Winter Edit '17

Cold gray days call for something bright. Here are a few items to add some sunshine to winter...

Cedar & Moss Light Fixture | Simple brass and white... yes please!
Kule Stripe Tee | I've been eyeing this company via Instagram and love every stripe combo they've got on reserve. This tee is adorable but have you seen this rabbit fur popover? My heart can't take it!
Goop Cleanser | Has anyone tried this cleanser? From what I've read, it's award winning and gets five stars for adding moisture... I mean have you seen Gweneth Paltrow's skin? If this is her secret, sign me up!
Tassel Earring | These little gems are almost like a piñata for your ears... Snap them on and you're party ready!
Herman Miller Eames Chair | Eames... Enough said.
Good Vibes Only Pin | This pin may help spread the word... #LoveTrumpsHate
Sunny Flats | Margaux's modern flats intrigue me. Not only do they come in a variety of colors but you can actually get them made to measure for the perfect fit.
Ride or Die Card | This little cutie may end up in your mailbox for Valentine's Day... Just saying...
Simple Wood Side Table | With a white washed beach vibe, I can imagine sipping a margarita from this little ditty.

Weekday Musings

Oh hi! How are you? How about some weekday musings y'all?

Eating | Ina Garten's recipes on repeat. Now that I have picked Ina's Cooking for Jeffrey for goal #55, the heat is on! Sunday's lamb stew was the sixth recipe I have completed thus far. But before I could fluff my feathers and feel like Bey in the kitchen, I counted up how many recipes are actually in Cooking for Jeffrey and it's north of 80 (insert emoji scream!!!) But no sweat... I've got this!

Home*Work | Task... Organize! Call it "winter cleaning" (?!) but we've acquired some serious clutter over the past few months that has got to go! My goal is for us to have all the closets and cabinets spick and span by the end of the month so I can cross off #53 on my to-do list and live in a home of order. How is it that our little row house on Capitol Hill can hold so much extra?
Crushing On | Appointed. As you know, I'm a sucker for paper products and this DC based company has got my number. To kick off 2017, I bought their weekly planner and I am already obsessed. Each week is laid out on a single page making the planner both beautiful and functional. Plus there is enough extra space for to-do lists and do I have some to-dos!
Reading | The Woman from Cabin 10. A nod to Gone Girl (a favorite of 2016), this little thriller is a true page turner. Someone please read it already so we can discuss! I mean the ending... GAHHH!
Thankful For | Woodley (known on social media for his infamous hashtag #WoodleyForLife). Since he was a young pup, our fur baby has cuddled harder than any animal I have ever known. On cold rainy days, you can find me with all 60 lbs of him happily snuggled into my lap. We are quite the pair and I think at times make the Hubs jealous. Our closeness is for sure a reason our cat has developed some unsettling habits (i.e. "eliminating" outside the litter box - and you know what that means people!)
Thinking About | Family. As we all know, when it rains it pours and we've been weathering something fierce here in DC. I was already dreading this past week with the numerous inaugural events taking place across the city and then I got word my grandpa on my dad's side had passed away. We had set a plan to escape the District and head north to NYC with the besties but when my mom called with the news about my grandpa, I stayed put and sent the Hubs and friends off to the Big Apple. It's moments like these when Montana feels the furthest away. I wish I could have teleported home to hug my dear aunts and uncle. Ever since my dad passed away, my aunts and uncles have told stories and found old pictures to keep my dad in the present and I wish I could do the same for them with my grandpa. Although I didn't know my grandpa entirely, I know what a force he was in my dad's life so this loss has hit home particularly hard. Hug your dear ones tonight, they'll need you when the road gets tough.
Watching | Homeland. Carrie is still crazy and it makes my world seem a little more simple.
Wearing | These earrings from the Hubs. I may have sent a few hints for Christmas this year but I also must have been good girl because these earrings are dynamite!

Now how are things for you m'dear?! I hope your days have been a little lighter...

The New 101 List

Alrighty folks - it's time for a new 101 in 1001 days list and I promise this one is chock-full of goodness! A reminder of the rules? In the next 2.75 years, I will attempt to complete 101 things.  This year's list is a mix of new year's resolutions, to-dos and big ticket items that are more longterm. Here goes nothing...! Please follow the journey here.

Start date: January 1, 2017
End date: September 28, 2019

DC Bucket List (0/9)
1. Go to a show at Howard Theatre.
2. Attend the Repeal Day Ball.
3. Spend a day at the National Museum of African American History & Culture.
4. Take a nighttime stroll of the national monuments.
5. Visit Dumbarton Oaks.
6. Attend the High Heel Drag Queen Race.
7. Create a DC city guide.
8. Go to a museum once a month.
9. Have my photo taken with the giant blue chicken at the National Gallery of Art.

Eating Goals (0/15)
10. Shouk.
11. Pineapple and Pearls.
12. Little Serow.
13. Inn at Little Washington.
14. MiniBar.
15. Bad Saint.
16. Plan a 10 person party at Rose's Luxury.
17. Eat Chaia Tacos in Georgetown.
18. Try at least 20 new restaurants (can include restaurants in my Eating Goals section).
19. Dinner at Convivial.
20. Izakaya Seki.
21. Preserve.
22. Ricepaper.
23. The Source.
24. Garrison.

Travel Goals (0/14)
25. Visit Portland, Maine.
26. Take a trip to "P Town" with besties.
27. Hike in Moab.
28. Take a destination fishing trip.
29. Travel to a foreign country at least once a year.
30. Camp on Assateague Island.
31. Surprise the Hubs with a fully planned trip.
32. Travel to a new state other than Maine.
33. Travel to a new continent.
34. A weekend in Marfa, Texas.
35. Make an annual pilgrimage to Palm Springs.
36. Visit LA with the Hubs.
37. Visit Martha's Vineyard.
38. Backpack on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Personal (0/18)
39. Volunteer for a cause I'm passionate about.
40. Do a detox cleanse.
41. Read at least four classic novels.
42. One full week of clean eating.
43. Closet cleanse.
44. Go on a spending freeze for two months.
45. Read/listen to at least 50 books.
46. Unplug for a full 24 hours each month.
47. Try a new fitness class.
48. Work out at least three times a week for six months.
49. Invest in a wool winter coat.
50. Add a piece of fur to my closet (the Hubs thinks this is gross but remember this is MY list!)
51. Buy a pair of leather gloves.
52. Attend a conference as a speaker.
53. Organize all the closets in our house.
54. Own an authentic Eames furniture piece.
55. Choose a cookbook and cook every recipe in it.
56. Purchase the Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote (I'll ignore your eye rolls... For some reason this bag says "I've made it!")

Just for Fun (0/39)
57. Attend a live TED talk.
58. See at least three Broadway plays/musicals.
59. Watch the sunrise.
60. Backpack for at least two nights.
61. Have my makeup done professionally.
62. Go to a professional football game.
63. Go to a professional basketball game.
64. Take in an outdoor movie.
65. Take a girls trip with just my mom and sister.
66. Can my own product i.e. jam, tapenade, apple sauce etc.
67. Harvest a wild turkey.
68. Hunt in three new states.
69. Make a reunion happen with my college girlfriends.
70. Tip $20 on a meal less than $20.
71. Go ice-skating because the Hubs loves it.
72. Snowshoe.
73. Make a photo book of our Morocco trip.
74. Create a photo book of our Greece honeymoon.
75. Go apple picking.
76. Have professional photos taken.
77. Take a class on how to make sushi.
78. Make ice cream from scratch.
79. Host a murder mystery party.
80. Make a photo book of our Christmas card.
81. Host another “friends-giving” not on Thanksgiving.
82. Cook at least one new recipe from our collection of cookbooks each week for a year.
83. See at least three concerts.
84. Send a surprise package to someone.
85. Go skiing with the Hubs.
86. Send 100 handwritten notes.
87. See a movie at a theater at least once a month for six months.
88. Skinny dip.
89. Take a flower arranging class.
90. Host a neighborhood potluck.
91. Cook octopus.
92. Create my own recipe and master it!
93. Go without TV for one week.
94. Spend an afternoon at MOMA.
95. Take an upholstery class.

Blog Related Goals (0/6)
96.  Inspire someone to write their own 101 in 1001 list.
97. Get a full time blog advertiser.
98. Attend a blogging conference/workshop.
99. Blog at least once a week.
100. Be featured on a blog I admire.
101. Take a photography lesson.

** Want to see the original 101 list? Click here and scroll down.

2016... Girl Bye!

I know I'm a week (plus) late but my goodness 2016 was jammed pack and I had a birthday party to throw! I also extended my 101 in 1001 list of to dos as I knew I had a few more adventures to squeeze in... Forgive me?! And although I completed only 70 of the 101 - I enjoyed this process so much I'm already writing up a new list to hit 2017 hard (although some items you may recognize from my initial stab at this!) Regardless, thank you fearless readers for sticking with me. And a special thank you to my Hubs for being my trusty co-pilot through much of this. Here's are my top 10 highlights:

• #2. Inspire someone to write a list of their own. --- This was most inspiring! Over half a dozen of you joined me in this quest for adventure and you kept me motivated and smiling wide!
• #8. Wallpaper our half bath. --- This project was our first gutsy design move as homeowners and we have no regrets. Our blue palm filled bathroom makes me happy every day. 
• #9. Attend a formal ball. --- We were invited to the Repeal Day Ball and oh what fun! And talk about a cocktail lover's dream.... my word! This event celebrates the end of prohibition and is an imbibing affair we've already marked the calendar for in 2017!
• #39. Run 5 marathons before I turn 30. --- SQUEE I'm still proud of my commitment to get this done and also still a little in disbelief I did this by watching hours (I mean days worth!) of Bravo and the Kardashians while slamming Snickers for training - burp!
• #40. Host friends-giving even if it's not on Thanksgiving day. --- It may have not been Thanksgiving but it was Dan's golden birthday. Hosting 20 of our nearest and dearest took a full week of preparation! I was playing loyal lobbyist by day and Julia Child by night! And oh what fun. All the sweat paid off and it's a memory for the books! 
• #50. Honeymoon in Greece. --- On one of our first dates both the (now) Hubs and I gushed about our desires to go to Greece and let me say... it did not disappoint! Everyone MUST go - that's the only solution!
• #60. Write my grandma once a month for a year always. --- Since I left Montana in 2004, I've written my grandma, "Gigi." There is no one with more grace, wit and style! Her kindness makes your whole heart feel warmth and love. Making the commitment to write to Gigi at least once a month has helped keep us tied close no matter the distance. And now at 99, I don't get many replies back but am told by mom what joy it brings. Gigi's new goal? 100!!
• #75. Make our own pasta. --- Let's just say, don't pick heart shaped ravioli for your first ever attempt at pasta but however lumpy and bumpy it may have been there's no arguing with the taste. Fresh pasta is such a delight! 
• #86. Have technology free weekend. --- In an era of smart phones, tablets and more - it's easy to forget what true quiet sounds like and what it does for your soul. I recommend everyone read this book to help jump start time away from screens and more quiet moments.
• #100. Take a fly fishing lesson. --- The Hubs and I spent the day with a guide in New Mexico on the San Juan River and we now both own fly rods. I guess you can say, we've been caught!

Whelp that's a wrap folks. 2016... Girl bye and 2017... I'm coming for you!

P.S. I just got Woodley one of these Love Thy Beast jackets and he's obsessed!