tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38576225645741900102024-02-06T21:06:42.258-05:00Precocious & PrecariousThe time-sensitive adventures of a 20-something misfit...Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-80089235777931136372011-05-14T22:54:00.003-04:002011-05-14T23:08:07.879-04:00#3 - Give a lottery ticket to a stranger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJQFMSl1KeESPCxnT608ZjXP_Pf55BGaFEElnh2iRGRHVyF5zlBno8wJzsv9mzhFEjpBfZ90gsZDfYwXFuhRUMmEhXWzSROfHZ4kZVQLeLeBQrJlhVc1b4Bznwnqp-1GD-hR3Nf54TbJJ/s1600/Lottery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150px" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJQFMSl1KeESPCxnT608ZjXP_Pf55BGaFEElnh2iRGRHVyF5zlBno8wJzsv9mzhFEjpBfZ90gsZDfYwXFuhRUMmEhXWzSROfHZ4kZVQLeLeBQrJlhVc1b4Bznwnqp-1GD-hR3Nf54TbJJ/s200/Lottery.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">This wasn't as easy as it seemed I assure you. First of all, it's so mundane, that I actually kept forgetting to do it. Then there's the talking to a complete stranger aspect of it... it gives me anxiety just thinking about it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyways, last night I'm paying for my gas (we can talk about how Wall Street and the oil companies are raping us with their gas prices another day) and it strikes me - "I can actually cross something off my list right now!" So, I get 2 lottery tickets. And as I'm walking away from the register, I notice the lady behind me is this sweet middle-aged indian woman, a plain Jane (in the nicest way possible), just another person in the line - the perfect recipient. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I muster up all my courage (because I know I'm about to look crazy) and I say "This is going to sound crazy... but here, this is for you and I hope you win." She looks at me like I'm crazy - of course... and I walked out... what a rush! I don't know if it was the good deed or the fact that everyone was looking at me like I had 8 eyes, but I felt great! Like, what if she wins!?!? I could've just paid her kids university tuition, or helped out with the household expenses or paid for her daughters wedding! I felt sooooo good. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Before I could drive off though, she ran out of the gas station and up to my car to ask me how she could contact me if she wins. I told her I didn't want her to contact me, I just wanted her to do something good for someone else if she won, and she told me I was the nicest person she ever met... So that felt nice. She got into her mini-van and I noticed the young children inside, and at that point I really truly prayed that she was holding the winning ticket. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyways, if she does win... that's amazing... really, really amazing. And I hope that she pays it forward and does something nice for someone else. I can only hope that that small gesture has some type of impact on hers or someone else's life - profound or not, some type of impact would be nice. The idea that I could've started a chain reaction of good deeds and selfless acts really makes me smile. The only thing I regret is... not getting the Extra. I don't even want to think about it. I cheaped out on the extra dollar and could have potentially cost her millions of dollars... Oh how I hope that's not the case! I would hate for my momentary lapse in judgement (a.k.a. my cheap-ness) to result in her missing out on a life-changing event.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Anyways, aside from the personal satisfaction I gained from actually doing it, crossing it off the list is just as satisfying, so here it goes... <strike>#3 "Give a lottery ticket to a complete stranger (and don't check the numbers)</strike></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">'Til next time my little misfits... behave and be safe! xoxo</span>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-88231040016793141112011-04-12T22:12:00.000-04:002011-04-12T22:12:38.489-04:00I'm terrible... but I didn't shop!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Thought I forgot about you? Not really... There's been a significant change in my personal life in the last few months which has kept me pretty distracted (in a good way). I wanted to enrich my life with these new experiences, and this new "distraction", while it wasn't on my list, has certainly enriched my life, so I can't beat myself up for not updating the blog. I'm back on the wagon though, so here we go.</span><br />
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<strike><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">#38 - No shopping for 2 months! </span></strike><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You guys should actually be grateful I didn't blog about this real-time because it got pretty ugly at times. From January 6th, 2011 through April 6th, 2011 I DID NOT SHOP! Yup, I exceeded my timeframe and didn't shop for 3 whole months. I limited my expenses to necessary car repairs & maintenance (which included 1 oil change, countless gas refills, 1 tow, 1 tire explosion/replacement, 2 new windshield wipers because the old ones were down to the metal, and the official removal of the belly pan because it half fell off at 120 km/hr on Highway 15 and started sparking up the road), food, alcohol, only necessary toiletries (specifically deoderant, toothpaste, soap and make-up remover - all of which are socially required) and a coffee machine because my old one broke, and if you've ever met me without at least 2 cups of coffee in me, you know why that was a must. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So what did I learn from the experience? Lots. I learned I actually do have self-control - which those closest to me didn't think was possible when it came to shopping. I learned I spend too much money on things I don't need. There is no need for 10 white shirts that all look the same, or 11 pairs of jeans that I barely wear, and do I actually need 8 pairs of black leggings? I learned that my attitude towards shopping (and money for that matter) was "It's my money that I work hard for, so I'll do what I please with it", it was almost an attitude of spite - towards what? I don't know. I do work hard for my money, and I should do what I please with it, but it's also important to be REASONABLE (a word that I would never have combined in the same thought or same sentence as "shopping"). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The reality of the matter is that I really do love clothes... and shoes... and make-up... and perfume... and purses and jewelery/accessories, and not shopping at all is unrealistic for me on a go-forward basis. I like to look good, because when I think I look good, I feel better about myself, and when I feel better about myself I'm simply more pleasant to be around - there just have to be limits to my extravanganzas. First of all, every shopping trip doesn't have to be an <em>extravaganza </em>(believe it or not!). Second, I don't need to shop 2 to 3 times a week. And third, I should think about my purchases before actually buying them (like trying stuff on would be a good start, or making sure I'm not buying something for 1 outfit or 1 occasion). All in all, I'm glad I did, but let me tell you, I hit up Zara and H&M first thing Saturday morning and it felt great!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For effect, I tried to create an image of all the tags from the stuff I'd purchased on January 5th (my last shopping day, which was just a regular Wednesday, after all my boxing shopping had been done and after I'd received everything I wanted for Christmas) and an image of the much fewer tags from Saturday's return to the shopping world, but it's not working! So I'll have to work out the kinks and geet back to you on that.</span>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-89006629332501678542010-10-15T21:38:00.002-04:002010-10-15T22:14:25.204-04:00# 8 - Name a Star (& other unrelated ramblings)<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I've been staring at the screen of my laptop for days (or what feels like days) wondering what I'm going to blog about. To be honest, I'm doing a bunch of stuff on the list at the same time, but not finishing much of anything... and it's giving me anxiety! I alternate between studying my photography course material (#5); knitting that damned scarf (#10); reading a book a month (#24) - which by the way I'm still on book 1 in month 2 - not good; starting to learn Italian (#15) and I haven't crossed anything off my list for a while. Then again, it's about the "experience" and not just checking things off the list, right?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuQFDIzVEJyEZmH77zMDoNb_tSJ-hwspUDWTzAH5SJa_JW_P2aLOdFYjleJzRppWvtHeLlN8pXcTsz4kP28LbOCqDy43mcueoL0mgEFqJlZ2yQvKGM4omWF-fU1LTKx6tvx4lmyMcirzc/s1600/constellation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ex="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuQFDIzVEJyEZmH77zMDoNb_tSJ-hwspUDWTzAH5SJa_JW_P2aLOdFYjleJzRppWvtHeLlN8pXcTsz4kP28LbOCqDy43mcueoL0mgEFqJlZ2yQvKGM4omWF-fU1LTKx6tvx4lmyMcirzc/s320/constellation.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">So I thought I'd give myself some instant statisfaction and knock one out right now... # 8 - Name a Star. Found a place online <a href="http://www.nameastarlive.com/">http://www.nameastarlive.com/</a> (free advertising - I should get my star on the house!), and for only $19.95 I get to name a star in the constellation of my choosing <em>and</em> I get a personalized certificate. I <em>cannot</em> buy the star, however, which is a good thing on many levels... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">First off, what would I do with a star? It's not like I can actually put it in my pocket and save it for a rainy day. Then there's the fact that I already have a shopping "problem" - I don't need to elaborate on this one since I'll eventually get to # 38 (No shopping for 2 months! Ya, that'll be interesting - I should pre-order the valium now). Lastly, there's the fact that you really <em>shouldn't</em> be allowed to buy a star. They kind of belong to everybody, and kind of to nobody at the same time. And this last point is what brings me to my dilemma of naming a star... why the hell did I put this on the list? What did I think I was going to gain from this? It's not like I'll live forever through the star - is that what I thought? Does the symbol of naming a star make people feel eternal, like even after they leave this earth, when people look up at the sky, that somehow they'll be there in that moment too? Is that ridiculous? I don't know. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">To be honest, it sounded like such an easy thing to do... But, reading further into the website, they explained that they will "launch my star name into space" - What?!? What does that even mean? Like how do you launch something so intangible as a name into space? Well, they save the data ("celestial archive" as they call it) onto a computer chip and then when they're launching either a commercial or scientific rocket or satellite or whatever, they basically just put the computer chip on board. LOL! Now <em>THIS</em> is ridiculous. It's kind of a turn off how cheesy and pointless it is. So really, the $19.95 I'm paying is in some way funding their space missions - and I'm not OK with that. I kind of feel like it's drug money or something equally unethical. I have no idea what their space missions are all about, why would I give them money? For all I know, they're plotting something evil or spying on us from outer-space. Maybe they're in cahoots with hostile extra-terrestrials and planning to blow up the world and are just practicing their escape route and I'm supporting them by naming a star for $19.95. That's it, I will have no part in the end of the world, I'm looking up another company.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">(Time Elapsed: Like 5 minutes)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Oooh! I like this one... <a href="http://www.starregistry.ca/">http://www.starregistry.ca/</a> It's Canadian which is always a good thing, but it's way more expensive (further leading me to believe that the previous website was up to no-good shenanigans), $100 for the basic package! Same sort of thing, certificate, sky chart and an astronomy book. These people seem way more "legit" though... as in they're not in cahoots with evil ET. But do I really want to spend $100 on a piece of paper? I mean I know that this is a symbol, just a novelty item even. No scientist will ever refer to the star as "Lise's star" or whatever clever name I come up with, they have all these alpha-numeric codenames that are no fun. It won't actually be officially recognized by anyone other than myself. And there are thousands of name-a-star companies out there probably renaming the same stars over and over. It's such a load of crap, but what a money-maker! Ahhh, I'm so torn on the matter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">So - now here's the important question - however I do it, what do I name my star?</span>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-80357775935058189502010-10-04T23:12:00.001-04:002010-10-04T23:32:48.493-04:00Busy Hands are Happy Hands!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh my... It's been 2 weeks since I last posted any progress! So tonight you get a double update.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Let's start with the easy stuff, #46 - Paint a painting. I've been toiling away, getting my hands dirty and ruining more canvases (please refer to post of Sept 9th for examples of how exactly to ruin a canvas in the first place). But! In my quest for the Picasso in me, I actually painted something I'm proud of. And I think I can officially cross this one off the list... Drum roll please... ... ... I said drum roll please! (Seriously, do it. Out loud. Give me a drum roll)... <strike>Paint a painting</strike></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz-cGvQOwUDwwA3263nmOr5RRMhHslaakiyw8Msak5CfhJYhEOqugTzzAyLzmZUOVtMstsHp7P0wP2pvAUhj_fwGZ5hh3WQhjLlSuBys0VmqsvNwFczj1vnGCuayg64KpRCrHV7aUDANW/s1600/100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRz-cGvQOwUDwwA3263nmOr5RRMhHslaakiyw8Msak5CfhJYhEOqugTzzAyLzmZUOVtMstsHp7P0wP2pvAUhj_fwGZ5hh3WQhjLlSuBys0VmqsvNwFczj1vnGCuayg64KpRCrHV7aUDANW/s400/100.JPG" width="267" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Plus I've got this work in progress on the go...</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWomMMTFZWsHsC89nQwg6fV2omumMfVk4x0hqTXJv_zgTHmdLm6xFWlSiLgU2NypxUA2tDph_K00CnHnhNq7HJ9olbKS0ldopU3OByVjZ8D7rbPUEuN_sEUbiJk8MdQcLx4rQI98j9NeME/s1600/101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWomMMTFZWsHsC89nQwg6fV2omumMfVk4x0hqTXJv_zgTHmdLm6xFWlSiLgU2NypxUA2tDph_K00CnHnhNq7HJ9olbKS0ldopU3OByVjZ8D7rbPUEuN_sEUbiJk8MdQcLx4rQI98j9NeME/s320/101.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">So while I may not be the next Monet, I definitely accomplished what I set out to do. And in the spirit of this blog, what did I gain from this experience?</span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I actually really enjoy painting and I don't have to be good at it to enjoy it. It helps me relax and "check out" for a little while.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Do not pour dirty paint water down the bathroom sink. It WILL filthy-up the prestine white ceramic and WILL require scrubbing and more effort than I care to invest.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I have to be the messiest painter in the world.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I like painting clouds.</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Alright folks, onto update number two, # 10 - Knit a scarf. Now I definitely thought this was going to be easier than it is. I watched a few You Tube videos (One of them I literally watched 70 times. Play. Pause. Rewind. Wait - How did she make that knot? Play. Which string? What hoop? Pause. Rewind. And so it went on for hours.) Eventually I made 2 little practice patches... </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xSKCpy3a-x2N67l3aZeFv9In0PlB1PaRks-HgCPGsKZE1FyARc7wxanKOjK2azgLI60nfTaHUJTvjBafy0SKnqdVjM9dmRYpxJg4F0s1NAD3NLcs1DyNU1DcuJ0TaOfbnpX_biRzW41C/s200/105.JPG" width="200" /> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And so, in my head these 2 little trial runs make me ready for the big leagues. The pattern I posted 2 weeks ago really was too complicated. So I figured I would go straight knit stitch, 40 stitches across, however many rows was long enough. And this is what I came up with...</span></div> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXA0xlbjLsQxdpMVIE374tFuRrZjhurrJTUnCQ_IENOr_xm16QYYHMD1Gg4Oym8Sg7Qxdv2UTyzOXosVoonn18lTNgexmFGeRzCGZzz0qc0bpzft0_PdLDxN81_BZ9SO80sQNutd0xfzcs/s1600/106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXA0xlbjLsQxdpMVIE374tFuRrZjhurrJTUnCQ_IENOr_xm16QYYHMD1Gg4Oym8Sg7Qxdv2UTyzOXosVoonn18lTNgexmFGeRzCGZzz0qc0bpzft0_PdLDxN81_BZ9SO80sQNutd0xfzcs/s200/106.JPG" width="200" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Take 1</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A little crooked... Had I continued it would've been some crazy cyclone scarf by the end. So onto to take 2...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpJKX4CLAd0knX69CFGnasVrNcOGv1bq6PH7d8hYMZY8Z9MSZv0JGVLWgJOeqmG-krzWGdKWclq4PYkY3_PptQOCcjiZWmiE7FlfsEAAacYVXcZeRy4g4ojMsq8N2fhHd2dPKohdJvje7/s1600/107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpJKX4CLAd0knX69CFGnasVrNcOGv1bq6PH7d8hYMZY8Z9MSZv0JGVLWgJOeqmG-krzWGdKWclq4PYkY3_PptQOCcjiZWmiE7FlfsEAAacYVXcZeRy4g4ojMsq8N2fhHd2dPKohdJvje7/s200/107.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Take 2</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Take 2 just kept getting wider and wider and wider. What started off as 40 stiches wide, got to about 51 and probably would've eventually been as wide as I am tall at that rate. It'd be some mutated blanket. Take 3.</span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOz-oxem9T_inp6iBbKkpsfsNPDH_PgyA0Mma0qiVg8M66gazTqgD5IeFqtbnjqx720gurt2s4NQQZcGu9wfewoRLjc9dC2NJEdkma7OXNxVp1I2CqhnntxHYfNUTL_fSLcO4XBddscorN/s1600/108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOz-oxem9T_inp6iBbKkpsfsNPDH_PgyA0Mma0qiVg8M66gazTqgD5IeFqtbnjqx720gurt2s4NQQZcGu9wfewoRLjc9dC2NJEdkma7OXNxVp1I2CqhnntxHYfNUTL_fSLcO4XBddscorN/s200/108.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Take 3</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Looks good right? Well it <em>was</em> looking good until I stopped mid-row to go pee... it was urgent, I'd been putting it off for like 10 rows. I just kept saying "Your bladder <em>won't</em> explode, just 1 more row" x 10 consective rows. So when I came back from a much needed break I wasn't paying attention and started stitching it the wrong way, backwards in fact... and ruined it. So, I'm onto take 4 now, so far so good. It's thinner (cuz I think the 40 stitches was confusing me), but I haven't made a single mistake yet!</span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnuMlZUbCrMtTHWCbSpy1c02r3JizQGFhqfWR_jJe6P_e5r9tN3CVl6PQAgddEKnvlj5DcQhL-YgUPRwzFcvf5a5XaLe6UCuRI7_9JYhzePV7F0MdjW1nzvkk7alpl7lYNuPYxKa0H2vg/s1600/109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnuMlZUbCrMtTHWCbSpy1c02r3JizQGFhqfWR_jJe6P_e5r9tN3CVl6PQAgddEKnvlj5DcQhL-YgUPRwzFcvf5a5XaLe6UCuRI7_9JYhzePV7F0MdjW1nzvkk7alpl7lYNuPYxKa0H2vg/s320/109.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Current - Take 4</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So, I really need to finish this scarf soon. It's giving me the heebie-jeebies that I knit while I watch TV or before I go to bed. It makes me feel like I need cats, lots of cats.</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">On that note, I will not subject my loyal fans to anymore knitting talk. Next time I mention it will be to tell/show you it's done and to cross it off the list.</span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">That's it. Stay out of trouble, until next time.</span></div>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-43675778911919021752010-09-20T22:21:00.000-04:002010-09-20T22:21:04.791-04:00#10 - Knit a Scarf!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So... today I went shopping on my lunch break (surprise, surprise) to get knitting supplies (real surprise!). I picked out a nice dark grey yarn and some needles and some other weird tool that I have no idea how to use. Anyways, while there I picked out a pattern for a simple scarf... And these are the instructions:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnlE_atq301PPFA5zbqA1eyZuNeqmTsfO6gO4ydSnIj4J0nhxR_5EX4x_FQRbaU9lYoHRBb13AOS460wgNcrjYnlVbWN-mRCfCVZXGwWAvuggeYDeq07as24gYzDa_TIliS1xIurBytiq/s1600/Scarf+20-09-2010+10%3B09%3B58+PM.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnlE_atq301PPFA5zbqA1eyZuNeqmTsfO6gO4ydSnIj4J0nhxR_5EX4x_FQRbaU9lYoHRBb13AOS460wgNcrjYnlVbWN-mRCfCVZXGwWAvuggeYDeq07as24gYzDa_TIliS1xIurBytiq/s320/Scarf+20-09-2010+10%3B09%3B58+PM.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Is this a joke? What frickin language is this? Oh boy, this is going to be fun- I can tell already... I think my neck is going to be cold this winter!</span></div>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-54556262287685922092010-09-19T22:13:00.002-04:002010-09-19T22:25:57.517-04:00# 7 - Mexican Feast, Olé!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKe5fo7_3bF75g9NRXNfcz1VLdN3tpRbPRWtHBAL3hc-xRDdIdsJ2ut0Stk3rmzTQRTDStC2Ou2tEVY6PVCqhMtCEw36MFGcW9EJmvQihlQM-VW67bl3vYfJnn7m7a7B0MBseig2xyl3Z/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKe5fo7_3bF75g9NRXNfcz1VLdN3tpRbPRWtHBAL3hc-xRDdIdsJ2ut0Stk3rmzTQRTDStC2Ou2tEVY6PVCqhMtCEw36MFGcW9EJmvQihlQM-VW67bl3vYfJnn7m7a7B0MBseig2xyl3Z/s320/022.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's official... #7 can be scratched off the list! <strike>Cook an ethnic meal from scratch</strike> (oooh, that felt good) I am <em>so</em> proud of our meal and every bit of it was <em>so</em> good. And for future reference, I will now only answer to the Flan Queen. Not Lise. Not Clarice. Just Flan Queen, OK? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Were Vanessa and I the only people that didn't know that coriander and cilantro are the same thing? Ya, so we scrapped it out at Loblaw's with the produce kid who actually ended up going into the back and bringing out a box of cilantro/coriander to prove both his point and the fact that we're idiots. Awesome feeling let me tell you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So, as planned, we started off with some Fierce Mexican Mojitos. I honestly have no idea how many of those we ended up drinking, but let me tell you, they were Mmm Mmm Good. We had a whole Mojito station going and had the process down to a science. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBugdPSDeKueGMIJSiDjyoWv5lBBP6Yaty-5NiCfC2z-hC_lLTag9AOZzavCWG_mKURQi1-3Gze1BoBPSLGyW_pqT8bzHkb9EdTPvo1C5IP6dAumnEi0LIR4i-qiUyVZm6GcxBRKSkYWi6/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBugdPSDeKueGMIJSiDjyoWv5lBBP6Yaty-5NiCfC2z-hC_lLTag9AOZzavCWG_mKURQi1-3Gze1BoBPSLGyW_pqT8bzHkb9EdTPvo1C5IP6dAumnEi0LIR4i-qiUyVZm6GcxBRKSkYWi6/s320/001.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">These Mexican mojitos were serious business (Tequila is what makes them Mexican by the way), and that's all I have to sat about that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Next to tackle was the main dish, Fish Tacos. Three words for you... Oh my God. I'd never had a fish taco before, but now I think I'm in love. Cod battered to perfection, fresh Pico de Gallo, the spiciest chipotle sauce, and warm tacos/tortillas. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">My own Chipotle, Jalapeno, Adobo creation... </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Fresh Pico de Gallo</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFgFmeDIeKjnaWmLNQx-XPaTEUFa76IDw1SNTP4kZPFMgGFHuuO9RrmvKRoEcgDeZtSLAVo58f3UK3iwyM0vKOGxMlvi4MbM4xQeE6JGRsjL71fhyipwsZl_bw6b7ULxb2DC2nyHemdPC/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFgFmeDIeKjnaWmLNQx-XPaTEUFa76IDw1SNTP4kZPFMgGFHuuO9RrmvKRoEcgDeZtSLAVo58f3UK3iwyM0vKOGxMlvi4MbM4xQeE6JGRsjL71fhyipwsZl_bw6b7ULxb2DC2nyHemdPC/s320/035.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Beer Battered Cod</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The Finished Product Part 1</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The Finished Product Part 2</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZzEWbQik5mBjOmW3AG2HQnhyphenhyphenKp4gb3QYE3aM9YQA7mVseNSVOWTWGaqUcFFWoVDNdD2vOXZuAFdy6RNRAAkiNIgh5HceH6WyDzL7RASJS9iQHCOvd_MDLopmBlWy5j_9v-1AFNwYeL3r/s1600/038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZzEWbQik5mBjOmW3AG2HQnhyphenhyphenKp4gb3QYE3aM9YQA7mVseNSVOWTWGaqUcFFWoVDNdD2vOXZuAFdy6RNRAAkiNIgh5HceH6WyDzL7RASJS9iQHCOvd_MDLopmBlWy5j_9v-1AFNwYeL3r/s320/038.JPG" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Dinner for Two</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And then came dessert. I had no idea that these hands of mine could actually make something so devine. I think maybe I invented flan in a past life or something, because this was the most perfect flan ever, and I really really really didn't have a clue what I was doing. So this goes back to why I will only respond to "Flan Queen" from here on out.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">It make not look so pretty, but it was the BEST FLAN EVER!!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I've really hoped that as I make my way through the list that I learn something new, that I make memories that will last and that I live life intentionally. So, what am I taking away from this experience, this Mexican Feast? Several things: </span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cilantro and coriander are the same thing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Just because the recipe says so, doesn't mean it is so.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If it's that spicy going in, it's going to be that spicy going out. : )</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">A raw avocado does NOT ripen if you put it in the toaster oven.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">If you actually clean while you cook (as opposed to just saying you will), the kitchen doesn't look like a disaster zone for the next 3 days.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I truly have the best best-friend in the whole world. One who supports me, who trusts me and is trust-worthy, who laughs at all my jokes, and with who I can have an awesome time just talking, cooking and drinking the night away. I love her to bits and pieces.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlOL2tO871qBVUohXCmj67pcPs2xLHIK_lPpN-KmIwraXp0Ua-A07BPn5qFEt-R9fISfeT9I3KzorMegRBLdmR_XF2rpIShTPI6WAvJc5K14P69UrCYQh81520xeJC9WFXRhbNGkap5eF/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnlOL2tO871qBVUohXCmj67pcPs2xLHIK_lPpN-KmIwraXp0Ua-A07BPn5qFEt-R9fISfeT9I3KzorMegRBLdmR_XF2rpIShTPI6WAvJc5K14P69UrCYQh81520xeJC9WFXRhbNGkap5eF/s320/017.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Super-cute Vanessa gettin down with fish</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Kind of suprisingly, it was an all-around successful night, no casualties and the kitchen didn't burn down. The food was amazing, the company was perfect, the drinks were flowing, what more could we have asked for?</span>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-63592466341767125932010-09-17T15:39:00.000-04:002010-09-17T15:39:38.674-04:00# 7 - Cook an ethnic meal from scratch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D-1l7OGSNdYDLUDsH4vvKiojkLIbjhum66C3bgn0wCjRaCaobb3wP4rtNQ33x98twfn3ImFSc7oyTWIriTdFUc3Iur8PtaflNy1KrUy12lXXLfN_B88P4Evb5QOgpzvCMGBjggp1Kijg/s1600/MexicanFlag2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4D-1l7OGSNdYDLUDsH4vvKiojkLIbjhum66C3bgn0wCjRaCaobb3wP4rtNQ33x98twfn3ImFSc7oyTWIriTdFUc3Iur8PtaflNy1KrUy12lXXLfN_B88P4Evb5QOgpzvCMGBjggp1Kijg/s400/MexicanFlag2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As you may have now guessed, the plan is... Mexico. I'm aware that doesn't sound so complicated, but I'm 100% sure I'll attempt #7 several times this year, so you will certainly get something more exotic next time. I'm <em>easing</em> into things here... I'm also 100% sure that the process of making this meal with my best friend will serve for hours of entertainment (both ours and yours) - keep in mind, I'm doing this with the same girl that fell in the fountain at Louvre this summer, and the same girl with whom I blew out the rear window of a BMW X5 with a beer keg of all things 2 weeks ago<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*</span>. Trust me, my follow-up post of the meal and how we got to it will surely keep your attention.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Menu:</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Fierce Mexican Mojitos (a different twist on the traditional Cuban fare)</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Fish Tacos w/ Pico de Gallo & Chipotle Dressing</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Flan</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">If all goes as planned, the table should look something like...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEvwvgi7UmeQZamF2re3rr1__e_ZIx5QhkTj49m3u1iL0Cgv18GAOvaOaK0uir6a1AJHTXinWplDQ3YKMJMlczc2787U8PXNXwcFDkUkyD_O61kUJF9BezjJ5OO22dSoNlsglw43JqFqK/s200/mexican+mojito.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="132" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Appetizer, Side Dish and Dessert - Mojito</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlJ2LqW85z5WIwotN7zWV-g7bAU-2Vx51USr_vmBDcQwT85sEHepvr8fKyO8CLWjMbxb8UboAazbvwx2-0CB-5amiubjb0A4Ltakp35U6JvkaDftNYXGBfOXb1lWdVxCtRe5vGjTGqMOO/s1600/fish+taco+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlJ2LqW85z5WIwotN7zWV-g7bAU-2Vx51USr_vmBDcQwT85sEHepvr8fKyO8CLWjMbxb8UboAazbvwx2-0CB-5amiubjb0A4Ltakp35U6JvkaDftNYXGBfOXb1lWdVxCtRe5vGjTGqMOO/s200/fish+taco+3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Main Dish - Fish Taco's</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZtqForFPXnZyxMaJ5gTdIMjRiieMC0ox8WKAIHLpek8yi9kakk1Sly_kABlTsugiVflpPm7dyZBuiOcUrbA3ptH8yPEA4iAz4HwswGpevGP9fhF2SoRPLjRU1ylb5KT0uQAW97aUa-OF/s1600/pico+de+gallo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZtqForFPXnZyxMaJ5gTdIMjRiieMC0ox8WKAIHLpek8yi9kakk1Sly_kABlTsugiVflpPm7dyZBuiOcUrbA3ptH8yPEA4iAz4HwswGpevGP9fhF2SoRPLjRU1ylb5KT0uQAW97aUa-OF/s200/pico+de+gallo.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Taco Topping - Pico de Gallo</span></td></tr>
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</div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JKaF1FJ34Z9zjOdqB6Ok7OiULtEXzqlMQUpcw5BS0vOs9IQNoHXps8FIR1L0LMPAYFjaCj4qg6P0-L6Hi1T6sP2RoS7zJU8EN88rxkJVUz7MWb6NUl9mEiyjPRevgaGUyLY5TA4LR7gh/s1600/flan+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_JKaF1FJ34Z9zjOdqB6Ok7OiULtEXzqlMQUpcw5BS0vOs9IQNoHXps8FIR1L0LMPAYFjaCj4qg6P0-L6Hi1T6sP2RoS7zJU8EN88rxkJVUz7MWb6NUl9mEiyjPRevgaGUyLY5TA4LR7gh/s200/flan+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Dessert - Flan</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table> <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But then again, if I've learned anything thus far, it's that nothing ever goes according to plan... Will keep you posted. Wish me luck!</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: xx-small;">* I've come to the conclusion that God made her and I friends for a reason... he was bored with the mundane happenings and interactions on earth and thought it would serve a lifetime of joy and entertainment to watch the shenanigans her and I would come up with. For pure recreational purposes and to really show you what I mean, I'm including a photo of our Saturday morning 2 weeks ago when 1 of our beer kegs blew out the rear window.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBt3VYHTRPOEYvHyMNU2y6VolRuGDr2dfyXQNSmySgReSqiXygHG5P2tlJQoB5wKmqOPDv7v406O-PqrHpqsDKCjtKqPOxSpqGFl2hvXNnrrcJGAVKk3O4jHSnretaoh8vwvgNSc964c33/s1600/keg+window+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBt3VYHTRPOEYvHyMNU2y6VolRuGDr2dfyXQNSmySgReSqiXygHG5P2tlJQoB5wKmqOPDv7v406O-PqrHpqsDKCjtKqPOxSpqGFl2hvXNnrrcJGAVKk3O4jHSnretaoh8vwvgNSc964c33/s320/keg+window+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr356ony9NXuwSe3I2ElGqLqlUJ01hyphenhyphenH3noC6Z4068kp_tnOCLisufaQMsPEThYNGvybykHPKxxv8zvJPqOISW7kHOxW-qckjmV-W468PZbI7XZtdHmSUzbCbDMIn4NwYmxHfKjUoZ5T1b/s1600/keg+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr356ony9NXuwSe3I2ElGqLqlUJ01hyphenhyphenH3noC6Z4068kp_tnOCLisufaQMsPEThYNGvybykHPKxxv8zvJPqOISW7kHOxW-qckjmV-W468PZbI7XZtdHmSUzbCbDMIn4NwYmxHfKjUoZ5T1b/s320/keg+window.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-40037902893040205852010-09-14T20:20:00.001-04:002010-09-14T20:30:48.579-04:00Give the people what they want! (#s 46 & 10)<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Well, despite the fact that I only have 9 "official" followers on this blog, a lot of people have been asking me to post more regularly. So, I figure... give the people what they want! My original intention was to only blog about the actual process of completing my list and so I didn't want to bombard anyone with my mundane thoughts, but the truth is... nothing about me or my thinking is mundane ; ) </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So today we'll start right back where I left off. <strong><u>#46 - Paint a painting</u></strong>. Yup, good ol' #46, which I <em>now</em> know also includes buying out the art supply store, turning my office into a studio, ruining 2 t-shirts, 2 tank tops, 2 pairs of leggings, 1 towel and a pair of shorts. Why I don't just keep wearing the same thing whenever I paint? I don't know.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyways, I did start to paint something... and I can't believe I actually have to post it, it's so embarassing; but it is part of the process and part of this wacky commitment I made, so here it goes. Just keep in mind, that it's not finished. IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS. I don't know how to paint eyeballs. In fact I've TRIED to paint her eyeballs like 4 times, and have to keep painting over it in white and trying again. So, for now I'm putting the eyeballs on hold until I can get them right. Have you noticed I'm stalling? Babbling on and on and on when all you want to do is see the damn picture... Lol... don't judge me because I'm a terrible painter, love me because I tried.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn52JDVHEce6VqrCtZrykTdl-n26AHGXoZPlRyEz3gfL6Y3jpu5S9iLSBezqNlNdtHoo-LeVHaKWSUstxhOnZsdoDObAMjYdCbreeF7lV43d3IqilxdDc1y55E503kf5xCB14HSBwTX2oN/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn52JDVHEce6VqrCtZrykTdl-n26AHGXoZPlRyEz3gfL6Y3jpu5S9iLSBezqNlNdtHoo-LeVHaKWSUstxhOnZsdoDObAMjYdCbreeF7lV43d3IqilxdDc1y55E503kf5xCB14HSBwTX2oN/s320/001.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89G1N5jOt7yNSmy-f6nDm9upQLmu2zleeKoO_nb4_0M7lWjtCr9EHWoKyYrPw9_-sU3npeZgx6Y0Isne9_jfReu_I3DQ6m2u9AMEMO8g4n_cCCug8h0KoA-KwQdJNxJQ2SffSu_MekbU3/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89G1N5jOt7yNSmy-f6nDm9upQLmu2zleeKoO_nb4_0M7lWjtCr9EHWoKyYrPw9_-sU3npeZgx6Y0Isne9_jfReu_I3DQ6m2u9AMEMO8g4n_cCCug8h0KoA-KwQdJNxJQ2SffSu_MekbU3/s320/004.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">I can't really explain the subject of the picture, to be honest. It's just what came to mind when I was sketching, so it's what I painted. I'm going to keep plugging away at her eyeballs (and hopefully she won't look so f-ing scary). I'll keep you posted!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Tonight you get 2 (count 'em 2) posts in 1.</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">My next # to tackle is <strong><u>#10 - Knit a Scarf</u></strong>... You know, it's starting to get brisk outside, and soon it'll be a necessity in my wardrobe. Now, in an ideal world, I'll be able to do something really cool. I'm thinking something a la Marc Jacobs...</span></div><u></u> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><u></u> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFImGeV4QvkwoHLK_faTBNaoBVrJepumTsnbPikYnbfHrqW0VV3b9tcd1UbeexqsvT7Sefgnfsc5C7Th046N6iPvFL4w6RrW7Iww8u8cVhcLdNq8O16i3o2bHBTuQph8akB7N5c8FOxhy/s1600/Marc-by-Marc-Jacobs-Valley-Sweater-Scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFImGeV4QvkwoHLK_faTBNaoBVrJepumTsnbPikYnbfHrqW0VV3b9tcd1UbeexqsvT7Sefgnfsc5C7Th046N6iPvFL4w6RrW7Iww8u8cVhcLdNq8O16i3o2bHBTuQph8akB7N5c8FOxhy/s320/Marc-by-Marc-Jacobs-Valley-Sweater-Scarf.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Marc by Marc Jacobs Valley Sweater Scarf</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But that looks long and may take too much time, so it'll probably be more like this...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx0S49L_qDAbHKmu_6wgITB6RwWdIAfBa3InQNOW_S53dEqLdGwIMyMB7wDVdE9Aui2JZ8Rj10Qcpy0Ekb09tn8DXKLNyA-3vDnqK7BQ7gOtA8kZ4PBwplfjh5WD74xrKGiKcODmkZhEX/s1600/Cute+Scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMx0S49L_qDAbHKmu_6wgITB6RwWdIAfBa3InQNOW_S53dEqLdGwIMyMB7wDVdE9Aui2JZ8Rj10Qcpy0Ekb09tn8DXKLNyA-3vDnqK7BQ7gOtA8kZ4PBwplfjh5WD74xrKGiKcODmkZhEX/s320/Cute+Scarf.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Courtesy of millionlooks.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">But then again, I've never knitted, and truly have no idea what I'm doing, so it'll <em>probably </em>look more like this...</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSW9DQ4IzuFcdCrEDI1BlUhPutIpIubOfLcrtdva20Og_V3HOU79wIx2b3T86eju-ljM-fEq3oNP02poBIJIfoQfHlorYwmWHbv5E6ISRPDCqqYghI4X6cg47XalcyKNkHh0DhiLxLjTfY/s1600/ugly+scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSW9DQ4IzuFcdCrEDI1BlUhPutIpIubOfLcrtdva20Og_V3HOU79wIx2b3T86eju-ljM-fEq3oNP02poBIJIfoQfHlorYwmWHbv5E6ISRPDCqqYghI4X6cg47XalcyKNkHh0DhiLxLjTfY/s1600/ugly+scarf.jpg" /></a></div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Guess what everyone's getting for Christmas? Lol...</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-45169294016663045662010-09-09T19:57:00.002-04:002010-09-09T20:19:47.867-04:00# 46 - Paint a Painting<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ha! Well, talk about taking it too far... I impress myself sometimes with my ability to take a little seed of nothing and blow completely out of proportion. So #46 - Paint a Painting... I figured, it'll get my creative juices flowing, it sounded like a relatively easy thing to accomplish on the list, it's something I've always said I would like to do... So last week I decide it's my next project on the list. I call up my mom and ask her to put together some paint for me from the factory (it's part of the family business)... I get the paint and then obviously realize I need to get canvases to paint on. Get those and then realize I obviously need brushes... and who paints without an easel? Need one of those too! Oh! And I want one of those fancy-shmancy paint palettes! Anyways, as you can see, one thing EASILY leads to another and before you know it my office now looks like I think I'm Van Gogh or something... Don't forget, I've never painted outside of my high school art class 13 years ago. All I wanted to do was "paint a painting"!</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha_fTYzumSXEtkazexnbFOjTRREV0iTQEBRhwLuEKaoFVm9JrhGZEpB-RzKyFOO0V_LJvP8Kdi4M7BIpuifgR4TAEN5gyaXzfcBb_0gb_RsNWKVIctZlUGhnUymdF23UEgKJhVEjvWSsZ/s1600/011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgha_fTYzumSXEtkazexnbFOjTRREV0iTQEBRhwLuEKaoFVm9JrhGZEpB-RzKyFOO0V_LJvP8Kdi4M7BIpuifgR4TAEN5gyaXzfcBb_0gb_RsNWKVIctZlUGhnUymdF23UEgKJhVEjvWSsZ/s320/011.JPG" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lol... it's OK, you can laugh. Anyways, so it took me almost 3 hours to set up "Chez Lise" paint-shop... First of all, that shelf was in the laundry room, being very useful where it was. But no, I needed it in the office because it matched the easel I just purchased. It took FORTY-FIVE minutes to get it out of the laundry room - it was like a university-level math/geometry exam question. I practically needed a PhD to get it out of there! I had the measuring tape out, the level, I even almost unhinged the door with the power tools I bought because of my last great idea. Ahhhh.... so I <em>finally </em>get the shelf out, and now I have to put the easel together. First of all, the instructions only tell you about 4 pieces of wood and 15 screws/nuts/whatever, when in reality, there are 12 pieces of wood and 20 screws/nuts/whatever... What did I expect from an easel made in China... the tagline didn't even make sense! I had to take a picture (below) and see if anybody out there a) thinks it's proper english and can explain it to me or b) understands how the Chinese got the french tagline right after butchering the english one. In case the font is too small in the picture, it says "Made of Fir wood, natural look of nuts give is beauty to this easel"... Really?</span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-lmMINbZuOfJpapmh-rbFnpy3ZPgJHP2pSAbghvH-2KFYNlFTnjguJueXPfMNgW6kyJPzVgPEOsTxAdYaXrjtnnk71kP2E9RE3Q6gfyzBPysk3sCQ4vXdXNEAi6ki0dSeTjoDbahKHmo/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu-lmMINbZuOfJpapmh-rbFnpy3ZPgJHP2pSAbghvH-2KFYNlFTnjguJueXPfMNgW6kyJPzVgPEOsTxAdYaXrjtnnk71kP2E9RE3Q6gfyzBPysk3sCQ4vXdXNEAi6ki0dSeTjoDbahKHmo/s320/006.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Another hour or so later that was taken care of. Then of course, everything had to be placed just so on the shelf, then re-placed so it was more convenient, then re-placed a last time so that it combined convenience and aesthetic appeal... </span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Then came the painting... 2 hours, and what did I do? Crap. So, I did the smartest thing I could think of and painted over it in white. But at least the canvas now has great texture! (Actually laughing out loud at myself now).</span></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqVmUksWfaTiN8df2uScWJl_lZogSL42kxwA-Hvj6SGQRhKFP96iHYCHsKnVRx0B2UEUWiDRIs7XWe4ucJ8s9bOV_e3SlvDjQTPCtXWtTNr4bOK37WOWH2-LFM3GG7x5-ojS6pdGeLMBm/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqVmUksWfaTiN8df2uScWJl_lZogSL42kxwA-Hvj6SGQRhKFP96iHYCHsKnVRx0B2UEUWiDRIs7XWe4ucJ8s9bOV_e3SlvDjQTPCtXWtTNr4bOK37WOWH2-LFM3GG7x5-ojS6pdGeLMBm/s320/013.JPG" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKYbGQ925NfSyMzB8lvUzH9l7FUf1sQoLvF1wjtisNXtSaij7PxUGp5VSwlQNyizPhuOwrL-yfE_KQuy-GcrcaS9Q57qaP1cnaGzZKaOnR0NuIQ1P96oYga6QZfz4evoH62XD4QZl8Ro4/s1600/015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNKYbGQ925NfSyMzB8lvUzH9l7FUf1sQoLvF1wjtisNXtSaij7PxUGp5VSwlQNyizPhuOwrL-yfE_KQuy-GcrcaS9Q57qaP1cnaGzZKaOnR0NuIQ1P96oYga6QZfz4evoH62XD4QZl8Ro4/s320/015.JPG" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Oh well, I'm going to try to create a masterpiece tonight... The physical part of painting is actually very relaxing, the mental part not so much when you have no idea what you're trying to paint.</span></div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Anyways, that's it for #46 for now. Clearly, cannot check it off my list. Hopefully I'll have something better to show for it soon. In the meantime, I'll leave you with the art of Irene Morgis. My beloved grandmother who was a beautifully talented artist (and one heck of a woman, grandmother, fighter- you name it). This was a college project. She called it... "Screaming Vagina"... and yes, this is what you're staring at when you're eating at my dining room table ; )</span></div><div align="left" class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1A58zqzNRtWk9zt4XRM2_9fTXfB4goQ9BfCGsWrhd1HBaftL7KTCPwShvMoXBIa_6xZYcfeiUpgx-YatvR6z5lRYBEj8rPU1eZQ6xWYRHWLsOsNFB3yIwxR16AxUX1f5_uS8vNOFgE8GD/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1A58zqzNRtWk9zt4XRM2_9fTXfB4goQ9BfCGsWrhd1HBaftL7KTCPwShvMoXBIa_6xZYcfeiUpgx-YatvR6z5lRYBEj8rPU1eZQ6xWYRHWLsOsNFB3yIwxR16AxUX1f5_uS8vNOFgE8GD/s320/017.JPG" /></a></div>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-55375082175447751192010-08-29T12:35:00.001-04:002010-08-29T19:02:55.049-04:00#44 - Bodies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUc_zPtFWWy_BgqkzxO4GOSqigLFolm7mVKLFqWst3PYSEQmHWpp3d_xwit_8qkl3rm5kVF8eNWNDZ4w5kQbRs1oaNToKP8SQh2o8d1IFJfr9NK4X5AMu8WWAq87LpXUiDpYUhHxznBUP/s1600/splash2_en.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHUc_zPtFWWy_BgqkzxO4GOSqigLFolm7mVKLFqWst3PYSEQmHWpp3d_xwit_8qkl3rm5kVF8eNWNDZ4w5kQbRs1oaNToKP8SQh2o8d1IFJfr9NK4X5AMu8WWAq87LpXUiDpYUhHxznBUP/s320/splash2_en.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I've been saying I wanted to go see this exhibition for just over a year now - and FINALLY, now that it's on my list, I went...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So, was it everything I'd expected? Yes, and no. It was fascinating, seeing every tendon, every muscle, every blood vessel and every bone in this amazing machine of ours. It made me feel that my body was even more precious and more magnificent that I'd ever imagined. And further, I had a sort of out of mind/out of body experience when I started realizing how much goes on in my body without second thought, without me having to actually tell it to do something. Isn't that scary? We think ourselves so powerful, so "in control", and yet things that make us so, are completely out of our control, even out of our conscious thought process. Creepy.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">And so the exhibits went on: Muscles, Blood Vessels, Resperatory System, Digestive System, The Fetus, Reproductive System, the Brain...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">As the exhibition came to an end, they had a booth where you could actually touch and pick up some organs. The girl stationed there was nice enough, and well enough informed. She first showed us the brain and let us handle it for a bit, and then a liver. This liver was heavy! So I say, "Holy shit! Forget this crazy diet, all I need to lose 10 pounds is to get rid of my liver!" Well, of course, everyone on my side of the booth got the humour in it and laughed heartily... but the girl stationed there was almost insulted. I couldn't get if she thought I was being serious, and was therefore a complete moron (but even that would've been funny) or if she was genuinly affronted by my silliness. To try and mend the situation, I got all serious again, and started asking more intelligent questions. So I asked, more just to confirm what I'd already thought, if all the bodies had been donated by the people themselves or by their families for the greater good of science. And here is where my day at the museum went south... These bodies were all unclaimed bodies and all donated by the Chinese Governement for the project. I highly doubt anyone would've minded if scientists were deep in research using their bodies in a lab even without their consent. But to have them publicly displayed, so de-humanized without their permission? It's an abomination. Where before I thought that them leaving the lips and eyebrows and nails on the bodies as the only remanants of what the person must've looked like was interesting, now I found it insulting. Where before I thought seeing a woman's breast ravaged by cancer an homage to her battle, now I felt it was a perfect invasion of her privacy, her life and everything she must have suffered though. I think that had I know this prior to going, maybe I wouldn't have gone. Or maybe I just would've looked at everything differently, perhaps somehow in a way trying to imagine the life that those muscles and heart and brain had seen. I think, at the very least, I would've cared more.</span> </div>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-32597366805852909802010-08-28T15:33:00.003-04:002010-08-28T15:37:53.731-04:00Is this allowed?<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So I've been thinking, and thinking, and thinking... and there are more things I want to put on the list. There are some things that I always say I'm going to do... and then never do. I have no idea why, maybe's it's forgetfulness, or laziness, or good old-fashioned procrastination. Who knows? But the point is, I figure if I added them to the list then I would <em>have</em> to do them. All of that to present to you #s 40 through 50 of this year's "To Do" list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">#40 - See Cirque du Soleil (because if have to hear myself say "I want to go see Cirque du Soleil" 1 more time, I may jump off a bridge)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#41 - Express my creativity in the most possible ways (super vague I know, but I have lots of ideas for this one)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#42 - Fly a plane (again)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#43 - Go skinny dipping</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#44 - Go to all those art shows/exhibitions that I always say I'm going to go to but never do</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#45 - Have a slumber party like in the old days (including pillow fights, gossipping about boys, junk food, movies - and this time we don't have to sneak the booze)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#46 - Paint a painting</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#47 - Get my big tattoo finished</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#48 - Renovate my bedroom closet myself (OK, OK, maybe I'll enlist a little help from Rosie and Luis)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#49 - Visit a province I've never been to before</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#50 - Ride in a hot air balloon</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">OK - Now that's it, no more additions to the list. Now I gotta get on it!</span>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-65190400341576460122010-08-25T22:57:00.001-04:002010-08-25T22:57:30.103-04:00OK... so it's out there<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Now what? I don't even know where to begin... I'm kind of thinking I should learn how to tie those scout knots pretty quick because it's going to take me all year to figure out how/when to put them to practical use. I don't even know what they look like. Pause. I'm googling it - let's see what I got myself into here...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hmmm... OK - watching the guy do the monkey knot actually made me dizzy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Wikipedia says I can either use it as a weapon or give it to a friend to ward off evil. Well, of course they can ward off evil with it, <em>they</em> just need to use it as a weapon to beat evil down, so it's really like 2 gifts in 1. That's it, everyone's getting monkey fists for Christmas.</span>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3857622564574190010.post-68469429303156594822010-08-24T21:55:00.000-04:002010-08-25T07:21:10.322-04:00Let the Journey Begin<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It's only been 1 week from the time this idea was conceived to now, the time it's hatched. 1 week has not been enough time for the impact of what I'm planning to do to sink in... which means I haven't been struck by the fear yet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Here's the deal. I've compiled a list, ideas I've collected from family and friends, and my own imagination. Some are completely random and maybe meaningless today, some are much more profound, some are quick things to check off the list, and others might take the next year to complete. My goal is to complete all the items on this list before I turn 30... so that gives me 347 days. The purpose of the blog is to document the adventure and bring you guys along.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">Don't get me wrong, I am not scared to turn 30. I by no means think that life ends once the 20's are over. Nor do I think my ovaries are going to shrivel up and fall out or my skin's going to fall off and that I'd never be able to do any of these things later in life. I just think that there are so many things we need to experience in life and so many moments we need to cram into our short time on this earth that I need to make sure I wade through it bit by bit. I do not want to ever look back on my life and say "I wish I would've..." I don't want to live unintentionally or to just let life happen and then see it pass me by. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">My goal over the next 347 days (but who's counting) is to grow, and to learn more about myself in the process, I want to have a blast and make memories, but above all else, I want to have no regrets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">So... Here's the list in no particular order:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#1 - Plant a tree (starting easy)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#2 - Go sailing (still not too nuts)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#3 - Give a lottery ticket to a complete stranger (and never check the numbers)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#4 - Scuba Dive (ahhh, I have fish-in-the-wild phobia)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#5 - Finish my photography course and get my diploma (when will I have the time to blog?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#6 - Grow a plant from seed to full bloom (this could take a while, me and plant-life don't normally get along)</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">#7 - Cook an ethnic meal from scratch (and feed it to someone - ha! conch penis anyone?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">#8 - Name a star </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">#9 - Be fully marathon trained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">#10 - Knit a scarf (I guess "learn to knit" should preceed this)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">#11 - Milk a cow </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#12 - Reduce my carbon footprint - Park my car for 1 week (Boss, I'm going to be late for work)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#13 - Go back to Paris and at least 1 other European city I've never been to</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#14 - Double my income </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#15 - Learn a new language</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#16 - Volunteer at a soup kitchen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#17 - Reconnect with (name withheld)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#18 - Brew my own beer (and then get smashed!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#19 - Drive a convertible with the top down and music blaring (sounds like fun to me!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#20 - Go fishing and eat my catch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#21 - Take a vow of silence for 2 days (as if the voices in my head aren't loud enough as it is)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#22 - Take a dance lesson ("a" because I'll be too mortified to go back after the first one)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#23 - Sleep under the stars</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#24 - Read at least a book a month</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#25 - Sell one of my pictu</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">res</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#26 - Do a Stanley Kubrick marathon (60's +)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#27 - Test myself: parasail, bungee jump, i don't know, something along those lines (have already done the sky-dive)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#28 - Hula Hoop for 30 minutes consecutively (thank God I have the Wii to practise on)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#29 - Learn to tie the diamond knot and monkey's fist (and find some occasion to use that knowledge)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#30 - Go on an orienteering run (and really just use a map and compass)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#31 - Start a charity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#32 - Sing in public..</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">. sober</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#33 - Stay up all night and watch the sun rise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#34 - Build a snowman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#35 - Make special brownies and forget to tell the person eating them that they're special</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#36 - Try out vegetarianism for 40 days</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#37 - Go out to dinner alone (and turn off the blackberry)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#38 - No shopping for 2 months (no clothes, shoes, make-up, bags, scarves, jewelery or anything else that my wardrobe pines for)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">#39 - Throw a huge bash for my 30th </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;">P.S. I mentioned earlier that the fear hadn't sunk in yet, but the reality is that I've re-read this 100 times and am now just staring at the screen wondering if I should publish this post. Wondering if anyone will ever read this and hold me accountable to everything I've committed to do. Well, here goes... who cares I guess, it's just the world wide web, there's a lot stupider things floating around out there than my blog.</span>Little Miss Precocioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13858601374969371145noreply@blogger.com0