If You Love Lists...

As long as I can remember, I've kept lists of things I wanted to do or accomplish in life.  I used to keep them taped to the back of my bedroom door growing up (the list MAY still be there? It was on a neon green piece of paper.  My parents used to cross things off the list for me...like:

• Own a Teapot that Whistles
• Teach a Kayaking Class
• Graduate from College
• Sing a song in French

When I went away to college my best friend, Krista, was the QUEEN of three things:

1. Lists (She has VOLUMES of books just full of lists??? Who DOES that?? Hehe!)
2. Journaling 
3. Pink Stuff 

I was inspired by Krista to do two of three -- write lists IN a journal!  My list-ness has since expanded to task journals, evernotes, and grocery list apps on my smart phone (SIDENOTE: Krista ALSO is really good at adding a "ness" to the end of nouns to make them verbs.  Her biggest blooper of this habit was when she tried to turn peeing into a 'ness word' and said something about getting her pee-ness on...WHOOPS!).

I thoroughly enjoy lists, but am not quite as psycho about lists as my sister, Amanda, who can't feel like something is completed unless she's crossed it off a list.  She keeps her little list pad by her bed and makes lists like this:

Don't Forget

• Take a Shower
• Put on undies & socks
• Wear deodorant
• Brush hair
• ...and so on...

Dude...I have to say two things...(in list form)

1. Your day sounds like it starts uncomfortably since you don't dry off before putting on your socks & undies...
2. If you can't get dressed in the morning without a list...um -- you's gots probs!!!

I actually haven't lived with Amanda for a few years now, so she may have grown out of this phase...but my gut tells me her obsessive disorder still exists to some degree.

ANYWAYS, most recently I've become pretty obsessed with blogging. My blogging obsession has taken my stalking skills to a whole new level.  Facebook stalking aside, I stalk people and am totally intrigued by the lives of individuals I don't even know, such as:

• Jenna Weber who blogs on Eat, Live, Run - she inspired me to start red lipsticking and cook!
• Mandy who blogs about sewing, crafting and styling on Sugar Bee Crafts. 
• Trevor who is Mandy's husband.  His blog is the dude's version of living with a crafter. Hilar!
• Kate Conner who is a really cute girl who has this really cute green dress and she blogs about some really inspirational and thought provoking things...AND she made a LIFE LIST.

So as you have probably guessed, this post is going to be of my Lifetime List which was inspired by two things:

1. Krista - who has instilled in me two things that have become part of my daily routine:
1. List Making
2. Journalling (How do you like THAT!? A list WITHIN a list. POW!)
2. Kate Conner - who put her life list on her blog that I stalk.

So here she is, in ALL her glory...

Oh the places I will go:

1. Machu Picchu
2. The Grand Canyon
3. Helena, Montana (to visit the coolest Aunt & Uncle & cousins EVA!)
4. Ashville, New York (been here quite a few times, but I'll intend to visit quite a few more to see my OTHER coolest Aunt & Uncle & cousins...Since I only have two sets of coolest Aunts, Uncs & Cousins and we don't want anyone feeling less awesome or left out)
5. Barcelona, Spain
6. Mount Rushmore
7. Redwood Forest
8. Yellowstone National Park
9. Sweden
10. Cape Cod
11. Mt. Kilimanjaro 
12. Portland, Maine
13. San Francisco - The Golden Gate Bridge
14. The Great Sphinx - Egypt
15. Anchorage, Alaska
16. San Antonio, Texas 
17. Tampa, Florida (to visit Great Uncle Bryne, Aunt Audrey & Uncle Arnold)

Oh the Things I will do:

1. Cut Boy Hair (more specifically, Tommy's)
2. Learn to speak Spanish (maybe sending my kid to a bi-lingual school will school me too!)
3. Sponsor a child (maybe adopt a child?)
4. Have a child who is enjoyable to take in public places - restaurants, shopping, etc...
5. Get Handier
6. Successfully accomplish good furniture makeovers
7. Sew stuff more
1. Learn to follow a pattern
2. Make a Quilt
8. Plant & Harvest a SUCCESSFUL Garden (they all R.I.P. in Garden heaven never having harvested a plentiful bounty)
1. Can things from my garden
9. Live by water (I think preference is Lake, but I could settle for river and definitely an ocean!)
10. Be featured for SOMETHING in Better Homes & Gardens. 
11. Read 1,000 books
12. Have 1,000 blog followers
13. Run 1,000 miles in a year
14. Have an etsy store
15. Eat at a Gordon Ramsay Restaurant
1. Shake hands with Gordon someday
16. Learn to make sushi
17. Receive a hug from Paul Meany (ideally document this also with a photo)
18. Take a photography class
19. Get a masters degree
20. Attend a conference about blogging (do these exist?!)

I definitely intend to update these lists when tasks have been completed or when I need to add more things to my intended accomplishments, so check back often.  In closing, I think it's only appropriate to leave you with a list of my top three takeaways from this post:

1. Get inspired!  Find something that makes you want to accomplish stuff...a book, a blog, a friend...
2. Go make your own lists!  It feels really great to jot stuff down, and it makes me more motivated to accomplish something when it's put in writing.
3. Don't forget to dry off after getting out of the shower.  Starting your day in wet socks and undies seems gross!