40 before 40

That's me!

Today is my birthday. I'm turning 36, which is just one of those "whatever" kind of birthdays, but I can't help but think about 40 being right around the corner. Even though I don't feel a day over 21 (well, a really smart 21), I thought it would be fun to put together a little 40 before 40 list. These are a few things I'd like to do in the next four years. Some of them I could probably get done this week and some of them most likely won't get done at all (there's a lot of vacations on this list!), but it's so much fun to dream big for the future and set some goals. I'll keep you updated on my progress as I cross things off my list!!

1.  learn to make pancakes just like my mother's (she made the best ones!)
2.  go on a gondola ride in Venice
3.  renovate our kitchen
4.  take a trip to Los Angeles
5.  eat a cheeseburger
6.  attend a blogger conference
7.  learn to use and be confident with my camera
8.  clean and organize the attic
9.  eat at home 6 out of 7 dinners each week for a month
10.  take an interior design class
11.  throw a dinner party
12.  sew a dress
13.  use the grill all by myself
14.  make waffle cones with the waffle cone maker I bought a year ago
15.  have a cocktail at the Velvet Tango Room in Cleveland
16.  grow an herb garden
17.  clean out the basement
18.  take Andy to Fairbanks, Alaska, where I grew up
19.  go to a drive-in movie
20.  repaint all of our interior doors
21.  take a cooking class
22.  go to the Cleveland Zoo
23.  sew throw pillows for the bedroom
24.  frame and hang all the art we have in storage
25.  build a new garage
26.  paint the guest room and rest of the attic
27.  drink a Guinness in Ireland
28.  renovate our bathrooms
29.  eat at Pommes Frites in NYC
30.  sell or use our trailer
31.  go to a hockey game in an arena I've never been to
32.  landscape our front and backyards
33.  eat gelato in Italy
34.  try silkscreening again
35.  go on a tour of Alcatraz
36.  get to my ideal weight and maintain it
37.  adopt a dog
38.  downsize to a smaller house
39.  love my job, by any means necessary (sorry, job!)
40.  have a baby