This has been popping up all over my reader lately so I figured I’d give it a go as well. Elsie from A Beautiful Mess has challenged everyone to meet four simple goals by 2011.

Get busy in the kitchen. No, not that kind of busy. I need to start cooking more. I can definitely get lazy with food with ordering out or eating peanut butter sandwiches and mac and cheese forever because it’s simple. There are plenty of easy recipes out there that are better for me because they aren’t so processed, but they are also super yum. If you have any delicious recipes or know of any great food blogs, please pass them on!

Be more active. I need to start being more active. It’s easy to get lost in this whole internet thing for hours and before you know it, you’re whole day is gone! I tend to let that happen way too much. I’m going to start getting outside more. Take more walks with the pup. Get a bike and start riding. Finally pop in that yoga dvd I bought. This isn’t necessarily about weight loss (even though that will happen as well), but it’s more about just feeling good. I definitely feel better when I’m not so stagnant.

Learn how to knit. I feel like I need a new hobby and even though I’m the most uncrafty person in the history of ever, I think I might be able to learn how to knit. I chose knitting rather than sewing because there’s not much more I love in the world than fall and winter accessories. I love chunky, super long scarves and slouchy hats and I would love to try my hand at making some of my own. I know a couple shops in Chicago that offer classes and I think a friend of mine might be able to teach me too. Hi Monica, I think I just volunteered you to teach me how to knit.

Say yes more. It’s so easy to say no, to avoid things and just be unapproachable. Whether it is yes to going out, meeting someone for drinks, reading something or even just being around for conversation, I’m going to start saying yes more. I’m going to be more open and welcome new things, people and ideas. I may have to get a little bit more crafty with how social I can be considering the whole losing two major jobs thing that recently hit me so there is a big cash flow problem at the moment, but I’ll make it work!

My family is moving.

Not far away or anything, but out of the house that I’ve lived in since I was 12. After a big, long, drawn out “deal”, my mother bought out my dad on the house we’ve lived in. There was lots of backing out, changing terms, low balling and general crazy from her.

AS USUAL.

I really didn’t think it would bother me this much. Seeing everything packed up and away and being slowly moved over to the new place is making me sad. I’m really procrastinating on getting all my things together; everything in all the other rooms is cleared out, it’s all empty. Mine is pretty much just as it should be, down to the Marilyn Monroe poster on my wall and the books on my shelves.

Seeing my childhood burn down was one of the worst things that happened to me. Seeing it packed up in boxes after rebuilding it for years is still really tough even though I’m much older. I didn’t think it would be this hard.

In the end, it’s a good thing though.

My dad really needed this. This house was too big for just him to maintain and he needed this to move on. Everyone needed it to get away from my mother. With this, all ties are completely severed with her. Well, for him at least. She still tries to “have a relationship” with my brother and sister (you know, by buying their love). Me, on the other hand, I’m perfectly content with never having to speak to her again. I can’t deal with the lies, the greed and the fakeness.

Everyone is so excited for the new house. This new space to call their own and I want nothing to do with it.

I want the lavender paint on the walls I picked out and sloppily painted when we moved in. I want the backyard that my dog runs circles around like a crazy face. I want the video store I worked at in high school to be just two blocks up. I want the long route that I’d walk my dog down every day to be behind my house. I want the sound of baseball bats clinking from the Little League field down the street. I want the house I thought I’d be having Christmas in for years and years to come.

I don’t want things to change, but I’m still so ready for change. I’m happy about it, but still sad.

It’s just really bittersweet.

I’m the girl whose bangs are too long and nail polish is chipped 75% of the time. I’m the girl who starts stripping the second she walks in the door – pants and bra off, leggings and vneck tee on. I’m more comfortable in a pair of old Nike Dunks than I am in heels, but I never fail to flat iron my hair even if I’m just staying in. I’m the least photogenic person ever and always end up making silly faces.

I know people and have acquaintances and friends, but keep my circle of close friends small. And I’m fiercely protective of them. Fair weather friends aren’t my scene and I don’t put up with bullshit.

I can run my mouth with the best of them and I am very opinionated, but I’ve learned to keep it in check. Most of the time… And I’ll be the first to admit that I’m kind of a snob. I know what I like, I know what’s good and I might be judging you for thinking otherwise. But I’ll be damned if I’m not one of the nicest and most real people you’ll ever meet.

I’m the girl who picks wine based on the prettiness of the names and labels. Most of my gadgets (MacBook, iPod, iPhone) are pink, but chances are you’ll rarely ever see me wearing the color. I love handmade and crafty things, but can’t do it myself for the life of me. I can quote Mean Girls almost word for word and do so on regular (and probably annoying) basis. I have stacks of books all over the place and can spend days holed up reading and be perfectly happy. I geek out over music and probably have the oddest collection you ever did see.

I believe pinky promises are still serious business, and that strawberry milkshakes are one of the best inventions ever. I could eat mac and cheese every day of the week, and think carbs are the WORST invention ever. I’m a sentimental kind of gal and can think of reasons to hold on to pretty much anything.

I wish more than anything I could pull off a half sleeve tattoo, but I just don’t think I’d look right. So I plan on getting several other tattoos and finding me a cute, tattooed boy instead. It’s a fair trade.

I’m the girl who gets nervous talking to new people and never know what to say for fear of sounding like an idiot. I constantly worry I’m bothering people so if I’m quiet, that’s probably why. But when I finally feel comfortable, I’d love nothing more than to sit down over drinks and talk forever.

In the past year and a half, I found myself and realized what I’m truly capable of. I’ve learned when to fight for something and when to let go. I’ve learned that sometimes when you think shit just can’t get any worse, it does. You just keep putting one foot in front of the other and keep on.

Don’t let it make you hard. Let it make you stronger.

I have.

(post idea borrowed from your favorite, wishcake)

Chicago has finally decided to give us some decent weather and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been spending my sunny days outside on a blanket with a book and my crappy old iPod. I read Allie’s book Stay, in one sitting and it was fantastic. Stay tuned for more on that!

I’ve been trying to soak up some sun, so I can stop being the whitest Mexican girl in the history of the world and so far it’s working okay. I may get skin cancer from basically roasting in oil, but whatever, I’m working on a great tan.

PRIORITIES, PEOPLE. I HAVE THEM.

On Friday, I got a manicure (THAT’S ALREADY CHIPPING) and pedicure (my first of the season) and my fingers and toes* are done up nicely in Lincoln Park After Dark. I rounded out my weekend by purchasing seasons one and two of Dawson’s Creek because they were on sale for $20 at Target. $20 for BOTH. #paceyandjoeyforever

I’ve also been cranking out shopping lists for Shoptopia, which has been a total blast and a burden on my wallet. A very pretty burden that I don’t mind one bit because it comes in the form of dresses, bags and shoes.

Research is expensive, dudes.

Go check out some of my recent posts: 15 Super Cute and Stylish Laptop Bags, Maxi Dresses and Summer White Sundresses. Take a look around and get to list making. It’s way fun and I bet you’ll see a few familiar faces around the site!

Also, can someone in Chicago please have a cookout? I’m pretty sure it’s all I need in life.

* How do we feel about matching polish on the fingers and toes?

The past several months have turned me into a bit of a night owl.

At first it was just I couldn’t sleep. I don’t sleep well when things are chaotic around me. I was constantly fighting with my then best friend, there was family drama and my dad being sick and it all just left me feeling very restless. I’d go to bed at a “normal” time and just toss and turn all night until a completely stupid hour, like 4AM. Then I would wake up in a completely foul mood because I am NOT a morning person even when I do sleep and now I was running on very little sleep.

More recently, instead of just laying there hating my life and cursing people who have a normal sleep schedule, I’ve been channeling my super energy into being productive. Now, I wish I could say that I have actually finally cleaned out my closet or gone through and purged all my old beauty products. (WHY CAN’T I JUST THROW THINGS AWAY?! SERIOUSLY.)

But I have been working on my projects late at night and being super productive.

During the day there are so many distractions when you do some of your work from home. There is sun that needs to be soaked up, Twitter that needs to be checked, Google Readers that need to see zero, puppies that need to play fetch (or more like, You’re A Big Dummy If You Think You Can Throw This And I’ll Actually Bring It Back), there is shows that need to be started (Parks & Rec), people that need to be chatted, blah blah etc.

For example, yesterday afternoon I started working on something that I probably could have knocked out in about an hour. Two gchat conversations, a little making fun of Losties, three downloaded albums and five hours later, I finally wrapped it up. It wasn’t super time sensitive so I could take my time (trust me, I’m not that lazy) but I was doing a million other things and working on it slowly.

At almost midnight, the internet was far more quiet. When tweets were fewer and less frequent and there were only a few stragglers on gchat, who were also on the night shift, I buckled down and knocked out a ton more work in just two hours.

I’ve decided I really like working when there isn’t so much noise – both actual noise and internet noise. There’s no lawnmowers running, baseball bats clinking from the nearby Little League park, or dogs barking. It’s calm and peaceful. I’m not trying to keep up with the conversation on all social media channels while knocking out a few hundred words. The internet is (almost) asleep while I’m cranking out work with no interruptions.

I guess that all might change depending on the next job I pick up and that’s okay, I can adjust. But while my schedule has some breathing room, the night shift is for getting shit done.

(It would be pretty neat if Chicago had a late night co-working group like New York Nightowls)

Things could be better.

I won’t be in Vegas this week dancing and judging people with Ben and Tia. Or petting Doni’s hair. Or making out with Nicole. Or with Katelin smiling with our eyes. Or even introducing everyone to my BFF, Working Girl Two. Or getting completely silly drunk off $5 wine pours in the Venetian, looking for the Montecito and rambling about dolphins. I’m not making as much money as I would like. And I could use another freelance gig or two or another part-time job. My bank account may be dwindling because I’m helping out my family in a really fucked time. And I might live far away from all my friends. I could possibly have lost my best friend for good. And I can still afford to lose weight. It would also really be nice if the sun stuck around for a little while. The brakes might be squeaky on my car and be due for a change. My mother might still be completely bat shit. And my neighbors might be making my dog crazy. And I may have lost my ear buds and die a little every time I have to delete an email from Rue La La or Gilt Groupe without opening it (pretty and designer items at deep discounts. Sign up. YOU’RE WELCOME).

But it could be a lot worse.

I still have some really great friends, even if they are far away. But they think of me and send me little notes in the mail. The REAL mail, not the electronic type. Friends who wake up in the morning expecting just a movie and then end up a tattoo parlor offering to hold my hand while I get my second tattoo. And I may be broke because I’m helping my family, but at least my dad is still around for me to help. He almost wasn’t. I’ve got two great writing gigs that I’m proud of and I’m sending out resumes every day. I’m researching apartments where I want to live and will hopefully be out of the hood soon. And I have a super cute dog who never fails to keep me laughing. I’ve made new friends who I can’t wait to hang out with. I’ve flirted with cute boys because boys and flirting are just plain fun. I’ve got a stack of books and days worth of new music. My hair has just been cut and is looking fierce. I recently started rocking my old Nike dunks again and I’m starting to plan Pretty Wine Label Part part deux.  I’ve gotten several compliments on my new tattoo and seeing it on my wrist is just the constant reminder I need.

Life is just kind of balancing itself out right now, I guess.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining because complaining won’t do anything for me. It is what it is and I’m making the most of it. Sometimes we get a little too wrapped up in the bad and forget about the good.

I have some bad. But I still have a lot of good.

But most importantly, I have hope that the scales will tip in my favor soon.

It’s only a matter of time.