When: August 24th, 2016
Where: Basil Boys
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| An actual plate I use... |
Showing posts with label Mom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mom. Show all posts
43 done ... 9 to go...
What: #12 Eat a calzone
When: August 24th, 2016
Where: Basil Boys
Why: Those who know me well are aware that I have the eating habits of a child. I love chicken tenders, grilled cheese, mac-n-cheese, PB&Js, and so on. If it's on a children's menu, it's probably one of my favorite foods. Those who know me also know that I love to travel, and so my comfort zone for foods has to expand a bit when I travel internationally...altho I've yet to enter a country that doesn't have delicious pizza (except you, Nepal). As I've gotten less young, I've tried to slowly integrate a wider variety of foods and flavors into my diet, and that has involved eating items for the first time that most people have already sampled at a much earlier time. Like avocados (thought I'd hate them, but I tried one about 3 years ago and I love them!) and calzones. A calzone is a big deal in my college town, but for some reason - likely the reason being that it isn't pizza - I never tried one. Ever. For decades. Then, when going out to dinner with my extended family, they all ordered them and I didn't want to feel left out, so forced by positive peer pressure, I caved and also ordered one. I chose tomato, mushrooms, and pineapple for my items, and along with the amazing dough of the crust (my stomach actually just gurgled thinking about how delicious it was!), it was a successful choice and now, probably, it's a food that I'll order and try again another time. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?
When: August 24th, 2016
Where: Basil Boys
38 done ... 14 to go...
What: #14 Go to a national park that I've never visited
When: June 20th-25th, 2016
Where: Yosemite National Park
Why: My childhood was filled with camping and road trips, spending many vacations admiring the beautiful places and spaces that were preserved for us to visit throughout this nation. Moving in to my adult life, I've tried to keep that up, but with so many of my adventures focusing on international travel, I wasn't dedicating enough time to see some of the parks still left to see in the U.S. This summer, I wanted to finally see the iconic Yosemite National Park, so I started planning the trip almost a year ago.
I lived in California for a few years, so did a few of my friends. My family still gets out to national parks every year. Somehow, neither I nor my friends or family had made it to Yosemite. It's not easy to get to...about 5 hours from the nearest major city or airport, and a pricey flight to get out there. Lodging can fill up very fast for the summer, so planning ahead was really key. We wanted to stay in the park at one of the historic hotels, so that limited our options for lodging.
Summertime is beautiful, and crowded. Early mornings, getting out on the trails, and heading along the Tioga Road were perfect ways to escape the traffic and big groups. So, without further ado, here are a few of the pictures that will never do it justice!
When: June 20th-25th, 2016
Where: Yosemite National Park
Why: My childhood was filled with camping and road trips, spending many vacations admiring the beautiful places and spaces that were preserved for us to visit throughout this nation. Moving in to my adult life, I've tried to keep that up, but with so many of my adventures focusing on international travel, I wasn't dedicating enough time to see some of the parks still left to see in the U.S. This summer, I wanted to finally see the iconic Yosemite National Park, so I started planning the trip almost a year ago.I lived in California for a few years, so did a few of my friends. My family still gets out to national parks every year. Somehow, neither I nor my friends or family had made it to Yosemite. It's not easy to get to...about 5 hours from the nearest major city or airport, and a pricey flight to get out there. Lodging can fill up very fast for the summer, so planning ahead was really key. We wanted to stay in the park at one of the historic hotels, so that limited our options for lodging.
Summertime is beautiful, and crowded. Early mornings, getting out on the trails, and heading along the Tioga Road were perfect ways to escape the traffic and big groups. So, without further ado, here are a few of the pictures that will never do it justice!
28 done ... 24 to go...
What: #99 Try on a wedding dress
When: November 25th
Where: The Gown Shop
Why: As many of my friends have planned weddings over the years, I've gotten to accompany them on fittings and have even tried on the occasional bridesmaid dress, but never have I been the center of attention in a fitting room with a stranger helping to dress me. (It really took less time to adjust to it than I thought; I could easily get used to a celebrity lifestyle of having an assistant choose outfits, help me into them, and tell me how pretty I look!)
While my parents were visiting for Thanksgiving this year, my mom and I decided to do a little bonding over something really girlie, and this fit the bill. The sheer variety of fabrics and accessories and cuts and folds and hems and waistlines and necklines and dozens of shades of white made for a fun afternoon, and for a greater appreciation of the work that goes into the gowns and why the cost can be so high.
When I do decide to have a wedding dress, it will be simple and sewn by my mom because she is an amazing seamstress (and I have a small budget). In the meantime, I highly recommend finding a local boutique and seeing what they have to offer!
When: November 25th
Where: The Gown Shop
Why: As many of my friends have planned weddings over the years, I've gotten to accompany them on fittings and have even tried on the occasional bridesmaid dress, but never have I been the center of attention in a fitting room with a stranger helping to dress me. (It really took less time to adjust to it than I thought; I could easily get used to a celebrity lifestyle of having an assistant choose outfits, help me into them, and tell me how pretty I look!)
While my parents were visiting for Thanksgiving this year, my mom and I decided to do a little bonding over something really girlie, and this fit the bill. The sheer variety of fabrics and accessories and cuts and folds and hems and waistlines and necklines and dozens of shades of white made for a fun afternoon, and for a greater appreciation of the work that goes into the gowns and why the cost can be so high.
When I do decide to have a wedding dress, it will be simple and sewn by my mom because she is an amazing seamstress (and I have a small budget). In the meantime, I highly recommend finding a local boutique and seeing what they have to offer!
Fifty done ... 2 to go...
What: #10 Talk while on helium
When: December 23rd
Where: Busch's grocery store & My living room
Why: For some reason, I've never inhaled helium from a balloon. I think I was afraid it was dangerous. Honestly, even with my mom telling me that it's fine and I need to take a big puff of it deep into my airways, I still was freaked out that I'd pass out or have a coughing fit or damage my lungs. This is also the reason I've never smoked anything; I'm totally protective of my internal organs.
Still, I was nearing the end of my list and didn't have many other viable options. I ran a quick errand to return some cans & bottles to the grocery store, and used the money to buy a couple helium balloons. I think the video speaks for itself.
When: December 23rd
Where: Busch's grocery store & My living room
Why: For some reason, I've never inhaled helium from a balloon. I think I was afraid it was dangerous. Honestly, even with my mom telling me that it's fine and I need to take a big puff of it deep into my airways, I still was freaked out that I'd pass out or have a coughing fit or damage my lungs. This is also the reason I've never smoked anything; I'm totally protective of my internal organs. Still, I was nearing the end of my list and didn't have many other viable options. I ran a quick errand to return some cans & bottles to the grocery store, and used the money to buy a couple helium balloons. I think the video speaks for itself.
Sixteen done ... 36 to go...
What: #65 Make
my own shirt or pants using a sewing pattern
Where: Royal Oak, Pink Castle, Sara's living room, and Mom's sewing table
When: March 5th - May 25th
Why: Growing up, my mom could sew anything. Halloween costumes, bedding and curtains, dresses, quilts, and so much more. This was a skill that, despite her best efforts, did not plant itself in my wheelhouse. My one foray into sewing was during a middle school "Home Economics" class that I was miserable in - she made me take it, trying to instill some domesticity in me - and the poor teddy bear I made that semester has one leg sewed on completely wrong. And yet, I was still somewhat proud that I had created that funny bear, and as the years have gone on, I've been in awe of my mom's ability to see something and go home to make it with her own twist. Recently, she made me a purse, from custom fabric I picked out and it was such quality craftsmanship that it withstood a Michigan winter and still gets compliments. I figured this skill must be dormant in me, but I could maybe tap into it, so I teamed up with my friends who own sewing machines and gave it my best shot.
My friend Sara had attended a workshop by a local seamstress/designer and thought her Ruby Top project would be a good entry level project. We kicked off this list item with the fun part...picking out fabrics! We visited Haberman Fabrics in Royal Oak and purchased what we needed, then started off with an evening at Pink Castle Fabrics in Ann Arbor where they open up their workroom for the "Sew Ann Arbor" crafty types to come and work on projects together in a lively atmosphere. Our first night there, I felt completely like a fish out of water. I was working on tracing my pattern and barely finished that in three hours!
The pieces I cut out for my practice garment were ready to be stitched together at our next gathering, this time at Sara's place. Let's just say that I'm glad I did a practice garment first, because I got A LOT of kinks worked out in the process. Big kinks, like I sewed an entire panel on inside out. I always assumed sewing was much like cooking (which I also don't do); it has step-by-step directions to follow, and being a literate individual, that seems easy enough to me. It is, however, quite complicated if one doesn't know all the technical jargon used in the directions. After asking Sara for clarification on nearly everything, I ended up with my finished rough draft, and was ready to start on my final version.
The next visit to Pink Castle, my friend Karen joined us. She had helped me out with a small sewing repair earlier in the winter, so she knew her way around a sewing machine and could help me out as I got the hang of it; my biggest mistake was forgetting to put down the presser foot, and once I got the hang of that, I'd forget to back-stitch at the end of a seam. Both caused no end of frustration, but that's how to learn. After this next 3-hour session, I was still not done, so had to borrow Sara's machine to work on it a bit more (entering ten hours of labor). I finally finished up my seams, and then tried it on before finishing up the hems. Imagine my disappointment at how terribly my self-made garment looked and fit. I was so glum that I set it aside and tried not to think about it for awhile. Then, I decided to visit my mom and see if she could talk me through the completion. One thing I decided to do was to wear the shirt backwards. I'm not a scoop neck girl, and the pattern calls for a scoop in the front, and so when I switched it around, it looked much better (I think). Also, I decided to hem the seams in a way that shaped the top a bit more, making it more flattering than I had thought it could be. Part of my fear in the process of making this top was that I was so worried about making mistakes, but really sewing is a very fluid process, and if something goes wrong, you take out a few stitches; if something should look different, well then you make it look different. It wasn't as scary as I thought. And at the end of the day, I'm even thinking about buying a sewing machine for future projects, but I might stick with making basic curtains or pillow covers for awhile.
Where: Royal Oak, Pink Castle, Sara's living room, and Mom's sewing table
When: March 5th - May 25th
Why: Growing up, my mom could sew anything. Halloween costumes, bedding and curtains, dresses, quilts, and so much more. This was a skill that, despite her best efforts, did not plant itself in my wheelhouse. My one foray into sewing was during a middle school "Home Economics" class that I was miserable in - she made me take it, trying to instill some domesticity in me - and the poor teddy bear I made that semester has one leg sewed on completely wrong. And yet, I was still somewhat proud that I had created that funny bear, and as the years have gone on, I've been in awe of my mom's ability to see something and go home to make it with her own twist. Recently, she made me a purse, from custom fabric I picked out and it was such quality craftsmanship that it withstood a Michigan winter and still gets compliments. I figured this skill must be dormant in me, but I could maybe tap into it, so I teamed up with my friends who own sewing machines and gave it my best shot.
My friend Sara had attended a workshop by a local seamstress/designer and thought her Ruby Top project would be a good entry level project. We kicked off this list item with the fun part...picking out fabrics! We visited Haberman Fabrics in Royal Oak and purchased what we needed, then started off with an evening at Pink Castle Fabrics in Ann Arbor where they open up their workroom for the "Sew Ann Arbor" crafty types to come and work on projects together in a lively atmosphere. Our first night there, I felt completely like a fish out of water. I was working on tracing my pattern and barely finished that in three hours!
The pieces I cut out for my practice garment were ready to be stitched together at our next gathering, this time at Sara's place. Let's just say that I'm glad I did a practice garment first, because I got A LOT of kinks worked out in the process. Big kinks, like I sewed an entire panel on inside out. I always assumed sewing was much like cooking (which I also don't do); it has step-by-step directions to follow, and being a literate individual, that seems easy enough to me. It is, however, quite complicated if one doesn't know all the technical jargon used in the directions. After asking Sara for clarification on nearly everything, I ended up with my finished rough draft, and was ready to start on my final version.
The next visit to Pink Castle, my friend Karen joined us. She had helped me out with a small sewing repair earlier in the winter, so she knew her way around a sewing machine and could help me out as I got the hang of it; my biggest mistake was forgetting to put down the presser foot, and once I got the hang of that, I'd forget to back-stitch at the end of a seam. Both caused no end of frustration, but that's how to learn. After this next 3-hour session, I was still not done, so had to borrow Sara's machine to work on it a bit more (entering ten hours of labor). I finally finished up my seams, and then tried it on before finishing up the hems. Imagine my disappointment at how terribly my self-made garment looked and fit. I was so glum that I set it aside and tried not to think about it for awhile. Then, I decided to visit my mom and see if she could talk me through the completion. One thing I decided to do was to wear the shirt backwards. I'm not a scoop neck girl, and the pattern calls for a scoop in the front, and so when I switched it around, it looked much better (I think). Also, I decided to hem the seams in a way that shaped the top a bit more, making it more flattering than I had thought it could be. Part of my fear in the process of making this top was that I was so worried about making mistakes, but really sewing is a very fluid process, and if something goes wrong, you take out a few stitches; if something should look different, well then you make it look different. It wasn't as scary as I thought. And at the end of the day, I'm even thinking about buying a sewing machine for future projects, but I might stick with making basic curtains or pillow covers for awhile.
47 down ... five to go...
What: #60 Memorize all
8 great-grandparents’ names and a fact about each
When: December 25th
Where: Tennessee
Why: I have an unhealthy knack for remembering random celebrity trivia. Actually, just general useless information seeps into my brain and stays put for me to retrieve and astound my friends. Then there are really important pieces of information - dates of big events in the lives of people I care about, for example - that escape me. I just had lunch with my 90-year-old great-aunt and as my oldest relative, it amazes me that she can remember everything about everyone, and I realized I just needed to find ways to make the information meaningful to my brain and then it might stick. Celebrities are interesting in their own way and I can connect them to movies, songs, and each other, and that makes my brain remember stories. If I could create stories about my great-grandparents, I could remember them, too, which would put me far ahead of most of the population. Luckily for me, my mom has been avidly interested in my family's genealogy for most of my life and has records of all the information I needed to get acquainted with the lives of my great-grandparents.
Great-grandpa Cleo (born 1900; ancestors traced back to the 1700s in France) - This is the only great-grandparent I remember. He was alive until I was about four and I remember sitting in his big rocking chair with him. He was a farmer (pigs, corn, dairy cows) and loved working at the county fair.
Great-grandma Bessie (born 1904; ancestors traced back to 1770s in Pennsylvania) - She worked in a tool & die plant making plane and tank parts during World War II.
Great-grandpa Charles - (born 1891; ancestry unknown) - He moved to Michigan with his family by horse and wagon! Worked in the winters for an ice company, cutting and storing ice off the nearby lake.
Great-grandma Goldie - (born 1890; ancestors traced back to 1820s in Ohio) - Her first child was born when she was 20, and her last son was born when she was 42!
Great-grandpa Benjamin (born 1881 in England) - He was a brick-layer, and an actual 32nd degree Mason which seems very mysterious!
Great-grandma Alice (born 1881 in England) - Came to the US a year after the Titanic, but returned in England after she saw her neighbor shoot and kill his wife. Decided to come back to the US again and eventually worked for the Hudson's store downtown.
Great-grandpa John (born 1878 in Illinois; siblings born in Germany) - He was the owner of two saloons in Illinois. Great-grandma Milda (born 1883 in Illinois; sibling born in Germany) - She ran the family turkey farm, and after that was sold, she ran the Dari-Castle ice cream shop.
I'd like to know more about who they were as people, so I'll be asking a lot more questions of my parents to see what they remember about their grandparents. Maybe I can get on the show "Who Do You Think You Are?" so that a TV crew can film me and make it all dramatic! :)
When: December 25th
Where: Tennessee
Why: I have an unhealthy knack for remembering random celebrity trivia. Actually, just general useless information seeps into my brain and stays put for me to retrieve and astound my friends. Then there are really important pieces of information - dates of big events in the lives of people I care about, for example - that escape me. I just had lunch with my 90-year-old great-aunt and as my oldest relative, it amazes me that she can remember everything about everyone, and I realized I just needed to find ways to make the information meaningful to my brain and then it might stick. Celebrities are interesting in their own way and I can connect them to movies, songs, and each other, and that makes my brain remember stories. If I could create stories about my great-grandparents, I could remember them, too, which would put me far ahead of most of the population. Luckily for me, my mom has been avidly interested in my family's genealogy for most of my life and has records of all the information I needed to get acquainted with the lives of my great-grandparents.
Great-grandpa Cleo (born 1900; ancestors traced back to the 1700s in France) - This is the only great-grandparent I remember. He was alive until I was about four and I remember sitting in his big rocking chair with him. He was a farmer (pigs, corn, dairy cows) and loved working at the county fair. Great-grandma Bessie (born 1904; ancestors traced back to 1770s in Pennsylvania) - She worked in a tool & die plant making plane and tank parts during World War II.
Great-grandpa Charles - (born 1891; ancestry unknown) - He moved to Michigan with his family by horse and wagon! Worked in the winters for an ice company, cutting and storing ice off the nearby lake.Great-grandma Goldie - (born 1890; ancestors traced back to 1820s in Ohio) - Her first child was born when she was 20, and her last son was born when she was 42!
Great-grandpa Benjamin (born 1881 in England) - He was a brick-layer, and an actual 32nd degree Mason which seems very mysterious!Great-grandma Alice (born 1881 in England) - Came to the US a year after the Titanic, but returned in England after she saw her neighbor shoot and kill his wife. Decided to come back to the US again and eventually worked for the Hudson's store downtown.
Great-grandpa John (born 1878 in Illinois; siblings born in Germany) - He was the owner of two saloons in Illinois. Great-grandma Milda (born 1883 in Illinois; sibling born in Germany) - She ran the family turkey farm, and after that was sold, she ran the Dari-Castle ice cream shop.
I'd like to know more about who they were as people, so I'll be asking a lot more questions of my parents to see what they remember about their grandparents. Maybe I can get on the show "Who Do You Think You Are?" so that a TV crew can film me and make it all dramatic! :)
42 down ... ten to go...
What: #41 Go shopping
on Black Friday
When: November 29th
Where: Arbor Hills
Why: For years, the hype around Black Friday shopping has been growing. And for years, I was stunned at the mania surrounding the morning sales. Finally, I decided that I should see what it was all about for myself. As anyone who has read this blog knows, shopping is not my forte; being budget conscious is...so this day could have gone either way. Also, with the shopping insanity beginning on "Brown Thursday", it meant that the pure madness would be lessened, so instead of facing crowds at 4am, I was able to roll into the parking lot and find a spot around 8:30 to find a relatively short line to stand in for the store's opening at 9am.
The store of choice was The North Face. I had a few things on my list...new ski pants, running attire, and a fleece. When the doors finally swung open, the sale was pretty pathetic by showcasing only two styles of fleece on sale for a minimal discount. After realizing this, we headed to look at items I'm adding to my wish list from various stores: Anthropologie, Lululemon, then a cute custom handbag store, and finally Arhaus.
Having purchased nothing, but inspired at the handbag store, we headed to JoAnn Fabrics. Turns out, that's where the crowds were gathering, which was a surprise to me! The lines of people were snaking through aisles filled with more customers, the likes of which I'd never seen at that store. After finding our pattern, we headed out and made it to lunch, having survived my first (and likely only) morning of Black Friday shopping.
When: November 29th
Where: Arbor Hills
Why: For years, the hype around Black Friday shopping has been growing. And for years, I was stunned at the mania surrounding the morning sales. Finally, I decided that I should see what it was all about for myself. As anyone who has read this blog knows, shopping is not my forte; being budget conscious is...so this day could have gone either way. Also, with the shopping insanity beginning on "Brown Thursday", it meant that the pure madness would be lessened, so instead of facing crowds at 4am, I was able to roll into the parking lot and find a spot around 8:30 to find a relatively short line to stand in for the store's opening at 9am.
 | ||
| The line lacked organization, but made up for it with commitment! |
The store of choice was The North Face. I had a few things on my list...new ski pants, running attire, and a fleece. When the doors finally swung open, the sale was pretty pathetic by showcasing only two styles of fleece on sale for a minimal discount. After realizing this, we headed to look at items I'm adding to my wish list from various stores: Anthropologie, Lululemon, then a cute custom handbag store, and finally Arhaus. Having purchased nothing, but inspired at the handbag store, we headed to JoAnn Fabrics. Turns out, that's where the crowds were gathering, which was a surprise to me! The lines of people were snaking through aisles filled with more customers, the likes of which I'd never seen at that store. After finding our pattern, we headed out and made it to lunch, having survived my first (and likely only) morning of Black Friday shopping.