Gutted by today’s news from the Boston Marathon, but so incredibly grateful that all of my people are safe. I hope you’re all as lucky as I am.
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You’re My Home
15 Monday Apr 2013
Posted in Personal
Five Things
09 Tuesday Apr 2013
I have shamelessly stolen this post idea from the lovely Jessica of bedknobs & baubles – I wasn’t tagged and I don’t care! 
I’m not terribly interesting, but whatever I like lists.
- I don’t drink.
This is NOT by choice! It’s taken me a long time (and many nights in total misery) to come to terms with the fact that my body doesn’t like alcohol. Because of my sinus issues, even half a drink can make me so stuffed up that I can’t breathe! It’s no fun, but at least my friends have a guaranteed DD. - I love doing things by myself.
And I mean everything from going to the movies alone to insisting on getting things from the top shelf that I clearly can’t reach. I grew up the 3 siblings, which I’m sure contributed to my love of alone time and privacy. Being in large groups actually freaks me out and I usually have to remove myself – especially crowded bars, I just can’t deal! - I don’t want to get married.
My parents have been married for over 30 years and all of my siblings are married (well.. they all will be, come August 2013!), but I don’t think I’ll ever do it. I have a lot of reasons, but to keep things as short and uncontroversial as possible – I dislike the historical basis of marriage as a transfer of ownership and I’m not religious at all. Luckily, P isn’t into it either, for his own reasons, and neither of us feel it necessary to get married in order to be together 5ever. I’m not judging anyone who chooses to get married, it’s just not something that I want or need.
- I never brush my hair and I don’t use shampoo.
As we’ve established, I have a lion’s mane of curly hair. I started following the Curly Girl method in 2010 and I’ve never looked back. I use Tresemme Naturals (silicone-free) conditioner to scrub my scalp, just like you would with shampoo, and then I finger comb it through my hair. So I accomplish both of the goals of shampoo and brushing, but without messing with my natural curls too much. If you are a fellow curly-headed lady, I highly suggest trying the Curly Girl method! - I love documentaries and reality shows.
I’ve never watched an episode of ‘Jersey Shore’ and I never plan to, but I am still crying that ‘Intervention’ isn’t on Netflix anymore. This is made up for by the fact that I could spend a full 24 hours watching documentaries about Anna Wintour on Netflix. And someday I will. I’m especially in love with fashion and education documentaries – ‘Valentino: The Last Emperor’ and ‘Pressure Cooker’ are two of my favorites.
I’m only going to tag Amanda because I’m pretty sure only like, 3 people read this blog.
photo via
Beachy On A Budget
08 Monday Apr 2013
Posted in Seasonal, Style & Fashion, Travel & Places
P & I are taking our first ever “vacation” together for a friend’s wedding in Mexico next month and I couldn’t be more excited! It’s been a long time since I’ve gone on vacation (besides home to New York or Boston), and finding summery, beachy necessities without killing my bank account has been so much fun.
1. A fantastic sun hat to protect your adorable face. Merona, $15.
2. What is a beach vacation without a fun beach towel? Lands’ End, $34.
3. A bright, floral tote to take you from the airport to the beach. Kate Spade, $398. (Clearly not within budget, whoops! Also a diaper bag, but whatever.)
3a. High SPF sunscreen – sunburns aren’t sexy! Neutrogena, $10.
3b. A good book to get lost in. The Accursed, $19.
4. A multitasking dress – great as a cover up or around town. Mossimo, $25.
5. A flattering, vintage-inspired swimsuit. Esther Williams, $89.
6. More bright, out of budget florals! Kate Spade, $228.
7. Nautical flip flops that won’t kill your toes. J.Crew Factory, $25.
8. A white dress is to summer as a black dress is to.. everything else? ModCloth, $60.
9. Sunglasses are notorious for getting lost.. buy a cheap pair for vacation, just in case! Forever21, $5.80.
10. Comfortable shoes to pair with a dress or rolled up jeans. Bonus: these are vegan (no leather insole), so don’t worry about getting them wet! TOMS, $54.
Apparently I am really into florals this spring, which is 100% fine with me. But it’s pretty rude of Kate to ask so much for that bag.. I thought we were friends!
TiLT #4
04 Thursday Apr 2013
Posted in Things I Love
A little late today, but it’s still Thursday and I still love these things!
Sugar ♥ Just because I’m not eating it doesn’t mean I don’t still love it! And even though I’m already planning the meal of pure sugar I’m going to eat on April 19th, I’m also planning on keeping things low-sugar from now on. I’m officially halfway through and I’m kind of grossed out by how much sugar we eat everyday without even realizing it.
Girls ♥ I am the President and Founder of the I Hate Lena Dunham Club, so this is big. I decided to give Girls a chance mostly because Jessica is so obsessed with it and it took me approximately 3 minutes to fall in love with the show. Still not a big Lena Dunham fan, but this show had me cackling. I watched both seasons in 48 hours and I’d do it again.
THE FINAL FOUR ♥ GUYS. THE FINAL FOUR. MY TEAM IS IN IT. Of course, I had Syracuse losing to Indiana and my bracket is totally busted, but who cares! P is going to Atlanta for the game on Saturday and even though I won’t be joining him (this girl is b-r-o-k-e), I’m so excited! About everything! Exclamation points!
My job ♥ Like any human, I don’t ALWAYS love my job, but I work for a great organization, have amazing benefits, and get to make a difference. It’s not what I ever thought I would grow up to do, but I’m so grateful to have hilarious coworkers and not dread going to work every day.
Little loves ♥ Gerbera daisies ♥ Imagine Dragons ♥ spring! ♥ the Red Sox ♥ homemade iced coffee ♥ spring cleaning ♥ Bahamas ♥ getting excited for Mexico ♥ bloglovin ♥ the return of baseball season ♥ Old Navy’s Boyfriend Skinny Khakis ♥ honestly ON is killing it with their spring stuff ♥ and I don’t really like ON ♥ CUSE ♥
TiLT #3
21 Thursday Mar 2013
Posted in Things I Love
Gosh I can’t believe that it’s Thursday already! Not that I’m complaining..
‘Cuse Madness ♥ Okay, I know. I knowwwww it’s supposed to be March Madness. But you can take a girl out of the ‘Cuse, but you can never take the ‘Cuse out of the girl! The ‘Cuse is in the house, oh my god, oh my god…
Green tea ♥ I gave up coffee for my sugar-free month because it’s just too easy to get sucked into the giant sugary coffee drink trap. For me, at least. So I switched to green tea and even though I have to drink like, 3 cups to get my caffeine fix, but it’s definitely better for me than half & half.
Alone time ♥ P is going out of town for the weekend and I’ll miss him, but I’m really looking forward to spending a weekend alone. I’m planning a Treat Yo’Self day on Saturday. Plus diagonal sleeping. Aw yiss.
Sugar ♥ Guys, this is hard. And it’s not that I didn’t know it was going to be hard, I just underestimated the effects of going cold turkey. I thought the hardest part was going to be cravings (which do suck, especially because Easter candy is out in full force) but mother of pearl. I’m exhausted and headache-y and grumpy as all hale. Probably don’t even make eye contact with me until sometime next week.
Little Loves ♥ J.Crew’s scalloped dress ♥ dietbet ♥ scientifically proven ways to relax ♥ Tervis ♥ running! ♥ Louie ♥ “Primadonna“ ♥ cashews ♥ daisies ♥ weekend yoga ♥ “Little Bit“ ♥ the old reader ♥
I don’t have many loves this week because all I want is chocolate and cheese and my bed. Everything else can go away now please.
photo via
Sugar Sugar
20 Wednesday Mar 2013
Posted in Health & Diet, Personal
Well, so much for being a good blogger. There’s always next week..
Here’s the latest: I’m giving up sugar for a month. I went to the witch doctor (okay actually he’s a homeopathic doctor but same thing) on Monday because my sinuses have been just MISERABLE and my ENT has kind of throw his hands up in defeat. Like, that’s not a good sign. I haven’t talked about it much on here, but I’ve had chronic sinus issues for the last ~3 years and it’s just gotten unbearable this winter. I was on antibiotics and prednisone long term which has only made things worse.
So the witch doctor tested me for food allergies and suggested I try reducing the sugar in my diet to help my immune system figure it out. I’m also taking probiotics and things like zinc and vitamin C because honestly, my immune system and sinuses are just so confused. They don’t even know what is good or what is bad anymore.
My appetite has been low for the last week or so, because I’m so congested that eating is just a hassle. So of course on the first day of my no-sugar month, I am RAVENOUS and want to eat EVERYTHING. Of course. Anyway, this is just a wall of text but I promise I will have more pretty things soon.
Have you ever gone sugar free or changed your diet to help with chronic health problems? Tell me everything!
101 in 1001
15 Friday Mar 2013
Posted in Inspiration, Personal
Inspired by the lovely Mackenzie, I’m working on my own 101 in 1001 list.. Get some ideas for your own list, or just check out my (lack of) progress on the page I created for it!
Have you ever completed a 101 in 1001?
R.I.P.
15 Friday Mar 2013
By now I’m sure you’ve all heard that Google Reader is shutting down on July 1st. This announcement gave me a lot of feels, but Hitler really gets it.
If you’re a Google Reader devotee like me, I suggest trying out feedly. It’s no Google Reader, but it might work. You might also be interested in signing this petition.
TiLT #2
14 Thursday Mar 2013
Posted in Things I Love
Running ♥ Which I haven’t done in over a week because of this dang chest cold, so I guess this week I just like the idea of running. The other day I decided to take the stairs up 4 floors as a test. By the time I got to the top, every breath triggered huge coughs. Definitely not physically ready yet, but I’ve been reading a ton of articles and I am 100% mentally ready to run again!
The Skimm ♥ Okay so I’m one of those annoying white people who constantly listens to NPR at top volume in my car. I like to know what’s going on in the world, even though most of it is depressing, so I really super love The Skimm because it keeps me updated on the news and makes me laugh at the same time. Plus, their email titles get me out of bed in the morning!
Samsung Nexus 10 ♥ Oh yes friends – I do, in fact, have the best boyfriend who gives the best gifts. This was one of those things you put on your wishlist because you reallllllly want it, but don’t ever expect anyone to actually buy it for you. I’ve been draining the battery daily because I’m on it so much.
Little Loves ♥ Ray LaMontagne ♥ Parks & Recreation ♥ HelloFab’s Diamonds & Bows ring ♥ ”Ready to Start” ♥ Jessica’s Tuesday Things ♥ Cadbury Mini Eggs ♥ Ingress, the nerdiest game known to woman ♥ Whole Food’s bulk bins ♥ Candy Crush Saga ♥ SPRING! ♥ Grey Gardens ♥ OPI’s Princesses Rule ♥ MS MR ♥ less FB, more IRL ♥ Green Goodness ♥ March Madness (#CUSE) ♥ my new tablet! (have I told you about it yet? ) ♥ ”Sweater Weather“ ♥ taking good care of myself ♥ Netflix ♥ my chore calendar ♥ Klutch Club ♥ antibiotics (well.. love/hate) ♥ obsessively tracking my online purchases ♥
What do you love this week?
photo via
Lately
13 Wednesday Mar 2013
Hi friends!
I am feeling so much better and I cannot thank you enough for you all enough for your kind words and patience. Here are some things that have happened since I last posted:
• I turned 28 and made myself an epic chocolate cake.
• I absolutely gobbled up Grace Coddington’s memoir.
• I bought myself flowers.
• I started following some great blogs (Erica’s and Anne’s, most notably).
• I battled a wicked chest cold (not sure yet who won).
• I went to an amazing Passion Pit show.
• And most importantly, I re-focused… no matter what else is going on in my life, my number one concern needs to be my own health and well-being. And the same goes for you!
What have you been up to lately?
