I’ve recently been sipping the Koolaid of author Laura Vanderkam, a time/productivity expert. Thanks to Vanderkam, I’ve been planning my weekends to make the most of my free time (like this brunch) and chipping away at my “100 Dreams List.” 

100 Dreams List

Vanderkam explains, “This exercise is a completely unedited list of anything you might want to do or have more of in life. It’s like a bucket list, but most people don’t get all the way to 100 when creating a bucket list. The point is to really think about what you might like.” When you force yourself to keep listing, it’s surprising what simple pleasures will emerge. 

I started listing activities with a greater focus on taking advantage of the last spurts of summer. One of the items on the list was a tradition of mine: a picnic at my favorite local flea market.

Full disclosure, my Dream List hasn’t yet reached 100, but the point is, it has inspired me to strive for more lightness, more quality time with people, and less screen time, and it resulted in a happy Sunday with one of my favorite ladies and my go-to flea market picnic pal: Nina!

In the spirit of dreaming, Nina and I realized we’re both dreaming of Italy, and now the dream is to go together. This blog post is me putting that dream into the world! I want to sip wine with my longtime friend with a view of the Amalfi coast in our progressively hazier vision. 

The woman above had quite the marketing approach…

First we shop, then we brunch.

With my 100 Dreams List, my goal is to put more effort into planning,  committing and connecting, while trying to quiet my inner perfectionist. Rather than cook or bake for an entire day, I woke up early and hit two of my favorite Pittsburgh bakeries: Madeleine Bakery & Bistro and Five Points Artisan Bakeshop for a pastry picnic (with plenty of fruit and a slice of quiche for good measure). 

Nina curated a rainbow of fruit for the occasion. 

Santé! What’s on your 100 Dreams List?

Cheers,

Quelcy