I did it…2007 was a Year of Me

It is the beginning of 2008. The end of another year inevitably means that I begin reflecting on the past 365 days, how I spent them and what I accomplished. For me, 2007 has been a year of mixed reviews. I can say with some conviction that I am most proud of how emotionally stable this past year has been for me. During 2007, I really focused on what makes me happy and doing away with all that doesn’t.

If you remember from last year, this is what I posted for my New Year’s resolution in 2007:

I’m officially declaring that the year 2007 is for me. While reviewing my year, I couldn’t help but to think about all the bad dating situations and jerks I’ve been involved with in the past year. In 2007, I’m going to try my damndest to stay far away from that. Being alone is always better than being with someone who makes me unhappy.

It was a fairly broad and somewhat easy New Year’s resolution, but I stuck to it. How many people can say that? I made 2007 about me. I didn’t cry, feel depressed or let someone walk all over me. I focused on the activities and the people who make me smile. I didn’t enter every weekend and every bar, hoping to find my next great love. I took my energy off obsessing over finding a man, and put in into just having fun. I definitely spent energy on a few guys who ultimately didn’t work out, but I never lost site of what I wanted and who I thought I was. I didn’t let a guy’s opinion on me determine my self worth. I started to understand that I have a lot to offer someone else, and am pretty damn great. I feel like I gained—and maintained—a confidence in myself that I had yet to see in years gone past.

I am really fortunate to say that I feel like I’m definitely in a positive place while on the cusp of turning 26. I have a stable job, however boring it might be sometimes, and an apartment that I love in a pretty stellar location. There are moments when I get home, put on sweats, curl up on the couch in front of the TV or with a book—with Stella of course—and I am ridiculously satisfied and content. I have seen myself change this year from a person who previously couldn’t spend five minutes home alone without wanting to rip out my hair, teeth and eyeballs, and then head out on the town for six nights a week, to someone who is okay with being home most nights during the week and who really enjoys—and needs—alone time. I also feel that I’ve really blossomed into my career, and hobby, as a writer. I started writing for both Metroblogging Seattle and The Seattle P.I. in addition to continuing this little homespun project here. I have not only seen myself emotionally evolve this year, but professionally evolve too. I feel ready to channel myself into a great relationship and a great new career.

Which leads me to the mixed review portion of my reflection. While I feel stable in some parts of my life, I feel unstable and unsure in others. Most say this is the mantra of your 20s, so I suppose I’m just like everyone else. But, I’d like to make some significant changes this year. I sometimes wonder if I’ve spent my time out of college in the most productive manner. This year, I’d like to be more purposeful with my choices. I’d prefer not to float through my weeks, but to work hard to achieve the past vision that I saw for my life, and how I see it now for the future. As were beginning another year, and I’m nearing my 26th birthday, I’m focusing on professionally advancing my career, thinking about grad school and perhaps obtaining a new job that could eventually lead to a location change. Because I don’t want to wake up at 30 and wonder how and what I did with my 20s, I want to make 2008 the year I made a significant check next to one of those major life accomplishments.

So, a belated champagne toast to all of you my readers. I hope you’ve had a chance to reflect on the positives and the necessary changes in your lives. Here’s to another year. I have a feeling it’s going to be good. After all, I did find $100 on New Year’s Eve…how many years start out like that?

Currently Feeling: Wee bit nervous for my interview tomorrow.
Currently Anticipating: Closing my bedroom door, turning off my phone, and not communicating with anyone this evening. Don’t take it personal.
Currently Hating: My extreme lack of sleep and lack of personal space as of late.

Happy NYE 2008!

Another year…another dolla. Holla!

Hope all of you have enjoyed your year and have a lot of positive things to reflect on. I do…I’ll get to that later. Right now all I can think about is how bad I want to go home and get ready to celebrate! Why?

Because I have the sexiest, short black cocktail dress to wear. I will complete my New Year’s outfit with new sparkly gold heels, and black and gold earrings, cocktail ring and bangles. It is New Year’s after all, which is basically the one night you can go balls-to-the-wall on fancy outfits.

Because I’m hosting a little prefunk shindig at my house with hors d’ouvres and bottles of wine and champagne. I will be getting a little saucy with some of my bestest friends and my good-lookin date.

Because I CANNOT WAIT to ring in the New Year, laughing and dancing with my good-lookin date. Who will be, embarrassingly, the first guy I’ve had to kiss at midnight in nearly a decade.

Because we all will be dancing, boozing and laughing the night together at SeeSound Lounge’s NYE 2008 celebration with a champagne toast at midnight, which will be my first time celebrating the New Year with a fancy night out in the city!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Currently Feeling for 2007: Satisfied and lucky, yet a little stuck.
Currently Anticipating in the New Year: Finding a new job.
Currently Dreading/Loving in 2008: Turning 26 and Mike leaving for three months. (Dread). Going to Vegas in March and Hawaii in May. (Love).

20-Something’s Holiday Bananza

Oh, the holiday season is in full swing and my calendar is feeling the squeeze:

Tonight: Dinner at Tup Thim Thai and an 8 p.m. showing of I Am Legend at the Imax Theatre in the Pacific Science Center
Tomorrow: Land of the Sweets: The Burlesque Nutcracker at The Triple Door
Wednesday: Downtown Christmas shopping (to hit up Urban Outfitters in an attempt to find a cute, clever or useful gift for Baby Daddy) and a sleepover with the lil’ sis
Thursday: Drinks and mingling with high school girl friends who are in town from San Diego for Christmas
Friday: Drinks and debauchery with the fifth addition to the College Clique who is in town from L.A.
Saturday: Ugly Christmas Sweater party and gift exchange at Vanessa’s house (Which I borrowed the most perfect sweater from my mom, shoulder pads attached)
Sunday: Post-Seahawks game birthday party in Pioneer Square for my friend Abe
Monday: Christmas Eve party at my parent’s house
Tuesday: Down south to my dad’s house for Christmas celebration number two
Wednesday: Back to work

And, between all this stuff and working full time, I have to squeeze in last minute gift buying and time to complete the craft project gifts I’m making for my dad’s side of the family. YIKES!

Currently Feeling: Busy, obviously. And a little short on time.
Currently Anticipating: Getting the last-minute gifts ironed out.
Currently Loving: Cozy winter nights.

Because We All Need a Little Bit of Faith…

Last night, one of my all-time-favorite, proof-there-really-is-true-love, totally amazing and crazy cool couples got engaged.

Every girl—whether coupled or singled—wants to know how he did it. And maybe even some of you guys are looking for ideas…

Brett orchestrated an entire photo album of pictures with each of Angie’s best friends and family members, holding signs in the following pics:

• The girls she nannies for, holding a sign that says “Mango,” their nickname for her
• A few random signs from their friends
• Two of her best girl friends from college, holding a sign that says “Angie,” in the town she grew up in
• Her best friend (who also lives in her hometown), her husband and their baby-all holding a sign that says “Will”
• Two of their good friends and neighbors, holding a sign that said “You”
• Angie’s parent’s, holding a sign that said “Marry”
• Brett, holding the sign that said “Me?”
• Then Brett’s family, holding “Say Yes!”
• Her friends from Dental school
• And even her good friend from from New York city

Then he gave her the ring, and a few of her friends were at the neighbors’ with champagne to celebrate after she said yes.

As an endlessly hopeless romantic, it’s moments and relationships like these that make me hold out that much longer for true love. If Brett and Angie can find their best friend to spend the rest of their lives with, then there’s hope for all of us searching too. You just gotta have a little faith.

Well, and cross your fingers that you don’t end up a GGG wife.

Currently Feeling: Queasy.
Currently Anticipating: OKTOBERFEST IN LEAVENWORTH. Counting down the seconds.
Currently Hating: Confusion, complication and stickiness.

I get by with a little help from my friends

Sometimes, when life seems a little mundane (weather or need for a change, not sure), I stop and remind myself that it could be a lot worse. At least I have a great job, and both my legs, and a family that loves me, and a roof over my head, and all those other quintessential things that your mom likes to remind you about. But what really makes my world go round, what really makes me who I am and breaths life force into my lungs everyday are my friends. The plans. The inside jokes. The trips. The love. The laughs.

I spent a particularly friend-packed last four or five days that make me look back and reflect, why me? Why do I feel like my life is overflowing with people who care about me? (Well, besides the fact that I’m ridiculously, ridiculously funny and good-looking.) Other than that, sometimes I feel like I’m too lucky.

Lucky to know all my Queen Anne friends—just because I stumbled across them in a bar one night a couple years ago and haven’t lost touch since. So lucky to know all their beautiful girlfriends. So lucky to be able to call them anytime and meet up somewhere in the neighborhood. I spent last Thursday with all of them for Caitlin’s going away party. We enjoyed a great dinner at The Pink Door where I sipped wine, devoured halibut and stared out onto Elliot Bay. We then traveled over to Kell’s and ended the night with a silly dance party.

I’m so lucky to know all of you.

I’m so lucky to have solid friends from college. I’ll never forget all our memories—before and after the shit show of Western. I love that we’ve worked hard to cultivate friendships even though life after Western has taken each of us in different directions. Friday night, Sarah and I stuck around town to attempt to catch Pearl Jam at Pike Place Market’s Centennial Celebration. (Didn’t happen. Too disappointed to function.) Adam met up at my place where we took the bus (oh the agony! the pain!) to meet Stewart and Sarah for happy hour at Tia Lou’s. A couple double margaritas and some chicken tacos later and I was ready to PAARTÉ! After a couple more drinks at Kell’s, we went to stake out spots to watch the show. The concert venue set up for The Market celebration was fantastic. The stage was facing up the street, with the water as a backdrop, and everyone was standing in the streets and sitting on the hill. It was like a mini Gorge. Unfortunately, Pearl Jam didn’t show up, but we did get to hear a little Heart, Jimi Hendrix and two major Pearl Jam players—uncensored! For the rest of the night, Adam and I bebopped around town—The Frontier Room, See Sound Lounge, Peso’s. It was a fantastic, liquor-filled night, which of course ended up in me having a hard time walking home in those damn heels! They’re so tricky when you add a little bit of vodka!

I’m so lucky to know all of you.

Lucky to have a core group of girlfriends from high school. To know that I can call and count on most of you, and I’ll always be part of our traditions—Christmas parties, cabin trips, Bunko parties, weddings, etc. Saturday morning, Sarah and I left town for Vanessa’s cabin for a weekend getaway with my closest high school girlfriends plus a few college and boyfriend additions. We arrived at the cabin and spent a hilarious evening with Shannon and her husband Phil, Vanessa and her boyfriend Mike, Larisa and her boyfriend Dave, Abe, Sarah, Erin and her boyfriend Adam, Tara and Kendra. We enjoyed fantastic meals together, went through two bottles of vodka, and 2.5 half-gallons of Crown Royal, plus a Pyramid keg. Sarah and I spent a combined four hours in the hot tub, where we watched Adam fall from the hot tub to the cement, and Tara attempt to get out of the hot tub at least four times. Larisa and Adam tried to jump in the lake, but it was too shallow and Larisa—accident-prone central—was left with a scabbed over leg. Vanessa was babbling and Mike passed out on his computer in the middle of his online Poker tournament. Adam and Tara were wrestling on the ground. Larisa and Vanessa were tried to carry 250-pound Phil in their arms, but dropped him on the floor. And Erin passed out on the couch in her dress, only to have everyone stick cigarettes in her mouth among other random items, and take her picture. It was a crazy silly night, which just confirmed my love for my Dolphin Sisters even more (I got a new promise ring.)

I’m so lucky to know all of you.

It’s moments and friends like these that will always be the memories of my 20s. Things happen, friends come and go, but I will always look back at this time in my life and have years, days and months of love for those who’ve touched my life during my crazy, single, unruly and undetermined 20s!

I’m so lucky to know all of you!

Currently Feeling: Slightly annoyed. Slightly confused. Slightly nervous. Slightly silly.
Currently Anticipating: The effin weather to stop pouring!!
Currently Freaked Out About: The World Clock.

Jill and Josh Speed * May 12, 2007

The wedding last weekend was most spectacular. I’ve been a little lazy at getting the photos posted for you all to see, but here they are.

I’d have to quickly recap the wedding by saying that it more than made up for all the costs and time I had to put into it. I had the best time ever; ate tons of good food, danced, laughed, kissed, drank…it was perfect. In fact, I pretty much want to go to a wedding every weekend. Anyone need a date?

Jill and Josh Speed:

Two bridesmaids: Jamie and myself

Purple, fuschia and pink explosion

The bridal party (minus all the good-looking men)

Me and the lovely bride

Walking down the isle

Standing up there, trying not to laugh or wiggle my knees too much

Jill and Josh wrote and read their own vows. It was beautiful!

Me and my hot wedding date

It’s official! They’re married!

The Belgium chocolate fountain

With more than 50 dippings, including marshmallows!

Cake, cookies, cheesecake, creampuffs, pastries…

White chocolate leaves, truffles and champagne bottle

Strawberries, lemon bars, pound cake…

And hand-painted truffles. SO amazing!

Me and my parents. Aren’t they cute? They match!

The first dance

And my parents, 25 years later and still in love…

The table…with what I consumed most the night.

The cake

And the garter!!

Holy Wedding Season

I’m posting this as a fair warning—if you want to hang out with me, (I mean, why wouldn’t you, I’m pretty fantastic), you’ll need to book a month and a half in advance, starting in April. Why do you ask? I have six weekends in a row of wedding-related events. How dare you second-guess my popularity.

Now, I’m not going to go into detail about the woe is me, “Always a Bridesmaid Never a Bride” bit. I can say with absolute conviction that I’d sooner hang myself than get married this year. I still feel like I’m quite possibly 14 in the body of a 25-year-old. Marriage scares the shit out of me.

Nevertheless, I will be spending the greater part of April and May, celebrating my friends’ upcoming weddings. Here’s a brief schedule:

Holy wedding season. One can only hope that while this all sounds fun, it won’t break my bank. Cause if there’s any reason to buy tons and tons of liquor and booze, it’s one (or more) of your best friends getting married off. Yowza.

Currently Feeling: Like such a blogging slacker. Sorry! I’ve been so busy. I’ll be back on track here soon.
Currently Anticipating: If you’re even wondering what I’m looking forward to, you live on Mars.
Currently Hating: Cars. I hate them. They’re expensive.

Reason, Season or Lifetime

I found this blurb today while scouring the Internet. Despite all the prayer crap, I don’t think it could possibly make more sense to me. Especially during this week, while I’m trying to figure out the REASON for the relationship with me and Tre. I think it’s a perfect way to look at why people come into your life, good or bad, and a way to let go without being bitter. That aside, I have so many awesome SEASON and LIFETIME friends. I don’t know how one person gets as lucky with friendships as I have in my life. It’s the tie that binds me together…