29 Things To Do Before 30 - Final

Here it is. This year went a lot better than last year, with more than half of my goals getting crossed off. I'm pretty sure being unemployed since January helped. So much free time!

1. Start tattoo work on my right arm. Hell yes.

2. Get my website up. Did this times three!

3. Volunteer at least 100 hours at ARAS Colorado. Nope. Did maybe 20 hours. I let the kitties down.

4. Try absinthe. Not yet.

5. Go on a 90 day spending fast. This definitely still needs to be done. Adding it to next year’s list!

6. Enter a photo contest. Entered the Cowboys and Indians photo contest for my mom. I obviously didn’t win, but I’m going to try again next year.

7. Publish a blurb book. Made my sister a cookbook full of my food photos and favorite recipes.

8. Make a pair of flats. Started to plan this one, but never did it. I'll probably keep this on the list.

9. Host a dinner party with Shaun. Forced Shaun’s family to enjoy a vegan Christmas Eve dinner at our place. Shaun did 90% of the cooking, but we planned it together!

10. Make a Monk and Mao Photography Facebook page. Did it, then took it down when I got burnt out.

11. Learn to screenprint. Did this in February thanks to Denver Craft Ninjas and Ink Lounge.

12. Go to yoga class every day for 60 days. Thought about this one a lot, but just couldn’t cough up $90-$100 for monthly membership. That’s a big chunk of my income. Anyone want to sponsor this one? I’m only half kidding!

13. Read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Love you, Mr. Murakami.

14. Make something functional. I made a scarf!

15. Learn how to do 10 things in Photoshop. I don’t actually use Photoshop. I’ve been using GIMP and I’ve definitely learned how to do 10 fun things with it. That counts, right?

16. Paint my dresser white. It’s in my closet with a can of white paint sitting on top. It almost happened.

17. Get my picture taken in a photo booth. Yep. 

18. Run a 5K. I ran plenty of 5Ks, but not an “official” 5K. I guess I never said it had to be official, but I’d feel like a cheater crossing that one off.

19. Shoot a gun. Planned on knocking this out every time I went to Utah, but it didn’t happen. Next year for sure!

20. Make tamales. Hell yes. Tamales are now a regular part of our menu. Thanks, Terri!

21. Start learning French. Got Rosetta Stone but didn’t use it. Thinking about trying Spanish first since Shaun wants to learn it with me.

22. Have a photo shoot with Shaun. Apparently we were too busy taking photos of each other to take photos of ourselves together.Oops.

23. Figure out how to make awesome vegan beignets. I mastered fried donuts & donut holes. I call that a success.

24. Build a snowman. I kind of hate doing anything that involves being cold.

25. Get a paid photography job. Got quite a few of them and met some awesome ladies.

26. Run 100 miles in 1 month. I was on track to get this done, then I screwed my knee up and have been taking it easy with only 15-20 miles a week since. Might try again next year.

27. Eat something I’ve grown. I was too scared to plant anything in the yard at the shithole house we lived in for most of the year because the landlord was a huge fan of scary chemical shit. I did get to eat a whole bunch of stuff my neighbor grew, but that doesn’t count.

28. Take boudoir photos of a friend. Did a handful of these and completely fell in love with it.

29. Do SOMETHING with the Find Love Every Day idea. It’s in the works. More on this soon.

So that's 16 out of 29. Better than last year! (That links to a post I wrote four days before I was laid off in January. All that talk about being too poor? Yeah, I had no idea what "too poor" meant compared to the way things have been since then. Still, I'm happier and a lot less stressed than I was when I was making six figures. Mo' money, mo' problems!)

Time to go enjoy the last day of my twenties. I'll be back tomorrow with 30 Things To Do Before 31!

29 Things To Do Before 30 Update!

Yeah, I know I said I was going to update this thing every month. Have I ever been a consistent blogger? Didn't think so. At least I've done a third of the things on my list!

29 Things To Do Before 30

1. Start tattoo work on my right arm.

2. Get my website up.

3. Volunteer at least 100 hours at ARAS Colorado.

4. Try absinthe.

5. Go on a 90 day spending fast.

6. Enter a photo contest.

7. Publish a blurb book.

8. Make a pair of flats.

9. Host a dinner party with Shaun.

10. Make a Monk and Mao Photography Facebook page.

11. Learn to screenprint.

12. Go to yoga class every day for 60 days.

13. Read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

14. Make something functional.

15. Learn how to do 10 new things in Photoshop.

16. Paint my dresser white.

17. Get my picture taken in a photo booth.

18. Run a 5K.

19. Shoot a gun.

20. Make tamales.

21. Start learning French.

22. Have a photo shoot with Shaun.

23. Figure out how to make awesome vegan beignets.

24. Build a snowman.

25. Get a paid photography job.

26. Run 100 miles in 1 month.

27. Eat something I’ve grown.

28. Take boudoir photos of a friend.

29. Do SOMETHING with the Find Love Every Day idea.

I'm currently working on number 26. I've done 26 miles in the last 7 days, so I'm well on my way to completing it. Yay for progress!

A (Belated) Birthday Post

I turned 29 a week and a half ago, and it feels pretty good so far. I've been working on this year's list of things to accomplish since before Christmas. It was difficult compared to last year's list! I failed pretty miserably at crossing things off of my list of 28 things to do before turning 29, mostly because nearly everything on the list required a good amount of money. See? (Click to see it larger.)



Expensive trips & things weren't really possible since my work hours got cut in half last February and Shaun has been unemployed for the last seven months. This year, I knew what to do. I've carried a few things from last year's list over to this one, but most of the things on this year's list won't cost more than $20. Some of them might even make me some money!

29 Things To Do Before 30

1. Start tattoo work on my right arm.

2. Get my website up.

3. Volunteer at least 100 hours at ARAS Colorado.

4. Try absinthe.

5. Go on a 90 day spending fast.

6. Enter a photo contest.

7. Publish a blurb book.

8. Make a pair of flats.

9. Host a dinner party with Shaun.

10. Make a Monk and Mao Photography Facebook page.

11. Learn to screenprint.

12. Go to yoga class every day for 60 days.

13. Read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

14. Make something functional.

15. Learn how to do 10 things in Photoshop.

16. Paint my dresser white.

17. Get my picture taken in a photo booth.

18. Run a 5K.

19. Shoot a gun.

20. Make tamales.

21. Start learning French.

22. Have a photo shoot with Shaun.

23. Figure out how to make awesome vegan beignets.

24. Build a snowman.

25. Get a paid photography job.

26. Run 100 miles in 1 month.

27. Eat something I’ve grown.

28. Take boudoir photos of a friend.

29. Do SOMETHING with the Find Love Every Day idea.

Yeah, no fancy jpg list this year. I plan on reviewing the list monthly and blogging about my progress, and editing it in Illustrator annoys me. Wish me luck!

I'm also working on opening an Etsy shop for my baking. I'm so excited! As soon as I find a kitchen space to bake from, I'll start listing goodies. Like Crazy Mae's on Facebook for updates!