Recurring Series

Five for Friday (21)

1. Stitch Fix

I ordered my first Stitch Fix box because I wanted to see what the buzz was all about. I haven’t done any other monthly subscription boxes because none of them seem interesting enough for me to shell out money for. But I love the concept of Stitch Fix and after hearing many bloggers rave about it, I plunked down my credit card and ordered a box. First, even just getting the box was a debacle because FedEx delivered it to the wrong address and then there were many phone calls to FedEx and many emails to Stitch Fix to figure out what happened. Finally, on Tuesday afternoon, it was delivered!

It was really fun to go through my box of clothes and see what my stylist picked out for me (based on an extensive style profile I completed before ordering). I was given one skirt, one blazer, two blouses, and a necklace. The only thing I really loved was one of the blouses but I didn’t love it enough to pay $58 (!) for it. The box’s prices range from $28 to $78, with the lowest-priced item being a necklace. And no, I will never pay $28 for a necklace. (I’m cheap, maybe?) Stitch Fix is a great concept and I think it’s a wonderful company, but it’s just a leeeeetle out of my price range for right now. It’s possible I may order from them in the future, but not anytime soon.

(To be fair, you pay $20 for your box, and then that $20 will be taken off your total price when ordering. So, if I had bought the blouse I wanted, it would have been $38 when I ordered. Still above the price I could afford right now. So, basically, I’m out $20 for nothing. Live and learn, kids, live and learn.)

2. Pinterest

So it took me about a million years, but I am officially addicted to Pinterest. I’ve been a member for over a year now, but mainly only logged on to look for workout ideas or hair inspiration. (And rarely pinned anything.) Over the past few weeks, though, I have grown increasingly addicted to the site. For example, last Saturday night when I couldn’t sleep, I spent around an hour on Pinterest looking at funny dog pictures and laughing my head off by myself like a crazy person. It was quite special. I’m still trying to figure out my way around the site and my boards still look pretty sad. Mainly, I only go there to pin cute dog photos but it’s a great procrastination technique for me when I’m at work and having trouble getting started on an article. And somehow I need to find room in my budget for three more dachshunds:

3. iOS 7

A week ago, I went ahead and updated my phone to iOS 7. My new iPhone may take up to 3 weeks to be shipped (whimper) and after playing around with the new operating system on my mom’s phone, I fell in love immediately and wanted it. Honestly, I do not know why people hate the new system. I mean, I know we all fear change which is evident in the way everyone goes on the warpath every time Facebook changes its look, but seriously, I am puzzled. It is such an upgrade from the old system, in my opinion. It feels cleaner and neater and just wonderful. None of it is hard to figure out and anything I do need to figure out, a quick Google search solves it for me. I think my favorite new feature, though, is being able to take square pictures right from my camera app. No more trying to squeeze a rectangular-sized picture into Instagram. It’s all done for me. Seriously. Good job, Apple. Hugs and kisses.

4. A raccoon named Jake

So Tuesday was a rather eventful morning. I woke up as usual. It was around 6:15am when I had Dutch leashed and harnessed and opened the door to take him out… only to come face-to-face with a raccoon. Dutch was barking and trying to fight him, the raccoon was making, um, raccoon sounds and fighting back, and I finally had the presence of mind to slam the door shut before the raccoon got inside. I believe I might have screamed because my mom came running out of her room, convinced I was being murdered. Dutch was fine. I was fine. The raccoon was fine (for all you animal lovers). It was such a scary moment, though! Seeing raccoons isn’t such a big deal. We live right next to the woods and I’ve seen them from time to time. They’ve always gone through our trash if we leave it outside on a day our valet trash doesn’t come. But this was the first time I’d been so close to one! And them being so close to being IN MY HOUSE! Freaky.

The raccoon was still there five minutes later, lying on one of our stairs. And then he was still there when I left for work about an hour later. And he was still there when my mom came home for lunch. It was very rainy that day and I think the poor little dude was just trying to find some shelter. So the animal lover in me felt bad for him. And named him Jake. So we have a raccoon. And his name is Jake. That is my crazy story for the week.

5. Hair help

I have my first hair color appointment since JANUARY next Saturday. I have been growing my blonde highlights out for months and months and months in preparation to go brown. There were some reasons I wanted to go back to brown: it’s easier to keep up, it’s cheaper, and I want a change. After 3 years of blonde hair, I wanted to shake things up! So I’ve been obsessively perusing Pinterest for the last week for what I want to do with my hair. This is the brown I want to go, though I don’t think I’m ready to go that dark yet:

This is the color my hair is now:

Ew.

And this is the color I’m thinking about doing:

Or maybe this one:

Hi, my name is Stephany and I have a crush on Emma Stone. Or maybe just her hair. No, it’s her. And her hair.

And heeeere’s something fun. A poll! Whee!

Vote on what you color you think I should choose! (You may have to click out of your feed to view.)

Have a great, great weekend everyone! I have a fabulous one planned with a catch-up lunch with my former coworkers, book club tonight, and my nephew’s birthday party on Saturday afternoon. Make it a good one!

Have you ever used Stitch Fix? What’s your favorite monthly subscription box? What are your thoughts on iOS 7? DID YOU VOTE ON MY POLL?!?!?!

Categories: Recurring Series

A Weekend in Pictures

Friday // Friday was a really wonderful day. Work was easy. I went home, ordered my iPhone 5S (!), and then took a nap. Later on, my mom and I went to my grandma’s house to visit my cousin and sweet baby Mia. They’ve been living in Texas for the past three months but they will be here for the next few months and it was just wonderful to see them! Mia is walking around like she is NOT A BABY and it’s just crazy that she’ll be one in a few weeks! What happened to my baby?! She was in such a fun mood and warmed up to us pretty quickly. After a long visit with them, Mom and I went out to dinner and then spent some quality time at Target, a great end to a fun day.

Saturday // Saturday started with a trampoline fitness class that left me sweaty and feeling good. (Though I did twist something in the back of my right knee and it feels a little sore right now. Bleh.) While this was our last class on our Groupon, we plan on buying a class pass and continuing going because we really enjoy it! After coming home and taking showers, we headed out for lunch, a pedicure, and more shopping. And because all this is seriously tiring (YA KNOW), we came home and took long naps. Dutch approved. When we woke up, there was another trip to Target to buy a birthday present for my nephew and then a quiet night that included our favorite comfort food and two fun games of trivia. It was a fabulous day. I love low-key days like that where I get out and about but still have plenty of downtime to relax.

Sunday // Sunday was a strange day. For one, I had a hard time sleeping and didn’t wind up finally falling asleep until 3am. (UGH.) Around 11, my brother and nephew came over to have a little early birthday celebration since my mom is going to be out of town during his actual birthday party next Saturday. It was a few hours of watching football, watching him open his presents, and playing with him. We planned to have cupcakes, but that didn’t work out so we had cookies and somehow managed to put candles in his cookies and light them.

The rest of the day was spent watching football and being a bum, basically! I had really low energy all day, probably due to not sleeping well the night before. I also didn’t eat much all day. We ordered pizza earlier in the day and I had two slices and then two cookies but that was about it. I just didn’t feel hungry which is weird because I’m almost always hungry. I just felt off. Not myself. I’m not sure what it was about but I’m hoping I can shake it off real quick!

It was a fun weekend, though, filled with lots of Mom time, which is nice because on Friday, she leaves me for a whole week! She and her boyfriend are leaving on a cruise so I’ll be on my own for a full week, which will be weird but I’m also looking forward to it. (Good practice for when I’m living on my own?)

What’s your go-to for when you can’t sleep?

Categories: Recurring Series

Currently: the September Edition

Feeling: Content and happy. I’ve been feeling really good about where I am and where I want to go lately. While not everything in my life is where I want it (see: weight issues and my lackluster dating life), I can’t help but love this place I am right now. That said, being a generally anxious person means I’m constantly on my guard and waiting for the next shoe to drop. It’s so hard to be happy when you live with anxiety because you’re always waiting for something bad to happen. I am trying my best to live in this moment and just be happy for the sake of being happy. It’s a work in progress.

Reading: Looking for Alaska by John Green. I’ve read two of his books: The Fault in Our Stars, which I absolutely loved, and Paper Towns, which I did not love. It’s a little slow right now but I’m only about 50 pages in so I’m hoping it picks up soon.

Watching: Big Brother and tonight is finale night! I know I’m not in the minority when I say this season has been pretty horrible. The contestants have been really boring and nobody really played the game the way it is meant to be played. (Not to mention all the racist and homophobic things that were said at the beginning of the game. Though I think Aaryn is truly remorseful and I really believe she learned a big life lesson from this show.) I really do not care for anybody in the final three but if I had to choose someone to win, it would be Gina-Marie. She made some big moves, at least, and that’s way more than we can say for Spencer or Andy. At the very least, I am looking forward to good ole Dr. Will coming back to grill the houseguests. Should be interesting!

Anticipating: Ordering my iPhone 5S on Friday! I have been eligible for a phone upgrade since early summer, but I haven’t been in the right financial place to justify spending $200 on a phone when my old one works perfectly fine. But since my 2-year contract expires soon, I know I need to bite the bullet and get a new phone. Plus, I’m still rocking the iPhone 4 so this will be a huge upgrade for me. I can’t wait!

Wishing: To go on a really good date. As I mentioned above, my dating life has been so lackluster. OK Cupid has left me feeling more and more disenchanted. (The last guy who messaged me on there asked me how I felt about casual sex. Lovely. Just lovely.) I’m not unhappy being single, exactly, because in some ways it’s really great but I just miss that special feeling of going on dates and getting to know someone and being with them. And the last date I went on was so dull, I’m at this place when I’m wondering when it will ever happen for me. If ever.

Thinking: About birthday plans! My birthday is on Thanksgiving this year, which I’m excited about. I plan on participating in the Turkey Trot 5K, eating a delicious dinner, and celebrating with my family. But I’m also aching to do something more than that, because I always love celebrating my birthday in a fun way. My heart is nudging me towards a long weekend in Orlando and visiting Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios (I haven’t visited either park in over 3 years) because weekends in Orlando are just my absolute favorite. They also aren’t cheap. If I don’t end up going to Orlando, I’m thinking about a night out at a real fancy dinner spot (just not sure where yet!) and then a tattoo appointment for the tattoo that’s been on my mind for over a year now. Decisions, decisions!

Loving: Lazy Friday afternoons, pool time, cooler mornings, football being back and the Dolphins actually playing really well, running again, the Christina Perri Pandora station, winning the football pool at work, and it being fall premiere season.

What are you most excited about right now?

Categories: Recurring Series

Five For Friday: On My New Job

One –

Let’s talk about eating lunch out and how it’s no longer a possibility at this job. At my old job, I had my pick of fast food (Subway, Chick-Fil-A, Five Guys, Jimmy John’s, Chipotle, Panera Bread, etc.) but it takes me at least 15 minutes to get anywhere from this office. And both times I have gone out to find something for lunch, I’ve come back frustrated, mad, and wholly unsatisfied. Basically, it’s too much of An Event to go out for lunch and I will be bringing my lunch to work from here on out. In any event, it saves me money and calories so maybe it’s the perfect situation for me.

(There is a cafe in my building but I don’t know where it is and I hear it’s stupid expensive. And cafe food usually makes me feel yucky, so I’ll stick with packing my lunches.)

Two –

I am loving the new dress code. Of course, I miss wearing yoga pants when I felt like it but generally, it feels good to get dressed up every day and actually make an attempt at looking put-together. I do need to invest in better-fitting dress slacks (finding slacks that fit my short, chicken legs but also my bigger thighs/hips is not easy at all). But, all in all, I don’t hate having to dress up as much as I thought I would. It’s actually fun and I’m excited to experiment more with my style through this. (And Fridays are casual days which is also very, very nice.)

Three –

The writing itself is going very, very well. I am really enjoying it! I don’t think I realized how unhappy I was at my old job until I came here and was thrown into a completely different environment with work I completely enjoy. The writing itself isn’t exactly thrilling (I just finished a big assignment where I wrote 22 300-word pages on cabinets. CABINETS.). But I feel like I am doing work I was meant to be doing. At my old job, I was bogged down in doing secretarial-type tasks but also high-level analysis tasks. Neither things are what I love. Writing is what I love and writing is what I’m doing and it is just fabulous.

Four –

My commute is wonderful. I was worried because I now work in Tampa so I have to use the interstate to get to work, but it’s really not bad. It takes me 20 minutes, on average, to and from, and on the way to work, I get a gorgeous view of the sunrise with the skyline of Tampa in the background. I have tried to take so many pictures of it but they never do it justice. It’s a really easy drive and it’s mostly highway so I am just feeling really grateful about it.

Five –

Fridays. Are just the best. No, really. They are really the best. I’ve mentioned it before but I just want to talk about how freaking amazing it is to only work a half-day every Friday. My weekends start at 11:30am, which means my weekends feel extra long and just absolutely wonderful. I actually feel ready for work to begin on Monday. I work just 30 minutes extra Monday – Thursday for it and it’s really not a big deal at all. Why all companies don’t offer this, I have no idea. I think it would inspire more productive workers! Also, my company also provides Panera Bread bagels on Fridays, too. So, really, when I say Fridays are just the best – I really mean it!

Do you have lots of options for fast food around your work? How long is your commute?

Categories: Recurring Series

Monthly Check-In: Hello, August!

We’re just three days away from a new month and a really exciting month for me. I’m taking a break from social media, from blogging, and from zoning out in front of my laptop and TV. New things are blossoming in my life, some that could lead to really exciting changes and some that could simply lead to learning experiences. There is talk of booking a (short) cruise in November with my book club girls and just yes, things are good for me. Really, really good. I feel like I’ve been coasting for the past few months and finally, things are happening.

It’s just a reminder for me of the ebb and flow of life. Life isn’t always meant to be lived on the upswing, we have to go through peaks and valleys to truly appreciate the times when life is really, really good.

With that said, here are three things that made me happy in July:

1. Having an unplanned four-day weekend. It was really, really nice to have a four-day weekend, thanks to the Fourth of July holiday. I didn’t make any plans. In fact, I didn’t even go out to see fireworks (which worked out since I could see fireworks from my living room window while sitting on my couch). I just had four easy days of relaxing, hanging out by the pool, and getting some writing done. It was divine.

2. Two-on-one time with my brother. It’s not often that it’s just the three of us anymore. With my brother married with his own family and my mom in a relationship, it always feels like old times when it’s just the three of us hanging out. Like during my mom’s birthday dinner and last Saturday night, when my brother came over. We ordered pizza, played a rousing game of Monopoly, and I laughed as I have never laughed before. Those moments are my favorite.

3. Taking in a Rays game in a suite. My mom’s work has access to a suite at Tropicana Field and every now and then, her boss can’t make it to a game so gives her tickets away. This was my second time in the suite and I think I ate my weight in popcorn and let’s not get into the ice cream sundaes they brought out in the 7th inning. (OMG!) The game was a great one and baseball is becoming more and more interesting for me. (Who knew?)

I dropped the ball on all my goals last month, but I’m hoping that taking away my biggest time sucks during my media fast will help me get re-inspired with my goals:

1. Be more social, by going out at least twice during the month (excluding book club). Here’s the thing: I have a tendency to be a hermit. It’s the introvert in me who cherishes nights in and unplanned weekends. But I also know how much being around people and forcing myself to be social makes me happy, so I need to learn how to strike a happier medium. My plan for August is to do something with friends twice during the month, excluding my monthly book club meeting. A girls’ night out, brunch, asking an old friend to coffee… I want to do something – even a little something – to keep me from becoming too much of a hermit.

2. Take Dutch to a dog beach. We have Fort Desoto Park and Honeymoon Island that are about 45 minutes away and offer a place to enjoy the beach with your dog. I’m not sure how Dutch will react (he can be a Prissy McPrisserson) but I’d love to get away for a day with him, take him to a dog beach, and see how he likes it.

3. Ask five bloggers if I can guest post on their blogs and pitch topic ideas. I didn’t get around to this in July, so it’s back on the list for August. Hopefully, I can get my head together with this goal.

Are you someone who struggles more with being too social or not being social enough? Or do you know how to strike a happy medium? I’m someone who doesn’t need a ton of time with people to be satisfied (too much makes me crabby) but I know the importance of relationships and community so I’m trying to find a happier balance.

*Post idea inspired by Jessica