lizwiz7's Friends

two zero zero nine
This is what I posted this time last year:

Happy 2009, kids. May all of your dreams come true. Hold onto this feeling that you get at the start of the year. Even in grey mid-march, remember the excited little stirring in your belly when you realised the possibilities the new year can bring. Every day you wake up brings those possibilities back again, you just have to get your finger out and make shit happen.

2009 will be the year of MAKING SHIT HAPPEN.

I stick by that. 2010 will be the year of MAKING THINGS AMAZING.

01. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Moved into my own flat by myself, got a job working in fashion, left First Direct, went to Barcelona and Primavera, was a bridesmaid for Sam (although I've been a bridesmaid loooooooads of times before).

02. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My resolutions were:

* Get skinny (as always) lose 2 stones by next Jan (that's reasonable, right?) - DID NOT ACHIEVE, MUST TRY HARDER
* Go to Brighton - Didn't go to Brighton, but did make it to Bristol and Bath. Brighton and Bournmouth will be 2010's cities to visit.
* Move to London (maybe) - still on the cards, although I think more like 2011
* Get a fab new job working in web management for an amazing sexy media company (see above) - DONE! Whoop. I now manage the website for Oli.co.uk
* See friends more - did lots of this with some friends, and less with others. Always high on the agenda.
* Take my mum away somewhere for a weekend and be a better daughter/sister - Didn't go away for a weekend but did spend more time at home which was nice.
* Remember how wonderful people are and don't take them for granted - Constantly working on this one
* Write a novel and send it out to agencies. It can be a thin one! As long as I do it. - Wrote 30,000 words as part of NaNoWriMo, aim to finish it in 2010...
* Get more famous (i.e. on telly for a reason this time). Didn't get on telly but am now a paid fashion blogger!
* Do some volunteer work at Flatlands in Leeds - Flatlands/Phoenix project got closed down but have put my name down to volunteer at St. George's Crypt.
* Gym three times a week (or possibly cancel gym and save gym money) - Cancelled one gym, went to classes at another, have since joined Pure Gym and have been loads over Christmas.
* Booze only allowed on weekends - Didn't really achieve this, will aim harder in 2010.
* Save at least £100 a month - Impossible now I have my own place.
* No buying coffee at work, or lunch for that matter - Did this very well, always took packed lunches in.
* Do a meal plan/bigshop at somewhere cheap instead of buying stupid stuff from Tesco - Did this too!
* No eating after 6pm unless it's fruit or veg - Errrrmm....

I'll make more for this year, namely:

Learn to knit
Learn a language that uses a different alphabet (e.g. Russian or Japanese)
Get fit/thin/healthy
Get a promotion or payrise
Have a set career plan which will involve me making lots of contacts at Oli then applying for London digital fashion jobs at the end of 2010
Excel at my new job, become brilliant and indisposable
Stay non-stressed
Keep a good work/life balance
Man up when Ted's away and do something productive with my time instead of moping
Don't drink wine
Only drink in moderation and only when out
eBay my old clothes and keep wardrobe minimal and capsule-like
Volunteer for homeless/shelter charity work
Review my finances seriously and try and get myself in some sort of order
Always take the stairs, not the lift
Read one non-fiction book per month on a subject I know nothing about to broaden my knowledge of things in general
Start shopping at the market/Lidl/Aldi for food instead of buying Tesco and Sainsburys finest ranges
Have girlie night at least once a month
Make plans to go travelling, to India or South East Asia
Visit London more

03. Did someone close to you give birth?
Ange, Alison, Jenny... Also Cookie is cheggers, so is Krystal... Everyone's at it!

04. Did anyone close to you die?
We had two family deaths.

05. What countries did you visit?
Spain (Barcelona) and Portugal. Record low for me, I think! Travel more in 2010 is definitely on the agenda. Hopefully I won't be so stressed in my new job and so will be able to do more than just a beach holiday.

06. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Maybe, for the first time in my life, stability. I've been so up and down and all over the place (both in terms of houses, jobs, etc. and in terms of mentalness) in 2009 that it'd be nice to just put the cluck in, stick it in neutral and just coast a bit in 2010. No more uphills. Except for at the gym of course.

07. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Hmm, 22nd November was Sam's wedding, that was pretty big as she was the first of my best friends from back home to get married. I moved into my own place on 1st August 2009, and thus became a proper, responsible grown up (not doing too bad so far!).

08. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Getting my new job at Oli.co.uk and moving into an industry I really am passionate about, doing something that I love. A job that caters to both my geek side, my writing side and my fashionista side is pretty awesome. Now all I need is one to do with books and I'm sorted!

09. What was your biggest failure(s)?
Letting myself get too stressed and subsequently making myself a bit ill. Also not seeing the bigger picture was a bit of a fail, but you live and learn and I'm probably a better person for it.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I got my first migraine (TM). That was a blindsider. Ugh. Apart from that though, I've been pretty lucky.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Hmmm.... I got a beautiful Marc Jacobs handbag bought for me, does that count? I've really toned the spending down this year. Although my Primavera ticket was a goooood purchase.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Ted's, for being Ted. My sister's, for being strong and brave and dignified, I'm so proud of her.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
No one's, really. I don't associate with people who'd make me feel that way.

14. Where did most of your money go?
On living alone, paying double for everything but loving it lots.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Starting my new job, Christmas!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder? Happier on the work front, deffffffo. About the same on everything else, which is good.
ii. Thinner or fatter? Fatter, ffs. Although I'm now gymming and eating healthy...
iii. richer or poorer? Poorer...

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Seeing friends. Again! Same as last year. I want to go to London more, see Cath and Treat and Heather and Chris and see my Leeds friends more.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Taking shit at work, getting stressed.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
I had the quietest Christmas in ages, spent it at my mum's and spent most of it in my PJs and in bed. Lovely.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Every single day.

23. How many one-night stands?
None.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Ohhhh.... I dared to move the telly into my bedroom and for a girl who doesn't watch much TV I've done a lot of viewing! Probably Ugly Betty, and of course Uni C and Come Dine With Me.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Don't hate, appreciate!

26. What was the best book you read?
I re-read everything i could get my hands on by Irvine Welsh. I also read a good book called I, Lucifer on holiday. And one called *cringe* I heart New York, which I think, in some non-literary, low-brow way, inspired me to do a lot of what I've done this year.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Oooooh there's loads! JJ No.2 was probably my fave album. I listened a lot to Florence and the Machine, Why?, Lady Gaga, Magnetic Fields.... In fact, here's my 2009 Last.fm stats (Gem <3 Records if anyone wants to add me)

Gem <3 Records 2009 summary

28. What did you want and get?
A Ted. A new job. A new flat. A new car. A new life, pretty much. <---- that's what I wrote at the beginning of 2009. It all applies all over again. Apart from the Ted bit, he's still the same. New job, flat, car, life. Lovely.

29. What did you want and not get?
Nothing, really. I never wish for specific things in non-specific terms. And when I put what I want into specifics, I usually get it. <---- I'm leaving that the same too.

30. Favorite film of this year?
Urrrrrmm.... The Hangover was quite good. I've totally dropped off the film thing now.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 27 (argh) and I had a few friends over to mine, then we went into Leeds and danced to Christmas songs and drank Tequila. It was pretty fun, I'm not big on birthdays though. plus I've been super boring in terms of going out this year.

32.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More cashflow in the second half of the year to help with the flat would have been nice, but other than that I'm pretty happy with it all.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Coloured tights, tulip skirts, Gaga hips, big shoulders, Shoe boots, High end handbags, cocktail rings, GLITTER and chunky plastic jewellery. Cocktail wear all day, every day basically.

34. What kept you sane?
Myself, funnily enough.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Florence off of Florence and the machine, probably.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
None really. I'm starting to get a bit fed up of this whole recession thing though. Sort it out. I know we're not technically in it anymore but everyone is still walking around like a big bunch of miserable bastards.

37. Who do you miss?
Old friends. London people.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Hmm, not sure. Kim at work was pretty ace. And finally went for a pint with

vinnatron ! :D

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Be honest with yourself about what you want, and try to be honest with other people about it. <--- that was last year's, god I was much wiser then! This year's was probably.... "Don't change for other people or circumstances. Put yourself out of your comfort zone and learn new things and when the going gets tough remember, you can still do anything you put your mind to if you believe that you're positive and fabulous then other people will believe it too." Waffly, but that's what I learnt.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Damn you's a sexy bitch" (David Guetta feat. Akon). OBVIOUSLY.

Current Mood: thoughtful
Current Music: Japandroids

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