Pinterestingly...

I spied this in the "Holidays&Events" tab and thought there was something so sweet and genuine about this. On top of that, it takes no time at all and you only need a sharpie.

I'm still trying to think of more great things about the year to list, but I love the simplicity of it, as well as having a collection of yearly recaps and rediscovering them each year when I decorate the tree!

Weekly: Maintenance

I have two bottles of wine/burgundy polish. The OPI bottle is sealed shut, and the Julie G. one turns my nails yellow. I also have a rule that if i have a polish for too long without wearing it, I either need to throw it away or mix a new color.  Soooo... I poured some navy and purple polishes into this (true) red:

So, no nail art this week, but still a little creative... Also, the Rimmel Lasting Finish (truthfully I'm not sure they still make this) dries FAST. I love it!

Works like a beast, but makes the biggest mess.

Why does this have to come in powder form? UGH.

Bookshelf

Last weekend, I took myself on a roadtrip to Las Vegas. It's about a four-hour drive from LA, so I downloaded some books to listen to along the way. 

First up:

I wanted to love this. Really, I did. However, there was just something about ther tone that turned me off. How could this story - a descendant of the famous and wealthy Astor clan recounts her childhood living in the dilapidated family estate with her parents and extended family -  be boring? 

So then I switched to:

My grandmother (who lived with us when I was growing up) watched All My Children every single day, which meant I also watched All My Children every single day. Not really learning anything from this one, but it's fun. I just wish my grandmother was still here so we could gossip about it together!

Bookshelf

I usually go off the "to read" list in my phone, but the last two books I finished were completely random choices I downloaded from Overdrive (best, best, best reading app if you have a library card!). 

Nia Vardalos's memoir about adopting her daughter made me cry. It was so heartfelt and (at times) raw, but also completely hysterical. Yes, it is mostly about adoption, but it is also just about...life. Its ups and downs, experiences whose meaning we only come to understand later, and just moving forward when your life might not look exactly how you expected it to. I loved it.

All We Ever Wanted was Everything was a little soap opera-y, but still good. I downloaded the audiobook and it made traffic bearable, so that's definitely saying something. 

My Two Cents: Phone Edition

Just found this note when cleaning out my phone. I need to take my own advice more often!

To-do:

Season's Greetings

Holiday cards stress me out. Big. Time. I'm one of those people who like to include a photo of the dogs, and this year I'm completely at a loss about how they should pose, what they should wear, etc. It's a little silly, but it's generally fun. Hopefully a good idea will come soon!

This whole year has just flown by, and I'm convinced this is just one more task that seems to be coming up too soon. Where did the time go? I'm not ready!

Weekly: Maintenance

Jacked up, but I'm not fixing it. No big design this week. I thought I'd switch it up and go plain, but then it bored me so i had to do something!  

I meant it to be all classy and swirled. It ended up more Rorschach-y, but oh well. Live and learn.

The white polish is China Glaze's White On White. The black nail striper is from Sally's. (Sidenote: I'm totally loving China Glaze polishes lately. I was never really a fan before this bottle, but The formula is amazing.)

 

Even more craftiness...

I wanted a bud vase for my office, and for whatever reason I couldn't seem to throw the bottle (Starbucks Iced Coffee) away, so... I broke out the paint instead. 

More NYX...

I really love these lip crayons. The darker one is a bluer red, and the lighter one (Maraschino) is the perfect everyday matte color! 

Some transfer, but when I wore Maraschino to my office it lasted through me drinking two cups of coffee and 40oz. of water (or at least it wore evenly and was minimal enough that the color stayed visible and even): 

Very pigmented, and nice bright reds - no muddiness. They're great options for fall and I'm really excited to get more use out of them!

Feeling crafty, continued...

Finished the jars over the weekend. 

All i can say is that if you are trying to decide between green Frog tape and the blue painter's tape, go green! The jar on the left is a little messed up, but most of the paint came off with acetone. I may try to fix it further, but I'm okay with it for now. Not too bad for a $15 project...

My Two Cents: Breakup Edition

I don't really want to be too emotional in this space, but for whatever reason there are a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head and heart, and I finally feel like it's the right time to share. I'm apologizing in advance for any cheesiness and it is my hope that whomever reads this takes something positive away with them...

I'm not sure how much the details of the relationship really matter. We were never really unhappy. We loved each other very much, and still do... Which is why being apart SUCKS SO HARD. But, it's been a few months now and I don't think either of us is changing anytime soon. These are the things I've been thinking about:

1) The times that we've gotten into difficult convos, I can't help but think, "What if what I'm saying was broadcast on the jumbtron at the Staples Center? Would I be embarrassed?" This is not to say that everything I've said has been nice - of course not! (And to be 

honest, I slipped and said I hated him once, but it was a really specific circumstance and I totally did in that moment. No apologies.)  But it's all be true and I haven't called him names, etc. To be really clear, I'm not doing it for his benefit. You don't want to carry around the consequences of that behavior. It's the first breakup where I've made a conscious effort to not be ugly and feel much better for it.

2) Ultimately, you know in your heart when you're comprimising a piece of yourself that you shouldn't. Even if you're the only one who's aware, just don't do this. It's exhausting (at the very least), and it never really works. If the other person loves you and knows you, they'll be able to tell.

3) Go out with friends and date other people. You're living now. Don't waste your days. (This is not to forget the benefits of nights staying in snacks/pizza/booze of choice/movies/crappy reality tv with your friends. Those count too!)

4) (Last one, and I hate it.) I guess I knew this before, but it is the first time I've felt this in my bones - love isn't always enough. Commitment matters more. Life is hard, and all of us deserve to be with a person that's on our team, no matter what. It doesn't make actual disagreements easier, but it does make all the difference in the world during difficult periods because you're both ultimately fighting for your relationship. 

I hope this was helpful on some level, if only to know that someone else is going through what you are too. We're all going to get through this. Promise. Xo