Friday, January 27, 2012

Simplify!

Because it's January and a glorious new year (or the last new year), simplifying and organizing are once again major buzz words.

With our impending move, I've been contemplating what to purge and where it should go for awhile now. I've made a list of the little things (files to purge; drawers to sort) and the big things (closets to clean out; the pantry to purge).


As much as I like lists (and I LOVE them), it can be overwhelming when looking at everything to do. The one way I'm able to stay motivated is to keep my eyes on the prize and remember my goal. Also, seeing items checked off is helpful (unless I have more to do than done).

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Book vs The Movie: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo


Book Written by Stieg Larsson
Adapted to Film by Steven Zaillian
Directed by David Fincher

I first read and fell in love with this book about a year ago, and like many other people, I was excited about the movie.

I watched the first half of the Swedish version, which was good but very graphic. I walked into the movie theater hoping Fincher had tamed this version down due to American prudishness and what have you.

I was wrong. There were a couple of very gritty, very real scenes. These aren't a surprise to those who have read the book, but seeing it on screen as opposed to seeing it in my mind made it very real.


As usual, there were some differences between the book and the movie. The screenwriter explained some of these changes in an interview. I actually liked the changes, and I'm curious to see how they impact the subsequent movies.  

It's hard to compare the two because a comparison means one is inevitably better than the other. That's not the case for me with these two. They're both great stories. The story in the movie was more streamlined, and, well, the movie had Daniel Craig.

Daniel Craig: What more is there?


I love reading, so I believe reading the book was completely worth it. However, the story drags at the beginning of the book, and the writing isn't very good. It seems like it would be hard to argue with someone about why the book is so worth it when there's a good movie to watch.

So, I would say these both stack up well against each other. I loved the book, and I loved the movie. And they're both worth it.



Friday, January 13, 2012

What's Coming up for the Blog

After writing about my resolutions, I realized I should discuss some blog goals. I've been thinking about the blog as I've slacked and read other blogs for research.

I realized that as much as I like organizing, I don't want to beat the topic to death. There are many more things I love, and I'd like to be able to explore them here. I'd like to share my thoughts on books, movies, home decor and other things I find fascinating. From time to time, I read articles that so catch my attention, and I'd love to share them here if for nothing more than posterity.

So, in short, I'm going to have some fun, non-organizing posts about life and stuff in the future.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

A New Year and New Resolutions

I'm a sap for resolutions. I know plenty of people think they're cheesy, but I want to improve myself, OK?

Anyway, this year I've written some specific resolutions and some open ended ones. My plan is to take the open ended ones month by month.

I've written out a specific reading challenge to broaden my horizons and read some books I've been meaning to read for awhile. Without further ado, my 2012 reading challenge:
  • Read at least 30 books.
  • Read a new or unfamiliar genre each month.
  • Read the books I've been meaning to get around to:
    • The Hunger Games 
    • Alice I Have Been
    • I Never Promised you a Rose Garden
    • Peace Like a River
    • The Last Lecture
    • The Creative Habit
In more generic resolution news, I'm going to lose weight! I have about ten pounds to lose to be at my pre-pregnancy weight, which was a comfortable weight for me. I'm going to lose it by Claire's second birthday on April 8th. This shouldn't be hard at all...

Moving along...I really don't have anything else specific. I'm just going to write my little goals for each month that are probably related to organizing, cleaning, crafting, finishing a project.

Do you write resolutions? Do you have any interesting ones?

Monday, January 9, 2012

To Do List Hell

Because life is crazy and stressful, I can easily get overwhelmed by my to do list. I struggle with writing too much down or not enough. It seems when my list is detailed, I chastise myself for not getting certain things done. But other times I find myself with nothing to do because I don't have a to do list.

In 2012, I hope to become the master of my to do list.

Do you have any tips for mastering the to do list?