"So Catherine,  you've graduate college- What are you going to do next?" 

I have been asked this question countless times since my matriculation last Saturday. I am now a college graduate with a B.S. in Biology. Yeah, it only took a 7 years but I will unveil the tragic time of transferring later. For now, I'll stick with the present. I have a college degree but nothing to do. You see, I didn't get into grad school. I failed. Not very used to that. But I'm trying to keep a positive outlook on everything like, "It's really really hard to get into the program I applied to" and my biggest cheering chatter:

"I now have a whole year to do whatever I want!"

Okay, granted I can't do whatever I want. Unfortunately I won't be backpacking around Europe or swimming with dolphins or following Coldplay around the U.S. for the next year (as much as I might want to). I will have to get a job and try to pay off my tremendous loans over the next year. But I am looking at the year as a year of opportunity, because I'm going to be positive...yeah.

So, for my first post back in a LONNNGGGG time (seriously, school was trying to kill me), I have decided to compose a list of all of the things that I want to accomplish over the next 12 months. 

1. I want to go to A LOT of baseball games. I've already been to 2 spring training games, but, now that the new season has begun, I feel compelled to make an often mecca to Atlanta to watch my favorite boys of baseball play. My younger brother will be living off and of with us this summer and he is a HUGE Braves fan, so I don't think it will be hard to coax him to a game one Friday or Saturday. Go Braves!

2. I want to become a proficient seamstress. About two years ago, I got this passionate idea to learn how to sew. After my grandmother's death, I inherited her ancient sewing machine. I was assured that it was the prime machine back in the day, but it had many flaws when it got to me- mainly the whole it didn't sew correctly one. But that still didn't stop my eagerness to learn. I tried to sew by hand, and ended up making a few little makeup bags- but I never managed to make any clothes. Last summer, I treated myself to a new sewing machine and tried to unsuccessfully make a skirt and went back to making makeup bags. But now I'm determined to figure out how to make something, like a simple skirt with a bow, because then I could make all of the cute skirts I wanted and I would be happy. Thank goodness for Pinterest and all it's pinning awesomeness and tutorials, hopefully one will lead me the sewing wonder. 

3. I'm going to organize my life. I consider my stuff to be in a state of organized chaos. I know where pretty much everything is and, when my room is clean, everything technically has a place, but the last few stressful months have slowly turned my organized room into a mess. And on top of that, I now have all of this school work that I can't really throw away (because it might be useful in grad school- welcome to Biology) but I don't necessarily want to look at it every day- or until need be. So I'm going to organize and basically redo my room so that it's mine. 

4. I'm going to read more. I have been putting off reading books so long that my "To Read" list in like a mile long! Book after book after book being put off for school. Reading is one of my greatest passions in life. If y'all could see the stacks of books under my bed you would understand- and I don't even have my whole collection. I have so many have read books that are begging for their pages to be flipped and words to be read and I can't wait to dive into their worlds! Especially you "The Hobbit"...I will conquer you. 

5. I think I'm finally going to learn how to play my guitar. I got a guitar for Christmas when I was 15 but never managed to learn how to play it because I have tiny little baby hands. I still have said guitar, though it definitely needs to be re-stringed. Maybe this is the year that I will finally be able to do so, especially now with the great resource of YouTube. Or, if a sexy guitar player wants to come teach me, I'll give you my number. ;)

6. I'm going to write more. And I mean it. That means more blogs (like a few times a week so get ready) about nerdy stuff and makeup and crafts/DIY and stupid times that happen to me and maybe, just maybe, I'll write a hair post and tutorial. Holla. Yeah, that's right, I said "holla". I have also challenged myself to finish my book. Yeah, I'm writing a book- I've actually been working on it for nearly 5 years and am only 13 chapters in. This year should be the break I need to finally put in the effort it deserves to finally be finished. I don't know if anyone will every read my book, I hope at least my friends will, but I'm going to finish it. Who knows, I might put a preview on here. Or not. You'll just have to wait to see. 

I can't wait to see what this next year holds. It wasn't exactly what I wanted to happened, but I'm going to be positive and see it for all of the opportunities it can bring. And, of course, I will be bring you guys along for the ride. To paraphrase the great philosopher Shay Carl, "If live's worth living, it's worth recording". So I'm going to record my life and hope the next year is amazing. 

Peace, love and buttercups, 

Catherine