Favorite Memories of 2010- A Year of Moustaches

1. January- I love this picture.  Everyone keeps asking "what's the thing with the moustaches?" and I honestly have no answer other than how amusing it is (and you'll see it is a theme throughout the year).  I love that we started making snowflakes for me to hang at the front desk and ended up making paper moustaches to wear for the rest of the night.  A lot happened in January (including my birthday) but this is probably my favorite memory of the month.

2. February- For Valentine's Day for the first time probably ever, I had plans with some of my favorite girls in Winona.  We made heart shaped pizza with heart shaped cupcakes and dressed up cute just because we could.  It was a fun night and the best Valentine's Day I've had so far.

3. March- March is a month of friends' birthdays yet I only have a few pictures that captured the events of the month.  This is from Phil's golden 24th birthday, celebrated at Buca as a surprise party.  He had a Star Wars cake and the toppers had a button on their backs so their light sabers lit up.  I like that Phil is like a big kid.

4. April- In April, I got the opportunity to drive to Milwaukee with Janelle to see "Legally Blonde: The Musical".  I watched it on MTV a few years ago but was excited to see it live and it definitely did not disappoint!  It was a fun weekend of driving, shopping and spending time with Janelle's family.

5. May- The highlight of this month was graduation, of course!  It's still hard for me to believe that I have a college degree and Winona is no longer my home away from home (though deep down, it always will be).  I thought I was so ready to leave- boy was I wrong!  Graduation was a great thing but everything post-graduation has been a new kind of challenge for me.

6. June- June was my month of Heidi and I wouldn't have had it any other way.  First, Heidi, Erin and Rybecat came to spend the night at my house (and to visit Jazz).  Then for the summer solstice, I drove down to La Crosse to attend and bartend Heidi's parents' solstice party.  It was a blast and I hope I get the chance to go again next year (or have a party of my own!)

7. July- In July, Peter was home before moving to D.C. to his new Air Force base.  We finally went to the new Twins stadium for a game and had a great time!  That stadium is beautiful and it was nice to be outside like that one time we saw the Twins play the Royals in Kansas City (or like every time we go to a Saints game).  Peter went home on his and Nina's birthday when Liz, Nina and I went out for super fancy birthday dinner to treat Nina when she turned 19!

8. August- August was the time to buckle down and get stuff done for Allison & Phil's wedding.  I was BUSY working full time, volunteering at the WCCO booth at the State Fair, and wedding planning but we made it to the end of the month in time to party!  This is one of my favorite pictures from the bachelorette party (again with the moustaches).

9. September- I have so many favorite pictures from Allison & Phil's wedding but I think this one takes the cake.  I was so proud and excited for my best friend to get married (even after the stressful few months of wedding planning and preparing).  The day seemed to go off without a hitch and was a beautiful ceremony and gathering of friends and family to celebrate their marriage!

10. October- I think this picture expresses the sheer happiness we all felt when we went to HPOT WORLD in October.  We tried Butterbeer (and loved it), bought sweet treats at Honeydukes (where this picture was taken), participated in the Tri-Wizard dragon challenge, explored Hogwarts, rode on a Hippogriff, wandered the streets of Hogsmeade and enjoyed the nice Florida weather.  There is only one word to describe our trip- AWESOME.

11. November- For the first of many parties of Allison's birthday (she took a page out of my book this year and celebrated her birthday for a week), we went to Paint Your Plate, just us girls.  It was a great choice of venue for our artsy group of friends!  My favorite was watching Liz enjoying herself so much she was practically giddy.  "This mug needs 100% more lightning.  This mug needs 100% more fire."  She was thrilled and our painted pieces all turned out amazing!

12. December- December knocked an item off my bucket list- be in a parade (preferably the Holidazzle).  The Holidazzle is my favorite parade of all time as it is a family tradition, takes place in downtown Minneapolis, and is a festival of lights.  We got the chance to fill in for a few people who couldn't walk in the parade one night and I couldn't have been happier about it.  Sure, they aren't the most flattering costumes, but it was an experience to be had!

Starting tomorrow- A PICTURE A DAY FOR A YEAR!  My plan is to start posts at the beginning of each week and then adding as the days go on so there will only be 52 posts as opposed to 365 separate ones.  I'm excited about this thing I want to do before I turn 24!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Dream #3: Wedding Planner

I love weddings.  I planned my best friend Allison's wedding this fall and loved it.  It is very rewarding to see your ideas and hard work pay off in the end like it did in September.

I also love a little thing called an inspiration board.  Its a mixture of colors, pictures, and ideas that inspire you for a party or a wedding or a project.  I've had a lot of time on my hands lately so I'm making wedding inspiration boards.  (Click on any of the pictures below to view them full size- its worth it if you do).

This first one is specifically for my best friend Jaci's wedding in 2012.  I want to start planning before I leave for Colorado.

Then today at work, I was listening to the Avett Brothers CD and this song came on:


It inspired me to make a board for a January wedding (which somehow turned into a peacock type of theme but I still love it).

As I was searching for items for that wedding, I came across a sunflower invitation that inspired this next board.

I love this kind of thing.  It makes me happy and is a great stress reliever (not to mention its just pretty!)

Post Grad Book #4

I Remember Nothing by Nora Ephron
Finished: December 25, 2010
Page Count: 135
Why I read it:
I heard Nora had a new book out and I LOVE her movies ("When Harry Met Sally", "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail" most notably) so I figured her book must be good.  I was right.

Publisher's Weekly review:
Reading these succinct, razor-sharp essays by veteran humorist (I Feel Bad About My Neck), novelist, and screenwriter-director Ephron is to be reminded that she cut her teeth as a New York Post writer in the 1960s, as she recounts in the most substantial selection here, "Journalism: A Love Story." Forthright, frequently wickedly backhanded, these essays cover the gamut of later-life observations (she is 69), from the dourly hilarious title essay about losing her memory, which asserts that her ubiquitous senior moment has now become the requisite Google moment, to several flimsy lists, such as "Twenty-five Things People Have a Shocking Capacity to Be Surprised by Over and Over Again," e.g., "Movies have no political effect whatsoever." Shorts such as the several "I Just Want to Say" pieces feature Ephron's trademark prickly contrariness and are stylistically digestible for the tabloids. Other essays delve into memories of fascinating people she knew, such as the Lillian Hellman of Pentimento, whom she adored until the older woman's egomania rubbed her the wrong way. Most winning, however, are her priceless reflections on her early life, such as growing up in Beverly Hills with her movie-people parents, and how being divorced shaped the bulk of her life, in "The D Word." There's an elegiac quality to many of these pieces, handled with wit and tenderness. 

What I thought:
I really enjoyed this book- a series of short stories and thoughts.  The first story was called "I Remember Nothing" and was the epitome of my mother, who also remembers nothing.  The stories ranged from a meat loaf being named after her at a friend's restaurant, her love of Teflon pans, a few recipes thrown in, memories of famous people, and my favorite- "Journalism: A Love Story" which really made me happy after 2 years in the Mass Comm program.  I went to Barnes and Noble yesterday to purchase her first book, "I Feel Bad About My Neck" which happened to be on the "Buy 2 get 1 free" table so look forward to 3 new book reviews in the near future (4, actually, since I bought Meghan McCain's book when I bought this one).  I love reading and what better time to do it than when it's so snowy outside?

23 Things To Do Before I Turn 24- The Checklist

1. Take a picture a day for a year (and blog about it here) I tried and made it through August... better than nothing, I suppose

2. Get a really short haircut (Shaynah and I already have it planned)

DONE! May 2011.

3. Go to Washington D.C. for Liz's 21st birthday (to see our aunts and visit Peter!) A bummer that we didn't make it- perhaps next year?

4. Move (either to Colorado or just out of the house)

5. Sky dive!

6. Pay off at least one of my student loans

7. Start a "Colorado Chalet" fund so someday I'll have enough money tucked away to buy that house

8. Wear more skirts and dresses... when the weather cooperates

I have so many dresses and I'm actually wearing them!  Getting the job at VB was the best thing for my dress addiction.

9. Volunteer weekly

It hasn't exactly been weekly but definitely monthly with these bulletin boards, not to mention the walks I've been doing and the food shelf for half the year.  I think I'm doing the right amount of volunteering.

10. Have a mothers/daughters tea with the girls

Our mother/daughter/sister/cousin tea!  That space on the right is for my mom who had a migraine and was napping and Kasi (Jaci's sister) who arrived later.  It was a lovely time!  Hopefully we can do it again this spring and everyone will be able to attend.  January 2011.

11. Road trip!  I don't care where or with whom, I've just never done it

Liz & I drove to Wisconsin Dells, Madison and Chicago for a 4-Day-Weekend!  July 2011

12. Photo shoot

Abby took lovely pictures of me (for the maurices modeling contest) and some fun ones of Heidi and me on Friday.  It was so much fun and exactly what I wanted to do!  I just wish we could have taken pictures all day!  April, 2011.

13. Visit Colorado with someone fun

14. Get a tattoo

15. Father-Daughter date doing whatever my dad wants to do 

Gopher hockey game vs. Michigan State.  I bought the tickets, he picked the game.  November 2010.

16. Make a quilt

17. Have another amazing dinner party

Liz's 21st birthday BBQ, June 2011

18. Make it to all of the Parasole restaurants in the Twin Cities- Manny's Steakhouse, Chino Latino, Salut Bar Americain, Muffuletta, Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse, Good Earth, The Living Room, Prohibition, Burger Jones (I went twice within a week in July but failed to take pictures of either event...), Il Gatto, Uptown Cafeteria

Salut Bar Americain in St. Paul, July 2010

The Living Room and Prohibition bars @ the W Hotel, November 2010

Chino Latino for EmK's 21st birthday, December 2010

Good Earth- Nina and I had breakfast after the St. Jude walk.  It was okay, November 2011.

Pittsburgh Blue- for Trudy and my birthdays this year, January 2012

19. Go camping, even if its just in the backyard

20. Catch a concert at First Ave

Panic! at the Disco = best concert ever,  June 2011

21. Find a drive in movie (and perhaps borrow someone's convertible for an extra awesome experience)

22. Go to the zoo!

Saturday adventure day at the MN Zoo with Tyler, Janelle and Liz, April 2011

23. Stop at the 5-8 Club for a Juicy Lucy (I've been craving one for months)

#12: Thinking about birthdays

I love birthdays.  Lots of people dislike birthdays because it reminds them that they're getting old (and people associate getting old with death which basically makes people associate birthdays with death and that's sad).  I think that its absolutely important to celebrate birthdays as the one day of the year to sit and reflect on all of the things that you did, accomplished, failed or succeeded at in that last year of your life.  Birthdays are an opportunity to gather as friends and families where for that one special day, you're allowed to be the center of attention and not worry about the other things that may be going on in your life. Birthdays are the best.  I love spending time with friends, I love presents (mostly finding that perfect gift for a friend and seeing the look on her face when she opens it), I love an excuse to dress up or go to that fancy restaurant that you've been wanting to try for ages.  I LOVE BIRTHDAYS.


I also love lists.  This lovely blogger wrote a list of 27 things to do before she turned 28 and more recently, 28 things to do before she turns 29.  I'm all about lists like this so I decided to write one as well.  I'm writing my list of 23 things to do before I turn 24 because there's no way I can do 22 things before I turn 23 in a month and a half so I'm looking ahead.  I started this blog with the intention of asking for help (it turns out, coming up with 23 things to do in a year is harder than I thought) but as I've typed this all up, I've thought of more things to do.  


1. Take a picture a day for a year (and blog about it here)
2. Get a really short haircut (Shaynah and I already have it planned)
3. Go to Washington D.C. for Liz's 21st birthday (to see our aunts and visit Peter!)
4. Move (either to Colorado or just out of the house)
5. Sky dive!
6. Pay off at least one of my student loans
7. Start a "Colorado Chalet" fund so someday I'll have enough money tucked away to buy that house
8. Wear more skirts and dresses... when the weather cooperates
9. Volunteer weekly
10. Have a mothers/daughters tea with the girls
11. Road trip!  I don't care where or with whom, I've just never done it
12. Photo shoot
13. Visit Colorado with someone fun
14. Get a tattoo
15. Father-Daughter date doing whatever my dad wants to do 
16. Make a quilt
17. Have another amazing dinner party
18. Make it to all of the Parasole restaurants in the Twin Cities (I may have to cheat a little and count visits starting now but technically, I'll still be doing them before I turn 24)- Manny's Steakhouse, Chino Latino, Salut Bar Americain, Muffuletta, Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse, Good Earth, The Living Room, Prohibition, Burger Jones, Il Gatto, Uptown Cafeteria
19. Go camping, even if its just in the backyard
20. Catch a concert at First Ave
21. Find a drive in movie (and perhaps borrow someone's convertible for an extra awesome experience)
22. Go to the zoo!
23. Stop at the 5-8 Club for a Juicy Lucy (I've been craving one for months)


There you have it- what I think is a totally reasonable list of 23 things to do before I turn 24 (in the year 2012).  I'm excited.  :)


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Current craft: Scarves for soldiers.  I finished one in a day.  I'm moving on to #2 tomorrow.  You can find out more about where I got the inspiration here.
Picture of the week: Celebrating Allison's birthday with just the FAB FIVE at Paint Your Plate.  It was a wonderful day.

#11: Harry Potter World

Ever since we found out that Harry Potter World was opening at the Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando, we knew we were going.  Liz and Sarah (her best friend since forever) started planning early this summer (the park opened in June).  We bought our tickets, I took three days off work and we were ready.  I was trying not to get my hopes up, not wanting to be disappointed if the park didn't live up to my expectations of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.  I was pleasantly surprised by what we found.

Here is our trip in pictures:

Doogle (Sarah's dad) took our picture at MSP before we went through security.  We were excited.

This is our hotel- the Royal Parc Suites in Kissimmee.  We had a suite on the 1st floor with a living room, kitchenette, bathroom and two beds in the bedroom.  The whole hotel was open air so our door opened up into a courtyard with the pool.  It was kind of cool (except the complimentary breakfast was terrible).

We took a shuttle in to the park every morning at 7:40 a.m.  Our bus drivers were different every day and they were hilarious.  We watched "The Lion King" to and from the park on the first day and our favorite bus driver was the second day in the afternoon.  We were watching "Enchanted" and he clearly had seen it a million times and after the "That's How She Knows" musical scene, the bus driver goes (in reference to Patrick Dempsey's character) "His phone's going to ring.  Its going to be Nancy.  Thanking him for the flowers sent by birds!" It was THE FUNNIEST MOMENT of our entire trip and the line we repeated over and over for the rest of the time.

This was as we waited for the gates to open to the Islands of Adventure at 8:30.  Little did we know that as soon as we got through these gates, we'd be stopped in Marvel Comics Land with awful pulsating music until 9 a.m. when the Wizarding World of Harry Potter actually opened.  Two park employees were there to stop us initially (one of their names was Omega- he was cool) but as the crowd turned in to an angry mob, they called in reinforcements and about six park employees ended up holding us back. 

The angry mob in front of us as we walked through Jurassic Park.  When the park employees released us for the park (and tried to walk us down there), they gave us rules: no running, no kicking, no pushing or shoving.  They should have enforced line basics like in 5th and 6th grade.

We held on to each other as we walked with the mob to HPOT because we didn't want to get separated.

Our first glimpse of Hogwarts as we passed through Jurassic Park.  It was AMAZING.

Looking in to Hogsmeade from our place in the Butterbeer line.

Liz's first sip of Butterbeer.  Awesome.

Liz and me in Honeydukes, the candy shop.  It was colorful and lovely and fun, just as we hoped it would be.  We bought chocolate frogs, sugar quills, sherbet lemons, a pumpkin tart and taffy.  It was amazing.

Our picture in front of the Hogwarts Express on the first day.  We took a picture every day (the best was on the last day- see below).

This is what Sarah and I renamed the "Holy Shit" ride (more commonly referred to as the Tri-Wizard Dragon Challenge).  You're strapped in, feet dangling, and go shooting down this track with twists and turns, loop-de-loops and intense speeds.  It was AMAZING and probably one of the most fun rides I've ever been on.  

After the ride, we went in to a shop called Dervish and Banges.  We had to wait in a line to get in and once we entered, it was filled to the brim with people and trinkets, brooms and decorations, robes and wands.  It was so cool and fun to look at- we could have sat in there for an hour and probably not seen every little detail.

The line for the Hogwarts ride was always a 60-minute wait or more.  We played I-Spy the two times we went to wait in that line for the ride that was SO totally worth it.

Inside Hogwarts, there were two choices.  Follow one path to the ride or take a walking tour.  After we went on the ride (a completely baffling experience where you honestly feel like you're flying on a broom with Harry Potter), we took the walking tour to take a better look at the inside of the castle.  These were the talking portraits that actually talked to each other and moved.  They looked just like paintings!

This was in Professor Dumbledore's office- he was up in the balcony talking to us!  It was SO realistic and cool!

We walked in to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom next where the Golden Trio (Harry, Ron and Hermione) introduced us to the ride where essentially they save us from a boring lecture by letting us go fly around the castle where we then run in to a dragon and Dementors and then fly in to a Quidditch game.  

The sorting hat!  The only thing that would have made that better would be if we could have been sorted.  

I love this picture because Liz is honestly smiling for real.  FOR REAL.  That's how happy she was.  Its a beautiful thing.

Day Two: We went on the Flight of the Hippogriff ride (WITH LIZ!).  Liz hates rollercoasters but she went on this one and loved it.  It was a fast but boring rollercoaster but I was proud of her for going on it since she refuses to go on rides anywhere else.

After the ride = all smiles.  :)

Back in Dervish and Banges, this time to try on robes.  Liz almost bought some but its good she didn't because she definitely didn't have room in her suitcase.

Day Two: Hogwarts Express.

Churros were easy to find at the park so Liz was pleased.  This particular purchase was buy one get one half off so Liz enjoyed two feet of churros this afternoon.

Day Three: We tried out Universal Studios (we had park-to-park passes).  It was cool to see that iconic globe (that happened to be misting cool water which was nice due to the Florida heat).

The best part about Universal Studios was this tiny section of the Nickelodeon building where they were playing old Nick cartoon theme songs and you could play a character trivia game.  It brought us back to our childhoods.  I don't know why Liz is making this face (maybe because she was so sad about our favorite shows not being on Nickelodeon anymore?)

Day Three: Hogwarts Express- this time with the conductor!

Back home at MSP, waiting for Sarah's parents (and Jersey) to pick us up.  We left our hotel at 4 a.m. for the airport, left Orlando at 6:30 a.m., made it to Philadelphia around 9:30 then back home at 12:30 p.m.  It was nice to be home because we were so tired and worn out from our trip!

And there you have it- our amazing experience to Harry Potter World.  If I could describe it in one word, it would be: AWESOME.