Noodles, noodles, and more noodles

I love noodles. I love Asian noodles, European noodles, American noodles, and I'm sure I'd love Antarctic noodles if there ever were any to be found. These past few weeks (well, months really) have been a bit overwhelming, but to make it more enjoyable, I've been indulging in some homemade pasta.

I'm sure there are pasta connoisseurs who can point out instances where dried pasta is better. But in my mind, there is nothing more comforting than noodles that you make and roll out yourself. They taste fresher, they absorb flavors better, and they come the way you like them most. Minus all the work that they require I suppose.

But I urge you, if you've never had homemade noodles, try it just once. There's something so satisfying about eating pasta you made from scratch that anything you buy won't be quite the same. Of course, unless you go somewhere that makes the noodles themselves with the same diligence and care that you would yourself. But in the suburbs where I live, those have long since been replaced with faster, better, stronger.

A Personal Challenge

Earlier this year (because we've obviously gotten so far into the year!) I made myself a promise: I would only acquire 10-15 items of apparel/accessories a season. That meant buying 40-60 items a year. Which is actually a lot for some people. It was pretty much nothing for me seeing as I was often buying 10-15 pieces a month. These items didn't include things like socks, underwear, tank tops; basically things I need to wear my clothes.

Well, three months in and I'm jumping off that bandwagon. But wait! Not because I'm buying more. I've decided that for the next year, I will not be buying clothes at all. If it can be sewn, it will not be bought. Outside things like socks, underwear, tank tops, and basic tees of course. And I'm still making my 10-15 items list, but it's more for prioritizing my sewing projects!

I'm super excited about this challenge actually. I love the idea of making my own clothes. People who know me know that I have some major clothing challenges:

1. I am super petite so nothing fits right off the rack
2. I LOVE expensive clothes but not their price tags
3. I'm a huge fit fiend and love tailored looks but can never find anything because of item 1
4. I always have very specific ideas in my mind of what I want; ideas that don't seem to coincide with the rest of the world's tastes

So now I will have complete creative freedom! No more, I love that but it doesn't come in my size. Or, I love that but I wish it was a different color. Or, I would love that if it had a different neckline. The possibilities are endless now! Let's just hope I don't take on too much :)

First Day Back

First official day back on my feet after having my teeth pulled. Not 100% but way better than the past week where I was bed-ridden. Not that I didn't enjoy it. But today, I got dressed, I left the house and did some shopping. Had tea, made kimchi. I will say, it's nice to be back.

The Holidays

Goodbye 2011... Welcome 2012!

Okay, okay, I'm a little bit late jumping the bandwagon so to say. But I have a very valid excuse! I've been too confused to think the past few weeks days, between eating too much, drinking too much, and then getting my wisdom teeth pulled (the anesthesia is fun... Definitely makes thinking hard though). But I wanted to sort of wrap-up with some thoughts on 2011 and some thoughts for 2012.

In 2011 I...

• Bought and moved into my own house
  Huge change for me... It's definitely been rough. I hate cleaning, I hate cooking, I don't really care to take care of myself. But I'm learning to cope with it. The toughest part has probably been that pesky monthly mortgage payment... Gah!
• Spent way too much money every month on clothes
  I tend to be a person who stress spends. Not a good thing but an inevitable truth. It's something I need to work on.
• Spent way too much time every month shopping
  See above. I'm a compulsive shopper. I don't think it used to be this bad but since I've been under a lot of stress from work and school, it's gotten worse. I've trying to replace this hobby with something more productive.
• Celebrated one year with my beloved puppy
  She is without a doubt, the light of my life.
• Brought two new kittens into our lives
  I may not always appreciate them (I'm a dog person at heart) but something about those dirty chins and the way they love to watch dust float in the air won me over to tolerating cats.
• Began my graduate student career!
  Back to school means homework. It was fun at first, but then it became a chore again.

In 2012 I want to...

• Improve my sewing skills
  Remember how I'm trying to channel my shopping energies elsewhere? Hopefully I'll sew instead of buying stuff! Or maybe do both. Baby steps, baby steps.
• Spend less time/money shopping
  I think this is kind of obvious.
• Organize my house
  My house can be a complete mess. I need to find homes for everything so things don't sit around on our floors homeless!
• Waste less time on the internet
  I spend a lot of time sitting on the internet checking blogs for the 100th time (No, no one's posted in the last 30 seconds!). I want to spend more time and energy towards things that matter.

I think that wraps it up :)