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Stephany Writes

Categories: Life

H is for Home

I’ve been in my new apartment for a full year now—in fact, I re-signed my lease, so I’ll be here for another year. Woohoo! Here’s the post I published in February, where I took everyone on a tour of my new place.

There have been a lot of changes since I wrote that post. Let’s discuss:

  • Dining room – I bought a new dining room table (it’s a smidge smaller and circular rather than square) and added a 16-cube bookshelf on the far wall, where I have space for decorations, organizing bins, and book stacks.
  • Patio – I added a gorgeous patio set and removed the lone chair.
  • Office – I had to get rid of my beloved reading chair in the corner and have yet to replace it. I removed the 4-cube bookshelf and, in its place, added an 8-cube bookshelf so I can essentially have a wall of bookshelves in my office. I added a table I’m calling my “tech command center” in the far corner next to my desk to hold my shredder, printer, printer accessories, power cords, Internet routers, and work laptop. Oh, and I added a smallish cat tower on the other side of my desk.
  • Bedroom – I removed the small nightstand and added a very cute pink tufted bench. The cats love it and have yet to scratch it up!

If I were a better blogger, I would have taken before-and-after photos to show you all the changes, but alas, it is 8:45 p.m. on Sunday when I’m writing this post, and I do not have the energy. Maybe I’ll do a post once all my Christmas decorations are up, and you can see all the changes then!

The biggest change I’d like to make is getting new living room furniture. I love my sectional, but it’s starting to sag a lot, and it’s about time for something new. I’m not sure if I want to get another sectional (maybe something U-shaped rather than L-shaped) or something like a couch and armchair combo. And, of course, I must buy a new reading chair!

Overall, though, I love my apartment so much. I love that I have so much space that Eloise can now do full zoomies down the hallway and parkour over the couch. (One day, I will get this on video, but it usually comes out of nowhere, and she always stops once I get my phone out.) I love having my own office. I love my kitchen and my huge bathtub and my quiet washer and dryer.

The only thing I don’t love is that I’m on the third floor and have to climb four flights of stairs to get to my apartment. In this complex, there are three-bedroom condos with attached garages, and I covet them. The rent is easily $1,000 more than I pay right now, so I’d need quite the pay raise to afford one. Do I need three bedrooms? Absolutely not, but to be able to have my own office and my own library room? OMG. I would have to pinch myself every day!

Categories: Life

One Photo Per Day: October 31 – November 6

October 31, 2026 – No crazy Halloween plans over here. Instead, I stayed home and read about 250 pages of my romance novel while the cats lounged nearby. Perfect!

November 1, 2026 – Just a picture of Eloise looking cute. I need to replace these scratcher-loungers with Christmas-themed ones!

November 2, 2026 – Sometimes, I’ll be working in my office and hear Lila snoring behind me. It’s as adorable as it sounds!

November 3, 2026 – Julie and Michelle were curious how I hold my markers when I’m coloring because I said I have a permanent dent on my ring finger. So I sent them this photo! I didn’t even know I had an unusual grip. This is just what feels most comfortable to me! (This is also how I grip pens/pencils/etc)

November 4, 2026 – After a few weeks of really lovely weather, we’re back into the mid-80s during the day. Sigh. It’s better than the mid-90s but still. Ugh.

November 5, 2026 – Found on my walk! I think he might have gotten lost.

November 6, 2026 – This is my niece, Cici! Isn’t she so photogenic? I love her so much. My mom and I went to my younger nephew’s baseball game on Friday night, and we got to see my nephew hit a double! They were down 12-0 after the second inning, but then scored 9 runs in the third inning. They still lost, but they had a lot of heart!

Categories: Life

One Photo Per Day: October 24 – 30

October 24, 2026 – I have this ottoman in my living room, and the girls like to lie on it if I’m on the couch. And on Saturday, Eloise was sitting on the ottoman and Lila decided to join her. Cue my squeals!

October 25, 2026 – October book club! We went shuffleboarding and decided this will be a fantastic retirement activity. (We all plan to live together in our retirement!) I’d also like to thank Amber for helping the Dolphins win their first game of the season. While we were playing, she kept saying, “Score a point, and the Dolphins will win today!” She was right!

October 26, 2026 – Okay, how about a sharp left turn? I spent Monday morning in the ER because I’ve been having terrible heartburn for the past few days, accompanied by pain radiating down my back and arms. It comes and goes, and I kept telling myself I was fine. But then on Sunday evening, it got really bad, and when I tested my blood pressure at home, my systolic was in the 170s/180s, which is much higher than usual for me. I decided to sleep on it and see how I felt in the morning. Monday morning came, the heartburn was the worst it’s been, and when I took my blood pressure, my systolic was 217. That freaked me out enough that I called my mom and asked if she could take me to the ER.

Long story short: It’s just a really bad case of acid reflux, and the high blood pressure was probably a combination of anxiety and my body being in pain. I wasn’t at the hospital for very long (I went to a freestanding ER that wasn’t very busy, plus you get quick service when you come in complaining about chest pain!), and they released me with a prescription for Nexium and instructions to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist and GI doctor. All of this is likely steroid-related, so that’s fun. Just another notch on the “chronic autoimmune condition” bingo card, I guess!

October 27, 2026 – The ER sent me home with a doctor’s note saying I didn’t have to go back to work until Wednesday, but I was feeling much better on Tuesday. (Mainly because I had peace of mind knowing I wasn’t dealing with anything heart-related!) However, Eloise was really adamant that I take a break mid-afternoon and stole my office chair!

October 28, 2026 – I got to sneak in some Chip and Lucy time on Wednesday, as my mom was at a work event and needed someone to take the dogs out in the afternoon. The dogs enjoyed kissing me a lot and running around the yard, and I also snuck in some selfie time with my main man Chip.

October 29, 2026 – Lila looooves sitting on my open laptop. It’s fine until she messes with my settings and suddenly, I can’t use my keyboard or she’s deleted an entire spreadsheet or she’s turned off the laptop accidentally. Good thing she’s cute!

October 30, 2026 – I dropped off my ballot on Friday afternoon! Keep those fingers crossed that Florida does something right for once.

Categories: Life

One Photo a Day: October 17 – 23

We are back to our regularly scheduled programming of 90% pet photos, 10% everything else.

October 17, 2026 – MY BABIES! I missed them so much, so I’m glad I got a little bit of doggo snuggling time on Saturday.

October 18, 2026 – I couldn’t help but take a picture of Eloise looking so regal on Sunday morning! Go off, girl.

October 19, 2026 – It’s Monday. It’s my first day back at work in two weeks. I need a strong cup of coffee in one of the mugs I bought during our trip!

October 20, 2026 – I have to say that Florida’s weather has been outstanding this week. The highs are in the low 80s, which means I can go for a walk at any time of the day! Usually, I have to get it done by 8AM or I’m going to be miserable.

October 21, 2026 – A little online admin time with a side of Lila snuggles. She loves to bump her head against my hand when I’m trying to type, so I have to stop what I’m doing and give her attention. She’s a menace. A very, very cute menace.

October 22, 2026 – I turned around in my office chair to find two little ladies hanging out right behind me! Well, Eloise was on a very important work call and Lila was just wondering when the next round of treats would be.

October 23, 2026 – What a perfect mail day! I got the best Halloween card from Jenny, and then Michelle sent me a homemade bookmark that couldn’t be more perfect! Thank you, ladies. I feel so loved!

Categories: Life

One Photo Per Day: October 3 – 16

Friends! I am back from my wonderful New England road trip, and I cannot wait to break it all down with you guys soon. Suffice it to say: I got to live my best fall dreams! For now, I’ll leave you with some photos of the last few weeks of my life.

October 3, 2026 – Let the packing commence! Lila wants everyone to know she was sitting on one of my bags just for a comfy spot to rest; she did not want to come with me to New England.

October 4, 2026 – I accompanied my mom to drop off the dogs for their long sleepover at a local boarding place! Chip loves to sit smushed behind the back of anyone who will let him during car rides. You do you, Chippy.

October 5, 2026 – We made it to Boston! Our first day included a trip to the New England Aquarium, where my mom and I spent an inordinate amount of time watching the penguins and making up stories about what they were saying to each other. Should we start a TikTok account?!

October 6, 2026 – One of my favorite photos from our trip! We’re at the legendary Acorn Street for a gorgeous photo opp. (Did I photoshop out the crowds of people who were also trying to get their own photo opps? Yes, yes I did.)

October 7, 2026 – This one is for San! We toured Fenway Park, and while I am not a big baseball fan, it was a lot of fun! Our tour guide was this 20-year-old college kid who had an immense amount of knowledge about baseball and the Red Sox in general – what a cool gig for him!

October 8, 2026 – Pit stop at the Nubble Lighthouse while driving from Boston to Bar Harbor. It was a gorgeous day – sunny and in the sixties. I could have lived here forever.

October 9, 2026 – Acadia National Park! There is so much more we could have done/explored here, but sadly, part of the park was shut down shortly after we arrived for a medical emergency.

October 10, 2026 – New Hampshire! We had been driving for a while, and both of us needed a restroom pronto, so I found this gift shop in the middle of the mountains. It had clean bathrooms; we picked up some souvenirs; and we stared at the incredible view for a bit.

October 11, 2026 – We’re in Vermont! What a beautiful state. I want to come back again and again and again.

October 12, 2026 – The gondola to Mount Mansfield in Stowe is pricey, but the views were 100% worth it. (Sadly, it was too foggy to see much once we got to the top, but that’s the risk you take!)

October 13, 2026 – We did the iconic Smuggler’s Notch route on a cold, rainy day. It gives the pictures a specific moodiness!

October 14, 2026 – One last Vermont hurrah! We visited Cold Hollow Cider Mill on our way back to Boston, and I very much enjoyed my cider donuts.

October 15, 2026 – Home sweet home! (Originally, our flight was scheduled to land around 10pm on 10/14, but it kept getting delayed. We didn’t board until around 9pm and arrived home at 1am. We took a Lyft to my mom’s house, and since I didn’t feel like driving home at such a late hour (and when I was exhausted), I crashed on her couch and woke up early to drive home and love on my girls! Eloise was lying on the couch and poked her head up when I came inside. She started meowing at me immediately and rushed to greet me! (Lila needed a bit more time to forgive me for leaving her for so long.) It was so good to be home!

October 16, 2026 – A lazy Friday. I did some grocery shopping and laundry, but also took a very long nap and read on the couch while the girls snoozed next to me. Bliss!

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Welcome!

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Stephany! (She/her) I'm a 30-something single lady, living in Florida. I am a bookworm, cat mom, podcaster, and reality TV junkie. I identify as an Enneagram 9, an introvert, and a Highly Sensitive Person. On this blog, you will find stories about my life, book reviews, travel experiences, and more. Welcome!

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