reverb10 :: december 14

December 14 Appreciate

What's one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year?

you can purchase this print here

Biking. And I don't mean that I bike all the time. Or often enough. But, this time I do spend on my bike, I enjoy it and I feel like I need it. It took me about two years to get my bike tuned up and re-inflated, and I wonder why I waited so long. I love every minute on my bike - it gives me time to think and take my time. You can't be rushed on a bike because it (I) can only go so fast. Also, I don't have to worry about the 20 mph school zone speed trap on the way to work.

reverb10 :: december 13

December 13 Action

When it comes to aspirations, it's not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

In my last class, Internet Marketing, we were all assigned a show-and-tell kind of presentation to our class; to teach each other in areas of the internet marketing that we were pseudo experts in. I chose to "teach" on social media for a small crafty company. I had been volunteering for the Horseshoe Craft & Flea Market and helping out with a marketing plan for the market. Through that incredible experience (which I am so fortunate to still be helping with!), and having to design this class presentation, I came to the realization I had a skeleton business plan to do consulting for small crafty businesses. Since I can't take my own advice and start a crafty biz myself, I think this consulting thing could be a good fit for me. My professor was really helpful and definitely made an effort to push me to think about this as a possibility. I still need some more pushing, a solid business plan and some clients, but I feel like this may be heading in the right direction.

So, take that 2011! Something to act on!

reverb10 :: december 11

December 11 Things

What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011?

Being a huge fan of getting rid of stuff (when I get around to it), here is a list of things that I need to get rid of or stop collecting more of:

1. crafts - seriously, I love them, I love collecting them, but until I produce something I really don't need to purchase any more. But, if they are gifted to me, I'll gladly accept :)
2. items that have been with me move after move - it's like carrying my own box of trash with me. With 888 sq. feet, purging is a quarterly task.
3. distractions - this will be difficult. how will I procrastinate?
4. less time in the car = more time on the bike
5. thinking I need to get a coffee in order to start my day right
6. any item, non-decorative, that collects dust

ok...I couldn't think of 11, because, well, I got distracted and started cleaning my closet. and my room. and my house. of which hadn't been cleaned in, well, awhile.

reverb10 :: december 10

December 10 Wisdom

What was the wisest decision you made this year?

This is easy - taking 8 weeks off of school and going to Hawaii. Mostly for the sake of our sanity!

reverb10 ::december 9

December 9 Party

What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010?

FYI - I didn't post this yesterday because I was at a Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Concert. yes. incredible. wonderful. my throat hurts from singing so much. joy.

For social gatherings - there weren't too many. No graduations, not many friends weddings, just COUSINS WEDDINGS! Two of my wonderful cousins got married this past year. Both beautiful days, each uniquely them and now new cousin-in-laws!

Seanny-boy (as Kayla and I will forever call him) and Lauren got married in a little ceremony in Ko Olina and had a lovely reception after. We were all happy to go, I mean, it was in Hawaii. Not really, I wouldn't miss that boy's wedding for the world. I hope he will ultimately forgive Kayla, Mikayla and myself for dressing him up in girls clothes and calling him Katy so he could play with us. But, I'm sure thats too much information. All-in-all, an absolutely wonderful day!

Then, just about two months ago, my lovely cousin Ashly got married. Another beautiful ceremony and reception. I loved hitting the dance floor with Kayla, Linds and Ash. Us four Blincow girls sure know how to get down. And, well, so do our dads... Not to mention, Ash's cousin broke out Thriller. And that was awesome.

As 2011 approaches, will be getting to celebrate Kyle's graduation from college, Trents graduation from High School, Derek & Tracy and who knows what else?

reverb10 :: december 8

December 8 Beautifully Different

Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up.

i love the princess diaries, books and movies

i have an in-depth knowledge of early 2000s rap

there's nothing better than mac n' cheese, especially from noodles&co

i'm a creature of habit, especially with food

i had to have gold braces

you've never met anyone so dedicated to the 1996 women's dream team

the moment i started procrastinating was in the middle of fourth grade

i collect completely random information

reverb10 :: december 7

December 7 Community

Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010?

What community would like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

Yes and No. Can I just leave it at that? I suppose not.

After leaving the incredible community of Westmont a while ago, community has had to have a learning curve with me post-college. Moving to Seattle was a bit lonely, even though Kalin and Liz were there. I had wonderful co-workers, but outside of work, we really didn't have a close-knit community. I'm sure we would have made more of an effort if we would have stayed there longer.

When we arrived in Colorado, we were able to connect to a Westmont couple that I really didn't know well during my time there and from that friendship sprung new ones and a small bible study and from that there were marriages and two babies. It was really good.

With babies and school and most of all the responsibilities that come to new parents, that bible study disbanded, although we get to see each other once in awhile. During this past year, we had found a new church that we absolutely can't say enough about. After church-hopping for perhaps too long, we've found a new community. What I've enjoyed most is our Supper Group we had last Spring - just to get together and eat. It was great. We all laughed a lot and enjoyed the company. But that group was brief and our school schedules haven't worked with joining another group. Or, have we not made time in our schedule for the group?

Community does sound nice and I wish I had a well-defined one that we are a part of, but another side of me really isn't into defining a community because I, by nature and Myers-Briggs definition, am an introvert. Surprising? Not really. I need time alone to recharge. Selfish? Slightly.

In this chain-of-thought kind of response, I realize that I am apart of learning community in my MBA courses and absolutely love it. If you knew me in undergrad, I was never going to speak up in class. ever. Now, I worry that I talk too much. It's the content we talk about - I can actually relate vs. trying to think of questions about utils and diminishing marginal return. The active learning environment is so good for me. I love to work in my groups and be creative in the various aspects it provides and I enjoy the weekly challenges to come up with new ideas. But, I get really burned out after class and for a few days to follow...all of which lead me to procrastinate...as I have mentioned before...