100 things to do in 2011: month in review.

happy almost-halloween! it's been a busy and fun month...i can't believe i have less than six weeks left in my first semester of grad school (cue freakout). looking at what i have left, i'm notttt sure i'm going to tackle everything on my list by the end of the year (unless i somehow can somehow meet, party and sing karaoke with andrew jenks in chicago in a limo...or something. but never say never, right?

13. see 50 new movies: CONTINUED.

saw the surprisingly cute "what's your number" (which was set in my old 'hood, the north end of boston. who knew!) and "under the tuscan sun" which, though i haven't seen "eat pray love", i'm guessing was much better.

14. dine at 50 new restaurants: CONTINUED.

went crazy at an all-you-can-eat salad bar chain called sweet tomatoes (it was okay, but i needed more meat and potatoes, tbh), a sit-down deli (toojay's) and a downtown restaurant/bar last night for the beginning of my halloween night (ember). i'm at 37, so i totally can do this.

25. try 5 new foods: COMPLETED.

leave it to me to go to an oktoberfest and have conch fritters, but whatever. they were yummy!

32. try one new recipe a month: CONTINUED.

okay, so i'm not the most innovative chef...i did "garlicky angel hair with shrimp" because i'm obsessed with shrimp. still!

58. read one book per month: CONTINUED.

christine hassler's "20-something manifesto" was pretty reaffirming and interesting. just started starbucks' chairman and CEO's book "pour your heart into it" which is great so far too.

73. assume a fake identity for one night: COMPLETED.

okay, i'm counting halloween for this because 1) i never dress slutty, even on halloween and 2) i was a slutty girl scout for halloween. it was definitely a step out of my comfort zone to wear a crop top and mini-skirt (with tights underneath!) throughout downtown orlando, but it was also kinda liberating and awesome. some girl at a bar was like "hey, look, there's a slutty girl scout!" and i was all...LOL.

78. take up a new hobby: STARTED.

on a rainy sunday morning, i decided to pop over to the yoga studio across the street and take a "stress relief yoga" class. it was actually really relaxing and nice, even for someone as high-strung as me. not sure if it'll become a full-fledged hobby, but i'd definitely go again!

87. organize my itunes: COMPLETED.

over a period of like 3 weeks, i slowly but surely categorized all of the rogue tunes in my library of 6,469 songs by genre and album. so glad it's over.

on a sidenote, i got to witness the coolest thing i've probably ever seen on a college campus, ever, on friday. for UCF's homecoming weekend, they do a huge pep rally called "spirit splash" where they let students run into the reflecting pond on the center of campus. not gonna lie, i kind of want to do it next year! i took some video from the madness:

hi, i'm kim, and i have a cupcake addiction.

pretty much all of my food-related posts are about cupcakes. deal with it.

i finally got around to stopping into a shop that's just around the corner from me: sweet! by good golly miss holly. and as much as it pains me to say it, these cupcakes trumped all of the places i tried on my cupcake crawl with emily back in january.

i went for a red velvet and a banana cupcake (pictured above...these things are HUGE) and they were ridiculous. moist, delicious, and perfect frosting consistency...i could pretty much eat them all day (except not because i felt so horrible about myself after 1). service was fast, the shop was breezy and cute, cupcakes came in adorable individual boxes, and they even offered froyo and mini cupcakes for days when you just want a little bit of cuppy goodness. i guess miss holly was a celeb chef in LA who decided to bring her talents here to o-town (and jacksonville) some years back. and for that, i am glad.

obsessed!

"you can't just visualize and then go eat a sandwich"

many of you know that i'm a big proponent of the law of attraction (more recently known as "the secret"). a lot of people scoff and snort at the idea, and i don't quite blame them if all they've seen is the hokey "secret" movie. but if you dig deeper, the truth is that it works! every time. and while it does seem pretty magical as i have brought certain things and achievements into my life, there's nothing all that kooky about it.

basically, the LOA states that "thoughts become things" and if you act like you already have what you want, you can manifest it. so if you've ever had one of those days where the crappy stuff just seems to snowball - or conversely, when all the good stuff starts coming at once, you've seen it at work. same goes for when you really, really want something and it seems to elude you - until the moment you forget about it! anyways, a ton of celebrities including will smith, lady gaga, and jim carrey (as you'll see below in the clip) have used it to help them achieve goals in their lives. i had heard this story before, but i was watching "oprah's lifeclass" because i'm old and was inspired by watching him tell it. give it a whirl!

when are you happiest?

a few weeks ago, it was a gorgeous sunny day here in orlando, and i was driving down the 408, singing along to cheap trick's "i want you to want me". i realized that it's in some of the most simple moments like this, belting to my favorite songs in my car, that i find the most happiness. so, i decided to think of some other times when i'm pretty much just loving life. share your "happy moments" in the comments, please!

- having a leisurely morning & enjoying that first (or fifth) cup of coffee

- getting together with a friend i haven't seen in forever and picking up right where we left off

- going to see a really great live band, dancing my ass off and soaking up the energy of the crowd

- enjoying an amazing meal and a glass of wine at a new restaurant

- seeing a cheesy rom-com that, despite knowing it's not real, gives me that giddy reassurance that i'll find "the one"

- staying in and baking something yummy on a rainy day

- a new crush

- having impromptu dance parties with my mom, cousins and aunts at family functions

- buying a top/dress that i'm crazy about and can't wait to wear the next day

- hearing/seeing something that reminds me of a really great memory or time in my life

- the anticipation of taking a vacation i've been planning for months