I canz have blog?

Oh hai.

So I've kinda not posted here in a few MONTHS. And my 30th birthday certainly has come and gone.

Meh. What cha gonna do. I did write a 30x30 wrap-up post, actually, and then just never got around to posting it. Why? I guess I just didn't care about the list anymore.

Let me qualify that a bit. I care a lot about my life and things I do with it and the people in it. I hope that it obvious. And those who have seen me IRL over the past 6 or so months have seen the amazing changes that have taken place. I've connected with people and done some stuff that is pretty damn cool. And really, I was so wrapped up in living it, writing about it didn't seem like a priority.

A quick sum up, for those interested:

• I'm currently working at University of Toronto Press in the Journals division and my job is, by and large, pretty great. I'm working on some very rad projects, organizing events, seeing some interesting progress in the field, and working alongside some very talented people. The commute sucks, but hey, I'll take it. It is a maternity leave so I am good to go until the spring, when job-hunt 2014 will gear up. Stay tuned for that. 
• I've moved in my boyfriend. Crazy, right? In the last 10 months I met, fell in love with, and starting building a life with a whole other human. He is pretty much the best, as those who have met him can attest. Zero complaints on the home front. 

Cue: awwww

• I sure didn't finish all of my goals. Not even close. But I don't see the project as a failure, not even a little. I see the success in how I examined my life, decided where I wanted things to change and how, and then started to do it. I realize now that this is not a process that can encompass one year. Or two, or five, or anything. It needs to be something that is lived on the daily. What I loved the MOST about my list wasn't necessarily checking things off (okay - I really really REALLY liked that part, but it still wasn't my favourite). I loved waking up each morning wondering how I was going to incorporate something new, or work on something. That part was really cool and changed how I lived in the moment-to-moment living of life. And that is the part I want more of now. 

I cut off and donated my hair - 13" to Angel Hair for Kids!

So that, in short, is why are you aren't going to get a sum up of what I finished and what I didn't; it doesn't matter. What matters is the impact the project had on me and how that is going to continue to affect my life. 

Which leads me to my next little tidbit of news: I'm planning a new blog. Not the same as this one, but a continuation of it. The premise? I'm so glad you asked!

I want to take my favourite parts of my 30x30 and expand on them; get more of them coming my way. My favourite parts were:

• Learning/trying new things
• Changing things about my life I didn't like
• Meeting/interacting with new people or people I already knew but more frequently. 

That last point is key. Because this time, I'm turning my projects over to others. Here is the plan:

I will make a list of things/areas in life that I want to explore/improve/try new things in. It will be broad, vague, and open to interpretation. 

Then, I will make a list of people I know (well, not so well, not at all) and send them a proposition: Given your skills and my goals - offer me a challenge. It must be something measurable, obtainable, and within reason, but a challenge. 

I can promise I will try them all. I won't promise to be successful 100% of the time, but if I learned anything this past year - that is just how life works. 

I like this because I feel like it allows me to build on what I started with the 30x30 list. I have a strong foundation regarding where my interests are and what is important to me, as well as a year of experience in knowing what I will and will not do and why. That is pretty great starting point. 

Once the new blog site launches (the goal is January 2014) I will post the link here. If you're interested in being involved somehow, feel free to get in touch. I'm still mulling over all the lists so I'm very open to suggestions. 

That's all from me for awhile! Thanks to all who followed and read and commented and cared - it meant a lot to me. I can't wait to start anew! 

XXOO

The Before Photos

Well, it is happening this weekend, folks! I'm moving. Again. Funny how one of my goals was to turn my apartment into a home, to really settle into it and make roots. What fun!

But, I have a new place that I'm gearing up to settle into. It is an old house that is getting a facelift, so I get to have much more of a hand in how that will look in my unit. I spent last weekend painting with a couple of friends, and I'm on my way back there tomorrow to finish up the details.

I thought since this home-project is going to be starting from scratch, it would be fun for me to share some of the before and afters. I have lots of projects already planned in addition to the painting: light fixtures, cabinet details, some fun textiles that I will do with the help of my mother who is visiting at the end of April, and much more. I will of course do side-by-sides once projects get finished, but until then, have a look at the raw material I am working with!

Bricked up fireplace in my bedroom. Booya

Kitchen

Living Room, with all the kitchen appliances in it. Cool.

Basement, which I have NO idea what I'm going to do with. Ideas?!

So those are the new digs! I will share the half-painted pics with you all later this weekend, and some more once my stuff is moved in. If you follow me on instagram or twitter (@cmacmizzle) you are getting lots of sneak peeks already :) 

That's it for now! I'd love to hear your thoughts/ideas, so comment here or reply on facebook/twitter. I need ideas!!!

Hello again, old friend

Friends, I have no excuses for you. I just plain and simple dropped the blog ball over the past few months. To be honest, it became less of a priority once I had started my internship. I was working not long hours, but hours that required a 5am wake up, which meant that a) I was too tired to go out after work and b) when I did manage to go out, I was WAY too tired to write about it. 

That was how it started and by the time I was integrating social events after work, I was just crashing immediately after getting home. Add to this full weekends of socialization and I just haven’t had the same number of hours to dedicate to the blog.

I’ve got to say though that I have legitimately missed it. I liked the daily/weekly reflection and I am hoping to get back into that routine. Or any routine really. Things have been wonderfully chaotic in the past few weeks, but I am starting to long for my daily/weekly routine again, even if that routine looks differently than it did before. Does that make sense?

So, where am I on the 30x30? Goooooooooood question. And I’m afraid neither you nor I are going to like the honest answer: no real progress. As you saw in my last post, I successfully threw a surprise party for one of my best friends. That same weekend I crossed off another goal: Host and prepare all the food for a dinner party. I had some of my lovely twitter/bookish friends over to try some recipes from Nigellisma, a cookbook provided by Random House Canada for review. It was a completely delightful night, both in terms of company and food. So those were goals I hit home runs on!

Still not started is the rock climbing, mostly because I haven’t had the TIME to make it down there. I know people love to complain about how busy they are, and how even more they like to complain about people who complain about how busy they are, and I promise you I’m not complaining. I have been busy with really amazing things and spending time with people I adore. But there is this sense in the back of my head that I am taking time away from these goals I had set. I am really hoping to regroup soon, but looking at my calendar I’m already scheduling things into April and May. It is awesome but…a little anxiety provoking, to be honest.

I still haven’t started the quilt, but I am (as always) planning on starting the cutting/ironing phase soon after I move. Rock climbing will realistically need to be put off until May, as I want to stick with April’s “From Scratch” goal.

Many of the longer-term goals are still on the radar – the running is starting up again as soon as the winter chill lifts. I am not ashamed to admit that I don’t want to run in the snow/cold, so I’m just going to wait it out and then kill it. Still not drinking, which has turned into something that is kinda of annoying into something that is TOTALLY AWESOME. More to come on that. 

A lot of the crafty stuff is just a pain my side – the photos, letters, and cards are all non-existent. Too bad, but hopefully in the next month I can rekindle that fire.

Overall, while I haven’t been living with my 30 goals as a priority, I have had a life filled with some really great stuff, so I’m not disappointed. Also, and maybe this is the excuse I said I wasn’t going to give you, winter is just not a time of year that really inspires productivity for me. I am more of a “bunker down and wait” winter person, so I am not all that surprised that things got put on hold.

Anyway, I am going to make much more of an effort though. And I have some fun news/stories coming up that I want to share. I am moving soon so I will be RESTARTING the home-making project and you can bet there will be lots of pictures of that endeavor.

#14 - the surprise party

This post is a little late, but here it is all the same.

A good portion of my close friends are turning 30 this year just like me (funny how that works, eh?) so I was a little nervous when I decided I wanted to throw a surprise party for someone. I mean 30 is a biggie and that is a lot of responsibility! So my original plan was to bow out of the 30th birthdays all together and throw a party for someone else who was having a less exciting birthday.

But then the year progressed and one of my best friends got engaged, our friendship continued to grow and evolve, and I realized that I wanted to show her how much I love her, so I dove in to the 30th birthday planning INSANITY.

Truth be told, I couldn't have picked a better person to throw a party for. I know Sarah well enough to know that what she would want in a party is good food and her friends and family all together; Boom - Potluck. I got my bossypants on and told everyone where to go, what to bring, and NOT TO BE LATE and things were pretty much done! Sarah's mom was a huge help with planning and cooking and baking and I loved that her and I got to talk on the reg about how much we loved her daughter.

So Sunday was the big day! Sarah's man-friend was responsible for getting her to the destination (and he did a miraculously good job of taking the "why don't I have a party planned" heat as well) and he preformed admirably. All the guests hid and the lights were out when our birthday girl came in and then...LONG AWKWARD PAUSE...."Surprise!"

Success!

For me the joy of planning a surprise party wasn't in the party itself; I knew that the party would be a success so long as the people she wanted there were present. I found joy in collecting all the people that my friend loved into one place, in spending the weeks leading up to her party thinking about what she would like, how she would react, and how much I friggin adore her. It was the thought behind the party that made it so much fun to plan. I had a moment after she had arrived and everything on my end was "done" where I actually though "Oh - there gets to be a party now!" haha

I also really enjoyed getting to toast my friend on her (almost) 30th birthday. I have known Sarah since we were 15, which means that in turning 30 we are entering a phase of life where we have known one other for longer than we haven't know one another. There is no one I have cried more with, laughed more with, done stupid-ass stuff with than her. She has seen me at my absolute WORST, which makes having her present for this awesome phase of my life all the more special. Without a doubt I would not be the person I am today without having had her friendship, and I am so grateful for her.

So, this was a pretty awesome and meaningful goal for me to cross off. And I love that such a good friend played an integral role in helping me do that.

SURPRISE!

Dinner was delicious - Thanks everyone!

Birthday girl opens some gifts

Wine and chatting - it was a great night!

Next post- The Dinner Party!

XOXO

I know many, MANY young professionals who also maintain blogs and ladies (yeah, you're all ladies) - how do you do it? Between working full time hours, volunteer commitments, part time job, and having a social life, I have had NO time for my dear little blog as of late. So sad! I like it here so much.

Anyway, this is mostly the update to tell you that the real update is coming. This weekend was incredibly productive, not to mention FUN! I went to a party, threw a party, and hosted a party; amazing much?! Anyway, I want to properly post about what has been happening with me lately, with photos, so you will have have to wait ONE MORE day. I'm going to draft up a post tomorrow and hopefully have it up by dinner time.

This is just to say that I haven't forgotten about you, dearest blog. I miss you the most and think about you lots. I just need to do other things right now. Like...sleep. xxoo

Hey friends. Sorry for the lack of bloggtastic updates; life kind of got really crazy all at once. With what, you ask?

• Social fun - my dance card has been FULL. I am not complaining at all. I love my friends and getting to see more of them with higher frequency is a blessing. I just need to explain that to my laundry *glances at overflowing hamper*
• Professional Development - that's right, I'm getting out there and learning! I have done two weeks of workshops with Ladies Learning Code. They are great, albeit very introductory classes, which I found I had actually self-taught myself all the material already. But, I still had access to some VERY smart, creative people who worked with me and helped me improve my (not so mad) skillz. I've also had lots of fun book events this month, and more approaching!
• Personal ups and downs - As I'm sure you are aware if you have me on any social media platform, I found out last week that my apartment is being swallowed up by my landlords and spat back out as a single family home. I was given until May 1st to move, which is LOTS of time, but still - apartment hunting is stressful, especially in Toronto. And I was just starting to get into the home-vibe of this place. Ah well. Such is life! I found a new place thanks to an AMAZING friend, and I am really pumped to RESTART creating a home there. I know I say that with sarcasm, but in truth, I am excited to start there. The home reminds me a lot of my grandmother's house in some ways, and my parents house in others. It has a great "home" vibe to it. Plus, I will get to paint it to my own specifications and settle in with grown up furniture and all that. Woot. I just have to move. That was the 'down'. On the 'up' side of things, I am disgustingly happy these days. It is kind of nice. 
• Heatlh ickies - just when I thought I was able to start running again, I had a flare up of an old health issue. Nothing major, but definitely want to keep on eye on it. I think I may seriously consider some lighter, less cardio-activity in the interim. I have always loved yoga, so I may just start going more regularly. I also want to make sure that I am well for rock climbing next month. Just something else on my plate though. 
• 30x30 goals - no no, I haven't forgotten about all these things. I have totally dropped like, ALL the balls though. I need to step it up, but in order to do that, I need a whole weekend to myself, with NO distractions. So March. I am going to get shit together in March? Ugh. I am still doing stuff though - reading family books, planning from-scratch month, NEED THAT SEWING MACHINE! The knitting project is on the way (I have half a mind to say "screw it" and count my scarf as the thing I can wear.) And I am going to a poetry reading next week, so that will be something. Slowly slowly! 

That is all. I am exhauta-tired and not going to post any pictures tonight. To make up for this, I will do a picture post at the end of the week of all kinds of fun things. 

One last thing: Should I buy a TV? I'm undecided. Advice would be appreciated. 

For SERIOUS?!

Ya know how sometimes when life is ticking away at an awesome pace, things are all going your way, and you are RIDONKULOUSLY happy to boot? And then the universe takes note and is all "hrmmm...this can't go on forever, time to be an asshat!" Yeah, well, cue that in my world this week.

I have to move :(

My landlords are converting the house back into a single family home and I have until May-ish to GTFO.

It isn't the end of the world - I was considering moving sometime soon anyway, and things weren't PERFECT here, but I really wanted to move at my own speed and not on someone else's schedule. That is the annoying part. Add to it the unknowns in life: what will I be doing job-wise at the end of April? Where in the city should I be? Should I stay in Toronto or head out somewhere else until August? But then I also WANT to be in Toronto, not elsewhere. AHHH. My mind has slowly been freaking out.

The good side of all of this is that I don't have to leave NOW. I can take my time, keep my eyes out for the right place; in my price range, all the things I want in an apartment, good 'hood, etc. Maybe I can even get a place that will eventually be dog friendly (!!!!!!)

Not much else to share in other news. On here.