Almost 2.5 years ago, I published a 101 in 1,001 blog post - and to be completely honest, I had forgotten about it until a couple of days ago when Emily from Life with Emily shared her update. I just perused my own list and it's funny how much I have changed since I created that list -- I had some lofty goals I wanted to fulfill - some which I have, and some which I am still a ways from completing. At the time, I had yet to start my career, had just graduated college, and had not even decided to move to a new city (I've since moved 3 times - yikes!). The 1,001 days from that list will be complete in February of this year, but in the spirit of 2016, instead of checking off this list, I'm drafting new goals.
It's fun to look back on your perspective at different points in your life (I had very lofty goals in 2013), but now that I've been working a couple of years, had this blog a few years, and developed new + fostered old relationships, I have a different outlook on things. Some things may stay the same but others will definitely be different. You can find the original list here and check out my new list below.
Start: 1.8.16 | End: 10.4.18
1. Come up with 101 things (this is a hard one!)
2. Buy a stranger coffee
3. Buy a house
4. Send 25 handwritten notes (completed May 2016)
5. Do a major closet clean out and donate the items (January 2016)
6. Remove at least one item of clothing and donate it once a month thereafter
7. Learn how to tie a tie
8. Watch 5 documentaries
9. Organize another fundraising event for the ALS Association - May 2018 at ZIA
10. Get rid of jeans that I hardly ever wear and invest in a few new "good" pairs (like these) (purchased these and love them!) (February 2016, see them here)
11. Redo my (our) bedroom - check out our bedroom tour here
12. Create and maintain a budget
13. Start journaling.
14. Do a bible study series
15. Maintain my recipe box (this is a work in progress)
16. Learn calligraphy
17. Unplug for a weekend (no phone, computer, social media)
Family + Friends
18. Send a care package (sent our niece a package when she was sick)
19. Get engaged (read about it here)
20. Get married - August 5th, 2017!
21. Surprise Stephen with a fun date night
22. Give my mom flowers (August 2016)
23. Treat my parents to dinner
24. Send out Christmas cards (Sent these out December 2016)
25. Make one of my Nonny's recipes that I've never tried before
26. Give 5 "just because" gifts
- Gave my mom this tee after she said she liked mine
- Gave Stephen a pullover
- Gave my mom a balsam candle
27. Host a girls weekend with my college girlfriends
28. Take a roadtrip with Stephen (this was a mini-one, but we headed down to Southport for a spontaneous afternoon trip in May 2017 - and we pretty much take a roadtrip almost every weekend to one place or another)
31. Take a PB platform class. (May 2016 - read my thoughts here)
32. Sign the 100 classes barre at PB! (October 2016)
33. No fast food for one month
34. Try a juice cleanse -- hello, Suja!
35. Drink 80 ounces of water a day for a week
36. Try out a spin class
37. Sign the 250 classes barre at PB!
38. Attend a blog conference (went to Create + Cultivate - January 2016 - read it here)
40. Reach 20k followers on Instagram
41. Create a new series
- Coffee Date - see the first volume here
- Fine Print
- Wedding Wednesday
42. Switch over to WordPress
43. Buy a new computer (purchased a MacBook Air, which I love - February 2016)
44. Publish a new "what's in my bag" post (See post here - April 2016)
45. Create 6 video blog posts
58. Host a work event (March 2016)
60. Do some freelance writing
- Wrote a short piece for the North State Journal (March 2016)
61. Close my first real-estate sale (January 2016)
62. Update LinkedIn profile (July 2016)
63. Establish a new organization system (purchased this hanging file holder, this acrylic holder, and these folders - spring 2016)
64. Keep my email Inbox cleaned out and organized
65.Improve my work office's aesthetic appearance (always a work in progress, but it did get a facelift)
66. Shadow 3 professionals to get insight on what they do
67. Go skiing -- can you believe I've never been?! (February 2016 - read about it here!)
68. Visit a winery - check out my trip to Charlottesville here
80. Have a staycation - read about our anniversary staycation here
82. Host a dinner party we hosted our friends for December 2017 supper club
84. Learn how to actually fold fitted sheets
85. Get a facial -- scheduled for June 10th!
89. Read at least 30 new books
Start: 1.8.16 | End: 10.4.18
Items Completed: 52/101
Items Completed: 52/101
Personal
3. Buy a house
6. Remove at least one item of clothing and donate it once a month thereafter
7. Learn how to tie a tie
8. Watch 5 documentaries
12. Create and maintain a budget
13. Start journaling.
14. Do a bible study series
16. Learn calligraphy
17. Unplug for a weekend (no phone, computer, social media)
Family + Friends
25. Make one of my Nonny's recipes that I've never tried before
26. Give 5 "just because" gifts
- Gave my mom this tee after she said she liked mine
- Gave Stephen a pullover
- Gave my mom a balsam candle
Health and Fitness
29. Run a 5k
30. 20 + Pure Barre classes in a month
33. No fast food for one month
34. Try a juice cleanse -- hello, Suja!
35. Drink 80 ounces of water a day for a week
36. Try out a spin class
37. Sign the 250 classes barre at PB!
Blog
39. Host a blogger get-together
- Coffee Date - see the first volume here
- Fine Print
- Wedding Wednesday
42. Switch over to WordPress
45. Create 6 video blog posts
46. Attend a New York Fashion week show
47. Design new business cards (January 2016)
48. Find 15 new blogs to read
49. Double my blog page views (April 2017)
50. Reach 1,000 likes on the Southern Style Facebook page (May 2017)
51. Do a home tour
52. Take a blogger trip
53. Get a new camera lens (purchased this one in April 2016)
54. Publish a "how-to" post
55. Collaborate with 5 brands that I've never worked with before
- Maggy London
- itCosmetics
- Dove
- Johnston & Muphy
- Nordstrom
56. Do a his + hers post
57. Create a themed photo shoot
- Mother's Day (April 2016)
48. Find 15 new blogs to read
51. Do a home tour
54. Publish a "how-to" post
- Maggy London
- itCosmetics
- Dove
- Johnston & Muphy
- Nordstrom
56. Do a his + hers post
- Mother's Day (April 2016)
Professional
59. Attend a work-related conference
- Wrote a short piece for the North State Journal (March 2016)
65.
66. Shadow 3 professionals to get insight on what they do
Travel
69. Go to the mountains in the fall
70. Go to NYC with Stephen - we went with my family in December 2017
71. Tour the White House
71. Tour the White House
72. Take a spontaneous weekend trip
73. Go back to Charleston, but this time with Stephen - June 2017 for Pretty in the Pines' wedding!
74. Visit a national park
75. Travel to 3 new states
- Dallas, Texas, for Create and Cultivate (January 2016)
76. Go back to the Biltmore, but this time in spring
77. Travel to a new country - St. Lucia, for our Honeymoon!
74. Visit a national park
75. Travel to 3 new states
- Dallas, Texas, for Create and Cultivate (January 2016)
76. Go back to the Biltmore, but this time in spring
All the Fun
78. Make 10 new recipes from Pinterest
- This buffalo chicken recipe is my new go-to, whether on its own or as a burrito bowl topper
- Beyond in love with this quinoa dish
- Can't get enough Mexican food, so this salsa verde chicken is amazing
- I don't let myself cook pasta very often, but this stuffed shell recipe was so good!
- Made these delicious pork fajitas (but will definitely have the slaw and rice next time!)
- Tried this crockpot soup - perfect for a make-ahead meal and there's plenty to freeze for later!
- This crispy parmesan garlic chicken is a winner!
- Since I love a good crockpot meal, this Italian zucchini casserole is a great option.
- I made my own version of this chili lime chicken - and we've had it several times since!
- Another one of those "made my own versions" - but we made this baked cajun chicken - so good, but go easy on the cayenne (I made up my own measurements...)
79. Go to 3 concerts
- Avett Brothers -- Azalea Festival (April 2016)
- Tim McGraw & Faith Hill - October 2017
81. Watch 5 documentaries
83. Take a surfing lesson
86. Try at least one restaurant during Wilmington Restaurant Week
87. Hang curtains in my bedroom
88. Watch the sunrise at Wrightsville with Stephen
- The Magnolia Story
- Me Before You
- The One and Only
- Lies and Other Acts of Love
- Silver Girls
- The Rumor
- Everyone Worth Knowing
- Where We Belong
- The Matchmaker
- The Things We Do for Love
- Pink Lies
- The Identicals
- First Comes Love
- Here's to Us
- Beautiful Day
- Slightly South of Simple
- The Secret to Southern Charm
- Girl, Wash Your Face
- Winter Solstice
- Grace, Not Perfection
- The Blue Bistro
- Two by Two
- At First Sight
- Firefly Lane
- True Colors
- Hurricane Sisters
- The Lucky One
- Forever Summer
- One Week to the Wedding
- Weekenders
90. Refinish a piece of furniture
91. Try a cooking class
92. Have afternoon tea at the Plaza Hotel - we stayed there but somehow never had tea
93. Cook every night for one week
94. Go zip-lining
95. Read a Royal Family memoir
96. Throw a surprise party (helped throw a surprise engagement party - read about it here - March 2016)
97. Have a picnic
98. Learn calligraphy
99. Try 10 new restaurants in Wilmington
100. Buy a pair of true designer heels (purchased in New York in September 2016 - Louboutins for wedding!)
101. Save $5 for every goal completed
92. Have afternoon tea at the Plaza Hotel - we stayed there but somehow never had tea
93. Cook every night for one week
94. Go zip-lining
95. Read a Royal Family memoir
98. Learn calligraphy
- Fork & Cork - April 2016
- Beer Barrio - April 2016
- Clean Eatz - June 2016
- Dixie Grill - August 2016
- Johnny Luke's - September 2016
- Pembroke's - November 2016
- Pinpoint Restaurant - December 2016
- Halligan's Pub - December 2016
- Blackfin - Summer 2017
Here are a few of my favorite goal lists:
Mackenzie Horan of Design Darling (creator of 101 in 1,001)
Shelby of Pretty in the Pines
Emily of Life with Emily Blog
Katey of Chronicles of Frivolity