014/365: Inverted Crucifix

I'm cheating today. I'm actually posting two pictures. The picture above is my Project 365 picture for the day (that I took). The picture below is just to show you what I was doing in the above picture (except I had my hands down to hold the camera and take the picture! My friend, Kelly, took this picture for me.). This move is called the Inverted Crucifix... and yes that is a pole I'm leaning against... and yes I am upside down... and yes! No hands!!!

I take pole classes at a dance studio in South Philly called Poise (you should all come and check it out!!). I've been bad though. I haven't gone in about a month and boy did I feel it tonight. Stupid holidays messed up my diet and my workout schedule!

It was actually my dad's idea that I try pole dancing. He saw it on Oprah and thought I would enjoy the challenge of it. (I'm super competitive!) I've now been a Poise Girl for 16 months and I would say it has changed my life! Not only am I in great shape, but I now possess a confidence that I never thought I would attain. I love my pole class and the friends I've made because of it! Be prepared to see many more pole pics over the course of this year...

P.S. Thanks ladies for helping me find the perfect pole picture for today! I appreciated all of the ideas!

013/365: Anime Club

When I was in high school I was obsessed with Sailor Moon! I wanted to be her: fight bad guys... have cosmic powers... date Tuxedo Mask!!

Sailor Moon is pretty much all I know about anime. Imagine my surprise to find out that I have not just one, but TWO Anime Clubs that I'm in charge of at the library! I have one for teens and one for adults. I usually dread the days this club meets. It's not that I don't enjoy the anime. I'm just not in my milieu (and oh boy is it obvious!).

Lucky for me, my boyfriend watches A LOT of anime. He's helping me expand my horizons and my anime "street cred". Today was the first meeting we had where I actually felt like I could almost/sort of/maybe hang. It was a nice feeling!! I could take part in some of the conversations and actually sound informed.

This is a picture of the screener we watched at the meeting. Thanks Dave for the recommendation!

012/365: "Naked Ladies"

I was working at my part time job on Saturday when a grandmom asked me if her grandson could use our bathroom. As we walked into the back, the little boy saw a row of mannequins and yelled out, "naked ladies"!

Two days later and that row of mannequins was still there. I couldn't help myself... I had to take a picture of that boy's "naked ladies"!

011/365: $35 Movie Night

Today the Eagles played the Vikings in the playoffs. I did watch the first three quarters... but then I stepped away from the tv to go on a "jaunt" with Dave. We went to the movies to see The Spirit.

$20 for tickets!!!!!!

$15 for two pretzel bites and a large diet coke!!!!!

Holy Rip-Off, Batman!

I still had fun though! The pretzel bites were yummy, the movie was entertaining, and the company was (of course) fantabulous!

P.S. The Eagles WON!!!!!!!

010/365: Resolutions

I usually make random resolutions: learn to do a split... read 100 books over the course of a year... master the Heelys...

This year I decided to be a little bit more grown up with my resolutions.

I messed up my credit pretty bad about a year and a half ago. It wasn't all my fault, but I feel that I need to take responsibility for at least some of my problems. I've done a great job over the past 10 months of getting my credit back together... but now I need to be a little more proactive and start budgeting and saving. (My mother, the accountant, can't understand why those two words scare me so much!) I started a weekly direct deposit from my checking account to my ING account so that I can build up a "Rainy Day Fund" for those unforeseen incidents that love to cross my path.

I also had some help (thank you Michelle and Deb!) putting together a budget to help me keep better track of my money and what I do with it. I took this picture after I updated my checking account register this morning... this is a BIG step for me!! From here, I enter everything into my handy dandy 2009 Budget Excel Spread Sheet! (I feel so grown up today, it's crazy!)

Wish me luck with this. I'm so going to need it...

009/365: Home Sweet Home

Stitches was very excited to be home after spending the last 2 nights at Dave's condo! We had a great New Year's Eve and Day (hanging with my friends on the Eve and being nice and lazy on the Day!)... but it's always nice to come back home.

After jumping on my dad for several minutes, Stitches went to her box of toys and immediately took out her Kong. Here she is, chilling out on her couch, playing with her favorite toy. She is home sweet home... and boy is it sweet!

008/365: 12:01 A.M.

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1... Happy New Year!!!!! (Now lets make out!!)

Goodbye 2008. Hello 2009! Tonight, Dave and I spent our New Year's Eve at my friends' Kat and Pat's house! We drank some Woodchuck, played Rock Band, and had a great time with my awesome friends!

Looking back, 2008 was a good year for me. There were some rough spots here and there (i.e. the "stolen identity" incident)... but all-in-all, it was very good. I lost a lil weight (close to 25 lbs), got a promotion, made new friends, and tried some cool new things...

I loved my 2008. And now I'm really looking forward to an even more amazing 2009!!