MORE OF THIS, LESS OF THAT

What’s In & Out for me. Travel more. Turn off the noise. Micro-decorate. Pare back my closet. Nourish creativity. And more…

There's room to explore the idea of a What’s In & Out List so I've come up with a different approach. It's a personal More of, Less of list. The title explains itself. It's simply what I want to see, do, and think about more versus things I'm tired of, that don't inspire, or are overplayed in my world. It’s my Master 2025 To Do list.

MORE & LESS

Iwakuni, Japan; Honfleur, France; Mali Losinj, Croatia

Travel off the beaten path. Some of my favorite travel memories are to destinations not widely visited. My curiosity peeks with less familiar places. Mali Losinj south of the Istrian peninsula in Croatia was a highlight last year. We stayed at the Boutique Hotel Alhambra and I think we were the only Americans there.

Culloden House, Scotland; Schloss Durnstein, Austria; Wanas Hotel, Sweden

Boutique hotels, especially the ones authentic to their surroundings. They add an immersive experience to a trip. Rosapetra in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Wanas Hotel in Sweden, Culloden House in Scotland come to mind.

Clementine, Vienna; Vastana Slott, Sweden; Le Vieux Honfleur, France

Discover local's favorite dining spots. Spend less time figuring out where to eat in advance on Open Table. I have a bad habit of overthinking dinner reservations and finding the perfect spot. I’d like to let that go and be more spontaneous. Ask a local for their favorites.

Unsubscribe from emails I get from shopping sites. It’s too much and has left me uninspired.

Unfollow Instagram accounts not bringing something relevant to my table. The big ones…all the Vogues, mainstream designers, and celebrities. I’m 61. Why am I following Hailey Bieber? What is her account adding to my thoughts, perspective, inspiration? I’ve been deleting a lot lately and my Instagram feed is starting to look like it relates to me.

See bands of my youth before they stop performing. After seeing A Complete Unknown (one of my favorite movies of 2024), I have a renewed appreciation for Bob Dylan’s songwriting and music and would like to see him perform again.

Practice common sense in wellness - just the basics - strength training, moving every day, whole foods, water, good sleep, a supplement as needed. I like this space and staying on top of wellness, but I’m narrowing down the voices. There are too many "experts" and podcasts.

See quality movies. I joined a local film society with a friend and it's been fun seeing movies in an old school theater - especially the smaller, lesser known pictures. Watching a story unfold with a concrete ending versus some of the shows streaming at home is satisfying. I’m growing frustrated with series that leave me hanging for a year. Or some that don’t wrap up the story. We need season three of Pachinko!

JBM Architect, my fabric pulls, Danke ceiling lamp, Sweet Shady Lane, Allison Willson Design

Micro decorate - Work on the little things in my house. Freshening up a room with pillows, curtains, individual things. It's nice to take time, add layers and slowly chip away.

Stick with no-fuss skin care - retinol, Vit-C, European SPF, estrogen cream for starters (Dr. Ellen Gendler and Mrs. Derm preach the basics.) No more overpriced creams with false promises. See this post: Gamechangers.

Continue to Re-sell things I no longer wear. I use the Mytheresa X Vestiaire platform and receive immediate credit towards my account.

And wear the things I've collected and held on to over the years that don’t get as much play - vintage Chanel jackets, a Louis Vuitton Speedy bag I’ve had for 40+ years, old Hermes scarves…That might mean reorganizing my closet so they’re one of the first things I see.

Vintage flatware from Good Together House, flea market in Vienna, sketch by Lorenzo Palmer Latimer from local consignment (Magnolia Mews), pieces collected along the way

Shop vintage, antique and consignment for accessories and home accents. Old stuff is the best especially in a world of mass produced product. This rings especially true for shopping when traveling. The perfect souvenir or memento is found in these environments.

Less Amazon for books, more Barnes & Noble and independent stores. Over the holidays, I enjoyed in store shopping for making gift selections. There's a place for Amazon (things I need immediately or can’t find locally, Kindle, etc.) but I don’t want it to be my first stop.

And on that note...more Brick and Mortar. I read about this retail concept in Montecito and like its core intention - make shopping curated, interesting, desirable and an experience. Back in the day, shopping was one of my favorite pastimes but it wasn't always about buying. It was an activity of discovery and inspiration.

Singles only. I have a habit of buying doubles when I love something. I convince myself that it’s irreplaceable or that I need it in another color. Both valid but necessary? Just because it's an amazing piece in black, do I need it in white too? Will I wear it just as much as the original?

Balance staying in with going out. I need both. Aside from going out for dinner, I want to experience events - cultural, music, art, food, etc. The film society I mentioned previously is a good example and one I’ll continue. I’m going to Frieze LA for the first time next month. I’ll look into lectures and events at museums, excursions to tour gardens and visit showhouses.

Wander more when travel. Spend less time at the must sees. They're almost always too crowded. I take in so much more when exploring on foot or a bike, getting a little lost, and stumbling upon a surprise.

Say no to ridiculously priced hotels. I love luxurious, beautiful hotels, but I have a limit to what I'll pay before I'm turned off. Unless the hotel is a self contained resort destination, it's hard to justify.

Wear my jewelry. It's been collecting dust since covid. Almost every piece has a memory to cherish.

Do something creative every day. Small things count. A scribble in a journal. A brush stroke on a page. A collage.

Awareness of phone consumption. No phones on the table at restaurants. Leave it in my bag. Don’t check it unless necessary. Distance myself from immediate availability.

Write more about travel. I have so much content to share it's overwhelming to start. I want to create and focus on a plan to make this happen. 2025 goals.

That’s a lot but I'm sure I could come up with a few more. What are yours?