I'm not going to use the words New Years Resolution on account of fact that they're stupid, and, in my opinion are just one more thing to put pressure on you, but I have been doing some reflection on 2009 and giving thoughts as to what I want to come out of 2010. I'm looking forward to having an amazing year filled with good times with friends and family, watching Louis grow, continuing to take more pictures and learn new recipes, standing next to people I love while they get married, traveling, reading books and exploring this city. What do you want to get out of the new year?
In honor of number five on yesterday's list, not that I really needed reminding, I would like to take a moment to thank you all, my lovely readers, for coming to visit my little blog. I would say this blog is one of the best things to come out of 2009 for me, so thank you for coming along and being a great support system, I'm looking forward to more fun times and inspiration in the new year.
Have a safe and happy holiday, I wish you all the best in 2010!
And don't forget, you can eat all the dust you want! :)
Some of you will roll your eyes and say this is too "new wave", but for those of you who are into this sort of thing, I thought you might enjoy this list from Manoblue Design Blogof tips to bring health, wealth and wellness into your home in 2010.
When I read through the list I was happy to see that I've already got a good start on most of these tips, but I'm going to spend the next couple days getting my apartment and my desk at work cleaned, organized, de-cluttered and in a happy feng shui mode. And I've been meaning to get another plant for my apartment, so this will be a good time to do so. I'm looking forward to this year being a great one.
Bring in health, wealth, success and happiness with these tips:
1. Now is the perfect time to define your objectives and goals for the New Year. A great way to do that is by using a vision board. On it, you can list the things you want to attract to your life with images, photos and words, plus reset your goals and involve the universe.
2. De- clutter and reorganize your home and office. You will feel better and that will help your focus. By emptying your closets and cabinets you will enable fresh new energy and opportunities to flow to you.
Donate and give away to thrift shops, charities and neighborhood organizations. Or sell your old things on Ebay or Craigslist and donate the money.
3. Get your health checked. It is a great time to go visit your family doctor to start the year healthy and full of energy. Toss out old medicines and renew prescriptions.
4. Shop with abandon. Ensure your refrigerator, pantry, canisters, shakers are all full for this New Year. This represents abundance for the year ahead.
5. Review your contact list and ensure it is updated for professional and personal matters, with current phone numbers and addresses. Reach out to people you love to wish them a good New Year.
6. Respect the money in your wallet… and your wallet. Make sure it is not worn out or tattered. By keeping it full, It symbolizes having enough money all year long.
7. Get a new green plant or blooming flowers. They represent rebirth and growth for the New Year. They also symbolize health for you and your family.
8. Make time to dream big. Prepare where you want to go this year, your travels, your vacations, your career changes, even new classes you want to take.
With all the conversation at work lately about people's "holiday weight" and new years resolutions, I thought this video was fitting. Plus, my boss was quoting it this morning and I was laughing hysterically.
For those of you who have never heard of Little Britain, it was a show that ran on the BBC for years and was a spoof/sketch show written and acted by Matt Lucas and David Williams.
It's brilliant.
Anyway, the clip is of the weight loss group "Fat Fighters" that is lead by basically the worst weight loss group leader ever. Enjoy. And see youtube or netflix for more Little Britain... it'll make your day.
There comes a point in the middle of every winter when you wake up in the morning and realize if you have to spend one more minute indoors in your little apartment you'll completely loose your mind. When that happened last winter I packed up the car and headed into the Wisconsin woods. I think it was about ten degrees that day, but I didn't care, the sun was out and the snow was beautiful... and I was OUTSIDE!
The other added bonus of going to Wisconsin for the afternoon? Lunch at Acoustic Cafe and coming home with a case of Spotted Cow beer. Awesome.
The following are some pics of my trip. If I could I would include a sound bite of the dripping water behind this wall of ice, it was beautiful.
Well we did it. We survived the holidays. Actually, the season didn't get too overwhelming this year so I managed to get through it relatively unscathed. Over the past few years my family has pared down the holiday into the most basic and easiest celebration possible, and I'll tell you what, it's awesome. We're all just appetizers, drinks, togetherness and a few gifts thrown in for good measure and I think we're all much happier for it.
But if there was a line out there that determined when I went from regular holiday food and beverage consumption that's over indulgent but still appropriate to completely overboard to the point where I just never need to eat anything else, ever, or have another glass of wine again, I hit it on about Saturday and have been slipping farther away since. And now my body is pissed off. It's looking down it's nose at me angrily with it's arms crossed and it's toe tapping just waiting for me to get my shit together again.
And I'll tell you what body, I'm not even going to wait to make it a new years resolution, I'm starting to make the positive changes today. Well... really... tonight, because I had Taco Bell for lunch. Sorry.
My dad is one of six children and all but one had babies of their own, so I have about, oh, a million cousins on that side of the family. I am the youngest girl and there have been nine births since I was born. All boys. Shown here are the youngest five.
I really can't tell you how much our extended family dynamic has changed since the little boys were born. Our times together, though always fun, are now filled with a lot more chaos, laughter and joy. And we have two more babies on the way. One of whom is lucky number ten, a baby girl.
The snow is coming. The weatherman said so and it's got everyone in this city preparing for quite the storm. And just like that holiday lyric I've heard so many times this season, "and since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow." I feel like since there isn't anywhere I'm going to need to go that's too far away from my apartment I'm looking forward to the storm and all the quiet, cozy comfort it will create for the next two days of holiday celebration.
I just really hope my friends who are traveling are able to make it home safe. And everyone else for that matter.
Um, this circular, Swiss, underground home is just... amazing. I would love to take a tour of it so badly. Maybe stay the weekend. Maybe have some cheese. You can see more pictures here.
This biscuit tin by Sanna Annukka featured recently on Lovely Package is fabulous. It would make a great container to give away home made holiday cookies in once the original biscuits are eaten, but then that would mean you'd have to give it away.
This is what Christmas card photo shoot time looked like at my parents house a couple weeks ago. One of many, many times the house got turned upside down for the perfect shot. It just so happened this corner had the best light that afternoon.
Louis handled the entire shoot beautifully, which really bodes well for him in this family. The sooner you get used to the camera in your face the better.
Can't you just hear my mom talking to him here to get him to smile? It was very high pitched... but it worked.
Can I just tell you how much I love Christmas Card season? I love opening my mail box and finding several cards inside for multiple days in a row. I love reading the notes and looking at the pictures, especially the pictures of the little babies and kids.
I even love going to my parents and reading through their cards. I'm all "Well, you used to work with my mom several years ago and I've never met you, but I can't wait to read what you were up to this year!" Then there's the brother and sister duo who are the children of one of my parents friends who I've never met and I can't remember their affiliation with my parents, but I have literally watched them grow up throughout the years in holiday cards. I'd say they're about in their twenties now. Even with all the snow on the ground, the Salvation Army bells ringing and the Christmas music on the radio, it just never really feels like Christmas until I've seen what those two look like this year.
Another reason I can't wait to be a homeowner is then I'll have a fireplace and dining room table to display my dad's holiday sculptures. Shown here are details of Christmas Eve. As you can see the elves here are getting Santa ready to go. If you ask my cousin's kids what those elves are packing up for Santa to deliver they'd say Buzz Lightyear dolls and Sonic the hedgehog... sounds about right to me.
It's the week of Christmas and Minneapolis is under another coating of snow, so I think we should start our Monday with a little warmth, a little Lake Superior and some serenity of a north shore sunset.
You can read about the origins of Merry Mary Monday here.
While wondering over to Mint this morning I fell in love with this featured installation by artist Anouk Kruithof. 4000 stacked books as installations in galleries in Germany.
There's something about stacked books... whether they're in a full walls worth of bookshelf's (like my aunt and uncle have that's just awesome), at a Barnes & Noble, all the ones I have currently in my closet, or in the middle of a gallery. I just love 'em!
Well I survived the week and now I'm getting pumped for a great weekend. I have a friend in town, a family holiday party, one more present purchase to make, some relaxing to do and a puggle meetup. Sounds like fun to me.
Last night I wanted to do some cooking so I made this tomato soup recipe and it was incredibly good. I wish it was lunch time right now so I could have my leftovers.
This means that the second half of the day will be spent as every Wednesday should be spent but isn't... eating and drinking. Oh how lovely our weeks would be if every Wednesday ended at noon and everyone headed straight to a nice local bar for great food and libations. I would even go so far as to say such a schedule would help moral and thus productivity. Something to keep in mind for when I rule the world someday.
Just kidding... I would not want that job.
Last year at our marketing party the nine of us played a game where we all had to tell the VP our most embarrassing crush (via email) and then she put pictures of them on a sheet of paper and we all had to guess who each persons secret crush was. It was hysterical.
Mine was Philip Seymour Hoffman. That dude is so incredibly talented and is in such great films that I don't even care that he has oddly light colored eyebrows and looks a little like Dennis The Menace done terribly awry.
This is just the most fun game ever. So, dear readers, what are your most embarrassing crushes?
(Aren't you so glad that I keep asking you to comment even though you never do? I hold out hope that some of you will become commenters sooner or later, this subject is just too fun not to comment on.)
I could not stop talking because now I had started my story, it wanted to be finished. We cannot choose where to start and stop. Our stories are the tellers of us.
Little Bee by Chris Cleave
I'm Addie. A graphic designer living in Minneapolis. This blog covers everything that means the most to me including, but not limited to, my puggle, King, art and design, photography, books, music, dating and friends and family. Some of the big things and a lot of the little.
All photos are by me unless otherwise stated. If you see an image that I haven't properly cited, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due. Thanks.
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