30 Before 30

I'm turning 30 in January 2011 and after reading the book "Julie and Julia", I decided I'm making a bucket list of things to do before I turn 30.  Here goes...

1. Take a photography class
2. Go to Seattle with the hubby (tickets purchased!)
3. Sell the house (done 3/26)
4. Run a 5k
5. Visit Las Vegas for a weekend (I've been once upon a time and know better than to go for longer than a weekend)
6. Learn to crochet
7. Watch all the Star Wars movies (watched all 3 original movies, still deciding if I should watch the newer 3--thoughts???)
8. Do 5 unassisted consecutive pull ups
9. Learn Photoshop
10. Lose 10 pounds
11. Start volunteering
12. Start a vegetable garden
13. See the North Carolina symphony
14. Watch "The Sound of Music" (never seen it)
15. Watch "Gone with the Wind" (again, never seen it)
16. Learn to make poached eggs (done 1/15)
17. Read one book per month (so far so good!)
18. Read "The Hobbit"
19. Learn to make a souffle
20. Learn to paint my nails properly
21. Learn to play chess
22. Learn to play poker (not in Vegas)
23. Buy a new (to us) house (done 3/26)
24. Refinish a piece of furniture
25. Go to a concert
26. Blog at least once a week
27. Build a chicken coop
28. Stop biting my nails once and for all
29. Pay off my car (20 months early)
30. Learn my credit score

Nerds Unite!

Did you know today is National Grammar Day???  How secretly awesome nerdy is that?

Also secretly awesome nerdy is this: 

I just discovered this podcast and it. is. awesome.  I mean, if you're into that sort of thing...which...I'm not...ahem.

Entry Way and Hallway

The entry way in this house is really small, so we've never been able to find just the right piece of furniture for the space.  This trunk and shelf have served well though.

Up until earlier this year, the floor in the hallway was the 28 year old carpet that was in the bedrooms as well.  We found a laminate flooring that matched the floor in the living room almost perfectly and spent a day making over the hallway.  I don't have any before pictures of the hallway, but I'll let you imagination decide what 28 year old carpet looks like.  Needless to say, this was a huge improvement.

On Repeat

I've been listening to Lyle Lovett a ton lately.  I have no idea how I stumbled across his music, but I love it.  This album, Live in Texas, is my favorite of his.  We bought his new album, Natural Forces, (yes, we're old school and still buy cd's) and it's kind of "eh" but Live in Texas is fantastic. 

Favorite songs?

You're Not From Texas

M-O-N-E-Y

If I Had a Boat

Church

Den

Den

Before:

Cheap-o bookshelves and nasty 28 year old carpet

Hubby custom made bookshelves to accomodate all our books and gigantic cd collection.

I went through quite a bird phase and painted little birds above the door and closet.  They've since been painted over.

After:

Decluttered and a lot more sane looking.

Why have I not ordered this yet?

I've had my eye on this for years, but never ordered it.  No idea why. 

I'm ordering it once we move and it will live in the master bathroom, which I'll design around it. 

From Anthro, duh.

Living Room and Breakfast Nook: Before and After

 Living Room

Before:

After:

(Oops--forgot to take a pic of the wall where the entertainment center is.  Needless to say, the atrocious wire shelving is gone as is most of that clutter.  Ugh.  I think my eyes my bleed from the before pics.)

Breakfast Nook

Before:

After: