The Creation of Something Beautiful

It all started on a breezy Monday morning in my cozy Midtown office. Our beautiful and friendly intern, who is wise beyond her 22 years on this earth shared something with me that sparked my interest almost immediately. In fact, I was so consumed by what she shared, that I spent the majority of my morning looking into it (I hope my boss isn't reading this...sorry!). What peaked my interest, you may ask? 101 Things to do in 1001 Days.

I'm all about lists. The notes section on my iPhone contains to-do lists, things to buy, places to eat, favorite blogs, etc...but this 101 Things to Do in 1001 Days seemed like the ultimate list. I needed to start it right away.

I opened a Word doc and began. The first few came out like uncontrollable word vomit. Straight from my brain to my fingertips spewing out on the computer screen in front of me. This is my life via the list as of November 1st, 2012. Happy Reading!

1.      Write a letter to myself to be opened at the end of my 1001 days - DONE

2.      Save $5 for every completed item

3.      Fall in love - DONE

4.      Complete a 5K and run the entire time Train and run a Half Marathon - DONE

5.      Catch the bouquet - DONE

6.      Travel to the West Coast  - DONE

7.      Brew my own beer - DONE

8.      Repurpose an old piece of furniture - DONE

9.      Take a picture for each letter of the alphabet- DONE (Kind of...)

10.  Pay off my credit cards - HALF DONE (1 down, 1 to go)

11.  Do something drastic to my hair - DONE

12.  Get down to my goal weight

13.  Complete a cleanse - DONE

14.  Sew an article of clothing I can actually wear  - DONE

15.  Write 5 letters to 5 people who changed my life (X/5)

16.  Make a list of My Top 50 Things That Make Me Happy

17.  Make a list of 50 things I've already accomplished - DONE

18.  Get a new passport - DONE

19.  Get a Georgia driver’s license - DONE

20.  Visit a state I've never been to before  - DONE

21.  Complete a 365 photo challenge

22.  See 10 classic movies I've never seen before
*Spartacus -  watched
*Dr. Strangelove - partially watched. It was weird so I turned it off 20 minutes in :/
*Some Like it Hot - watched
*It Happened One Night
*How to Marry a Millionaire -  watched
*The Philadelphia Story - watched
*Funny Face - watched
*12 Angry Men
* Rebel Without a Cause
* Roman Holiday-  watched
(More recent "classics" I need to watch: The Usual Suspects, The Godfather, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Back to the Future)

23.  Go to a drive-in movie - DONE

24.  Go a week without buying anything - DONE

25.  Sell something on eBay or Etsy

26.  Improve my French - En Cours

27.  Learn another language

28.  Make at least 10 Pinterest inspired recipes (10/10)  - DONE
*Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls
*Pizza Cupcakes
*The Best Broccoli Ever
*Caprese Stuffed Burger
*Cauliflower Pepperoni Pizza Casserole
*Tex-Mex Calzone
*Cheeseburger Quesadilla
*Sweet Potato & Flaxseed Fries and Chips
*Skinny Spaghetti Squash Alfredo
*Zucchini Lasagna

29.  Make at least 10 Pinterest inspired projects (10/10)  - DONE
*Burlap Mr. and Mrs. Signs
*Wine Cork Letter
*Revamped Coffee Table
*Painted Sign - Turned out terrible. I'm asking for a redo. I redid....it's cute & Chevron.
*Pool Noodle Boot Saver Thingy's
*Fun with Corks/Corkboard
*Halloween Monster Plaques
*Painted Pumpkins
*Candy Corn Wine Bottles
*Sewed a pillow cover

30.  Go white water rafting

31.  Go skiing or snowboarding - DONE

32.  Buy an actual winter coat - DONE

33.  Ride a bike (NOTE: I know how to ride a bike, but I haven't in a number of years - time to hop back into the saddle and see if I can still do it...an actual bike, not a stationary bike. I have those things mastered.) - DONE

34.  Go camping with friends

35.  Start blogging – and actually keep up with it. - IN PROGRESS :)

36.  Write a letter for every broken heart and burn the letters when I’m done - DONE

37.  Write a letter to Nana - DONE (Kind of)

38.  Improve my golf game

39.  Go to a farmers market - DONE

40.  Clean out my closet & donate to the Junior League thrift store, Nearly New - DONE (and done...and done again...and again...and again)

41.  Read a book in a day - DONE

42.  Find out my blood type - DONE

43.  Go horseback riding in the mountains - DONE

44.  Have a picnic in Piedmont Park - DONE

45.  Make a quilt out of old tshirts - IN PROGRESS

46.  Send a secret to PostSecret 

47.  Tie a note to a balloon and let it go

48.  Keep a journal of inspirational quotes - IN PROGRESS

49.  Take on more responsibility in Junior League of Atlanta (JLA from here on out) or ADPi alum assoc. - DONE...to both!

50.  Dance in the rain

51.  Make a list of 10 long term life goals

52.  Make a list of 5 professional goals to accomplish  - DONE

53.  Take a cruise (My one and only cruise was Spring Break 2006...time for another one) -  BOOKED

54.  Travel to Europe - Coming August 2015

55.  Research my family tree

56.  Learn 50 new things by clicking the random article button on Wikipedia 

57.  Start saving to buy a house/condo - BOUGHT A HOUSE!

58.  Catch a snowflake on my tongue - DONE

59.  Paint one wall an outrageous color- DONE

60.  Make a wish on 12/12/12 at 12:12 - DONE

61.  Base all my decisions for one day on a Magic 8 Ball

62.  Get eyebrows threaded - DONE

63.  Do an ear-candle

64.  Be an extra on a TV show or in a movie

65.  Make fresh pasta

66.  Go to a horse race, preferably the Kentucky Derby

67.  Go to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge - DONE

68.  Do a scavenger race or fun 5k - DONE 
*The Color Run

69.  Start writing a book

70.  Make a list of 50 places I’d like to see in my lifetime - IN PROGRESS

71.  Spend Valentine’s day with someone of the opposite sex - DONE

72.  Go to a Cirque du Soleil show - DONE

73.  Play matchmaker

74.  Host/throw a party (themed or dinner party)  - DONE

75.  Do something to honor my grandparents- DONE

76.  Adopt a pet  - DONE

77.  Learn to say the alphabet backwards

78.  Say yes to something I’d normally say no to and say no to something I’d normally say yes to (2/2)
*I said NO to a good friends wedding. 
*I said YES to Blue Lipstick.

79.  Make a spontaneous vacation decision - DONE

80.  Spend one whole day doing touristy things in my city 

81.  Swim with dolphins  - DONE

82.  Watch all the Harry Potter movies consecutively  - IN PROGRESS

83.  Learn to braid (French and Fishtail) - (1/2) DONE

84.  Pay off my smaller student loan

85.  Help someone else fulfill a goal - DONE

86.  Hike part of the Appalachian Trail

87.  Build a snowman - DONE

88.  Take a road trip
The New and Improved List - 
12. Feel beautiful, comfortable, and confident in my own skin
89. No booze for one month - DONE
90. Vegas, baby - DONE
91. Go home for my 10 year reunion and not HATE it. - DONE
92. Learn how to drive a manual car

Weekly:

89.  Call my sister at least once a week 

90.  Wear my retainer at least twice a week (Gross, I know but I felt it was necessary)

91.  Eat a salad for lunch at least twice a week for 2 months

Monthly:

92.  Give up soda 1 work week each month 

93.  Try (at least) one new restaurant every month 

94.  Complete a random act of kindness on the 15^th of every month 

95.  Make at least one new friend
95. Find and stick with a good skincare regime

Yearly:

96.  Celebrate my half birthday on December 15^th (1/3)

97.  Complete a 30x30 challenge (30 minutes of exercise for 30 days) once a year (X/3)

98.  Write down what I’m thankful for every day in November (2/3)

99.  Go to the dentist every year (3/3)

100.                      Donate blood at least once a year (3/3)

101.                      Try a food I've never had before (and never thought I'd try) at least once a year (4/4)
*Oysters - 2012
*Blue Cheese - 2013
*Brussel Sprouts - 2014
*Bloody Mary's - 2015

I understand some of these seem quite silly. But in my mind, they are completely realistic and attainable. In fact, I devised this plan mid-October and have been anxiously awaiting November 1st to begin. So much is already planned and I'm excited/thrilled/nervous to get started.

I hope you'll keep up with my journey. Supporting and pushing me to accomplish my 101 Things in 1001 Days.

L