#2 Learn the guitar & #8 Write a song

So I finally bought a Guitar!

Ok, granted its not a very good guitar, and it was kinda a compulsive buy. I was wandering the isles of the local Deseret Industries {DI}, which is one of my most favorite past times!

I love finding finds,

and I am pretty darn good at it!

When suddenly I spotted it!

...............{ I must have}..................

.

So I took my little beauty home, not knowing anything about the brand

{which i might be a little embarrassed about, cause it's actually kinda crappy}

But o'well, its something to practice on.

I mean, when I/If I ever get good, then I will upgrade....right!!!???

.

So, back on track- I took my little beauty home and started playing right away. I have not played/practiced since I moved to Utah a few months ago. I was practicing on my roommates guitar while in AZ

{She was so kind to let me borrow it}

.

I have missed playing ever since.

So needless to say, I now have a guitar to practice on. And I am very excited about it!

{minus that dreaded F chord!!!} ha ha.

.

{My poor little fingers whilst learning}

{I have to say, its definitely a strange sensation building up those calluses}

I am also currently in the process of writing a song.....however, Its been a bit frustrating!

I don't actually know where to start.
I have all the LYRICS running around in my head and on paper, but I cant quite seem to gather them, nor turn them into anything.
So any of you musicians out there, if you have any advice on song writing.....sent it my way

Please!? and thank you!

XOXO- Nikki

#10 Save Money in savings

{Ha! Lets be honest, you know you have ALL dreamed of this!!}

So after a month of searching, I finally found a job!!! Granted, its only part time, but hey, its a job! I work at Boart Longyear, which is a global drilling company. The Corporate headquarters is located in Salt Lake. I work as Admin in the Environmental, Health and Safety department {EHS}. Something of which a know very little about. But I am learning very quickly.

I have been working for 2 1/2 weeks now and received my first paycheck this last weekend {I huge sigh of relief!} And I did something that I regretfully admit to never doing before…. I set up my direct deposit to put a % of my check directly into savings! And I felt pretty darn good about it. Now, I’m not going to be able to “make it rain” or "swim in it," but hey, it’s a start!

Firsts are always fun!

I bought a SCRAPER!!!!!

Which is pretty monumental considering this is the 1st time in all of my existence of being Nikki that i have ever bought one!

And this is why...........

{beautiful snowy day in Utah}

{I loved it!}

{I am such an Arizonian!}

#15 Move (somewhere)

{On my way}

{My NEW home}

{my NEW 'temporary' room}


{my NEW family}
{the Solts}

So I did it! I MOVED!!!!....to Utah! { Very Cliché, I know, But I am here, none-the-less} You may not know this about me but I actually have a GUGE {pronounced "juge," meaning gigantically huge} fear of change......and moving!! In fact, as a going away present, my mom gave me a book called "Who Moved My Cheese?" by Spencer Johnson. Its a #1 bestseller about an A-Mazing way to deal with change in your work and your life. I guess she knew I needed it. And I did!! Because part of the book says "If you do not change, you can become extinct." And I agree. I also agree with the saying, "If you keep doing the same thing, you will keep getting the same results." So, I am looking my fear of change face-to-face. And although I really like Utah so far, and I think its AMAZINGLY beautiful, I would be lying if i said I wasn't a little home sick already.....

{next task.....find a job}

Dedicated to the Most Beautiful Woman!

{KIND.LOVING.SWEET.CARING.GIVING.GENTLE.INTELEGENT.BEAUTIFUL}

{She made me who i am today}

I LoVE you MoM!

{probably my favorite picture of us}

{ Summers at the lake in MN}




{i cried when she cut my hair into a BOWLCUT!!!! Cruel!}

So its 2010!! And January marked my 29th birthday! AUGHH right!?! Well, at least that is how I feel inside. Just a frazzled mess! So instead of freaking out, I decided I would do something productive; 30 things I want to do before I am 30.

I mean, I have made lists, lists of goals of course. But when I look back on those lists, I realize that I had only accomplished a fraction of them. But this time however, it’s out there, out in the cyber world. A public evidence of my commitment, if you will. Hopefully now, I will hold myself more accountable to actually finish them this time. Ha.

So here it is! 30 things I want to do before I am 30!!

#1 Start a blog (just did….check! And that makes me very happy)
#2 Learn to play the guitar
#3 Drive across the country (who's in?)
#4 Invent/patent something (It can happen people!! One word....Snuggie (gag))
#5 Try 15 different ethnic cuisines (Such as finding some very authentic mom and pop shops)
#6 Write an appreciation card to all the people in my life that matter to me (if you really know me, you know that I just do-not do cards)
#7 Buy a new car!!! (One with a warranty please!? Thank you!)

#8 Write a song
#9 Buy a Macbook! (Want, need, Covet!)
#10 Save Money in savings (Lets say…..2 grand…..is that not very much? Cause I feel like it’s a ton)
#11 Build something (Something wooden? a dresser? A chair maybe?)
#12 Take 4 new art classes that I have never taken before (Right now what interests me is Glass Blowing, Life sculpture, Low fire ceramics, and cake decorating….?)
#13 Ride in a hot air balloon
#14 Do 5 or more pull-ups
#15 Move (somewhere)
#16 Take Hot Yoga (I am finally opening my mind to yoga. Kinda excited)
#17 Become an Art teacher
#18 Throw a ceramic piece taller then me (it can be done, and it SHALL be done)
#19 Organize a charity event
#20 Land a jump snowboarding
#21 Host a boutique
#22 Paint 5 paintings
#23 Etsy business- Goal of $10,000 (I guess I betta get crackin-a-lackin!)(www.expressorize.etsy.com)

#24 Get my passport
#25 Milk a Cow… (odd one, I know, but I have just always wanted to. mmmk)
#26 Bungee Jump (Ok, I will be honest, I don’t really want to do this one, but for some reason I feel like I just need to)
#27 Volunteer somewhere once a week
#28 Write a book (Does a 5 page book count? I say, absolutely!)
#29 Learn how to break dance (I’ve got a couple of moves already! Believe it!)
#30 Join a hip hop crew (Just for kicks and giggles- and to prove that i still got it! ha ha)

So there it is.........follow me as I tackle these. I will keep it updated with the latest attempts and accomplishments. And maybe perhaps i may throw in a few things that encompass my mind on a daily basis. It shall be interesting!