My 24 Before 25 List

I celebrated my birthday this weekend by hanging out with my friends, having a celebratory BBQ, eating too much chocolate, seeing Man of Steel with my brothers, having lunch with my favorite high school teacher, and meeting the lovely Kristin of My Life as a Teacup. It was so wonderful meeting her and I wish we lived closer because we have so much in common.

If you're curious about birthday gifts my mom gave me an iPad Mini (thanks, Mom!) that I'm so excited to use, and my dad got me a lovely emerald green purse (thanks, Dad!) that is perfect for carrying said iPad.

This was a pretty good year, but I have a feeling 24 is going to be even better. I'll be graduating from grad school in December, looking for a job I love, hopefully I'll save enough money to get my own apartment, and I would love to send query letters out to agents once my novel is completed.

Here's what I accomplished, or didn't, this past year:

23 Before 24
1. Finish the first draft of my novel (still working on it)
2. Take a mini-road trip with friends
3. Visit two states ~~I've never been to before~~ (half completed - went to Vermont)
4. Visit a country I've never been to before
5. Watch Annie Hall for the first time (I was really bored, so I re-watched Midnight in Paris instead, which is such an amazing film)
6. Go to a midnight showing of Rocky Horror
7. Learn to play poker
~~8. Eat French macarons~~ (so delicious!)
9. Go to the Governor's Island Jazz Age Lawn Party (hopefully going this August!)
~~10. Take more outfit photos in fun places~~
~~11. Create a monthly spending budget~~ (thanks Mint!)
12. Lose 15 pounds (on my way there!)
~~13. Get A's in my classes for the next two semesters~~
~~14. Find my signature perfume~~ (Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck!)
~~15. Get Jackie, my bros, my mom~~, ~~my sis, my dad & Avra awesome birthday presents~~
~~16. Finish reading 25 books in 2012 + 10 books in 2013 before my birthday~~ (check out my library)
~~17. Do more DIYs~~ (check out my DIYs here)
~~18. Try new hairstyles~~
~~19. Experiment more with my clothes~~ (I'm definitely having more fun with my clothes!)
~~20. Wear red lipstick more~~ (wearing pink, but close enough)
21. Go to a concert
22. Find free things to do with friends year round
23. Let go of the little things I cannot control & enjoy life!

Out of the 23 things on my list from last year, I accomplished 14 of them. Not too bad. Only 9 of them I didn't do because some of them take time (working on my novel and losing weight) or money (traveling). I'm hoping to achieve more of my goals this time around!

My new list:

24 Before 25
1. Finish my novel
2. Get my first full-time job
3. Travel outside the country
4. Visit Jackie's new home in Virginia
5. Visit Lauren (upstate New York) and Sarah (Boston)
6. Walk to the post office more instead of driving
7. Visit the High Line & the Brooklyn Bridge
8. Try the 30 Day Shred
9. Read more classic novels
10. Clean out / sell books I don't want anymore
11. Organize all the notes I've scribbled down about my novel
12. Keep saving to pay off loans
13. Save my pennies to buy a DSLR in the future
14. Get back to drawing
15. Lose 15 pounds / feel comfortable rockin' a bikini
16. Sew a skirt
17. Find a beer that I like
18. Make sure my plants (bamboo plant and moss terrarium) don't die
19. Help my dad build a new deck
20. Go to another movie alone
21. Use my camera more to capture my everyday life
22. Do more product reviews (and maybe book reviews too)
23. Continue seeing new fun exhibits and things in NYC
24. Meet new people

What do you think of my list?

Do you have a list? Leave a link to it if you do!