100 things to do in 2012

it's that time again! though i've been doing this list since 2010, last year was the first that i actually blogged about it and kept track of my progress. it was pretty fun, so i decided to do it again. i got pretty ambitious for 2012 (mostly just to piss off the mayan apocalypse believers, if there are even any left). as always, i'd love to hear what's on your lists!

1. go to europe

2. make my own ice cream

3. learn to say hello in 50 languages

4. visit san francisco

5. go to a talk show taping

6. go to a show at the social

7. take a boat ride

8. meet a celebrity and take a picture with them

9. go to the south beach wine & food festival

10. make $2,000 in freelance

11. take a pottery class

12. go to an open house (with no intention of buying)

13. get VIP treatment at a nightclub

14. visit nashville

15. swim with dolphins

16. go to the icebar in orlando

17. be in a music video

18. go out to a sit-down dinner by myself

19. eat alligator

20. get a massage

21. visit the location of a TV/movie scene

22. take pictures in a photobooth

23. go to tampa & st. petersburg

24. drink a specialty martini at blue martini

25. make my own sushi

26. go to the rock & roll hall of fame induction ceremony (jacob's idea - i'm on the fence)

27. read a whole book in one day

28. send christmas cards

29. watch 26 new movies, one for each letter of the alphabet

30. go roller skating

31. go to universal studios

32. be part of a dance-off

33. attend a midnight movie showing

34. make my own bread

35. drink absinthe

36.make a wish at the trevi fountain

37. stay at a bed & breakfast

38. memorize busta rhymes' verse in "look at me now" (note to self: watch THIS for help - 1:04)

39. go to an orlando magic game

40. visit a citrus grove

41. drive the sunshine skyway bridge

42. give more than a 20% tip

43. see a bruins game in florida

44. see a musical

45. have a candlelight dinner

46. make a painting

47. dance in the street

48. bake and decorate a cake

49. cook my way through a cookbook

50. tour the everglades

51. go to a mass at the church around the corner from my apartment

52. wear red lipstick

53. roast marshmallows over a fire

54. take a bubble bath

55. stay in a beach house

56. pop champagne (...'cause we got that dough)

57. shake anthony bourdain's hand

58. party in miami

59. successfully submit an essay i wrote to another anthology

60. clean out my purse

61. watch one of the harry potter movies

62. use a fake name at starbucks

63. go speed dating

64. maintain a 4.0 GPA in grad school

65. practice gratitude every day

66. participate in a sing-along

67. visit a friend in another state

68. feed the ducks in the pond at my apartment complex

69. hang out with a band after a show

70. leave an inspirational note for someone else to find

71. take a tennis lesson

72. ride a bike

73. try on clothes i can't afford

74. have a ryan gosling movie marathon

75. laugh so hard i cry

76. win a trip

77. find one new song that i like each week

78. go completely soda-free for a month

79. make my nails look really awesome

80. go to a local punk show (like the good ol' days)

81. eat chicken and waffles

82. give money to a busker

83. fall in love

84. crash a wedding

85. read 5 classic novels

86. finally get my cheeseburger tattoo!

87. take a spontaneous day trip

88. initiate conversation with a guy at a bar (a.k.a. "grab somebody sexy, tell 'em 'hey!')

89. use a coupon at the grocery store

90. secure a literary agent

91. buy a scratch ticket

92. perform a song in public (live or youtube)

93. go to a fashion show

94. go without TV and internet for 24 hours

95. visit the home i was born in (now a B&B)

96. eat at a hibachi steakhouse

97. make my mom's potato salad recipe

98. nap in a hammock

99. play a dance game on wii

100. buy a pair of impractically high heels

joys and secrets: winter 11-12 mix

i know that tomorrow's the first official day of winter, but whatever. you're probably sick of christmas tunes, so think of this mix as a little present from me. i got in a tiny bit of trouble for being totally illegal in the past with these things (basically just the DMCA yelling at me, but it was only a matter of time...sigh), so i've decided to go the spotify route this time. if you don't have it, get it so you can enjoy it. tracklist below - listen in order for the best results. get it HERE.

tracklist:

1. the soft pack - answer to yourself

2. ultimate fakebook - goddamn dance craze

3. t. rex - 20th century boy

4. FIDLAR - oh (warning: this will probably become your new favorite song/band/everything. i mean, their name stands for "Fuck It Dog, Life's A Risk". obsessed.)

5. ace hood f/ chris brown - body 2 body (i hate this song for making me find chris brown attractive again.)

6. wye oak - holy holy

7. guards - do it again

8. ambulance LTD - ophelia

9. the star spangles - stay away from me

10. rooney - here today, gone tomorrow (this is a ramones cover...and as a huge fan, dare i say it's better than the original)

11. mazes- no way

12. colette carr - (we do it) primo

13. phantom planet - do the panic (live)

14. the distillers - drain the blood

15. someone still loves you, boris yeltsin - yellow missing signs

16. mando diao - sheepdog

a hug in a mug: max brenner hot chocolate

since i'm home for winter break in new hampshire, i finally got the chance to make my first visit back to boston since july. despite the absolutely FREEZING temps, it felt so great to be back. and actually, the cold weather led me to warm up in max brenner, a chocolate cafe known worldwide for their hot cocoa, before a night out in the city with some friends. despite it being early on a saturday evening, i was able to snag a small table near the bar. the environment is comfy-cozy and inviting, with warm, um, chocolatey tones and soft lighting throughout the restaurant.

while they offer several varieties of hot chocolate, including mexican spicy, italian, and swiss, i went with the milk chocolate "melting marshmallow" cocoa. it came in what the folks at MB call a "hug mug", with no handles so you can drink it with two hands (see photo above). and yes, it had that many marshmallows in it. the verdict? best hot choc i've ever had. unfortunately, the only u.s. locations thus far are in NYC, boston, vegas, and philly, so for now it'll just have to be a special treat. and at $5.95 a cup, i can't really afford for it to be more than that...but it was SO worth it. get yo' chocolate on!

underrated christmas favorites

eating too much, drinking too much, shopping too much...what's not to love about the holiday season?! while there are many things i enjoy about this time of year, a few stand out above the rest as helping me to be my merriest and brightest.

1. all i want for christmas

sometimes i feel like i'm the only person that's ever seen this movie, but it's usually on tv at least once or twice in december. never mind the fact that i have it on dvd because i can't get enough of a young ethan embry (then, ethan randall), his dad's apartment with a pinball machine in it, a cute mouse named snowball, kevin nealon as his mom's mean new boyfriend, his crush from boston with perfect hair, and all of the other things that make this movie a classic.

2. hanson's christmas album, snowed in

i am completely, 100% dead serious when i say that this is the best christmas album ever made. i have listened to it every year since thanksgiving day in 1997 when my parents surprised my teenybopping-ass with it. flawless from beginning to end. youtube sampler above for you poor, deprived souls who have never heard this gem.

3. eggnog

i kind of pretend to be cool and say i enjoy eggnog mostly for the spiking possibilities, but the disgusting truth is that i could drink a carton straight with no spirits...and 75% of the time i pretty much do. um, it's like melted ice cream!

100 things to do in 2011: month in review

4 weeks left in the year? say it ain't so! i'm going to have to start crafting my next 100 things for next year pretty soon, but i managed to check a few more things off the list in november.

14. dine at 50 new restaurants: CONTINUED.

i'm almost there! the 'rents and i ate at a few new places on our mini-vacay to vero beach, including an adorable little place called lemon tree where i had the best sandwich of my life (grilled chicken, avocado, cheese, and bacon HELLO) and a lovely lunch spot in winter park. i'm up to 42...i think i can, i think i can!

32. try one new recipe a month: CONTINUED.

i got all fancy and made chicken oscar, and it turned out delicious! gourmet, y'all.

88. write a fan letter and get a response: STARTED.

i wrote to steve-o, my favorite of the jackass crew, via email. i have it on good authority that he apparently is great about sending personalized autographs. hopefully i won't have to wait until the new year to see if it's true!

93. donate money to charity: COMPLETED.

i gave some money to a charity that provides thanksgiving dinner for the needy. felt good!

95. see a sunrise and sunset in the same day: COMPLETED.

i got up early enough one day in vero to see the sun rise over the ocean, and fortunately got an oceanview table at dinner that night to see it set! boom.