A Desk Redo and More 30 by 30

First I wanted to share a few photos of a desk I recently redid (and forgot to take a before picture of). This little pretty was refinished just to hold the favors at our wedding. Until then it is living next to our front door...

Next I want to share the next 10 items on my 30 by 30 list. For the first ten items and an explanation of this list see the first blog posting here.

11. Improve jewelry metal smithing skills and learn to solder. Soldering is something I have been wanting to learn forever! I have jewelry saws, metal files and other basic tools but now its time to break out the torch and get to work!

12. Learn to french braid my own hair. Although I can braid someone else's hair, lack of arm strength and patience has kept me from learning how to do my own. There are way too many cute hair styles out right now so I must get this task done before they go out of style.

13. Go on a cross country road trip.Tim is my absolute favorite traveling buddy and this is something we want to do while we are still in our 20s.

14. Become a grown up and get a "real" job with salary and benefits. For some reason I equate being a grown up with these things and will continue to feel like a big kid until I get my first full time job. 

15. Complete a sprint triathalon. Distance running has never been my thing and I can't ride a bike so swimming is the only event I currently could complete. However I love the idea of completing a sprint triathalon so think it is a great physical goal to set for myself. 

16. Return to Africa. Ever since spending the summer of 2008 in Tanzania and getting malaria before I was able to go on safari and visit Mt. Kilimanjaro, I vowed to return to East Africa and do these things and visit the orphanage where I volunteered again. 

 

17. Attend Bonnaroo. Every year I want to go to this music festival but never seem to get around to actually going.

18. Bake the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Before I become a mom I want to master a killer recipe for the best chocolate cookies so I can be "that" mom. Any recipe recommendations anyone?

19. Become proficient in Spanish. Any time I am taking a class or spend time in a spanish speaking country, my skills improve so much but as soom as I return home I always let me skills fade. I want to take a long trip or find a language buddy so I can master Spanish once and for all!

20. Sell Bonnybee Designs in stores. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time but never can seem to find the time to do. I have already been approached by a few stores in Birmingham so hopefully I am on the right track. But for now my jewelry can only be found in my Etsy store. 

So what do you guys think?! What are some of your goals?

*Bonnybee

Thirty by Thirty

This past Sunday I turned 25. This got me thinking about all the wonderful things that lay ahead of me in the next few years. It also got me thinking about some things that I have on my "someday" list that I want to accomplish while I am still young and (relatively) without responsibilities.  So I decided to make a list of thirty things I want to accomplish by the time I turn thirty. To provide accountability and since so many things on this list are crafty and/or exciting (at least in my opinion) I want to share my list on this here bloggie and share my progress on these goals over the years. 

Today I am going to start off by sharing the first ten items on my list....

1. Marry the man of my dreams. This item I am particularly excited about. My fiance, Tim, is absolutely the perfect companion for me and each day I am more and more excited to come home and see him. I know I am truly blessed to have found someone like him to spend my life with. Not to mention how much fun I am having planning and decorating for the wedding.

2. Learn to reupholster. So far my skills are limited to seats that can pop out but I want to be a reupholstery pro; able to do chairs with backs, cushions, arm chairs and someday even sofas. I have come up blank when trying to find classes in my area so am now determined to be self-taught-ish. As a birthday gift, Tim set me up with all the wonderful tools I need and I have already started collecting practice peices. Stay tuned to hear about my trials and tribulations along the way.

3. Get a furniture booth. For a long time now I have dreamt of getting a booth at a local shop where I can sell furniture that I refinish. I have shared a few of the pieces I have done for my home but I crave the opportunity to make more. 

4. Visit Southeast Asia. It has been far too long since I have traveled out of the country and my next destination must be to Thailand and Vietnam. Anyone wanna come with?!

5. Earn my masters degrees.This May I will be graduating with a Masters in Public Health and a Masters in Public Administration and I can not wait. 

6. Learn to ride a bike. You know the phrase "It's Like riding a bike?" I hate that phrase!! I rode bikes as a kid but become a wobbly unstable mess when I try to mount one now. I would love to be able to take weekend bike rides or commute to work but it is going to take a lot of practicing before I am comfortable on two wheels. For this reason riding a bike has always stayed on my "someday" list. 

7. Get crazy in Sin City. My wonderful besties are going to help cross this item off my list this Spring as they are planning my bachelorette party in Las Vegas. 

8. Throw an epic Halloween party.I love dressing up. My craftiness explodes when I am working on a costume. Unfortunately I never seem to make plans for Halloween and just end up staying home. Thus I am vowing to throw an epic Halloween party within the next few years complete with ridiculous decorations and costumes.

9. Buy a digital SLR camera and be able to use it. And I don't just mean turn it on and press the button. I want to say goodbye to out of focus photos with horrible lighting.

10. Have a ceramics studio again.Post college I inherited an amazing pottery wheel and kiln and had a wonderful set up at my mother's house. Currently in Birmingham I don't have the room in our rented apartment for a ceramics studio (crazy right?!). Before I turn thirty I want to be in a house with an unfinished basement or other space where I can set up my studio again. 

Well there are the first 10 items from my thirty by thirty list. Some of these I have already begun on and some I am not sure how I am going to accomplish. Do any of you have lists like this? If you did, what would be on your list??! Do you have any predictions on which of these items will end up making me cry?  Let me know in a comment below!

*Bonnybee