101 Notes to Self

90. Submit at least 36 written or artistic works for publication: 1 of 36

2008-08-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

My short story, Stall, won honorable mention in the For the Girls 5th Birthday Fiction Competition! Comments on my story are all the way down at the bottom of the page.

I'm so excited. It's the first thing I've submitted in years and the first piece of erotica I've ever submitted anywhere. On top of that, this'll be the first payment I've ever received for my writing.

I won $10 and a one month membership to the For the Girls website. My story is scheduled to appear November 13.

:::happy dance:::

90. Submit at least nine written or artistic works for publication (2/9)

2008-08-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

I submitted my second written work to the Ligonier Valley Writers' 2008 Flash Fiction Contest. The theme was zombie stories and my piece is called L'académie des Petits Morts.

It just occurred to me that I previously committed to 12 submissions for the year of 2008. It now seems silly to have two separate goals so I'm revising my 90th note to self. I believe that I can manage one submission per month, so I'm going out on a limb and changing my goal thusly:

90. Submit at least 36 written or artistic works for publication (2/36)

:::gulp:::

40. For every item I complete, stash at least $5.00 away for something special for myself

2008-08-20T17:42:00.001-07:00

I'm up to $50.00, so far!

w00t!

81. Create an Etsy store

2008-08-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

I got this one completed sooner than I had planned. I now have my own Etsy store called Conjure Crafts. I started making things to list for sale and showed pictures of one of them (called Libro de los Muertos and shown here)

Libro de los Muertos
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

in another one of my blogs. Turns out, someone who reads my blog really liked it and asked to buy it. Long story short, I asked if she could buy it through my Etsy store so I could benefit from the sale on Etsy and she agreed. I threw up the store real fast yesterday and the deal was done within hours.

Fantastic! Everyone's happy.

So, my Etsy store is up, but I haven't yet finished the seven items to stock it with (see note to self # 82). I also still need to work on the store, tweaking the look of it and setting up my policies. But still ... #81 is done. Yay!

90. Submit at least nine written or artistic works for publication (1/9)

2008-08-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last night, I submitted a short piece of erotica to the For the Girls 5th Birthday Fiction Competition. The contest theme was "transgression," and my piece was titled, Stall.

Wish me luck!

36. Go to at least seven concerts or plays (1/7)

2008-07-22T07:38:00.001-07:00

Journey Ticket
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

A friend took me to see Journey, Heart, and Cheap Trick a couple weeks ago. Though it wasn't a concert that I would have chosen, she needed a chaperone and I ended up recognizing most of the songs and really enjoying myself.

Rock on!

28. Clean out 101 items from my home and donate or sell them (1/101)

2008-07-21T12:51:00.001-07:00

Purple Pixie Top
Originally uploaded by Marni Molina

I've been considering where to start with the task of culling the herd of stuff in my home and I finally settled on the closet.

This used to be one of my favorite tops and I haven't been able to fit into it in years. I've held onto it this whole time thinking that it would motivate me to lose weight but all I've really been doing is torturing myself with it. It was the perfect item to kick-off my 28th note to self.

I spent this past weekend in Denver, CO at a spiritual retreat. Each time the group I am studying with gathers, we hold a raffle of donated items to raise funds for those participating in the group that may need financial assistance. So, I donated my beloved purple pixie top to the raffle with the hope that it would find the perfect new owner.

More importantly, along with the top I let go of my tendency to self-flagellate over allowing myself to gain more weight than I am comfortable carrying. I'm now choosing to transform that energy and use it to get healthy, instead.

The woman that hosted me while I was in Denver was an extremely gracious and nurturing hostess with a fabulous sense of style that echoed my own. In fact, we had wardrobe synergy the entire weekend, individually dressing ourselves in very similar clothing. Over the course of the long weekend, we each ended up wearing black and red corset tops, clothing adorned with skulls, and black pinstripe capris. Each day we were delighted at the coincidences.

When it came time to draw the winning ticket in the raffle, she won my top and I was delighted. Now I really do feel as though the top will have a new life with someone who will love and appreciate it as much as I once did. I also feel wonderful having been able to contribute, in a small way, to raising funds for my fellow students. Lastly, I'm relieved to have let go of the idea that I will ever be that small again. I may never again be a size 6, but I'm dead sexy, dammit. And I am reclaiming my body and recreating healthy relationships with it and with the food I eat.

I feel great.

I have been dreading this goal but I now believe cleaning out 101 items from my home and either donating or selling them will be a liberating and empowering experience.

99. Compile a BOSish collection ...

2008-07-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

... of liturgy and information customized to my current spiritual practice

I started this one the other day. I have a feeling it's going to take a lot of work so I'm going to try to throw a good chunk of time at it whenever possible. When I'm "finished" (though I might never finish this sort of project since my spiritual practices seem to be constantly evolving) I'm thinking of self-publishing it as a family heirloom.

5. Get down to a size 16

2008-07-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

My goal date is looming (July 18) and I'm not sure I'm going to make it. Though I've lost about 15 pounds since setting this goal on May 6, I'm feeling thoroughly disappointed with myself about the possibility of not actually getting into a size 16 when my goal date arrives.

I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm going to sit with it today and see what comes up. But right now, I'm feeling pretty down.

15. Eat only raw foods for a week.

2008-05-26T12:43:00.001-07:00

Done! And it wasn't nearly as difficult as I imagined it would be. I even got The Husband to do it with me. You can read all about my adventures in raw eating in my vegan blog. I posted recipes for just about everything I ate including...

Plus other pics of some of the raw whole foods I ate and an end-of-week wrap up with a review of the book I used for most of the recipes I used.

I enjoyed it so much, I'm going planning in incorporate more raw foods in my diet from now on.

5. Get down to a size 16

2008-05-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling really ... ample ... lately.

I swear, I must be one of the only fat vegans on the planet. Seriously now, when you conjure the image of a vegan in your mind, don't you think of someone fit and trim? Moby. Gillian Anderson. Joaquin Phoenix. Jennifer Connelly. Tobey Maguire. Emily Deschanel (the chic from Bones). These are the bodies that come to mind when pondering what a typical vegan looks like because these people are vegan.

Then there's size 18-wearing me. I'm starting to get the feeling people don't believe me when I tell them I'm vegan. I'm sick of feeling large and so totally not in charge. Granted, I'm insulin resistant with PCO, which makes it extremely difficult for me to lose weight. But it's not impossible. For me it's all about eating smart and exercising regularly. I have to do both. I'm grabbing the reigns and slowing this ride down.

I'm officially setting a date to reach this goal:

I will be a size 16 by July 18 (my next trip to Denver).

That is all.

41. Do something to surprise my husband at least once a month

2008-05-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

My surprise for my husband for April was a special meal. When he and I honeymooned in Hawaii, we fell in love with a dish there called Loco Moco. Since we've gone vegan, he and I both thought we'd never eat Loco Moco again, but I surprised him by figuring out a way to veganize it. Read all about how I did it and see pictures of the final results in the post entitled Vegan Loco Moco over at my vegan blog.

So ... 41. Do something to surprise my husband at least once a month (1/33)

97. Set up my Fey Altar

2008-05-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

I cleared out the space for my Fey Altar and began pulling it together today. I decided to place it in the bay window in my kitchen. I like this spot for it because it seems like a "between the worlds" type place in my home. It's not really inside (because it juts out over my herb garden) and it's not really outside (because it's still part of the kitchen). Also, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and I want to use the altar as a vehicle to build and foster and fruitful relationship with the Fey. What better way to do that than to place it somewhere I'll look at it a lot?

It's very basic right now, but after thinking about it quite a bit, I think I have a solid idea of where I'm going with it. I hope to create a portal, of sorts, around the frame of the bay window. I plan to do this using my interpretation of the symbolism associated with the points of the Feri Star (7-pointed star). It's difficult to explain, so I'll just have to show what I mean through photographs as I get it set up. Suffice it to say I'm starting with the top point: The Sun.

My selection of items for this altar were greatly influenced by the events of the day I began setting it up. Sadly, Cora Anderson passed the morning I chose to activate the altar and I was strongly moved to place her photograph, along with that of her beloved Victor, together as the centerpiece. It is appropriate, I think, since it is through their teachings that I am even communing with the Fey in this way. Eventually, however, I know their photographs will migrate to my ancestor altar, as they truly are my spiritual ancestors.

Other items on the altar in it's current incarnation include a sparkly blue kaleidoscope (it just seemed Fey-ish), the gold doilie I used during Cora's 93rd birthday celebration, two plants, a skull, a rose, a wooden mushroom, and the pieces that will eventually be assembled to create the first point in my Feri Star portal.

40. For every item I complete, stash at least $5.00 away for something special for myself

2008-04-22T09:56:00.001-07:00

I set up a jar to stash my money in this morning. I paid myself for finishing #91 and #1. Though I only committed to pay myself $5.00 for each completed item (specifically, it was "at least $5.00), I only had a $20.00 bill in my wallet, so that's what I threw in the jar.

Perhaps I'll use my earnings toward #10.

The jar, which is a repurposed marinara sauce jar, is painfully unadorned. I must remedy that at some point.

1. Finish this list

2008-04-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

I finished my list today and now have 101 notes to self.

91. Become a member of the Tarot Mafia - aka The Divinatory Underground

2008-04-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

I completed my first list item today!

I fulfilled my first act of divinatory distribution and I am now a card-carrying member (:::snicker:::) of the Tarot Mafia.

This is so much fun!

The List

2008-04-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

PERSONAL

Finish this list (101/101)
Go to dinner and a movie alone
Participate in at least one Gimme Your Stuff swap
Go to at least six yoga classes - preferably at two or three different places (0/6)
Get down to a size 16
Get down to a size 14
Get down to a size 12 and reevaluate goals – decide whether to continue onto a size 10 or maintain
Rock my peacock belt buckle
Wear and possibly alter my prom dress (size 10)
Buy an outfit for myself from Stop Staring! or Pinup Girl Clothing! or both
Dress as Rosie the Riveter for Halloween – “We can do it!”
Dress as a naughty version of Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween … and work it
Try Thai food
Try Jamaican food
Eat only raw foods for one week
Spend a day at a spa with my Spa Finder gift certificate
Use my Bewell's gift certificate
Get something pierced - Vertical Labret?
Get or start half-sleeve tattoo
Take a picture of myself in Brad Pitt’s robe
Have my nose fixed ... again
Get my chipped tooth fixed
Whiten my teeth
Get a full physical
Go for at least two well woman check-ups (0/2)
Spend a day or an evening out dressed as a man
Dance like nobody is watching … when people are watching
Clean out 101 items from my home and donate or sell them (0/101)
Transfer to UCSD
Either relearn how to roller skate or sell my skates
Go on a word fast (take a vow of silence) for a yet to be determined amount of time
Go on a TV fast for a yet to be determined amount of time
Hike Mount Woodson
Take surf lessons with Surf Diva Surf School
Send a post card to PostSecret
Go to at least seven concerts or plays (o/7)
Read seven banned or challenged books (0/7)
Watch 13 of Entertainment Weekly's Top 50 Cult Movies - ones I haven't seen yet (0/13)
Plan a 101 Things Done culmination party or write a letter to self to read December 31, 2010
For every item I complete, stash at least $5.00 away for something special for myself

FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Do something to surprise my husband at least once a month (0/33)
Take my son to Disneyland
See my grandmother at least once a month (o/33)
Hang framed photos of my friends and family – make sure everyone’s represented
Host a tea party with a fun theme - like a Mad Hatter party
Host a dinner party with a fun theme - like breakfast for dinner
Host a slumber party with a fun theme - like a David Lynch-a-thon
Get friends’ and family’s birthdays organized and start acknowledging them

PAY IT FORWARD
Donate blood at least six times (0/6)
Volunteer for a cleanup with I Love A Clean San Diego
Finish my mom’s “grandma” scrapbook and give it to her
Adopt a shelter animal
Join a CSA
Leave a 100% tip for excellent service
Anonymously pay for a stranger’s meal or coffee at least three times (0/3)
Work on a Habitat for Humanity house
Protest something in public – hold a sign, march, etc.
Support something in public – hold a sign, march, etc.
Start composting
Build a sun oven
Get my husband to start taking five minute showers - his showers are so looong
Write and send thank you notes whenever I feel grateful
For every item on this list I don’t complete, donate $25.00 to xxxxxxx charity

CREATIVE
Finish Sondra’s belly mask and cross stitch and return them to her
Finish Robbi’s altar
Cut the borders off one of my Crowley Thoth Tarot decks
Alter at least nine articles of my own clothing - t-shirt surgery, embroidery, fabric paint, etc. (0/9)
Photojojo Project 365: How to Take a Photo a Day and See Your Life in a Whole New Way
Take a knitting class
Knit a sweater for myself
Learn to knit with double-pointed and circular needles
Refinish my dresser
Decoupage my bay window
Redo my kitchen in a Tarot theme
Take singing lessons
Play the piano at least once a week
Learn to play the Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah on the piano
Finish learning to play Moonlight Sonata on the piano
Write at least one song and share it with people
Make and hang a “No Soliciting” sign outside my front door
Create an Etsy store
Create and list for sale at least seven items to initially sell in the store
Create a Lulu or Blurb store
Finish my cookbook and sell it in my Lulu or Blurb store
Self-publish a themed photography book
Go to three museums or art shows that I’ve never been to (0/3)
Transform my studio into an organized, comfortable space to be in - clean it out and clean it up
Make at least three pieces of art for my home (0/3)
Write at least three poems and share them with people (0/3)
Submit at least nine written or artistic works for publication (0/9)

SPIRITUAL
Become a member of the Tarot Mafia - aka The Divinatory Underground
Finish creating and teach a tarot class or series
Create a divination deck
Work through tarot certifications - 1) Tarot Apprentice, 2) Tarot Reader, 3) Professional Tarot Reader, 4) Tarot Consultant, 5) Tarot Master, 6) Tarot Instructor, 7) Tarot Grand Master (0/7)
Complete the 2-Year Feri Training course with Thorn Coyle
Write love letters to each of the gods of Feri (0/8)
Finish my Fey altar by May Day 2008
Finish my Ancestor altar(s) by All Hallows Eve 2008
Compile a BOSish collection of liturgy and information customized to my current spiritual practice
Attend Bay Area Tarot Symposium - aka BATS
Attend Feri Camp

NOTES:

Using this blog, I plan to document each item as I complete them - hopefully with a photo.
I reserve the right to change any of my goals if I decide they don't suit me anymore provided I replace them with something else.

Intro Post

2008-04-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

I love lists. Shopping lists, ingredient lists, top ten lists, wish lists, to do lists, supply lists ... they all send a shiver up my list-lovin' spine. Especially if they are the sort of lists with items that beg to be checked off or crossed out. :::shiver::: Oh yeah ... that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Several of my friends are participating in this crazy 101 Things to do in 1001 Days Project and I have finally acquiesced. The allure of making and committing to such a mega list has proven too powerful to resist. I'm on board. It's on. My list is still forming, but my 1001 days starts today. My deadline?

December 31, 2010