>Apartment Therapy Update ~ Ugly Dresser

>I know it has been a while since I have updated on my apartment therapy project that started in Oct/Nov. For the past few months I have been buy and collect pieces in a pile in my living room. This weekend my interior desinger friends came over to pull it all together.

So far, so good. I am really happy with the decision to spend the money on making my apartment a home. The place feels warm, cozy and welcoming. To nice to keep messy

Here is a sneak peak of a little “Do It Yourself” project that one of the ladies (Kelli) did. I purchased the brown 3′ by 3′ dresser from a guy on craigslist for $10. To say the least it was a piece of garbage, but Kelli had told me that she can make anything work. I dropped it to her house and when I got it back, it was painted black with silver hardware. The hardware isn’t anything special, Kelli bragged that they were the cheapest that the local hardware store had to offer.

>Reverb10 Prompts 16-31 (12/15 to 12/21)

>This is the last of the prompts from Reverb10. Check it out at www.reverb10.com

PROMPT #16
Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)

• I was friends with a guy from work and I though he was the nicest guy and I wanted to set him up with someone who was equally as nice. As time went on I learned so much about this guy and realized that he had many qualities that were not as appealing as his niceness. From this i learned that there is more to a person than who they show you in the beginning. Pay attention to peoples actions and they will tell you who they really are.

  from this friendship I learned that not everyone wants to be in a relationship and it is not my job to set them up.

PROMPT #17
Lesson Learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)

• I have learned that I want alot from life and it is important to make plans to create the life that I want. Unlike the past I can not overload myself. In 2011, I will not put to much on my plate.

PROMPT #18
Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

• I want to try skydiving

PROMPT #19 – Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)

• I would like to become more forgiving of things that happened in the past. In 2010, I have learned to accept that people what different things in life. Instead of trying to change them and get them to see things my way, I now allow them to be who they are.

PROMPT #20 – Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)

• I should have started working on starting my business earlier in the year. I wasn’t confident that I could really run a business and make it successful enough to replace my income. We will see what I am capable of in 2011.

PROMPT #21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)

• Do the things that you want. Don’t let other dash your dreams. Always try hard. Do you best at everything you do. Don’t do things that other want you to do, unless you want to do them.

PROMPT #22 – Travel How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)

• I visited south america, the caribbean and south west asia in 2010. I hope to go to the middle east in 2011 and see the grand canyon.

PROMPT #23 – New Name Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why? (Author: Becca Wilcott)

• I would use the name Bianca. I have always loved the name and it would be fun

PROMPT #24 – Everything’s OK What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead? (Author: Kate Inglis

• I have had a lot of these moments this year. there are times that people complain and I realize that my life is fine. I have nothing major to complain about and I am not struggling. I am in a position to make changes if I want. I am where I am supposed to be in my life.

PROMPT #25 – Photo – a present to yourself Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be.

• If this wasn’t an anonymous blog I would share the picture.

PROMPT #26 – Soul Food What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)

• I love sweet potatoes and marshmallows. This combo is a winner.

PROMPT #27 – Ordinary Joy Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brené Brown)

• My best moment this year was a conversation with my 10 year old niece. She says the sweetest things that just touch my heart.

PROMPT #28 – Achieve What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

• I want to open my business and make it successful. I imagine that I will feel satisfied and excited and overwhelmed all at the same time.

PROMPT #29 – Defining Moment Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. (Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

• I attended a friends wedding this year and I believe she is settling. This made me think of my relationship and where it is going.

PROMPT #30 – Gift Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? (Author: Holly Root)

• My most memorable gift was from my niece/nephews. They send me cards or drawings all the time. just to know they are thinking of me makes me happy.

PROMPT #31 – Core Story What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.) (Author: Molly O’Neill)

• At my core I want to be a person of integrity who is willing to make the scarafices for what I want in life. I am focused on creating the life I want and not the life that others want me to have.

>20 Financial Milestones for your 20′s

>In exactly 2 months I will no longer be a twenty-something, so lets see how I did.

# 1 – Finance a dream vacation…in cash

• In the past 4 years I have paid cash for 2 trips to the middle east, 1 to the caribbean, 1 to south america and 2 cruises. My dream vacation is to cruise the mediteranean.

# 2 – Pay off your student loans

• This is the only debt I have left. I will be done in my early 30′s

# 3 – Automate paying your credit card bill in full

• I have made the decision to live a debt free life and haven’t used credit cards since July 2007.

# 4 – Get rid of all bad debt

• I paid of all credit cards and my car.

# 5 – Build an adequate emergency fund

• Right now I have $1000 emergency fund per Dave Ramsey’s recommendation. I will create a 3-6 eFund in my early 30′s

# 6 – Make your first, and last, investment mistake

• I would say the may car was this mistake

# 7 – Develop a statement of cash flows

• I do this every payday

# 8 & 9 Max out a Roth & Contribute to your 401(k)

• These will be turned on just as soon as I finish Dave Ramsey’s baby step #3.

# 10 – Get a degree or certification that increases your earning power

• I got my MBA in 2007 and tripled my income

# 11 – Take a career risk

• I haven’t done this yet, but I am serious thinking about quitting my job. More about this in future post, I am only in the brainstorming stages of this.

# 12 – Negotiate something

• I did purchasing for a while so now I like to negotiate everything.

# 13 – Earn your first side grand

• I did this making baked goods this year. It was very cool.

# 14 – Start a sub-savings account for an upcoming financial goal

• Sinking funds are comming in my financial plan. Right now I started an account to put money towards my business venture.

# 15 – Set a target retirement date

• I don’t know when I will retire, but I plan to do so because I am financially independent. It won’t be at the age of 65.

# 16 – Monitor your credit

• I could be better at it, but I check it no less than once per year.

# 17 – Say no to a financial salesman

• This is easy when you are informed and have a plan.

# 18 – Give just enough to make it hurt

• Give doesn’t hurt. I can’t want until I can give like noone else.

2 Milestones for the Over Achiever

# 19 – Invest $1 for every $1 you spend

• Not there yet

# 20 – Start a 529 College Savings Plan

• I don’t have kids

*********************

I want to add one thing

# 21 – Get a will drafted

• I haven’t done this, but I have 2 months to get it done.

>Reverb10 Prompts 12-15 (12/12 to 12/15)

>reverb10…check it out!

PROMPT #12 ~ December 12, 2010

Body Integration This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

• The times I feel most integrated with is when I am having a good run, my body isn’t hurting and my mind is clear.

PROMPT #13 ~ December 13, 2010

Action When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

• I so agree with this statement. My next moves are going to be aligned with starting my business and making it the best it can be. Who knows, this time next year I may be doing it full time. A job that I love and pays the bills and is satisfying at the same time…what an idea!

PROMPT #14 ~ December 14, 2010

Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

• I have really grown to appreciate how different every person, place and thing can be. I show my appreciation by enjoying the great aspects of every place I go and letting people be who they want to be without me trying to figure out why.

PROMPT #15 ~ December 15, 2010

5 Minutes Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

• my trip to south america, my nieces and all their cuteness, my brother and fomer roomate and all the fun we had together, my parents, everything I have learned outside of work, my travel to different places, the people i have met in the operations at my job, sweet treats, disney half marathon, my nieces reaction to my running medals, progress is building a solid financial foundation, the experiences I have shared with my BF, conversation with my work BFF they are so refreshing, the dances I have learned, I want to remember everything

>Apartment Therapy: Retail Therapy (Week #04)

>****Updates from previous weeks: 01, 02, 03
****Pictures of new and old things to decorate.

Week #04: Retial Therapy

BONES

• Clean up living room and related closets
  No closets in the living room and the room is bare, bare, bare. It has been cleaned over and over.
• Repairs are being taken care of this week
  Done, done, done

BREATH

• Declutter books and all media
  I have decluttered my books, but I have not purchased a bookself to put them on yet. That is planned for this Wednesday.
• Cancel 75 percent of the catalogs you receive
  I only have one subscription and it is about to run out. I will not be renewing it.
• Empty outbox this week
  I can’t wait to do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HEART

• Confirm what you need to increase or decrease color in each room
  Bathroom needs color, bedroom and living room need accents they have plenty of color
• Identify what you need to increase or decrease softness in each room
  Bedroom: needs softness like flowers and personal touches
  Living room: needs a plant, rug and pictures

HEAD

• Cook three meals at home this week
  This has not happened even once since I started apartment therapy and I know it won’t happen before the end of the year. Next year I plan to eat more balanaced meals at home, but that is not related to this book.
• Send out invitations
  As soon as I finish this post I am going to finalize my invitations. I have decided to do an electronic using blog format. I made a collage of before pictures and a collage of things I have purchased. I think it will work out okay.

>Reverb10 Prompts 07-11 (12/07 to 12/11)

>Reverb10…Check it out!!!

PROMPT #07 ~ December 7, 2010

Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)

• This year I discovered the Personal Finance Blog community. It has been a great learning experience and hopefully I have give back as much as I have taken for each of the bloggers that I really enjoy. In the coming year I would like to become more involved in the entrepreneur community. I discovered this group in the past 2 months. They are quirky and so inspiring. I want to be one of them.

PROMPT #08 ~ December 8, 2010

Beautifully Different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful. (Author: Karen Walrond)

• I make a point to be good at remember peoples names and listening to what they have to say. This make people feel great. I strive to let people be who they are and enjoy the things that make them tick even if I don’t get it. Sometimes this is not so simple, but it really doesn’t matter that I don’t get it. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Valentine’s Day, there is no need to be a party pooper on this day. Growing as a person is fun to me, I like the challenge. I truely know the value of people, things and experiences in my life.

PROMPT #09 ~ December 9, 2010

Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)

• I had the opportunity to bring in the New Year at an amazing party on a South American beach. The party was free, the weather was perfect and the people were enjoying themselves. The music came from DJ’s and live bands. There wasn’t much food around, but you could sip on fresh coconut right out of the coconut. Most people where wearing all white and flip flops.

PROMPT #10 ~ December 10, 2010

Wisdom Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)

• The wisest decision I made this year was to pursue my passion for personal finances and attend financial counselor training. I followed that decision up with taking an entrepreneurship class that would guide me in the direction I needed to go in order to get my business started. If you asked me in January, if this is what I would be doing the answer would have been NO. In January I am ready to pick a name, logo, set up corporate structure, print brochures, etc. I plan to open my doors in March.

PROMPT #11 ~ December 11, 2010

What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

1. My current manager. I am looking for a new job internally & externally. I am also considering what it would take to do my business full-time. 8 hours of my day will not be spent worrying about managing her perceptions.
2. Bare house. I am working through Apartment Therapy to get it decorated by the beginning of February. It will give me a peaceful place to come home too.
3. Fast food. I have cut back and I am planning on follow my nutritionist orders for 90 days. I image my overall health will improve.
4. 15 lbs. Going back to the gym and training for local runs. Without the 15lbs I am happy with the way my body looks.
5. Being cold. I am learning to wear long sleeves in winter. This will make me less bitter about the weather and keep me in a generally better mood.
6. Negative friends. These friends drain me to no end. I want the best for them but they are stuck in pessimist-ville. I have started distancing myself from them and focusing on my friends that try to make the best of their lives. I am attending events that give me the opportunity to meet new people.

>Tying Up Loose Ends

>

Today, I have decided to end my blogging year. I completed my last budget for the year and I will get paid for the last time in 2010 on the 15th. I leave for the holidays on the 21st to the north east and then to the middle east. I will return on New Year’s Eve.

I have a little more Christmas shopping to do, but that money has already been allocated so there is no need to track it.

This is my plan:

• Provide Apartment Therapy update
• Provide Reverb10 responses
• Provide 2011 goals

>Reverb10: Prompts 03 – 05 (12/03 to 12/6)

>PROMPT #03 ~ December 03, 2010
Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)

• I have been thinking abou this one for 3 days and it has me completely stumped. I may have to circle back on this.

PROMPT #04 ~ December 04, 2010
Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)

• To cultivate a sense of wonder I would make a list of things that I had never done and then when I wanted/needed something to do I would consult my list. I also took pictures to capture the moments.

PROMPT #05 ~ December 05, 2010
Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (Author: Alice Bradley)

• I have to let go of an friend that I realized was nothing more than an acquaintance. This persons was very negative and only focused on himself. He did not have goals and dreams, but constantly complained about how life wasn’t fair. There just came a point when I had to realized that it is okay to want good things for people, but I can’t want it more for them than they want it for themselves.

PROMPT #06 ~ December 06, 2010
Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (Author: Gretchen Rubin)

• Honestly, I can’t remember the last thing I made except food. I made hummus for a party this weekend. I want to make a chiffon skirt for my dance constume. I bought the sewing machine and the material. I just have to make time to get the thread, learn how to cut the material, learn to use the machinge and make it happen.

>Reverb10 (Day 1 of 31)

>I found out about Reverb10 from Me In Millions. The challenge seems fun and thought provoking, so I will join her (and hundreds of other people) for the next 30 days. I may not post my responses to the prompts everyday, but I will publish them all at some point.

What is reverb10?
It is an annual event and online initiative to reflect on your year and manifest what’s next. Use the end of your year as an opportunity to reflect on what’s happened, and to send out reverberations for the year ahead. With Reverb 10 – and the 31 prompts our authors have created for you – you’ll have support on your journey.

PROMPT #01 ~ Dec 01, 2011
One Word. Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you? (Author: Gwen Bell)

• 2010 = unfocused. During the year I was kind of unfocused on the things that I want the most. I progressed financially, learning about healthy living and dance, but not to where I hoped to be.
• 2011 = growth. In the next year I will take advantage of most opportunities for growth in my personal and professional life.

PROMPT #02 ~ Dec 02, 2011
Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

• Writing isn’t a passion of mine, but work tends to get in the way of alot of things.

>30 Day Gratitude Challenge (Final)

>

Grey Matter Life kicked off The 30 Day Gratitude Challenge. Thanksgiving is only 21 days away. I am participate in the challenge right here on my blog and I invite you all you join in on the fun. If you have been following my blog you will see that I was not consistant with posting each and everyday. Below I have completed the list.

I AM THANKFUL FOR…

1. NOV 23: safe drive home with my brother to see friends and family
2. NOV 22: Yamellows
3. NOV 21: friends, family, co-workers and strangers with giving spirits
4. NOV 20: pictures to remind you of the good times
5. NOV 19: working internet (at my dads the internet is super slow)
6. NOV 18: a decent nights sleep
7. NOV 17: good conversations with old friends. they are so inspiring and satisfying
8. NOV 16: job opportunities near and far
9. NOV 15: apple cutter. Not having to eat around the core is nice.
10. NOV 14: the courage to stand up for what I believe in even if I am standing alone.
11. NOV 13: birthday celebrations for my friends. They always seem so happy.
12. NOV 12: heated blankets
13. NOV 11: Byers Oreo Ice Cream
14. NOV 10: $1.00 movie theaters
15. NOV 09: quality time with my boyfriend
16. NOV 08: the heated steering wheel in my car.
17. NOV 07: desire to create the life I want
18. NOV 06: self-motivation
19. NOV 05: my friends and family
20. NOV 04: having a job, a place to live and reliable transportation.
21. NOV 03: the lessons my parents taught me about life before they divoriced and moved on to created new lives for themselves.
22. NOV 02: the ability and willingness to learn new things.
23. NOV 01: To have applied good financial practices 3.5 years ago. Now I am able to start doing some of the things I want without stressing over money.
24. OCT 31: My sense of self-worth, integrity and the wisdom to exercise good judgement (in most cases)
25. OCT 30: A beautiful day. Tshirt weather at the end of October is amazing.
26. OCT 29: Space heaters at work. Why do they keep the A/C on so high?
27. OCT 28: My brother. It is just so nice to have him around to talk to and joke with.
28. OCT 27: Having a job to go to each day.