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! :) 

Snapshots of Jack White // August 2014

KC is a really big Jack White fan. We go to so many concerts, but Jack White has been pretty elusive... up until this year. The Buzz (our local alternative station) hosted a Jack White show at the Midland in August. We were so excited, and amazingly managed to get tickets before they sold out!

Before this summer I would have called myself a Jack White fan... but with his Lazaretto album release I became a lot more intentional with my listening.. and became a much bigger fan. Which ended up being great timing, since we later got tickets for mid-August. I think a lot of this is because I tend to prefer the Raconteurs style, to the Dead Weather style which has been a little more prominent in the past five or so years.

The venue is an old ornate theater that has been turned into the perfect place to see live music. The inside is gorgeous, full of chandeliers, marble columns and draped curtains.

The tickets were nearly all GA so we were standing, and we were luckily able to find spots at the top of the first railing, which made for an amazing view of the stage!

It was also kind of fun to be in the crowd where everyone is getting really into the music.

We usually get seats and don't have that experience. (though there are good and bad things about that. :) )

The music was incredible. I suppose that's kind of a given. But I don't think it's possible to imagine how incredible it is without actually being there. Every song, even ones I didn't know, were just flawless. His energy and his band's energy was relentless, and every song was made that much better for it. The crowd knew what they were there for, they soaked up every second, I've never seen a more energetic audience.

It's clear that these people love what they are doing. Just the fact that White was frantically calling out song names as they played, and it didn't change the quality a bit was incredible, and that much more thrilling to the audience.

For those of you who have been hearing about any of White's social media exposure might have been hearing about his 'scowl' or 'Sad Jack White Face' (referring to the look of disdain frequently photographed on his resting face, especially at baseball games), you won't find that expression in the room when he plays. He's concentrated, he's passion filled and you can even catch him smile.

Another thing buzzing around social media was his hair cut. He has looked a lot like Johnny Depp for the past 15 years... but he recently got a Elvis Presley meets undercut type of 'do. Many people were criticizing it on social media (even from a picture where you can't fully see it), claiming that he looked just like every other hipster rock group front man. Oh you fools, Jack White is only ever Jack White. He debuted this look at the Kansas City show, and I can tell you that it didn't make a bit of difference to anyone.

Before White's set began it was announced that he wanted to discourage the over use of cell phones during the performance, and would make his professional live photos available for free download and use the next day on his website. I think that's really awesome. I did take a few of my own, just to have them, but it really helped me enjoy the show more! So the pictures you see here are from his official website, and were photographed by David James Swanson.

Set list: ( * denotes personal favorites ) - set list via The Pitch.
Fell in Love With a Girl (The White Stripes)* ( here )
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (The White Stripes)* ( here )
High Ball Stepper 
Temporary Ground* ( here ) 
Hotel Yorba (The White Stripes)* ( here ) 
Weep Themselves to Sleep* ( here ) 
Missing Pieces 
Top Yourself (The Raconteurs)
Cannon (The White Stripes)
Ball and Biscuit / How Many More Times / In The Mood (John Lee Hooker)
Blunderbuss 
We're Going to Be Friends (The White Stripes)
Love Interruption 
I'm Slowly Turning Into You (The White Stripes)
____
Icky Thump / Man On The Silver Mountain (The White Stripes)
Lazaretto* ( here )  
Astro (The White Stripes)
Sixteen Saltines 
Three Women* ( here ) 
Steady, As She Goes (The Raconteurs)
Hello Operator (The White Stripes)
Would You Fight for My Love? * ( here ) 
The Hardest Button to Button / That Black Bat Licorice* / Screwdriver (The White Stripes)  
( here )
Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes)

Others I love that were not played: 

Old Enough (The Raconteurs) 
Hands (The Raconteurs) 
Level (The Raconteurs) 
Together (The Raconteurs) 
Carolina Drama (The Raconteurs) 
Jolene (The White Stripes)
Portland Oregon - Duet with Loretta Lynn 
I'm Shakin' (Blunderbuss)
Love is Blindness (The Great Gatsby Soundtrack)
Rolling in on a Burning Tire (The Dead Weather, Eclipse Soundtrack)
Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine (The White Stripes)

While the entire band is extremely talented, I now have the hugest girl crush on Lily Mae Rische, the vocalist, violinist and mandolin player of the group.

 Extreme talent.

Overall I would say that the show was incredible, definitely in my top four! - and that's including having beer spilled on me during the opening song, all the pot and watching someone pass out! :)

Have you seen Jack White live?

What is your favorite song?

All for Now,

Alexandra

12 Sweet Pie Recipes for Summertime!

I love pie. Don't you guys love pie?

Our city recently got a diner (a real one!), and they serve... you guessed it!... pie! :) We had dinner there, and the pie (which we got to go) was divine!

Which reminded me, that my Summer Bucket List mentioned making two new pies... I need to get on that! While looking for ideas, I made this list of 12 pie recipes that I found on Pinterest! While great at any time of year, they would be especially fantastic for summer!

1) Apricot Raspberry Galette - Gluten free!
2) Patriotic Pie - While a bit late this year, this pie would be lovely for the 4th!
3) Peach Pie - Peach is my favorite!
4) Strawberry Peach Tart - I have yet to eat or make a strawberry pie! Maybe it's time?
5) Cherry Hand Pies - Cherry is KC's favorite!
6) Blueberry Peach -  or try this one from Becca @ Ladyface - It's gluten free & vegan too!
7) Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie - This is legit, no pudding involved!
8) Scarlett O'Hara Raspberry Pie - adorable name, may just make me try it!
9) Four Berry Pie -Mmmm...
10) Blackberry Crumb Pie - Crumble topping is hard to resist.... and super low maintenance!
11) Berry Apple Rhubarb Pie - Rhubarb is also a pie flavor I have never eaten or made!
12) Meyer Lemon Chess Pie - I have never had a chess pie.. but this looks delicious!

Is your mouth watering?

Perhaps you are feeling like pie is more effort than you have time for... try this no-fail fruit crisp recipe. My favorite combination so far is raspberry peach! I love how easy it is: put fruit in pan, top fruit with crumble, bake, eat... Top it with ice cream if you are feeling really crazy. And then eat the leftovers for breakfast... ;)

What is your favorite summer pie or dessert?

Pretty darn soon it's going to be time to start thinking about fall!

Exciting!!

XO,

Alexandra

*all images from the original source*

101 in 1,001 days

Have you seen these lists floating around? 

I (obviously... ) love setting goals. I love it because it helps me keep track of my achievements and dreams, but also because it pushes me to try new things. You've probably noticed plenty of yearly and seasonal goal lists on here, but what I haven't posted about before are long-term goals. This is probably because I want to do SO many things that my long term lists are constantly changing.... but when I saw Sarah's post about her 101 in 1,001 (here), I thought that it seemed like the perfect first long-term goal challenge! The list lasts for almost three years and is made up of items divided into categories. I love this idea because it's long term but not too overwhelming! (it's hard to know where you want to be 10 years from now!).

I will add links to posts about the things I complete as I go. :) - so click on those for details.

I officially started this list on the 20th of August 2014, so on the 16th of May 2017, almost 3 years later, I will reach the end, and tally my list! :) 

Here we go!

101 things in 1,001 days!

Personal -14

-move to a bigger place

-work for myself at least part-time (rotating work schedule)

-do yoga twice a week for at least one month

-enrich our home environment for the cat (see evidence that it is working)

-get another furry friend

-King sized bed

-move to a new city/state (or decide that we don't want to)

-have a full emergency fund

-pay double my student loan payment 3 times

-research vitamins, take some assortment of them (for at least 6 months)

-actually buy cool glasses in my prescription

-get a credit card

-buy an espresso machine

-design a new address stamp

Professional -15

-make blog business cards, put them in a cute case, carry them around

-open etsy store & sell things

-meet 3 of my blogger friends in person

-work on writing prompts once per month

-get a DSLR / lenses

-meet other Midwestern bloggers

-go to a blog conference

-have a booth at a flea market / show / sale

-join blogger groups

-have sponsored posts

-make money with ad space on my blog

-be published as a freelancer / on an web magazine etc.

-use my twitter once a day for a month

-participate in an A Beautiful Mess type photo challenge

-register my own domain name

Family/Friends -12

-write 50 letters to friends and family far away (138 - 8/5/15)

-have a monthly meal with my family and KC's family (at least 6 months in a year) - too late for my family

-be a bridesmaid again

-host a clue party 

-host 10 game nights (5 8/5/15)

-host 3 pinterest parties

-host 3 girls nights/brunches

-host 3 clothing swaps

-send 20 'just because' pieces of gifts / mail (2 - 8/5/15)

-throw someone an amazing party

-host a fiesta

-write down family stories (recorded dad telling stories 6/15)

Travel (regional) -7

-explore KC restaurant scene (find 5 new places I like)

-finish exploring the Saint Louis Art Museum

-go to Shakespeare in the park

-take the train to Chicago

-visit 10 new-to-me local restaurants (3 - 8/5/15) 

-go to a concert in Lawrence (downtown)

-try 10 new-to-me Lawrence coffee shops (1 - 8/5/15)

Travel (larger scale)-14

-visit Mari & Eric in San Fransisco

-visit Brittany & Tyler in Boston

-travel abroad

-go to Vegas

-go to Seattle

-check out Corvalis, OR

-see the Pacific Ocean

-visit family in Phoenix

-go back to Canada

-spend time on the beach with KC

-be in the mountains

-take a trip that involves more outdoor time (than typical)

-Tennessee / Kentucky road trip

-take another winter trip (to a winter-y place)

Adventure -7

-go kayaking

-go horseback riding

-go camping

-do 12 things I never expected to do

-go hiking 6 times - 1 (8/5/15)

-try Russian food

-see a new animal in the wild

Holidays -10

-DIY over-the-top couple's Halloween costumes

-establish 6 Christmas season traditions with KC - 3 so far

-send holiday cards to friends and family

-give all thrifted Christmas gifts one year

-have 'Friendsmas' again, preferably minus the snowstorm

-do a gratitude project at Thanksgiving

-be somewhere exciting on NYE

-have a St. Patrick's Day party

-start our own cinco de mayo tradition

-go somewhere or to an event for a holiday

Marriage - 8

-do something special for our anniversary

-have 4 official dates every month

-write down our favorite moments in marriage and look back on them on anniversaries

-take KC shopping for snazzy threads

-have 5 splurge-y dates (Rocco's in Seattle, Cafe Amelie in NOLA,)

-catch up on the 'yearly' anniversary gifts

-go to a football game together

-dance, we never get to dance (Jess & Kalor's Wedding, making up a hipster song, Kayla and Carl's Wedding)

Just for Fun - 14

-finish Jane Austen's novels (Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion,)

-finish F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels (The Great Gatsby,)

-put $10 into savings for each goal accomplished

-see Coldplay again

-pull off 12 new upcycling projects 4 - (state plates, mug wall display, ipod tripod, cut off shorts,)

-paint tiny pictures of Lawrence favorites / KC favorites

-photo shoot with KC

-go to at least one Sporting KC game

-take a class (cooking, arts center, online class...)

-learn about Dolly Parton, because she's amazing

-see 3 musicals, live

-see a pop icon in concert (JT, Christina, Shakira, Taylor Swift...?)

-see 10 classic or cult classic movies at Liberty Hall (or the like) (Wizard of Oz, Ghost Busters, A Young Frankenstein, Arsenic & Old Lace, It's A Wonderful Life, )

-make colored macarons 

Total: 101
Finished: 17
In Progress: 14

Since this list is long term, I will just edit this post as I complete things, so check back to the 'achieve' and 'long term' tabs above to see the progress. :) 

Have you started any long term goals? What are they?

Have you ever done a 101 goals in 1,001 days challenge? 

What about a 30 X 30 list, or the like?

I would love to hear about your goals! 

Thank you for reading!

Alexandra

For past goal lists and goal setting tips visit the 'achieve' tab above. Or click here.

Simply Summer Mix

There are still nineteen days left of summer.

Throughout the summer I've been crafting this little mix on Spotify, and I wanted to share it with you all. Listen to it here.

It's a mix of indie, alternative, pop and folksy songs that I've really been loving this season. Some older ones, some new ones, a bunch that I can't stop listening to... :)

For once I'm really wanting to savor the bit of summer that's left and these songs keep me feeling happy and content, especially during days at the office.

What are your favorite tracks this summer?

Let me know what you think of these songs. :) 

How gorgeous is the video for Hothouse?!?!

XO,

Alexandra