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.

a very macy's thanksgiving

when i tell people that i love the macy's thanksgiving day parade, they usually say, "oh, me too!" not realizing that my love is more than a passing interest. my affection for the parade is much deeper than say, when people go "i love puppies!" it's so deep that missing it on one thanksgiving about 5 years ago ruined the whole day for me, and now goes down in history as the "worst thanksgiving ever". don't mess with me and my parade, man.

11 years ago, i had the privilege of seeing the spectacle up close and personal with my family. i also had the misfortune of being the coldest i've ever been in my damn life. no joke, i swear that with the windchill, and gusts blowing through the high-rises, it must have been about -20 degrees outside. so, i naturally wrapped my wool scarf around my head like a little babushka while my mom sought shelter in the nearby mcdonald's, which was serving lukewarm chocolate because they couldn't heat it fast enough. however, my 14 year-old self was more than happy to risk hypothermia to catch a glimpse of bbmak, lfo, and aaron carter, waving on a silly float and lip-synching to their pre-recorded hits. i couldn't wind my disposable camera fast enough! i swear to god rich cronin made eye contact with me, y'all. probably because i was the only freak with a scarf around her head.

anyways, we had thanksgiving dinner that year at this gourmet restaurant, scaletta, which was absolutely horrible. i mean, sure, the meal was probably amazing by foodie standards. but the stuffing had damn raisins and apples in it. i don't care what you say, fruit does NOT belong in any stuffing of mine. i picked at it and pouted...probably thinking "if only bbmak were here". the parade was so worth it, but you'll never find me eating fruity stuffing at a restaurant on turkey day again.

heavy metal and mullets: a white trash driving mix

hi guys! i basically made this mix because i wanted an excuse to include songs about crack and cowboys without it being totally weird. this mix is a little on the long side, but trust that it is totally perfect for any less-than-classy excursions. listen HERE!

1. sum 41 - fat lip

2. mickey avalon - jane fonda

3. queens of the stone age - little sister

4. pujol - mayday

5. boomkat - the wreckoning

6. american bang - whiskey walk

7. kid rock - cowboy

8. injected - sherman

9. eagles of death metal - english girl

10. bona roba - in the cut

11. jay reatard - it ain't gonna save me

12. buckcherry - lit up

13. zz top - tush

14. p.o.d. - boom

15. rock 'n roll soldiers - funny little feeling

16. kings of leon - red morning light

17. the cadillac black - i'm southern

18. avenged sevenfold - bat country

place i love: winter park, florida

since moving to orlando, to say i've experienced culture shock is a pretty big understatement. but each day, i get more and more comfortable here as i encounter new things, people, and experiences that make me appreciate my new surroundings in different ways.

this past week, my parents came to visit, and i got the opportunity to check out some places that i hadn't previously gotten to explore in the area. we spent a few days in the beachside community of vero beach (which, i swear to god, was the inspiration for seinfeld's "del boca vista", but nice nonetheless) and wandered around orlando's leu gardens, which was a beautiful retreat in the middle of the city.

but the place that really, really got me was winter park, a city just north of orlando that's been called "new england in florida". as soon as i stepped out of the car and onto the brick, tree-lined streets of the city's famed park avenue, i fell in love and felt extremely comforted - really, the first time i've felt "home" since i've moved here. it reminded me so much of the main streets in the boston area - and it felt almost like a quainter newbury street in boston. it probably only added to the charm that it was a brisk 60 degrees that day in orlando - a rarity for fall here - so i relished the chance to stroll in my scarf, sweater and boots. my parents and i snagged a streetside table at a casual eatery, 310 park south, and enjoyed our sandwiches as we people (and dog)-watched. i wandered into the newly-opened barnie's coffee kitchen after lunch for a chai latte, and decided promptly that i must live here someday. nevermind the 600k-multi-million dollar price tags on most of the area homes. it's happening, y'all!

site i love: pinterest

i know that many of you are already on the pinterest bandwagon, but if you aren't...GET WITH IT! pinterest is an internet junkie and/or incessant daydreamer's dream come true (i happen to be both). the idea is that you can make your own personal bulletin boards from images you either search for on the pinterest site, or anywhere on the web. i had actually already been doing these "vision boards" in powerpoint, mainly just because they put me in a good mood. images of my dream home, people i want to meet, things i want to do...pinterest makes it much easier to quickly add things to my boards and share fun images with friends. for example, you can check out my "happy stuff" board.

the site says you need an invite, but i signed up and received one the next day, no problem. happy pinning!

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