1 Month Until I’m 30. I Better get busy!

It’s November 14th.  I have 1 month until my 30th birthday.  It’s time to check in on my list of 30 things to do before I’m 30! Here we go:
1. Launch the Milly & Grace online store! 
Mission accomplished! online
2. Host a beach BBQ
While my friends Lauren & Nathan were visiting from Australia we got a little group together to enjoy dinner on the beach and watch the sunset. (We also enjoyed a few cocktails!!)  Read about it here! 
IMG_0987
3. Bake a pie from scratch.  
Still need to do this!  Looking forward to this one – what a fun fall activity!
4. Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art 
Done & Done! 
I made it
5. Clean out my closet.
This is about 1/2 done… Ok maybe about a 1/3 done.  
6. Learn to grill 
I think I need another lesson.
7. Continue our Hollister tradition for the 3rd year in a row – The Nantucket Stay-cation!
We were able to carve out some time during September – Steve and I were both sick the whole time. Haha!  At least we had each other! 
8. Write a “just because” handwritten note every week. 
This one is easy!
9. Get a puppy! 
The best thing I put on my list and one of the best things that I’ve ever done.  I cried for the first 2 weeks that we had her because I loved her so much.
Ivypuppy
10. Visit the “other” island- Martha’s Vineyard!
So enchanted by Martha’s Vineyard.  Can’t wait to go back. Read about some of our adventures here
11. Read the Great Gatsby 
Started but need to finish! Too many book club books to read… 
12. Start practicing yoga again.
Ok need to do this!! 
13. Pay for the coffee for person in line behind me.
Done!  But I’m going to do again!
14. Go strawberry picking at Bartlett Farm.
15. Send someone flowers. 
These are going to go to a very special Milly & Grace customer who told all of her friends about our Cashmere Ruanas – she is helping us set records!
16. Create my own cocktail!
Stay tuned!  I’ll be posting about this one soon!!!!!!!!
17. Visit Tuckernuck – 
Well… this is the one thing that I don’t think I’ll be checking off my list.  The summer got away from us and now it’s too cold.  Oh well… I guess I’ll  just have to save something for next summer.
18. Participate in a workshop to help me become a better blogger.
Might have to be a winter activity but I’m holding out hope! 
19.  Be better about saving my money!  For the past few years, all of my savings have gone into opening and improving the store.  Now that we are in the swing of things it’s time to start saving for the future.
Hmmm…
20. Roast a chicken.
Need to do this! 
21. Try paddle boarding
I did it!  And so did Ivy…
Headed Home
I also paddled in the waves… or tried to!!
Paddlewavesphoto credit – Steve Hollister 
22. Watch Casablanca.
Gotta do this! 
23. Go skinny dipping!
24. Break my magazine hoarding habit.
Got a puppy… and she trained me not to leave them around… Because she would eat them.  Habit kicked.
25. Organize all my recipes.
Got this pretty organized… But it still feels like the never ending project. 
26. Find the Hidden Forest out here on Nantucket!
Shh… I can’t tell you! 
27. Get a massage. (Or 2 or 3)
This should have been the first thing I did! I better book this NOW!
28. Really learn to surf – Actually catch a wave without Steve’s help!
Getting there – I think I will be trying at this forever.
29. Connect with and commit to a non profit organization that really matters to me. 
Nantucket Cottage Hospital.  As I build a life on Nantucket, I want to ensure that there will be the best care possible for my family.  This past year I served on a the Boston Pops committee.  The Boston Pops on Jetties Beach is my favorite event of the summer so it just seemed fitting! 
30. Enjoy the sunrise & sunset all in the same day.
This one will be easy now that day light savings happened! 
So her is my to do list for the next month:
  • Bake a Pie
  • Roast a Chicken
  • Get a massage
  • Go to Yoga
  • Finish The Great Gatsby
  • Watch Casablanca
  • Participate in a workshop to help me become a better blogger
  • Enjoy the sunrise & sunset all in the same day

I think I am in good shape.  It seems that the things I still need to do are the perfect activities for this time of year!  Wish me luck!

I went to the MET… Here’s the proof!

During our buying trip to NYC, it was my mission to squeeze in a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  As I mentioned on my list of 30 things to do before I’m 30, I had never been before because I could never make it past Bergdorfs as I was heading up 5th Ave.  So we had to get there – Do not pass go, do not collect $200.  And we made it:

I made it

Here are some of my highlights:

I think the most impressive thing at the MET are the floral arrangements in the lobby (Great Hall) of the museum (now don’t all roll your eyes at once).  They are so grand and so spectacular it practically took my breath away.  Initially I took a double take because I thought for sure they were fake.  But no…They are REAL and there are 5 big urns full.  According to Crain’s New York Business: “A reported $4 million endowment from late Reader’s Digest co-founder Lila Acheson Wallace pays for fresh flowers each week—forever—in the Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art”.  Pretty cool!

Met flowers

Next up is the Impressionist wing.  Confession…. I had a Claude Monet obsession from the ages of 10-13.  It was bad.  I even had a Water Lilies bedspread.  This is NOT a joke and I can’t even explain it.  This wasn’t something Patty wanted me to have.  I HAD TO HAVE A MONET BEDSPREAD.  I wish I had a picture but it was pretty close to this:Monet Bedspread

Here are some of my favorite paintings:  Water Lilies

waterliliesBridge over a Pond of Water Lilies and The Manneporte Near Étrtat

Monets

My favorite Van Goghs – Roses and Wheat Field with Cypress

Van GoghThe  Fabergé pieces from Matilda Geddings Gray collection were exquisite.  The Lillie-of-the-Valley Basket is made of gold, silver, pearls and diamonds! Lillies of the Valley Matilda’s cigarette cases & clutches: Cigarette Cases

In the modern art wing we came across the most breathtaking work of art of all:  The Dyson Vacuum.  Art enthusiasts say that art changes lives and the way people think.  Well let me tell you that my Dysons (I have 1 at the store and 2 at my house) have changed my life.
dysonAnd there you have it! #4 is checked off my list!

Buying Trip To New York City!

Patty & I just got home from our Spring 2014 buying trip in NYC.  We had a blast! Here is what we did:

Monday:

  • Fly from ACK to JFK

ack to jfk

  • Check in to the Standard Hotel.  We highly recommend – great location!! Very hip and swank.
  • Pre dinner shopping around the Meatpacking district.
  • Dinner at ABC Kitchen – I am still flipping over how delicious and creative the food is here.  The decor is right up my alley.  You must try the ginger margarita (stay tuned, I’m going to try to recreate!), the watermelon, jalapeño and tomato gazpacho and the crab toast!

 ABC

 

Tuesday:

  • First Day of the Show!  Even though we do these shows all the time now, I still get embarrassingly excited over the whole thing.  Everything I wore to the show is currently available at Milly & Grace so we did a little photoshoot!  Full disclosure:  We actually saw a real photoshoot taken in the same spot the day before so we thought… We can try to be cool too!!

Day 1 outfit: Joie silk Marcie top in Shiraz, bLank denim and a Iwona Ludyga necklace.

Day 1

Day 1 action

  • Appointments: First stop Joie! Our favorite sales rep Jane helped us.  She and I used to work at Ralph Lauren together back in the day.

Emily & Jane

  • Other appointments: Parker and Rebecca Taylor!
  • Dinner at Extra Virgin – a West Village staple.

Wednesday:

  • Day 2 outfit: Rebecca Taylor cream flutter top, Dannijo statement necklace

Day 2

Day 2 Action

BoomBoo

Thursday: 

  • Day 3 outfit: Ella Moss rose gold tank sweater, Gillian Julius tube bracelet in rose gold.

Day 3

  • Appointments: Love Shack Fancy and Erin Fetherston
  • We got done early with the show so we had time to scoot out to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Yippee!! I checked #4 off my list of 30 things to do before I’m 30!!)
  • Dinner at Cafe Cluny in the West Village with our friend Lacey Griffin!  She has a really cute blog called Lacey in the City – you should check it out!  She is also the national sales manager for Linea Pelle (available at Hepburn on Nantucket)!  We had so much fun visiting with her!

Stay tuned for my favorite picks from each designer that will be available at Milly & Grace for Spring 2014! Thanks for reading xoxo!!