Homespiration

I'm moving... and even though we don't have a new home yet, I'm already designing each room in my head.  Aka Pinterest took over my day today.  I stumbled upon Lauren Conrad's website and her advice about couples moving in together.  I'm taking her advice and creating a {secret} pin board to show the bf and gauge his reaction to certain styles, colors, and pieces of furniture.  I can't wait to show you how everything turns out!

Check out my "A Place To Call..." board to see my dream homes and inspiration.  After the bf gives his feedback, maybe I'll make a public board to share a man's perspective and give some advice from my experience. {Sounds like a future post plan to me!}

Wish me luck!

#EnjoyLife

I am beyond excited to have all of next week off. Vaca time! I've had so many mini issues causing stress that it's almost become this constant subconscious feeling.  Even at yoga class, I have trouble getting to my happy place.  One of my true, physical, happy places is Brant Lake, NY.  The bf and I will be driving out there for the long weekend to celebrate the Fourth with my extended family. They are the best.  I'm never happier than when surrounded by these genuine, hilarious, intelligent people I have known since birth...swimming in a lake and reading in the sun.

I cannot wait to take a deep breath and enjoy every minute of my vacation.


*I'm having trouble finding the source of this photo. I Instagrammed it from Upworthy, but I can't find it on their site anymore. If you know the source, please email me so I can properly credit! Thanks!

The Story of Oxford Shoes and the Man that Walked Away

Below is an unedited conversation with my very good friend and writing companion, 'Dave'.  He has a lovely  hilarious website called Dave on the Dole where he posts about the adventures of an unemployed 20something living at home with his parents who don't appreciate his rearranging of their kitchen cabinets. (You should really check it out, especially if you enjoy crude humor and Irish men.) 

Enough about him... As you know, I have dozens of interests, one of which happens to be masculine footwear.  This story has become a running joke with my friends, and reveals more about me than just my style. Read on to find out why I trashed a perfectly good pair of oxfords (but don't judge my chat grammar, it's horrendous). 

Sent at 10:28 AM on Tuesday

me: Have you read the Man Repeller?

I commiserate with her, bc i've always (well, used to) dress differently than other people, not care, wear weird shit

in 8th grade I wrote song lyrics on a pair of pants in permanent marker and wore them to school

i also had pants with comic book faces on them

Dave:  ....................................

me:  where did i get this shit

I should write this down

Sent at 10:39 AM on Tuesday

Dave:  I think you have your next post

me:  i wasn't done with that story yet..

BUT WAIT! there's morrrreeee!

(infomercial voice)

i tend to buy manly shoes

i don't know why

when oxford shoes were in style like two years ago, i wore them

black shiny ones

wore them to a bar one night. a guy was chatting me up, super cute, okay convo, yada yada

15 minutes or so into it, he looks down

he sees my shoes

he was going to marry me...until he looked down...at my shoes

Sam was there (my bff)

The guy just stopped. mid sentence. and goes "what are those?"

I tried to explain...i tried to save our marriage

#fail

he walked away

STRAIGHT UP WALKED AWAY

from this beauty!

bc of my shoes!

i threw them out that night

Sent at 10:44 AM on Tuesday

Dave:  I'm having a hard time figuring out your thought process for buying those shoes and his thought process for walking away

me:  i bought the shoes bc they were trendy

and i notoriously like manly shoes

he walked away bc they were ugly

and manly

he didn’t want to marry a girl in man shoes, i suppose

The End.

Setting Goals

As I've mentioned before, I'm not usually a New Years Resolution writer or one to set strict short term personal goals.  That sounds terribly lazy, but what I mean is it is what it is;  I'm not one to go on a fad diet or take up the latest trend in aerobics.  I attempted to be a vegetarian once in college and it lasted about two weeks.  Admittedly, I have little will power for these kinds of things, so that is something to work on in and of itself.   So, this month, I'm feeling ballsy.  I'm going to publicly make 3 big goals for June (I know it's already the 5th, cut me some slack). 

If I can accomplish one of these goals, let alone all three, I will be proud of myself.  Props to people who do all of these things everyday of their lives.  I know lots of vegetarians who say it is not hard and the benefits are more than worth it, but I cannot imagine never eating bacon again.  My desire to get in shape is always trumped by my love of going out to dinner or reading a book instead.   This summer I'll be learning to surf (or attempting to learn), so the WaveShape workout will give me a huge advantage! And shopping, well, a look around my blog says enough about my obsession with shopping.  But I am moving in September, and that comes with a high price tag, so I really really need to stick to #2 and not spend excess dollahbillsya'll. Phew, this is going to be a challenge.

Wish me luck!

Craving a Getaway

Growing up, I was lucky enough to have parents that liked to vacation.  We went on annual spring break trips, and summer ones too, visiting places like Disney World (5 times), Brant Lake, Woodlock Pines, Bahamas, Mexico, Myrtle Beach, San Fransisco, Lake Tahoe, and Fort Lauderdale.  They may not have been glamorous European getaways, but they were all special and I'm grateful for every trip we've taken.   On top of that, when I was 14 my parents sent me to France to stay with a family friend; I saw Paris and Le Havre (in Normandy) for a week each. As a college student, I studied abroad in London, and spent time traveling to Dublin, Florence, and Lyon. 

It may sound like I'm bragging, but mostly I'm writing all these down to make myself realize that I have been places.  Lately, I'm feeling stagnant.  The last time I boarded an airplane, we were headed to Milwaukee (whomp).  I am certainly grateful for everywhere I've been, but I caught the travel bug early in life and still have a long list of places I still want to see.  Long gone are the days of Mom and Dad paying for my travel expenses.  (I'm ecstatic now when they offer to pay for my Amtrak ticket to visit them in NY.)  Now, the only way to travel on someone else's dime is to have a job that sends you places... putting that on my to-do list.

For now, I'll simply have to dream about places I would like to go 'someday', and possibly make a Pinterest board for my ideas.  Here are some places I'm fantasizing about ...

Vail, CO

Picture via Honestly, WTF

Giraffe Manor, Kenya

Picture via Honestly, WTF

 Shelter Co, California  

Chica Surf Adventures, Costa Rica 

Where do you want to explore?

 

Stumbling

When I was having a frustrating five minutes last week, I happened upon this quote from Sri Aurobindo. It made me take a deep breath and realize that everything would be okay. Everyone has bad days, bad times, bad mistakes.  I typed the quote over this picture I took awhile back of the Zakim bridge from the Charlestown harbor walk and added it to Pinterest.  Usually I'm not one to do that sort of thing, but I'm glad I have this to look back on now when I need a reminder that it is okay to stumble.

Modus Operandi

My method of operation, my manner of working, my M.O.

I am not a religious person, not in the slightest.  While I'm still 'trying to figure it out', at the moment I would say I believe more in the universe and mother nature than a god.  It may come as a surprise that I went to a Franciscan college (Siena Saints wootwoot!), where my favorite class was the one required religion course, Reading the Bible 101.  It was more of a literature course than anything, and the professor never revealed his own theological beliefs to us (I loved that about him).  The Bible is a funny book of tales told in such a different time than the present, that most of it is near impossible to relate to, even in the most metaphorical sense (in my opinion).  There is one passage though, that I happened upon while riffling through those amazingly thin pages, that spoke to me.  

   
This passage, 1 John 3:18, has become my Modus Operandi.  I think about it daily. It's written in every journal I keep, on a post-it next to my bed, and I'm working up the courage to tattoo it on my bod, just so I never forget it.  Regardless of the actual story this statement comes from, it is an ultimate truth to me.  Living your life with love, and love through action, is all there is to it. 

     
Relationships of any kind need nourishment and attention; we need to 'do the little things'.  I'm no Dr. Love, but I'm pretty sure what 1 John 3:18 says is a solid guideline for success.

But I won't get preachy. I do recommend dusting off your Bible, merely to read a good tale. Who knows, maybe you'll find a new M.O yourself.  Or just steal mine for awhile...it's a good one.

*The picture above was handwritten by me, following "The King and Queen" font.  Find it here.

Bring Me Joy

   When shit hits the fan, The Engineer always asks "Why can't everyone just be nice?".  Can-of-philosophical-worms officially opened...

   Sometimes we have a bad day. Sometimes a bad week.  Sometimes it feels like there are so many balls in the air that juggling is impossible and it would be easiest to let them all fall. 

   Sometimes, when a solution or next step is not obvious, I'd like to suggest creating a list of what makes you happy. What makes you want to be nice.  If you're stuck in a crappy situation, the list will help you realize that there are some pretty stellar things in your world. Maybe you'll even have time to partake in a happy activity.  Possibly, this list of happiness can act as a road map, or directional sign, for what to do next.

   Lots of things make me happy, so as I started pondering on the subway this morning, I stopped to consider the difference between 'happy' and 'pure joy'.  It's hard to decipher.  I'm not going to put too much pressure on myself to make this a concise 100% complete list.  That would take days to compile and be longer than the dictionary. (Maybe I'll add more at a later post!) For now, here are 12 small moments that really make me sigh "mmmm"...

Things that bring me pure joy:

writing a great sentence

spending time with my 6 year old godson

eating a decadent chocolate dessert

hugging The Engineer in the morning

finding a deal on a great pair of shoes
being closer to nature (i.e. mountains, forest, ocean)

jamming at a great concert

discovering a new place

flower shops

the end of a yoga class

having a hilarious conversation about nothing with my childhood friends

dancing (usually of the drunk variety)

 So, what brings you joy?

Friendspiration

   Today I had a dear friend text me to say that she loved my blog entry about “me time”, and she could totally relate. We haven’t spoken in awhile, and although I shared my blog with a few friends, I forgot she even knew about it. I haven’t self-advertised anywhere but Twitter, and hardly expect even my nutty blog mentor to keep up with my writing. 
    My mother likes to remind me that having great friends is one of the best blessings in life. She’s right. My friends inspire me. I have collected quite the interesting bunch over the past 25 years, most of them starting from age 0 or age 8, which is pretty astounding. They are such a talented crew that sometimes I find myself lost in thoughts of the possibilities of where we can go. I also miss each of them at any given moment. It’s funny to think of the thousands of people that come in and out of our lives, some stick, some don’t, and why. 
   I find catching up with friends to be like catching up with myself. It’s a catharsis for me, one of many. Remembering why you love and appreciate people is rejuvenating. As I struggle to find out what’s really going on in my life, I’m blessed to have people that already see greatness. My friends impress me with their honesty, loyalty, humor, and drive. 
   I started this blog as a personal goal, a learning experience, and (hopefully) one day a sweet memento of our life... a project with no expectations. If it is a place where friends can read a piece of my thoughts, relate, and discuss, that’s a more fulfilling accomplishment than I could have hoped. Thanks Whitney!

Me-Time

    Gasp, it’s true, I like to spend time with myself.  It is a vastly important part of life that too many people overlook (obviously I’ve done scientific research to come to those conclusions.) Carrie Bradshaw said it best,

“But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous” - Carrie Bradshaw, SATC

    As with any relationship, the one with yourself takes time spent and careful consideration.  What do you really like to do?  If you had to go on a trip alone, where would you go?  If you don’t enjoy hanging out with you, why should anyone else?

    My engineer was traveling last weekend, and I jumped at the opportunity for some solid me-time.  I scheduled a 1 o’clock barre class at a new studio (thanks, Exhale Back Bay!), followed by a pedicure.  I watched 3 episodes of some guilty pleasure TV in the morning, then indulged in reading and brunch at the forever yummy, Sorelle Cafe.  It felt so refreshing to announce to friends this was a me-day, and feel no (self-inflicted) pressure to do anything in particular.  The lightness and pleasure in my day was fantastic.

    Coincidentally, the January issue of Real Simple magazine I was reading on my Nexus 10 featured a piece about being alone.  (I can’t seem to find the article online, which is a total bummer because everyone needs to read it!)  Cherry topper on my day to read such a perfectly timed article; I love when the universe does that. 

It should be a prerequisite to adulthood to learn to love hanging out with yourself.

   Try it! Waiting for a friend to meet you at a bar? Grab a seat and order a bevy! No sense in sitting there panting like a puppy at the window gripping your phone willing it to buzz with a text. You’d look way sexier sipping on a cocktail glancing around dreaming up stories of all the drunk strangers.

Nostalgia

Holidays make me nostalgic.  Without fail, that yearning for home creeps up in me at Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, my birthday, Memorial Day, and Labor Day.  There are memories associated with each day that I play in my mind each year and smile.  Labor Day is the worst, because it’s the back-to-school time that I miss so much (nerd alert).  
Reflecting makes me extremely thankful for the life I have lived, the friends I have made, and the experiences I’ve had. This feeling seems to grow each year and I’m wondering if that will continue, morphing into a nostalgia for different things as I have my own family, get older, become a grandparent...  I don’t see this as a bad thing, in fact it seems like a blessing to be able to look back and sigh at the amazing things you have done.  Wrapped up in memories like a fleece blanket that just never seems to hold tight enough.

I am thankful4: 

pretty flowers

my mother's obsession with clean windows

Brant Lake, NY
the ocean 

A True Story