Pictures above are of my father and I painting - my mom was supervising (aka buying books for her Kobo) and of the finished product. I still have to put my dishes back in but I’m sure it will be fabulous!

8. Buy a completely extravagant floral bouquet for...

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:05:33 -0400

8. Buy a completely extravagant floral bouquet for myself

Another goal accomplished in Seattle! I really should plan my trips around my 101 things :) In any case, check out this gorgeous bouquet! They had tons of amazing flowers at Pike Place Market in Seattle and I thought, why not? So this gorgeous bouquet was mine for only $7, which around here would have cost much more. It beautified the house the rest of my stay.

94. Get pictures taken in a photoboothSo this actually happened...

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:54:10 -0400

94. Get pictures taken in a photobooth

So this actually happened on August 24th in NYC but I never actually got the pictures to post, so have a photobooth picture from Seattle. The lovely lady I’m snogging is Ally and we’re in a photobooth because the Seattle Art Museum had an exhibit where you could take photobooth pictures and post them as part of the exhibit. So obviously we did and there we are <3

63. Do my own taxes Another one from May that I neglected to...

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:49:47 -0400

63. Do my own taxes

Another one from May that I neglected to post. I did in fact get through my taxes with the help of my dad. It was weirdly straight forward, probably because I have basically no investments and I don’t have much tuition to claim anymore. In fact this was probably the best year for me to do my own taxes because it’s probably the least complicated income year. Thank god for internet programs that make everything easy!

42. Sing karaoke Oh man, this actually happened a while ago (May...

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 23:47:18 -0400

42. Sing karaoke

Oh man, this actually happened a while ago (May 15!) but I completely forgot to post about it! For my best friend’s bachelorette, we hit up a bar and karaoke’d the hell out of it. That’s us singing Girls Just Want To Have Fun. I’m on the right there, with the skimpy dress and fairy wings. Good times were had and it was nowhere near as scary as I thought it would be so well done, me!

98. Fly a kite Went kite flying yesterday at the picnic. We just...

Mon, 03 May 2010 21:42:00 -0400

98. Fly a kite

Went kite flying yesterday at the picnic. We just had cheap dollar store kites so they didn’t work perhaps as well as expensive ones but they still got lots of air. My complete look of disbelief/delight is amazing in this picture. So much fun!

55. Go on a picnic I’ve been really fortunate since...

Mon, 03 May 2010 21:38:00 -0400

55. Go on a picnic

I’ve been really fortunate since I’ve moved to find a really great group of girls to hang out with. Yesterday we went picnicking and had lots of fun climbing trees, feeding ducks, playing frisbee and flying kites (more on that later!). Above is my parents’ picnic basket which I sort of inherited. Inside was salady stuff, cold cuts and buns to make sandwiches. Nom Nom Nom! A perfect picnicky day.

43. Ask out a stranger

Mon, 03 May 2010 21:26:18 -0400

A little while ago one of my good friends got married. I had lived with her in my undergrad and so while I knew her quite well, I didn’t know many people at the wedding. I was seated at the misfits table with the husband of a bridesmaid I knew and some friends of the groom (probably because I had joked that there better be some single guys at my table).

When it came time to dance, one of the women at my table tried to convince one of the guys, who seemed to be there alone, to dance. He outright refused and even left the room so he wouldn’t be coerced into dancing. Well, that was a challenge if I ever saw one. Naturally I teased and needled him and tried to get him to dance with me. I even pouted at him but to no avail. Some shyness cannot be overcome by cuteness alone, it seems.

The rest of the table seemed to be rooting for us, as both the groom and a groomsman told me that I should keep trying but when the time came for him to leave, we still hadn’t danced.

Before he left, the groom came around and asked if he could give the shy boy who wouldn’t dance with me my number. ‘Sure,’ I said, but figuring that if he wouldn’t dance with me he probably wouldn’t call me.

But he did. Or well, he texted and now we’ve been out a couple of times so there you have it.

(I’m counting giving my number to a stranger the same as asking a stranger out, since it implies a certain amount of dating potential and it’s my list so I can do what I want!)

76. See 5 bands I love live (4/5) A little while ago I fell...

Mon, 03 May 2010 19:50:00 -0400

76. See 5 bands I love live (4/5)

A little while ago I fell in love with a band called Panic at the Disco. Last summer the band split and half the band became ‘The Young Veins’. When I saw they were coming to my city, I knew I had to see them even though they could possibly suck. Well, they didn’t suck. They were fantastic live and I even got to meet them, which never would have happened if they had still been in Panic. The picture above is me, my friend Margot, and the lead singer of The Young Veins, Ryan Ross (Isn’t he lovely?). A fantastic night!

50. Go to the movies alone I saw Avatar yesterday alone. I...

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:32:49 -0500

50. Go to the movies alone

I saw Avatar yesterday alone. I tried to see it in 3D IMAX but it was sold out, alas. I did make it into the regular 3D movie, albeit ten minutes late. My favourite spot was free - at the top of the stairs, behind the railing - as if it was waiting for me. I pulled out my m&ms and nibs and diet pepsi and managed to get through an entire movie without whispering to anyone, quite an accomplishment! It wasn’t as lonely as I thought it would be, though I think a comedy would have been moreso or a movie where I actually cared about the characters. Predictable action movies though I can definitely do alone. Good to know!

76. See 5 bands that I love (3/5) I saw Sarah Slean in concert...

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:34:25 -0500

76. See 5 bands that I love (3/5)

I saw Sarah Slean in concert last night. Sarah Slean, for those of you who don’t know, is a Canadian songstress who is small and adorable and wickedly talented to boot. Her between-song banter was hilarious and the actual songs themselves made me want to dance and sing and fly (but I couldn’t do any of these, as the venue had seats and I had lost my voice).

She started out with Notes from the Underground which is one of my favourite songs off her new album (and probably my favourite after last night). She ended with a cover of Material Girl, getting in the Christmas spirit and all that (har).

So here for your enjoyment is ‘Notes from the Underground’. I do recommend picking up Baroness, her latest album. It’s full of piano-y, string-y goodness.

36. Read 5 classics (3/5) “Would you tell me, please,...

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:13:45 -0500

36. Read 5 classics (3/5)

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.”

“I don’t much care where –”

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”

-Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

It’s probably a bit odd, as a children’s librarian that I had never read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Actually it’s probably more surprising that I, as me, lover of things whimsical and strange hadn’t read it. Now that problem is fixed.

It was every bit as nonsensical and delightful as I had hoped for. More, really, than I had hoped for. I actually started reading it one night as I was between books and wanted something young-ish to read. Project Gutenberg came through for me (you can read all about Alice there for free) and then I got an illustrated text from the library since I do love illustrations so much.

I was sure all of my classics were going to be grown up books and that I wasn’t going to enjoy them very much. So far I’ve enjoyed all of them (although one is a children’s book, which I’m more inclined to enjoy anyway) so this has been a good experience.

99. Watch a parade Today was the Santa Clause Parade in Toronto....

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:43:37 -0500

99. Watch a parade

Today was the Santa Clause Parade in Toronto. I stupidly, naively, didn’t realize what a huuuge event it is. Good god! Trying to even catch a subway was ridiculous, let alone finding a spot to actually watch the parade. We ended up at Dundas Square which wasn’t too bad, even if there was a big tall guy in front of me for most of it. It got really squishy and partway through we decided that as much as we liked being squished and not able to see anything, we would rather go for coffee. So we did.

Above is the Lego float which was sort of my favourite. There was a Lego pirate! (And Lego cleavage which is sort of hilar).

Although it was fun being downtown in the midst of things, I think next year I’ll watch it from home on my tv with some hot chocolate and a cat in my lap.

79. See the Top 100 Greatest Films...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:59:48 -0500

79. See the Top 100 Greatest Films (http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0760906.html) (37/100)

While waiting for my fabric to come out of the dryer for my apron, I watched Singing in the Rain, which had been recommended to me a number of times. I really enjoyed the choreography and how seemingly effortlessly the actors carry it out and of course the storyline is interesting (the appearance of movies with sound or “talkies” as they were called at the time) and reminds me of when we talked about that in my music in film class. Costumes were gorgeous too, especially during the Broadway number. Totally want a flapper dress.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. I’m over a third through the list, both of movies and my overall list which is encouraging. I should watch something sad and serious now so that I’m not left with all the epic angst-filled dramas at the end. I still have some light ones though like Sound of Music & Some Like It Hot but I also have a lot of heavy things like The Godfather I & II. I should really just have a Godfather marathon. Anyone want to watch with me?

20. Sew an apron I sewed an apron tonight. I used a pattern...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:19:06 -0500

20. Sew an apron

I sewed an apron tonight. I used a pattern found here for a reversible half-apron. It took a couple hours but I’m severely out of practice. I’m sure an experienced sewer (seamstress? Is that really how sewer is spelled, like the drainage system?) could have done it in half the time. The reverse is the same pattern as my tie, but in brown.

I was originally going to use a pattern from Lotta Jansdotter’s Simple Sewing book but her half-apron isn’t reversible and I’m not confident enough to adapt her pattern. Luckily though it was an easy google search to find something that worked for me.

I still need to work on sewing straight and cutting fabric straight but overall I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I am now sort of wishing it wasn’t so pertty. As if I’m ever going to actually use it and risk it getting all mucked up!

76. See 5 bands I love live (2/5) Last night I saw The Academy...

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:57:58 -0500

76. See 5 bands I love live (2/5)

Last night I saw The Academy Is… live along with some other bands, most who weren’t very good so won’t talk about them. Academy though! So good! I wish their set was longer but what we got was incredible.

William Beckett, their lead singer, has such incredible stage presence and energy. He’s so entertaining to watch bouncing around on stage and doing huge hand gestures. They played some of my favourites including ‘About a Girl’ (above). I have to say that screaming ‘I’m not in love! This is not my heart!” did wonders.They played Sputter off their new EP which was fantastic (I’m stepping on the cracks and I feel fine). I wish they had played more from their new EP but happy to have even one song.

Going to show also had the added bonus of meeting new people, all of who were awesome. I had a super good time.

If you haven’t heard them, click above to hear About A Girl, or youtube them or something. They’re wonderful.

15. Send 30 postcards/cards/letters (25/30) These are a couple...

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:33:51 -0400

15. Send 30 postcards/cards/letters (25/30)

These are a couple of the postcards on their way to the mailbox once I find one. There’s no mailbox near my home so I always carry my mail around with me on the off-chance that I find one. I have a feeling that I’ve sent more than 25 things but I keep forgetting to keep track.

I love the thought of sending love out into the world in the form of mail. I love that moment when you open your mailbox and find something unexpected, that feeling of knowing that someone out there was thinking about you, that they cared enough to write the card, look up your address, buy postage, affix it, and mail it. That’s a lot of work for such a small thing, but definitely worth it.

16. Attend a charity event and 87. Go to the top of the CN...

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:37:36 -0400

16. Attend a charity event and 87. Go to the top of the CN Tower

This year I participated in the Enbridge CN Tower Climb for United Way. The picture above is of my finish time, 44 minutes and 23 seconds after I started. It was tiring and long but not as bad as I thought it would be. And then the view! Amazing and beautiful and so worth the climb. I wish they had let us bring cameras and phones up. Instead you’ll have to settle for my proof of climb. I feel really proud that I did this, even though it was only 44 minutes out of my day. That 44 minutes will help organizations that need it and I feel really good about that.

In Progress… Bought tickets for the The Academy Is…...

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:39:25 -0400

In Progress…

Bought tickets for the The Academy Is… show in Toronto (above) (#76)
Sending out thank you postcards to those who have donated to my stair climb efforts (which I suppose is both a nod to #15 & #16)
Been climbing stairs in prep for my stair climb up the CN Tower. I’ve reached my donation goal which is amazing (thanks to all that have helped!) If you’d still like to donate, you can still do so! Click here for info.
Also been working on filling up a journal (#22). The journal is basically a paper tumblr full of my favourite decorating ideas. It was my tumblr before I had a tumblr, I suppose. It’s coming along quite nicely.
Aaand my ivy that I bought back in the summer is still alive! (#40). I’ve taken some pics of it, sitting pretty on my counter. I might consider that goal tentatively reached.
And of course continually watching classic films, some of which I’ve posted. Some of which I’ve forgotten to.

I’m sort of impressed that I’m still doing the list. I tend to be a ‘start things and never finish them’ sort of girl (which is why the quilt goal sort of terrifies me). I’ve still got lots to do, but I’m about a third of the way there. Not too shabby!

(sorry for those who are getting this twice. Posted to the wrong tumblr)

79. See the Top 100 Greatest Films...

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:25:17 -0400

79. See the Top 100 Greatest Films (http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0760906.html) (36/100)

Watched It Happened One Night with Clark Gable tonight. I found it quite delightful, especially the last scene. I loved his character and his witticisms very much and I liked the female protagonist as well (which is almost a first. Often the women in these films seem quite two-dimensional at best and sort of manipulative/evil at worse, or maybe that should be reversed..). I actually bought them as a couple which helped. Recommended!

(scene from when our female protagonist accidentally falls asleep on our male protagonist and he can’t quite bring himself to rouse her, even when they stop for breakfast)