Currently

Currently I am...


Reading: I'm a few pages away from finishing The Skeleton Crew, just finished (and unashamedly loved) Next Level Basic, and am about to start Code Name: Lise.


Writing: Emails and notes on work shiz.


Listening: To Mike getting dinner ready and the dogs running around.


Thinking: That I'm happy I made it through my work trip and my first full day of work with little to no stress!


Smelling:  Dude, it's me again? I just went for a run and I smell musty!


Wishing: That it was a couple weeks in the future and I was awesome at my job already. Also, that I was better at running.

Wearing: Old Navy blue and black flowered workout leggings, Target black workout shirt, and Asics running shoes.


Loving: That the weather is so great here right now and everything is finally getting green! Also that we saw three fluffy little owls on our run.


Wanting:  This backyard, these booties, this super cute house, and to already be showered and in my pjs because I'm lazy.


Needing: To take a shower before dinner and plan my outfit for tomorrow.


Feeling: Sleepy, hungry, and anxious.


Clicking: gmail, Blogger, comparison shopping food delivery services for while Mike is gone (I went with Green Chef), and work stuff.

Also...

These two lazy bums make me very happy.

Dance It Out

In case you need something to Grey's Anatomy style dance some shit out, I recommend this immediately:

Fun Fact

Fun fact: I 100% dropped my cell phone in the toilet yesterday. I forgot it was in my back pocket, pulled down those skinny jeans, and heard a thud. Took me way too long of a beat to realize that thud was my damn phone. Cue me crouching, with my pants down, on the floor of the bathroom to frantically dry off my phone.

Samsung was not kidding about their phones being waterproof though, cause she's fine.

WHEW.


(Also, it was clean water, in case you needed to know that.)

Currently

Currently I am...


Reading: Alright, I gave up on Outline. I got halfway through and it was just too dense for me and I didn't care about anyone in the book. I am officially not as intellectual as Natalie Portman. No one is shocked. I finished The Homecoming on our trip and now I'm reading Under the Dome.  


Writing: My daily grateful email to my mom and sister, updating my LinkedIn and Facebook to show that I got a job (woohoo!), and this blog post.


Listening: To our scanner trying to figure out how to scan a damn document, but can't quite do it, my fingers on the keyboard, and that's it. The dogs are in bed asleep and Mike is at his Sunday soccer game.


Thinking: That I'm glad I finally got a job, but am also super nervous about it!


Smelling:  Myself. Is that weird? I just worked out, so.....


Wishing: That everything will work out with the new job and that I will get my scanner to work.

Wearing: Old Navy blue and black flowered workout leggings, Nike sneakers, a black long sleeved workout top, and a white sweater on top because it's chilly in here. 


Loving: That Mike woke me up early so we could get our Red Rocks workout in and have breakfast before his soccer game.


Wanting:  This purse/fanny pack for my next European vacation, this outfit to wear to the winery today, these CBD gummies that I finally bit the bullet and ordered to show up soon, this for dinner, and this book that I have on hold at the library to come in.


Needing: To scan my offer letter back to my new boss, to go shower and get ready for my day, and to drink more water.


Feeling: Excited, nervous, sleepy, and happy.


Clicking: gmail, CBD gummies websites, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Goodreads

Also...

So pleased that my library volunteer card mentions cheese. 

It's my sister's birthday today! She's the best!

Packing for Paris

We recently returned from our trip to Paris and trust me, I'll be posting a ton of photos about our trip, but first I wanted to share what I packed.

Packing for this trip was harder than others because I felt some extra pressure to not look like a gross American tourist because, well, it's PARIS! Also, I'm always a bad packer in this weather because it's not hot, not cold, it's all about layering and is unpredictable. I struggle with that. All in all, I think I did pretty well, although I didn't stick with all my planned outfits. I had the intentions to wear my Rothy's sneakers most of the trip, but my feet got pretty swollen with all the walking we did and they weren't comfortable with puffy feet. I will say, I'm glad we didn't wear ugly tourist shoes, but we could have worn a little more comfortable shoes for sure. I didn't get any blisters, which is honestly the goal, but my feet HURT. So bad. Like I teared up at one point. Doing 30k steps a few days in a row will do that to you.

For my travel outfit out there, I wanted to be comfortable since we were taking a red eye and I was hoping to sleep, but I didn't want to look like I was in my pajamas when we landed in Paris. I also wanted to layer so I could stay warm on the plane.

Shop the look here

Some of these aren't the exact pieces I wore, but it's pretty dang close. The American Giant joggers are super comfy and my Rothy's were easy to slip on and off in security and on the plane. My actual Harry Potter sweater is by Neena Creates on Etsy, but it's so old, she doesn't have the exact one anymore. 

So, we landed, took a taxi to our hotel, showered, got ready, and headed out for a busy half day in Paris! This is what I wore:

Shop the look here

Again, not my exact pieces since pretty much everything I own is too old to still be online. I've got to give a ton of credit to my trusty Chucks, because they took a beating this trip! I wore the same no show socks I linked to in the first look and I cannot recommend them enough. They literally don't slip ever, even after more than 30,000 steps.

Day two, we were going to do a cheese tasting and had breakfast reservations so I wanted to be cute with room for food, here's what I wore:

Shop the look here

Not gonna lie, I was pretty cold in the morning in this outfit, but thankfully it warmed up.

Day 3 I needed to change up my shoes because youch and I wanted to be a little warmer since the day before I was pretty chilly. Here is what I wore:

Shop the look here

A couple things about this outfit: first, I wear those American Giant leggings looser than she does, so they are more like pants, not workout leggings. Second, that is obviously not the sweater I wore because that one is PRICEY. Mine was an old Forever21 piece that is no longer online. But we all would like to afford the one I used, right?!

By day 4 we were a litttle over it because we overdid it so much the first three days, but we still went out and walked and ate and saw. Here is what I wore:

Shop the look here

This one was pretty impossible to correctly recreate. The sweater is not bat wing in real life and is by designer Jeffery Parish who I cannot find a web presence for anymore and the top is an old J.Crew color blocked light sweater with pink sleeves, a pink bottom, and maroon details.

Towards the end of the day, we stopped back at our hotel to pee, change, and let me cry about my feet for a second and I changed into this:

Shop the look here

Day 5 was mostly a travel day, so I pretty much repeated my outfit from day 1:

Shop the look here

And now we're home and I've only worn pajamas, leggings, and workout clothes, yay!

A couple things I learned:  1) not wearing athletic sneakers is admirable, but get more supportive cute shoes if you're going to walk that much, 2) all the people saying not to wear a ton of color because Parisians don't do that are full of crap, 3) this jean jacket was worth every penny, 4) bring those high waist jeans you hesitated to bring because you are going to feel so fat by day two, you'll want something to suck you in, 5) you're never going to be the weirdest looking person walking around so wear whatever the hell you want, and 6) don't wear a beret, just don't.

Things I've Liked Lately

I'm unemployed right now and home pretty much all day so I have a lot of time to be on the internet or watch tv or read books and here are some of those things that I have enjoyed lately you're welcome, I can't stop this run on sentence, someone save me.

After Life on Netflix

I am a huge fan of Ricky Gervais and I find his snarky humor funny so I may be a little biased, but this show was really special. It's funny and real and heartfelt and I kind of already want to watch it again. It's definitely sad, but also makes you laugh and makes you want to go be nice to a random stranger and also to hug your dog(s).

Shrill on Hulu

I just binge watched this show in two days and was honestly pretty devastated to learn it only had six episodes. It's so funny, but also, I'm not sure I've ever had a show make me feel like I got punched right in the heart before. It's pretty fucking hard to be a woman right now. We are surrounded by things that make us feel bad about ourselves and our administration makes us feel like what we say doesn't matter, what we want to do with our bodies doesn't matter, what men have done to us doesn't matter, and that we just aren't ever enough. This show portrays all of that so perfectly and vulnerably and it makes you just want to say fuck it and go dance and be your own freakin' cheerleader for once.

The Southern Reach trilogy

Mike and I finally watched Annihilation and really enjoyed it even though that bear scene is mothereffing terrifying. The books are a lot different, but not in a way that makes you hate the movie. They are way more deep and detailed and just dang weird. I enjoyed reading them, even though at points they can get a little bogged down and overly psychoanalytical. The twists in the final book are worth it all.

The Duolingo app

I'm pretty nervous about our upcoming trip to Paris, but the free duolingo app is helping me to feel a little more confident about being able to communicate. It's actually pretty fun to use and if you do it on the toilet like Mike, you'll be done in no time.

Sleeping Beauties, The Long Walk, and Elevation by Stephen King

I don't really like horror, not when it comes to movies or books, so I never was interested in reading anything by Stephen King. I read a few here and there, but it wasn't until recently that I've realized just how great a writer he is. I somehow got hooked on The Dark Tower series and after I was done, tried to find some other works that weren't so "horrory" like Carrie or Pet Semetary. The three above are freaking phenomenal. I can't talk about Sleeping Beauties enough. It's seriously gorgeously written. It's poignant and sad and hopeful and ugh. So good. The Long Walk is painful to read, but really great and Elevation is so different for him, it's really pretty and special. The Dark Tower series, it should be noted, is also really great if you have time to read multiple books that are over 700 pages long. And don't watch the movie.

Matt Haig's Twitter

And obviously his books, but I love his tweets. He's so good at explaining depression and anxiety in a concise and easy to understand way. I often read his tweets out loud to Mike as a way to explain myself and how I feel to him.

Hannah Good

Liz Climo

Artists on Instagram sharing awesome and adorable cartoons. Two of my current faves are above. Social media can sometimes be really negative or make you feel comparative and bad about yourself, but it can also give you levity, humor, and little pieces of art that make you feel happy or silly or empowered like these. That's why I stick around. And so I can post photos of my dogs.

My Favorite Murder Podcast  (photo via)

Okay I'm not just loving this podcast "lately", like for years, but I haven't talked about it here, so there you go. It's so good, especially for people like me who have always loved true crime. They are also funny and relatable and super open about their anxieties and therapy and just life shit. I love them.

And some quotes from Pinterest to round this shiz out:

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Currently

Currently I am...


Reading: I'm still reading Outline by Rachel Cusk because I've been a bad reader lately and this one requires you to actually pay attention. For our upcoming trip, I borrowed Under the Dome by Stephen King and Looker by Laura Sims. 


Writing: So far today, a couple of job applications (I really need to start changing my resume every time and I just cannnn't), and this post.


Listening: It's actually super silent in here except for my fizzy water making bubbly noises and my fingers on the keyboard.


Thinking: That I wish I had gotten more sleep last night and my dreams SUCKED.


Smelling:  Coffee.


Wishing: That my anxiety will calm the eff down before our trip.

Wearing: Pajama pants with gnomes on them (I love gnomes), a blue tank top, and an old scruffy gray Jcrew cardigan that has no less than three holes in it. Oh, and slippers that I realized I've had since before Mike and I got together and my mom is pretty sure I stole from her. 


Loving: That today is back day at the gym, which shouldn't be too bad.


Wanting:  These shoes and a fun Spring event to wear them to, this torte for breakfast (dessert is always better at breakfast), this good of outfit layout photo taking skills (wait until you see my Paris outfits post), and this book to read instead of watching too much reality tv.


Needing: To finish packing for our trip, to print out a bunch of things, to make my resume better, and to trim my bangs.


Feeling: Anxious after a bad night of sleep and bad dreams, sleepy, and ready to get up and start my day.


Clicking: gmail, blogger, Pinterest, Goodreads, this article that Mike sent me, and Indeed.

Also...

Cute sleepy pugs. This one likes to get up at 4:30am every day or she will climb on your (aka Mike's) head until you get up. Then she's back dead asleep like this by 7:00am. Pug monster.

I started a new therapist and this one has a dog that sometimes comes to your sessions. I'm hoping she'll be there today!

Mike's Tattoos

I can't think of a good intro to this blog post. But I wanted to share my husband's gorgeous tattoos and yeah, intro over?

Mike is not the type to make spur of the moment decisions. I can't remember what got him interested in getting tattoos, but he literally thought it over for years. In pure Mike fashion, he planned, researched, hemmed, hawed and then, years later, pulled the trigger. He knew he wanted to start getting tattoos, but wasn't sure what to actually get. He loves so many things: Disney, our dogs, soccer, the outdoors, travel, food, drinks, cars, etc. So after thinking about it for ages, he decided to get a sleeve of fruits and veggies.

Food has become really important to Mike in the last couple of years. It all started with my mom buying him a nice knife when we still lived in Ridgecrest. He started helping me chop when I would cook. Then, he eventually just scooted my ass completely out of the kitchen and became obsessed with cooking and baking. It's a very handy and delicious thing to have your husband obsessed with, trust me. Because he is a natural born researcher and reader and because he tends to be OCD, when he becomes obsessed with something, he also becomes amazing at it. He spends his days scouring blogs, reading cookbooks, and learning all he can about culinary. My coworkers would fawn over a pie he'd make them and tell me how lucky I am that he's such a great baker. He is, but also they didn't understand that he didn't just make that pie. He read at least 20 different recipes, studied techniques, and combined them all with his knowledge to make that pie. It's a lot of work.

So food seemed appropriate for his tattoo sleeve and he went with fruits and veggies because they are beautiful to look at and because they are something he enjoys cooking. He settled on the water color look and found a great artist named Skyler at Certified Tattoo Studio.

He started with beets:

Then he got asked about a million times, "Why beets?" Mike chose beets because he LOVES them, but also because it's funny that he loves them now. Before we became super into food, Mike would always tease my sister about how much she likes beets. She always ate really healthy, so he would tease her about her food habits and that beets tasted like dirt. Then, once he started getting more into food and eating well, he realized he freakin' loves beets. For a while there,  he literally ate beets with every meal. You can buy these little packs of cooked, marinated beets and he would have one as a side with every dinner. Yes, his poop is often pink.

The beet tattoo is still my favorite. Skyler does a drawing that you approve, but then so much of that tattoo is done freehand. My favorite is the little loops around the stem and on the bottom.

Next, he got a pepper:

Mike chose a pepper because of how much he loves spicy food. He used to not like spice at all, not even jalapenos and then one day, he just had an affinity for it. Now he likes things the spicier the better, even to the detriment of his poor stomach.

The pepper tattoo, I think, is a little too large, but the details are so pretty. The orange is really vibrant in person and I think the stem is the coolest part. He also freehand added the geometric border, which is a cool touch.

Next, he got an avocado:

The reason for the avocado is simple: if it's "Californian" it has an avocado on it.

The details on the avocado are some of our faves: that crosshatching on the peel, the cute little leaf, and the circles around the pit.

Last (for now), he got a lemon:

The lemon is for me! I love lemons and even eat them like oranges (which is horrible for your teeth, don't do that). The lemon is super cute and small and I love the loops coming off the bottom.

This tattoo also has a hidden  mickey for Mike's love of Disney. Can you find it?

Overall, I think his tattoos are unique and gorgeous. Skyler has been great to work with and really understands what Mike wants. Mike is a great customer because he doesn't care that Skyler is going to add things without saying, which would honestly make me insane. Hence, my lack of commitment to tattoos...

Mike has a couple more things planned for the top of his arm and maybe some filler and then he's done! His next appointment is in July and I can't wait for this one.