101 in 1001

I'm sure you've seen this list done by others all over the 'net. Since I love making lists and setting goals for myself I thought "why not write it down and give myself a specific amount of time to accomplish them?" The official site for 101 Things To DO IN 1001 DAYS says your list should be specific. It can include small and big things so long as it takes some kind of effort on your part to get it done. So, without further ado - here's my list...I still need to add 60 more things!!!

Last Updated: January 14, 2010

1. Get a new blog template that I love. 10/30/09
2. Visit Egypt, again, for my big 3-0.
3. Attend an opera.
4. Make smores the traditional way.
5. Go on a vacation with all of my brothers outside of the province.
6. Start a business (even if only part time).
7. Attend a pottery or ceramic class and make something.
8. Contribute something (time/money) to a non-profit organization.
9. Plant fresh sod and a Jamaican flag at my grandmother's resting place.
10. See U2 in concert.
11. See Bon Jovi in concert.
12. See Celine Dion in concert.
13. See Whitney Houston in concert.
14. See Mariah Carey in concert.
15. Attend a taping of Oprah - with my sister.
16. Go on a safari in Tanzania.
17. Eat seafood from the market in Zanzibar.
18. Perfect a smokey eye.
19. Finish my Molly Sims inspired artwork.
20. Buy a car. Or lease one. Whatevs.
21. Save at least 5-figures.
22. Stay at Peacock Pavilions in Morocco.
23. Visit Italy.
24. Get a proper headboard.
25. Have something upholstered in Schumacher's Chiang Mai Dragon fabric.
26. Find a skincare routine that works!!!
27. Run a marathon...or a half marathon.
28. Take a yoga class.
29. Take a pilates class. 10/30/09
30. Take a krav maga class.
31. Have one of the photos I took in Egypt professionally matted and framed.
32. Get my weight into my ideal weight range - before my 30th birthday.
33. Take a CPR class.
34. Pay tribute to a fallen Canadian solider by standing on the overpass.
35. Take piano lessons - or teach myself to play the piano.
36. Give online dating a try for at least 1 month.
37. Get another tattoo...or two.
38. Go fishing.
39. Build an igloo...or a nice snow fort.
40. Have a photo session with one of my favourite photographers.
41. Make Beef Bourguignon using Julia Child's recipe
42. Host a dinner party (appetizer, main, side, dessert) using recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
43. Meet at least 3 fellow bloggers in-person
44. Since I can't find affordable ones I want - make throw pillows for my sofa
45. Be professionally fitted for a bra
46. Have a spa day (or afternoon) with at least 2 services
47. Get a brazilian (you'll never know if you like it until you try)
48. Increase my credit score by at least 100 points
49. See more of my country by visiting another province/city in Canada
50. Get my drivers license (the full G class)
51. Save $20 for each completed item on this list...at the end go on a vacation (or a shopping spree)
52. Really find out what it would take to start a non-profit & would would be involved in running one successfully
53. Do something that scares me
54. Compete with Howard in an agility challenge (or something else where he competes)
55. Get Howard pet insurance
56. Take an Egyptology class - strictly for me
57. Get renters/home insurance
58. Make 50 recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking
59. Read the Bible
60. Make my family tree (to the best of my ability)
61. Read Wuthering Heights
62. Make a cookbook of family recipes
63. Really organize my digital images, make prints & put them in albums
64. Have a fantastic wardrobe only comprised of pieces I love
65. Get my personal email inboxes down to 10 (I tend to not delete once I've read...)
66. Join (or start) a book club
67. Host a game night
68. Watch 'Gone with the Wind'
69. Wake up at 6:30 a.m. every morning (8 a.m. on weekends) for an entire month
70. Watch 'The Godfather" Trilogy
71. Do research & write up a concise plan of what it will take to open a guesthouse in Egypt
72. Make 3 new friends (0/3)
73. Write the city about opening a dog park in my area & follow up
74. Learn another language (at least conversational)
75. Try 12 new (to me) restaurants in my city (0/12)
76. At a sushi restaurant order something I've never had before
77. Bake a cheesecake from scratch
78. Go to a basketball game with all of my brothers
79. Teach Howard a trick
80. Clean up/delete/update my bookmarks (online)

D.I.Y./PROJECTS

Here's an ongoing list of some of the D.I.Y projects I've completed around my apartment. Some more labour intensive than others ;)

A Quick Chandelier Makeover
Molly Sims Inspired Artwork
My Graphic Pink Hallway
My Black Kitchen Wall
Art Project for the Bathroom (using calendar photo)
Updated Chair
Pine Cones & Twine Cones

...More Blog Lovin'

DECOR & BEAUTIFUL THINGS
A Cup of Joe
Alkemie
Anh Minh
At Home, At Home
Chez Larsson
Decor8
Desire to Inspire
Eddie Ross
Haus Maus
Made By Girl
Magchunk
Nestled In
Pink Wallpaper
Sarah Shift
Soul Pretty
The Order Obsessed


FOOD





PERSONAL





PHOTOGRAPHY






STYLE
Karla's Closet
Song of Style

About Apartment #412...& Me

Hi.

Apartment #412...
...is somewhere in Toronto.
...is a rental.
...is small. Like, just around 600 sq feet (including closets and the 'hall'). If that.
...is a reflection of me.
...makes me happy.
...is my first apartment.
...is filled with DIYs, items I waited until they were on sale to buy, awesome hand-me downs and the occasional yard sale find.
...I can count on one hand the number of things I paid full price for that are in Apartment #412.
...is a continual work in progress.

***

You can call me Kay. I...
...love interior design.
...am a bookworm. Books, magazines...whatever can be read.
...love to travel.
...love history. It was one of my favourite subjects in school. That and English.
...enjoy crappy reality television - probably more than I should.
...like Johnny Depp. No. I love Johnny Depp.
...I also like Maxwell.
...and Brad Pitt. Oy.
...any of 'em would be my ideal mate.
...have a dog who makes appearances on this blog every now and then.
...have taken a liking to photography. I shoot Nikon but may get a Canon Mark II. We'll see.
...have champagne taste but a beer budget. I'd like to think I make it work. (Did you catch the Tim Gunn reference? That goes back to my enjoyment of reality TV).
...am in my 20's. Well, now my late 20's. Don't ask how old. If you pay enough attention you can figure it out pretty easily.

***

This is my blog.

I blog about lots of stuff. Mostly to do with decorating my small apartment but I throw in other stuff for interests sake.

Something you STILL want to know about me or curious about? Email me.

For Book Lovers

Currently Reading (& Next Review):
Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie

To Read:

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Last updated: November 15, 2009

***********

Everyone who knows me well knows that I'm a bookworm at heart. In every sense of the word. I've always loved reading...for as long as I can remember. As cliche as it sounds, reading has the power, I feel, to transport you to a different time. A different place. It's amazing really. A few years ago I had a little thought. "I should open a little bookstore. A comfy, modern, little store that has not only best-sellers but also hard to find books. And I would have little treats out for patrons. And maybe coffee or tea. And I'd definitely have author readings...." I imagined it would be this trendy, hip spot where I could discuss the latest books and give my opinions and recommendations to those in need. I imagined the conversation going something like this:

Patron: "Hi! What a fantastic store you have here. It's so cute - I could sit here all day..."
Me: "Thank you!"
Patron: "Do you have (insert book name here)? I've heard great things about it."
Me: "I do. I actually read it a few weeks ago. It's (insert my opinion here). Have you ever read (insert another book name here)? It really has a similar vibe. But you should read it - it's really good."
Patron: "Thanks. I think I'll grab it. Hey, have you read...."

And so the conversation would continue over shortbread cookies and peppermint tea.

But that fantasy lasted only for so long before I came to my senses and decided there is no way I could compete with the big box bookstores, Amazon, and even the local pharmacies and grocery stores that now sell new releases at 30-40% off the cover price.

So THIS page of the blog is for book lovers. As I finish a book I'll give my own little review and opinion...constantly updating this page. Heck, I may even implement a star system. Star systems are fun. And if you like reading, love reading, or haven't read in a while and are looking for some suggestions - just check this page out. Also, feel free to comment on any reviews I write or to leave book recommendations for me - I'm always looking for something good to read and currently have 3 books on my list.

***********

REVIEW LIST
November 2009

• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown