So, I thought it would be fun if I spiced things up here on the blog and let you guys in on a little more of my personal life, including the music I like to listen to throughout the day. Consider this Whistle While You Work 2.0! Without further ado, here is my first installment of My Productivity Playlist series, five of my favorite songs from various genres that makeup the soundtrack to my work day!
I hope you have enjoyed this first installment of my new feature! Let me know in the comments if you would like me to continue with this series and make sure to send me a tweet letting me know what you like to listen to while you are working!
A lot of people frequently compliment me on the way I live; my personal style, my hair, my makeup, and my home decor. I think that in a lot of ways people often look up to people they see on YouTube or on the internet and imagine that those people are somehow different from themselves because they have this wonderful style or own a lot of lovely things. But the truth, as I know it, is that the only thing that makes me different from you, is the choices that I make in the way I choose to live my life. So, today, I wanted to let you all in on a little secret of mine, and share with you the set of rules that I live by in my own life that help me to feel fabulous and live fabulously! Now, I’m not sharing this information with you in the hopes that you will follow these rules and suddenly turn into me, instead, I am hoping you understand this information, and put it to practice in your own life to become the most fabulous version of yourself possible, because being you and being the most amazing version of you possible, is probably the most amazing thing you can do for yourself, and for the whole wide world!
1. Define your style and stick to it 90% of the time!
I wasn’t always a stylish dresser. I went to private school most of my life and by the time I was in college, I had no clue how to dress myself without a uniform! It took me years to figure out what personal style meant, and often times, I feel like I am still figuring it out, but I made a decision a few years ago to define what my style was going to be and to only buy pieces that fit within those parameters. I chose the colors I looked best in, the overall style that I was trying to convey, and the price range that I was willing to spend within for my clothing. In the beginning, I would often make lists of clothing items that I needed in my wardrobe. Things like a great little black dress, or a pair of comfortable nude pumps. I basically blueprinted the wardrobe and got to work on building it. It has been years and I am still working on the list to an extent, but now, I have become more skilled in my own style so I no longer need to refer to a list to determine what I need to buy. Now, I say that you should stick to your style 90% of the time because if you are anything like me, you may want to experiment. I think experimentation with your style is great, but I caution moderation in this department because when you start experimenting too much you deviate from the style your trying to establish. Just know its okay to take a little risk, but make sure your only doing it in small doses for things you’re really excited about.
2. Acquire furnishings one curated piece at a time.
My home is probably one of the elements of my life that I am most proud of. Whenever I have guests over, they are always surprised at how nicely my home is decorated and the types of quality, timeless pieces I own. From the time that I lived in my first apartment, I have been collecting furnishings piece by piece that align with my personal style and the overall feel I want for my home. I never buy anything for my home that I don’t absolutely love or that I don’t have a permanent home for. Gradually, I have collected pieces like my prized tufted settee and my gorgeous upholstered bed, and I continue to collect items for my home that will continue to perpetuate my overall style and add to the luxury I desire in my life.
3. Spend your money on the things that matter to you.
Some people love expensive dinners, some people like expensive toys, everyone is different and neither are right or wrong. People often comment that I own a lot of high quality accessories and gadgets, its true, I do! I’m not a millionaire, but I choose to spend my money on the things that matter to me. This means that I spend less money in other areas of my life that I don’t care too much about. For example, my car. My husband and I own one single car between us. We could own two, but one is all we need, so we make it work. The car isn’t anything fancy, technically is a crossover SUV, but it’s american made and was purchased as a certified pre-owned vehicle. Some people are more into cars than they are gadgets, and might buy a second car for their family or buy a luxury model brand new, but that isn’t the way I choose to spend my money, so I don’t spend it that way. Now, I am not trying to tell you how to spend your money, except to say that you should spend it on things that matter to you and forget about the rest. Your life isn’t made fabulous by other people’s definitions, it’s made fabulous by your own!
4. Be picky, it’s a good thing!
On that same vein of spending your money on things that matter to you, I also advise that you start getting more picky with the way you spend not only your money, but also your time. We all have things that we have to do, and things that we have to buy or spend money on, but we also have a good amount that’s up to us. I find that I like to be picky when it comes to how I spend my time and how I spend my money because those are the two most important things we have in life. A lot of living fabulously is about narrowing down what a fabulous life looks like to us. Some people want to travel the world, some people want a lovely home and to spend as much time there as possible. Some people like to try new experiences and some like quiet evenings with friends. No matter what it is you like to do, get picky about it. Start holding yourself to a higher standard of living. Remember, having it all is a relative concept. It’s not about literally having every single option available, it’s about having those few things that really make you happy. Start figuring out what those few things are and be super picky with everything else because you have a limited amount of time in life so you have to draw your line in the sand for how to spend it!
5. Be a wonderful person
Being outgoing doesn’t always come naturally to me. I know it doesn’t come naturally to many people, and I think there is this misconception that you have to be an outgoing person for people to like you and think you’re wonderful. I don’t think that’s it. I think that the most wonderful people, the people who you always remember, and the people who you want to be around are the nice ones. The ones that always have positive things to say and never bother with the negative. These are the people who are friendly to strangers and kind to those around them. Sometimes, this sort of behavior can be hard for us to achieve, it means forgiving the world as soon as it hurts you and getting over that pain before it starts. It really is true that you never know what struggles those around you are facing and so you should always show them kindness. If someone cuts you off at an intersection, say a prayer for them that they make it home safe. If someone cuts in front of you in a line, just smile and nod at them. Others can only upset you if you let them, and if you live with this sort of kindness in your heart and in your mind, nothing will ever hurt you. You will find that those around you will love you deeper and show you more kindness than you could ever expect. All because you are a wonderful person.
6. Put yourself first!
There is this major misconception floating around the world that says if you don’t put others before yourself you are a selfish person. This makes absolutely no sense. If you are not taking care of yourself first and foremost, how then can you take care of others properly? This subject always makes me think about one perfect example that illustrates the point. When you’re flying in an airplane, going over the emergency procedures, there is always a part about using your oxygen mask in the event of an emergency. The directions always tell you, point-blank, to secure your own mask before attempting to help anyone else around you! Why? Because you can’t really help anyone else if you’re still in imminent danger. The same goes in daily life. If you’re not putting your own needs, like personal hygiene, health and wellbeing first, there is no way you’re going to be able to do much good for others and people don’t like to be around others who don’t seem to have their shit straight, so get your shit straight and put yourself first so you can help other people get their shit straight! Thus adding to the fabulousness of the world as a whole!
So, that’s it! Those are my top secret tips for living a fabulous life! I hope you can take something from this and evaluate how these “rules” apply to you in your own life. Remember, it’s not about being more like me or someone else out there that you think has a fabulous life, it’s about making small but impactful changes in your own life to make yours more fabulous! Seriously, being the best version of yourself is a gift you give back to the world, so get to it!
I have to admit, one of the major benefits of using a digital planning system is that, for the most part, they are easy to back up. Using a calendar or to do app on my iPhone means I can sync with the cloud, have my information on not only my phone but also on my iPads and my laptops as well. If I accidentally delete something in one place, I always have a backup somewhere else. It’s convenient and secure, two very important things that paper planners lack. It’s a critical flaw of Filofax’s and other physical planners, but one that can’t be avoided. It’s paper after all. Paper burns, rips, decomposes if touched by water, and a paper planner can be lost entirely. Even if I lost my iPhone, I wouldn’t have to worry much about my information. Lists would be retrievable, information can be restored and my phone could be instantly whipped of all information if I was concerned about sensitive information getting out (because you know, being an international blogging sensation, I have lots of sensitive and top-secret post information that people are dying to get their hands on… LOL, please note the sarcasm!) Jokes aside, though, you know what I mean! Even though paper planners have their fatal flaws, however, there are some things we old-fashioned analog planner users can do to keep our information backed up, in case any terrible tragedy should strike our organizational companions!
The simplest and easiest way to back up a paper planner or Filofax is through the use of photos on our smartphones. It may be an extra step to take when we make important notes in our planners, but if something were to happen to our planners we would at least have some form of backup for our information. And with the superior quality of smartphone cameras these days, you can capture all the details on a planner page or spread with great clarity in case you need to refer back to it later. Since i use an iPhone, I like to use the app DocScan to back up any important lists or notes in my planner. DocScan is great because it uses the camera on your iPhone to “scan” documents, physical pictures and notes, allowing you to then save the information in a multitude of different formats. Its like having a portable scanner with you at all times! Another popular application, Evernote, does much the same. Evernote is a great note taking application, but it’s also great for storing and saving information via pictures taken on your smartphone! Evernote allows you to synch your notes through the cloud and access them from a variety of different devices, even through the web directly!
So, if you’re concerned about backing up your paper planner or Filofax, give this method a shot! Start getting into the habit of taking a quick pic of your planner pages as you fill them up or make new notes. If you ever, heaven’s forbid, loose your planner or an important page goes missing, at least you have some sort of backup stored away for digital reference.
So, in all honesty, I cannot believe I have never done a post like this before!
I love geeky clothing and accessories and I am always on the hunt for them wherever I go! I have a specific “geek uniform” that I like to wear around which consists of a black blazer, geeky tank top and leggings/skinny jeans. Of course I’m partial to geek glasses, which I do already wear, and its not uncommon for me to wear multiple accessories that include glasses on them like my glasses bangle and iPhone case from Kate Spade. No geek ensemble would be complete, however, without a pair of awesome headphones and some wearable tech. I love the rose gold Frends Layla headphones and I have been thinking about getting a smart watch of some sort, although I’ll admit, I’m waiting for Apple to make one that is killer!
So, I’m wondering, are their any other geek gals out there who like to dress the part? What sorts of clothing and accessories do you prefer? Tweet me some links for some items I should check out or leave me a comment below letting me know your geek chic style! I’m thinking about doing this as some sort of regular feature, so if you like this, make sure to let me know!
Aren’t you super impressed with my Starbucks Green Tea Frappe Watercolor? I made it myself, much like this recipe!
One of my favorite summer drinks from Starbucks is their Green Tea Frappe! I am a big fan of green bubble tea and green tea flavors in general, but as you know, in the heat of summer, that Frappe addiction can end up costing you quite a pretty penny. So, I save my cash and opt for a homemade version instead. It’s pretty easy to make so long as you have a blender and either matcha or a green tea powder mix. I buy my matcha from Teavana because it’s owned by Starbucks now so I assume they are sourcing their matcha from the same place that Starbucks does. Matcha is a little pricey, but a little bit goes a long way. Another option is to purchase the Tazo Green Tea Latte Concentrate. It’s what Starbucks uses for their drinks, but it’s a bit controversial because its a mix of matcha with other sweeteners and ingredients that end up making it really high calorie (another reason, I have been opting to make my Green Tea Frappes at home). The third and final option is to use a Green Bubble Tea powder mix. You can buy this online or purchase it in an Asian market. It is a mix of matcha and sweetener, but its more reasonable calorie wise, although you don’t get as strong of a flavor as you do with the artificial Starbucks mixture.
From there you just need some milk, additional sweetener, vanilla extract and of course, ice! Below is my recipe using matcha. I have also included a video I made on how to make a Starbucks Green Tea Frappe at home, using green bubble tea powder. The recipes for these two differ slightly because when you are using matcha you need to add sweetener at a 2:1 ratio because matcha is very bitter. When using a powder mix that also contains sweetener you use a 1:1 ratio of mix to sweetener (if you even need sweetener depending on the type of mix you are using).
Green Tea Frappe
1 cup of Milk (your choice)
1 tsp matcha
2 tsp sugar (or alternate sweetener)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup filled with ice (5-6 cubes)
Whipped Cream (optional)
Add all ingredients into a blender and mix until desired consistency (ice cubes have broken down into a slush consistency and no large pieces of ice remain). Pour mixture into cup and garnish with whipped cream and an extra sprinkling of matcha if desired.
See, that’s super easy! And delicious! And have I mentioned I’m obsessed with green tea flavored things?
I hope you enjoyed this installment of Starbucks @ Home. If you did, please make sure to tweet this recipe out and/or share it on your social media! Let me know if you have any other drink requests for me to create an at home recipe for you! Have a Frapptastic Day!
I know I am all about that digital life, doing most of my writing a designing via my laptop, but the truth is that paper is still a major part of my creative process. As much as I love the clean, sleek feel of a Macbook Air under my fingers as I type away endlessly, writing in notebooks can be even more satisfying and specifically very cathartic for me as I pour my mind out onto paper. Lately, I have been spending chunks of time working on a book that I hope to publish sometime later this year. Although I use my favorite piece of software, Scrivener, to organize most of my writing, it’s been my time with pen and paper that have really helped me organize my thoughts for this longer, more meaningful piece. That is why I love having beautiful notebooks and notepads around me for making lists, doing quick sketches and writing out my thoughts before I hash them out in Scrivener.
A lot of people are always asking me for stationery recommendations, so I thought it would be fun for me to curate a few of my favorite notebooks and notepads from around the web. Some of these I already own and some of these I am simply lusting after, but if you’re looking for a fresh new notebook to crack into for some writing or note taking of your own, I think these are a beautiful escape from the ordinary notebook or journal. Click through the carousel below for more information on this lovely collection!
Friday is Independence Day in the US, which means we have ourselves a short week and a 3 day weekend! YAY! I love three day weekends because they are like mini vacations spread throughout the year. They can be a great time to catch up on sleep, binge watch your favorite TV shows or finish a home project. So, here are my tips to making the most of your long weekend!
1. Plan Your To-Dos before the weekend begins: Before the weekend starts, I often find myself thinking how exciting it is to have a three day weekend ahead of me! THREE DAYS OFF! That seems like so much time to do WHATEVER I want! But inevitably by Sunday night I find myself wondering where the weekend has gone? It’s nearly over? HOW DID THIS HAPPEN!! I think you know the feeling! So, if you want to fill your weekend with fun and awesome things to do, you should probably plan out your time before the weekend starts! You don’t have to make an hour by hour schedule, but have a general idea of what you want to do and who you want to do it with. Make sure plans with friends are hammered out before the weekend begins so you spend more time having fun and less time getting people to agree on dinner reservations!
2. Put your space in order:Whether you have your own place or share with roommates or family members, get your space in order and tidy up before the fun begins. Get your chores done, send off your bills, and get your life in order so that you can maximize your weekend time and not have to worry about the minutiae of daily life for approximately 72 hours!
3. Have at least one adventure: By this I mean, leave the house at least once! Yes, you can break from your Orange is the New Black marathon weekend to run out for pizza or something, but make sure to get some fresh air! Lord knows you don’t get enough of it in the normal work week!
4. Manage your expectations: I know I am totally guilty of over hyping my weekends before hand and then feeling a major crash when everything doesn’t work out perfectly or when I don’t feel like I have done enough! Give yourself reasonable expectations of how fun/exciting/productive/amazing your weekend will be so that you can focus on enjoying everything!
5. Take time to breath and relax: The weekend is about decompressing from a week of work, and long weekends give you even more time to decompress. Make sure to relax and just enjoy your weekend, whatever it may bring so that you are recharged for work and life in general once the work week rolls back around!
How do you like to spend your three day weekends? Share more of your tips for a great three day weekend by letting us know in the comments!
It’s that time of year again and I have some new tech wallpapers for you! This Summer Fun edition is dedicated to my mantra for the summer months, “Work Hard, Play Hard” and I designed these with some fun summer colors, neon pink and gold glitter! Hope you enjoy them and feel free to leave me any ideas for future tech wallpapers down in the comments! I love hearing your feedback and getting new inspiration from you so that I make these wallpapers as custom as possible for you!
I recently had a conversation with a friend and former colleague about the importance of knowing “what I want to be when I grow up.” She and I were discussing career paths and what sort of job she would like to have next within her company, but she was unsure which path to take. Should she look for a promotion, should she move to another company, where was her life and relationship with her boyfriend headed? In the midst of our conversation, I asked her “well, what do you want to be when you grow up?” She thought the question was funny, “obviously, we are grown up, but what was it that you always thought you would do with your life and do you still want to do it,” I asked.
She really didn’t have to think about it because she immediately knew the answer, she wanted to work for the company she had spent a year interning for after college. She knew it was the time of her life and although she knew she would want to go back in a different role and work in a different side of the business, she at least was able to articulate it.
“Okay, so go work for them,” I said, very matter of fact. “I can’t do that,” she replied, “[my boyfriend] owns a home here and he would never move.” The conversation went on from there and we discussed that ever confusing ambiguity of life where women are expected to manage their personal life and their career, and how to know if you are with “the one” or not. Clearly, neither of us are experts on the subject so I’m not sure the conversation ended with any sort of resolution to her issues, although I like to hope she was at least able to frame herself and her situation in new light.
The reason I am sharing this story here on my blog, is because I feel like for so many women out there, we struggle to find a career and a life that is fulfilling, but then we openly reject what it is we know we want because it may require our lives to change. My friend was probably right, her boyfriend probably won’t want to move to allow her to pursue her dream career, but does that mean that the career is wrong or the boyfriend is wrong? I think pragmatists would say, leave the boyfriend and pursue the career you want, romantics would say, find another career and keep the man. Who is right? Who is wrong? It doesn’t actually matter. The opinions of others don’t really matter when it comes to our own life choices. People will always have an opinion one way or the other, but we have to find the courage to make the choices that bring us happiness and fulfillment. The issue isn’t about choosing career or choosing love, the issue is choice itself and understanding that you do, indeed, have a choice in how to live your life. You can choose to be a passive participant in your life or you can choose to have the courage to be an active one!
I have been thinking a lot about happiness lately and happy people in general. The other week, when I stopped at the gas station, I was confronted with the notion that you really can’t predict who is going to be happy in life and who isn’t based on their situation in life. I was thinking about my regular gas station attendant and how he is always upbeat and happy despite having something of an undesirable career to most people. By all means, I am sure if I was in his position, I would certainly be miserable, and this is not meant to offend anyone who themselves works or know of someone who works in such a position, but for me the idea of standing outside, or sometimes sitting in a little glass box, at all hours of the day through extreme heat and bitter cold would be hell on earth. I’m not someone who could handle such a simple, repetitive task, even one as common as pumping gas for eight hours a day, in fact, I am sure I would botch it. Yet, the same gas station attendant is always there waiting for me, happy as can be, glad to be of service.
After that day, whenever I looked around, it was glaringly obvious to me, that many of the happy, outgoing people I would come across were found in the most unlikely places but they all had something in common, they were all making the choice to be happy, friendly, and genuinely nice people. This may not be news to any of you, the fact that we choose to make our own happiness certainly wasn’t news to me, but I find that whenever I am confronted with these sorts of situations it jolts me back into reality and forces me to look inward to my own feelings and why I make things harder on myself by not choosing happiness more often.
I challenge all of you to stop, take a look around you and search out the happiest people in your life. I bet that for the most part these folks aren’t necessarily always the most wealthy, attractive or even healthy people, but still they find happiness because they choose happiness. I hope for myself and for all of you reading this that we can make that choice for ourselves everyday and remember that it’s not our social status, job, friends or significant others that make us happy, but that it is we that make ourselves happy. Today, I am going to be happy, no matter what!
