goodbye double ohh seven.

this year really flew by for me. it seems that the time just goes by more and more quickly, huh?
but.
it was a really good year. :]

i thought about attempting a little re-cap of 2007, but then i realized i've had this blog for the whole year... so most everything has already been documented. how cool is that. :] yeah. i'm really thankful that i kept this thing up.


instead, maybe i'll just try look ahead a bit?
resolutions never work for me... so i'll call these goals instead.

1. throw stuff away. i was putting clothes away tonight, and i realized that i haven't worn over half of the clothes in my closet for over two years. plus, i still have boxes from moving out of my apartment that haven't been touched. definitely time for some purging.

2. take a photo everyday. :] hopefully this will help me use my d80, my lomo camera [that's still in the box], and the holga my brother gave me.

3. cook. i got two cookbooks for christmas, so i'm feeling motivated to try some new recipes.

4. make art everyday. or at the very least every week. :]

four seems like a good place to stop. there's always more to add, but this will be a good place to start.


i guess i should probably head to bed. i won't get much sleep, but oh well. i'm just so excited for the trip tomorrow. i'm nearly packed, but i need something from my car. my garage door broke yesterday, so my car is parked out in the driveway, and i'm too scared to walk outside and get it. ha. silly i know. but i've been freaking myself out tonight. sometimes being alone in this house is just no bueno.

oh. that reminds me. someone called my work today and was speaking in very fast spanish. i was so confused. all i said was "umm... no?" ha. i was trying trying trying to remember some spanish, but not having much luck. finally, i figured out that she wanted to talk to my boss. since they are from argentina, they both speak spanish really well... so well that i hardly know what they are saying when they talk to each other. sometimes i wish i would have kept it up a little better. maybe one day.

well. i'm looking forward to the new year. it's going to be unique because the future isn't really set out... i've always had the routine of school, but soon there will be no more school. how weird is that! so i guess the new year is just full of possibilities. more so than usual. and i'm excited. plus soon i'll be an aunt. so cool. :]

i guess one thing i've learned that has really been evident this year is that so much of life is based on your attitude. it's much healthier [and fun] to have a positive attitude than a negative one, and in having a positive attitude the outcome is generally more positive as well. so basically. i'm feeling positive about the new year. <3

well.

i finally got those last two photos to upload. it's pretty frustrating when things don't work and you have no idea why.

anyway. i actually finished up one of my minis tonight. it's a fun little christmas mini. i'll try to get a photo tomorrow to share. i don't want to battle with the flash and the photo uploader thing anymore. ha. i used mostly love elsie stuff with some products from waste not paper. i recently discovered that the paper moon at the summit has some of their products. i'm a happy girl. :]

i have another christmas mini started, but i need to print some photos for it. i got two ideas, so i just made both. ha. i'll probably make the second one using photos from last year, since i haven't really scrapped them.

i've also finally used some of the fabric i've purchased recently. before christmas, i made my own little custom mini album cover using some chipboard and some fabric i've been hoarding forever. i still haven't filled it up, but it might become the new years mini or... ? you never know. ha. and last night, i sewed a little stuffed animal. it's super cute, but i still have to get something to stuff it with to finish it off. it's not too well made because i was stitching by hand, and my fingers were getting sore. [yep. still no sewing machine for me.] but i figure it gives it some character when it's not perfect. :]

it's been super windy and slightly stormy here. when it gets really windy, my house is a bit scary. especially when i am trying to fall asleep... there is a bush outside my window and the wind makes it scrape against the window. the sound is pretty creepy. [eta: my mom just came out because she can't sleep since the wind is making so much noise. it's just amazing how strong the wind is around here.]

and in keeping with the story of my life... i need to do laundry. ha. really though, i've made my packing list for vegas and i have a couple loads to get done in order to be ready. plus, it's always nice to come home and have clean clothes so you don't have to do laundry right away. ha.

ok. well. maybe i should just turn on some music to drown out the wind and get started on the laundry. maybe a little room cleaning too. :]

finally some photos.

1. a few photos from our one year dinner. i like the third one the best. we made some hearts on the dessert plate. ha. mine is the candy cane one and james' is the chocolate one. :]




















































2. my favorite photo from the nutcracker. it's always interesting to take photos without the flash right? it was nice to see it again. they included local some children in the performance, which was really neat. it's always cute to see tiny little dancers. they are just adorable. but it was a little bit different than the traditional nutcracker. still fun though. [i don't know if james would agree. ha.]













3. some christmas photos. i was having a hard time getting good photos since it was at night. the flash was getting a little crazy. it's just hard to get good photos indoors when there isn't plenty of outside light. ah well. maybe next year i will be a pro at using my d80. ha.





























































4. one last photo of the cutest dog ever. ha. but really... he is pretty cute! [especially when he's asleep in the bean bag chair.]

what in the world.

i just looked at the clock and it's 5am.
how did that happen.
eek.

i hope to have some stuff to share tomorrow. [well. later today i guess. you know what i mean.]
i've been feeling creative finally. [thus not sleeping.]
but. not doing so well on finishing projects before i get an idea and start a new one. ha.
at the very least, i need to post a bunch of photos. :]

goodnight now.
[at least it's still dark.]

merry christmas.

we actually had our family christmas celebration last night so that paul could be with amanda's family today.
the holidays keep getting more and more untraditional for us, but i guess we just have the make the best of it, and be grateful for the opportunities we have... even if they don't follow the traditions of childhood.

i spent most of the day yesterday finishing my shopping. it was a frustrating shopping season for me. but in the end, it worked out. james says i worry and stress too much over choosing gifts. probably true, but i can't help it. i wish i had the time to think of and make handmade gifts for everyone, but it wasn't in the cards this year.

i still have to get a gift for james. i feel bad because he already gave me mine. ack. we went shopping together last week, but didn't buy anything for ourselves. we didn't plan this really, but it worked out because we pointed out things we liked and got great ideas of what each other wanted. the only problem is that yesterday when he went back to get some things for me, he ended up getting a bunch of the things he pointed out to me. ha. i guess he couldn't resist. so now i'm back to not really knowing what to get him.

anyway. after paul arrived, we went to dinner at claim jumper. [yes. very untraditional.] then we opened our presents and had some desserts at home. it turned out to be a pretty good little christmas. :]

i don't have my camera cord, and i have a ton of photos to upload, so once i'm back in reno i'll make a big photo catch up post.

i hope that everyone is having a wonderful christmas day with good food, good people, and good memories. :]

so.

do you like the new look?
i'm thinking about a change for the next year.
we'll see.

random thoughts at 1:43am.

the girl on pimp my ride right now is a scrapbooker.
but.
she does the old school scrapbooking.
but.
the guys are making her trunk into a scrapbooking workspace.
oh. my. goodness.
ha.

i need a new book.
to read for fun. yay.
i finally finished my book from the summer a few weeks ago.
it was so good.
now i'm scared to start another one for fear that it won't be as good as the last one.
ha.

sometimes i think about who my bridesmaids will be.
[no. this does not mean anything about a wedding anytime soon. i've been thinking about this since i was 10 probably.]
i have a list of people in my mind.
i wonder how much that list will change by the time i get married.
i used to think i was going to need like 10 bridesmaids.
but now.
not so much.

i wonder who reads my blog.
the only blog readers that i know of are alyssa and susan.
and of course me. :]
it's fun to look back. especially at posts with photos.
[note to self: add more photos to blog posts.]

i have to be in lab at 9am to set up some real time pcr.
i still have to shower and flat iron my hair.
eek.
it's going to be a night of little sleep.
yes. i *have* to flat iron my hair. i've been having semi-bad days lately, and i think the curly hair has something to do with it.

i also need a haircut.
real soon.
but i'm so nervous.

this afternoon, i was leaving james' apartment and i drove by judson's little green car.
when i used to date dave, i remember seeing judson's little green car at his apartments one night.
weird.
how do i know it's his car?
well.
1. it's pretty unique.
2. USNA sticker on the back.
yeah. it's him. and he never tells me when he visits.
i guess he forgot about me.
and i even used to give him half of my sandwich nearly every time in ap gov.

i'm thinking about getting a book made for my first year of blog posts.
do you think that would be cool or lame?
i can't decide.

well. it's time for the scrapbook trunk reveal.
and. this post is very long and random.
goodnight.
happy friday.

no luck.

i had a very long and frustrating day in the lab today.

partly because i was thinking about the fact that i was supposed to be on my way to san francisco. but. the roads. grr.
don't get me wrong. i really do like the snow. and i don't mind driving in it. but there were delays, and chain requirements, and closures, and that's definitely not fun to drive in. :/

afterwards, i tried to find some presents. i went to so many stores. and nothing. nada. no luck.
i did not come home with a single thing.

and really. how easy would shopping be if only i was in the city!

grr.
my family just needs to tell me what they want!

so tomorrow... i guess i get to try again.