Has anyone else who is on the smaller side been having a ridiculously hard time finding dresses lately? I was in need of a neutral, classy dress for an upcoming photo shoot and must have tried on 25 dresses between Nordstrom and J. Crew, stores that are usually slam dunks for me. But nothing fit until I headed to Ann Taylor Loft’s petite section, where I found this pretty little number:

Please pardon the fact that it appears to fit the model terribly. My dress fits much more like the photo showing the print version (so cute!):

Very Lilly, don’t you think? And for a fraction of the price, too — all dresses are 30% off through May 8, meaning mine was just $55. If you are on the hunt for a dress, as well, I recommend heading to Loft!

My sweet friend Nancy is in pursuit (ha) of the perfect one-piece swimsuit. I thought I’d help her out and do a search of my own.

First row: (A) Land’s End Canvas, $17, (B) Land’s End Canvas, $40, (C) Boden, $68
Second row: (D) Land’s End Canvas, $40, (E) JCPenney, $35, (F) Old Navy, $30
Third row: (G) Old Navy, $30, Land’s End Canvas, $75, Shabby Apple, $88

I’ve always been pretty eh on the whole one-piece thing, but these options might be changing my mind… how about y’all? Do you wear a one-piece?

At the beginning of every month, I plan to write a short post covering what I accomplished in the previous month and what I hope to accomplish in the next one. I’ll also introduce you to one of my 101 in 1001 buddies (see them all in the sidebar!). Here we go!

April 2011: 5/101 goals complete, 21/101 goals in progress

Did I complete…
— No. 1 (Pay the bill for someone behind me in the drive-through line)? YES!
— No. 56 (Photograph my outfits every day for one month)? Not exactly, but it’s okay. I decided to switch this goal up a bit, and make the goal to photograph and post 30 outfits over the 1001 days instead of 30 outfits in one month. Much more manageable :) I’ve already photographed about five, and have plans to post them soon!

Did I begin…
— No. 71 (Get Peach & Pearl a spiffy new look)? YES! I’ve spoken with two designers so far, and think I have some very exciting plans in the works…

I was able to keep up with all of my monthly commitments (nos. 5, 7, 16, and 48).

Tomo Kohsaka

May 2011: 6/101 goals complete, 22/101 goals in progress

Plan to complete:
— No. 57: Memorize another favorite poem

Plan to begin:
— No. 39: Explore two more states/regions I’ve never been to (I’m headed to Charleston this month!)
— No. 87: Learn a new form of dance every year (Our friends are teaching a shagging class as a fundraiser, and I’m trying to use that angle to guilt John into going with me! :)
— No. 96: Read my thesis every May (If I’m feeling brave, maybe I’ll share a little bit with y’all…)

Plan to continue:
— No. 98: Read the entire Chronicles of Narnia series (I’m on book two)

Peta Mazey

May Spotlight: Elizabeth of BE KITCHENS

I love that Elizabeth’s overall goal for her 101 in 1001 list is to be a “happier, more productive person. To stop talking, and start doing.” She also just wrote a lovely post about completing no. 51 on her list, and it made me tear up a little. Five of my favorite goals she’s set for herself:

— No. 45: Shoot film every day (1 roll/week) for a full 12-month period.
— No. 60: Learn how to convert a car to run on grease — share how.
— No. 70: Go surfing — at least once!
— No. 75: Give an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.
— No. 100: Make a budget (Yes, I am a huge nerd. But budgets are super important!)

In other news, I’m wondering if any of you might be interested in a small series of posts on personal finance. So many of my 101 in 1001 buddies have financial goals on their lists, but some might not know the best way to go about checking them off. Topics might include:

— The difference between a 401k and an IRA
— The difference between a traditional and a Roth IRA, and which one you should choose
— The definition of an ETF and why it might be a great investment option for you
— Basic stock market investing tips
— Making a household or personal budget… and following it

John and I are pretty passionate about financial literacy, and would love to share some basic tips if y’all might be interested. If not, that’s okay, too! I promise we’d keep the posts short, easy to understand, and interesting :) Let me know what you think!

In the meantime, you can see the details on all of my goals right here. Here’s to a great month!

Alison Miksch

Do you all make seasonal to do lists? I’ll often make one for summer and one for the Christmas season. (Here’s a past year’s Christmas list.) This is what I’ve got for summer 2011 so far:

— go swimming in the Eno River
— jump off the wharf at the Island
— see a moonlight movie at Koka Booth Amphitheatre
— go to a Backporch Music concert at the American Tobacco Campus
— complete a Backwoods OK race
— shag at North Hills
— go on a road trip somewhere in the southeast
— take a walk on River Road in Mystic
— spend a day at the beach
— eat lots of cobb salad and chicken souvlaki
— camp
— have a staycation
— watch fireworks

What’s on your summer to do list?