#15 Draft Chocolates Website up and running

I was planning to do all the design and code and stuff originally but then I realized that was just too much work! Then I saw an add for Square Space and it looked really nice so I went ahead and got started! I'll be adding online shopping after I get all my business stuff in order. I'm pretty excited!

Check it out! Draft Chocolates

#39 Whole30

I started the Whole30 on Tuesday, Sept 3rd. So far it's been fine but I think I was dreaming of bread this morning. I have been getting lunches at Pita Pit, a salad with warm meat on it is sooo yummy. I've dropped some weight but I really think it's from my weekend long chocolate making extravaganza, I wasn't eating that much, more like snacking on whatever would keep me going... cheese, crackers and deli meat. I did go out to eat in search of something savory at Side Door Cafe, which I generally love, but the dish I ordered had way too much stuff going on and was overall quite sweet.

So far I haven't really cheated except the mashed potatoes I had at dinner on Wednesday weren't paleo, but everything else. The advice I got from my sister-in-law who recently did her own cleanse through a different program, said something along the lines of, "When you are doing a cleanse for a set period of time, remind yourself that we live in a world of abundance. The things you want to have for a "cheat" will be there when you are done." So far that has been helping when I'm thinking about all the sinfully sugary and gluten-y things I want to make in October!

I haven't really made any Paleo meals yet, just cooked kale chips and chicken and I've been eating out for lunch.

I did The Color Run 5K in Portland this morning which was kinda fun, but I didn't train like at all for it, and now I'm sore! I would like to cook some stuff tonight so I'm gonna go see about that!

#7 Spend a weekend at the beach house alone

Although, I wasn't truley alone. I spent the long weekend at the beach house making chocolates! It was exhausting but fun. I learned a lot, have a growing list of how to do things differently. I think I will do another trip solo in the winter because it wasn't really a relaxing trip, though I did watch several movies while making many chocolates and candies!

#55 edit

I really want to do a Kickstarter. The idea has been bouncing around in my head for about a year. I feel like I need a bit more experience making and shipping chocolates as well as a few more batches to take excellent photos of (side note: find dSLR and charge batteries!) Next weekend I will be doing a local batch of chocolates... 17 orders! I had 3 people order double orders, and those are people I don't even know, coworkers of my brother! I'm excited to see how it goes making about 50% more chocolates this time. It'll be my first time making chocolates in the new place.

Yesterday I ordered the stickers, postcards and business cards for my chocolates. I want to give out postcards to get feedback on the chocolates, stickers are for labeling (which reminds me, I want a brown pen that matches my dark brown logo, for writing the flavor on each). I got a Groupon a while back $17 for $70 worth of merchandise which I used all of and then a little extra. I will be sure to post pictures of my chocolately endeavors, as part of my #55 Kickstarter prep bucket list item!

Off to figure out what flavors I'm going to make next weekend and asses my ingredient situation! Oh, and play with my super awesome puppy.

#1 Attend a UU service in Salem

With the invitation from a new friend we went to the service this morning. It was nice to go, and be a part of a service and it made me think more about wanting kids and wanting to take them to church and be a part of a community. I feel like I yearn for community... I had trouble finding it in NYC because it was just such a big city and it seemed like in order to get involved in things I always had to travel. I want community in my back yard. Well the church is only about a 15 minute drive from where I live now, so that's really not that bad.

The service was done by a visiting minister, I believe that is a tradition in the UU church over the summer. I would like to go again when the minister of the church is speaking. I really enjoy sermons and how they give me something to think about. I think I would enjoy getting that on a weekly basis - as well as a place to practice singing, though it will take some time to learn the songs of this new church that are not the same as the church I grew up in.

That's one more thing I can cross off the bucket list for the Year of 30, but like anything, it is leading to more  thoughts/ambitions/etc. for me to do in the future. I've only been 30 for about a week though so I don't want to add anything else to my already long list! We'll just see where my time/journey takes me!

#44 Attend a beerfest in Portland

I just found a full on list of beer fests in Portland so I can begin to figure out which one I'll go to.. there are so many options!

Portlandbeer.org

#17 Voice Lessons

I just returned home from my first voice lesson. It's been suggested a few times from friends who have heard me sing (mainly at church camp) to get voice lessons. I had done it once before with a friend for trade; she gave me a voice lesson and I made dinner, but our lives got in the way of making it a weekly thing.

I found a guy on craigslist with 14 years of experience teaching, high schoolers, in public schools as well as private lessons. My first lesson, and first several lessons, will mostly be vocal exercises. The shape of the mouth, breathing, etc. From doing a few scales he said he could hear that I have/can use my "Head Voice" as well as my "Chest Voice". He also said that (insert probably famous musician's name here) divided the human population into two vocal styles. "Brass" and "Wood" as in brass and wood instruments. And he was excited that my natural range falls into "brass". They tend to have more power in their voice than the "wood" vocals (which I could see, I'm pretty sure my mom has a "wood" voice).

I told him how I've found "my voice" a few times, but don't know how to purposefully achieve it. He asked how old I am and when I told him my birthday was yesterday and this is part of my "Year of 30 Bucketlist", he told me that the vocal chords are one of the last parts of your body to develop fully. And that most opera singers don't hit their prime vocals until their 30s, so I'm starting at the right time!

For now I've agreed to weekly lessons, it's only $20 a week and I can spend that going out to lunch in 2-3 days so I'll just make a swap. Bring food from home for lunch and get a weekly voice lesson!

Now I'm off to play with my puppy, and maybe sing a few scales before Le Boyfriend gets home :)