Category Archives: Blogging

My Spring and Summer Reading List

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So last Monday it snowed, but I just pulled up the 8 day forecast and it looks like we may just finally be into spring. Praise the Lord! We are officially out of the below freezing nights and days in the 50s and I. Am. Pumped! I’ve officially survived my first winter back in New England, and it was rough. I’m not going to lie.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting spring and summer to come back around so I can do all of the spring and summer things: like sitting outside on the patio with a good book. Last week my sister and I did a little throw back to childhood and ran over to our local library took out books, and I’ve already flown through one from my favorite author, Shelley Noble.

I really enjoy a book about a transformation of some kind. Its good to be reminded that the grass isn’t always greener, and to be happy with what you have and allow yourself to grow in time. Professionally, I defiantly needed to be reminded of that this week.

What are some of your favorite back yard reads? What should I put on my summer list?

Beach Colors: Shelley Noble
Whisper Beach: Shelley Noble
Plain Truth: Jodi Picoult
Southern as a Second Language: Lisa Patton
Beach Town: Mary Kay Andrews
Driving with the Top Down: Beth Harbison
The Year of Yes: Shonda Rimes
Maybe in Another Life: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Big Little Lies: Liane Moriarty
Pretty Mess: Erika Jayne
What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship and Love: Carole Radziwill
This is Me: Chrissy Metz

31 Things About Me

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Saturday I turned the big 3-1. This was the first year in 8 years I was able to spend with my family and girlfriends and they absolutely made it a wonderful weekend. We explored new restaurants, got a psychic reading, and found new breweries. I thought it would be fun to write down 31 things about me, but I did realize that it was harder than expected.

  1. My first job was at an ice cream shop and I have worked in all forms of customer service since. Restaurants, retail, as a travel agent and now managing a travel agency.
  2. Living in California pushed me into friendships that I would have never had staying in my suborn city in Connecticut. Those friendships mean the world to me.
  3. I am a complete cat person. I love their independence and sassy attitude.
  4. My drink of choice is red wine 80% of the time. Whiskey 20%.
  5. I love watching documentaries and tv shows about murders and cults.

  1. Being around creative people truly inspires me beyond belief. My closest friends are photographers, lighting designers and theater actors.
  2. I coached high school cheerleading for 8 years and at times I miss it so much. My cheerleaders were like my children and when I see they graduated college, got a job they wanted or even got engaged (yes, I have some that are already engaged, married, and some even have kids) I am so proud of the girls they have become.
  3. I am actually pretty introverted. I rather have a few quality people in my life than to collect friends that aren’t really there for me.
  4. Some of my closest friends have been my friends since I was 10, and the rest we met in early high school.

  1. One of the things I miss most about California is my hair stylist.
  2. The home I was born into was about 4 miles from my last apartment in Orange County, CA.

  1. I truly believe that travel can change your life. I decided I wanted to move to the west coast after a trip to Tuscan, AZ in 2008.
  2. In 2012 I went to Oregon for the first time and my life way changed in so many ways and showed me that bags, shoes, and name brands are not that important but experiences are.
  3. In 2016 I took a weekend trip to Las Vegas and that trip changed my entire career path and truly helped me learn what industry I should be working in.

  1. In certain situations, I can be extremely blunt and out spoken and in other situations I can be a complete push over. I’ve been working on finding a happy medium.
  2. I started college as an education major and wanted to be a high school History teacher. I graduated with a journalism degree.
  3. Yoga gives me strength and clarity. My weekly yoga class is a time for my mom and I to bond.

  1. I love road trips! The road trip I took in 2017 was originally planned for the summer after I graduated from high school but my friend and I never were able to take it. So when I decided to move home, I knew Michelle would drive with me.
  2. My ultimate road trip would be through Austria, Germany and Switzerland. And then a separate road trip through Ireland.
  3. My mom’s home cooking is definitely my favorite, but a good Italian meal from a restaurant is always a close second.
  4. I don’t usually watch shows from the beginning. I need to be swayed into watching anything that’s too trendy.
  5. I love going to country concerts. I’ve seen everyone from Alan Jackson when I was like 5 years old, to Garth Brooks world tour and Florida Georgia Line before they were anyone special.
  6. Les Mis is hands down my favorite on stage production.
  7. I was once on a pilot of a game show that never got picked up. But it was so much fun.

  1. A summer day at a winery is my idea of a picture perfect day.
  2. Growing up I went to day camp in the town next to mine. It was a huge, historical home that I swear to this day was haunted.
  3. I love that I was able to spend a good amount of time on the other side of the country. It pushed me to explore small areas of the country that I would have never explored otherwise.

  1. I need to push myself to explore New York City more. I take the city for granted and don’t know enough about my own backyard.
  2. I have a stupid obsession with Bravo. Give me Vanderpump, give me Housewives, I love it all.
  3. I am the most uncomfortable taking photos. I want to get better… and I see my growth, but I want to be better.
  4. This was terrible to write. And hard. Talking about myself is one of the hardest things I’ve had to do on this here blog. But I am all about being uncomfortable and pushing myself.

Spring Home Decor

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Hellooo Friday! Who is excited for the weekend. Well spring has sprung in most of the country, and especially here in So Cal. I was able to spend a day last week down in beautiful San Diego touring a cruise ship, and I spent the beautiful drive home to Orange County in awe of the beautiful poppy fields that line the freeway. This weekend we are being super So Cal kids and heading back down to SD with a few friends to visit the flower fields in Carlsbad. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time so I am super excited.


At the start of each season I bring out new decorations or run to the store to do a little make over on the house. Last month I had my eyes peeled. I already have a lot of neutrals that can really be used all year round, but I wanted a little brightness to our living area. This peach color is one of my favorites right now and I knew I wanted it splattered around the house this season. So I found some pillows, pulled out a few blankets and picked up a few fresh flowers.

Fresh flowers

Fresh flowers are the easiest ways to bring life to a space. I am obsessed with these orchids that Chris picked up for me for Valentine’s Day. I am shocked that they are still kicking. I notoriously have a black thumb so I am so proud that these are still bright and alive. (True life they may be fake and Chris could be lying to me just to keep me happy. I once killed two Christmas trees in one year.)

Lighter textiles

Pack up those heavy blankets and pull out the light stuff. Fabrics like cottons are light and  beathable which I love for the spring and summer. Some of my favorite memories growing up were at one of my girlfriend’s house where they always set the AC at like 58. I swear. And we would bundle up in blankets and watch movies all summer long. Now my cheap ass barely turns the AC to 72 but it doesn’t stop me from having cuddly blankets close.

 

Earth tones

Okay, you’re right, I have these all year round but I love me some wood tones, green leaves and natural fabrics. I love this map Chris made me for Christmas this year. The handmade art is amazing and I love that it is on the two by fours.

Bright Pillows and Blanket

Details like pillows and blankets are so easy to switch out season after season to recreate your space. Whether you are reusing holiday decor or getting the newest trend, like my metalic pillows that I am still using since Christmas, this is such a small detail that adds so much character to a space.

Fresh scents

Uhg CANDLES! I am obsessed with candles. There is at least one candle burning at all times in my house. Whether it’s scented or just simple tea lights. I love them and this Tullips candle by Yankee Candle is my favorite this season.

Goodbye 20s, Hello 30s – Birthday Round Up

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Well folks, today is the day. I am officially in the 30-35 age bracket… Yikes! Last year’s birthday was a little rough on me. I was really starting to feel the pressure that society puts on us as “kids in our 20s.” And honestly, your 20s really kind of suck.

Your early 20s are really great. You’re still living at home with mom and dad with little to no financial responsibilities. In my early 20s I had a blast! My girl friends and I went on vacations, went out the bar 3 nights a week, and were serious social butterflies. Then I moved out, had to start paying rent, bills and buying groceries. When you get into your mid to late 20s you realize pretty quickly that going out every night isn’t going to be the most effective way to get what you are going after anymore.

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I spent the better part of my 20s working in retail. I was a merchant for a big retail chain and I’m not going to lie, it was a blast. I made a ton of friends and learned a lot about business, management and the art of sales. But when I realized I was living for work and my schedule was at the mercy of my work I realized, this probably isn’t going to cut it in a few years when I get married and have kids.

Which lead to my next little freak out of turning 29. Chris and I had been living together for four years and dating for about 3. We had discussed marriage and kids but I just wasn’t sure when that all was going to happen. I think most people can say, that in their late 20s they’re not where they thought, or hoped they would be and I was defiantly feeling that.

So needless to say, it was a little bit of a rough birthday. I didn’t love my job anymore, my relationship was taking a little longer than expected, and for the first time I felt my biological clock ticking. We had a nice dinner out, just the two of us and went home to have a glass of wine like the old millennials that we are.

Then a month later we got engaged and I got a new job. All in a matter of a week and a half. It was insane but defiantly worth the wait.

I realized that I was putting stupid pressures on myself (and Chris) because of what society had for expectations of where I should be in my life. I have friends who have their work life completely figured out, but have been completely alone for years, and then I have friends who have put their relationships before themselves and it has affected their work life and caused them setbacks.

The truth is, everyone has hurdles to overcome and everyone reaches milestones at their own accord. Some people take a little longer than others but one thing I defiantly learned in my last year of my 20s, is that your 20s actually kind of suck. I mean just a little. You have all of these expectations people make, you are learning who you are and what exactly you want to do and who you want to be with.

I am looking forward to my 30s. I have a career now that I can see myself growing in for a long time, and I have someone who is absolutely amazing and I cannot wait to start our lives together. We have a lot to look forward to in this next year and I can’t wait. For now, enjoy some photos from the past year.

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Weekend in Pismo Beach
img_2302 My 29th Birthday on Catalina Island
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Weekends at Disneyland
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New Years in Scottsdaledsc01089

Apple Picking in Oak Glenimg_3663

Garth Brooks in Orange County and Las VegasDYER_015_web

Our Engagement 

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My Pre Birthday Birthday Party

Valentine’s Gifts for Him

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So about that game last night. It started off so well… and then turned out so bad. I’m not going to lie there were some fantastic commercials though. I loved the Melissa McCarthy Kia commercial. So funny. And how funny was Terry Bradshaw announcing with the stain on his shirt and then the Tide commercial following. I loved it.

Well happy hump day ya’ll! Today we are talking about gifts for him on Valentine ’s Day. Honestly Chris and I are not big Valentine’s celebrators. We don’t usually buy each other gifts because my birthday is literally ten days later so well what’s the point? Last year, Chris built me the beautiful table for our living room. He didn’t paint it because he wanted me to pick out a color, and a year later still no paint color. Clearly you can see I am very decisive.

valentines-day

This year, I’m still not too sure what I am going to get Chris… see decisive, so instead I put together my top items for a lady to get her guy on Valentine ’s Day. Since I worked in retail for so long, clothes were always a great go to for gifts for Valentine’s Day. This season Gap has amazing ts for men. I am always a fan of Gap’s spring collection.

These sunglasses were actually Chris’s Christmas gift, but they are a perfect gift for any guy. Whether your guy is a golfer, an avid cyclist or … you know, just walks outside, these sunnies are the perfect combination of sporty and casual. This subscription for Dollar Beard Club is something Chris actually found on his own and because obsessed with. The Sandalwood Oil is absolutely amazing. And apparently it makes your beard feel great too (according to Christopher).

And as always the go to Fossil watch or electronics are always great options for gifts. The Amazon Echo is something Chris and I have been discussing getting. I’m not sure if we really need it in our little two bedroom apartment, but our lazy side will definitely enjoy it.

What are you getting your guy for Valentine’s Day? Any good suggestions?