Goals Update: September

I think this may be the first time I am really, really looking forward to fall and fall weather.  Not sure why particularly this year as opposed to other years.  So the fact that tomorrow will be October is totally crazy.  It's officially the downhill slide to the holidays (yippee!!).

1. Complete at least 2 items from my 101 IN 1,001 LIST each month - Well, September was really the month of accomplishing things off my 101 list.  Five in total - this one, this one, this one, this one, and this one.  It was a busy month.

2. GET IN SHAPE - Hahaha... I hope my gym was happy to receive their free money this month since I didn't step foot in the gym at all in September.  I plan to get back into a routine in October.

3. EAT BETTER -  Better.  I'm not sure if vacation hurt or helped.  I am definitely eating smaller portions and some of that is due to the little snacking, lighter meals while on vacation.  Hurt maybe because I didn't eat the best food while we were gone.  Delicious, yes.  Healthy, maybe not so much.  I'm back to the regularly scheduled program this week.

I have to admit, it will be nice to not have to travel as much the rest of the year.  One quick overnight trip in October and a 3-day trip in November and that's it for work travel for the rest of 2013.  

Outfit post and new hair style?

Last week during random blog trails, I stumbled onto an old post on Love Maegan about DIY overnight curly hair.  While I knew it wouldn't turn out exactly like hers - come on, I do NOT have that much hair - I wanted to at least give it a shot.

So late last night, I washed my hair, dried it almost completely, and set it in the little knots for bed.  The knots were pretty tight.  I would probably do them looser next time.

In the morning, I got ready and then pulled out all the knots and finger combed them like Maegan did in her tutorial.  It looked a little crazy - very much like I imagine naturally curly hair is like - which achieved what Maegan said the intent was.

 See, crazy.  You know I love you internet, that I am putting this picture up.

After some messing with it in the car and a few hours to let it settle at work, here is what it looks like now.

So, overall, not bad.  I would probably do fewer knots with more hair in them next time and probably looser twisting, but I don't mind the craziness of it now that it's relaxed a bit.

Oh, here's the finished outfit for today.

Random Monday post

As you can imagine, I picked up quite a few things while on vacation to hang on my walls at my apartment.  So yesterday, while I was cleaning, I decided to just head to Michael's and get the necessary frames I needed.  I was already tired (after just one week) of having all of them laying all over the dining room table.

Here are things things I bought that needed a home:

- a small canvas painting from a Paris street artist
- an 8x10 print of the Sagrada Familia
- a set of 6 vintage pinup prints from Picasso
- two postcards of paintings I liked at the D'Orsay
- the bag from my purchase at Laduree

The canvas painting was definitely going in my hallway (sorry I don't have a picture of that).  I thought I could put the Laduree bag in the bathroom (that didn't end up working) and I had no idea what I was going to do with 6 Picasso prints.

After putting them all in frames, I found good spots for them.  I snuck pictures of a few of them, though they aren't the best photos.

The small canvas, the two postcards and two of the Picasso prints made it into my hallway collage.

I moved the canvas painting my mom got for me into the bathroom - the tile makes it really difficult to hang things.  I'm not sure it's perfect, but it's good there for now.

Then, I put the framed Laduree bag in the hallway.

I ended up putting two of the Picasso prints in the dining room (because I had two in black frames, two in silver and two in white).

Then I finished by putting the Sagrada print and the two remaining Picasso prints in the kitchen.  It's nice to have some artwork in that kitchen so it has a little more life.

So, almost a year and a half into living there - it is actually starting to feel a bit more like it's complete.  At least artwork wise. :)

#77 - See a Broadway play (in NYC)

Wow, September has been shaping up to be the month I accomplish things from my 101 list. :)

I had to go to NYC on Thursday until Saturday for work and my boss was traveling with me.  I had originally planned to go on Thursday afternoon since I didn't start working until Friday morning, but my boss really likes NYC and said we should go earlier on Thursday.  Who I am to argue with the woman in charge?

So we arrived around lunch time and walked around a bit.  Our hotel was right around Times Square, so we had plenty of people watching to do.  We decided to see a play while we were there - First Date.

We picked it because it seemed cute and light hearted.

And I know have a crush on Zachary Levi.  It was really cute and funny - and a great first experience with Broadway in NYC.

#29 - Go to Paris

So yeah.  I went to Paris.

Done and Done. 

It was just as beautiful as I hoped it would be (even in the rain) and I loved it!

#83 - Climb the Eiffel Tower

Okay, so while I technically didn't climb it... I saw it, so that is counting.  I'm revising this goal to seeing it because I really didn't WANT to climb it.

I enjoyed just looking at it.

So pretty.

And a quick video...

#39 - Visit 5 new museums

While on vacation, we saw a bunch of museums, and missed plenty!

We saw four technical museums (meaning Museum was actually in the name) and I'm counting the 5th one to meet my goal because we had to pay to get in, there was an audio tour, and a gift shop.  All things that mean "museum" to me, right?

Well, it's my blog and my list, so I'm counting it.

#39 on the list is completed.

There's are the 5 museums we saw on vacation.  Updates on them can be found on travel adventure posts, here, here and here.

Picasso Museum - Barcelona
Miro Museum - Barcelona
Palace Guell - Barcelona
Louvre Museum - Paris
D'Orsay Museum - Paris

Venus De Milo - Louvre