43 before 44 — Four months and counting

How did it get to be August 23rd already?

I was not ready for August, and I’m certainly not ready for August to almost be over. (Though I AM ready for jeans and sweaters. I’m pretty much always ready for jeans and sweaters.)

Anywho, another month. More updates on my 43 before 44 list! I’ve completed items that are in bold. Italicized content shares some details about my progress.

• 43 BEFORE 44 •

1. Take a hand-lettering course — I researched popular hand-letterers, purchased this book by The Pigeon Letters, a few pens she recommended, a Rhodia pad, and am considering taking one of her online classes.
2. Eat outside on average two times a week — This came as a result of a story on outdoor living I wrote for Springs magazine. And so far, so good. I’ve also been lugging my computer outdoors and working in the fresh air some days.
3. Do a Georgia O’Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) — Done (connected to No. 19). Blog about the trip yet to come.
4. Install and use an outdoor clothesline — I’ve been researching what style we want. In the meantime, I’ve been drying some clothes outside on my drying rack.
5. Watch every episode of MASH — OMG, this is three years running and still going. Maybe this year will be the final year? I swear there are just a FEW DVDs remaining.
6. Read at least 100 books — I've read 31 books so far (five others in progress) — my favorites this month were this and this.
7. Continue to refine Project 333 to my own version of a minimalist closet project, to include purchasing a few pieces of sustainable and ethical clothing — I keep culling clothes — I’m currently working with a capsule that started at 45 items, and sits now at 35. What's been most fun about this though has been helping friends with their process — did you see my recent post on this topic? And researching ethical clothing companies.
8. Attend the Santa Fe Opera
9. Visit Meow Wolf in Santa Fe — Done, as a part of a road trip with a good friend! (Photo above from one of the Meow Wolf rooms).
10. Hike Hanging Lake
11. Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray ... and hike Blue Lakes while there — On the calendar!
12. Attend Judith Lasater’s Advanced Restorative Yoga teacher training — Not going to happen this year. In the meantime, I’m looking at taking another online program with Judith or maybe another teacher.
13. Choreograph a country line dance
14. Take a birding and/or bird banding class
15. Take a surfing lesson
16. Plan for and install "Garden 1.0" at new home — In progress.
17. Begin planning "Garden 2.0" for 2018
18. Get will and living will in order
19. Go off-the-grid, no-tech for an extended period of time — Also done. Also will blog about this in the near future. I feel like I'm still processing the experience and am letting it steep for awhile.
20. Learn to make pizza, Roman Villa-style
21. Keep up my #newrecipeaweek commitment — Favorite new recipe? These banana pancakes were fantastic.
22. Learn to play an entire song on my ukelele
23. Plan my next international trip
24. See the sandhill crane migration in March/April 2018
25. Go storm chasing
26. Go on a train trip
27. Visit Best Friends Animal Society in Utah
28. Plan and host at least four game nights with friends — One on the books.
29. Revive Soup Night
30. Learn to fix clothing (beyond sewing on buttons)
31. Plan for a fun photo shoot
32. Place freelance writing with at least five new publications (a mix of print and online) — One down — I’ve joined Lifehacker’s team of freelancers. This post has had more than 116,000 views so far, which is RIDICULOUS!
33. Blog one to two times a week — In progress.
34. Take a glass-blowing class
35. Visit a new-to-me monastery
36. Learn some fancy cake frosting skills
37. Stay overnight on a houseboat
38. Hike with Ollie and Stephen
39. Take a basic embroidery class
40. Train Finnegan to do a just-for-fun trick
41. Memorize a favorite poem — This and No. 42 are also both the result of No. 19.
42. Begin a 'favorite poetry' journal
43. Wear a watch regularly to reduce my cell phone dependency — Pulled out my casual running watch and purchased a new dressy watch. I'm super into this right now.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO? CAN I HELP WITH YOUR BIRTHDAY/BUCKET LIST IN ANY WAY?

Leave me a note in the comments below. And I'll see you back here on September 23 for my next update.

Seven Tips For Cutting Back Your Closet

It’s been almost five years since I discovered Courtney Carver’s Project 333, the “dressing with less” program.

Since then, the capsule closet movement has grown immensely, and it’s easy to get lost in a rabbit hole of posts on the topic.

With five years now of reducing and capsuling under my belt (hah!), I thought I’d offer up a few tips and tricks I’ve learned in that time for those of you who might be interested in starting to cut back your closets in a similar fashion.

Seven TIPS For CUTTING BACK YOUR CLOSET

Tip No. 1:

If you love clothing and aren’t feeling any pressure whatsoever to change your closet or buying habits, stop reading now! You do not need this post (but thanks for reading this far). I was like that for many, many years. There is nothing wrong with keeping on the way you’re keeping on. At all. When I came across Project 333, I had been frustrated with my wardrobe and its impact on my life for a long time and was seeking ways to change. If that sounds like you, read how I got my start, and, more importantly why, here.

Tip No. 2:

Read this by Courtney. She really still is my go-to person when I’m looking for inspiration and motivation in this area. If you’re going to get lost in a blog, get lost in hers.

Tip No. 3:

It’s really important when you first start cleaning out your wardrobe, and all those plastic bins shoved under your bed or in the back of the closet or down in the basement, that you pull out every single item of wearable you own. Everything. I even try to make sure all of my laundry is done before I start digging through so there aren’t a ton of random stinky outliers.

Tip No. 4:

Start the process by making three piles: 1) Keep for sure. 2) Try on/maybe keep. 3) Donate (or dispense of/recycle in some way, if torn or stained and you can’t donate). At this point, don’t worry about how much goes in each pile, just work quickly through every item. Once you’ve done this, try on every item that was in Pile 2, and redistribute to PIle 1 or Pile 3. Bag up Pile 3 immediately and set aside.

Tip No. 5:

Honor your emotions. This process can be overwhelming and exhausting. You may think they’re just clothes — what’s so difficult? But really, you’re digging through years of your life, history and memories, and maybe tackling body issues. You’re trying on a bunch of clothes, some that will fit and some that will not. And at some point you may just hit decision fatigue. Set up somewhere where you can leave all your piles for a night if you can’t finish the process in one sitting. Recruit a friend to help, play uplifting music, drink a glass of wine.

Tip No. 6:

If you want to aim for a certain number of items to keep for your daily wardrobe, or formally do a Project 333, go ahead. However if this is your first big clearing out, you might just want to go the route I did, which was doing two years of this process each season before I committed to Project 333. Put back in your closet all of the keepers that are seasonally appropriate. Box up all the keepers that aren’t seasonally appropriate and store somewhere. Bag up the donations and drop them off somewhere as soon as you can (or plan a clothing swap with friends).

Tip No. 7:

Celebrate! Wear all the things. Enjoy all the things. Rinse and repeat — in three months or six months or whenever the season shifts and you need those sweaters (or tank tops). Note: I do still make one big pile (that’s gotten much smaller over the years) every single time I refresh my capsule closet.

Have questions I haven’t answered? Happy to answer them in the comments below!

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Knew, without a doubt, deep, deep down in your heart and soul, that you could not fail?

This question has shown up in my life multiple times in the past few weeks. First, posed in a friend’s Facebook post. Second, asked in a newsletter from a favorite blogger. And third, discussed in a book I was reading on hiking the Camino de Santiago.

People’s answers ranged from “start a design business” to “write a book” to “go to law school.”

(And my particular favorite: play the lottery!)

I’ve learned by now that when something shows up in my life repeatedly, I need to pay attention.

So, Universe, here I am. Paying attention, and deeply considering the question:

What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail?

I do lots of things I know I might fail at. My birthday list is a formalized way for me to try (just about) anything once. And lots of those activities, I haven’t been so great at. (Like paintball. Turns out I’m a pretty sucky player — I was kind of afraid of the pain of getting hit, and I really didn’t like feeling as if I’m being stalked. I survived the experience, but I certainly didn’t love it … and my team lost.)

While the overwhelming majority of the items on my birthday list aren’t at the same level as I’m seeking an answer for out of this question, they have been great for allowing me to play with courage and failure, and to let go of my inner critic.

Turns out I’m a decent kayaker, I make a mean bottle of ginger beer, and I can now look up at Pikes Peak and say, “I hiked you!”

For me, because I’ve challenged myself in this way for the past three and half years, I think failure is becoming less of an issue when stepping outside of my comfort zone. (Don’t get me wrong, it won’t ever be completely gone, but I know this process has helped. And if anyone wants assistance in trying something new, give me a holler!)

For me, it’s the first half of the question that’s the hard part. I have lots of interests. But what turns an interest into a soul-fulfilling passion, profession, or calling?

Dear Universe, I think I need another sign.

And until that arrives, dear reader ... tell me:

What would YOU do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

And, perhaps more importantly, WHY?

"43 before 44," the three-months-in report

I turn 43 and ¼ today. Woot woot!

Every day is worth celebrating, but have some cake on me today. And while you’re munching away, have a peek at what from my list I’ve been working on over the past month.

• 43 BEFORE 44 •

1. Take a hand-lettering course — I researched popular hand-letterers, purchased this book by The Pigeon Letters, a few pens she recommended, a Rhodia pad, and am considering taking one of her online classes.
2. Eat outside on average two times a week — This came as a result of a story on outdoor living I wrote for Springs magazine. And so far, so good.
3. Do a Georgia O’Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) — Done (connected to No. 19). Blog about the trip yet to come.
4. Install and use an outdoor clothesline
5. Watch every episode of MASH — OMG, this is three years running and still going. Maybe this year will be the final year? I swear there are just a FEW DVDs remaining.
6. Read at least 100 books — I've read 26 books so far (five others in progress) — my favorite this month being this.
7. Continue to refine Project 333 to my own version of a minimalist closet project, to include purchasing a few pieces of sustainable and ethical clothing — I keep culling clothes — I’m currently working with a capsule that started at 45 items, and sits now at 35. (Check out that photo above for some of these items!) What's been most fun about this though has been helping friends with their process. And researching ethical clothing companies.
8. Attend the Santa Fe Opera
9. Visit Meow Wolf in Santa Fe — This! On the calendar for August.
10. Hike Hanging Lake
11. Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray ... and hike Blue Lakes while there — This is ALSO on the calendar!
12. Attend Judith Lasater’s Advanced Restorative Yoga teacher training
13. Choreograph a country line dance
14. Take a birding and/or bird banding class
15. Take a surfing lesson
16. Plan for and install "Garden 1.0" at new home — In progress.
17. Begin planning "Garden 2.0" for 2018
18. Get will and living will in order
19. Go off-the-grid, no-tech for an extended period of time — Also done. Also will blog about this in the near future. I feel like I'm still processing the experience and am letting it steep for awhile.
20. Learn to make pizza, Roman Villa-style
21. Keep up my #newrecipeaweek commitment — Favorite new recipe over the past month? We’ve had this twice already. Try it. I promise you won’t regret it.
22. Learn to play an entire song on my ukelele
23. Plan my next international trip
24. See the sandhill crane migration in March/April 2018
25. Go storm chasing
26. Go on a train trip
27. Visit Best Friends Animal Society in Utah
28. Plan and host at least four game nights with friends — One on the books.
29. Revive Soup Night
30. Learn to fix clothing (beyond sewing on buttons)
31. Plan for a fun photo shoot
32. Place freelance writing with at least five new publications (a mix of print and online)
33. Blog one to two times a week — In progress.
34. Take a glass-blowing class
35. Visit a new-to-me monastery
36. Learn some fancy cake frosting skills
37. Stay overnight on a houseboat
38. Hike with Ollie and Stephen
39. Take a basic embroidery class
40. Train Finnegan to do a just-for-fun trick
41. Memorize a favorite poem — This and No. 42 are also both the result of No. 19.
42. Begin a 'favorite poetry' journal
43. Wear a watch regularly to reduce my cell phone dependency — Pulled out my casual running watch and purchased a new dressy watch. I'm super into this right now.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO? CAN I HELP WITH YOUR BIRTHDAY/BUCKET LIST IN ANY WAY?

Leave me a note in the comments below. And I'll see you back here on August 23 for my next update ...

Reporting in on "43 before 44" — Two months

Well, hello, and happy June!

Wait, June? I seem to have lost two whole months. It's OK though because I've been plugging away on my list behind-the-scenes. And I've checked off a coupla biggies since my 43rd birthday.

Read on for the scoop.

• 43 BEFORE 44 • 

1. Take a hand-lettering course — Couldn't find a local class so I researched popular hand-letterers, purchased this book by The Pigeon Letters, a few pens she recommended, a Rhodia pad, and am considering taking one of her online classes. I've started working on my alphabet, so we'll see where this goes!
2. Eat outside on average two times a week — This came as a result of a story on outdoor living I wrote for Springs magazine. And so far, so good.
3. Do a Georgia O’Keeffe tour around New Mexico (Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, etc.) — Done (connected to No. 19). Blog about the trip yet to come.
4. Install and use an outdoor clothesline
5. Watch every episode of MASH — OMG, this is three years running and still going. Maybe this year will be the final year? I swear there are just a FEW DVDs remaining.
6. Read at least 100 books — I've read 21 books so far (five others in progress) — my favorites being this, this and this.
7. Continue to refine Project 333 to my own version of a minimalist closet project, to include purchasing a few pieces of sustainable and ethical clothing — What's been most fun about this has been helping friends with their process. Just in the past two months, I've been sharing lots of advice with two different friends. 
8. Attend the Santa Fe Opera
9. Visit Meow Wolf in Santa Fe
10. Hike Hanging Lake
11. Stay at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray ... and hike Blue Lakes while there
12. Attend Judith Lasater’s Advanced Restorative Yoga teacher training
13. Choreograph a country line dance
14. Take a birding and/or bird banding class
15. Take a surfing lesson
16. Plan for and install "Garden 1.0" at new home — In progress.
17. Begin planning "Garden 2.0" for 2018
18. Get will and living will in order
19. Go off-the-grid, no-tech for an extended period of time — Also done. Also will blog about this in the near future. I feel like I'm still processing the experience and am letting it steep for awhile.
20. Learn to make pizza, Roman Villa-style
21. Keep up my #newrecipeaweek commitment — Favorite new recipe so far? This. Yum.
22. Learn to play an entire song on my ukelele
23. Plan my next international trip
24. See the sandhill crane migration in March/April 2018
25. Go storm chasing
26. Go on a train trip
27. Visit Best Friends Animal Society in Utah
28. Plan and host at least four game nights with friends
29. Revive Soup Night
30. Learn to fix clothing (beyond sewing on buttons)
31. Plan for a fun photo shoot
32. Place freelance writing with at least five new publications (a mix of print and online)
33. Blog one to two times a week
34. Take a glass-blowing class
35. Visit a new-to-me monastery
36. Learn some fancy cake frosting skills
37. Stay overnight on a houseboat
38. Hike with Ollie and Stephen
39. Take a basic embroidery class
40. Train Finnegan to do a just-for-fun trick
41. Memorize a favorite poem — This and No. 42 are also both the result of No. 19.
42. Begin a 'favorite poetry' journal
43. Wear a watch regularly to reduce my cell phone dependency — Pulled out my casual running watch and purchased a new dressy watch. I'm super into this right now.

What have you been up to? Can I help with your birthday/bucket list in any way?

Leave me a note in the comments below. And I'll see you back here on July 23 for my next update ...