Friday, February 27, 2015
One Little Word | Sparkle 2015
My word for 2015 is sparkle and to document my journey, I'm taking a monthly photo with sparklers.
This month was so much better than January.
This month I turned 26.
This month I began to feel more comfortable in my new job.
This month we made progress in the wedding.
This month we took action for our future and met with a realtor and planned out what we need to do to the house before we are ready to move to our new home.
This month I brainstormed some project ideas.
This month I started doing yoga again.
This month D told me we didn't have to celebrate Valentine's Day because every day is special.
This month was February and I'm so happy to experience it.
Monday, February 23, 2015
101 in 1001 | The End
Start Date: May 27, 2012
Finish Date: February 22, 2015
Days Left: 0
Percent Complete: 67%
Completed: 67
In Progress: 10
Still to Go: 24
I've learned I have a love/hate relationship with the project. On one side, I'm sad this project is over because I love the idea of this project and there are still things on this list I want to do. On the other side, I've been doing this project for almost three years, there are things on here that no longer interest me, and I'm so over it. I think I've learned that I like a more yearly approach to goals. Life changes so fast on just a monthly basis, it's hard to determine what you should be spending your time doing when it's 2 years in the future.
When I started this project I was 23 years old, just started my first big girl job. Realizing that life is fragile and still trying to embrace this new normal that had been my life for 2 years. Now, I'm 26, planning a wedding to man who I didn't know even existed when I began this project, working at a different job, and still realizing life is fragile, but embracing the unknown. So much has stayed the same and yet so much of my life has changed (mostly for the better).
So here is my final list. Who knows, I may decide to do this project in a few years down the road, but for now, I'm liking more attainable yearly goals. I think I'll stick with that for the time being.
Completed:
1. Get a job :: May 7, 2012
2. Develop a bill station :: May 27, 2012
3. Put flowers on the graves of my deceased family members :: May 28, 2012
4. Grow carrots :: June 16, 2012
5. Plant a tree for Earth Day :: June 24, 2012
6. Make a playlist of 26 songs A-Z :: June 30, 2012
7. Play bingo :: July 6, 2012
8. Search for a rainbow on a rainy day :: August 8, 2012
9. Watch 5 Disney movies to discover what I missed during my childhood :: August 12, 2012
10. Buy a new lens for my camera :: August 21, 2012
11. Photograph a wedding :: August 25, 2012
12. Buy a new phone :: September 21, 2012
13. Have a Godfather marathon :: October 27, 2012
14. Learn to make cheesecake :: October 28, 2012
15. Go wine tasting :: November 3, 2012
16. Vote in the next election :: November 6, 2012
17. Don’t eat fast foot for a month :: November 27, 2012
18. Send Christmas Cards :: December 21, 2012
19. Have a game night with family :: December 21, 2012
20. Watch all the Best Picture Oscar Movies :: December 28, 2012
21. Take one photo a day for a year :: December 31, 2012
22. Go to the Kansas City Aquarium :: January 12, 2013
23. Get a Massage :: March 23, 2013
24. Visit a State I’ve Never Been to Before :: March 26, 2013
25. Go to the Omaha Zoo :: March 26, 2013
26. Visit a butterfly sanctuary :: March 26, 2013
27. Grow tulips :: March 27, 2013
28. Don’t eat sweets for 2 weeks :: April 15, 2013
29. Answer the 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind :: April 19, 2013
30. Ride a roller coaster :: May 11, 2013
31. (Donate hair to Locks of Love) Try a new hair style-cut :: June 6, 2013
32. Start an herb garden :: June 8, 2013
33. Make pizza from scratch :: June 10, 2013
34. Paint a piece of furniture :: June 25, 2013
35. Visit Mall of America again :: June 29, 2013
36. Visit my childhood home :: June 30, 2013
37. Visit a lighthouse :: July 1, 2013
38. Visit a waterfall :: July 2, 2013
39. Go to a fireworks show on the Fourth of July :: July 4, 2013
40. Take a yoga class :: July 28, 2013
41. Take an online class (Originally Ali Edwards’ 31 Things Class. Never completed; iPhone Photography) :: August 7, 2013
42. Watch all the Best Actor Oscar Movies :: August 21, 2013
43. Adopt an animal :: September 27, 2013
44. Be in a parade :: September 28, 2013
45 . Paint the front porch :: October 19, 2013
46. Go to a high school football game :: November 16, 2013
47. Go to a concert :: November 21, 2013
48. Do Ali Edwards’ One Little Word Project in 2013 :: December 30, 2013
49. Create and keep a gratitude journal for 1 year :: January 1, 2014)
50. Do Project Life in 2013 :: January 3, 2014
51. Send a letter to someone living outside of the United States :: February 21, 2014
52. Eat 3 things I’ve never tired before :: March 1, 2014
53. See a Cirque de Soleil show :: March 7, 2014
54. Volunteer at a soup kitchen :: April 10, 2014
55. Go to World War I museum in Kansas City :: April 12, 2014
56. Visit 5 museums :: April 12, 2014
57. Have a yard sale :: June 6, 2014
58. Go on a family vacation :: July 18, 2014
59. Visit the Northwest :: July 22, 2014
60. Go on a picnic :: July 24, 2014
61. Find a personally inspirational quote and work in into a piece of art :: August 6, 2014
62. Try 5 new local restaurants :: August 14, 2014
63. Go on a hike :: September 7, 2014
64. Stay up and watch the sunrise :: September 16, 2014
65. Get engaged :: September 16, 2014
66. Pick pumpkins :: October 4, 2014
Completed:
1. Get a job :: May 7, 2012
2. Develop a bill station :: May 27, 2012
3. Put flowers on the graves of my deceased family members :: May 28, 2012
4. Grow carrots :: June 16, 2012
5. Plant a tree for Earth Day :: June 24, 2012
6. Make a playlist of 26 songs A-Z :: June 30, 2012
7. Play bingo :: July 6, 2012
8. Search for a rainbow on a rainy day :: August 8, 2012
9. Watch 5 Disney movies to discover what I missed during my childhood :: August 12, 2012
10. Buy a new lens for my camera :: August 21, 2012
11. Photograph a wedding :: August 25, 2012
12. Buy a new phone :: September 21, 2012
13. Have a Godfather marathon :: October 27, 2012
14. Learn to make cheesecake :: October 28, 2012
15. Go wine tasting :: November 3, 2012
16. Vote in the next election :: November 6, 2012
17. Don’t eat fast foot for a month :: November 27, 2012
18. Send Christmas Cards :: December 21, 2012
19. Have a game night with family :: December 21, 2012
20. Watch all the Best Picture Oscar Movies :: December 28, 2012
21. Take one photo a day for a year :: December 31, 2012
22. Go to the Kansas City Aquarium :: January 12, 2013
23. Get a Massage :: March 23, 2013
24. Visit a State I’ve Never Been to Before :: March 26, 2013
25. Go to the Omaha Zoo :: March 26, 2013
26. Visit a butterfly sanctuary :: March 26, 2013
27. Grow tulips :: March 27, 2013
28. Don’t eat sweets for 2 weeks :: April 15, 2013
29. Answer the 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind :: April 19, 2013
30. Ride a roller coaster :: May 11, 2013
31. (Donate hair to Locks of Love) Try a new hair style-cut :: June 6, 2013
32. Start an herb garden :: June 8, 2013
33. Make pizza from scratch :: June 10, 2013
34. Paint a piece of furniture :: June 25, 2013
35. Visit Mall of America again :: June 29, 2013
36. Visit my childhood home :: June 30, 2013
37. Visit a lighthouse :: July 1, 2013
38. Visit a waterfall :: July 2, 2013
39. Go to a fireworks show on the Fourth of July :: July 4, 2013
40. Take a yoga class :: July 28, 2013
41. Take an online class (Originally Ali Edwards’ 31 Things Class. Never completed; iPhone Photography) :: August 7, 2013
42. Watch all the Best Actor Oscar Movies :: August 21, 2013
43. Adopt an animal :: September 27, 2013
44. Be in a parade :: September 28, 2013
45 . Paint the front porch :: October 19, 2013
46. Go to a high school football game :: November 16, 2013
47. Go to a concert :: November 21, 2013
48. Do Ali Edwards’ One Little Word Project in 2013 :: December 30, 2013
49. Create and keep a gratitude journal for 1 year :: January 1, 2014)
50. Do Project Life in 2013 :: January 3, 2014
51. Send a letter to someone living outside of the United States :: February 21, 2014
52. Eat 3 things I’ve never tired before :: March 1, 2014
53. See a Cirque de Soleil show :: March 7, 2014
54. Volunteer at a soup kitchen :: April 10, 2014
55. Go to World War I museum in Kansas City :: April 12, 2014
56. Visit 5 museums :: April 12, 2014
57. Have a yard sale :: June 6, 2014
58. Go on a family vacation :: July 18, 2014
59. Visit the Northwest :: July 22, 2014
60. Go on a picnic :: July 24, 2014
61. Find a personally inspirational quote and work in into a piece of art :: August 6, 2014
62. Try 5 new local restaurants :: August 14, 2014
63. Go on a hike :: September 7, 2014
64. Stay up and watch the sunrise :: September 16, 2014
65. Get engaged :: September 16, 2014
66. Pick pumpkins :: October 4, 2014
67. Do Week in the Life :: 2014
In Progress: (10)
Do 10 projects from my Pinterest Board 6/10 (10 projects planned)
Forty Bags in 10 Months (15/40)
In Progress: (10)
Do 10 projects from my Pinterest Board 6/10 (10 projects planned)
Forty Bags in 10 Months (15/40)
Go whale watching | Item planned for the honeymoon.
Have a John Hughes movie marathon
Make a collection of 25 black and white photos (3/25)
Read 50 books (16/50)
Try 40 new recipes (29/40)
Watch all the Best Actress Oscar Movies 64/86
Watch all the Best Supporting Actor Oscar Movies 34/78
Watch all the Best Supporting Actress Oscar Movies 33/78
Have a John Hughes movie marathon
Make a collection of 25 black and white photos (3/25)
Read 50 books (16/50)
Try 40 new recipes (29/40)
Watch all the Best Actress Oscar Movies 64/86
Watch all the Best Supporting Actor Oscar Movies 34/78
Watch all the Best Supporting Actress Oscar Movies 33/78
Still to Go: (24)
Build a blanket fort and sleep in it
Clean out the garage
Complete a 5000 piece puzzle
Donate blood
Go back to Washington DC with the family
Go horseback riding
Go to a drive in Movie Theater
Go to a midnight showing of a movie
Go to a show in Branson
Go to a tulip festival
Go to Shatto Dairy farm with the family
Have a pancake dinner reunion
Learn how to mow the lawn on the tractor
Make a quilt
Make my own ice cream
Meal Plan
Paint a wall an outrageous color
Pay for the person behind me at a drive-thru
Read a chapter in the bible every night for a week
See the Pacific Ocean
Take a cake decorating class
Take a hot air balloon ride
Take a pottery class
Travel to Hawaii
If you want to see my progress go here.
If you want to start your own 101 in 1001, go here.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Project Life Week 51-52
Week Fifty One | The big event of the week was our engagement photos. So love how they turned out!
Week Fifty Two | So much going on this week. Last minute shopping, cookie decorating, Secret Santa with the girls, and Christmas. So much goodness!
I included an insert from Christmas.

The last insert is this year in review from this post.
Now on to 2015! Yes, I've been slowly working on it. I haven't decided if I'll share it on here or not. Does anyone want me to continue sharing on the blog?
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
December Daily Day 20-25
I'm so excited I can finally share the rest of my December Daily book. On day 20, D and I had our engagement photos. (Thus the reason it took so long to share...waiting for the proofs and then getting the prints once we picked them out.) I'm so in love with these photos...and D too!
Day 20 | Engagement photos. This is going to be awesome to look back on years later!
Day 21 | Today was a slow day and I watched Love Actually...twice.
Day 22 | Shopping day with my mom was perfect!
Day 23 | D took decorating cookies to a whole new level.
Day 24 | Christmas Eve. Every year I've done this project I've done an under the Christmas tree shot.
Day 25 | Celebrated with my parents in the morning. Celebrated with D's family in the afternoon. And celebrated with D's extended family in the evening.
Monday, February 16, 2015
12of12 | February 2015
01. Getting ready in the morning. I hate drying my hair so I pass the time by reading email, pinterst, instagram, etc.
02. Miss Abby saying goodbye to me this morning.
03. All ready for work.
04. We have the best view of the sunrise from our garage door.
05. Meeting D for lunch at work. Today marks 1 month at my new job.
06. Afternoon coffee break.
07. Really pushing my luck. I almost never let it get this low.
08. Yoga goodness. It's be far too long since my last class. Hopefully this will start up my weekly routine again.
09. Spent the evening at D's so Rory and I played.
10. Dinner.
11. Back home doing the nightly routine.
12. Goodnight Thursday.
02. Miss Abby saying goodbye to me this morning.
03. All ready for work.
04. We have the best view of the sunrise from our garage door.
05. Meeting D for lunch at work. Today marks 1 month at my new job.
06. Afternoon coffee break.
07. Really pushing my luck. I almost never let it get this low.
08. Yoga goodness. It's be far too long since my last class. Hopefully this will start up my weekly routine again.
09. Spent the evening at D's so Rory and I played.
10. Dinner.
11. Back home doing the nightly routine.
12. Goodnight Thursday.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Wedding Update | 8 Months
Umm hello, how do we only have 8 months till we say I DO? I'm beginning to freak out a little bit after doing absolutely no planning for 2+ months. It really started to settle in last week which jump started some more planning. Thank goodness!
We received our engagement photos (one of them is above) and got some of them printed off. Still waiting to get the disk with all of the photos. We scheduled the DJ and signed the contract. And this past weekend we went bridesmaid dress shopping. Only 2 of the 5 girls live in the same state that I do so they went with me to try on dresses and I think we found the one! Still waiting for the other girls to try it on and give us the okay, but so far they like it!
All good things! Hopefully we will have our save the dates out before the next update. And major advancements in the caterer. I think that one is the hardest task yet.
Before you know it I'll be sharing wedding photos!
EEKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!
Monday, February 9, 2015
26
Week Six
February 4, 2015
And just like that I'm 26.
And for a fun little throwback. Every year I get these clown ice cream cones for my birthday. I pulled up some old photos to see how they differed through the years because we didn't remember the chocolate cookie on the bottom and it seemed like this one had a lot more frosting. Unfortunately, we didn't have any photos of the old clowns that were uneaten.
Crazy to think these photos are 21 years apart.
My 5th birthday is on the left, my 26th birthday is on the right.
Friday, February 6, 2015
One Little Word | Sparkle 2015
My word for 2015 is sparkle and to document my journey, I'm taking a monthly photo with sparklers.
This month really challenged me to sparkle. The beginning of the month was alright, nothing too special. I did have a moment during this photo shoot with my mom. She helped me take the photo by lighting my sparkler and pushing the shutter. This photo took about four takes and when she saw the outcome of the first photo and saw the joy on my face, she said, "Thank you for bringing so much laughter and joy to our lives."
I began a new job this month and the transition has been a little strange. My boss was out after having surgery and my position is brand new and no one really knew what I was supposed to do. He came back this week and things are beginning to feel a little more normal. The atmosphere is just so different from my other job as well. It's been a lot to get used to.
D and I had a few little hiccups.
I had the flu (or food poisoning) during our 2 year anniversary.
And then the month ended with D's birthday and we had an amazing lunch date at my favorite restaurant. It was awesome!
Thursday, February 5, 2015
The Weekend Lens | His Birthday and Snow
This last Saturday was D's birthday. To celebrate we went to Macaroni Grill, my favorite restaurant. (We were originally going to go last weekend for our two year dating anniversary, but I got sick with the flu.)
After a late lunch, we went shopping for a bit and then headed home a little early to beat the snow that was expected. It's a good thing we left when we did because the snow began right as we got into town. It snowed and snowed for hours. We even lost power for about an hour at 1am. (D was up watching True Detective, I was asleep.)
When we woke up it was still snowing. Big, huge, flakes. It was absolutely beautiful! And it snowed for the rest of the day Sunday.
And just a few days ago we had 60 degree weather. But I'm secretly happy that winter finally showed up!
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
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