69. Find and subscribe to 10 new blogs

1.  I'm very into DIY projects and found this site while browsing thru Pinterest links one day.  I like it - most of the projects seem actually feasible! 
http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/

2.  While this isn't necessarily a written blog, I find it hilariously amusing.  Mostly because I like to put stuff on my dog as well.  Nicely done Scout!
http://stuffonscoutshead.com/

3.  This is a travel blog, written by my friend Lisa.  It details her current Round the World adventure with her travel buddy, Matt.  I love reading it and most recently enjoyed her "I snorkeled" post.  www.destination-adventure.com

4.  I got turned onto this post based on a posting that circulated via one of the Facebook pages I "like".  It's an interesting take on what it's like to be a Lakota (woman) living in the urban city.  I need to read more of her postings but she writes with intellect and common sense which is appealing to me.
www.justarezchick.wordpress.com

5.  I found this blog while cruising on Facebook.  I loved the picture, which was of this guy doing his daughter's hair.  Apparently it's slightly controversial to some and causes anger...to others, it's cute and is a good example of what a good dad looks like.  After reading the post he wrote about it and a few others, I've decided to try to read it more often and add it to my list.
http://daddydoinwork.com/

6.  My friend Josh was featured as one of the strangers in this guy's project "10 Minutes with a Stranger" and posted about it on his Facebook page.  It's a really cool concept and a nice way to travel around the country, meeting new people while seeing new things and gaining perspective.   After reading some of the posts, I decided to check out the blog:  http://sethhancock.com/10-Minutes-with-a-Stranger/1/

7.  I just got some new-to-me furniture that needed a little facelift and I needed some help figuring out exactly how to do it correctly.  Where else would you go but the Internet?  Well, upon searching, I found this blog:  http://www.refunkmyjunk.com  Not only is it helpful, it's also written with humor!  Happy re-funking!

8.  While walking around Taste of Colorado 2014 in Civic Center park, came across this artist's tent.  It was jam packed so we didn't get to spend much time looking at his artwork so I took note of his name and just googled him.  Thankfully he has a website with some super-impressive artwork.  He also has a blog where he does a sketch a day.  I really like it and am looking forward to adding a piece to my collection in the very near future!  Now...which one do I want??
http://www.impsandmonsters.com/blog/

9.  I am an avid DIY'er because I firmly believe there are very few things that I can't actually make myself.  There is however a balance to find between making it yourself and paying for somebody else to make it.  It's a struggle I deal with all the time!  Anyhow, this website is cute.  I came upon it while looking at Pinterest - found a really cute no-sew teepee that someday I may decide to make the twins.  In the meantime, I will just read this blog and think about all the things I can do myself.  http://www.thehandmadehome.net/

10.  I am just getting into using my new sewing machine and was looking for some easy to practice projects. This site has a few that I would like to try, but my first one will be the ragged edge baby burping blankets! Wish me luck!  Http://www.homemadebyjill.com/blog spot 

66. Make Homemade Chocolate Covered Foods

In my quest to find the perfect food for the Superbowl Party I was attending, of course I browsed thru Pinterest.  I came across a picture of Fritos that had been dipped in chocolate and had to try them.  That kickstarted my chocolate covered foods goal and I ended up making (with Brian's help) chocolate dipped fritos, peanut butter pretzel sandwiches, Ritz crackers and potato chips.  I knew they were good, but I did not expect them to all get eaten before kickoff!  Needless to say, I will definitely be making at least the Fritos again!

A picture of the platter, not the prettiest but they tasted yummy!

84. Organize a Pumpkin Carving Party

Not having kids can sometimes be really awesome and can sometimes be a big bummer.  Holidays such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter are so much more fun with kiddos around as they bring the kid out in adults.  So, sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands and have parties that you would normally have with kids, but without them.  Or with adult kids in this case.  Carving pumpkins is fun and something I look forward to doing every year, even though I hate the cleaning them out part! 

The finished pumpkins from our Halloween carving party

 

46. Visit Dinosaur Ridge

Living in Denver, the winter weather is a cornucopia of conditions - one day it's a snowy blizzard, the next day it's a balmy 60 degrees.  We recently had one of those balmy 60 degree days and decided to take full advantage of it.  Not to mention, time is running thin with getting some goals accomplished!  So...we headed to Dinosaur Ridge with our pups in tow and had a great hike! 

Dinosaur Ridge is a hill on the west side of Denver that separates the city from Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  It's a relatively easy hike up the actual Dinosaur Ridge trail as it's all paved and for the faint of heart, you can actually take a shuttle up and over for $5 a person.  We opted to walk since it was a beautiful sunny day and since we had the dogs.  It was pretty much over before I knew it, but worth the hike as to the east you got a pretty city view and to the west you got to check out Red Rocks from above.  After we hiked the informative trail, we took a more strenuous route back to our car on the Dakota Ridge hogback, which afforded us even better views with some privacy.  I will be keeping this trail in mind this summer when I need a quick getaway with the dogs!

www.dinoridge.org

 

Pre-hike picture of me. 

Right behind me is where we came down from the hike on Dakota Ridge Hogback. 

A dinosaur footprint.  I believe it says Iguanodon Track...much cooler to see in person.  Also got to see some petrified bones and weird rock formations caused by water (Colorado was once under the ocean before the tectonic plates shifted and formed the Rocky Mountains). 

71. Take a Ballroom Dance Class and 72. Take a Latin Dance Class

For our wedding, Brian and decided we didn't want to just sway back and forth for 4 long minutes, so instead we opted to take dance lessons.  Not only was I thrilled that he wanted to take them with me, but we had a groupon that allowed us to do it for a great price ($49 for 4 lessons)!  We took the lessons at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Englewood and had a blast getting to know our instructor, other students...and most importantly each other.  We learned dances such as the two-step, rumba and fox trot and combined them to make our own special wedding dance. 

While I'm the first to admit that dancing is not as easy as it looks on Dancing With the Stars, I will also say we weren't too bad for first-timers!  The hardest part about it was picking the song we wanted to dance to!  Our finalists were:  Just Comes Natural by George Strait, Free by Zac Brown Band and Wagon Wheel by either Old Crow Medicine Show or Darius Rucker.  We danced to all of them in the comfort of our living room before deciding on Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker.  We chose that song because of a couple reasons - we liked the up tempo beat it had and it was still a significant song for us as our first concert together was OCMS.  We practiced and practiced and practiced, even dancing one last time the night before our wedding in our bedroom.  I think the end result was fabulous and I hope to be able to remember some of our sweet dance moves for future dances!

Here are some pictures of us during our first dance as a married couple:

Photos courtesy of David Lynn Photography, Denver, Colorado

61. Host a crafting night with my friends

I opted to have a DIY-style wedding as I'm a pretty crafty person and really couldn't fathom paying somebody to do things that I knew I could do.  At the last minute I had a group of some of our closest helpers come over to decorate birdhouses that were going to be used as extra table décor.  Here are the results of that craft party - not too shabby for a group of non-crafters!

Everyone is really getting into it...more than they expected they would! 

 

 Group picture!

The groom with his birdhouse

Mike, getting cheeky :)

Monica and her beautiful creation

 

This is the one I made - with Instagram filters

The whole group of birdhouses - all done and ready to for the tables!

76. Go to Brian's college town, Buffalo, New York

Of course, if we're going to drive from Hornell, NY to Niagara Falls, we had to go through Buffalo, NY.  This gave us a reason to do 2 things that we really wanted to do:  (1) Visit Brian's alma mater of the University of Buffalo and pick up some collegiate gear (2) Eat at the Anchor Bar - Home of the Original Buffalo Wings!  I was definitely more excited about the 2nd point, but had to be patient as that was my reward for visiting his college. 

As I waited for my hot wings, I was really excited but I read Yelp to make sure I kept my expectations in check.  I'm glad I did that as it allowed me to start eating my wings with low expectations and then getting to raise them with each awesome wing I ate.  The only thing I would say negative about the experience (besides the fact that I wish we weren't driving so we could've had a couple more beers) is that they could have been a little spicier.  All in all though, great wings and didn't let me down a bit!  Here's a picture I took of the outside...I didn't get a picture of the wings as we were too busy mauling them to care! 

51. Visit Brian's hometown of Hornell, New York

This was actually a goal I didn't think I was going to accomplish as we have a huge honeymoon coming up that is taking all of my vacation time this year.  Unfortunately, we ended up having to go back to Hornell, New York due to a loss in Brian's family and I was fortunate enough to be able to get bereavement time since it was a close family member.  On the trip back to Hornell, I met lots of interesting people and we were able to spend some quality time with both of Brian's parents.  In our down time Brian cruised us around and showed me the local sights like the World Famous Canisteo Living Sign, the cabin he grew up with on Big Creek Road and of course, Wegman's - the true highlight of the trip, where we purchased Wise potato chips, fresh cheese curds and I snagged an awesome Hornell Red Raiders souvenir t-shirt!  We stayed with his dad and step-mom and it was neat to fill in that blank with him!

Here we are on our date to Wegman's!

Click on this link to see a picture of the Canisteo Living Sign:

Courtesy of:  http://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/2013/04/world-famous-living-sign.html

50. Visit Niagara Falls

While back in the upstate New York area with Brian, I was able to talk him (and his dad) into going to Niagara Falls.  It was a pretty blustery day and some of the falls were frozen, though mainly the American side.  The main portion of the falls on the Canadian side were still roaring and were quite spectacular.  It looked a bit like the arctic tundra and you could hear the ice crackling and popping which was neat.  The next time we visit, if there is one, we will definitely go when it's warmer, we will buy ponchos and ride the Maiden of the Mist and we will likely stay the night so that we can see the falls lit up at night.  Nonetheless, I enjoyed our visit! 

Here are some pictures from our visit:

93. Get Dressed Up and Go To a Ball

There are tons of balls that you can go to, most of which are at least $100 per ticket and filled with stuffy people.  Not exactly the price I want to pay to hang out with people that are rather uninteresting or uninterested. 

A newer friend of mine, DeAnn, (she plays Ultimate Frisbee with Brian) posted a link to the 4th Annual 1940's White Christmas Ball which was held at the Wings Over the Rockies museum and it seemed like a good fit for us.  We were not only going to get to dress up for a ball, but we were going to get to dress up in a theme costume which is always fun!  We went by ourselves as none of our friends opted to join us.  They missed out on a fun evening filled with fancy dresses, a few freaks and a fabulously good time! 

I narrowly avoided a dress catastrophe - I ordered my dress and it was on the proverbial slow boat from China.  It did not arrive by Saturday so we had to make an emergency trip to ARC.  Thankfully, and this probably never happens, I found a red dress with white polka dots that fit me perfectly!  I was able to scrounge up some vintage gems that were my Great Grandma Armstrong's and a faux fur shoulder cover up to give me a more authentic look.  Brian rented his uniform and also got lucky as most were already rented.  We looked fabulous and I think maybe Brian should have a uniform in his closet at all times now, you know, just in case.  ;)

The evening started out great - Brian and I opted to take a picture with Santa, which I haven't done since I can't even remember.  Literally, no picture of me sitting on Santa's lap exists, at least to my knowledge.  I did make a wish, I wished for snow!  While most people will be like "why?"...the skier in me had to! 

Photo taken by Sheila Broderick Photography

From there we promptly headed to get drinks, which the bartenders were making strong!  We met a cool, newly engaged couple, Lisa and Steve, while loitering near the bar area. Steve couldn't take the strength of the drink and had to get some more mixer added, which is what prompted us to talk to them in the first place.  From there, Lisa and I hit it off and we found out that we live in the same area of Denver.  I'm hoping she calls me (yes, it does feel like I'm waiting for "that guy" to call after a first date, hah!)

Finally DeAnn and friends arrived so we had some more company other than random people.  We boogied the night away to jazz bands, drank our dinner and took some really fun pictures with lovely Christmas scenery.  We also watched Wanda Jackson, the Queen of Rock, perform and watched people attempt a conga line.  Being the 72nd Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, there were some veterans in the crowd.  I couldn't resist and had to smooch one on the cheek - he was so cute - he smooched me back!  All in all, it was a really lovely evening and I am definitely interested in going to the WWII Ball this summer!  I also want to take pin-up shots for my husband someday, I really do think he'd enjoy that!  :) 

A big thanks to DeAnn (pictured) for the shots below! 

 

These shots were taken by The Vintager:

 

 

63. Learn Calligraphy

In choosing this goal, I actually thought it was going to be really easy to do.  Turns out, not so much.  Calligraphy isn't like typing, where once you learn to do it, you know how to do it and that's it.  You actually have to learn different styles of font, how to make different strokes, how to use different pens/inks and how to have patience.  I wanted to start learning how to do this because I've always been artsy and I've always had great penmanship.  I practiced using a book and lined paper and eventually got brave enough to go ahead and put my learned skills to the test on my wedding invitations.  Here is a sample of my beginner's calligraphy:

While I was happy with the way they turned out, I also realize that this skill will continue to be developed.  Therefore, the goal of "learn calligraphy" is inevitably an ongoing pursuit.  I will count this as being completed for the purpose of this list, knowing that I will need to refine my skills and keep practicing until I've perfected the techniques.  Eventually I would like to use it in some art work and am looking forward to when I can do that! 

3. Take a Yoga Class

I haven't taken a yoga class since I was in high school and all I remember is that it was challenging and I was sore for about 5 days after...and I was in peak fitness back then!  So to say I was slightly intimidated by the thought of it now, about 16 years later, is an understatement.  That being said, I had to take the bull by the horns and just go for it.  Lucky for me, I have had lots of support from friends during this goal accomplishing time and one of said friends invited me to join her for a class.  Not wanting to put off getting this goal taken care of (and honestly, what better time to start getting in shape than pre-holiday!?), I took her up on the offer! 

I have no idea what the instructor called the type of class we took, but I can tell you it wasn't as bad as I remember it being.  Am I good at it?  Definitely not.  I lack some strength in my arms and core that I could work on to transition thru the poses better.  Am I bad at it?  Definitely not.  But I also don't plan on being a yogi anytime soon so that doesn't really matter.  I guess all that really matters is that I can say I did it and that I would do it again.

A big thanks to Racheal for giving me the motivation to sign up and "get 'er done" and also a big thanks to Monica for letting me talk her into doing it with us!  She was a trooper and I hope she had a good time too!  :)   

24. Grow 3 Vegetables, 25. Grow 3 Herbs

These two goals go together as I did them both at the same time...or better said, attempted to do them at the same time. 

I have a black thumb.  I don't know what exactly I do wrong, every time, but I kill plants, vegetables, herbs and pretty much everything else that is green and grows from the dirt (with the exception of those stinky, ugly red, white and purple flowers you see in the summertime - I'm pretty sure you can't kill them!)   

Knowing this info about myself, this year I decided to try to pick things that would be harder to kill...or at least I thought they would be.  I also have a plan that I don't want to dig up a portion of my yard for a garden if I can't grow anything in a container first.  Makes sense, right?!

So, I planted and harvested the following:

Planter Cherry Tomatoes  - they produced 2-3 actually edible tomatoes before the 100 year flood hit and drowned the plant completely.

One of the lone survivors!

Brussel Sprouts - got them to sprout but never got a brussel.  I can attribute this to the flood, however even with the proper care and if planted in the right time, I don't think I was going to get an actual veggie to grow. 

Beets - got some green stuff to start coming up out of the dirt but pretty sure they didn't have enough room to keep growing and died before any vegetable formed. 

Heirloom Tomatoes - I knew these were a long shot to begin with but we love them so much I had to try.  Not only once, but twice.  The first plant died so we bought a second, only to have it suffer the same fate.  It was pretty though and I did get it to bloom, only to have my dog break the one branch that had blooms on it.  Oh well, better just buy those from the store I guess. 

Cilantro - I was able to get one full harvest of cilantro and we used it in pretty much everything of Mexican flavor.  That plant didn't last long though as it died shortly after the first harvest.  The lesson I learned there is...learn what to do with the plant to keep it growing after you harvest. 

First Harvest of Cilantro!

Basil - I was able to grow basil for a little while as well and we did use it in some caprese salads, but that was about it.  I think our plant did not like being in the sunlight with the other plants and wanted rather to be an indoor plant.  It died...from heat exhaustion and drought (pre-100 year flood, where it likely would have suffered the opposite fate). 

Ate a few leaves with fresh tomatoes but didn't get much else from this basil plant.

Mint - I wanted to grow mint because people tell me there's no way that you can kill a mint plant.  Well, they can take that theory and throw it out the window!  There is a way and I did it.  If you ask me what it was, I couldn't tell you.  All I know is that I was successful at it and the mint did not make it into mojitoes for the 3rd Annual VanDeed Field Day as I had hoped it would. 

So, what did I learn from this?  1.  Don't dig up the yard next Spring as I'm definitely likely to have a mud pit instead of a garden.  2.  Money would better be spent on Farmer's Market produce vs. trying to buy and grow myself.  3.  I'm a horrible gardener and need some serious help.  4.  On my next 101 goals list you will probably see "Take a Gardening Class".

89. Run the Steps at Red Rocks

While this goal could have been attained, on my own, on pretty much any day I chose, I decided to up the ante and make an event out of it by entering the American Heart and Lung Associations Run the Rocks race.  I also managed to talk a couple of friends into joining me, or beating me, but whatever. 

 

This was a relatively easy goal to accomplish as I didn't train for it or really have to "get ready" for it.  The run was a 5k, mostly down hill...except for the last mile.  The last mile, of course, is where the race bites you in the ass!  It's all uphill, to the very top of the Amphitheatre.  I don't know how many actual steps I went up, but by the time I made it to the steps, I was ready to be done.  Good thing I've completed a marathon, as it gave me the inner confidence and drive to suck it up and get to the top!  I finished in 36 minutes and 58 seconds, placing 668th out of 1706 overall, 115th out of 352 in my division and 320th out of 1094 in my gender.  Right in the middle of the pack is fine by me! 

 

On to the next goal!

 Pre-race photo with Megan and Aubree

Post-race photo with Megan and Aubree

19. Read Anna Karinnina or Give It Away

Well, I give up!  I was cleaning the "office" to make it into a studio for ShadyWolf Designs...and I came across this book, once again.  Instead of opening it and pretending I was going to read it (again, for at least the 10th time), I have officially decided to just give it away.  Somebody else can give it a read, or attempt to read it...I'll just watch the movie instead.  :) 

100. Take Kona and Petra to Bark and Splash Bash

For years now I have read about the Lakewood Rec "Bark and Splash Bash" but I have never made it to one with my dogs and I've always been a little mad at myself after the fact.  This year was going to be different!  Even though I had been to a raging bachelorette party the night before and I might have still been a little tipsy, I took my dogs to their first Bark and Splash Bash at Glennon Heights Pool.  Upon arrival we were treated with doggie schwag and ushered into the pool area.  Immediately, they were excited! They had so much fun running around, barking and jumping into the pool!  It was fun for me to watch, but also fun to meet some of the other dog owners that were there.  We had so much fun at this one that I'm planning on taking them to another one this weekend and we may even possibly squeek in one more. 

Here's a picture of my little sea otters, Kona and Petra.  They swam together the entire time we were there!

82. Go to City Park Jazz With a Group of 10 People or More

I accomplished this goal with the help of Brian and his University of Colorado MBA Program Alumni.  We met on the last night of Jazz in the Park at City Park.  It was a nice evening but there was a hint of monsoon rain in the air, as always when Brian and I go to jazz.  Luckily enough, it didn't rain this evening so we were able to enjoy our conversations with this group of new and interesting people.  Well, they were new to me anyways!  Short blurb for this one and no pics unfortunately.  Will probably have to do this again next summer! 

91. Go on the Durango Alpine Slide

When trying to accomplish one goal, I'm always trying to find ways to tie in other goals.  My "Visit National Parks" goal helped me get down to the Durango area, which in turn helped me get to Durango Mountain Resort where they have an alpine slide. 

I have wanted to ride all the alpine slides in Colorado for awhile now, even before I made this official goals list.  Durango was the last one I needed to ride in order to check this goal off my list.  With nowhere else to be, we stood in line for an hour to go down a pretty short but nonetheless, pretty fun slide. 

The ride up the chair lift with the beautiful view behind me!  Tried to take one of both Brian and I in it, but the two-seat chairlift didn't want to play along.   

Here we are at the top with our sleds and gorgeous vistas! 

Here's a picture of me that I took while going down the slide...good times! 

 

So, now having been on all the slides in Colorado, I can officially say that while they are all different rides, my favorite is the Winter Park slide.  :)