February 2015 Wrap-up and Monthly TBR

Hop on over to Booksessed to participate.

February's TBR Pile (6/9):

Nonfiction: Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton
Classic: Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton √
Book club selection: Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier √
Carry-over: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon √
Series pick: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
Dystopian: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Added: Seducing the Heiress by Olivia Drake √
Added: Never Trust a Rogue by Olivia Drake √
Added: Scandal of the Year by Olivia Drake √

Picture Book Roundup:

Love Monster by Rachel Bright
Under the Waves by Steph Hinton
My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni
Countasaurus by Megan Bryant
Shapeasaurus by Megan Bryant
Doggies by Sandra Boynton
In My Tree by Sara Gillingham
Snowman Surprise by Julia Woolf
Blue Hat Green Hat by Sandra Boynton
Stomp Dinosaur Stomp by Margaret Mayo
The Runaway Heart by Sylvia Christianson
Duck and Goose Colors by Tad Hills
Rescue Bunnies by Doreen Cronin
Winston the Book Wolf by Marni McGee
Barnyard Baby by Elise Broach

1,000,000 Page Goal

Monthly Total: 2226 pages Pages Remaining: 806,249 pages

Current Read - Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Books Won (0)

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Challenges Completed -- None yet, but making good progress.

Comments - I knocked out six books this month! That's a great number considering that I was reading Outlander for the first two weeks of the month. I've officially got my reading mojo back. Next month my TBR pile is sparse because I will be traveling to Indiana in the middle. I will probably finish the month reading random selections from my iPad.

March's TBR Pile:

Nonfiction: Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Book club selection: TBD March 1st
Carry-over: Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Series pick: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
Series Ender: Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Dystopian: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Scandal of the Year by Olivia Drake

Title: Scandal of the Year (Heiress in London #3)

Author: Olivia Drake

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 2011

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 345

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; A to Z - S; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W8

The youngest of the Crompton heiresses, Blythe yearns to marry into the aristocracy to bolster her family’s place in society. The widowed Duke of Savoy seems to be the perfect choice, yet it’s another man who sets her heart to pounding: the new footman, James. He’s devilishly handsome and far more fascinating than any of her noble suitors. And he alone has the power to stir her romantic dreams.

Little does she know, however, James Ryding is the true heir to the Crompton fortune. He’s posing as a servant in order to find evidence to prove her parents are imposters. By charming Blythe, he hopes to use her to regain his rightful inheritance. But as heat flares between them, he realizes that fulfilling his quest will mean ruining the beautiful, spirited woman who has captured his heart.

The storyline of this volume is ridiculous and yet I still fairly enjoyed the book. Obviously it is due to the characters. I really enjoyed Blythe and the rest of the family. James was less enjoyable, but I still felt for him. So an okay ending to the trilogy, but definitely not the strongest in the series.

Heiress in London:

FF #7: Boho Chic

I was feeling very bohemian today, so this is what I can up with. I love all the detailing on the shirt dress. I had to feature an outfit around it. The pants bring this outfit squarely into modern day. But the accessories are all 1970s. I'm especially loving the bracelets.

Calypso St Barth sequin shirt dress calypsostbarth.com

Black pants lucluc.com

Steve Madden strappy sandals lordandtaylor.com

Rebecca Minkoff leather fringe purse bloomingdales.com

Boho style jewelry samanthawills.com

LeiVanKash feather earrings $175 - avenue32.com

Thank You!

My thanks for this week:

1. Arthur: For getting sick, but being such a trooper through everything. As long as I gave him entertainment, he bravely got through it.

2. Amazon: For quick shipping on a new swim suit just in time for the retreat. I may have actually found one that fits, is flattering, and looks cute.

3. Alameda County Library: For making getting a library card quick and painless. We can't wait to check out all the branches.

4. Our vacuum: For cleaning up all the little pieces of crap that Arthur drops. It's an ongoing fight, but mostly we're winning it.

5. All my amazing mom friends: For an amazing retreat weekend. It was so relaxing and fun. I can't wait to do it again, (Maybe in 6 months?)

Quote Wednesday -- Hoffman

Love is like pi - natural, irrational, and very important. -- Lisa Hoffman

Never Trust a Rogue by Olivia Drake

Title: Never Trust a Rogue (Heiress in London #2)

Author: Olivia Drake

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 2010

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 308

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; A to Z - N; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W7

The wealthiest heiress of the season, Miss Lindsey Crompton finds detective work far more fascinating than social engagements—at least until she meets Thane Parker, the Earl of Mansfield. Thane is a paradox: a war hero and a cad, a wicked scoundrel and an indulgent guardian of his young ward. When Lindsey sneaks into his house to investigate his role in a series of murders, he blackmails her into a betrothal.
Thane has a secret life he keeps hidden from everyone, especially the infernally curious—and curiously alluring—Miss Crompton. Working with the Bow Street Runners, Thane is tracking a killer who may be one of Lindsey’s suitors. Even if their engagement is a ruse, the heat between Thane and Lindsey is undeniably real. And with a murderer on the loose, desire has never been so dangerous…

I loved Lindsey and Thane. Great characters for a nice little historical romance. I love that this one involved a mystery. I loved the connections to the first book in the series. I loved seeing more of Blythe. What I didn't love was the incredibly quick wrap-up of the last 15 pages. It was very rushed and hectic. I wanted to take my time with the revelation of the killer's identity and the affirmation of commitment from Lindsey and Thane. Instead we get a crazy few pages that made my head spin. Good romance, needed to be a bit longer.

Heiress in London:

#1 Seducing the Heiress
#2 Never Trust a Rogue
#3 Scandal of the Year

Music Monday - Kat Robichaud and The Darling Misfits "Somebody Call The Doctor"

Loving this right now... Maybe because I'm missing my doctor.

Photo of the Week #1

The sorry state of the baby this week. Green marker under the nose and a scrap on his forehead. Somehow he's still adorable...

FF #6: Retreat Weekend

Today, I'm in Russian River on a retreat with nine of my mom friends. We're planning on relaxing all weekend and definitely drinking a lot of wine. On Saturday night, we are going out for dinner. Other than that, I am planning on living in some comfy sweats and tee or my new retro bikini. There's a hot tub on the property! I'll be back home on Sunday night relaxed and ready to get back into every day life.

Sass bide sequin top

sassandbide.com

Black shirt

sheinside.com

Witchery knit pants

$78 - witchery.com.au

High waisted swimsuit

etsy.com

Faffole Slippers

yoox.com

Seducing the Heiress by Olivia Drake

Title: Seducing the Heiress (Heiress in London #1)

Author: Olivia Drake

Publisher: St. Martin's Press 2009

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 312

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Reduction; What's in a Name - Ing; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W6; New Authors

Her wealth and beauty have made Miss Portia Crompton the catch of the season. Secretly determined to wed the maharajah’s son she left behind in India, Portia ignores the money-hungry bucks who ply her with bouquets and bonbons. But one suitor will not be deterred: Colin Byrd, Viscount Ratcliffe. He is persistent and presumptuous—and wickedly tempting.
Colin has no delusions about romance. He’s a rogue, a womanizer, and a murderer, and seduction comes as easily to him as breathing. Portia’s fortune is an irresistible lure until Colin’s mercenary scheme hits a snag. Winning her dowry is no longer enough—he wants her heart and her passion. The more adamant she is in her refusal, the more determined he is to seduce her…

Every once in awhile, I love a good mindless historical romance. This one fulfilled that desire. I read in two sittings. Portia and Colin were great characters. The storyline was a bit predictable, but I still loved falling into the world for a little while. I'm definitely going to be grabbing the next book in the series to read this weekend at the retreat.

Heiress in London:

#1 Seducing the Heiress
#2 Never Trust a Rogue
#3 Scandal of the Year

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

Title: Ethan Frome

Author: Edith Wharton

Publisher: 1911

Genre: Classic Fiction

Pages: 99

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Rory Gilmore; 1001 Books; TBR Reduction; A to Z - E; 52 Books - W5; Classics - Name in Title

Perhaps the best-known and most popular of Edith Wharton's novels, Ethan Frome is widely considered her masterpiece. Set against a bleak New England background, the novel tells of Frome, his ailing wife Zeena and her companion Mattie Silver, superbly delineating the characters of each as they are drawn relentlessly into a deep-rooted domestic struggle. Burdened by poverty and spiritually dulled by a loveless marriage to an older woman. Frome is emotionally stirred by the arrival of a youthful cousin who is employed as household help. Mattie's presence not only brightens a gloomy house but stirs long-dormant feelings in Ethan. Their growing love for one another, discovered by an embittered wife, presages an ending to this grim tale that is both shocking and savagely ironic.

A classic author I have been meaning to read for years now. I have to admit that I was slightly disappointed in this novel. I just wasn't feeling any of the characters. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the bleak landscape. Those were where Wharton truly shined. But the characters and storyline just weren't that intriguing to me at all.

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness this week:

So incredibly excited about the retreat tomorrow! I don't think I'm going to make it!
Think I'm getting my reading groove back. Finished a book in two days. Hope to finish another by Sunday.
I love browsing at book stores even if I don't buy anything. And Arthur loves playing t the train table at Barnes and Noble. Win win!
The weather has been very Midwestern in May: 50s to 70s with no clear pattern, light rain, and some fog. Very weird! I'm missing my sunshine.
Dark chocolate coconut bark is so addictive... having a hard time not eating the entire bag in one sitting
Watched a movie the other night, Netflix shelved it as romantic, but it was clearly just a drama. Not really any romance in it. I was disappointed as I was wanting to watch a romance... Oh well.
Feeling like my crafting business may actually lead to something monetary soon

Currently #3

One of my new features. Every other week, I'll be filling out a Currently card for my Project Life album. It's a quick snapshot of life...

Watching: Since finishing reading Outlander earlier this week, I've been binge watching the television series. Oh my goodness! I am hooked!

Reading: Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. It's our book club selection for this month. I'm not completely enthralled with the writing style, but I do like the story.

Listening: Arthur loves to grab the remote and turn on the stereo. This morning he grabbed it from the couch and happened to turn on the Gorillaz Pandora channel. Good choice baby!

Making: Doing my early prep for March's 30 Days of Lists. I picked my cards (rainbow design), added day numbers, and decorated the three filler cards.

Feeling: Tired... I think I got a total of about 4 hours of sleep last night. Arthur's not feeling well and was having a lot of trouble sleeping last night. Hopefully tonight goes better.

Planning: I'm trying to finish booking out all my March events. I've got my card classes listed out, but I need to finalize parent's group events and family events. Plus, I need to start planning out my March-April trip to Indiana. I've bought my plane ticket, but now need to think about everything else.

Loving: I impulse bought some dark chocolate coconut bark from Target and am not regretting it at all. It is beyond yummy! I'm attempting to ration it out to take some to retreat on Friday. We'll see...

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Title: Remarkable Creatures

Author: Tracy Chevalier

Publisher: Plume 2009

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 312

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Reduction; Mount TBR; A to Z - R; 52 Books - W4

On the windswept, fossil-strewn beaches of the English coast, poor and uneducated Mary Anning learns that she has a unique gift: "the eye" to spot fossils no one else can see. When she uncovers an unusual fossilized skeleton in the cliffs near her home, she sets the religious community on edge, the townspeople to gossip, and the scientific world alight. After enduring bitter cold, thunderstorms, and landslips, her challenges only grow when she falls in love with an impossible man.
Mary soon finds an unlikely champion in prickly Elizabeth Philpot, a middle-class spinster who shares her passion for scouring the beaches. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty, mutual appreciation, and barely suppressed envy, but ultimately turns out to be their greatest asset.

I chose this book for our March book club. The book has sat on my shelves for a few years just waiting for me to pick it up. I was drawn in by the premise of a fictionalized account of two of the first female paleontologists. I really enjoyed learning more about Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. I loved the descriptions of finding the various fossils and of the Lyme landscape. The story kept me going through the novel. Unfortunately the writing style gave me pause. Something about the sentence construction occasionally jolted me out of the world. The voices of the two characters didn't quite seem natural. Because of my slight pause, I knocked off a star. A good read, but not the best one...

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Title: Outlander (Outlander #1)

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Publisher: Dell 1998

Genre: Historical Romance/Fantasy

Pages: 850

Rating: 5/5 stars TV Show: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fantasy Project; NPR Scifi and Fantasy; TBR Reduction; A to Z -- O; Book to Movie; Outlander

Unrivaled storytelling ... unforgettable characters ... rich historical detail ... these are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon's work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured millions of readers.Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages....The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon — when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach — an "outlander" — in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord ... 1743.Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life ... and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire ... and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

My reread of this novel was slow going. I have no idea why it took me this long to read, because I really really enjoyed this book. Whatever the reason, I loved getting back into the story of Claire and Jamie. I originally read this a few years back at history reenactment events. Fitting as we were reenacting French and Indian War set just a few decades after Outlander. I never continued the series, yet have wanted to in the intervening years. One of my goals this year to finish the series.

Within the first chapter I dove head first back into the story. I love the character of Claire. She is such a well-rounded character I can imagine meeting her on the street. I love that her reactions to falling back in time are realistic. She is confused, angry, sad, but understands that she needs to figure this new situation out to survive. I love it! And meeting Jamie Fraser is just the beginning of a great romance. I love their little conversations here and there even before the wedding. I can't wait to see where their story leads in the rest of the series.

TV Show:

I was wary of the television series. Would it hold up to such an amazing book? Thankfully it does! Most of this is due to such great casting. They found the perfect people for Claire and Jamie, but the best casting is Tobias Menzies as Black Jack/Frank Randall. I've never been a huge fan of Frank, but to finally see him, I am more sympathetic to his situation. And then we get the flip side of Black Jack. Truly a villain for the ages. Beyond the main characters, I really enjoyed Dougal and especially Angus. And the scenery is just absolutely gorgeous. I want to go to Scotland right now! The only problem I have with the series was the horrible cliffhanger the creators left us with at the end of the first run. I guess I know what happens, but my goodness that was evil.

Outlander

#0.5 Virgins
#1 Outlander
#2 Dragonfly in Amber
#3 Voyager
#4 The Drums of Autumn
#5 The Fiery Cross
#6 A Breath of Snow and Ashes
#7 An Echo in the Bone
#7.5 The Space Between
#8 Written in My Own Heart's Blood
#8 A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows

TTT - Book Problems

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

This week's topic is all about those book related problems I have.

My TBR list is never ending -- I seem to add at least 10 books to my TBR list per week. I'll never get to all those books.
My bookshelves are full -- I literally cannot add any more books to the existing shelves. I shouldn't buy anymore books.
I can't read fast enough -- My reading rate has gone down considerably since having Arthur. I'm averaging only 5 books a month now.
Most of my friends don't read the same books as I do -- I'm the eccentric freak who reads everything. Most of my friends are more selective in the genres that they read.
Reviews are hard to write -- Sometimes I find it hard to write a review expressing all that I want to say about a book.

Music Monday -- iPod Shuffle

Back again, hitting shuffle on my iPod to see what random songs pop up...

1. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness "All Our Lives"

2. Damien Rice "Cold Water"

3. Journey "Separate Ways"

Sunday Sunset #4

Listening To: The bees buzzing in my front yard. We have these flowering bushes right along the walk and the bees just love it there. Every time I go get the mail, I listen to the bees.

Book finished: Outlander (finally!)

Reading: Remarkable Creatures by Tracey Chevalier

On the Nightstand: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Making Lists: Finalizing retreat grocery list and packing list. Only five days away!

Around the house: Yesterday I did a massive clean of the house. I did laundry, dishes, vacuuming (upstairs and downstairs), trash, garage organization, playroom cleanup, swiffering, bathroom wipe downs, and curtains hung (dining room, playroom, and Arthur's room). It was crazy, but now things are looking so much better.

From the kitchen: I tried another parmesan honey pork roast recipe last week. Decent but not the best recipe. My plan is one new recipe a week. Next week I'm going to try apple pie cookies.

On the Web: Trying to catch up on my blog roll. Slowly getting there and organizing my the blogs i follow in a better place.

Crafting: I finished up the retreat crafts before the week of the retreat. Woohoo! I am on top of stuff. I also finished my swap card and meet and greet packs. I've been a crafting machine lately.

Watching: The server went down this past week. We've been hitting up Netflix for our viewing selections. We started Star Trek: Enterprise this past week. I'm actually liking it...

From Nature: Very warm temps necessitated the buying of sandals for Arthur and a few summery tops for me. Awesome weather!

Project: Getting the house in order before I leave for my retreat on Friday. I've been slowing finishing the little projects here and there. It's looking much nicer now.

Picture: Finally popped in and got a library card. Now we can get more books!

I will be skipping next Sunday's wrap up post as I will be out of town at a retreat. Yeah for me! Sunday Sunset will be back in two weeks.

Arthur: 16 Months

We are fully into toddler territory now...

Likes: Playgrounds, running away from mom, playing with friends, all the food!

Dislikes: Not being allowed to eat all the food (even the chocolate), getting dressed, diaper changes

Sleeping: After a few nights of wake ups, we're back to normal. Thank goodness, I was not loving those random screaming wake ups in the middle of the night.

Eating: All the food! Seriously this kid eats just about anything. He especially loves crab rangoon and clam chowder right now. He also mastered drinking from a straw this month. Makes my life a lot easier. Beyond his non-pickiness, he's been eating constantly. Must be all that growing he's doing.

Playing: He's becoming more and more interactive now. Preschool Thursdays are perfect for him to try and play with friends. All the little toddlers together are adorable. We've been working on playing with cars and putting together puzzles. His new favorite toy is a dump truck. He loves putting things, especially his stuffed monkey, into the back and pushing it around the kitchen.

Medical Milestones: In the past two weeks, Arthur has gotten four molars and two canines. It's been a rough time, but at least they're down. Hopefully we get a bit of a respite before the next ones come in.

Schedule:Arthur's been waking up around 7am lately. I'm loving this slightly later time. We drop J off at the BART station and then head to the park or South Bay for an event. We have to make sure to be back home after lunch for nap time. He's been sleeping 2-3 hours a day. After naps, we play or sometimes watch an episode of Sesame Street while I cook dinner. I think we've finally got a good schedule going...

Out and About: We've been driving down to South Bay for parent group events about three times a week. I haven't found a decent parent group up here yet... I might just have to start my own. Instead, we rejoin our SB group for park playdates, museum visits, preschool, and Shoreline walks.

101 in 1001 Update #1

My first update during my second attempt at 101 in 1001...

What I did:

8. Choose and document One Little Word 2015 and 2016 -- I chose my 2015 word (HOME) and have completed January and February prompts. I've also done a fair amount projects related to my word.

10. Take a picture of myself every first day of the month -- It's hard, but I've done it for January and February so far.

13. Pass 500 books for Arthur's 1000 Books Before Kindergarten -- We read 18 new books in January which puts us at 166 total books.

15. Host a Pinterest party/crafting day/crop -- With my new Meetup group, I've committed to hosting an open house / crop day once a month. January was a big success and I've already scheduled February, March, and April's days.

19. Create and order my own personalized stamp -- Ordered and arrived. I've already used it a few times.

24. Attend 5 concerts -- J and I saw Tim Minchin in San Francisco a few weeks back. Awesome concert!

25. Complete 10 Day in the Life posts -- My thought is to do one of these once a quarter. I've gotten Winter 2015's done and scheduled to publish this week.

26. Read 50 of my owned unread books -- January I only read 3 books from shelves, but it's a start!

28. Read 100,000 pages toward 1,000,000 page goal -- January's total pages read was 2045.

29. Finish 2015 and 2016 Project Life book (family and Arthur) -- I've started on 2015's PL books. I finished the family's January pages and started Arthur's January pages. I want to finish his pages during the retreat next weekend.

34. Make 250 different greeting cards -- 7 different designs done. 243 to go...

37. Finish watching every Star Trek television episode and movie -- I've already finished Next Gen. We are in the middle of The Original Series, Voyager, DS9, Enterprise, and the movies.

45. Make 50 new recipes -- I've tried 6 new recipes in January and the first half of February. Most will go into our regular rotation (pork roast wasn't the best...).

Blueberry Crescent Rolls
Smothered Pork Chops (Crock pot)
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ranch Potatoes
Parmesan Honey Pork Roast
Mini Quiches

54. Try 25 new restaurants -- We tried one new restaurant in Castro Valley: Boulevard Burgers. Decent burger place as an alternative to fast food.

72. Donate something extra at each MVPA social x 10 -- For the Winter Social, we were collecting for Mended Little Hearts. I bought some extra toiletry items for their Bravery Bags.

78. Invest in blog business cards -- I ordered some new cards with a slightly new design and my new address.

101. Find and buy a signature piece of jewelry -- Done! I found a nice silver infinity design necklace.

Remaining goals and total:

Friends, Family, and Love 1. Send out homemade holiday cards in December 2. Build a snowman 3. Complete 52 once a week photos of Arthur 4. Spend a day at the beach 5. Date nights x 20 6. Complete a Jar of Life 7. Host a tea party 9. Write a personal manifesto 11. Give 5 Just Because gifts 12. Give Arthur 25 pictures books in 25 days for December 2015 14. Throw a Favorite Things party 16. Take Arthur and twins to go see Santa

Crafting and Culture 17. Attend an opera or musical 18. Reread the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit 20. Finish one of my Perpetual Reading Challenges 21. Make 10 non-greeting card crafts on my Pinterest boards 22. Ask 20 friends to suggest one book, and read them all 23. Watch a meteor shower 27. Tour a factory 30. Finish 2015 and 2015 December Daily 31. Catch up the twins scrapbook albums 32. Watch 100 different TED Talks and do a short review/analysis on the blog (new series) 33. Watch/rewatch every Academy Awards Best Picture since the year I was born (1982)

1982: Gandhi
1983: Terms of Endearment
1984: Amadeus
1985: Out of Africa
1986: Platoon
1987: The Last Emperor
1988: Rain Man
1989: Driving Miss Daisy
1990: Dances with Wolves
1991: Silence of the Lambs
1992: Unforgiven
1993: Schindler's List
1994: Forrest Gump
1995: Braveheart
1996: The English Patient
1997: Titanic
1998: Shakespeare in Love
1999: American Beauty
2000: Gladiator
2001: A Beautiful Mind
2002: Chicago
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2004: Million Dollar Baby
2005: Crash
2006: The Departed
2007: No Country for Old Men
2008: Slumdog Millionaire
2009: The Hurt Locker
2010: The King's Speech
2011: The Artist
2012: Argo
2013: 12 Years a Slave
2014: TBD
2015: TBD
2016: TBD

35. See a drive-in movie 36. Listen to every song by The Beatles 38. Have a Pixar movie month 39. Complete The Artist's Way 40. Complete a year of no book buying 41. Learn Ruby on rails 42. Participate in 30 Days of Lists 2x 43. Go to 5 tourist things in San Francisco

Food and Drink 44. Take a cooking class 46. Open a cookbook to a random page and make what ever is one it 47. Give up dining out for one month 48. Try Whole30 49. Make a pie on PI day 50. Meal plan for an entire month 51. Make fresh pasta 52. Learn to make a good martini 53. Do a brewery tour 55. Try 5 new to me foods 56. No pop for a month

Health and Fitness 57. Lose 2 pants sizes 58. Walk a 5K 59. Get a massage 60. Take a yoga class 61. Get three pedicures 62. Do a spa day 63. Meditate daily for a month 64. Complete a 30 miles in 30 days challenge 65. Get lasik 66. Get CPR certified again

Travel 67. Stay at a Bed and Breakfast 68. Go on a vacation with Josh 69. Visit the Redwoods (any park) 70. Travel to a new state

Philanthropic 71. Give a 100% tip 73. Pay it forward at Starbucks/coffeeshop 74. Donate to a Kickstarter campaign I love

Financial 75. Two week money fast (starting with full gas tanks and a full pantry) 76. Open an Etsy shop 77. Cash in my piggy bank for something special and frivolous 78. Invest in blog business cards

Miscellaneous 79. Get Arthur's tattoo 80. Get a passport 81. Get rid of 100 things 82. Learn how to use our DSLR 83. Take one free online class 84. Make a chalk mural on the balcony/driveway 85. Finish a Soduku puzzle 86. Grow something from a seed 87. Complete a coloring book 88. Buy the perfect LBD 89. Take an IQ test 90. Play Bingo in a bingo hall 91. Go horseback riding or hiking 92. Participate in 30 Day Wardrobe Challenge 93. Unplug completely for 24 hours 94. Officially close my Hotmail account 95. Go to a convention (blogging, SU,etc) 96. Dye my hair purple 97. Revamp my wardrobe 98.Take real photos of me for my blogs 99. Post a vlog 100. Go apple/berry/etc picking