quote / soul mates

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Hello Monday.

T-G-I-F! I had a mini meltdown on Wednesday, but nothing that best friends, Thai food, cuddles, and a movie couldn’t fix. I’ve emerged with my priorities straight and a second job which will alleviate some of the money stress and allow me to start saving (yay 101 in 1001 list!). 

I’m looking forward to LOTS of down time this weekend including movies, magazines, and an at home manicure. 

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Have a great weekend!

three little spaces

Hello! I apologize for the belated post today. Per my 101 in 1001 list, I am starting a new blog series called Three Little Spaces. I’m forever pinning or liking pretty gardens, cozy living areas, and dreamy bedroom and thought it would be fun to share all the little places I love. Wouldn’t it be nice to blink and be teleported to one of these?

{1 / 2 / 3}

wear / wed

Helloooo Wedding Wednesday! (Thank goodness we’re halfway through this week.) I was wandering around Anthropologie on Sunday and spotted this stunner of a dress:

I immediately thought that this would be a perfect getaway dress, engagement party dress, rehearsal dinner dress, shower dress, or even wedding dress! Here’s a close up of the detail from the website:

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Any other great LWD out there?

inspired / album art

Recently, Pandora played me a new to me song by a band I’d never heard of called Young the Giant. I liked the song, but I liked the album art even better! 

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I checked out some of their other album art and was really inspired by vintage but a little modern feel and great use of color. 

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What’s inspiring you lately?

quote / love of your life

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I read this quote last week and it got me thinking. Happy Monday!

8/31/14 Interestingly, I posted this not even three weeks before I first went out with the love of my life. 

weekend

Happy Friday!! 

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Fall is here in full force! I even wore my new Zara kids sweater for a cozy night in yesterday. I keep reminding myself that it’s the last weekend of official summer and that I need to enjoy it. I’ve built in some relaxing time tomorrow during the day, fun dinner plans tomorrow night, and some catch up time with one of my oldest and best friends on Sunday. I hope you have a lovely weekend too!

PS-I’ve been burning my Autumn candle from Bath and Body Works and L-O-V-E love it! Their 3 wick candles are 2 for $22; normally they’re $20 each! (This isn’t sponsored, I just love the product and the deal!)

eat / flank steak and soba noodles

I’m a bad blogger and didn’t take pictures of the two new recipes I tried last Sunday for dinner. But!! I am here to endorse both of them:

This grilled flanken recipe from Melissa Clark’s book was soooo good! I tweaked the recipe a bit but mostly followed it to a T. I used flatiron steak and definitely could have marinated it longer than a couple hours. 

I also made these soba noodles (I cheated and used thin spaghetti, plus added some steamed snap peas):

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Enjoy!!

quote / weekend

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This is how I feel after this weekend. In the best way, of course!

sip / breakfast menu

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Vintage cocktails poster. 

weekend

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This pet family portrait really makes me smile.

It’s been a tough week, especially after hearing my grandpas are sick. I’m looking forward for a lot of time in synagogue to reflect and pray and also oodles of fun plans with friends to distract me a bit.

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

xoxo

eat / salted dark chocolate nutella cookies

Part of my 101 in 1001 list is to try 10 new recipes. I’ve been wanting to try this cookie recipe for awhile and finally had an excuse when I made a quick thank you dinner for a friend!

The recipe is really well written and easy to follow. My only advice would be to make sure the cookies aren’t too big when you flatten them. Mine ended up a little larger than I planned!

Enjoy!

wed / fall bouquet

While it doesn’t feel like fall outside (hello 93 degrees!), the September date on the calendar is making me excited for cozy evenings, rich colors, and falling leaves. This floral arrangement would be a stunner for a fall wedding.

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Happy Wedding Wednesday!

quote / anger

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celebrate / elegant table setting

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This elegant setting feels so modern with the industrial touches. I love a good dinner party!! 

Anyone have any fun weekend plans? I’m looking forward to a trip to Ikea and lots of plans with friends who live near and far. 

101 in 1001

Well friends, the day has arrived that I have started a new 101 in 1001 list. I did one from January 2010 to October 2012 and sadly didn’t do a great job at crossing things off the list. While a semester abroad, senior year, job hunting, and that first year out of college made those years of my life a tough time to create a goal list like this, I ultimately can only hold myself accountable (because that’s what this is about, right?). 

Design Darling is one of my daily reads and she’s reaching the end of her list this month! I’m finally feeling like I have my footing in the real world and without realizing it, a new 101 in 1001 list started forming in my head. Without further ado, here is my new list which started on Sunday, September 1, 2013.

I’ll post progress updates, but I’ll also have the list linked on the right side of the blog :)

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Start: September 1, 2013

End: May 29, 2016

Completed: 

Kind: to myself and others (5/15)

1. Send 25 handwritten notes (6/25)
2. Send holiday cards every year (almost ready to go out for 2013!)
3. Pay the bill for someone behind me
4. Bring soup to a sick friend {10.16.13}
5. Help 3 friends decorate their apartments-already helping L (also C+J and S and N) {Fall 2013}
6. Do a 30 day workout challenge
7. Buy someone a “just because” gift
8. Start volunteering with or get involved with CJP/BBYO/similar
9. Leave a 100% tip {10.14.13}
10. Cheer up a friend by treating them to a cocktail or ice cream {10.22.13}
11. Maintain 3x weekly gym visits for 3 months
12. Download a new workout song once a month (4/33)
13. Attend 5 yoga or pilates classes at the gym instead of working out on my own (1/5)
14. Visit my grandpa in Florida
15. Switch green tea for coffee

Food, wine and entertaining (1/10)

16. Have a dinner party of 3 courses
17. Host a board game and cocktails night {11.11.13}
18. Try 3 new “fancy” restaurants (2/3 Mistral, Ten Tables)
19. Try 3 “too complicated” dessert recipes
20. Make bread from scratch
21. Try 10 new recipes and blog them (4/10)
22. Host/organize 5 girls nights of 4+ friends (1/5)
23. Take a wine class
24. Give a toast
25. Try 5 new foods (1/5)

Joyful: fashion and beauty (2/8)

26. Add 10 coffee table books to my collection (3/10)
27. Get a facial
28. Master curling my hair
29. Whiten teeth
30. Buy a splurge dress
31. Get all glammed up for my 25th birthday party: sparkly dress, manicure, blowout, etc {12.7.13}
32. Wear bright or bold lipstick every day for a week
33. Wear perfume every day for 21 days

Joyful: just for fun (3/15)

34. Fall in love {10.2013}
35. Take a barre class
36. Watch top ten of Audrey Hepburn’s movies
37. Watch a movie from the year I was born (1988) {12.15.13 Coming to America}
38. See 5 of the Best Picture Oscar nominees before the ceremony
39. See 3 of ^these alone
40. Buy a lottery ticket
41. Order/make monogrammed stationery
42. Buy myself flowers every week for a month
43. Write myself a letter on my 25th birthday to open on my 30th
44. Re-read Harry Potter
45. Buy a splurge candle (Archipelago, Diptyqe, etc)
46. Pull a prank! 
47. Instagram something that makes me happy every day for 30 days 
48. Own Winning London on DVD

Settled (1/11)

49. Have apartment published in a magazine or on a blog
50. Sew my own pillows for my living room couches
51. Hire professional cleaners for a deep clean (Spring)
52. Add a plant to my apartment and keep it alive
53. Set up a bar cart/tray
54. Finish decorating apartment

• bar area
• comforter (
• living room pillows
• living room rug
• add plants {9.7.13}
• new oven mitts {9.7.13}
• big art in living room 
• new sheets
• art in dining area {10.13.13}
• matching couches  {9.3.13}

55. Make bed 30 days straight
56. Start a cleaning routine
57. Come up with better organization for sheets/towels
58. Expand my gallery wall
59. Get rid of unused make up, toiletries, and medicine

Smart (0/12)

60. Build a real emergency savings account
61. Learn how to change a tire
62. Learn to wake up without snoozing more than once
63. Go a month without buying anything (bills, groceries, etc are of course exceptions)
64. Read 30 new books (3/30)
65. Unsubscribe to junk email and fix email filters
66. Invest in a good sunscreen to wear daily on face, neck, chest
67. Write a sealed “G-d Forbid” letter and entrust it to a friend
68. Try the envelope system of budgeting for a month
69. Open a credit card that earns rewards
70. Watch 10 TED Talks (1/10)
71. Re-learn the ASL alphabet and 5 key phrases
72. Earn more than $X annually (real number is a secret)
73. Organize professional contacts
74. Attend at least 1 GPhiB alumnae event every 6 months

Adventure (1/13)

75. Go on a vacation not to Charleston
76. Go to NYC at least once a year
77. Go on a Duck Tour
78. Go to the top of the Pru {9.21.13}
79. Attend a polo match 
80. Learn how to ride a bike
81. Visit Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
82. Go apple picking {9.29.13}
83. Take $20 to the SOWA market {11.17.13}
84. Write a new list
85. See The Nutcracker at the NYC Ballet 
86. Go to a BU/BC hockey game again {12.7.13}
87. Take a hike

Creative (0/14)

88. Redesign blog and get new business cards
89. Plan a wedding
90. Get a new laptop
91. Get my iPad, iPhone, iPod, etc all synced to new computer
92. Re-organize and back up computer
93. Finish grandma’s cookbook and publish
94. Make photobooks/albums
95. Start 2 new blog series (1/2)
96. Photograph the same landscape in all four seasons 
97. Learn Illustrator/Photoshop basics
98. Do 10 OOTD blog posts
99. Maintain an editorial calendar for at least 2 weeks out
100. Open a small Etsy shop 
101. Tackle a Pinterest DIY

Goals I am…

Anticipating will be the hardest: #75, #1, and #62!

Most nervous about: #80 (I’m not sure why!)

Unsure if I can achieve: #49 (I can submit the apartment, but who knows if it will get published)

Most excited about: #18, #31, and #54