Week 2: In which I channel all my mad HGTV skills

I am pretty well in love with my new apartment. It has somehow conspired to provide opportunities for me to have several things I've always wanted but never managed, most to do with writing or reading or places to put the things I use to write or read. One of the things this place has is very deep-set windows—deep enough to sit in, much to the delight of my cats and myself alike.
This week, I decided to take the window in my office and turn it into a proper window seat. Driving around and purchasing all the needed materials took me four hours (including a stop for lunch). Actually building the window seat took an hour and a half, and I now feel like I should have my own show on HGTV.

No, seriously, look at how awesomely deep this window is.
Every window in my apartment looks just like this.
Oh, yeah. My "Before" picture. Also, you know, for insurance purposes in case I break it.

Alas, all my fun tools are in storage, because I no longer have a garage.
I had to have people at the stores cut everything to size for me.

I have SUCH loathing for staple guns. I always forget, until I'm forced to use one.
I used this for an hour straight. It's pretty much the only tool you need for this project.

"After." I didn't break anything! It looks fantastic! I love it!
I should mention, this window is situated between two bookshelves, so it's incredibly appropriate. :)

A close-up of the "seat" part.

I can safely say this is the first time I've constructed a window seat. I'm very pleased with how it turned out, and I'm frankly shocked that it took me less than two hours from start to finish. I'm a cross-stitcher and a scrapbooker; fabric isn't my scene, so I was really nervous about this one. I can't wait to spend some quality time reading on it!

Week 1: In which I feed watery beasties and become a cartoon

I just moved to Texas, and one of the fun things to do in my area is a touristy-type boardwalk, complete with bay-front views, amusement park rides, and plenty of indoor sights to beat the southern heat. One of the indoor venues is Stingray Reef, where I decided the opportunity to feed the stingrays was just too good to pass up:

You put fish between your knuckles and tuck all your fingers in...
I assume so they don't get bitten off.

I'm happy to say I did not lose any fingers. Stingray mouths tickle.

I was at the boardwalk with family, and I did one more thing I've never done before—a twofer in my first week! My mom and I had cartoon versions of ourselves drawn. My mom has had this done before, with my dad, but I haven't. The picture now hangs in my front hallway:

Even in cartoon form, my hair has gone poofy in the Texas humidity.

I almost feel like I'm cheating, doing this having just moved to an entirely new region of the country. I'm hoping 52 New will get me out and about, meeting new people and doing all sorts of new things in my Texas home!

Fifty-Two New (things, that is)

On May 30, I hit the big 3-0. This has not led to some epic midlife crisis like it does for some people; my 20s were nothing to sing about and I'm thrilled to be entering a new decade in my life. There's been a lot of change around me recently, all good, and I'm determined to keep up the momentum. To that end, I've decided to revive an idea I once had to try one new thing—something I've never done before—each week for a year. The last time I gave it a go, life got in the way (as it tends to do). I'm hoping that this time, with a new start and the proper motivation, I'll have a full 52 weeks of new experiences to look back on when my 31st birthday rolls around on May 30, 2014. Wish me luck!