At midnight last night my friend and flatmate Kate shouted Happy Birthday in my face. (We were all a little drunk and I think she was particularly excited to have checked the time exactly on 12.) A little terrifying, but still a really nice way to ring in my 26th Birthday, especially as I’m at that stage in life where a birthday is just an excuse to eat food and drink gin.

Now that my 101 list has passed I’ve written a new list. These all feel very doable. We’ll see.

1. Buy a day train pass and go somewhere. Anywhere. Without much of a plan.
2. Picnic
3. Alter a piece of clothing
4. Make something look better by painting it
5. Watch 3 Hiyao Miyazaki films (0/3)
6. Update my CV
7. Visit Mum at least 3 times (0/3)
8. Participate in a protest
9. Frame my South East Asia postcards
10. Apply for a British passport
11. Submit a photo to something
12. Write a letter to each of my siblings (0/4)
13. Renew my learners licence
14. Get a tripod for my camera (and take outfit photos with it)
15. Post a secret to PostSecret
16. Learn a dance
17. Make something out of polymer clay
18. Go to the South Island
19. Make a friendship bracelet
20. Make a fruit pie
21. Blog every day for a month
22. Complete my ‘Wreck This Journal’
23. Apply for a job I think is out of my league
24. Learn a song on my bass
25. Try roller skating
26. Grow a plant

That’s how long till my first 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge ends.

If I’m completely honest with myself I haven’t taken this challenge seriously enough. For one, I haven’t even finished my list, and then there’s the matter of just being too lazy to DO the things I have written on the list. A combination of laze and ‘oh there’s still so much time to do everything’ has led to my inevitable failure. I don’t think I’ll do the 101 again, but instead will take on a different challenge. Probably from my birthday as it’s right after the 101 end date.

I have done a few things though it’s not completely dire. And I’ll try a bit harder to get a close to completion as possible.

Here’s what I’ve been doing the past couple of months:

• Tried and failed to blog for a whole month. I’ve just found a new 30 day challenge though, so I’ll give it another shot.
• Bought a DSLR
• Did a cartwheel (while drunk on New Years Eve)
• Got my weight back down to match how I started the year (and then put half of it back on over New Years)
• Made a trifle (for our flat xmas dinner)
• Watched new movies, made new food, and listened to new music
• Wore togs without board shorts in public. I haven’t quite had the confidence for the bikini yet.
• Swam in the sea
• Saw Harry Potter at midnight

As of now my list still only has 73 things on it. Some of those will be achieved in my travels through Asia, but I still need more. What do you recommend?

What a great day today!

1. I just secured a huge new house with some of my favourite people in the sunniest area of town.
2. I have a temping job that pays well, is easy, and keeps getting extended. On Friday we’re going for a long xmas team lunch.
3. My jewellery business picking up because of xmas which spurs me to spend more time on it.
4. Tomorrow I’m going to the Harry Potter midnight screening and crossing something off my 101 in 1001 list.
5. The boyf has a new job lined up for the start of next year meaning he gets to work with people he loves rather than dreading going in every morning
6. I paid my part of our bach rental for New Years. 5 days of beaching with friends!

What’s good in your life?

On my iPod: Here Comes The Summer Sun – Texas

Book I’m reading: The Google Story by David Vise, Atheist Manifesto by Michel Onfray

On my wishlist: Anything from the Trixie Delicious Vandalised Vintage shop. But especially these:

Freak metal bowl by Trixie Delicious

Fuckface cup and saucer by Trixie Delicious

Spazz cup and saucer by Trixie Delicious

Motherfucker plate by Trixie Delicious

New blogs I’m following: Married to the Sea; The Glamourai; She’s Dressing Up; The Pioneer Woman.

Favourite photo: Pufferfish

1. freedom, 2. Life decisions / Decisiones de vida, 3. Green is Beautiful, 4. Feeling Bokeh Today…? ♥

1. Lust when you have sex with someone for the first time.
2. Excitement after getting your first professional job.
3. Relief at handing in your resignation when you’ve realised that being from Generation Y and working for a Baby Boomer boss (or even a traditional Generation X boss) doesn’t always work out so well.
4. Independence when you move out of home.
5. Satisfaction knowing that you’re in charge now, and can eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if you want to.
6. Despair when your first relationship ends.
7. The thrill of winning money while gambling. Could be from poker, horses, at a casino, or something ghastly like a cock fight (hopefully not though).
8. Comfort when you find friends you can tell everything.
9. Confidence when you learn to love your own skin and make the most of what you’ve got.
10. Awe thinking about your mum when you realise she was right about everything.

On my iPod: Iron Maiden – Somewhere Back In Time: The Best Of: 1980-1989. The show is tonight!! The weather is absolute shit!! Thankfully we have a roof above our seats to stop most of the rain.

Book I’m reading: The Lovely Bones – Alice Seabold, almost finished.

On my wishlist: The font on this Urban Outfitters watch is so pretty :D Who cares if you can’t really use it to tell the time.

Best buy: Business cards from Vista Print. So cheap! Hopefully that doesn’t equal really shit quality.

New blogs I’m following: Umm… Now what?

Best lines:
Yes and Yes
I should have known it would turn out alright. I saw the driver cross himself and kiss the Mary hanging from his rearview mirror before we took off.

Pharyngula
Re Google: “but hey, if I’m not going to believe in a deity, maybe I can believe in a loving, omnipotent search engine. Just as long as it doesn’t start dictating what I’m allowed to do with my genitals…”

Favourite photo:

Sky at night

1. 2. 3. 4.

• Create the already thought out design for Cupcakes and Mace
• Read books often
• Spend more time writing posts
• Name, tag, and upload all of my photos
• Write to do lists
• Exercise
• Bake
• Write letters
• Find the best thrift stores and ask when new stock is put out
• Plan outfits
• Get more sleep
• Listen to music lots
• Clear out my old clothes
• Bask in the glory of having no boss
• Breathe more fresh air
• Make jewellery
• Have fun with my “Wreck This Journal”
• Attempt to alter clothes
• Play my bass
• Save money on food
• Use recipes
• Tweet constantly
• Find the best photos on Flickr

With one month down on the path to completing 101 goals in 1001 days, I’ve been making some good progress towards the bigger goals. Most namely earning money from blogging, getting more blog subscribers, creating and selling jewellery and quitting my current job.

I’ve come to realise that I’m even lazier than I suspected. I’m doing lots of making, thinking, reading, and writing; but virtually no cooking, washing, putting away, or vacuuming. Thems the breaks when you work 40 hours in an office and then spend at least another 30 planning on ways to become independent of a boss.

Goals achieved this month

• Put a battery in the smoke alarm
• Get a copy of Wreck This Journal
• Change my hairstyle

Goals started this month

• Write the list
• Design a new blog header
• Complete Project 365
• Learn to use Photoshop
• Have 200 subscribers to cupcakesandmace.com
• Be on time to work (not 5 minutes late) 300 times
• Read 50 of the books on the Rory Gilmore Book List at listsofbests.com
• Listen to songs by 101 artists I’ve never listened to before

I need to get the list finished first and foremost so if you have any suggestions on what to add to it let me know!

1. But heaven ain’t close in a place like this, 2. crazy cyan candy, 3. Not quite, 4. Winter Arrangement

• Have hot chips for dinner followed by ice cream and a side of chocolate
• Catch up on twitter
• Watch episodes of The L Word, Gossip Girl, Gilmore Girls, Shortland Street and Coronation Street
• Try on lots of outfits
• Paint your nails
• Turn the music up loud
• Eat some more chocolate
• Read and respond to emails
• Get your feed reader down to zero
• Find pretty things on Etsy and add them to your wishlist
• Find pretty things on the rest of the internet and add them to your wishlist
• Hoop
• Nap
• Eat some chocolate
• Go to bed sick because you ate too much chocolate (take it with you for later…just in case)
• Read a book
• Eat some chocolate
• Shake out the bed covers because there are chocolate crumbs everywhere

Very observant stalkers readers may have noticed that I have already posted my unfinished list of 101 things I want to complete in 1001 days. I found the Day Zero website at the end of last year and it helped me decide that 2009 is the year I take things into my own hands. Failing a total reinvention and a brand new job where I am creative, having fun, and hopefully working for myself (or at least someone I like), at least I’ll have some fun.

It’s been great to see how many people are taking this challenge on board, seeing everyone’s lists have definitely helped me come up with stuff for my own. So if you haven’t already left me the link to your list please do so in the comments for everyone to see.

Although the list is incomplete I’m feeling ok about that. I’m sure there will be stuff I’ll want to add in a years time!

You can find the list by choosing it on the drop down menu at the top of the screen titled Ms Constantine.