A Monarch

I would normally title this post something like "Changes." However, both David Bowe and Tupac  may have something to say about that.

I feel that every time I write a post, it is about all the changes in my life. I think I am a regular chameleon when it comes to apartments, computers, and cable companies.

I am completely aware that I sound like a Frosted FLAKE, but I promise my moves have been ones of both necessity and opportunity.

Yet again, I am undergoing a metamorphosis. I have learned that under the right circumstances, change can be a stimulus for growth.

I have a new job (or more likely career-fingers crossed), and despite the anxiety that comes with a learning curve, I am excited for the opportunity for a new professional experience.

It has been 3 years since I was a practicing attorney at a law firm. Likewise, it has been 3 years since I have been in a corporate environment. I have been working at a CrossFit box, so the trade from Reeboks to heels has been one of unforgettable foot stamina.

I have blisters to prove.

Really. Heel savers do not help.

Enough about me, what are you up to, friends?

30 years, 16 days late

And just like that, as of Feb. 4th at 10:18 AM, I was on this earth for 30 years!  I am not one of those people who freaks out about turning a year older, but (abundantly aware that anyone over 30 is rolling her eyes as I type this) I cannot believe I am thirty.

The sound of it- it seems so established. I am so under construction.

I know 30 is not old, but try and explain that to your Pop Pop as he marvels that he is actually old enough to have a 30-yr-old grandchild. I am pretty sure he still sees me in diapers.

The best part is that my 30th birthday celebration consisted of Bananagrams and bowling. Just 5 years ago, I was a crazy lady on a stage, singing into a fake microphone. This year, I spent the evening with family. They did a pretty solid job of making me feel like a princess.

at work:

at T&G's:

Although most of my friends now live out of state, I felt the love across the miles. Jenna, Kimmy, Megan, Kim, Stephanie, and Jackie surprised me with a beautiful ring.

Please don't judge my poor lighting/Samsung Galaxy photog skills.


The olive branch symbolizes peace and abundance. So on point. I just absolutely LOVE it.

I would say that I am noticing new wrinkles on my hands as I type this blog post, but that would be in the spirit of dramatics. I think 30 is going to be a great thing. And to be honest, I am going to choose to embrace it because accepted or not, my birth certificate remains the same.

 What would you do for a milestone birthday?

READ: You must read

You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend. ~Paul Sweeney

It has been a solid year, and that is generous, since I have found an I-don't-care-how-late-it-is-because-I-need-to-finish-this-chapter type of book. Folks, this book was worth the wait.

~amateur excited Austin airport read phone photography~

I wouldn't say I am an avid Dateline watcher, but my eyes were glued to the television during Amanda Lindhout's story, aired Sept. 6, 2013.

Find it here.

 

~photo cred~

As a freelance journalist, Amanda was kidnapped and held for ransom in Mogadishu for 15 months.  The details of her captivity are artfully described in her memoir, A House in the Sky.

The book is certainly a page-turner, but even more than the story surrounding her hellish experience in Somali, I think we can all learn something from her he faith, focus, and forgiveness.  When questioned about her perseverance during the brutal days as a hostage, she reflects on how she found her safe place in her mind- her own house in the sky.

She also looks like Kate Middleton's taller, Canadian twin. There. I said it. 

Do yourself a favor, and read her book. Then, do yourself an extra special favor, and read about her foundation. They are equally amazing!

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Battle of the High Tests

My coffee drinking friends: Every wonder how much caffeine you are putting into your body? Well, not all cups of joe are created equal. Although we Americans tend to drink weaker brews, I thought this chart was pretty interesting: 

image credit

What the heck is Deathwish Coffee anyway? Hmm...

I am ashamed (ok, not that ashamed) to admit I drink a lot of coffee. I am close to constantly having a cup in my hand all throughout the day (even at night-a little too close to laying my head on a pillow). See this past week below:

I tend to think that caffeine no longer has an effect on me because I could take a nap right after a double shot of espresso. Really. My doctor seems to agree. She suggested I start drinking half caf and only decaf at night. I started a few days ago with my daily Dunkin. Anyone else have this problem?

A Quickie in 8 Megapixels

I have been meaning to post some photo highlights of the past few weeks, but Instagram is a very jealous mistress. At the risk of redundancy, here are some smart phone captured moments.

Some of my besties and I met up for a tapas-style dinner at The Rebel House. I have been friends with these ladies since the days of (the original) 90210 trading cards.

 

I have been spending my days off at the beach. I love laying in the sun, but after 20ish minutes, I start to feel like I have ants in my bikini bottoms. My favorite antidote is shelling/shark toothing.  I found this little guy on one of my beach excursions. I wonder what the tooth fairy would leave for this bad boy?

 

I could (and will) write an entire blog post on my new found love, CrossFit. This is a photo from one of our Saturday workouts. That's me getting my row on in the bottom photo- all the way to the right.

I hope everyone is well. I will be back to check in soon. 

A Quote Post: On Dreams

"If you don't build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs."

— Dhirubhai Ambani: Indian business tycoon who founded Reliance Industries

A very special person in my life sent this quote to me yesterday, and I had one of those "ah-ha" moments. I embrace these moments when they come because not only are they are few and far between, but they are also very short-lived.

To me, this quote is not about unionizing or boss bashing. It isn't about quitting my job(s) and starting an at-home toothpick manufacturing business. [Although, my entrepreneurial-minded aunt more than doubled her weekly allowance selling cinnamon toothpicks to fellow 4th graders, despite harsh criticism from the Catholic school faculty.]

Truthfully, I love where I work.  I also love my bosses. And I am not saying that to CYA. Only one of them reads my blog, and she is the one that emailed this quote to me.

I am talking big picture, goal setting, what do I want my life to look like, in say, ten years?

This question sounds vaguely familiar, maybe reminiscent of an assignment that was on my fifth grade syllabus.

I have kicked around this very question quite a few more times since my elementary school days. And I am not as naive as I sound. In my short 29 years on this earth, I have certainly learned that life happens and sometimes the grand plans that I make don't. But that doesn't mean I can't make plans, or have dreams, or make plans for my dreams. Right?

Maybe my prescription glasses are rose-colored after all, but my day is much more enjoyable when I feel I am working towards something fulfilling, call it a goal or a dream. So I think I will do it again tomorrow.

Say what? More from One Kings Lane!

photo from Hunters Alley

Pinch me.  The founders of One Kings Lane are launching a new website. Hunters Alley is a resale marketplace for decor and furnishings. You can dress up as the buyer or the seller.

photo from Hunters Alley

Hunters Alley promises a mixture of high and low price points. The marketplace is previewed, meaning that only pieces the Hunters Alley gods deem worthy make the market.  The site offers varying commission depending on your involvement in the sale. The site even displays a nifty "meet the seller" feature.

This site is in the pre-launch phase, so sign up to be the first to see what Hunters Alley has to offer- or as the website much more eloquently states, "to pounce on amazing pieces at the perfect price." 

I don't know about you but I am a SUCKER for all things One Kings Lane. Perusing OKL sales has become a huge part of my nightly online shopping ritual. I am A-OK with adding another fun website to my moonlit browser habit.

Back Aboard

Sooooo...

I decided it was time to start blogging again. I go through these phases when I think I do not have the time to dedicate to a blog post a day, and therefore, I should not blog at all. Sounds silly when I say (type) it, doesn't it? Can anyone relate? Bueller?

Sooooo...

I told myself that a post a day is an unnecessary expectation, imposed solely by moi. I am just going post when I feel inspired, when I have the time.

Sooooo...

Hello again!

Over-due Christmas Photos

I know that I am running a little behind here, but here are some shots from our family Christmas gathering. My brother and his girlfriend hosted the amazing dinner in their home. 

{Gabe-my brother, Me, & Taylor-his girlfriend}

Look at that gorge kitchen- done by the two of them!

 

 Taylor prepared a hot chocolate bar with homemade marshmallows and all kinds of other goodies. Can we say domestic diva? 

{silly family photo}

Even Charlie dressed up. He hates getting his photo taken, so I am the crazy aunt running around trying to capture him with my Canon monster. I wish I had taken photos of the table, but obviously I was more concerned with the sweets! 

That's it for now!

Santa Always Knows...

Even at age 28 (29 in one more month...eep!) I can say without a doubt, Santa always knows best. I have been dealing with a lot of ups and downs lately, and as much as I want a smooth ride, I think I need to just brace myself and go with it. That whole cheese-ball analogy, along with my love for being outdoors made this gift the perfect one for me this year.

-a fabulous retro beach cruiser-

(find it here)

Now, all I need is a basket and a bell and call me a wanna-be 1950's California girl.  I went on a bike ride with my Dad yesterday, and there is something about being in the fresh air and clearing my mind that I find is absolutely necessary for me.  I forget this on a regular basis.  I use to do this running when I lived in South Carolina, but living back in South Florida in the hot and humid temps, I need to get myself re-acclimated to elevated heart rates in the tropics. 

So for right now, I just need to enjoy the ride and not forget that a little fresh air can go a long way.

What did you get for Christmas? I hope it was oh-so-merry!

hope.

I have had so many ideas for new posts, but in light of the recent tragedy in Connecticut, I have decided to take a moment to reflect on what I think is important. As a child of the 80's, I was but one avid watcher of Mister Roger's Neighborhood.  Who would have known we could look to the old television show for inspiration as we approach 2013? 

Mr. Rogers said in times of trouble, we have to look for the heroes. At the risk of sounding majorly "out there," in times like these, I choose to focus on hope. There are many things in this world I cannot make sense of, but I know that there is a message in every experience. I pray for the families of the victims. I pray that we can all learn something for this tragedy so that those beautiful children did not die in vain.  I hope that as 2013 approaches, we can all live in a better world. That is what I hope for today.

                                                                     {image via}

Famous Last Words

Just 10 days ago, I told a friend that I never get sick. "Really. I have a pretty killer immune system."

I am sure you all know where I am going with this...

I was out for the count for about a week. I am just finally getting back into my old routine so I promise I will post something of substance soon.

I hope you all got your flu shots!

   

            {credit}

My Lackluster (but still good) Halloween

Being the respectable former sorority girl that I am, if there is any excuse to wear a costume, you can count me in. In fact, the roomies and I decided that whenever we host a get-together at la casa, we are going to make visitors adhere to some random theme. Because Halloween is the best justification possible for dress up, it is easily one of my favorite holidays. Unfortunately this year, any early brainstorming and trips to Michaels fell by the wayside. I feel as though October was here and gone in a flash! If I had my act together, I would have dressed like Dottie Hinson (thanks to Taylor for finding this now-declared Halloween 2013 gem).

A League of Their Own was my absolute favorite movie growing up.

Instead, Oct.31 8AM EST, I grabbed a pair of cowboy boots and a hat (all items I own for legitimate reasons other than costume) and headed into work. At least I can say that I still enjoyed good candy and company.

Did you dress up this Ween?

An Intro in JPEGS

Hello again! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.

I figured that these beginning posts are a part of one large introduction to my blog. We all know that photos are much more interesting than epic-novel-type posts. So here is a little bit more about me in jpeg files. (Spoiler Alert: I started with my most recent photos, so this post is just me, my roommates, and my work. I promise more photos in later.) 

Just Me

{photographed at Morikami- and now you know I love sushi}

{same day- playing with Buddha}

My Roommates

{Meghan, Me, & Dee- this photo was taken tonight at a friend's birthday dinner}

Where I Work (and spend a lot of time)

{As you can see, it is a bright and cheerful place}

{Me (on right) and a coworker- taking photos for Periwinkle's facebook page}

 {playing dress up at work- we do this a lot, which I love} 

Working at a place where playing dress up is part of my job description translates into lots of photos by myself. Before working at Periwinkle, I was never the gal for solo photo shoots, unless of course, I was posing with a funny statue (see above). 

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

The first post is always the hardest.

Hello friends!

I decided about two months ago to take a break from my old blog. I decided about one month ago to create a new blog...the very one you are (hopefully) reading. Despite the fact that I was as amped up as a kindergartner on pixie sticks about the whole thing, I have delayed the official first post for weeks.

In the spirit of dramatics, I found myself at a fork in the blog launch road: I could wait to start the chatter until something new and crazy found its way into my life OR I could simply say, "Hello. It is nice to meet you."

My life has been pretty status quo for the past two weeks (which is diametrically opposed to the past two years), so I decided I am just going to introduce myself in this post. Who needs new and crazy ALL the time? In fact, I think that constant new and crazy is pretty overrated...or, probably more accurately put, pretty exhausting.

So here I am: I am a 28-year-old dreamer. I am a Florida Gator. I am a formerly-practicing attorney who has recently (and gratefully) found herself utilizing her right brain (again). I am working in a fabulous boutique in the downtown of a medium-size town.

Today, I get to work with colors and prints, happy people, and social media. I have been obsessed with social media for some time now. Even in law school, I wrote articles about social media sites. While those articles focused on the legal implications of the sites (stay with me...), I have always found myself enamored with the human-interest side...how these sites are little windows into the lives of loved ones, celebrities, and even strangers.

The blog world specifically has always held a very special place in my heart. To me the blogosphere is a place where people can explore their own creativity, discover their own voice, make friends, and realize that many of us are all continuously learning about life.

This is what brought me back to the blogosphere. I look forward to giving you a glimpse into my life, and if you so choose, to hear a little about your's.

It's great to be back!

Hey! Is this thing on?

Just trying out the new space.