It's a New Year!

Happy New Year! I know this post is coming about twenty-two hours late, but I was out having a blast with some of my best friends at midnight. And then, of course, we came back and passed out.

{yes, those are cosmopolitans...the bar we went to last night wasn't very organized and forgot to give us the bottle of champagne that came with our bottle service. We weren't too disappointed though, since they did give us the last bottle of Grey Goose in the place...}

Needless to say, I wasn'ted exactly functional until about noon today, and instead of posting, I decided that the New Year meant a facelift for my little blog here.

What do you think?

I did it all myself, and I just have to say, I'm a little proud.

But enough of that. I just can't get over that it's 2011 {which hit me earlier this morning as I wrote our rent check...}. It seemed like just yesterday I drank too much wine and passed out in the bathroom at 10:00 on December 31st, 2009...

But 2010 was truly an amazing year. In the past twelve months, I got a great full-time job; I moved out of my parents' house and into our very first apartment; my husband {then fiance} graduated from college {and got into grad school}; and I married my best friend. Regardless of the downs {believe me, there were plenty}, I have to say that 2010 has been the best year of my life yet {and I'm not just saying it to be cheesy}.

Even so, I've already resolved that 2011 is going to be even better. And so I guess it's time to formally introduce my list of 101 Things in 1001 Days. That's right, instead of just New Year's Resolutions {which I do make, even if some feel like they are pointless}, I've decided that I need to work toward something. So, I made the list.

1. Write 101 notes and send them to loved ones, just because (0/101)
2. Write 50 thank you notes (0/50)
3. Get out of the country
4. Go to Europe
5. Finish writing a book
6. Get published
7. Find a way to exercise that I enjoy, and stick with it
8. See all movies on AFI’s top 100 movies (9/100)
9. Learn another language
10. Donate $1,001 to charity (0/$1,001)
11. Complete my wear-everything challenge
12. Write a wine review
13. Run a 5k
14. See a ballet
15. Have a party
16. See Taylor Swift in concert
17. Consider buying a home
18. Go camping
19. Go to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl
20. Read 101 new books (0/101)
21. Find the perfect little black dress
22. Master the red lipstick
23. Start and keep a journal
24. Do 10 “What I’m Wearing” posts (0/10)
25. Go on a cruise
26. Try 101 new recipes (0/101)
27. Buy a good camera
28. Make a portfolio of 1001 pictures that I take (0/1001)
29. Reach 500 blog posts (74/500)
30. Go to Las Vegas
31. See Cirque du Soleil
32. Go to Chow-Chows in Boston with Carrie and Jocelyn. Get drunk off a scorpion bowl…
33. Buy a bottle of wine costing at least $100
34. Take anniversary pictures
35. Take (more) boudoir pictures
36. Send my future self a letter
37. Host a giveaway on my blog
38. Get into grad school
39. Pay off my debt
40. Get to 101 followers on my blog (32/101)
41. Shop in downtown LA’s fashion district
42. Go to 5 awards shows (0/5)
43. Make a cake for someone
44. Make a wedding album
45. Make a scrapbook album
46. Make sushi
47. Get a dog
48. Write a letter to my future children
49. Visit Paris
50. Take a pole dancing class
51. Find a new favorite drink
52. Do something I’m afraid of
53. Make a book with my 101 favorite quotes (0/101)
54. Buy myself flowers once a week for six months straight
55. Run/walk for a cause
56. Make a gift for someone
57. Make a book of recipes
58. Write down my favorite recipes from my grandparents
59. Send someone flowers
60. Attend a red carpet event
61. Meet someone famous
62. Make a candlelit dinner
63. Take a ballet class
64. Find the perfect bikini
65. Go wine tasting in Napa
66. Take a vacation by myself
67. Sing somewhere
68. Be on TV
69. Find the perfect sunglasses
70. Buy a designer handbag
71. Figure out what I believe
72. Eat Brazilian BBQ
73. Volunteer 101 hours of my time to a good cause (0/101)
74. Find something I'm good at making and sell it on Etsy
75. Send 25 birthday cards (0/25)
76. Spend a weekend at a spa
77. Take pictures and send out Christmas cards (on time) (0/2)
78. Find a church
79. Donate blood
80. Take a cooking class
81. Become a purposeful shopper/cook (i.e. buy organic, locally, free range, etc.)
82. Find a pen pal
83. Sponsor a child in a different country
84. Make homemade jam
85. Make spaghetti sauce from scratch
86. Buy a piece of original art
87. Have a guest blogger
88. Write a letter to someone I admire, but have never met
89. Join {another} wine club
90. Stop biting my nails
91. Not worry about money for an entire month
92. Finish our wedding time capsule
93. Be an extra in a movie
94. Be happy with my body and my looks
95. Do something illegal
96. Do five random acts of kindness to people in need (0/5)
97. Design and make a piece of clothing for myself
98. Go fishing and cook/eat what I catch
99. Become passionate about {another} social issue
100. Buy monogrammed stationary
101.Try absinthe

I have until September 28th of 2013 to  finish all 101 things on this list, and I've actually already started some of them!

For instance, number eight, "see all 100 movies on AFI's top 100 movies;" I've obviously seen a few of those movies already, but since I had a wonderful and glorious eleven day vacation {which sadly ends on Monday}, I've a bit of free time on my hands. And we are extraordinarily lucky to live five minutes from a movie theater that shows old movies once a week! So, on Thursday, I found the courage to go see A Clockwork Orange.

Surprisingly enough, I actually enjoyed this movie {with the exception of the part where they pinned his eyelids open...couldn't really stomach that...}. Next week we are seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey, and in two weeks it's Full Metal Jacket.

I am so very excited to start this list, and I'm so excited to start this new year with all of you! 2010 was fabulous {like I said before}, especially because I discovered the wonderful world of blogging. And I know that 2011 will only bring more fun and surprised. So stay tuned!

Lots of love,