100 Things That Made My Year | 2025 Edition

All the Elsie Green girls have been inspired by Austin Kleon's list of "100 Things That Made My Year (2022)" and we've started creating our own lists.  It's a simple, but effective exercise in finding the joy in the every day. 

2025 was not my favorite year.  But reflecting on the year in detail always reminds me of the many small gifts, special moments and beautiful memories. 

Thank you Austin for the inspiration.  And thank you to all the people who made this a damn good year.  

  1. Museum Day with Carolyn and Guernica created from basketball jerseys at the deYoung.
  2. My sister living with me for two months.
  3. Our new Elsie Green baby Hasti and our new Cain family baby Evelynn.
  4. 5 days with Jenn, Allie, Kyle and all the kids in Oakland.
  5. Slushies at Lovely’s
  6. Pilates after work.
  7. Third wheeling with the Yaryans and The Redwood Room.
  8. The Brutalist at the Kabuki.
  9. Cartoons and cereal at The Parkway.
  10. Futzing in the store with Christopher.
  11. Baby elephants with India.
  12. A vase full of tulips with the bulbs still on them.
  13. Community Dinners at 18 Reasons.
  14. Oscar Quest with Christopher.
  15. March Madness with Jack and meatballs at Tosca.
  16. Red nails with white tips in December.
  17. Van Jones at The Paramount.
  18. Fancy sleep.
  19. Bumping into French friends on the street in Lyon.
  20. Scented candles and cappuccinos at Hotel Providence.
  21. Facials at Maison Celeste. 
  22. John Proctor is the Villian.
  23. Broadway stars doing Q&A in the park in NYC.
  24. John Batiste in a red suit with a piano.
  25. Graduation!  And Katie in a red dress at Gaetano’s.
  26. The Gio Ponti room and a collection of Herman Miller company picnic posters at the Denver Art Museum.
  27. An organza dollhouse at Cooper Hewitt.
  28. Making paper cranes with Diego at Yonsei.
  29. Crime Junkie with Jenn and Allie.
  30. NYC with Jack, Andie & Shannon.
  31. Making candles and perfume in New York.
  32. Lymphatic drainage massages.
  33. Fruit Salon.
  34. Wine on tap at Book Society.
  35. Momo’s.
  36. Eloise and Nanny at the Claremont.
  37. The staff at K5 in Tokyo.
  38. Kintsugi and matcha in Osaka.
  39. Road tripping with Jack, El Cap Meadow at sunset and fishing our way out of Yosemite. 
  40. No Name Saloon in Park City.
  41. Making OJ with AJ.
  42. Flowers on Sundays.
  43. A very hard to come by invite to Sonoma Cook Book Club.
  44. Late evening massages at The Now with Katie.
  45. A heart shaped birthday cake with cherry candles.
  46. Hotel St. Cecilia for a weekend with Katie.
  47. Hans Zimmer.
  48. Blackbird After Hours Reading Club.
  49. Long dinners late at night.
  50. Mornings at the flower market.
  51. Pastries at Parachute.
  52. New tires and a new windshield.
  53. Sophia Coppola.
  54. My Christmas Tree!
  55. The Christmas trees in the windows at Davies Hall.
  56. A cable car with Christmas lights.
  57. A Christmas wreath on my car’s spare tire.
  58. The Rockettes!  And a drink in the bar at The Beekman afterward.
  59. Man Ray at The Met.
  60. Christmas jammies.
  61. Shopping Carolyn’s library on New Year’s Day.
  62. Really nice note cards.
  63. Mail in my mailbox.
  64. Hiking the stairs in a weighted vest. 
  65. Dogs in rain boots.
  66. Taundoku.
  67. Six perfect eggs from Beth.
  68. Dumplings, beer and basketball with Jack.
  69. The old Pan Am Airport on Treasure Island.
  70. Schweppes Agrum on the train.
  71. BLTs in high summer.
  72. A peppermint amaryllis.
  73. Paper chains made from velvet ribbon.
  74. Starting my evening at the hotel bar with Jack.
  75. Egg Salad in Japan.
  76. Eki stamps.
  77. Uno and souffle pancakes.
  78. Senso-ji at night.
  79. Drinks at the Claremont with the Angels.
  80. Hokkaido Milk Ice Cream.
  81. Hunting for Tsuba at Redo Antique Market.
  82. A samurai sword gallery in Tokyo.
  83. Ginza Lion Beer Hall and a big boot full of beer.
  84. Wagyu at Omoide.
  85. Learning to grill with the boys.
  86. The Tokyo Toilet Project.
  87. Christmas Eve at Target with all three kids.
  88. Hiring one of my children to work full time at Elsie Green. 
  89. A red party dress peeking out of the bottom of a warm wool coat.
  90. Gingerbread NYC.
  91. Central Park in the snow.
  92. Pastries from Parachute.
  93. Laughing with Jack about nothing at all.
  94. Fixed menus with the kids.
  95. The best barn wedding with the best +1
  96. Art-o-mats.
  97. Sinner’s Brunch in Austin.
  98. Pianos in French train stations.
  99. My mother-in-law’s chili recipe.
  100. Afternoons in Cluny. 
— Laurie Furber
Tagged: inspiration
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