I will turn thirty on September 22, 2010.
That gives me a little more than six months to do all of the things on this list…
-
Visit the Modern Wing of The Art Institute of Chicago.(Done!) -
Dye my hair red.(Done!) -
Finish redesigning my Smart & Lovely portfolio.
-
Launch my design service.
-
Stop drinking soda.(Done!) -
Lose 20 pounds. (Not drinking soda should help.)(Done!) -
Repaint my office.(Done!) -
Sew a dress for Eleanor.(Done!) -
Clean out the basement. (It’s getting scary down there.)(Late, but done!) -
Donate some of our books to the library.(Done!) -
Cook Pad Thai from scratch. -
Organize the catch-all closet in my office.(Done!) -
Get good at applying liquid eyeliner.(Done!) -
Print the bajillion photos I have stored on my computer and put them in albums.(Done!) -
Alphabetize our CDs and finish putting them into sleeves.(Done!) -
Landscape the front of the house.(Done!) -
Make an origami paper crane.(Done!) -
Learn how to use my camera in manual mode.(Done!) -
Find my perfect shade of lipstick.(Done!) -
Decide for good whether I want a tattoo or not.(Done!) -
Pay off my credit card.(Done!) -
Make a video montage of Eleanor’s first year.(Done!) -
Have a date night with Brandon at least twice a month.(Done!) -
Grow tomatoes.(Done!) -
Have an adorable family photo taken.(Done!) -
Sing along perfectly to “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”.(Done!) -
Take Eleanor to the Shedd Aquarium.(Done!) -
Reduce (or eliminate) my reliance on paper towels.(Done!) -
Paint all of the trim in our house.
(I’m crossing them off the list as I complete them.)
julie green
March 1, 2010 at 1:44 pmgreat list, nicole. i used to make one of these lists each year. don’t know why i stopped. i think you just inspired me to start again (although i might have to wait… i turn 31 in 23 days… not sure i can do 31 things before then!)
jen
March 1, 2010 at 1:46 pmthie is a serious list! but if any taskmaser can do it, its you!
good luck.
ps. 30 is really good, in case you were wondering.
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:33 amI’m looking forward to 30!
Bridget
March 1, 2010 at 1:47 pmLove your list! I’m turning 40 this year… might have to come up with a motivating 40 for myself!
andrea
March 1, 2010 at 1:47 pmI just had to laugh at number 27. Not even Michael Stipe can sing all those words without help. I was about 10 rows back at at REM concert once and when he got to that song, he pulled out a little sheet of paper, unfolded it and explained that he sometimes forgets the words.
Emily S.
March 1, 2010 at 1:48 pmMy 30th birthday is exactly 10 days before yours! I don’t have a list, but looks like I better get going if there’s only 6 months. For now let’s enjoy being in our 20’s for the last time!
Kendra
March 1, 2010 at 1:48 pmThis is a great list! I love that you have little odd things on it like “cook pad thai from scratch” and “sing along perfectly to “it’s the end of the world as we know it” (I love that song btw!)
I think you have inspired me to make a 20 before 20 list (I’ll be 20 next January) :)
Good luck achieving your goals!
Tanna @ Complete Organizing Solutions
March 1, 2010 at 1:49 pmLove the list! There are a few things on there I would like to do. Stop drinking soda for one! :) We stopped using paper towels and instead used baby wash cloths for a long time. They seemed to be the perfect size. We had an over abundance of them after my kids were out of the baby stage.
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:34 amGood idea! Those washcloths are a great size.
Valerie
March 1, 2010 at 1:50 pmI say it’s totally doable :) I’m turning 31 in 89 days, not sure if I could pull this off!
Emily
March 1, 2010 at 1:51 pmThat is a lofty list, but there are som seriously fun things on there!! Have fun!!
thewatergirl
March 1, 2010 at 1:52 pmThat’s an awesome list! You can do it!!
Brigite
March 1, 2010 at 1:52 pmThis list would terrify me! But I know you can do it!
Ps. I have a friend who is a wizard at taking family photos, because her full-time gig is teaching fourth grade! I’m happy to send you her info if you’d like. Don’t want to be too spammy by posting it here.
Emily
March 1, 2010 at 1:53 pmWhat a list! You’re definitely going to be my inspiration. I, too, am looking 30 in the face and think this would be a great way to ensure I get the most out of what little is left of our twenties. Best of luck to you!!!
iris
March 1, 2010 at 1:54 pmI had no idea you took your photos in auto-mode! They’re always so lovely! But I suppose you have a good eye, and that’s probably why :)
lori
March 1, 2010 at 1:57 pmwow, that’s quite the list! hope you’ll update here often to let us know how you’re doing on it. did i know that our birthdays are only one day apart? mine is the 23rd!
Jane
March 1, 2010 at 2:01 pmRevlon liquid eyeliner is the best and a great price for learning. I have used it for years in Blackest Black (there are a variety of colors but being a child of the eighties I cannot seem to stray from Black eyeliner!!). You can use one hand and don’t even need to pull at your lid once you get the hang of it!! Good luck with the list! I hit the thirty mark two years ago and it has proven to be the best decade yet!! Next on my list: babies..whoops think my husband just hit the floor!!
ClistyB
March 1, 2010 at 2:01 pmI was reading this on FB and thinking the whole time, “hmm, this girl is practically copying Nicole’s entire life!” Then I realized it was you!!
You will be amazed at how much you can lose just by ditching the soda. I lost 20 just going to diet. Of course now Im trying to get off that :)
Sugar
March 1, 2010 at 2:03 pmWow. What a list. Turning 30 was hard enough- I don’t think I could have tacked on a list to it too.
By the way, being 30 is easy and great. I highly recommend it.
Allie
March 1, 2010 at 2:04 pmWe have the same birthday!! Birthday twins!
Good luck with your list!
Amanda
March 1, 2010 at 2:06 pmAwesome list! Perfect mix of “quirky” and “practical,” if you know what I mean. I have no doubt you’ll accomplish all of those things… can can’t wait to see you with red hair and the “perfect” lipstick! :)
Ashley
March 1, 2010 at 2:07 pmThat is quite the list. I’m currently painting my trim right now, and it’s the never-ending process. Good luck.
PS – We are birthday twins. :)
Emily
March 1, 2010 at 2:08 pmI love this list, I need to make one of these! Perhaps we need to take your family photo at Farnsworth :) We have been there, it really is beautiful. Just cross your fingers for no floods this year!! Seriously, would be awesome.
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:36 amI know – I had to check the website to see if they would be open this year. I remember reading about them having to shut down for a while to repair flooding damage.
A photo at Farnsworth… sounds pretty awesome!
susan
March 1, 2010 at 2:22 pmYou certainly are quite a gal for still being under 30!!! I just turned 30 in December and I can honestly say that this has been my best year yet! I wish you the best :) What a great list! I am slowly working through my list of 31 things before turning 31 :) It’s been fun!
Lauren
March 1, 2010 at 2:22 pmI turn 30 on September 19th 2010! Fortunately, our house turns 100 this year and we’re having a dual b-day party so I won’t feel so old. =)
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:38 amOur house turned 100 this year too!
Allison
March 1, 2010 at 2:23 pmI recommend checking out Aveda for the lipstick. I am not much of a lipstick girl, but I have 3 Aveda lipsticks that I love (Fossil, Sutra, and Sheer Roseleaf). I’m pretty pleased that I’m hitting one of my life to-do’s this year (also my 30th), which is to living in another country. I think having these lists is fun, as long as you don’t give yourself a hard time if you don’t get to them all.
Kelly
March 1, 2010 at 2:27 pmGreat list!
My 30th is exactly 6 months before yours. I never did come up with a 30 Before 30 list. I wonder what I can get done in 21 days.
Erika
March 1, 2010 at 2:28 pmThat’s a good list, but I think all those things are very “doable” if you just carve out the time.
PS – Giving up sodas will definitely help with the weight loss, plus, you’ll feel so much better!
em
March 1, 2010 at 2:35 pmThat is a great list. I’ve been working on the no soda thing for awhile. I have no will power.
I find it so funny that a) Eleanor’s birthday is exactly one month after my daughter’s. I like to compare them! And b) now I see that your birthday is exactly one day before mine. Though I’m a year older! :)
Hil
March 1, 2010 at 2:35 pmWhat a great list! Pad Thai is surprisingly easy… I tackled it for the first time just a few months ago. One of my all time favorites!
Diana
March 1, 2010 at 2:36 pmGetting rid of the paper towels ins’t too hard. I bought a bunch of small towels at Costco and I rewash them. I have my cute kitchen towels and then my paper towel replacement towels.
Mandi
March 1, 2010 at 2:39 pmHey, I turn 30 on Sept 24th. :) Well, actually I will be turning 29 for the 2nd time. ;)
I made a list like this about a month ago. I haven’t been brave enough to post it yet. Maybe I will.
I gave up soda in Nov. I was hoping for a dramatic weight drop, which i haven’t seen. I have lost about a lb a week since then… so it all adds up in the end. Whether that is from giving up sodas I don’t know. Just don’t expect a sudden drop of weight. It was easier then I thought it would be.
Eva
March 1, 2010 at 2:39 pmGreat List!! I am always inspired when I read other’s to do lists. This week I am painting the trim in my house and the doors as well.
Meredith
March 1, 2010 at 2:41 pm30 for 30 I LOVE IT!
I’m actually turning 30 on the 26th of September and I love this idea!
As for the losing weight – if you haven’t tried Weight Watchers you should! I lost almost 30 lbs on the program while eating ice cream. Who can beat that?
Kate
March 1, 2010 at 2:45 pmI’ve been making paper cranes since I was a kid, and now that I’m a teacher, I’ve taught a lot of students how to do it. And I must say, the paper/written instructions aren’t really helpful. But this Wiki (with photos AND a video!) isn’t a bad option… http://www.wikihow.com/Fold-a-Paper-Crane
Good luck with the list!
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:40 amThank you – I’ll follow those instructions.
Kristin
March 1, 2010 at 2:47 pmGreat List!!! It shows so much of your personality; I love the range!
I highly recommend getting a cherry tomato plant. For years I would get one in the spring and put it on my deck. You just get a large pot, one of those cage thingys to support the height of the plant and it does the rest! Keep it watered and give it lots of light and you’ll get to pick away at these beautifully delicious baby tomatoes. I have anything but a green thumb and I was able to pull it off!
Abbie
March 1, 2010 at 2:54 pmI wish I had written a 30 before 30, but I got so sidetracked with wedding planning (I got married a month before turning 30) that I never got around to it. A few of those you could knock off in a flash!
Meredith
March 1, 2010 at 2:59 pmI wish I had done this!! I am getting ready to turn 32 in a few months! Maybe I can do 33 things before I turn 33 and I will have a whole year to do those!!?? I better get started on the list!!!
Sarah
March 1, 2010 at 3:05 pmLove your site- and your list.
How about Clinique’s “almost lipstick” in black honey? So many people swear by it. It is REALLY REALLY awesome.
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P122751&cm_mmc=us_search-_-GoogleBase-_-P122751-_-70680&_requestid=42976&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=70680
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:41 amI’ve always heard good things about that color, but I’ve never tried it. I’ll have to give it a go!
lala
July 8, 2010 at 1:55 pmIt’s amazing. Looks horrible in the tube but great on everyone. It was my wedding lip color.
custardbydesign
March 1, 2010 at 3:06 pmi’m turning thirty in august…
but i didn’t make a list…
should i…???
do i need too….???
Ashley
March 1, 2010 at 3:07 pmExcellent list. Now comes to the hard part… making a point to stick to it! Obviously you will succeed because you’re amazing- but I say figure out which tasks are on-going and which are experiential. That way you can enjoy the process without feeling bogged down. Maybe you wouldn’t but I know I always have a running list of what to do next. When I figure out practical ways to achieve my goals then I enjoy the process more. xo
Kate
March 1, 2010 at 3:11 pmGreat list! I think that just writing things down is great motivation… that is why I did this:
http://fascinating-kate.blogspot.com/2010/02/during-my-25th-year.html
Can’t wait to hear about your progress :)
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:42 amWe have a few list items in common. :)
chrisbean
March 1, 2010 at 3:11 pmI’m pretty certain that you can check off #26; that eyeglasses-and-argyle picture is the cutest family photo I’ve ever seen in my life!!
Also, the secret to eyeliner is NOT using a pen or pencil.
I wear contact lenses AND I’m a spaz, and there’s only one way to do this successfully: Get yourself a pot of creme/gel-based liner (I like clinique & bobbi brown). Then get yourself a narrow eyeliner brush. Your artist’s instincts will take over.
John @ Young House Love
March 1, 2010 at 3:19 pmI did #27 in high school, but now any attempt at repeating it sounds like that scene from Tommy Boy. “Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn, world serves its blah blah bleeds, mumble… mumble… mumble…”
Good luck with the list!
-John
rachel
March 1, 2010 at 3:19 pmI loved reading your list! I turned 30 last July and decided to get my one and only tattoo: a small hot pink heart with a sewing needle running through it. (it’s my logo that my husband designed for me 5 years ago). It’s just to the right of my right hip bone so no one can see it even if i’m wearing a bathing suit. It was a little memorable gift to myself about why i love being creative and why I love my husband. Haven’t regretted it yet! Good luck!
Betty
March 1, 2010 at 3:24 pmI am EXACTLY 10 years older than you. Also married, with a daughter (now 4). If you want some advise from an old lady who’s been around the block and shares your birthday, don’t get the tattoo. Just, don’t.
robin
March 1, 2010 at 3:25 pmi just realized that today marks 6 months before i turn 40! should i do a 40 things before i’m 40 list? sounds daunting.
robin
March 1, 2010 at 3:28 pmand i agree with betty. as another soon-to-be 40 year old with a 4 year old daughter, i also advise against the tattoo.
Sarah S
March 1, 2010 at 3:32 pmI like your list! We’re trying to wean off of paper towels as well. Not completely off them yet, but getting there. I turned all my bathroom and kitchen towels that were getting less soft, or worn, or stained, cut them in half, and used those for rags. (Then I got to go shopping for new towels!). The thing that really helped break the paper towel habit was to then have a convenient place to put the dirty rags after wiping something up. I used an old cloth tote bag, hung on door, that I could throw in the laundry with them. (I actually have two of these bags, so that I still have one in use when the other is in the wash.).
Hmm…maybe that was too much info on my rag system?
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:44 amNo, I’m so glad you mentioned it because I never thought of that! We’ve just been tossing bibs and towels on the counter and it’s been driving me nuts. That’s a genius idea!
Melissa M.
March 1, 2010 at 3:42 pmGosh, I turn 30 in exactly 180 days. I should make a list like this too! Although I’ve never been great at crossing items off to-do lists, so maybe I shouldn’t.
Joy_UK
March 1, 2010 at 3:44 pmGreat idea!
The only I’d say is: you don’t need to lose weight. i think you look gorgeous the way you are. But hey, I am a woman too and always tell myself I need to lose 20 pounds…lol
good luck with all the ticking off your list! :)
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:45 amThanks. I’m happy with the way I look, but this is a health goal for me, not just a ‘look better’ goal.
Jessica
March 1, 2010 at 3:49 pmGreat list! I will be turning 30 in 11 months and I’ve decided that I’ve got a lot of growing up to do before it happens. I’m terrified of driving, but I’m going to get my license. I’ve finally figured out something I’d like to do and think I’ll be good at so I’m going to start the ball rolling by enrolling in community college in the fall. I just got my second tattoo for my 29th birthday (so I’d say I’m in support of you getting one, ha). All of my doctor’s are now taking my new health insurance so I just this afternoon made all the calls to get a full health workup done. Woohoo for motivation!
P.S. Used to dye my hair red too. Go for it.
Felicity
March 1, 2010 at 3:57 pmI like your list and that it has several realistic goals. I wanted to be married by 30, but am pretty happy I waited ’til 32 ;)
Shari
March 1, 2010 at 4:01 pmi think your list is totally doable. some of the things you have already done… take an adorable family photo… :*) not sure how you feel about mary kay products but i might be able to help with the finding your perfect shade of lipstick.. http://www.marykay.com/sharibryant (that’s me) has an awesome virtual makeover program and you can upload your own picture to see how the lipstick would look on you, not the model. i love reading your blog and following along with your ideas and inspirations. you’ll do great with the list! im not ambitious enough to do a 45 before 45, although i am a little jealous of your list. :*)
Kara
March 1, 2010 at 4:17 pmI love your list. I’m trying to give up soda too. My replacements are seltzer water with a lemon slice, iced tea, and red wine.
“Thumbs up” to the homemade Pad Thai – yum yum!
Carole
March 1, 2010 at 4:21 pmGreat list–a good balance of ambitiousness and achievability (is that a word?)
I wanted to have kids before 30 (I had two by 29) and live in a different country (I lived in three countries on two continents). Staring down 40 this fall, I’m not sure I did as much in this last 10 years as in the previous, but I feel okay about that!
Personally, 30 was no big deal, 35 was harder (it puts you in the 35-44 year old demographic category!)
Grace
March 1, 2010 at 4:26 pmAn ambitious list but I like it! You can do it!
joy
March 1, 2010 at 4:31 pmlove this! you can do it!
tracy
March 1, 2010 at 4:46 pmForget the list. Enjoy life. Don’t stress yourself out. You’re great the way you are. How’s that for going against the grain — but I mean it!
Lindsay
March 1, 2010 at 4:59 pmGreat list. I, too, turn 30 this year, but in a mere 3 months!
As for this one:
29. Reduce (or eliminate) my reliance on paper towels.
Late last year we went to Target and bought a big stack of shop towels. They sit folded, in a stack, right where our paper towel holder used to sit (I’m sure you’d find some cute basket to put them in). Anyway, we use them for everything that we used a paper towel for. They go in a bucket under the sink once used. Now, every-other day, when I wash my cloth diapers, they get washed. It has saved us money AND I feel loads better about not wasting so many paper towels!
GL!
Making it Lovely
March 2, 2010 at 9:47 amAnother good idea – thanks!
Melissa
March 1, 2010 at 4:59 pmLove the list! I need to give up soda too. It is so hard!
I am also going to dye my hair red.
I second the Clinque Black Honey lipstick. It is awesome. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone that it looks bad on…
eleanor
March 1, 2010 at 5:16 pmFinding the perfect shade of lipstick is on my 30-before-30 list too!
Amanda @ Serenity Now
March 1, 2010 at 5:19 pm#29 made me smile. I ran out of paper towels this morning and freaked out. Had to run to Target as soon as I dropped my oldest off at preschool. I turn 30 in April (gasp!! I tell everyone I am “twenty-faux”), and I wish I’d thought of a list….
gesikah
March 1, 2010 at 5:20 pmHey! I am exactly 10 days older than you!
Wow, that’s pretty sobering.
jessibee
March 1, 2010 at 5:26 pmYou are awesome for making a list…so fun!
However, seriously, don’t get the tattoo. Just say no. Really. No.
Amanda Robinson
March 1, 2010 at 5:26 pmThis such an inspiring list! You have inspired me to do one for my upcoming birthday of 32. Welcome to the dirty thirties come this fall!!!
Danielle
March 1, 2010 at 5:33 pmHey there, love your blog and I look foward to watching you accomplish the list over the next few months – you can do it! :)
I taught my sisters and my mum how to do liquid eyeliner, its not so bad once you get the hang of it. The trick is to line the eye further down than you think you need to: if your eye is shut and you can see the line you’ve drawn its too far up and you have a horrible gap between the liner and the lashes when you open your eye. You need to draw it so that it almost feels like you’re drawing it onto your eyelashes, but it will actually be exactly where it needs to be when your eye is open. Also if you’re keen on ‘cat eyes’, do the lining part with your eye shut, then open your eye and draw just the little ‘flick’ part so its where it needs to be when your eye is open. I hope that makes sense :)
Good luck!!
Susan @ Jubilee Furniture
March 1, 2010 at 5:51 pmThough making a fun “to do” list is definitely an excellent way of staying focused and productive – I agree with Tracy that overall it’s more about the journey and not so much about the destination. Did you laugh today? Hug your favorite people? Shrug off small disappointments? Lend a hand to someone needing help? Savor the beauty of whatever season is outside your window?
Don’t mean to sound like some sappy inspirational speaker but as someone who has celebrated her 30th, 40th and even 50th birthday (gasp!) – it’s what I’ve learned and how I try to live each day.
And Tracy is also right that you’re great just the way you are – and all the rest of you are perfect too!
emily
March 1, 2010 at 5:52 pmWow, that is quite a list. Good luck!
Natalie
March 1, 2010 at 5:59 pmThat seems like a really great list! Everyone I know who stopped drinking soda lost AT LEAST 15 pounds. So, as you predicted, that will definitely scratch 2 things off your list! :)
marissa
March 1, 2010 at 6:18 pmin my opinion the best eye liner-YSL EASY LINER FOR EYES
Automatic Eyeliner. So easy to use it looks like a professional applied it.
abbersnail
March 1, 2010 at 6:38 pmMy 39th is November 12 of this year, and I’m about a third of the way through. I need to get cracking on some of my items. Your item 11 is the same as my item 19, so I’m totally swiping your recipe link!
abbersnail
March 1, 2010 at 6:38 pmShoot. 30th. Not 39th. Sorry – apparently I cannot type.
raya
March 1, 2010 at 7:05 pmWhen I first saw you were making this list I thought “ugh, I could never do that”. But after reading I’m quite inspired. I’m already 30 (31 in two weeks!) But it’s never bad to have goals. I think I’ve gotten pretty swept up in day-to-day life & have put any goal setting on the back burner. So thanks for this little push today : ) All yours sound lovely & totally doable! xoxo
Laurie
March 1, 2010 at 7:50 pmJust from reading your blog for awhile now I don’t doubt for a second that you can’t reach your goals! Trust me though as a girl in her 30’s they’ve been the best years yet!
Sonja Bouw
March 1, 2010 at 7:51 pmHello lovely Nicole! I am awarding the Sunshine Blog award to you! Visit my blog for more info http://tiedwithabouw.blogspot.com/2010/03/sunshine-blog-award.html xo
Jenni
March 1, 2010 at 7:51 pmsounds like a fun challenge. I did one of those 101 things in 1001 days… i have till September… and so far… i’m clearly not going to make it. I put it up and forgot about it. I think I need a more manageable sized list. Good Luck! I can’t wait to hear about your progress!
Kristi@Visible Voice
March 1, 2010 at 7:54 pmNumber 29…
Try Norwex Antibac cloths.
I went from going through a roll of paper towel per month to buying one package per year.
AND I rarely use any chemicals. :)
Love your list. I should make one. I turn 30 in June AHHHH! Ha ha! 30 is the new 20 right!?
jane
March 1, 2010 at 8:02 pmLove the list!
You can learn to grow tomatoes this weekend at Navy Pier.
http://www.chicagoflower.com/seminars.cfm
Can’t wait to see them at the end of the summer. Mmmmm….
Sarah
March 1, 2010 at 8:12 pmWhat a fun list! I recommend Avon’s Mark makeup line for the perfect eyeliner to practice with it. It’s called “On the Edge” it’s only $6 and the little wand is so small that you can make a really thin line with minor mistakes. Good luck on crossing them all off!
Sarah
March 1, 2010 at 8:43 pmTHat is an awesome list! I’ve written a list of 32 things to do this year (I turn 32 this month). Maybe if I published it, I would get it done!
I love that your list spans all aspects of your life.
And please share tips on painting on the trim in your house. I dream of doing that, but am so worried about taking on more than I can handle.
amyleigh
March 1, 2010 at 9:29 pmwe share the same birthday :O)
Your Mother
March 1, 2010 at 9:41 pmI can help you with the tomatoes – I have grown many a tomato my love!
Janet
March 1, 2010 at 9:46 pmI just finished my 30 before 30 list! It was so much fun!
Have a fabulous time crossing things off!
B
March 1, 2010 at 9:48 pmGreat idea – I’ve been meaning to do a 30 before 30 list too – I guess I better get started on the list so I will have time to do the things ON the list
Amy
March 1, 2010 at 10:03 pmThis list is adorable!
Katie
March 1, 2010 at 10:07 pmso many of these are on my list as well…making pad thai from scratch…growing tomatos and paying of cc debt just to name a few! it’s fun to set goals. I am doing a fun little give away on my blog, if you have a cupcake recipe you would like to share please pop on over and check it out! or feel free to just share your favorite cupcake : )
Nick Klaus
March 1, 2010 at 10:10 pmI’ve done homemade pad thai before and it is one of the best things out there.
It cooks surprisingly quickly, so while you’re making it, it helps if you put the things that have to go into the wok first as the closest to the wok and the last to go in as the farthest away. you’ll also wind up with a lot of sauces you might not use for anything else, unless you normally use a lot of fish sauce.
six months is plenty of time. Go for it!
Mrs. Priss
March 1, 2010 at 10:11 pmFABULOUS list! I love the idea of a 30 before Thirty… it’s much less overwhelming than my 101 things. Yikes, need to get a move on it.
Can’t wait to see the red hair!
Emily
March 1, 2010 at 10:16 pmSo ambitious, good for you! Can’t wait to see you with red hair and Eleanor’s new dress! But hold off on the tattoo–trust me! Good luck!
Kalee
March 1, 2010 at 10:16 pmI love this list! I’m thinking this could be an every year sort of thing of things one hopes to accomplish that year of their life!
Carla
March 1, 2010 at 10:20 pmThat’s quite a list young lady ;)
For the eyeliner I recommend youtube. There are tons of tutorials. That’s how I learned to put on fake eyelashes!
I just started using liquid eyeliner very close to my lash line. I used the Elf Marker type pen ($1 from Target) and it works great!
Good luck!
Melissa
March 1, 2010 at 11:08 pmGood for you! I have one as well, and I’ve got 2 years to go. I blog about it when I cross one off. It keeps me motivated! Good luck!
Begoña
March 2, 2010 at 1:25 amThis is seriouly the most serious to do list I have ever seen, and to be honest, everything (but dyeing my hair red, i did that once, it was not a good idea lol) sounds like something i wanna do some day, like growing tomatoes or cooking something you really love from scratch or print pictures (good luck with that!). BUt I gotta say, the most dificult one is going to be Get good at applying liquid eyeliner, that it’s almost imposible!!!!!Love this post, love this post, love this post. Cant wait to see more!
Catherine @ waking up with you
March 2, 2010 at 1:56 amOkay so I tried to grow tomatoes this year (I’m in the southern hemisphere). Bought a baby roma tomato plant for $9 and got exactly three tomatoes from it. Then the plant died, or at least, it looked mostly dead. I declared that it was “dead to me” which is what I do with most of the potted plants I try to grow. Try being the operative word. My boyfriend rescued the tomato plant from my scorned indifference and has been nursing it back to health in our laundry tub (he thinks it’s too hot outside for it) though there’s no sign of any new tomatoes growing, just little leaves. It’s still dead to me though.
Sarah M.
March 2, 2010 at 4:48 amHey Nicole,
This is a great list! Good luck on getting it accomplished!
For the makeup tips, go see my amazing friend Karen at the Chanel counter at Lord & Taylor Oak Brook. She is a fabulous makeup artist (she has done makeup for lots of society weddings, as well as being a Jeff-award winning costume designer) and will help you find your _perfect_ shade of lipstick, and also help you learn how to do liquid eyeliner perfectly. She is totally amazing, really friendly, and not sales-y at all (she won’t bully you into purchasing anything). I always feel and look great after a visit to her makeup playroom!
Amanda
March 2, 2010 at 6:38 amI love your website and I follow it all the time. I have never commented before but I had to tell you that I loved this post. Glad I am not the only one who keeps lists of the serious and whimsical. Keep up the great work!
Clair
March 2, 2010 at 8:08 amIf you want to lose 20 lbs. Weight watchers is the way to go! I do it online (no meetings) and it really does work!
Kristen
March 2, 2010 at 8:19 amI think on your actual birthday, you should make a list of 30 things you’ve already done by 30! I did this… because I didn’t accomplish half of the things on my life list…. and I felt a whole lot better!! I realized, hey, I HAVE done a ton of stuff!
Lisa
March 2, 2010 at 8:31 amThis is SCARILY similar to my list! ha
Isabel
March 2, 2010 at 8:48 amGreat list!!
Danielle
March 2, 2010 at 9:01 amGreat list! And thanks for the inspiration! I’m turning 40 in June and have already been working towards the goal of being in the best shape of my life – it’s time to add a few more things to that list.