Home Decor Shopping Spree

*15. Decorate my house with 25 new items. Bonus points if I made them myself!*

This weekend we had a nice long three days off to enjoy Memorial day weekend, and boy oh boy did Tim and I stay busy. On Friday we celebrated our second anniversary by going to the drive in. Then, Saturday and Sunday we busted our butts around the house. It  was really nice to get some things checked off the to do list while beating the scorching heat by staying inside. 

On Saturday we painted the kitchen yellow. I like the color but it definitely needs some accent color- cobalt blue! Then on Sunday we did some major cleaning and organizing. In the afternoon I ran out to get some food and thought I would look for some decorations for the fireplace room while I was at it. Looking for some decorations soon turned into decoration the whole room! 

I was shopping at WalMart, which I openly admit to hating, but it is right up the street from my house and often has what I need in one convenient location so I end up there often. Anyway... I was surprised what I found there! I hit up the floral department to find most of the glass containers and fillings that now sit on the mantle. Then, found a lot of stuff I liked from their Better Homes and Gardens collection- including my curtain rods and throw pillows. So, all in all I got a lot of stuff for a decent price, and with a touch of a crafty hand I ended up with this... 

Anniversary Date Night!

*Go on at least one date every month- with Tim, my friends, or even myself!*

This weekend has been busy- and thankfully it's a long one so I still have one more day to enjoy! On Friday, Tim and I celebrated our two year anniversary. We talked about going away for the weekend but decided we would rather use the weekend to work around our house (we are crazy, apparently). So Friday we had a date night! Since the weather was so nice we went to the drive in- one of my favorite summer activities! Even though I fell asleep a few times we had a great night together and a wonderful anniversary! 

Instead of getting each other gifts this year, we decided to buy some new furniture for our front porch. We like to spend a lot of time here in the evenings just enjoying the weather, so we figured it was a perfect gift for our anniversary- it would allow us to spend even more time together! We also decided to write a list of 50 things we love about each other. They were a lot of fun to read together and I look forward to having them to read on future anniversaries. :)

Starting the List... with a Wrap?

Well today I started chipping away at my list and I didn't even realize I was doing it until half way through! Tonight I made a new recipe, which would be one out of twenty five for goal number nineteen, but I caught myself off guard with this recipe because there actually wasn't a recipe at all...

A while back some friends and I went out to dinner at William Penn Tavern in Shadyside. I ordered a veggie wrap. The description of the wrap listed it as being veggies sautéed with balsamic vinaigrette, but I asked to have a chopped turkey burger added to the wrap as well. It was delicious! I had never thought to order a veggie wrap but I loved it- and it was healthy! I figured it was something I could easily replicate at home. So tonight, with the boyfriend away on a fishing trip, I thought I would give it a shot.

First, I cut up a bunch of veggies and sautéed them in olive oil. I used leeks, red and green bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms. I also added in some garlic, salt, and pepper. Then, since I didn't have turkey burgers handy, I added in one can of chicken breast, drained. I let the whole thing simmer and heat up, then I topped it with about 2 tablespoons of Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette. I stuffed it into a tortilla, added a little bit of shredded mozzarella, and had myself a wrap! It was so good! I even had enough for three more servings so I will be taking it for lunch tomorrow.

The great thing about this dish is it's versitility. You could literally use any veggies you have in your fridge- I would have loved some broccoli or snap peas in mine. Then, you can serve it multiple ways. I really enjoyed it in a wrap but I think it would be great over pasta or rice as well. I am really glad I tried this. It got me cooking with something new, the vinagrette, and is a healthy meal for me (only 2 WW points per serving!) I will definitely be cooking this for the boy some day soon!

One Last Change..

Well it has been a great weekend celebrating my birthday! We celebrated at our birthday party, spent time with our Mom's for Mother's Day, and I even went blonde for a day! Best of all, tomorrow is Timmy's birthday and I get to enjoy the day with him just relaxing (yay for playing hookie!). Hopefully, if it doesn't rain we can go test out my new bike!

Me as a blonde... I wanted to attempt the Ombre look, but with just the bleach 

on it, it got BLONDE! I have never been blonde before, so it was a shock, but I 

kinda liked it. I had them tone it down a bit,  so it looks more natural now, but I 

might want to add a bit more blonde at the tips, so no pictures just yet!

But the real point of this post is to note that, before the project got in full swing, I made one last change to the list. I added Run a 5K to the list (and got ride of make my own piece of clothing). Now, I know I ranted about how I didn't want to put this on my list because I am not a runner, but I also mentioned that I would like to become one. I whined that I didn't want to dedicate one of my goals to something I really didn't want to do, but this 5K changed my mind...

My friend Jess invited me and it seem SO AWESOME. Making yourself a piece of art while running makes it so much more interesting! This 5K seems like it was made for me, so I couldn't just ignore it when it was dropped in my lap. It almost seemed like the universe was screaming "Hey dummie- you should have put this on your list!" So, universe, I am taking your advice. I am running a 5k. It isn't until August so I have time to train, aka learn how to run, but I know I can do it!

And It Begins!

Happy 25th birthday to me! 

Today, at 6:06 in the morning I officially turned twenty five, thus kicking of my 25 in twenty five project. I put the final touches on my list, and I am ready to get to it!  However, I didn't worry about crossing anything off my list today, but instead just enjoyed the company of those around me, and it was a wonderful day!

We were showing a movie at school so it was a pretty easy day- and the kids were awesome. Once they found out it was my birthday there was a lot of singing, in two languages no less, and jokes about me finally turning 18. One of my colleagues even brought in cake to celebrate! Then, to top it all off Mom sent me flowers. They were beautiful and I was so excited- no one had ever sent me flowers before! 

The beautiful gladiolas from my mom! Gladiolas are the 

flowers my grandpa always gave me, so they gave the whole

bouquet a special meaning. 

Then, I came home and got to celebrate with my family! Timmy surprised me with a bike! I have wanted one for  a while so we could go biking together at Duff Park. Plus, now I have my own bike for the Mother's Day bike ride. It is a beautiful blue color and I love it! Then we spent the rest of the night at my brothers house eating an awesome dinner and having a great time.  This was honestly one of the best birthdays ever! I was surrounded by love and happiness all day. I hope this is a sign of what is to come in the next year. 

Testing out my bike for the first time!

Now, without further adieu, the final 25 in Twenty Five list:

1.  Experience 25 new things, places, or events in Pittsburgh.
2. Host a themed cocktail party.
3.  Take a photo everyday using my cell that captures something important or unique about the day. Then, when I turn twenty six make a movie out of all of the pictures from the last year!
4.  Sleep under the stars- with no tent!
5. Read 10 new books.
6. Commit 25 random acts of kindness.
7. Get a massage.
8. Travel internationally.
9. Make a website for my photo company, Dandilynn Photography.
10. Volunteer at least 25 hours.
11. Get my cards read by a fortuneteller.
12. Lose 25 pounds.
13. Get all A's in my graduate classes.
14. Donate blood.
15. Decorate my house with 25 new items. Bonus points if I made them myself!
16. Send 25 cards or letters in the mail- Birthday, Anniversary, or just because, anyway you slice it getting something in the mail that isn't junk is exciting!
17. Try an extreme sport- zip lining, white water rafting, anything!
18. Take one good photo a week using my camera.
19. Cook 25 new recipes focusing on trying new foods.
20. Enter a piece of my artwork into a show or competition.
21. Make a new good friend.
22. Run a 5K.
23. Call or email 25 different parents just to let them know something positive about their child.
24. Write letters to myself that I will read in five, ten, and twenty five years from now.
25. Go on at least one date every month- with Tim, my friends, or even myself!

The list will always be available at the top of this blog. Be sure to check back often for what I am crossing off my list and info on how I did it! 

Finalizing the List

Well, I have been pouring over ideas for the past few weeks since I first posted about my idea for the 25 in twenty five project. I sought out a lot of advice and I got some great ideas along the way (Thanks everyone!). I also got some crazy ones (Adopt 25 puppies? Good one mom!). At one point I had close to forty ideas, and I had to narrow it down, which ended up being harder than I thought it would be, but I did it, and here's how I did it:

First, I decided to throw out some goals that I just didn't have a huge desire to do, like run a 5K. Let me make this clear, I am not a runner. I never have been. I would like to be a runner, most people look so free when they are running, but I'm just not good at it. Could I learn and run and complete a 5K? Sure, but I don't have a huge desire to do it. Therefore it would end up becoming a chore and probably bring on more aggravation than happiness, even given the huge feeling of accomplishment I would have if I finished. I want to do this project to enhance my life, and I want to focus on doing it in ways that push me, but push me in enjoyable ways. So sorry "Run a 5K", you're history, and take "Face A Fear" with you!

Then, I combined items that were similar. "Cook 25 New Recipes" absorbed "Try 25 New Foods"- chances are I will be using new foods when cooking the recipes anyway. "Travel internationally" overtook "Visit 25 States"- they would both be big trips and I probably wouldn't have the money for both- so I went for the bigger of the two trips. "Visit 25 States" is on deck for next year, and I hope to make up for this by taking a few weekend trips- even if it isn't listed as a goal.

Finally, I tried to come up with five words or phrases that I would want to describe the next year of my life. Then, I picked goals that fall into those categories to add to the final list. Anything that didn't quite fit got the boot. So what were the final five categories you ask? Well, I want the next year to be....

• Full of Love- The items in this category should allow me to strengthen my current bonds and make new ones. I can use these items to show people how much I love them, support others, or do anything I can to send love out to the world, because when you send it out you always get it back!
• Adventurous- I don't want to live a boring life, plain and simple. I want to do things that will push me out of my comfort zone, create amazing memories, and become more spontaneous. These moments will become main staples in the highlight reel of my life.
• Healthy- I want to improve my overall health- physical and mental! I am overweight and I want to make a life change for me and any future bambinos that I will need to teach to be healthy. I also want to focus on maintaining good mental health because we all need balance in life, people!
• Successful- Success can refer to any aspect of your life, but I want to focus on success in my work and hobbies. I want to expand and improve my current endeavors- teaching, photography, grad school. Doing so will make me a stronger, more fulfilled person.
• Enchanting- Happy just didn't see like a strong enough word for this category; enchanting just seemed so much more... Magical. Powerful. Important. This is that special category where anything goes! This can include anything that is fun, silly, or outrageous- as long as it adds to overall happiness and makes my life more meaningful!

So there we go folks, the above process is how I came up with THE LIST (insert dramatic music here)! Be sure to check in tomorrow for the debut of the list, and the beginning of my 25 in twenty five project- oh yeah, and my birthday!!!