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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Stephany! (She/her) I'm a 30-something single lady, living in Florida. I am a major bookworm, cat mom, podcast fiend, and aspiring novelist. 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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Recent Posts

Week in the Life: Tuesday, November 5
Week in the Life: Monday, November 4
Where Do You Keep That? | Part II
What I Spent | September + October
Goals for the Rest of the Year

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Weeks 43 + 44 | I voted! And have been breathing i

Weeks 43 + 44 | I voted! And have been breathing into a paper bag for the last week because I am so anxious about this election.

I got a new car! Introducing Ruby, a red-hot bombshell. (H/t to @mandymhelt for the name!) A month without a car was… a lot.

And I got back to normal life. Spending time with friends, snuggling with my pets, and enjoying my routine. And now it’s November and there’s so much to look forward to: my birthday, the holidays, cooler weather (maybe?!), and a cruise at the beginning of December. Bring it on!

Week 42 | A calm, normal week. I’ve missed those

Week 42 | A calm, normal week. I’ve missed those! I settled back into my regular routine this week: back to HIIT classes, back to working from my desk at home (oh how I missed my three-screen life!), and back to being and STAYING at home. I’m still without a car but I did put down a deposit on a 2025 Kia Soul that should be here next weekend. There’s a light at the end of this tunnel, and there’s some guilt in that because so many people in my community are still in the trenches. #stpetestrong

Week 41 | Let’s recap the last three weeks: •

Week 41 | Let’s recap the last three weeks:

• Thursday 9/26: Historic storm surge from Hurricane Helene hits the west coast of Florida, causing catastrophic flooding in my town. My car is totaled from being flooded.
• Thursday 10/3: My first night at home after being without power for nearly a week. Everything in my fridge/freezer has to be thrown out.
• Thursday 10/10: Waking up in the house I evacuated to after Hurricane Milton made landfall in the Tampa Bay Area (our first direct hit in over 100 years) as a category 3.

While I am grateful Milton was not as bad for me as Helene, it has been three weeks of really shitty things happening to myself, my family, my friends, and my city. Things are just things, yes. Safety is most important. But it doesn’t negate the fact that losing these things is traumatic. My city is grieving. Lives and businesses have been upended. We will get through this, but I just really wish we didn’t have to.

Week 40 | A hard week, but I had no idea what was

Week 40 | A hard week, but I had no idea what was to come.

My power was out until Wednesday night, but thankfully I could stay with my mom. I checked on the girls daily and stressed out about whether to bring them to my mom’s or not since I had no idea when power would be restored (the apartment was 87 degrees 🥵).

My car was declared a total loss by insurance, which was incredibly upsetting (she was only 3 years old!) but I did get the good news that insurance would not only pay off my loan but also give me enough to put a nice down payment on my next car. Small miracles!

Just as things were looking up - power back, car process moving forward, a fun book club meeting with my girls - Milton happened. The weekend was spent fretting and nervously watching news coverage and ultimately deciding to evacuate to Ocala with my mom, the dogs, and the cats. We were lucky enough to find a VRBO where we can stay until Friday.

Prayers to everyone in Milton’s path. We will get through this, too. ♥️

Week 39 | It started off innocuously but ended hor

Week 39 | It started off innocuously but ended horrifically. Hurricane Helene’s impact has been felt far and wide, and my city was not spared. The predicted storm surge caused catastrophic, historic flooding throughout my city, destroying homes and lives. I’ve been without power since Thursday night and my beautiful little Kia Soul was flooded and will be totaled by my insurance company.

But these are minor inconveniences. Am I concerned about buying a new car right now? Yes, absolutely. Do I miss my cats tremendously while I’ve been staying at my mom’s? So, so much. But I have friends whose homes have been destroyed and who will be dealing with the aftermath for a long time. I have WiFi and cell service and access to water. I have family and friends to lean on.

It sucks but my mantra right now is, “There will be a time after this.” 💕 Hold strong, my dear Floridians. We will get through this.

Week 38 | My life feels a little slow these days,

Week 38 | My life feels a little slow these days, but that’s not a bad thing. There’s not a ton going on, but that means more time for rest, for books, and for snuggling my babies.

This week, I got to celebrate my dearest @brieberhiggins with a fun GNO, @thecandlepour had HOLIDAY SCENTS 🎄🎅🏻🎁, and my new favorite shirt came in the mail.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Weeks 36 + 37 | There was a book club pajama party

Weeks 36 + 37 | There was a book club pajama party that had us laughing until we cried. A library date with some real cute kiddos. And pets. Always pets. It hasn’t been the most exciting two weeks, but it has been a really good two weeks.

Week 35 | It was a big week - after doing an at-ho

Week 35 | It was a big week - after doing an at-home sleep test in April and being diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea, I finally received a CPAP machine. I also found out that during that sleep test, I had 47.4 apneas an hour. (An apnea is when you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more while sleeping. Severe sleep apnea means you stop breathing at least 30 times an hour, which means I far surpassed the minimum, eeks.)

It’s been an adjustment to be sure, but I am looking forward to feeling less like a zombie every day and to not need a nap to get through each day. A whole new world for me!

Other happenings: doggo time, cats who were upset with me for leaving them, and Eloise making herself right at home inside my CPAP traveling case.

Week 34 | Here’s your onslaught of Chip and Lucy

Week 34 | Here’s your onslaught of Chip and Lucy photos because I’ve been dog-sitting since Friday and I can’t stop taking pictures of us cuddling together. They are great reading companions and also put themselves to bed right around 8:15 nightly, which is the cutest thing ever. (I need to get this on video - Chip marches down the hallway to the bedroom and when I open the door, he walks right into his crate and sleeps until the morning. Lucy usually follows suit, although she can sometimes be a stinker about it so I carry her in with me.) 🐶♥️

Weeks 32 + 33 | I missed a week of photos, so you

Weeks 32 + 33 | I missed a week of photos, so you get two weeks for this post. I haven’t been great at taking photos lately but maybe that’s okay? I don’t need to photograph every single moment of my life.

There was a lot going on in these few weeks and some of it was not very fun, but I feel like things are settling down again and I’m able to catch my breath.

Good things: my cats (always), laughing with friends, meeting up with coworkers I rarely see, getting a burn that looks like a pizza and giving me a tattoo idea, my family’s fantasy football draft, recording podcast episodes, and excellent books

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