Post-Vacation Ennui

Have any of you ever experienced post-vacation ennui?

For me, the symptoms start on the way to the airport. As I watch the city that I’ve called home for the last week or so pass me by in the window, my heart gets a bit heavy. I see landmarks I visited, the streets I walked down, the restaurants I dined in, and I wonder when/if I will ever visit them again. I think I will, but I know that it won’t be for a while yet. There are dozens of countries and cities that I want to visit first—places and cultures that I have yet to experience.

By the time I get home? Part of me is daydreaming about what it would be like to just pick up and leave again, you know, if I had the funds. It’s always hard to accept that the trip I’ve been daydreaming about for nearly a year is in my rearview mirror. I want to start planning my next trip, but it just seems too far away to be a fact yet. So, I’m forced to accept my sedentary, 9 to 5 lifestyle again.

After being on the go for ten days straight—always at breakneck speed so I can fit everything in—I’m exhausted and jetlagged. All I want to do is curl up in my pajamas, in bed, watching Netflix and having Netflix watch me when I take an impromptu nap. I’ve been watching NCIS, in case you are wondering. But I always feel that the more exhausted I am when I get home is the more successful the trip was. Considering my current level of laziness and unproductivity, I think that France 2015 was a huge success!

So what happens now? Once I find the energy, I hope to go through my 1300 photos and blog about my adventure in more detail. All I did this weekend was watch TV and sleep. Oh, and ice my ankle after I had a run in with a pothole in Manhattan on Friday (it won). I also want to give the blog a little face-lift to celebrate six months of being in existence.

This will be my only post this week though as I cannonball into the real world after my little escape. So please bear with me!

New Month, New Goals: August

I think that July might be my favorite month of 2015 (so far). I mean, really, what was not to love about it? Summer Fridays started at my job, so I’ve been getting out of work at 1:00PM. I have no idea why this makes the week feel significantly shorter, but it does. I also spent the bulk of the month preparing for my trip with the zeal of…someone zealous? I don’t know where I was going there. Then, I left for my vacation on July 26th, and I’m still in France as you read this! Current location: Nice. Anyway, it’s been an eventful and exciting month for me. How about you?

How was your July?

Duolingo Review or Die. I did some Duolingo-ing, but definitely not as much as I would have liked to have done. I was bitten by the writing bug this past month and spent my train rides (which is when I usually use Duolingo) drafting short pieces of whatever popped into my head.
Get some reading done.  Again, I definitely didn’t do as much as I would have liked, but I did read a bit. Hopefully, I managed to get some reading done on the plane ride and, if I did, expect a book review sometime in August!
Buy the last of my advance tickets. Done and done! Everything was booked and paid for by the time we headed to JFK airport.
French Trip. Currently a work in progress, but I’ll cross it off my list anyway. By this point I’ve been to Paris, visited London, and am now in Nice. Today, however, I’ll be day-tripping in Provence and evening-tripping (I’m aware that’s not a real thing) in Monaco. Sadly, this means that my trip is almost at an end.
Make a blog queue. Done! I did manage to set up a small queue so that new content (like this post) would go live while I was away.

AUGUST GOALS

• Print & frame photos from France. I have a gallery wall that is devoted to photos I've taken on my travels that is slowly but surely growing in size. There are currently pictures from my time in London, Bath, and Windsor in 2012 and others from Rome, Florence, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast in 2014 up there, so my new photographs will be in good company.
• Schedule dinner dates with friends. I've been horrible with making dinner plans with friends of late, and I have several friends who are long overdue a catch-up dinner. Hopefully, I'll be able to make up for this in August and September.
• Go see Minions. Yes, I'm aware that I am 25, but who can resist the charm of those yellow, pill-shaped cuties? I have an unhealthy obsession with them and have watched the trailers so many times that it wouldn't surprise me if I could recite them. I even had my friend who works in the film industry send me the Minion 3D goggles...which I proceeded to wear around the house saying "Banana!" Basically, I need to see the movie before it leaves theatres or mope around until it comes out on bluray.
• Clean my room. I have been saying that I need to clean my room for months but haven't gotten around to it. A two day weekend hasn't been long enough to clean, blog, and plan my trip, so cleaning--the least fun of the activities--has been put off time and time again. My room is a disaster area though, and it really is starting to make me twitchy.
• Do some re-decorating. I spent months pinching pennies to save up for France, so I haven't gotten around to working on making my room the little oasis I've intended. I'm intent on making it the perfect little "studio apartment" in my parents' home, so it's time to start visiting Ikea, Home Goods, and H&M to get the things I need.

Do you have any goals for July?

Monthly Favorites: July

Not surprisingly, this month's favorites were all purchased with my trip in mind.  So, without further ado…

Carlos by Carlos Santana Sandals –

One of my many quirks is that I'm not a sandal-person. Well, it's more like the only sandals I like are the impractical five inch stiletto heel ones. Obviously, I can't do any real sightseeing in that type of footwear unless I want to maim myself. I did want to find a comfortable pair of sandals for my vacation though, especially for niece. I found these gorgeous Kiara 2 Wedge Sandals at my shoe mecca--DSW. They have a gladiator-esque look to them and a small one and a half inch wedge, so I can walk around comfortably. I've gotten tons of compliments on them too. But what I love about these sandals is that they can be dressed up or down depending on my needs. At $39.99, these babies were a steal!

Covergirl LastBlast Fusion Mascara –

LastBlast Fusion is my old reliable when it comes to mascara. I've been wearing it for years now with no complaints, so when I realized I was running low, I went and bought a new tube. It gives your lashes volume and length and is buildable for those of us who have a flare for the dramatic. I love the applicator too which I feel is great for preventing the clumpy, cobwebby lash look.  

Eiffel Tower Journal –

It's a tradition for me to bring a journal on my trips so that I can chronicle everything as it happens. The Eiffel Tower motif was no coincidence, but the compact size means that I can slip it into my purse and carry it around with me. You can't believe how many comments I get when people see me jotting down notes in my journals when I'm abroad. I feel a bit like I'm carrying the torch of all those writers who spent time in Europe, scribbling down their great works. Hemingway, anyone? For me, there's nothing quite like writing. I love the feel of pen on paper and am more inspired by an empty notebook than a blank word document.

Forever 21 Gold Leaf Necklace –

This was a "just because" buy. I was in Forever 21 a few weekends ago and spotted this delicate leaf necklace and couldn't not buy it. It's the sort of piece that can add a touch of elegance to simple black top or add a little personality to something with a pattern. I love necklaces with long chains for that reason! They're just so versatile.

Monthly Musings: July

I put my life in danger to take this photo. 

 I am deathly afraid of all things bee-like (bumblebees, bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets…), so the fact that I was anywhere near this little guy is an impressive feat in my book. Yes, I realize that I’m incredibly melodramatic, but I have literally climbed over picnic tables covered with food to get away from a bee. I wish I were kidding.

Onto this month’s musings!

• Top 12 Pastry Shops in Paris –  It's probably no surprise that I was reading up about France leading up to my trip.  World of Wanderlust is one of my favorite travel blogs and, as luck would have it, 10 days before my trip a guide to pastry shops went live! I had already planned to visit Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, but I kept the others in mind too! Let's see how many of these dessert heavens I manage to visit!
• 8 Tips for Hanging Art – One of my ambitions is to have one of those homes that looks like it came right out of magazine, so I'm always in the mood for interior design related posts.  Joanne of Cup of Jo gave some great tips for hanging art.  I'll definitely keep these tips in mind for future design projects.
• Get Married by Your Late 20s If You'd Rather Not Get Divorced - An interesting article on how people who get married in their late 30s are now more likely to get divorced than those in their late 20s.  So, basically, if you marry too young, divorce, and if you marry too old, divorce.  Not great odds, America.
• Finally, Photographic Evidence that Kit Harington Has Joined the Cast of Game of Thrones in Belfast - SPOILER ALERT: Jon Snow lives!  I was one of the many fan girls who wept over what appeared to be the demise of Jon Snow in the season finale of Game of Thrones, but there has been a lot of speculation as to whether he was actually dead.  Although Kit and show runners have said that Jon is gone, methinks they doth protest too much.  It seems like too much of a coincidence that he landed in Belfast just in time for next season's script read-through.  Is this the worst kept secret in TV history?  I hope so!
• Amber Heard is More Complicated Than You Think - I've always liked Amber Heard, although I couldn't really put my finger on a reason.  This article, which appeared in July's edition of ELLE, made me like her even more. Johnny Depp slayer, free-spirit, and feminist--what's not to like?  Unfortunately, this link will only bring you to blurbs from the full article, but if your friend reads ELLE, steal borrow it!

Life as a Boomerang Kid

When I graduated from Cornell in May 2012, I had to move back home. I was unemployed (and wouldn’t land my first full-time job until the following March), and I was (and still am) about 100k in debt. That’s 100k with 5 zeros.

Needless to say, there was no way that I could afford to rent a cardboard box, let alone an apartment in New York City. What I pay in student loans each month is around what most people pay in rent, and publishing pays next to nothing. Seriously, we don’t work in publishing for the money. Living with my parents when I’m in my mid-twenties certainly has its ups and downs, so I thought I’d start a blog series on living in my childhood home when I’m no longer a child. I think it’s something that other millennials can relate to, especially when recent statistics say that one in five people in their 20s and early 30s is currently living with his or her parents. 

Guess what they call us. The boomerang kids.

So here is the first installment of my survival guide.

Tip #1

Respect is the only way to survive, and it goes both ways.

The fact of the matter is that when you’re away at school you get very used to not having to answer to anyone. You come and go as you please, you stay out super late, and you invite strangers to stay the night (or they invite you). 

Moving back home is definitely an adjustment for everyone. My parents had to realize that I was an adult, so they couldn’t police my comings and goings or tell me how to lead my life. I had to realize that living at home was a privilege— not a guarantee—and that I still had to respect the fact that my parents were genuinely concerned about my well-being and didn’t stop being my parents because I had graduated from college.

That meant extending the courtesy of letting them know when I was leaving the house or if I’d be out super late (or not coming home at all). I still try to respect their household rules and try to contribute (even if that just means unloading the dishwasher from time to time). When I started showing them the respect that was due, they left me to my own devices. It’s made for a much more peaceful living environment.

New Month, New Goals: July

Although June was less hectic than May, I still managed to fail at accomplishing most of my goals this month. The weekends were uncommonly rainy, and I spent large chunks of the weekends creating my itinerary and bemoaning just how broke I was this June. But on a happy note, July promises to be an exciting month for me! I’ll be jetting off to France for my vacation at the end of the month with Mom, first of all. I’ve been looking forward to this trip since last September when I decided I’d be going to France, so the anticipation has been steadily building. This month is the start getting my Summer Fridays, meaning my office will close at 1PM. 

How was your June?

Finish reading The Secret History. Nope, sadly.  I am still around page 50 and haven't actually picked it up since early June.  My friend loaned me The Anatomy of Story, so I've been reading through that, and I've also spent my train rides writing or listening to the insanity that is Greece's economic problems.  I'm really hoping to get to the book this month, but who knows?  Maybe I'll end up reading it on the plane ride.  Granted, I had planned on sleeping and reading the second book in the Outlander Series.  Hmm.  Too many books and so little time.  

Workout my abs and arms daily. Ish. This little routine lasted all of a week before I got bored (read: lazy) and stopped. Oops.

Go on an excursion. I fail.  Okay, so this wasn't completely my fault.  We've been rained out for the last couple of weekends which makes trips into the city depressing.  There are puddles the size of the Atlantic Ocean at every intersection, umbrellas are useless if there's even the slightest of breezes, and you risk getting splashed a la rom-com by a car.  Jerks.

Start finalizing my itinerary for France.  Not only did I start it, I finished it! After spending four weekends in front of my Streetwise Map of Paris, Google Maps, and my Fodor's Travel Guides, I have managed to create a 16 page itinerary for my 10 day trip.  Everything that I want to see is on there, and I think I'll have time to just do some aimless wandering too.

JULY GOALS

• Duolingo Review or Die.  With my trip just around the corner, it's time to buckle down and get some serious French review under my belt.  I know I won't be fluent, but it would nice for me to be able to say a few things in French and be understood (not mocked for my horrible American accented French).
• Get some reading done. I'm not going to say I want to finish a book because I have a habit of failing to do any reading when I put it on my list of goals.  Instead, I hope to just read for fun and read whatever I like.  Books, magazines, blogs...anything goes.
• Buy the last of my advance tickets. I only have a couple of advance tickets left to buy this month, but it will be nice to have that part of trip preparations out of the way.  I think I have to buy tickets for the Tower of London and the catacombs which comes to about $50.  Not bad considering we've been buying $150 worth of tickets and tours each month since April.  
• French Trip. It's here!  It's finally here!  We'll be jetting off to Paris on the 26th and won't be back until August 5th.  While we're there we'll get to see Paris, London, Nice, Provence, and Monaco.  It's a lot to pack into 10 days, and I'll probably need a vacation to recover from my vacation, but it will totally be worth it.
• Make a blog queue. I don't want my blog to go without updates while I'm on my trip, so my goal is to schedule some posts for when I'm away.  I need to get down to business and brainstorm some post ideas so I can start working on creating comment.

Do you have any goals for July?

Monthly Favorites: June

As I was getting my favorite things together for June, I began to recognize a pattern—everything was beauty related! I’ve been going through a bit of a phase where I’m experimenting with beauty products on the one hand and rediscovering my love of others. I'm by no means a pro when it comes to make-up, and I’m really just learning things as I go, but I do know what I like. Without further ado…

Ecotools Make-up Brushes –

I’ve been complaining about the fact that I don’t have a decent set of make-up brushes forever. I was a use your fingers or the included applicator sort of girl because I was too much of a cheapskate to buy a set. Then I was shopping for foundation the other day and discovered this 6 piece set of Ecotools for under $10. It comes with a blush brush, eye shadow brush, eyebrow brush, eyeliner brush, lash and brow groomer, and concealer brush, so it’s a good starter kit. For someone who’s never used real make-up brushes this was a steal. I did some research into the brushes too, and it turns out they are completely cruelty-free and made from natural recycled material.

Miss Dior Cherie –

Miss Dior Cherie is my signature scent and has been for years. My parents first gave it to me as a Christmas gift several years ago, and I’ve seen gone through several bottles. I wear it every day but was taking my love of it for granted until I recently tried to find a new scent. Nothing was calling to me. I am awful at trying to describe scents, but Miss Dior Cherie has hints of orange, gardenia, and white musk apparently. Don’t ask me what white musk smells like though.

Foundation Brush –

As much as I loved the Ecotools brushes, the set didn't come with a foundation brush, and that is what I had been really looking for at the time. Unfortunately, I don’t remember what brand of brush this is, but I do know that I spent under $5 for it. I’ve been pleased with the results so far and it’s made applying my new liquid foundation effortless.

Rimmel London Glam'eyes Liquid Liner –

Some girls are lip girls, but I’m all about the eyes. I’ve always thought that my eyes were my best feature, so I like to accentuate them. I’ve always been a Rimmel London eyeliner girl, but I recently switched from Exaggerate Liquid Liner to Glam’Eyes on a whim. I love the precision of the thinner brush for achieving that perfect cat-eye flick! Granted, it did take a bit of getting used to after having a thicker brush for years, but practice makes perfect, right? I thought the formula went on smoothly and lasted all day (even with obsessive seasonal allergy eye-rubbing).

Monthly Musings: June

I was a bit of a news junkie this month considering everything that’s going on in Greece as well as in Charleston, South Carolina. The news can be depressing though, can’t it? So I did take some time out to do some mindless reading. This month’s photo is a bit of a throwback to my trip to The Cloisters last year.

• Take Down the Confederate Flag—Now – A short and to the point article from The Atlantic that explains why the Confederate flag should be taken down. If you read my post on the same issue, then this will give you some insight into other aspects of the same argument.
  
• New York City’s 20 Hottest Restaurants – I love eating out, and New York has some of the best restaurants in the world (I may be a tad biased). My Dad sent me this list and had my mouth watering.
  
• The Ultimate Checklist for Long-term Travel – It’s no secret that I love to travel or that I love Europe (what I’ve seen of it anyway). Recently though, I’ve gotten this crazy idea that maybe I should run off to Europe for a few years. And just as the idea started forming in my head, World of Wanderlust posted this amazing article on Long-term travel. I saved it for future reference, just in case.
  
• American Pharoah Wins Triple Crown, Ends 37-year Drought – I was one of those people glued to the TV when it was post time for American Pharoah. I think horses are gorgeous creatures and have grown up hearing about the 3 Triple Crown winners that my father has seen in his life—Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977), and Affirmed (1978). American Pharoah made history though, and I can now say that I’ve at least seen one Triple Crown winner in my lifetime.
  
• “Game of Thrones” finale: Cersei’s Public Shaming has Deep Historical Roots – I knew that Cersei’s walk was coming, but that didn’t make watching it any easier. She’s an evil, evil human being, but even I was moved by Lena Headey’s performance. If she doesn’t get at least an Emmy nomination, then there is something wrong with the world. But Salon’s article on the medieval history of such walks of shame was like candy for a history junkie like me.
  
• The Wars that Inspired “Game of Thrones” – I always knew that George R.R. Martin’s world had a lot of parallels with medieval Europe, but this Youtube video by Ted Ed lays it all out with cartoons of all things! It was really entertaining.
  
• 15 Pieces of Career Advice Every Young Woman Needs – I’ve only been in the workforce (full-time anyway) for about two and a half years, so I still have a lot to learn about building a career. Career Girl Daily’s tips really resonated with me though, and I hope I’m able to apply them in my current position!
  

Herbs: Use Them Liberally

You must be getting tired of me and my plants by now. Honestly, I had no clue how obsessed I was with flowers and gardening until I looked back on how many posts have been about at least one of those topics, and here’s yet another!

I grew up with vegetable gardens. My grandfather always had these lush gardens filled with tomatoes, squash, string beans, cucumbers, scallion (green onion), and thyme. When my family would visit on the weekends, four year old Brittany would put on her special overalls and head down to the garden to “help” water all the plants (which we did by hand, with buckets). When he passed away when I was eleven, my parents and I tried to keep up the tradition but quickly discovered that taking care of his large garden was a full-time job, not something we could feasibly do with work and school.

Since then, we’ve kind of had a memorial garden at our own home where we grow tomatoes and scotch bonnet (a super-hot pepper from Jamaica). We’ve slowly but surely expanded the garden to include strawberries and raspberries, and I am desperately trying to convince my parents to get a fruit tree (to no avail…yet).

My latest additions to our garden though are herbs! I’m really not a huge cook, but the thought of being able to go into the garden and pluck some mint leaves seemed like such fun. And dried herbs pale in comparison to the fresh stuff. As an added bonus, the herbs smell lovely.

We now have mint, sweet basil, rosemary, and sage growing in a little planter on our patio. The mint is definitely going into some iced tea this summer, and a few cocktails. The basil will go so well with our homegrown tomatoes and some mozzarella—Margherita pizza, anyone? As for the sage and rosemary, if any of you have some recipes, I’d love to hear them!

72 Hours iPhone-less

So, I may have had a bit of an accident last week. I drowned my iPhone.

It kind of fell into the toilet when I was getting ready for work which, if you have ever experienced, is a terrifying ordeal. I quickly scooped my phone out of its watery grave, turned it off, and promptly buried it in a Tupperware container of uncooked rice. And there it remained for 72 hours. I thought that my poor iPhone 5 might’ve been done for, but I was thrilled to discover that it was still working. So thrilled, in fact, that I went around the house screaming “It’s alive! It’s alive” a la Victor Frankenstein. For all you doubters, the rice trick does seem to work. I think that it's imperative that you keep your phone off the whole time and let it dry out slowly.

My 72 hours without my iPhone was an interesting experience though. I haven’t been without my phone for more than a few hours since getting it nearly 3 years ago. There was some withdrawal going on, but I did learn a few things along the way.

• My life is on my iPhone. That sounds hyperbolic, I know, but it’s the truth. I didn’t realize how much I relied on my phone until it wasn’t there to rely on. I use it as my alarm clock in the morning and as my radio while I get ready; it’s a source of entertainment and a work tool; and it's how I communicate with everyone. I found it so inconvenient to have to check my emails on an actual computer, and let’s not forget how often I had to call people instead of sending a quick text message.  Without it, I felt so disorganized, so out of touch.
• I can send text messages online.  I discovered that you can send text messages online on a lark. It did make it a bit easier to stay in touch with some people, and it helped me to not feel quite so cut off from the world.
• Text messages are so convenient. There was more than one occasion when I had to call people to say something that I would’ve simply sent in a text. Text messages are so quick and easy. You don’t have to worry about ending up in a long conversation with a person or do the whole small talk thing. You get right to the point, which I prefer. What did we ever do before text messages?  Seriously.
• I feel naked without my iPhone. I roll my eyes when my Dad goes on about how this generation doesn’t know how to put down their phones, but he's right. I felt so uneasy without my phone on me and kept reaching for it, only to remember it was in triage at home. I think that using my iPhone is just as important to me as knowing that the option is there. 
• I’m more productive without my iPhone. I was able to get so much work done on the train when I didn’t have my phone there to entertain me. I read for work and for leisure, I did some creative writing, and I got to turn off my brain for a while. There was no Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter to check or update, no emails or text messages to read. I have to admit that it was nice to have some downtime.

So, will I make it a habit of leaving my iPhone at home in the future? Probably not. It’s as much a technological security blanket as it is a convenient tool for staying connected with the rest of the world. And nowadays I don’t know if we really have the luxury of disconnecting. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. Hmm.

Have you ever drowned your phone or gone several days without it?

BookExpo America 2015

One of the perks of working in publishing is attending BookExpo America (BEA) in May. Think massive booklover’s convention. Publishing houses from all over converge on New York City and take up residence in the Javits Center. The place is swarming with editors, literary agents, authors, and booklovers.  It’s chaos, but good chaos!

I was able to spend half the day on Friday at the Javits Center where all the magic happens. Now, the Javits Center is this massive glass “palace” of sorts in the middle of no man’s land Manhattan. Yes, that is a thing. Basically, you walk as far west as you can before walking into the Hudson River and hit this unsightly neighborhood with construction going on everywhere. It’s ugly. Really ugly. It’s kind of ridiculous that such an eyesore exists only a few blocks from the Empire State Building, but I digress.

Anyway, once you actually get to the Javits Center it’s row after row of publishers peddling their books and promoting their companies. Do you know what that means? Free stuff! Lots and lots of free stuff. I just mill around and get free copies of books that are practically being thrown into the crowd. Free books are great, but what’s even better are that these books usually haven’t been published yet and aren’t available in stores. They’re known as ARCs (advance reader copies), so you get to feel special for a while. Publishers give out other things too like tote bags, pens and pencils, tattoos (I kid you not), and whatever else they can put their logo on.  Then there's just plenty to look at like the books on display and Harry Potter's Monster Book of Monsters.  I may have fangirled over that one a bit...

There are plenty of events to attend too. If you want to learn something about publishing, you can sit in on various talks and seminars (okay, that’s not so fun…). Or you can stand in line and get your books signed by the authors or have a photo-op with one. And there are some major celebrities doing book signings and photo-ops too—Mindy Kaling was there this year and Snooki was there a few years back. Christie Brinkley, who has apparently discovered the fountain of youth, was also at BEA this year to promote her upcoming book. She’s very bubbly.

After a few hours and several laps around the Javits Center (which involves weaving through huge crowds), it’s finally time to call it quits and leave while you’re still able to carry your swag.

It is a ton of fun, but BEA is also a work event for publishing professionals. The downside to BEA is the many meetings that editors and literary agents have to buy and sell books. And depending on if you’re into parties or not, the many parties afterhours can be a drag or a real blast. But the Javits Center is where the fun is if you love freebies, and who doesn’t? And even if you don’t work in publishing, you can still get tickets or attend BookCon on the weekend for a similar experience!

Ok, so BEA can be a bit overwhelming (big crowds, sensory overload, way too many books to see) but the experience is totally worth it.

New Month, New Goals: June

You'll have to pardon my cliché but, as they say, when it rains, it pours. I got poured on, repeatedly. It was like there was a tsunami coming and all I had to protect myself was a dinky umbrella. First, it was the health scare with my mom, which I spoke about in an earlier post. Her doctor ended up testing her for breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers because of some abnormalities that showed up during her annual check-up. So the first half of the month was waiting for the results and praying that they would be negative which, thankfully, they were. We thought we’d be able to breathe easily for a while, but then out family dog, Taurus, got sick. We rushed him to the emergency vet, he spent 2 nights there, had surgery, and came back home with a drain in his face and a cone that makes him look like a satellite dish. He seems to be feeling better (aka causing trouble), but his vet bills set us back $6,000. Eek! So, health scares galore for the month of May.

With all that going on, I was preoccupied and let everything else fall to the wayside. Healthy eating, reading, blogging, even planning my trip (gasp!), you name it, all had to wait. I just couldn’t focus on anything other than my mom’s test results and then my Taur-bear’s health. I’m hoping that June will be a better month for my family, and that I have the opportunity to get back on track with everything.

How was your month?

Read 2 non-work related books. Hahaha, no.  Life, unfortunately, got in the way of this noble endeavor.  While I did start reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt, which I wrote about in a book haul post, I am nowhere near finishing it.  I started it just before Mom started her tests and then wasn't able to focus on anything else.  Then the family dog had some health issues right after that, so little reading was done.

Get some gardening done. Done! This is a family effort, and Mom and I spent a good part of last weekend buying up the local plant nurseries and beautifying our garden.  You'll see a post all about that soon!

Attend BEA. I came; I saw; I got some prime swag!  Stay tuned for more on this!

Buy some new clothes (for real this time).  I wouldn't say that I want on a shopping spree, but I did manage to add some lovely pieces to my wardrobe.  After doing an H&M wishlist, I actually went and bought items #2 and #6 and Mom bought me another adorable pair of flowy pants.  Hopefully I'll get to do a bit more shopping in June.

Take photos for my first monthly photo challenge. Done! You can check out my post here.  This month I think my photo-challenge will be to use the manual setting.  Dun dun dun.  I usually stick to aperture priority mode, so this should be interesting.

JUNE GOALS

• Finish reading The Secret History.  I'm about 50 pages into The Secret History right now and am already a fan. I was a bit worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype, but so far so good. If I do manage to finish reading this book, then you can expect a book review later this month!
• Workout my abs and arms daily. I’ve been trying to eat healthier all year and, with the exception of some road bumps (like May), I’ve been able to do so much better. One thing I’d love to add to my routine is some exercise. I don’t have time during the week to hit the gym because of work, and I can never motivate myself to go on the weekends when I could be enjoying my free-time. I’m just not one of those people who find working out fun. Never have been. But I found these Youtube videos for tightening the upper arm and flattening the belly, so I’d like to take a little time each day to do these workouts in the comfort of my own home.
• Go on an excursion. I live just 50 miles from New York City, but I rarely take the opportunity to go downtown for anything other than work these days. After commuting 5 days a week, the train is the last thing I want to see on my day off. Still, I’d love to go on an excursion to one of New York’s many museums or even take a trip to the Bronx Zoo this month. I think it’d be fun!
• Start finalizing my itinerary for France. I can’t believe that I’ll be going to France next month! I’ll be just about done buying my advance tickets and scheduling various tours in the next week, so it’s about time I sat down and worked on my insane itineraries. They usually take me a few weekends to complete because not only do I map out my days, but I include directions from one destination to the next. I’m sure you’ll see pictures of my “war room” at some point this month. I’d love to have the itineraries finished this month so I can spend July doing last minute shopping and packing.

Do you have any goals for June?

Monthly Favorites: May

This month's favorites are a bit of a haphazard mess, but here goes!

Milk Bottles –

When I saw this set of 6 milk bottles at Marshall’s I instantly fell in love. I was never able to get behind the drinking out of mason jars trend, but these give a similar hipster vibe while paying homage to the milk bottles of yore (does anyone still say “yore”?). The price couldn’t be beat either: $9.99 for a 6 piece set?! I was sold!

Glasses Cleaner –

Confession time. I’ve had this little gadget for years now, but I never leave home without it once summer (and sunnies season) arrives. I keep a heavily diluted mixture of Windex in the little spray bottle to give my lenses a quick clean with the help of my lint-free cloth. And, should a screw come loose, I have a small screwdriver to put it back into the place. The best part? Everything fits easily into my bag!

Colgate Optic White –

I’ve always been self-conscious when it comes to my teeth, for one reason or another. First, I had bucked-teeth, then braces, and now I’m always fixating on whitening them. I’ve definitely seen some change since I started using Colgate Optic White. I brush my teeth per usual and then apply the Optic White gel. It feels a bit gummy for a few minutes, but then I don’t notice it. Until I can afford professional teeth whitening, I’ll definitely keep using this.

Succulent –

Back in February when I did a design inspo post, I mentioned my love of succulents. Well, I finally got one! It’s a fairly large one that has now taken up residence on my book case, but if I can keep him (yes, I’ve decided it’s a him), then maybe I’ll get a few small ones for my desk.

Audrey Brooke Ballet Flats –

 I’ve been in desperate need of a pair of black ballet flats since my pair fell apart last August. I’ve tried to replace them since then, but each pair I bought ended up destroying my feet and left me hobbling down the sidewalk for days. I was having issues. What first attracted me to these flats was that the leather was soft which boded well for my feet (admittedly, they did end up requiring one good wear to be broken in still). I’m not a huge fan of pointed-toe shoes, but these looked so polished because of it. I’ve been wearing these to work non-stop and love how versatile they are. You can dress down in a pair of jeans or look smart in something a less casual. I'm loving Audrey Brooke right now!

Monthly Musings: May

May was a bit of a stressful month, so I fell a bit behind in my reading of basically everything (books, newspapers, magazines, blogs, you name it). I'm hoping that June will be a bit more relaxing and a bit more productive.  This month's picture is a shot of the Hudson River.

• 19 Burgers You Really Need To Make This Summer - Admittedly, I leave all the grilling to my mother (Brittany + Propane + Fire = Catastrophe), but I couldn't resist these burgers on Buzzfeed.  Since I don't eat beef, burger season can be a bit of a bust for me.  This list had some great vegetarian options though!  The smoky sweet potato one has my name all over it.
• Charlotte Elizabeth Diana is Royal Baby's Name - The moment most of the world was waiting for finally happened on on May 2nd!  The Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a girl, who was officially named two days later.  I love the name, especially the fact that she is named after the People's Princess and her late grandmother.  
• Today Is the 151st Birthday of All-Around Feminist Badass Nellie Bly - I love reading about bad-ass women from history, and Nellie Bly was a new name for me. According to the Mother Jones' article, "she was a trailblazing journalist, an unwavering champion for women and the working poor, and a brilliant muckracker. One of her most famous assignments was for the the New York World where she posed as a mentally ill woman and exposed the horrors of a women's asylum on Blackwell's Island. [...] Bly also achieved worldwide fame with her 1889 trip around the world, which was inspired by Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days." I think someone needs to write a novel about her, if they haven't already.
• Every Best Picture Oscar Winner, Ranked From Worst to Best - I love movies and the Oscars, so this article was right up my alley. I've seen almost all of the movies on this list, but I was stoked to see some of my favorites in the top 10 (#8 All About Eve, #7 Gone with the Wind, #1 Casablanca). What do you think of the ranking?
• 50 Best Travel Quotes For Travel Inspiration - Quotes for people suffering from an incurable case of wanderlust, like me.
• #TIPSTUESDAYS: My Props and Backgrounds for Blog Pictures - Frock Me I'm Famous is one of my favorite blogs on the internet, and I love Hayley's #TIPSTUESDAY feature.  I got some great inspiration for props and backgrounds from this post!  Here's hoping I implement some of Hayley's ideas with half her success!
• “Game of Thrones” could learn from “Mad Max: Fury Road” - I've read a lot of articles on (warning: spoiler alert) Sansa's rape since the episode aired, but I thought this was an interesting look at the episode. I was horrified by the scene and agreed with many of the ire-filled rants immediately after the episode aired, but I liked the objectivity of this one.

Life Lately

It’s been a hectic/crazy/stressful couple of months for me, so I’m hoping that things will begin to even out. I remember thinking that nothing could get more stressful than finals week when I was hammering out 60-80 pages in 10-12 days. Then I didn't have a job until 10 months after graduation and thought that was the most stressful situation I could be in. Then the last couple of months happened. I’m not liking this adulthood stress trajectory…

Mom went for her annual and suddenly had to have bunch of tests because of some abnormalities. If you read my post on Angelina Jolie, Cancer, and Me, then you know that my mom’s side of the family is high risk for gynecological cancers, so yeah. Mom redid the gene tests because they check for more markers than they did years ago, so we waited for ages to hear those results. If Mom had the genes, then both my sister and I could’ve had them as well. Luckily, that test was negative. But Mom also ended up getting a mammogram, some weird ultrasound thing, and a biopsy. Mom and I can be somewhat fatalistic, so we were both fearing the worst. We waited, fretted, and waited some more. Thank goodness all the tests came back negative. BUT STRESSFUL.

With my family’s preoccupation with Mom’s health, everything else kind of got put on the back-burner. I was horrible about eating well (lots of take-out, unhealthy snacking, etc.), so I gained back some of the weight I’d lost while keeping my resolution to eat healthily. I’ve since jumped back on the healthy food bandwagon though! I’m also contemplating doing a teatox to give my healthy lifestyle a bit of a jump-start. The problem is that I hate tea with a fiery passion. So we’ll see how that goes.

Work has been worky but is already slowing down for summer. Summer in publishing means half-days on Fridays and that someone is always on vacation. Little actual work gets done, the response time between emails lag, and I end up doing a lot of filing, reading, and organizing until September. I’m looking forward to Summer Fridays though and hope to go on some mini-adventures that I can blog about!

On a more positive note, I’ve been busy planning France (as you already know). Having different trips and advance tickets to buy gave me something to look forward to while everything else seemed to be going downhill. I can’t believe that France is only 66 days away! I’ll start working on finalizing my itinerary in June.

As far as blogging goes, I feel like I’ve been slacking off as far as being part of the community lately. I’ve been posting content, but I haven’t been taking part in chats or commenting on as many blogs as I would like. I’ve just been so overwhelmed with other aspects of life and also enjoying the gorgeous weather that I’ve been a bit “meh” about sitting inside on my laptop. I plan to start turning things around on that front though!

Anyway, this weekend is Memorial Day Weekend (yay long weekend)! I’m hoping to take a lot of pictures of random things but new content won’t be posted until Monday. Don’t hate me! I want to enjoy the long weekend, de-stress, and hopefully get a little sun. I think my system needs a bit of a re-boot, don't you?  I’ll see you Monday!

So how about you? Have you been dealing with anything stressful recently?

5 Smart Ways to Make the Most of Your Money

After making some not-so-brilliant purchases last month, I remembered just how important budgeting is. I ended up with $25 to last me until my next payday some 10 days later. Yikes! It’s been a tough week so far, and I still have to make it to Wednesday with only $7.50 in the bank. Double yikes! To prevent this little mishap from occurring again, smart budgeting is a must. The simplest formula I can think of is Monthly Salary – Bills = Spending Money. In my case, “bills” means my evil student loans, my credit card, and my monthly train ticket into New York City. There are certainly ways to stretch that money, so here are 5 tips to keep in mind so you avoid my current situation!

1. Bring lunch. The month I made it my goal to bring lunch to work instead of eating out, I saved myself $50 a week. Throwing together a salad or putting leftovers in a container costs little compared to the $10 lunches I’d be buying. Not to mention, home-prepared food is usually the healthier route.
2. Set goals.  I’m a goal-oriented person, so I find that it’s much easier for me to stay within a budget or save money if I make a goal for myself. I might decide that I want to have $100 left in my account at the end of a particular month, so that makes me more mindful of my spending. Even if I fall a bit short of the goal, I’d still be well within my budget.
3. Plan ahead.  At the start of the month, I always try to plan out my expenses. There are the expenses that never go away (my bills), but there are always other things that crop up. I try to figure one-time expenses like doctor co-pays, excursions, or major purchases (laptops, furniture, etc.) into my Monthly Salary – Bills = Spending Money equation as best I can. Also, I try to avoid scheduling too many of these one-time expenses in a single month, spreading everything out as evenly as possible.
4. Look for sales & bargains.  This is one of the best ways to stretch a dollar. I love finding sales and think of it as a sport (it totally is if you’re a shopaholic like me!). I look forward to the seasonal sales (Memorial Day, Labor Day, Black Friday, etc.), but I also get email notifications when my favorite shops have new sales. Add-ons for my internet browser like Shoptager notify me when my wishlist items at online stores go on sale. Nifty right? And although certain stores like DSW, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, and HomeGoods might not have sales often, they are great for finding off-price brand name merchandise throughout the year.
5. Consider your wants versus your needs.  This is the hardest part of budgeting—deciding what's a want and what's a need. It’s great to treat yourself to things when you can, but for me most of my purchases fall under the “need” category. If it’s a “want,” I make sure that my expenses and my “needs” can be paid for first. If there’s enough money left in my monthly budget, then I know I’m good to go!

So what are your tips for saving money?

New Month, New Goals: May

It finally feels like spring, although just barely.  I was able to go out bare-legged for the first time since October and stuffed my down coat into the deepest, darkest corner of my closet.  I’m seeing buds on trees, which means I’ve been taking allergy medicine daily, but I'll suffer through allergies gladly if I can put winter behind me though!

The fact that spring has finally sprung did make some disappointing things this month more bearable.  I don’t want to dwell, but there were a few speed bumps this month that I’m still working over as we head into May.  You’ve just got to take it one day at a time, right?

So, how did I do with my goals last month?

Start booking French excursions. Done! You can read about it all here.

Freshen my spring wardrobe.  I splurged on a pair of Vince Camuto pumps, but between booking things for France, bills, and buying a birthday gift for Dad, there wasn't much money left.  Maybe in May?

Freshen up my make-up bag. I've been testing out my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer but didn't buy anything else.

Watch the new episodes of Outlander. I'm already sucked in again.  I don't know what I'm going to do once the season ends.  Read Book 2?  Re-watch the first 8 episodes that I have on blu-ray?  Buy the second half of the season on blu-ray when its released?  Pine for the gorgeous Jamie Fraser?  All of the above, probably.

Watch the new season of Game of Thrones.  I am dying to see what Oberon's vengeful children are up to, and so far they haven't made an appearance.  The season is just warming up, but I do think it'll be a good one!

Start using MyFitnessPal again. I was certainly better about using MyFitnessPal this month than I was in March, but I think I could still do better!

MAY GOALS

• Read 2 non-work related books. I already mentioned how I'd love to start reading for leisure more in my first reading list, so I figured there's no time like the present!  31 days seems like more than enough time to read at least 2 books for fun, even if I get swamped with reading for work again.  Things slow down in publishing after Memorial Day, so that'll give me some more time to read too.
• Get some gardening done. I'm hoping that this spring weather sticks around so that my parents and I can plant some flowers.  After months of seeing nothing but white, it'll be nice to have some color around.  Gardening is also a nice way to spend time with the parentals, something I've started to appreciate more as I've gotten older.
• Attend BEA. BookExpo America is a huge publishing event that takes place in New York City every May. Publisher from all over come together at the Javits Center to network and publicize their big books.  There are always a lot of giveaways, author signings, seminars, and parties to attend.  I’m looking forward to getting myself some nice swag again this year!
• Buy some new clothes (for real this time). I failed last month when it came to this goal, but I’m really going to try this time.  I’m getting tired of the clothes in my closet, and it’s always nice to add a few new pieces to freshen up your look.  Plus, I do want some lovely outfits for France!
• Take photos for my first monthly photo challenge. Since one of my goals this year is to improve my photography, I’ve decided to give myself monthly photo challenges.  This way I'll be forced out of my comfort zone and get to practice new techniques and styles. This month I’m going to be working on macro photography, so stay tuned.

Do you have any goals for May?

Lovely calendar by Rifle Paper Co.

Monthly Favorites: April

I was once again short on funds ($20 to last me 10 days sort of short…), so my monthly favorites are a bit meagre this month but no less awesome, promise. Without further ado…

Vince Camuto Snakeskin Heels –

I made a somewhat frivolous buy when I went to DSW a few weeks ago. I had intended to buy a pair of black ballet flats since mine are in disrepair but made a series of mistakes that led to my leaving DSW without them. First, I went into the clearance section and spied these gorgeous Vince Camuto heels, in my size no less. Second, I proceeded to try them on and they looked all sorts of gorgeous on my feet. Third, I noticed that they were 70% off. These black and white snakeskin heels with the ankle strap are normally $100, but at DSW they were $80 with an extra 70% off. I ended up getting these beauties for $24 when all was said and done. I really can’t resist a good bargain… I haven't worn them yet, but I’m going to love styling these. I can just as easily wear them with jeans as I can with a nice dress.

New York Color Nail Polish –

This wasn’t a new buy, but I rediscovered this NYC Tudor City Teal nail polish when I put it on for Easter. It seemed like a springy color (and matched my dress), and the rest is history, but I wore it so much that Dad started complaining about it! I Honestly, the polish doesn’t have the greatest staying power (it chipped something fierce by day 2), but the color is just so striking that I didn’t care. I got a ton of compliments on it too, so I might need to find a longer lasting version of it by another brand. Anyone have any ideas?

Special K Salted Caramel Chocolate Snack Bars –

I will eat just about anything if it’s covered in caramel, so this was the perfect snack for me. They fit easily into my bag when I’m running out the door in the morning to catch my train, and they’re great little pick-me-up snacks during the day. I’m not a huge fan of salty snacks, so this is the perfect balance of sweet and salty for me. Plus, at 100 calories a bar, what’s not to like?

Freesia –

If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen the day I impulsively bought freesias instead of my typical bouquet of roses. They seemed spring-like to me, maybe because they remind me a bit of forsythias which are among the first flowers to bloom in spring by me. I loved the vibrant color of this bouquet but it’s the beautiful fragrance that has turned me into a freesia fan. I walk into my room after a long day of work and it smells like someone has just sprayed this subtle, sweet perfume. They’re a bit wild looking too which has made for a nice change.