thoughts on the 37 things list

37 things to do before I’m 38

1.    Play game with kids

2.    Give a homemade gift

3.    Go on photo walk

4.    Send a surprise by mail

5.    Do something creative everyday

6.    Ride a roller coaster

7.    Participate in a blog challenge

8.    Make homemade cookies

9.    Take sketching e-course

10.  Watch less TV

11.  Join Pinterest

12.  Leave happy notes for strangers

13.  Play in the dirt

14.  Pay off my credit cards

15.  Make smores

16.  List 100 items on Etsy

17.  Have art night with friends

18.  Update website

19.  Visit new junk store

20.  Paint a piece of furniture

21.  Make paper snowflakes

22.  Squish my toes in the sand

23.  Make new art each month

24.  Sew a pillow

25.  Try something new (again)

26.  Befriend twitter

27.  Do something unpredictable

28.  Make art for the bedroom

29.  Wrap gift in homemade gift wrap

30.  Make guacamole

31.  Throw a party

32.  Commit a random act of kindness

33.  Submit work to art magazine

34.  Decorate a birdhouse

35.  Paint stairs

36.  Order Moo cards

37.  Take photography class

So here’s where I stand on the list as my 37^th year comes to a close; 22 items marked off my list. Some of them, although completed, will be carried over next year- such as ‘perform a random act of kindness’ & ‘try something new’. As a creature of habit, this list even inspired me to ‘do something unexpected’, like putting on superhero underpants over my nice Christmas outfit & prancing around a house. It wasn’t even my house. Let’s not discuss the fact that I was only able to finally do something unexpected when it was written on a list first. Yes, I get the irony.

Some of the things that fell by the wayside this year will make next year’s list as well… how I went an entire year without making smores is really beyond me. I’m also determined to get 100 things listed on Etsy. Third try is a charm, right? And paying off my credit cards… I have 2 cards & one is almost paid off. I don’t use them & really haven’t in a loooong time, but because I spent a couple of years running them up, it’s probably going to take a couple of years to pay them off. That’s ok, at least the balance is headed in the right direction. Leaving happy notes for strangers will also be fun.

All in all, it’s nice to look back at the list & enjoy the feeling of accomplishment & how happy some of these things made me or other people. I’m looking forward to making my ’38 things’ list for the next year. Please check back next Wednesday to see what I come up with.