100(X) things to do before I die

Did I ever tell you that I absolutely love lists! They're the greatest thing ever and something I cannot live without! I write lists for almost everything. You can see post-its around my bedroom and on my work computer containing groceries to pick up, gifts to buy, daily and long term reminders, books recommended by others, a quote that caught my attention, a website link I wanted to check out, a new song to download, absolutely anything!

THEN I was reading the blog CharStar510 which later inspired me to write my own list of things I'd like to accomplish before I die. It's funny because I never thought to include this even though the title of my blog is referring to my dreams, goals and aspirations. So, without further adieu, my list of lifetime planning. Its funny because making a list like this makes you realize just how short life really is. It also makes you reflect on the endless possibilities out there and makes you hopeful for whats to come.

1. Fall in love, get married, and have babies.
2. Write a book.
3. Teach someone something new.
4. Plan a family vacation.
5. Take a cooking class in Thailand and Spain.
6. Be successful.
7. Be happy.
8. Ride on the Eurorail and Eurostar.
9. Read about French, Filipino, Korean, Cuban, and South American History.
10. Buy a house and try my skills at Interior Design.
11. Publish an article in an academic journal.
12. Go on a cross-country road trip with my hubby.
13. Learn how to swim and dive.
14. Learn how to surf and wakeboard.
15. Go on a sister trip.
16. Go on a ferris wheel.
17. Watch a meteor shower.
18. Plan a trip to see the Aurora Borealis.
19. Try sand surfing in South Africa.
20. Run a marathon for charity.
21. Watch planes land and take off.
22. Go for a walk on the beach during the Winter
23. Go see the Brazilian Amazon, Mount Everest, and both the Kilauea and and Mt. Pinatubo volcanoes.
24. Work and/or volunteer abroad.
25. Kiss in the rain.
26. Take Spanish dance lessons.
27. Go to a famous fashion show.
28. Own a business.
29. Read Ulysses, War and Peace, and East of Eden.
30. Buy a piece of art.
31. Silk-screen printing.
32. Ride the VIA.
33. Plant a tree that grows strong.
34. Get to know my neighbours.
35. Go on a hike in Machu Picchu.
36. Exercise regularly.
37. Visit a monastery.
38. Have a job that helps others.
39. Have a job that I love.
40. Catch a fish and eat it.
41. Try icefishing.
42. Visit the Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut.
43. Plant a vegetable garden.
44. Go on a safari.
45. Watch the sunset in an exotic place.
46. Learn to snowboard.
67. Watch a play outdoors.
68. Dress up in a costume party.
69. Sleep in a Hammock.
70. Get a graduate degree from Johns Hopkins.
71. Take flying lessons.
72. Rent a Vespa in Europe.
73. Read all the books in my bookcase.
74. Read a book every week.
75. Learn to sew.
76. Learn to knit.
77. Retire and live comfortably.
78. Have a vacation home.
79. Go dog-sledding.
80. Go to a football game.
81. Watch broadway musicals in NYC and an opera in Europe.
82. Fly first class on a plane.
83. Have a subscription to a scientific journal.
84. Read the newspaper every day.
85. Eat more fruit regularly.
86. Go Rock climbing.
87. Crash a wedding.
88. Attend the Olympic Games.
89. Learn first aid/CPR.
90. Pick a lock.
91. Win money at a casino.
92. Win a cool prize.
93. Have a library in my home.
94. Print all my pictures.
95. Start scrapbooking.
96. Conduct a lecture.
97. Conquer my fear of public speaking.
98. Defy gravity.
99. Remain open to possibilities and be non-judgemental.
100. Be self-sustaining and financially independent.
101. Learn photography.
102. Stay true to myself and stay grounded at a most difficult moment.
103. Read a comic book.
104. Be a rebel.
105. Try karaoke in another country.
106. Go to a nerdy convention.
107. Yell in the mall or throw a tantrum in an elevator.
108. Go to a Music Festival.
109. Learn a recipe from every culture.
110. Take a class just for fun.
111. Join a meaningful committee.
112. Inspire others.
113. Visit the world wonders.
114. Go to an exotic spa treatment.
115. Learn how to speak French, Spanish, Filipino, Korean, Mandarin, and Creole.
116. Make a difference where it counts.
117. Learn how to build a computer.
118. Go to every subway stop on the TTC.
119. Visit every province in Canada.
120. Be in a movie.
121. Go the a film festival.
122. Live in Europe.
123. Live in the US.
124. Organize a book drive.
125. Take the MCATs and get into medical school.
126. Take the LSATs.
127. Learn about stocks, RRSPs, GICs, Mutual Funds and other investment opportunities.
128. Slow dance in public.
129. Slow dance in private.
130. Teach myself to play the guitar.
131. Learn a new piano piece.
132. Start a large-scale research project.
133. Do an ethnography.
134. Tell someone I love that I love them when I'm really mad.
135. Say thank-you and please as much as possible.
136. Join a flash mob.
137. Make a youtube video.
138. Build a piece of furniture.
139. Paint or decoupage my existing furniture.
140. Learn about carpentry and how to build.
141. Learn how to use at least five power tools.
142. Learn how to change the light bulb in my car.
143. Visit Siem Reap (Cambodia), Agra (India), Iceland, Galapagos Islands, Vanatua,Santorini (Greece) and Maldives.
144. Learn to snorkel and scuba dive, and then try it in the Great Barrier Reefs in Australia and Palawan, Philippines.
145. Build an underwater encasing for my camera.
146. Buy a telescope.
147. Visit the Louvre and Hermitage Museums.
148. Visit the churches in Italy, Prague and Budapest.
149. Visit the Peligre dam in Haiti.
150. Meet someone I admire.
151. Go shopping in NYC and Paris.
152. Go to a football bar in the UK.
153. Be part of a peaceful protest.
154. Observe animals in the wild.
155. Swim with (friendly) sharks and dolphins.
156. Take my nieces to the Science Centre or the Science Fair in Toronto.
157. Be a mentor to a mentee.
158. Learn to change a flat tire.
159. Start a club.
160. Join an international club.
161. Have a pen pal.
162. People watch in the Central Park while drinking wine.
163. Witness a historical event.
164. Try a new bike trail.
165. Learn more about international laws and rights.
166. Work at the UN.
167. Learn a new sport.
168. Get a tattoo.
169. Throw a massive party.
170. Take a Yoga class.
171. Get a personal trainer and have a consultation with a nutritionist.
172. Travel to all 7 continents of the world.

...oh my stars, its 1:20 am. Thats it for now, but I'm sure I'll be adding to this list sooner or later!

The bookshelves have been built!

All I can say is at least the bookshelves are up! Still, there has been a MAJOR delay in the progress of my project called....the MCAT! My time for planning and building has been dramatically halted because of studying, moreso than I originally thought. I really hope that it doesn't become a "rainy day" project because I seriously have a thing against those. Mostly, because those types of projects never get completed and my room is something that will HAVE to be completed sooner or later. I'll just need to make time....besides, planning and designing is way more fun than studying Physics and RNA polymerase mutations. It gives me an excuse to roam other peoples' DIY blogs (the most recent blog introduced to me is amazing! Check it out for yourself and get inspired to start your own project >>> Knockoff Wood) and get ideas for re-inventing my original design.

Since I've had to scale back my project (due to financial and time restraints), I have decided to prioritize the major activities required to complete my renovation. Here are the results:

1. Finish the built-in bookshelf look. Still lots to do for this job such as planning for the moulding, spacing brackets, and filling the unexpected gap between the end of the bookshelf to the wall!

2. Paint my room! This will be very exciting since I've always wondered what my room would look like in white. Also, it is quite symbolic of a fresh new start for me.

3. Re-painting existing furniture. Can't wait for this one since I've never tried to re-finish furniture. At first glance, I thought of decoupaging the top of my dresser (after seeing some wicked decoupaged furniture from others' sites) but then I reneged on that decision. However, I'm starting to like some of the damask-inspired, black and white wallpaper which I thought would look amazing on my dresser. For now, though, I will keep it simple until I've had some time to do some wallpaper shopping.

Since I have not yet posted a picture of the bookcase, you may now find one below! The brown bookcase is my original bookcase and the white is the new one I just purchased. All my books are already arranged - I honestly didn't think it would take up so much room! Looks like I will need to start thinking of ways to expand the bookshelf since I'm already out of space :S For the bookshelves, I plan on placing a wood board inbetween to act as a spacer. I will also be placing a thicker spacer on the side against the wall and placing another piece of plywood on the top of the bookshelves to even them out. All front pieces will be covered by pieces of moulding to give them the streamlined look. Finally, I will be painting the entire unit white, antique white, to be exact. Hopefully, I'll have some progress going and more pictures to prove it.

And the winner is....

April Sky!!! So the color I have chosen for re-painting my bedroom is April Sky (D56-1) by Olympic Paints. It looks like an off-white gray, essentially, my room will be painted white! I know what you're thinking...WHITE! How boring! But I feel like white will give me a good palette to start with. Most of the colour will likely be found in my furnishings, linen and curtains, and art work which I think is a much more wiser use of colour than in the paint!

Also, I have finally purchased two new bookcases to tie-in with my wall-sized bookshelves, courtesy of Craigslist :) Craigslist is a great place to go to when starting out projects like this. I will post pictures as soon as I pick them up this weekend. Yay!

Be inspired for the New Year!

I came across this and thought this was very fitting for 2010 so I thought I'd share it with the world!




Day 4: Project Bedroom Revival

I'm still waiting to hear back from my bids for some used Billy Bookcases from Ikea on craigslist. After I nab a pair of the right size, I'm good to go with prepping my walls for a new paint job :)

So many reasons to be inspired....

I am very excited for 2010! I have so many plans and events to look forward to this year. I know it will mean A LOT of hard work and patience but I am so ready to take it all on. And thats partly to do with all the support and encouragement from all of my favorite people in my life. <3 <3 <3

I think one important thing that I've learned in 2009 is to remember that not everything will make sense right away. Follow your dreams and persevere even though things seem uncertain because later, you will finally be able to connect the dots! Isn't it funny how things always work out in the end?

Thanks, Char, for your card. I love it! Can I frame it?? I'll definitely hang it up somewhere in my future room.

As for my new years resolution: my goal is to try to find happiness in everything that I do and to always have faith in myself and my abilities. My second one? To go to the gym at least once a week :)