Happy Thursday! I have had a long week and I am READY for the weekend. I will charge through Friday with a smile, but I thought I would share a little bit about who I am with a rousing game of “Would You Rather” or “This or That”. Here’s a few fun bits about me!
Vanilla or Chocolate? Chocolate, every time.
Brownies or Cookies? Cookies!
Hot or Cold? Cold.
Pizza or Tacos? Pizza!
Rock or Pop? Rock… but most people would qualify my favorites as pop-punk so who can really say?
Action or Comedy? Comedy!
NYC or LA? NYC. Come on, easy answer.
Beach or Mountains? Beach, but more like mountainous beach, like Hawaii or Costa Rica.
Short hair or Long hair? On me, long hair. On guys, short hair.
Cats or Dogs? Both both both both all the animals please.
Movies or TV? TV!
Travel to the future or the past? The past! I’d go back and stop some of the “crimes of the century” before they happened, prevent a few literal disasters… and go see “The Empire Strikes Back” in theatres so I can see the first reaction to the plot twist.
Be invisible or fly? Fly!
Nights Out or Nights In? Nights In.
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars!
Fancy car or fancy house? Cool house.
Speak to animals or speak every language? Speak to animals!
Workout class or hit the gym? Hit the gym!
Have a secret garden or a secret library? Secret garden.
Young at heart or old soul? Young at heart.
There you go! Twenty lil tidbits about Mallory Joy Brunet. Ask your friends some of these! You might be surprised what you get back.
Last week, one of my favorite tv shows in recent years came to a close. NBC’s “The Good Place” was funny, light-hearted, and provided a compelling and entertaining look at a potential theory about what happens when we die. If you believe in the afterlife, you hope that heaven is a magical place where you’ll experience happiness for eternity. Heaven is a place where everything is possible. I won’t say what happens in “The Good Place,” but the final episodes made me think about what I want to have done by the time I have completed my journey in this lifetime/soul cycle/dimension.
Here are my top ten things that I want to do before I die:
1. Go to Fashion Week and see a fashion show. I would love to go to fashion week in Paris, Milan or NYC! I want to see the catwalks for myself, complete with the models with their elegance and the designers who create the art that inspires them.
2. Learn how to fight with a lightsaber. HEAR ME OUT, OKAY? Since dating Aaron, I’ve really gotten into the Star Wars movies (I liked them before we met, but his love for them has made me like them even more). Hollywood Studios has these epic, IRL lightsabers. It’s crazy to watch fan videos and meetups of people actually engaging in combat with them. It’s like sword fighting! I want to get a lightsaber this year, and I hope Aaron can teach me. I’ve seen him fight a friend with his. He’s trained his whole life for this.
3. Go scuba diving in Australia. This is twofold, because I want to get my scuba license before I die!
Image from Pics.Me.”Gossip.”The Office. NBC. 17 September 2009.
I think I want to go shark diving in Australia but I’m also a little too scared to do it. Maybe I’ll make that the last item on my bucket list, so I can at least say in the last millisecond of my life “Hey I finished my bucket list” before a Great White swallows me whole.
4. Go to the Winter Olympics. I loved figure skating as a kid, and even now I find the sport absolutely beautiful and mesmerizing. I want to go to the Winter Olympics one day to see the champions of this sport in person.
5. Attend Wimbledon. See above statement about figure skating, but kind of replace with tennis! It’s the one outdoor sport I more than tolerate. I think it’s very energetic and suspenseful. I’d love to see the greatest championship with my own two eyes!
6. Attend a benefit wearing a dress like Anastasia’s blue ball gown in the movie “Anastasia.” This movie came out when I was four three years old, I believe, and I’ve stored this dress in my subconscious for years now. I love this dress and I want one just like it, and I want to wear it somewhere fancy with very important people.
Anastasia. Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, performances by Meg Ryan, John Kusack, Kelsey Grammar, and Angela Lansbury, 20th Century Fox, 1997.
7. Go to Asia. Adding any travel bucket list doesn’t seem fair, because a) I want to go everywhere and b) I WILL go everywhere. But specifically, I want to go to Bali and swim in a waterfall. And then go drink out of a coconut or pineapple. Or eat a smoothie bowl out of a coconut or pineapple. Speaking of food…
8. Eat the $1,000 Golden Opulence Sundae at Serendipity 3. This is one of the most expensive desserts in the world, and from the looks of the rest of the list, they’re that expensive because they include an opulent piece of jewelry (the most expensive item on the list includes a 10+ carat engagement ring). I want the price to be all about the indulgence of the food! It’s silly but one day, I will enjoy this frozen treat that is worth more than my rent. ONE. DAY.
9. Learn Hebrew. Can I call this my mother tongue? Probably not. Will it be super useful when I travel? Unlikely. I still want to learn it! Also on this list is French, Italian, Spanish, German, Mandarin and Russian. I should also probably learn Portugese because I’ve been hearing it more and more in everyday life, too!
10. Meet (and thank) a personal hero. Whether it’s Brendon Urie, Demi Lovato, Tina Fey, or Mindy Kaling, certain people really helped me feel happy and comfortable with who I am. I know I could just comment “Thanks for saving me” on one of their Instagram posts, but that feels disingenuous. I’d love to meet someone influential who made a difference to me at a point when it’s not fangirly for me to say “Thank you for what you’ve created.” And for good measure, I thank my mom every day!
These are just a few of the things I’d like to do before I die. My time on earth will mean something, or at the least, be full of meaning.
Now it’s 9:20 PM and dreams of Balinese waterfalls and fancy foods await! Sweet dreams, for sure.
Only three days left in the first month of the new decade! It’s been a weird first month, and I’m eager to see how February goes.
Here’s a status update on each of my 2020 “Intentions”:
1. Read 52 books. On my way! I’ve read three books this month, and I would like to read two between now and the end of this week. I’m thinking a monthly book club post can be expected soon regardless.
2. Do pull ups. I’m able to hang a bit, and pull myself up slightly. Aaron provided some truly excellent feedback about the targeted muscles of the pull-up, which really made a difference this past week. To that point, Aaron thinks that my goal isn’t all that lofty, since he previously went from doing zero to seventy pull ups in three months. I think compounding with a hand-stand goal balances me out, though!
3. Spend LESS. TIME. SCROLLING. In general, I think I’m doing slightly better. I scroll less when I’m with other people, but I still find myself refreshing my Twitter and Instagram feed way too frequently for my liking.
4. Write 104 blog posts. This will be my eighth post in the new year. Making progress!
5. Romantic trip with Aaron from Dec. 26 2020 – Jan. 2 2021. The Gods (or rather, my mother) have smiled upon me– mission accomplished! A special offer inspired my mom to book a cruise for the end of the year. It’s not in the exact time-frame enumerated above, but I’m okay with that! It’ll still feel like a good way to celebrate being together for the holidays on a romantic adventure.
6. Stop engaging in schadenfreude. This resolution had several very specific targets. I haven’t indulged in one of them, but I’ve grazed two and full-on consumed another. One of my “grazes” made me feel uncomfortable, so I think I’m halfway there. If I can stop with the full-on consumption of that “another” in February, I will feel much better.
7. Take better care of my skin. I’ve been better about washing my face! I also discovered that I should be using my face wash on my shoulders. Hopefully that will help expedite my progress for clean skin all over, and not just what my coworkers will see!
8. Go stargazing. I haven’t set a date for this yet, but I did slow down on my morning walk to the gym this morning because the sky was just that breathtaking. Stars really are something. I might wait for a good stargazing night, like an eclipse or a meteor shower. Then again, maybe not!
9. Get a new job. I’ve been working with a coworker from a different department to get her accustomed to the website platform. It’s been great! The more she learns, the better the transition will be when I leave. I have a meeting with my supervisor for next week where we can hopefully discuss opportunities further. Meanwhile… customers have made me feel hostile, depressed, and hopeless. That only motivates me to leave even faster.
Image from Tenor. “Chair Model.” The Office. NBC. 17 April 2008.
10.Do a handstand. I’ve practiced a few times at the gym against a wall, but I definitely feel unnerved by the process. I feel like people are staring (and by that I mean a single person. Because it’s the gym. At five in the morning. And some weirdo is leaning her potato body against a wall while kicking upside down and trying to stay upright). I need to work on my confidence!
11.Go see two of my favorite performers. Boy oh boy, did this go downhill. Of the performers I mentioned last time (John Mulaney, Bo Burnham, Ali Wong, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, and Panic! at the Disco), only two of them are doing tours this year. Billie’s concert tickets are way too expensive, and Ali’s tour dates do not include Florida.
I may reevaluate this resolution, and try to (on one of my trips to New York this year) see “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen,” both of which are Broadway shows I’ve been wanting to see for years.
12. Lose weight. I lost a few, gained some, and now I think I’ve found something that may work long-term (for REAL this time). I hope it does!
13. Give Aaron a great 26th birthday. I still have time to plan this, but I keep a list of presents to get him in my phone to add to whenever he says he wants something. Hopefully in two months we’ll have an idea of what he wants for his birthday. I’d like to surprise him with something special!
14. Be a better friend, wife, sister, daughter, and granddaughter. I’ve talked more in depth with my friends and siblings this year. I talk to my parents way less than I should, and I haven’t spoken to my grandparents once this month (I may have left a single voicemail). That is positively embarrassing. I’m ashamed.
15. Be happy. Well, after reading that last item, I’m not very happy! I guess it’s a good thing, because if I have nothing to show for the end of next month I’ll feel even worse, and I don’t want that. But in general I’ve enjoyed this month a lot more than I enjoyed the previous month. Having the kittens around has made a world of a difference.
And that’s January! There’s still time for me to read and speak to my grandparents. I really don’t have an excuse, do I? Onward and upward!
We are in week 3 of the new decade, and everywhere I look, the promise and hope of my friends and loved ones have vanquished into disparity. I’ve seen this tweet shared more than once:
Not great, Bob! I myself have fudged on a few resolutions. But that’s okay! “The Office” had a great episode about New Year’s Resolutions (more sitcoms/TV series should have a New Years Resolution plotline. That’s a whole other story!) with this line: “It’s not about being perfect, it’s about trying.” To me, trying is the best way to succeed! It’s when you DON’T try that you fail.
Which leads me into my main thesis:
5 WAYS TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR FAILURE
Don’t feel attacked by this list! Everyone, especially me, struggles with this at some point. If any of these apply to you, know I have a solution!
Lie to yourself. When you start letting yourself off the hook at the slightest inconvenience, phoning it in instead of giving your all, and you need a grappling hook to climb that mountain of excuses, you slowly begin that descent into “Meh.” There will always be tough days– you’re sick, you’re exhausted, there’s traffic that throws off your whole schedule. Plan for that to happen, and let “life” be the only thing standing in the way.
Set unrealistic expectations. If your goal is to lose weight, with the plan being to skip meals like it’s a crack on the sidewalk until you’re a size two, you are in for a painful ride. Here’s the good news: that ride is temporary, because you will snap and eat an entire pack of Oreos and be back at square one, filled with regret and shame. If you want to achieve your goals, you can! But start small. Getting back to the weight loss goal: say no to dessert every other night. Go to the gym once a week. Baby steps will get you running marathons!
Procrastinating. This feels like a no-brainer! When you put off completing a task until later, “later” gets further and further away until you’ve put yourself in crunch time. And hey, there’s a difference between being lazy and “thriving under a deadline.” I’m all for the theatre of the latter, but always remember the end of my first point: life will happen. Computers die. Office birthday cake gets served. If you put it off once, you will put it off again… and again… and again!
“Kim Possible.” Disney.
Running on an empty tank. It feels good to succeed and make progress! You’ll want to feed that feeling as much as possible. That’s great, but proceed with caution! Taking time to breathe is just as important as the work you accomplish. You can enjoy a day off, a Netflix binge, or a monthly happy hour with your friends. Cabin fever murders aside, all work and no play DOES make Jack a dull boy. You can certainly stop and smell the roses on the journey! Maybe you’ll even want to plant a few yourself. Take a moment, a day, to express gratitude towards yourself. Breathe in, breathe out, then keep going.
Giving up too early. The only failure is failing to try. If you attempt to complete your tough goals but quit after two days, you’ve wasted your time and energy for literally nothing. What you are doing isn’t supposed to be comfortable! You should be challenged by your resolutions/tasks. Settle outside your comfort zone and do the work. Remember why you’re here. Motivation will come and go, but that doesn’t mean your goals should be just as flimsy. Work hard, and stick with it! The results WILL come.
There you have it! Five ways to set out on a short, fruitless journey towards fulfilling your dreams. To make it past these issues, I have but one suggestion: try. I believe in you! You can do it!
One week into the new year! I’m off to a good start with a few of my goals. I am noticing that I need to make a more concerted effort to get to bed earlier than I have been, because waking up at 5AM for the gym has been tough. That said, I’ve done it each weekday!
January is the beginning of the year, and with it, the beginning of positive changes. New year, new you! My company is jumping on board with a new “zen” initiative to boost health and wellness within their employees. How great is that? They’re hosting wellness panels and offering learning opportunities, and even provided a calendar full of ideas to be well during the work week. With that, they’ve created a page of journaling ideas within the wellness webpage for those looking to channel their ideas and goals!
I decided to take a look at that page and choose one of their prompts to reflect upon and consider. I went to the site, closed my eyes, wiggled my finger and stuck to whatever prompt my finger landed on when I opened my eyes. The result:
The most important things in my life are…
I think it was fate to have my finger land on this one. This week I was going through my desk drawers at work, cleaning out old work notes and re-organizing what went where (office supplies drawer, first aid drawer, extra snacks and napkins drawer). In the process, I found birthday cards from my team, post-it appreciation from my closest work friend, and old cards from flower arrangements from my mom and Aaron.
Some part of that just touched my heart, it felt like a rose petal falling. It was like a little message from the universe reminding me of what I have in my life and how much it means to me. Truthfully, I feel like being happy is what is most important to me, at the “what’s” core, but my happiness is informed by my surroundings.
My family is the most important thing to me. That includes my mom, my dad, my brother and sister, and yes, Aaron (and by extension, his family). My friends are second. A friend recently reached out to ask how I found the friends I have, how I found such smart, sweet, friendly women to call my soul sisters. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have them as my friends. I would do anything for them, no questions asked.
My future is a super close third. I want a fulfilling career, two happy kids, and the chance to travel the world with my loved ones. Ten years from now, I want to have seen a Pacific sunrise with my wanderlust friends (Australia? Bali? Hawaii? I have no TRUE preference), had two kids, corresponding cats, and a decent sized home outside of my work city to put it all in together. Life happens, but if I’m blessed enough and work hard enough, maybe pulling that off won’t be as terrifying to accomplish as it sounds.
The most important things in my life are the people around me. I love them and am so happy to have them. 2020 is when I let them know every chance I can.
If you’re reading this, go tell someone you love them.
As I write this, I am seven hours and five minutes away from the new year. The new decade. It’s the new century’s roaring twenties.
With that in mind, I thought I’d compile a list of my favorite things from 2020! Let’s get right to it:
Favorite Movie: Us. I saw a lot of great movies this year, but Us is the one that has stayed with me the longest. Jordan Peele’s follow up to Get Out, Us is the story of a family that encounters their dopplegangers while enjoying the family lake house over summer vacation. I would recommend it to anyone who can tolerate mild horror elements, since it’s really more thriller than horror. Lupita Nyong’o was a FORCE in this movie. I had never been so captivated by a performance, except maybe Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman in Black Swan. She was not given a Golden Globe nomination for her role, which I find a DISGUSTING snub. DIS.GUS.TING.
Favorite Music: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish. She’s barely eighteen years old, and she’s already created one of the most iconic songs of a decade. This is Billie’s second album, after her first album Don’t Smile at Me in 2017, which contained songs mostly wrote entirely by Billie and her older brother Finneas. Her voice ranges from being “spooky little girl” (in All the Good Girls Go to Hell) to “lilting angel” (in Everything I Wanted). She has a sense of humor about herself and the way the media portrays her (and women in general). I hope she keeps that belief in herself (which definitely is rooted in Finneas, who deserves just as much as credit), because she has one of the most unique voices in the industry right now. Here’s my favorite song from this album:
Favorite TV Show: This is tough! I have a tie. Both of these shows started before 2019, technically, but I only got into them this year. Schitt’s Creek – What if that reality TV family lost ALL their money, except a tiny two-street town in the middle of nowhere bought ironically years prior? That’s this show. Comedy icon Eugene Levy co-created the show with his son Dan, and they play father-and-son within the series (former video store CEO Johnny and stylish do-nothing David, respectively). Filling out the family is Annie Murphy as David’s ditzy sister Alexis and the truly incomparable Catherine O’Hara as former soap opera star Moira. Their adjustment from riches to rags in a podunk town is charming, sentimental, and at times, rolling on the floor funny. After watching this show, you will never pronounce the word “baby” the same way.
YOU – Were we surprised? I’m gonna say it: it’s not “quirky” or “weird” to be into serial killer/stalker/murder shows. In fact, I think it’s more weird now to not be into them. Unless you’re my mom. In which case, don’t worry. You’re great. I love you! Penn Badgley stars as Joe Goldberg, a leveled up version of Badgley’s character in Gossip Girl, Dan Humphrey. It’s a classic love story… boy meets girl, gets obsessed with her, manipulates his way into her heart and rids any obstacles on their path to happily ever after by any means necessary. The true love story, however, is on Twitter, where former fans of Tate Langdon and Zac Efron’s version of Ted Bundy discuss how much they love Joe… much to Penn Badgley’s horror.
Favorite Podcast: Office Ladies! Oh my goodness oh my goodness. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey (AKA Pam Beesly and Angela Martin from The Office) have started a podcast discussing The Office, providing fun facts and behind-the-scenes secrets about each episode. They’re only about ten or so episodes in, but listening to this podcast on my way to work in the morning is an absolute highlight of my week! There’s only been a few moments where I can say “Oh, I knew that,” in reference to their trivia (being a die-hard Office fan as it is), and hearing all new production notes just makes it more special. It’s like watching the show for the first time all over again!
Favorite Book: “Never Play Dead” by Tomi Lahren. I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO SAY! A bleeding red-state Conservative nightmare who hates all things peace and love? You read HER book?! You gave her money?! And LIKED it?! I know! Believe me, I know. But also…
Tomi Lahren was fired from her job at “The Blaze” for speaking her mind about a controversial opinion to have in her world: being pro-choice in a pro-life political affiliation. Since then she has won a wrongful termination lawsuit and now works as a Fox News correspondent. She is one of the most discussed political commentators right now, and with good reason. Her fiery rants are very intimidating! But then you ask yourself: is she intimidating, or are you intimidated?
Truth be told, Tomi Lahren is a strong woman with an even stronger work ethic. To read in her book that she was always the odd girl out (and never, say, the cheerleader or the prom queen) was very surprising, as was her past history with abusive relationships and an eating disorder (aren’t all pretty blonde Republicans just naturally thin without trying?). I don’t agree with Tomi on a lot of things. But I am all for radiating the confidence of a much smarter, more self-assured woman.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from her book: “When I look myself in the mirror, I ask: What did I do today to get me closer to what I want to achieve?”
“When you own your sh*t, you reach a different level. It’s also really healing to recognize your poison and when you are standing in your way.”
“The truth is this: you are magic—with or without ‘likes.'”
Favorite Place: Monaco. I have made many mistakes in my life. I’ve said the wrong thing, I’ve sabotaged myself, I’ve hurt others and in turn, they hurt me. Every bad decision has been worth it, because every choice I made led me to be on the top deck of the Celebrity Constellation on October 31 to see this view of Monaco at night. The picture doesn’t do it justice, so hopefully, you can imagine.
No filter on this Monaco mountain.
Favorite Food: Pistachio gelato. Tried it for the first time in Sicily. Combined it with Nutella gelato. The best food on this earth. Get away from me if you disagree.
Favorite Skin Care Product: Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patches. I’ve never seen a miracle product work in such a way. Buzzfeed told me to try them eighty times, and I didn’t believe them until my cousin Stephanie vouched for them. I kid you not, if you catch a pimple two days before an event, slap on one of these bad boys before you go to sleep each night. It will be easily concealed by makeup after night one, and completely gone by night two. If you’re gross, you’ll see the buildup of whitehead ickiness when you take the patch off in the morning. It feels like vindication.
Favorite Make-Up Product: Ardell Individual Knot-Free Lashes. Last December, I had my makeup trials for the wedding. My MUA, Jamie Dragon (literally Miss Vermont several years ago) applied these lashes to my eyes and they stayed there for a full two weeks after I got back. After the wedding, I pulled my last lash off when washing my face one night on my honeymoon. Boom. Because I am the way I am, I have tried and failed twice to put them on myself, but I bought them again this past week to practice and get good at it. Guarantee you’ll feel like a new person with these lashes!
Favorite Moment of 2019: You’re gonna be surprised: the entire day of my wedding was my favorite moment of 2019. From being told the wedding was going to be outdoors, to the John Lennon quote during the ceremony, to looking at all my friends and feeling so grateful for all of them during dinner that night, to spinning around like a princess to “Dancing Queen” by Abba. Every second of that day, even the stomach pains from eating too much cheese, was perfect. That said, I’ll also share this honest moment of love from the honeymoon:
Aaron and I were supposed to go into Kotor on our cruise. However, the day of that disembarkation, the seas were too rough for us to make port. We were forced into another day at sea, on a day too windy to enjoy the pool or sunning ourselves on the Dalmatian coast. That said, Aaron and I made a decent day of it. Along with that, our stateroom attendant had provided us a complimentary bottle of wine to celebrate our wedding. Aaron and I stared out at the Game of Thrones like mountains while drinking red wine like Cersei Lannister. Aaron took this photo of us in the rainy wind that day.
It’s silly, and one moment of a million great moments of that trip, and our whole year, but I’m going to always remember that moment as being so perfect that I actually enjoyed the taste of the red wine (which, as anyone can tell you, is saying something, because most wine makes my tongue sad).
I have had a truly wonderful 2019, full of twists and turns and moments of love. I’m so happy and thankful for this year, and this entire decade.
It is December 28, 2019. In four days, we’ll be in a new year, and a new decade. There’s so much to reflect upon, so much to consider from the past year, past ten years, but all I can think about is how awful I feel.
I’ve had chest pains all week. My stomach has been feeling nauseous for the entire day, and I’ve had a headache for three days.
Maybe it’s from all the holiday food. Maybe it’s from not drinking enough water. Maybe it’s because I’m approaching my “moon cycle.” All three?
No. I have a more likely idea.
I went to the gym and did the most hardcore workout I’ve done in a while yesterday. So imagine waking up with a stomach ache, a headache, and then rolling to the bathroom and realizing that your legs are like cemented to the ground out of soreness. That’s what I get for doing weighted squats for the first time in a year.
Not a great day, but just as well, because the new season of YOU came out on Netflix on Thursday, and I had to wait until last night to start it. Ten episodes later and I am so eager for season three, as eager as I was for season two earlier this year! I am blessed to have gotten two seasons in one year, but that probably means I will have to wait until this time next year to get another season. Who knows where I’ll be at that point.
In the past month and a half, I’ve been kind of in a funk. I think that’s why I haven’t written at all. I don’t know why I’ve got such a case of the blues. Christmas was fun, and being home with Aaron has been great, but I just feel kind of chaotic mentally. I’m hoping that January will be calmer and more fun.
That said, I’ve been listening to more podcasts lately, top of the list being “Him and Her: The Skinny Confidential Podcast.” Amy Landino, my success champion, was on a recent episode talking about time batching! I want to make writing more of a priority in the new year, and with that in mind, I’m going to make sure I set aside time each week to prep posts and generate ideas so I can share two posts a week.
Today has felt like an eternity. It’s a jolt of hope knowing that my brain can’t handle a day of doing nothing! I hope that tomorrow morning I wake up all better and go to the gym again. Except… maybe hold off on the weighted squats. Or at least do less of them. Fingers crossed!
I’ve been wanting to sit and think about my aesthetic, my brand, what makes me ME. I feel like as an adult I’m still waiting to shed my teenage inner-angst and embrace a more mature aesthetic.
Don’t get it twisted, Disney still owns my heart, and I’ll always want my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches refrigerated because it just tastes better that way, but my tendency to wear all black everything and spend my free time binge-watching Netflix feels very dated. I’m ready to embrace the part of me that wants to come forward and succeed.
When I walked into work today, I had a goal: start work on refining my “aesthetic.” I feel like that’s step one. I think there’s scientific evidence that your environment is your influence. I want to find ways for my aesthetic to help influence my every day life. I want to look at this blog, my closet, my home, and be motivated to take on each day with strength, style, and a smile.
Wait I like that line: Take on the day with strength, style, and a smile. AESTHETIC!
Whether I’m 5 or 25, “Spongebob Squarepants” will always be relevant.
Some things I’ve determined I like are pastels, space, and retro imagery. I feel like my generation is really vibing on pastels right now (neon pinks, greens, and yellows really dominated the fashion zeitgeist from 2007-2015). Soft pinks, aquas, and sunflower yellow seem to be popular colors, and I think the preference of lilac is growing.
I however, am focusing on pink and light blue (my inner emo child just gasped). I went to Pinterest and just searched “Light pink aesthetic.” The jackpot, if you will. I already had an “Aesthetic” Pinterest board created previously, so I just started pinning! I liked a few pink neon signs (which I have always loved), including one on the facade of an old building. I decided to switch gears and go look for “Art deco” aesthetics. I’ve always loved Old Hollywood and roaring 20s aesthetics, like in “The Great Gatsby.” My mind started accelerating, as I thought to myself that the art deco imagery was too dark:
I want to find an art deco design that’s more light, like with pink, maybe. Could Aaron make that? Why can’t *I* make that? I want to combine my love for modern colors with my appreciation for the retro aesthetic… vintage… Thoroughly Modern Vintage!
I am certain I am not the pioneer for a combination of the modern and the “classic” (I say classic loosely, since the past 100 years can hardly be historically defined as classic. Maybe neo-classic, but I think even that’s a stretch), but I think I can create a concrete vision of what that looks like. My artistic eye is lacking at best, but no reason I can’t try!
The clouds of the honeymoon are slowly falling away and making room for the clear skies of cooler weather.
I have just returned from a two-week honeymoon in Europe, where I had the best possible vacation a newlywed could want. Champagne. Pistachio Gelato. Empty streets that open up into crowded plazas. Fresh pasta overlooking the Ionian Sea. Nights lit up by the casinos and luxury hotels of Monaco. It was amazing.
All of that only makes my return back to normalcy all the more humbling. We had a ten hour flight from Amsterdam (we flew there from Venice) to Orlando, during which we experienced constant turbulence and a light that I didn’t know how to turn off for the majority of the time in the air. By the time we landed I was overwhelmed with nausea and a splitting headache. I pride myself on the fact that I kept my cool in the Uber home, and waited until I got upstairs to vomit everything I had consumed during the in-flight meal.
Aaron wasn’t doing much better either. When packing the night before, he stubbed his toe on the wheel of his suitcase, and had been experiencing knee pain the whole trip. On top of that, he was coming down with a cold! Come Monday morning, we were two weak and physically frail young adults who had to throw on the coffee and go back to work.
Aaron had a pleasant comeback to work, providing a high quality report to his supervisors despite knowing he was ill. While my coworkers were all happy to see me (they are truly the best part about my job), I spent the first three days back at work dealing with cranky people making request after request during a time when everything is shutting down for the winter. Things were so quiet when I left for my honeymoon. Why couldn’t it have stayed that way one more week?
My trip really made me reflect on my life where it is now, and where I want it to be. You know how they say the little things make a big difference? That applies in all aspects of life, but it felt doubly so in the hotels we stayed at during the trip:
The Majestic Palace was located ten minutes from Las Ramblas in Barcelona. We had a private terrace, a shower with an overhead nozzle, and a bidet. A BIDET. Aaron and I decided to take a power nap before heading out into the city, and it was awakened an hour later by a staff member bringing us a “Congratulations and welcome” slice of cake! Cake!
The Londra Palace was a six minute walk from San Marco Square in Venice. Turndown service! ANOTHER bidet! Top it all off, there was a bathtub with an ADDITIONAL NOZZLE. An IDEAL situation for taking a bath and getting an effective hair wash out of the deal.
Both hotels had baggage handlers, a piano bar, and the most incredible “breakfast is included” experience.
Top it all off with the fact that we were on a cruise in between those hotels, where the majority of the other passengers were all retirees who had the means and the time to just go wherever they want.
The more I paid attention to the little things that prove the extra mile, the the things that make the nice parts even nicer, I kept thinking to myself: my life has got to be like this. Forever.
I’ve learned a lot at this job, from a creative perspective. I’ve increased my endurance for problem solving, and I’m willing to go the extra mile to get something done quicker. When I started, I was scared of talking to people on the phone. Nearly two years later, I do this every day at work, but I don’t like it. Why should I do something I don’t like every day? With the life I want and the bills I still have, now is the time for me to really forge ahead and get a more substantial position within NBC.
It helps that I have a one-on-one meeting with my supervisor in a week, with a year-end self-evaluation due a week after that. I told myself I was going to wait until after the craziness of the wedding and the honeymoon was done. Thank-you notes aside, that time has come. I’m ready to go… all the way up to the top!
I feel like I have two back-to-back happy entries in my pocket. I guess being married will do that to you.
That’s right folks, I’m a newlywed! Aaron and I tied the knot this past weekend in Vermont. Our magical start to Happily Ever After will get its own post later. I would rather write today about today. Today!
All good todays can be traced back to yesterday, so let’s start there.
I was scrolling through Facebook when I passed through the “Your Own Magic” Facebook group, which is a fan community for the “Your Own Magic” podcast. Someone had posted a request for guidance on making a vision board. Someone had replied to make it their “Home” screen on their phone, so they can always see it.
I had time to kill and I had been itching to make my own vision board, and I had always pictured it as a 3rd grade science project with the three angled-cardboard display covered in colorful words and glitter. Lots of glitter.
Putting it on my phone had always felt like a “magnet” option, where I had tossed it around but never considered it. Now that I had a desire to work on my Photoshop skills, I could see about creating one using phone dimensions.
So commenced about two hours of work. I knew what I wanted to see every time I looked at my phone, what I wanted to motivate me through my day. I want Miranda Priestly’s Boss Life (maybe without the workaholism, more like the authority, style, and respect), and Jack Donaghy’s office and job title (he later gives it to Kenneth as “President of Television.” Can that be my exact job title, please?). I want to make sure I always remember that with hard work (and, ahem, therefore maybe less mindless scrolling), I will have money, maybe even Jeffree Star money. With that money, I can travel and live in the NYC home of my dreams (I’m talking in-building gym, laundry service, and outdoor garden, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a showroom-style closet). With that money, I can go to London, Bali, Australia, and anywhere else I want to visit.
On top of fruitful dreams, I want to be healthy and strong, both emotionally and physically. I know if I accomplish all of this, I will be happy. If I’m happy, Aaron will be, too. Vice versa!
Boom. Visions for the future, established.
If I haven’t outright stated it, I love the sky in the morning, when it’s dark night giving way to light blue, with the brightness of the sun bringing in a bit of pink. That was a style inspiration, as was Taylor Swift’s 1989 album art.
Several hours later, my phone vision board:
Aaron says it looks like a Myspace background. If that’s a teasing insult I don’t care because I like it.
Creating that felt like an accomplishment! I rewarded myself with Youtube and went to bed with a smile on my face.
I want to take a different approach to my way of thinking. I’ve always dealt with things with a sense of urgency, and sometimes I feel my brain is moving at a million miles a minute. I think slowing down and taking things one step at a time would do wonders for my own sense of serenity.
This morning, I woke up at 7 AM and contemplated doing some sort of a workout. I ended up going for a twenty minute walk around my neighborhood. I don’t know what higher power decided to make that the best decision ever, but the sky was beautiful and there was a cool wind. I passed commuters starting their day, joggers on the run, and a few happy souls with their dogs on a stroll. I listened to happy music that put me in a good state of mind.
Work was quiet this morning so I took care of a few necessary phone calls, and then made myself a cup of vegan hot chocolate! I served it in one of my UVM mugs, because I’m already having Vermont withdrawals. It was low calorie and super sweet.
I’m thinking I’ll head over to the healthy food cafe for lunch in an hour or two to get an acai bowl or a hummus wrap. It depends on whether it’s cooled down or warmed up since I went outside this morning!
I had a very happy morning. My brain feels at peace. I want to snuggle the world.
I’ll be back for a full wedding recap. Until then, here’s the tune that set my morning mood.
I know! Believe me, I know. But also…
