NICE Assignment: Be a Better Listener

For those who don't know, I've committed to completing every NICE Assignment posted by Melissa of Operation NICE. This week's assignment was to be a better listener.  I like to think that I'm a pretty good listener, but the fact is I tend to interrupt and interject by own two cents worth. So this week's assignment was actually kind of tough for me. I think I did better though...

I just asked the hub's if I was a better listener this week...his answer, "I think so. I don't think you interrupted my stories as much" For those of you who don't know my hub's, it can be pretty tough NOT to interrupt his stories, they drag on and on and on! But sshh I didn't say that ;) So over all I think I did pretty well, but I still have room for improvement. We'll see how it goes.

On a side note, I feel like I have been complaining less. I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking with that NICE Assignment for longer than a week!

Tattoo?!

I've been thinking about getting a tattoo for awhile, but until recently I hadn't really been that serious about it. I couldn't think of anything I would want on my body for the rest of my life, but I think I've finally decided!

After a lot thinking I chose the words—create yourself—because I feel everyone has the opportunity to become whom ever they want. Every passion you pursue, every mistake, every choice you make shapes your life and creates who are. The tattoo would serve as a reminder to myself, to thoughtfully live life and make conscious decisions to create the life I want for myself.

Is that getting a little too deep? Maybe...but what do you think, should I get the tattoo?! I'm trying to decide on a typeface. The designer in me cares A LOT about this. I think I've found my top 9 and I'm leaning towards a serif typeface. But I would like some opinions. What do you think of the idea? What typeface do you think would look best on my forearm?

I've Got Goals Too

Today I'm taking a page out of my good friend Amy's book and setting some short term goals for myself. Maybe by publishing them on my blog (even though I don't think I have a very large readership yet), it'll give me more motivation to achieve them.

-- Finish designing my little sissy's blog (I've picked the color scheme, just need to design the header and what not)
-- Pick paint colors for the new apartment
-- Frame the mini Polaroids (I wrote about this project in one of my first blog posts)
-- Work out, I'm in a wedding at the end of May and would really love to lose a few pounds
-- Send postcards, just because

NICE Assignment: Write a Living Eulogy

Melissa of Operation NICE has wrote another NICE Assignment; write a living eulogy. Her inspiration came from someone she follows on Twitter (click the link to see my tweets) I've included it below.

"I was poking around Twitter last night before bed, and I came across a tweet from one of my favorite tweeps, Diana of our.city.lights. that said, "People always say the greatest things about you at a funeral. Why can't life be celebrated everyday like this?" So true!"

So who I am going to Eulogize? My Grandma Marie.

**disclaimer, what I write may not be very cohesive and thoughts may not be organized, normally this is the kind of thing I would write a couple times and edit lot's, but not tonight.**

My Grandma Marie (the cute little white haired lady) is one of the most generous and loving people I know. Some of my most favorite childhood memories are from times spent at my Grandparent's with my sisters and cousin. Playing Avon lady, bank, and house. Grandma and Grandpa would always let us stay up late and have popcorn parties and drink pop from the slushie cups.

As I grew older and got busy with friends, school and sports, I spent less and less time at my Grandma's house. But developed so much respect for her. Again and again, I watched my Grandma open her arms, show love and forgive those her hurt her and her family. Her whole life she had worked hard and my dad has told me stories of how she would wake up at 5am and go milk the cows before cooking a huge breakfast for the entire family. She still cooks breakfast for who ever is at her house on Saturday mornings. She really is a super woman.

For growing up in rural Michigan and being a farmer's wife, she is one of the most cultured women I know. She plays multiple instruments, has traveled the world, and has always encouraged me to take advantage of opportunities that would allow me to do so, like the study abroad trip I took to Greece and Italy. 

Last summer Tim and I were married in their back yard. My Grandma was generous to let us invade her home for the weekend and didn't make too big a fuss when my hub's best man took her favorite cooler for beer on the party bus (come to think of it, almost a year later I don't know if he ever returned it). She even made sure to plant flowers in her BEAUTIFUL flower gardens that matched the wedding colors. 

My Grandma Marie is truly a wonderful lady. I really don't think I've done her justice.

NICE Assignment: No Complaining

Last week's NICE Assignment was to go a week without complaining. I think I would have gotten a 'D' if this assignment was graded.

I did really well at the beginning of the week. I didn't even complain when our sink backed up and our land lord couldn't send the plumber until the next day! And I didn't even complain when he didn't come the next day, but the day after! This was all within the first couple days of starting the assignment, so the it was fresh in my head and I was really focusing on not complaining. But by the time the end of the week came around, the no complaining assignment had moved to the back of my mind and I was back to my old ways.

Compromise

Tim and I went to CB2 to see the two sofas I was torn between. Well...Tim hated both of them. He thought they were uncomfortable, so we had to find a compromise. The Movie Sofa is what we decided we'll buy before we move into our new apartment. I love the clean lines and it's really comfy. It's the kind of sofa you can just sink back into, plus it's the perfect width to snuggle up with my hunny on and watch a movie and eat popcorn.

While we there, we also fell in love with the Silverado Rectangle Dining Table. It has a glass top and silver legs. We're cutting back on stuff like eating out and saving up so hopefully we can by them both at the same time. I really like the idea of bench seats and Tim is pretty handy, so he's going to build a couple to go with the table.

50 State Before We Die.

Family vacations are some of my most favorite childhood memories. Growing up my siblings and I were very blessed with parents who had the means to take us on trips we'll never forget. Like our trip to Montana, where we went white water rafting, visited the Little Bighorn Battlefield (which I loved, because I wanted so badly to be an Indian), and got stranded on the side of a huge mountain in our big green van.

Because of memories like these, I've always promised myself to do the same for my kids someday. Luckily, Tim likes this idea. And we have made a pact to vacation in all 50 states before we die. Since we don't have any children, and don't have plans in the near future to have any...we'll start without them, but may have to double back to a couple places. Especially, if we go to Florida...every child NEEDS to go to Disney World!

So far we only have two states to color in...

• Tennessee: we honeymooned in The Volunteer State last July. A secluded cabin the woods, so romantic.
• Illinois: we have lived here for now almost a year and it's seemed like a vacation much of the time. Chicago offers so much, it's hard not to fall in love with this city.

We both grew up in The Mitten, but we're not filling it in on the map, until we've vacationed there together! Currently, we don't have any set plans for our next trip, but hopefully something will be in the works soon.

Goodbye Coastline

 

Goodbye Coastline is sooooo city, and not just because the drummer of the band is the one who coined the phrase "that's so city"! If you like pop punk music, you're sure to like the new Chicago band. You should check out their MySpace page, there you can hear their single "Mister Disaster"  After I heard it for the first time, it was stuck in my head for days, seriously...I'd catch my self singing it and the other songs off their demo at totally random times. Actually, I think they're going to be playing shows in Chicago soon, and I can't wait!

NICE Assignment: March Love List

Thanks to my good friend Amy of lemon tree house I now read Operation NICE pretty much everyday. You should check it out, it's a pretty city blog full of niceness! Since I started reading it, I've made a promise to myself that I will complete every NICE Assignment. This is officially my first one.

Assignment: Write a March Love List

Some things I love about March are:

• The days are getting longer
• Andi Jo's birthday is the 19th
• We have a few friends visiting this month
• Green beer on St. P's Day
• It's one more month closer to moving to our new apt.
• Spring is fast approaching
• Being able to wear my ballet flats again

Or Do I Want . . .

 

Maybe I want the Bolla Sofa from CB2? It's going to be a tough choice, when I get the go ahead from the hubster to buy a new sofa! The neutral color is a big plus, I could paint the walls pretty much any color, which I like because I'm sure I'll change my mind a million times before picking a color.