101 in 1001

Over the weekend the little family and I went and got our very first Christmas tree! Actually, it'll be our only tree for at least the next 5 years since it's fake. I know, I know...a fake tree?? Well, our building manager refuses to let anyone in our complex have a real tree due to fire hazards and such, much to our chagrin. Brett and I were so looking forward to cutting down our own tree and inhaling that wonderful aroma that we have both grown up with that is associated with Christmas pasts and our childhood memories of the winter holidays...*sigh*...maybe one day we will get our real tree. Until then, the fake one will have to do. We spent an entire day searching the shops for ornaments. I wanted to decorate the tree in a specific color scheme - red, white, and silver. Simple, right? Not quite. Every single red ornament that we came across had splashes of gold across it or hung from a gold topper. As much as I tried to avoid it, I ended up having to buy red orbs with gold tops. I think for next year I'll paint them and make them silver.

Anyways, the tree looks fantastic! I tried to take a photo of the entire tree, but they kept turning out like crap. The above photo is the only one that came out semi-ok. So believe me when I say the tree looks fab all wrapped up in white mini lights and in a silver tinsel garland that has holographic snowflakes dangling off of it, with beautiful and shiny orbs of bright red, silver, white, iridescent white, and clear see-through glass (yes, see-through!) in various sizes! And for a touch of pizazz we found disco ball-like ornaments in tiny silver and huge red. Yes, Brett and I are pleased as punch!

As I was sitting back and admiring our tree and the fact that the little one hasn't shown an ounce of interest in trying to attack the tree, my mind reverted back to the list of goals I've been thinking about and writing up for the past few weeks. I mentioned in my last post about how I no longer believe in keeping New Years resolutions (why utterly make them only to be disappointed a month later?) and how I prefer making goals that you can work towards. And I like the idea of making goals whenever, not just at the beginning of a new year (although it makes sense, new year = new start). Then I saw a post that really hit the spot over at Kat's blog, where she also mentioned writing up a list of goals and something called the Day Zero Project. Intrigued, I looked it up. I loved the whole idea of it and decided right on the spot that I too should get involved in this.

The jist of the Day Zero Project: make a list of 101 things you would like to accomplish in 1001 days. Simple, right? And there's no pressure in trying to get that list achieved in a year, cause you have 2 1/2 years to get it done! Brilliant! So I spent a few days writing up my list and yesterday was the start of my 1001 days. I have until September 5, 2012 to accomplish and check off everything on that list. I'm not going to go into detail about everything that's on my list cause I'm just too tired and lazy to type out all 101 things, but a few things on my to-do:

• Re-organize my sewing closet for optimal productivity and keep it tidy for a month!
• Make my own high quality vanilla extract (and actually put the vodka in the bottle, not my mouth!)
• Read 50 books (novels, knitting pattern books don't count! Or any crafting book for that matter!)
• Learn how to knit continental style
• Bake madeleine cookies with the madeleine pan that I had bought at Williams Sonoma the summer I was pregnant and have yet to use
• Quit drinking root beer
• Purchase a vacuum that actually sucks up dirt, not just moves it around
• Sketch in my sketchbook every day for 2 weeks
  

I have more important things that I want to accomplish on that list too, like paying off my MasterCard bill and returning the $300 that my parents loaned me (for reasons I can no longer remember). I read the list to Brett, who is now interested in writing up his own, just to forewarn him that I might get maniacal from time to time (like when it comes time to cleaning up my sewing closet!) and just to get some moral support (so that he doesn't arrive home from work with a few cans of root beer during the first week of my root beer ban!).

Ahhh...wish me luck. I have 1000 more days to go to get my 101 things done!