Summer Bucket List // 2017

I'm a little late on this one... but here's my summer bucket list! I think it has been a few years since I've made one, so I am excited to give it another go! :)

Summer Bucket List 2017

make pound cake for strawberries

have a picnic
watch BBC (Colin Firth) P&P - I've never seen it!!
start 2017 PL album

try Korean BBQ

see new Pirates of the Caribbean movie

see new gallery at The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
sort through some boxes in the basement (at least 5)

go to Shakespeare in the park
see wonder woman

go to KC's grandparent's farm

visit the Spencer Museum of Art - after the renovation! 

do something fun on my birthday

try 3 new restaurants
apply for Kelly Purkey's Creative Team

try making mochas at home again

visit as many Free Little Libraries as I can in LFK
get "painkillers" at Bon, Bon!
go to a concert

have a game night!

complete the library summer reading challenge - done!

start Erin's 7.0 Reading Challenge

make videos for 2016 PL album
try 5 new recipes
have a sno cone at Tad's Tropical Sno
find a dress for my SIL's wedding
take a road trip
get outside at night
try a new coffee place

What are you hoping to accomplish this summer?

What are your favorite summer traditions?

XO,

Alexandra

Fall Movie Bucket List // 2015

I looove to get seasonal. 

I like a good themed party, a seasonal menu, festive playlists, corny socks, and a list of movies to match the holiday or season. 

Here you have my Fall Movie Bucketlist. Filled with movies and shows that are witchy, spooky, magical, silly... and everything else really. I tend to gravitate toward things with a dark plot or streak, especially in tv shows, so I'm extra excited for this season's watching! :) 

I haven't seen a lot of these, but I am SO excited to! I may have checked off 3 over the weekend! (whistling emoji)

Here we go, by category!

Witch-y Movies

Hocus Pocus
Practical Magic
Teen Witch
Witches of Eastwick
Bell Book and Candle
The Witches (90's & 40's)
The Craft
I Married A Witch
The Crucible
Death Becomes Her
Stardust

Halloween-y // Spooky

Hotel Transylvania I & II
Beetlejuice

Psycho
A Young Frankenstein
The Addams Family
Rebecca
Crimson Peak
Woman in Black

Fall Type Movies // Movies That Remind Me of Fall

The Proposal
Dan in Real Life
One Fine Day
Mystic Pizza
When Harry Met Sally
St. Elmo's Fire

Non-Witchy Magic // Magician-y

The Illusionist
The Prestige
Now You See Me
Scoop
Magic In the Moonlight - though let's be real, this is a summery movie....
New York Stories

Costume-y

These

Throw in some episodes of:

Witches of East End
The Munsters
The Addams Family
Bewitched
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
The Vampire Diaries
The Originals
Supernatural

Have you seen any of these movies or shows? 

Do you gravitate toward things with a dark mood? 

What are you hoping to watch this fall?

XO,

Alexandra

Fall Bucket List // 2015

Wednesday marked the beginning of fall! Hooray! Onward to cooler weather, layered outfits, and lots of baking. Not to mention the leaves!

Here are 25 things on my Fall Bucket List, what's on yours?

eat cider donuts
drink cider
go to the pumpkin patch
DIY costumes with Kyle
have a Halloween party
chili & game night party
see Crimson Peak, it looks gorgeous and terrifying all at once!
bake treats and give them away
find the perfect moto jacket and buy it!
address some lovely fall themed envelopes for my samples
get my stationery website up and running
go camping

play in the leaves, or at least crunch them

iced pumpkin juice - KC's been reading Harry Potter... :) 

go to a cool evening football game

carve pumpkins

make pumpkin pie
pick apples, make a pie
make pie crusts for the holidays and freeze them (#allthepie)

work on some scrapbooking pages
read witchy books
go to the renaissance festival
finish season 2 of Witches of East End... and then cry because it's over :( :( :(
view the trees from somewhere up high
decorate some fall or Halloween themed sugar cookies

I realized along the way that I have SO many movies I want to watch this season... I'm making a separate post for those, stay tuned, if you are into that kind of thing.

What do you want to do this fall?

XO,

Alexandra

Fall Bucket List Review 2014

Can you guys believe that it is winter already? I feel like fall flew by!

I am so excited for sparkly snowy days, Christmas (this week!?), cozy nights at home, and cuddles with Duchess and KC!

 Here's a look at how the Fall Bucket List went! :)

Fall Bucket List Review 2014

1) Read 10 Books (1 being the cat environmental enrichment book I bought) -(3 1/2)
2) Try a new board game
3) Watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie
4) DIY Halloween costumes for me and KC
5) Watch Hocus Pocus
6) Enjoy Seattle and Victoria (BC)
7) Have cider (donuts, slushes, .... everything!)
8) Go to the speakeasy
 9) Play with wardrobe and find lots of cozy layered outfits to post about
10) Watch a 'scary' black and white movie
11) Have a Halloween party
12) Plan a future vacation (you know, in advance.. )
13) Get pumpkins & decorate
14) DIY makeover for our bar cart
15) Cuddle :)
16) Eat chili and cornbread
17) Wear boots as much as possible
18) Try a new Thanksgiving recipe
19) OPEN ETSY SHOP! ADD ITEMS! (maybe all caps will get it done this season.)
20) Go for a walk and enjoy the leaves changing

21) Make a pumpkin dessert
22) Roast a chicken
23) Write down family stories
24) Learn more family stories
25) Try a new cocktail recipe (fall themed one?)
26) Make a schedule for upcoming trips! - tentative ;) 
27) Finish making cleaning schedules and begin using them
28) Learn how to use dad's DSLR / start practicing
29) Purchase glasses (or at least choose, the ones I finally chose are no longer available... ) - Readers!
30) See a classic movie at Liberty Hall (or the like)
31) Have a pancake or waffle breakfast (pumpkin waffles ...)
32) Wear hats!
33) Make macarons
34) Add to milk glass collection
35) Attend a fall event or party

36) Take a lot of pictures (especially including KC and myself!)
37) Keep to our budget plan
38) Have a girls night
39) Try a new DIY 
40) Find 10 new outfit combos 
41) Find a few fall couple's traditions
42) Try knitting again!
43) Finish two more pieces that need updated on my blog
44) Finish another piece of our bedroom de-clutter project
45) Hang more things on our walls
46) Work on mug wall display
47) Go to Ikea (eat meatballs)
48) Try a new soup recipe - pioneer woman chili 
49) Try again to find the perfect cozy knit slouchy scarf
50) Figure out how to get my music on my phone... (without losing things from my old computer).

Other accomplishments: 

Got to see friends in town from Boston!
Got to see friends before they move to Chicago!
Finally finished Anne of Green Gables!!
Completed mug wall display!
Hung up vintage state plates in a new wall collage.
Rearranged our apartment - I love it!
Meeting some awesome new bloggers. :) 
Done with our Christmas shopping!
KC completed new scratching posts for Duchess + most of the upgrades to her cat tree.
Baked for FUN & Enjoyed it - boy was I burnt out after 2012!
Got to go to Minneapolis and spend an awesome fall day with Emy & Matthew
Watched several classic / cult classic movies at Liberty Hall.  - A 2014 Goal & A 1,001 in 101 Goal.

Did you guys set fall goals? 

How did you do?

What are you hoping to do this winter? 

I'll have a Winter Bucket List up soon! 

XO,

Alexandra 

Fall Bucket List 2014

Happy Fall!

I am so excited for cool weather, layers, a vacation and fun with family and friends.

This year I decided to do another Fall Bucket List! Check it out!

1) Read 10 Books (1 being the cat environmental enrichment book I bought)
2) Try a new board game
3) Watch an Alfred Hitchcock movie
4) DIY Halloween costumes for me and KC
5) Watch Hocus Pocus
6) Enjoy Seattle and Victoria (BC)
7) Have cider (donuts, slushes, .... everything!)
8) Go to the speakeasy
9) Play with wardrobe and find lots of cozy layered outfits to post about
10) Watch a 'scary' black and white movie
11) Have a Halloween party
12) Plan a future vacation (you know, in advance.. )
13) Get pumpkins & decorate
14) DIY makeover for our bar cart
15) Cuddle :)
16) Eat chili and cornbread
17) Wear boots as much as possible
18) Try a new Thanksgiving recipe
19) OPEN ETSY SHOP! ADD ITEMS! (maybe all caps will get it done this season.)
20) Go for a walk and enjoy the leaves changing
21) Make a pumpkin dessert
22) Roast a chicken
23) Write down family stories
24) Learn more family stories
25) Try a new cocktail recipe (fall themed one?)
26) Make a schedule for upcoming trips!
27) Finish making cleaning schedules and begin using them
28) Learn how to use dad's DSLR / start practicing
29) Purchase glasses (or at least choose, the ones I finally chose are no longer available... )
30) See a classic movie at Liberty Hall (or the like)
31) Have a pancake or waffle breakfast (pumpkin waffles ...)
32) Wear hats!
33) Make macarons
34) Add to milk glass collection
35) Attend a fall event or party
36) Take a lot of pictures (especially including KC and myself!)
37) Keep to our budget plan
38) Have a girls night
39) Try a new DIY
40) Find 10 new outfit combos
41) Find a few fall couple's traditions
42) Try knitting again!
43) Finish two more pieces that need updated on my blog
44) Finish another piece of our bedroom de-clutter project
45) Hang more things on our walls
46) Work on mug wall display
47) Go to Ikea (eat meatballs)
48) Try a new soup recipe
49) Try again to find the perfect cozy knit slouchy scarf
50) Figure out how to get my music on my phone... (without losing things from my old computer).

What are you planning or hoping to do this fall?

I would love to hear what your favorite part of the season is!

Need more ideas? Check out last year's Fall Bucket List!

Thank you for reading!

Alexandra

Summer Bucket List Review 2014

As of yesterday evening it is officially fall! Ironically enough the weather is going to be in the 80's all week... 

Since it is the first full day of fall... here you have my summer bucket list review! (and a lot of photos from my summer. :) ) 

I did pretty well! Many of them were too ($) lofty for a summer with a month between jobs and budgeting for a fall trip.. .but it's good to be ambitious. :) And either way we had a very nice summer!

Here you go!

1) Try Russian Food (part of a 2014 goal)

2) Travel (even if that just means in Kansas City)

3) Do lots of Yoga, Dancing etc. 

4) Organize Photos on My Computer (it's a mess...) - Started!

5) Watch Roman Holiday

6) Get some hot curlers

7) Get some plants for inside & on balcony

8) Try Tortas Jaliscos 

9) Organize Pinterest boards into sub groups -   started!
10) Try Caribbean food

11) Open & Put Items in my Etsy store

12) Read! Participate in summer reading program? - missed it.

13) Paint tiny canvasses (Also a 2014 goal) - painted a relatively small mat board... sketched a small canvas that's ready to be painted... 

14) Major organization and cleaning of bedroom & closet - halfway

15) Get furniture onto our balcony, make it a place we want to spend time!

16) Go to the Basil Leaf Cafe

17) Find a red lip color that I like - bought a few, haven't played with them much yet

18) Go to the original Arthur Bryant's in KC

19) Try Alchemy Coffee

20) Shampoo carpets (practically a party animal you guys..)

21) Watch the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

22) Go to Juice Stop

23) Go bowling

24) Go to free/cheap Buzz concerts - just the one before I made this list

25) Eat at Terrebonne

26) Watch Space Jam with Kyle

27) Get sno cones at Tad's Tropical Sno -Twice!

28) Try Limestone Pizza

29) Enjoy my birthday

30) Try out our complex's pool

31) Go thrifting (a lot) 

32) Try a new board game

33) Make two new pies - got ingredients to make one... 

34) Do something unexpected  -Guardians of the Galaxy

35) Plan trip for the fall - tickets are booked!

36) Make lots of Pimm's Cups! (already making good headway on this... ;) ) 

37) Use that darn sewing machine! (Finally!?) 

38) Go to one bigger flea market in Kansas (KC, Lawrence, Troy...) 

39) Work on Travel Scrapbook

40) Go to the drive in

41) Make & drink Sangria

42) Host a super-fab bachelorette party for my sister

43) Make & Eat S'mores! (as much as possible!)

44) Go to a Sporting KC game, or at least buy tickets for a fall game

45) Go to Westport Food Truck Festival - Missed it. :(

46) Finish Veronica Mars series & movie

47) Upcycle some of my thrifted finds that I have good intentions for.. :) 

48) write at least 15 blog posts! - yep!

49) Have people over (more than 3 people), at least twice (I)

50) Have fun.

Other Accomplishments/Things of Note:

Cooked at home more
Tried several new-to-us restaurants not on the list
Successfully got my sister married & on her honeymoon (and back)!
Went to the Renaissance Festival with my family
Attended three weddings
Had many successful thrifting hauls
Saw a few more classic/cult classic movies from my 2014 Goal list
Drank lots of homemade cold press (YUM)
Learned a lot of family stories from my dad
Borrowed a DSLR from my dad (need to start using it!!)
Caught up on and started watching some new shows on Netflix... :) 
Went to see a crazy (for us) amount of movies out. Could now definitively rank and give all necessary information on every theatre in the KC area.... 

Did you guys set summer goals? How did you do?

Are you making goals for fall? What is on yours?

Fall Bucket List coming soon!

XO,

Alexandra

Oh yeah... did you happen to check out my 101 in 1,001 post? Long term goals are fun! :) 

Summer Bucket List 2014!

This summer is kind of an odd one for us. We have both resigned from our teaching (subbing for me) jobs and are moving on to new things this summer. However, we have the month of June off before we begin working in July. Sadly, because of this change in income, we will have delayed checks for our summer work. This means, no June getaways, or July getaways, or August getaways. We also have some very dear friends moving across the country. They will be sorely missed. Because of all of this I'm kind of bummed about our summer. 

Sure a lot of great things are happening; new jobs with both higher pay and lower stress, a month at home to relax after a hard school year..., our cat has been spayed, we've decided not to move apartments... all of these things are very, very good. 

But I'm still feeling a little underwhelmed with the lack of fun plans and trips right now. So I am making this bucket list this summer in the hopes that it helps me focus on doing exciting and new things... even when we are staying close to home.

So here you have it, the ultimate bucket list for making the most of our summer at home! 

No really guys, I am going to be optimistic on this one... !

1) Try Russian Food (part of a 2014 goal)

2) Travel (even if that just means in Kansas City)

3) Do lots of Yoga, Dancing etc. 

4) Organize Photos on My Computer (it's a mess...)

5) Watch Roman Holiday

6) Get some hot curlers

7) Get some plants for inside & on balcony

8) Try Tortas Jaliscos 

9) Organize Pinterest boards into sub groups

10) Try Caribbean food

11) Open & Put Items in my Etsy store

12) Read! Participate in summer reading program?

13) Paint tiny canvasses (Also a 2014 goal)

14) Major organization and cleaning of bedroom & closet (already started! whoop!)

15) Get furniture onto our balcony, make it a place we want to spend time!

16) Go to the Basil Leaf Cafe

17) Find a red lip color that I like

18) Go to the original Arthur Bryant's in KC

19) Try Alchemy Coffee

20) Shampoo carpets (practically a party animal you guys..)

21) Watch the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

22) Go to Juice Stop

23) Go bowling

24) Go to free/cheap Buzz concerts

25) Eat at Terrebonne

26) Watch Space Jam with Kyle

27) Get sno cones at Tad's Tropical Sno

28) Try Limestone Pizza

29) Enjoy my birthday

30) Try out our complex's pool

31) Go thrifting (a lot) 

32) Try a new board game

33) Make two new pies 

34) Do something unexpected

35) Plan trip for the fall

36) Make lots of Pimm's Cups! (already making good headway on this... ;) ) 

37) Use that darn sewing machine! (Finally!?) 

38) Go to one bigger flea market in Kansas (KC, Lawrence, Troy...) 

39) Work on Travel Scrapbook

40) Go to the drive in

41) Make & drink Sangria

42) Host a super-fab bachelorette party for my sister

43) Make & Eat S'mores! (as much as possible!)

44) Go to a Sporting KC game, or at least buy tickets for a fall game

45) Go to Westport Food Truck Festival

46) Finish Veronica Mars series & movie

47) Upcycle some of my thrifted finds that I have good intentions for.. :) 

48) write at least 15 blog posts!

49) Have people over (more than 3 people), at least twice

50) Have fun.

See lists from 2012 & 2013, here & here!

The reviews and other goal posts can be found here.

What do you all have planned for the summer?!

What do you hope to accomplish?

I hope that whether you are spending the whole few months backpacking across Europe or enjoying your hometown you are able to make the most of it! 

Happy Summer! 

Alexandra 

Fall Bucket List 2013

Happy fall friends! 

I know it has been fall for almost a month now.. but let's be honest... the temperatures are still in the mid 80's here... it doesn't quite feel like fall yet! :)

I have started posting my yearly goals and summer bucket lists here, and thought doing every season might be fun and help keep me from looking too far ahead (ahem, Christmas anyone..?). 

Plus, I'm not going to lie... I'm not much of a fall girl. Don't get me wrong: it's gorgeous, the temps drop, the clothes and food are great... but it's just never been my season. But this year I am determined to make the very most of it, and fall in love with fall.

So here you have it folks, my very first Fall Bucket List!

leaf image via.

eat cider donuts from the farmer's market

watch Hotel Transylvania

get cider slushes at Reese's

visit the pumpkin patch

find a Halloween goodie to pass out at school

have a small board game night

watch Hocus Pocus

come up with some type of fall decor for our apartment

bake pumpkin bread

post my first outfit posts, with some cozy fall fashion!

make the AMAZING pumpkin waffle recipe from last year!

come up with some type of clever and original Halloween costumes & one normal one for school

go to the renaissance festival

attempt to read our palms

thrift some amazing finds

watch Clue

pick out and decorate pumpkins 

have some small dinner parties (double dates?)

play in the leaves

acquire the perfect slouchy, cozy knit scarf... and wear it daily

take pictures of the season!

come up with some type of gratitude project 

go to the Baldwin Maple Leaf Festival

try a new pie recipe

make baked goods for fall and Halloween to share at work

acquire some type of seating for our balcony for scenery watching and cuddling in the nice weather

wear my brown boots as much as possible!

have both of our families over for dinner 

cozy up with some classic novels

try 10 new soup recipes

go stargazing (with a cozy blanket)

take some cute couple-y photos

start a gratitude journal again

one last thought

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." 

-Albert Camus

What are your goals for fall?

Or your favorite fall traditions?

I want to know!

Thank you for reading!

Alexandra

Previous Fall/Halloween Posts:

Halloween 2012

Last Minute Costume Instruction

Halloween 2010

What happened to Halloween 2011? ;)

Summer Bucket List Review // 2013

We're back to school (preschool :) )... so it seems like time to review the summer bucket list..

Here's what I did this summer!

1) watch Funny Face  (so good!)

2) open a safety deposit box

3) take a road trip, short or long (Omaha / Ozarks)

4) make a s'mores recipe from my s'mores pinterest board

We made these s'more cookies. YUM! - a lot like a regular chocolate chip cookie, but with a scone-y texture! Try them! Image credit to Crazy for Crust blog.

5) order a rivet and sway try on kit

I ordered two try on kits, please vote! I have one more coming soon! :) Try on 1. Try on 2.

6) read 5 books, 2 must be classics 
- I read 5 books, but only 1 classic.

7) see the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit at the Nelson (I won tickets!)

8) buy new potted herbs and plant them
I bought lavender seeds, and then non-herb plants (viola seeds and a tomato seed plant)

9) play in the rain

10) try a new margarita recipe

11) start my travel scrapbook

12) go to a flea market ( a big one! )

13) Host 3 gatherings
-game night, dinner with each set of parents, several double dates out. :) 

14) have a sleepover with my sisters

15) make a recipe from Rustic Fruit Desserts

16) sketch
-ideas for our new place

17) find an apartment

18) finish reading Curly Girl

19) make plans for global movie nights

20) make inspirational wall art

21) experience somewhere completely new

22) try a new lemonade recipe

23) have a picnic

24) sew something

-Lots and lots of felt flowers :) 

25) see 5 new places in Kansas (glace, back road to new apt.,)

26) watch BBC's Persuasion

27) see Celtic Woman

In Omaha!

28) publish 15 blog posts (on this blog) (15)

29) make fresh angel food or pound cake to eat with strawberries and homemade whipped topping.

30) do something I wouldn't normally do

Went to a Royal's game. And it was actually fun! The experience was nice... not so much the baseball.. :) 

31) participate in the Lawrence Public Library's summer reading program

32) see a fireworks show
-at the Royal's game

33) go swimming
In the Ozarks!

34) see the ocean

35) make kebabs! (or just eat them..)
-do fruit kebabs count?? :) 

36) go to Schlitterbahn

37) go to birdies

38) try gelato

39) send mail 

40) meet 3 new people and get to know them!
-The couple we ate with on the cruise and three of Kyle's friends :) 

How did your summer bucket list go? Leave a comment with a link and I'll check out your list! :) 

Looking forward to fall, and making a list of things to do! :)

All for now,

Alexandra

Summer Bucket List 2013

Finally....

1) watch Funny Face

2) open a safety deposit box

3) take a road trip, short or long

4) make a s'mores recipe from my s'mores pinterest board

5) order a rivet and sway try on kit

6) read 5 books, 2 must be classics

7) see the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit at the Nelson (I won tickets!)

8) buy new potted herbs and plant them

9) play in the rain

10) try a new margarita recipe

11) start my travel scrapbook

12) go to a flea market ( a big one! )

13) Host 3 gatherings

14) have a sleepover with my sisters

15) make a recipe from Rustic Fruit Desserts

16) sketch

17) find an apartment

18) finish reading Curly Girl

19) make plans for global movie nights

20) make inspirational wall art

21) experience somewhere completely new

22) try a new lemonade recipe

23) have a picnic

24) sew something

25) see 5 new places in Kansas

26) watch BBC's Persuasion

27) see Celtic Woman

28) publish 15 blog posts (on this blog)

29) make fresh angel food or pound cake to eat with strawberries and homemade whipped topping

30) do something I would never normally do

31) participate in the Lawrence Public Library's summer reading program

32) see a fireworks show

33) go swimming

34) see the ocean

35) make kebabs! (or just eat them..)

36) go to Schlitterbahn

37) go to birdies

38) try gelato

39) send mail 

40) meet 3 new people and get to know them!

Check out last years list, here.

What is on your summer bucket list?

All for now,

Alexandra

See how I did! Check out my end-of-the-summer review here.