101 in 1001 2.0 / recap

Somehow my second 101 in 1001 list has come to an end. Officially my cutoff date was May 29, 2016, but June was crazy and now that I'm about ready to kick off my new list, I wanted to wrap up the last one! Some items I checked off in the final months...
36. Take a staycation and spend the night in a hotel. A and I spend the night at The Liberty hotel in Boston in May and it was soooo nice to just be away for the night. We watched tv, ordered breakfast in bed, and I took a long very bubbly bubble bath. 

51. Nothing exciting to show, but I finally did a deep clean of the apartment myself. I straight up Googled cleaning tips and my biggest takeaway was to get thee some microfiber cloths. I got these from Amazon and they've been perfect not only for cleaning, but as dish towels! 
64. Read 30 new books. Click here for some of my favorites. 
84. Write a new list. Coming soon!!
89. Plan a wedding. I help friends and family here and there and of course get to help clients at work. But now I'm working on ours!!
97. I learned a little Photoshop while working on our Save the Dates/Invites. 
100. Take a creative class. My friend and I scored a Gilt City voucher for a floral arranging class. So fun!

Anyone else working on a 101 in 1001 list? Leave me the link the comments!

101 in 1001 / books to read

I'm so so so close to the end of my 101 in 1001 list and one goal I'm focusing on big time is reading 30 books. Here are some recent books that I really liked and recommend:

Crazy Rich Asians

The Boston Girl

The Island

I have 5 more books to read before May 29th (when my list ends). I definitely want to read the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians, China Rich Girlfriend, but that leaves 4 more. Any suggestions for me?

read / bright young things

A few years back, I read The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen and LOVED it. It's kind of like Gossip Girl set in the early 1900s. Through my Oyster Books subscription, I discovered that the same author had written three books about some young ladies in the summer of 1929. Not one to resist a novel about the Jazz Age, I dove right into the world of Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty. And I was definitely not disappointed. 

The Bright Young Things books are fun and easy to read. Some might call it beach reading...I call it blizzard reading. But if you're looking for something light to read, I highly recommend these. 

Any book recommendations for me? I could use a new one!

read / coffee table books

Since I was a little girl, I've always loved big coffee table books. Whether it was looking through my mom's big Native Americans book or my dad's copy of A Day in the Life of America or repeatedly going to the library to check out Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years, I've always wanted to grow my own collection. 

One of the goals on my 101 in 1001 list is to add 10 new coffee table books to my collection. I recently added Kate Spade New York's Places to Go, People to See and have four more to add. I have my eye on these pretties:

Dinner Parties

Elements of Style by Erin Gates

The Things That Matter by Nate Berkus (one of my favorite designers)

In Color by Tory Burch

What are your favorite "big books" to display?

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. 

{source}

Have a great weekend!

read / cleopatra

{source}

Queen, mother, wife, empress, seductress, sister, whore, goddess, lover, leader, scholar, ambassador…

Over the last two thousand years, Cleopatra has been branded dozens of things. And the truth seems to be lost to time. In Cleopatra: A Life Stacy Schiff tells the dazzling story of Cleopatra’s fight for the throne, her relationship with Julius Caesar, her life as a mother, ruler, and goddess, and then her relationship with Mark Antony. 

I never knew much about Cleopatra until I read this book. I was always dazzled by the legend and was very curious to learn what actually happened (as best as anyone can deduce). Stacy Schiff sets the scene with gorgeous imagery and I also liked that she included different accounts and opinions about different events in Cleopatra’s life. I didn’t realize how long she ruled, the level of strength that she ruled, and that her and Mark Antony’s love story is one for the ages. It’s also interesting that the double standards Cleopatra experienced (and still does) are, at their core, almost the same as the double standards women experience today.

While it’s not a super fast read, I definitely was eager to keep picking this up night and night. Whether you know Cleopatra and love her story or know very little and want to know more, I would highly recommend this book!

read / the skimm

Hopefully I’m not alone in this—I sometimes feel a little out of the loop current events-wise. I consider myself to be pretty on top of things, but when the topic of current events comes up (particularly political or global issues), I’m often left with nothing to say. (Ask my friends, I never have nothing to say.) I just discovered The Skimm last week and I love it! Every weekday, a daily email of the important headlines pops up in my inbox with a few key points written in a slightly sassy, girls only tone. Sign up here: http://www.theskimm.com/

Where do you get your daily information? Now I’m looking to add a couple more headline type sites/emails to my routine!