24 before 25

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Hi and happy Monday!  I hope you had a great weekend and that you're starting the week feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.  Today I'd like to share the first half of my '24 before 25' list-- a list of 24 things I would like to do before my 25th birthday!  I had originally planned to do the entire list in one post, but it would be way too long.  The second half should be posted by the end of the week. Some of these are goals with a tangible outcome, and others are more internal.  My 24th birthday was back in June, so I have about ten months to accomplish whatever I can from this list.

1. Make a quilt.  I love quilts, I think they are so cozy and comforting.  I also love vintage fabric and I have lots of little scraps that are too small to make clothing or even an accessory out of, but even the smallest scraps should have enough for at least a few quilt squares.  I'm supplementing my vintage scraps with some new fabrics in sweet, charming prints, too.

2. Get back to a regular exercise schedule.  Here is a not-so-secret secret:  I hate exercising!  I hate it!  I hate putting on ugly workout clothes, I hate being sweaty, I hate stopping whatever fun thing I'm doing to go exercise-- there are very few aspects I like.  But I feel much, much better about my health and about life in general when I'm working out (ha-- that makes it sound like I'm very hardcore about it.  Not the case.) on a regular basis.  I'm hoping to get back to doing my cheesy, 80's-tastic DVD workout twice a week and doing yoga (also from DVDs, but somehow much less cheesy due to the lack of neon spandex) three times a week.  

3. Make a wonderful Christmas present for my wonderful boyfriend.  This one is already planned out!  And he knows it's planned out!  Bwahahaha. I inherited my grandmother's affinity for not only plotting what to get or make someone for Christmas absurdly far in advance, but then alerting the recipient so that they have months and months to wonder what it will be.  

4. Continue to make my apartment into a cozy home, particularly by hanging pictures.  I have plaster walls, so I have to use the nailhead version of Command Strips to hand pictures in my hallway, where I am planning to have a gallery wall, and in my kitchen.  I am lucky enough to have picture rail molding in my bedroom and my living room, so the only tools needed for hanging anything on those walls are picture rail hooks and picture hanging wire.  

5. Knit another sweater for myself!  I never shared my finished Twigs and Willows cardigan on the blog because I just wasn't happy with how it turned out, and consequently, I never wear it.  With another year of knitting experience and a lot more knowledge, I would like to knit another sweater and fit it to my own body instead of strictly following a pattern.  I bought the yarn to knit Ink last year at Rhinebeck, and I'm wondering whether it would be too crazy to try to knit it before Rhinebeck this year, which is October 19th and 20th.  Actually, I can answer that question right now:  yes, it would be crazy, because I am currently working on a huge secret knitting project that will probably take another month to finish.  But I might still try.

6. Try more recipes from my collection of cookbooks.  I love cookbooks and I have a nice little collection of them, but I tend to get stuck in a rut of the same dozen or so recipes.  

7. Continue bullet journaling every day.  Ryder Carroll, who invented the Bullet Journal technique, describes it as "the difference between being busy and being productive," and I've definitely found that to be true.  Besides, it's just so satisfying to check off the task boxes.

8. Do more art journaling. My art journal is a place where I can express myself, gather inspiration, work through challenges, and exercise my creativity, and I really enjoy filling it with thoughts and images.  I just haven't been making time for it lately and I miss it.

9. Actually craft and cook from my 'things to make' and 'yummy' boards on Pinterest.  If I pinned it, I must have thought it would be fun or cute or tasty, so why not give it a try?

10.Blog on a regular basis.  I love to read blogs, and I love to share my inspiration and creative endeavors and life experiences with all of you.  It's one of those things that I just have to make the time to do, because I am much happier when I am blogging on a regular basis.  If I managed to blog every day when I was in school at the Fashion Institute of Technology and had virtually no free time at all, I can certainly make a go of it now when I'm working regular hours and not spending my weekends doing homework!

11. Visit the wildlife preserve near my apartment more often.  It's so inspiring to be in a quiet, natural place, especially since I go into Manhattan every weekday for work.  

12. Learn to acknowledge my own needs.  I have always been a nurturing person, and sometimes I put the needs of others before my own a little too readily and often (fellow Cancerians, I know you understand me on this one!).  I can't take care of anyone else if I'm not taking care of myself.  This certainly doesn't mean I'm planning on becoming a self-important egomaniac, of course (ick!),  but I would like to get to find a better balance.

Do you have any goals that you're working on achieving before your next birthday?  Or any time, really!  I'd love to hear about them.  I can't wait to share the rest of my list with you!

♥