30 Things

For the last few years I have created myself a list of things to do before my next birthday, and as my birthday is this week I thought it might be time to update last years list and share my new list. In the past I have done them on a separate blog, but I have found myself not updating it so I am scrapping that idea and I'll be doing the update of last years list and sharing my new list here it here from now on.

Now I realise this looks a little pathetic with it's half finished-ness, but I see it a guide, rather than a 'my life will end if I don't finish it' kind of list, so here goes. {The ones in bold have been completed - or completed enough for me to think I have done them, and there is a little description in red!}

1. Make macaroons. They scare me with their complicated-ness! But one day. 
2. Make new cushions for the flat. Something that says 'me' in the room – there isn’t much around the flat that is me or mine. It's very much my housemates space. And I have seen some gorgeous Orla Keirly-esque fabric too! Done. And they're still in use at my new house. 
3. Run 5k. Not necessarily in a race, but all at once. Preferably without my lungs collapsing. I have nearly done this. 4.8Km - that almost counts right?
4. Become more self reliant. I have let myself rely on people this year and it's only lead to me being let down. If I rely on myself more I’ll only have myself to blame when I’m let down, right…… The last few times the boy's been to India I have found myself in a position where it is just me and even though I was let down by people cancelling and backing out of stuff, the last time he went, I have learnt from it and I am ok with this next trip - I have figured out who to rely on! 
5. Make an item of clothing from a pattern, from scratch. {Clearly, I won’t be making the fabric, but you get the idea right?} So, I haven't blogged it, mostly as I couldn't get a decent picture, but I have done this - I made this style top but in a big print fabric and I love it. I have plans for more. 
6. Read a book a month and and document it here. It might work out that I have read one a month, but have I blogged it? Have I balls!
7. Take a TTV picture or two. This was on the list last year but I failed. I have the camera now, thanks to Lizzy, but I need to mod it and make it work for ttv. Nope - but the camera looks very pretty. I will do it, it's just a case of when!
8. Making a Blurb book out of my 2010 Shuttercal. Done and blogged. 
9. And whilst I am at it - carrying on my Shuttercal 365 for 2011. I like having a documentation of the year. This fell by the wayside about March.
10. Learn one new recipe a month. Be it soup, cake, a proper dinner or a snacky snack. And this fell by the wayside about May when I moved and stopped entering IronCupcake as much!
11. Take a class. I fancy letter pressing. Or a language. Or maybe the silk scarf class @vogue_ismybible saw and thinks we should attend. I went to a pottery painting class with Lianne at Mellorware and I started my Crafternoon's. They aren't a class, but we teach ourselves. 
12. Go to more gigs. I went to Glasto ;) but no more gigs. 
13. Vent less - I read a quote a while ago, that I can't quite remember totally, but it said something like '50% of people don’t care about your problems and the other 50% only care because it makes them feel better about their problems'. It made me think - they’re my issues. I should keep them that way. Especially around the people I have a feeling fall into that later 50%. Nope, I still moan as much. But ah, everyone does it!
14. Sort out my finances.  I am half there - and with my finances I'd say that counts but I doubt the boy would. 
15. Get a tattoo – this was on last year’s list, but since it took me a whole 27 years to decide my first one, a year to decide the next one might be a bit much. {this might be on lists for a while……..} Erm, still thinking. Maybe next year? 
16. Host a dinner party {and not serve Fajita’s or soup!} I said host, not cook. The boy and I, since getting the table have defo done this. He cooked for us all, I got drunk.
17. Take part in some Blogger events - I've really enjoyed the ones I did in 2010 - Pin it Forwards, the Souvenir Foto School classes and the August Break. So, I have done Pay it Forwards, August Break, Lovely Package Exchange & loved them all. 
18. Send little surprises to friends in the mail. Last year I made a start on this. This year I shall continue. Who doesn’t love surprises? Done. 
19. Go to the bit of the A625 that has collapsed. No idea why but I have a feeling it’ll be a little ‘end of the world’ like. Nope. Although I have thought about it. 
20. Get my knees on the way to being sorted. I saw a specialist. I have been doing exercises. I ought to go back and see a physio again. 
21. Swim. I love swimming and I don’t do it enough. Nope, I haven't even seen a pool!
22. To get back to the weight I got to pre-glasto. Before I gave up on the health kick and put the weight back on. Grrrrrrrr. I think I’d quite like to lose a stone, maybe one and a half of them. Two would be a dream. If anything I have put on weight. Oooops. This year will be the year. 
23. Make frozen yogurt. I love ‘fro-yo’ but Leeds seems to be all out of good places to buy it. I clearly wrote this full of hope as I added some things I'd need to my Amazon wish list. But that was the last I thought of it. 
24. Crochet something other than a beanie. Not that beanies aren’t useful, but I’d like to expand my skills. I'll be honest, I don't think I even picked up my needles this year!
25. Go to the theatre. Only the once, but we went to see Othello at the Crucible. It was pretty amazing. 
26. Get one of my photo’s printed onto canvas. It was one of the boys pics, but I picked it, got it done and hung it so I think I can count it {plus he needs some imagery input in the house!}
27. Make myself attend a Buns and Roses event. {well, hopefully more than just the one!} Edit - this'll have to be a Seven Hills event now I am in Sheffield!  I have joined Seven Hills. Yes I am a WI member. 
28. Learn more about photoshop. Enough to that I can 'create' rather than just get by. It's all been self taught or from Pugly Pixel tutorials but I think I am getting better! 
29. Picnic in the summer. We majorly failed on this one. We barely even BBQ'd let alone picnic'd. Although we did have a sports day, kind of picnic for my friend's birthday.  
30. Take at least 6 roles of Holga film {and develop them} I've taken 3 rolls this year, but they are still sat, un-developed, in my room.