Changes

{photo from here}

After my wonderful trip to Austin, I returned to work and got some upsetting and disappointing news.  I learned that my awesome/amazing/inspiring/beautiful/kickass manager ("M") resigned because she got offered an ah-mazing position that she couldn't turn down.  When she told me, I nearly burst into tears (I have a flair for the dramatic, I know), but I just couldn't believe it.  On the one hand, on a very personal level, I will deeply miss her.  In some ways, I think of her as another big sister, someone I look up, aspire to and respect.  On the professional level, I am disappointed.  We made a lot of big plans for the upcoming year, and with M's guidance, I was confident that I would learn a LOT this year and advance my career in the best ways possible. 

Needless to say, I've been sad/worried since last Thursday.  Turns out, professionally this could be a really good thing for me.  With M gone, I will be working with and reporting to one of two Heads of the Department ("H").  H is incredibly intimidating (she didn't crack a smile my entire interview, not until the very end) and quite demanding, but she's also really good at her job.  It will be tough to be without my amazing teacher, but I have the potential to really step up my game and prove to H that I can go above and beyond my title.  And that's exactly what I intend to do.

This week has been nuts, and things are only going to get crazier when M leaves (next week - tear).  Leaving at 5:30, lunchtime gym breaks and leisurely days are out the window.  This is undoubtedly going to be hard on me.  For one, I'm determined to work out 5x per week, and that's going to be tough to do with consistent late nights at the office.  For another, I was looking forward to having some more flexibility/freedom with my schedule now that training is over and to try and actually hang out with my friends on a regular basis again.  When can I squeeze that in?  Gym or dinner/drinks... something's gotta give.  (On top of all that, my work schedule makes getting to WW meetings - aka Tues. Night Happy Hour - impossible, and I think I'm going to switch to online only.  Sigh.)

I chose the picture above because I need to see it.  I haven't been feeling beautiful lately - I've been feeling fat, ugly and repulsive.  I should be proud of my body for what it's just accomplished, but instead I only focus on what it can't do.  I'm hoping that my plans to keep active and eat (mostly) clean will help me feel better all around. 

How do you maintain work-life balance when things are crazy and show no signs of letting up?

How do you remind yourself that you're beautiful (no matter how unbelievably unflattering your race photos are)?

Life Lately

{we heart it}

I haven't run a single mile since signing up for the Austin Half.

This is not (just) because I've been a little lazy. It's also because a minor, okay MAJOR, emergency came up at work on Friday, and since then, I've been working. A lot. Like coming in on Sunday a lot. And working until 10 pm on Monday a lot. Tonight I got home relatively early, but was way too tired to even think about putting on my running shoes. This is no bueno.

In other news, I got my Garmin, and I fully intend on busting it out this weekend while I bang out 4 miles around Central Park. That is, of course, assuming I don't have to work.  A girl can dream, right?

But even though I'm tired and fat and bloated and lookin' a little... not so good lately, and even though I want to do nothing but collapse into bed and sleep for 24 hours straight, I'm actually loving how dynamic my new work environment is.  And I like being involved in this project/emergency even though it has completely taken over my life lately.  See?  I can be glass half-full sometimes.


Oh I'm also insanely behind on blogs and twitter.  Forgive me.

Working Eating Eating Working

Hi, y'all!  How's your week been?  Hard to believe it's already Friday, eh?  Work, for moi, has been going pretty well.  Slowly learning the ropes and getting to know everyone - it's fun.  :D  Nonetheless, I am EXCITED for the weekend!!  Can you believe it's already Halloween?  Nuts!  This Fall is flying by which makes me tres tres sad.

Working has definitely shaken up my eating routine.  I'm ravenous by the time I get home from work and typically end up eating the first thing I set my sights on.  I know I should have a snack in the late afternoon, but I just haven't gotten my act together yet, and I don't want to go buy something from the cafeteria.  Tonight, I had just enough time (like 15 minutes) to whip up a quick, easy meal before heading uptown for a concert w/ friends. 

Trader Joe's frozen garlic naan and veggie masala burger aka the BEST VEGGIE BURGER EVER!!!  Seriously, I thought it sounded weird when I first heard of it, but then I tried it, and OHMEMGEE - it is taaasty.  I think it's going to become my favorite go-to meal component.

I also had a bag of spinach that was about to go very, very bad.  I made one of the greenest smoothies I've ever made in my life!  It was also very simple - just spinach, almond milk, frozen banana, frozen mango, touch of raw honey, and ice.  It was surprisingly delicious sans peanut butter & flax per my usual green smoothies.  Very light and refreshing.  And GREEN!

Naturally, as soon as I got home from said concert, I was hungry again.  So I made another veggie burger and shoved it in a small whole wheat roll.  Mmmm I need to buy lots and lots of boxes of these...  Get them.  You won't regret it.

As for le weekend, I plan to do the following...

Friday: Get brows waxed at the Boom Boom Brow Bar, go for a run, catch up on my DVR, hopefully finish my book club book

Saturday: Brunch w/ old friend, shop w/ NYC friend, gym, then OUT for HALLOWEEN!

Sunday: FINALLY getting my hair did (it's been 6 mo since haircut... appalling), church, run, 

get ready for week :D  

What're you up to this weekend?

Mini HELLO!

Morning Ritual:  Bonjour, friends!!  Can I just say that I ADORE having to get up early now?  I know, I know, it's nuts but hear me out.  I love being up in the morning, sipping coffee and watching CNN, and feeling like a productive member of society.  Despite it being a STRUGGLE to actually get out of bed when my alarm goes off, I'm loving it.  I hope that eventually I might be able to get up even earlier so I can have more time to savor my coffee, write my 750 words, and catch up on blogs (cause seriously, I have no other time to do so). 

Work: I'm writing this, funnily enough, before I head to work for the day!  Today will be my first day actually sitting in my department all day.  I'm eager to learn so I can actually start being a helpful member of the team.  Ma Soeur asked me yesterday what exactly I'm going to be doing, and honestly... I have no idea haha.  I've never done this job before!  The work environment is fast-paced and team-oriented though so I'm excited.  :D  I've already begun making a list of "Office Must-Haves."  Things like hand lotion, essential oils, something fragrance-y, a coffee/tea tumbler, cute notepads, fun pens, etc.  Can you think of any office essentials I need to add to my list?

Fit for Fall: Sooo I've been TOTALLY sucking.  That's not true - I've kept up with my workouts, but my eating has been all over the place.  As a result, I feel gross and bloated and sluggish so I want to nip this in the bud asap.  I couldn't go to my WW meeting last night because it was Roomie Deux's birthday, and I think knowing that I wouldn't weigh in definitely made an impact on how I ate.  I wouldn't be surprised if I gain next week!  Le sigh.  Anyway, as far as MOVIN and GROOVIN is concerned, I'm doing well.  I've decided to loosely follow Hal Higdon's 10k training plan (for novices).  It seems doable, customizable, and I like how the runs are spaced out.  Because I couldn't go to the gym last night, I did my 2.5 miles on Monday (with a belly full of pizza - OW) and tonight is 30 min. cross (boooo I HATE the elliptical).  Anyone want to join moi? 

Gotta run!  Have a FABULOUS HUMP DAY!!

First Day: Recap

{pretty much how my coworkers reacted when i walked through the door}

Thanks for all the sweet wishes, readers and tweeters!  You guys sure are the bestest.  :D  My first day was AWESOME, albeit uneventful, seeing as I only sat at my desk for about an hour.  Most of my day was taken up by training and info and all that.  Stuff like 401k's (which made me yawn and my eyes roll back in my head... I wish I liked finance stuff) and HMO's and PPO's and sexual harassment and vacation days and all that.  Tomorrow is computer training (the office uses Lotus Notes... wth??) and then hopefully I'll actually get to start working.

All in all, I have to same I am pretty stoked.  The perks of working at a large NY company are sick!!  Car services, gym membership discounts (including my current gym - I nearly jumped out of my seat w/ excitement!), a subsidized in-house cafeteria, free admission to the MoMa, transit discounts... the list went on and on.  SWEEEEEET.  Also, my technical "hours" are pretty dope, although I have a feeling that I'm going to be working much later than the supposed 5:30 cut-off time - my dept is quite busy.  Other perks of my new job include:

- working w/ other people around my age
- working w/ people who are not lawyers and are therefore about 100x less socially awkward
- a 15-minute commute
- working at a company that insists on stocking every single meeting with TONS of food (this could potentially be a very, very bad thing...)
- having an awesome manager

A few things I need to adjust to...

- not having my own private office (I'm so unsure as to proper cubicle etiquette re: computers, phones, etc.  HELP!)
- not having an admin assistant (I know I know... woe is me)
- not being in a small office in which I know everyone (17 floors?  I'm going to get hella confused.)
- being super busy (haha, it's true - the flailing economy made work before fairly slow-paced for me)
- not being able to work from home whenever I want (hmm... and I left my old job because...??)
- lame-O office supplies (aka cheap blue/black ballpoint pens, NOT the cool green & purple gel ink pens at my old firm... womp womp)
- NO CELL PHONE RECEPTION (seriously AT&T?  i mean... SERIOUSLY??)

BUT, again, it's an entirely new experience, and I'm incredibly excited about it.  Because I was too nervous/talkative/whatever to eat all day (despite being provided a TON of food), I came home ravenous and inhaled about 1/2 a pizza as soon as I stepped foot into the door.  A couple of hours later, I hit the gym for a run and nearly puked all over the treadmill (gross, huh?), but somehow I survived it and lived to tell the tale. 

Tomorrow night is Roomie Deux's birthday, which means marrrgaritas and no gym for me! 

Hope y'all had a fab Monday.  :D  LOVE YOU!!!

First Day

Tomorrow (today for y'all) is my first day at my new job.

Instead of waking up this morning feeling excited and nervous, I woke up feeling uber crappy.  A super bad stomachache kept me up until the wee hours of the morning, and my bipolar cold was rearing its ugly head again.

I went back to sleep.

And then woke up and did what any normal girl would do - ate Greek leftovers and hit the gym for a short run.

I feel better now.  

And I'm starting to get a little nervous about tomorrow.

I don't even have a first day outfit planned!  The weather is hitting the 70s tomorrow, which is way too warm for tights.  Boo.

So I'll have to improvise.

Here's to hoping all goes well...

Catch me on Twitter for updates throughout the day (hopefully!).  :D

BIG NEWS!!

(photo: weheartit.com}

WHEEE I am SO excited to announce my BIG/AWESOME/HAPPY news!

As many of you suspected...

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I GOT A JOB!!!

And not just any job...

But the job I wanted the MOST, that is going to do ah-mazing things for my career, that is full of awesome, fun people, that is actually going to let me live in this city and ENJOY it.

You're probably wondering, "What IS this job?"

Well, its not a lawyer job (duh).

But that's pretty much all I'm going to say!  I was lucky in that no one from my old firm ever found my blog.  But I have to be super duper extra careful here in NYC, and for that reason, I will not be talking about my job in any sort of detail/specifics on this blog.  You understand, don't ya?  Thanks.  :)

I haven't discussed my job search on this blog for the same reason.  Needless to say, it's been a frustrating and long process.  I officially parted ways with my old firm July 31, so August and September and this first half of October have been full of meetings, interviews, and STRESS.  I knew I didn't want just any job, but a GOOD job, a job I wouldn't hate, and a job that would give me the means to live in this city and not starve.  Several weeks, 3 interviews, and 1 surprisingly difficult writing test later, I received THE phone call Wednesday afternoon, and I have not been able to stop smiling since!!!  Tonight my friends are taking me out to a cozy new wine bar in the 'hood to celebrate.  Have I mentioned that I have the bestest friends in the whole wide world here??

Inevitably, there will be some things I miss about being unemployed... namely, that which I'm doing today: lying in bed, burning fireplace-scented candles, sipping tea, watching Criminal Minds, and reading online.  I'll also miss:

- afternoon runs along the West Side Highway

- More Fun Monday's with my friend Ryan (who has Mondays off)

- going grocery shopping at TJ's and WF during the day (aka not at crazy rush hour time)

- staying up til 4 AM and sleeping in til noon (or later...)

- my own dress code

BUT, the things I won't miss far outweigh the things I will.  I am so happy!  Not sure of my starting date, but it will definitely be sometime next week.  So soon!  You know, the first thought that entered my mind?  "I have to go buy new work clothes!!!"  Some things never change...

P.S. Holy crap, I am officially a NEW YORKER!!

5 Days

Ok, Canada part deux is going to have to wait 5 days, at least. Because for the next five days, I will be doing this, except (1) not on a beach, (2) not in that bikini body and (3) not smiling. Although if #1 and #2 were present, perhaps I wouldn't be so grumpy?



In all seriousness, I have a Monday deadline that I thought would be doable and is proving to be... not. Like... something around 60 hours of work to do before then? Oui. Oh and that's on top of the projects I already have going on at work. Needless to say, I have canceled LIFE and all the obligations that come with it for the next 5 days (which, sadly, included a lot of fun stuff) in order to fully devote myself to making this deadline AND getting sleep (tres important for moi).


Luckily, I can do the work from the comfort of my home, which is the beauty of the internet. Now that i have free (yes FREE) cable (are u sick of me talking about it yet??), I envision a weekend of moi on the couch in my PJ's, avec laptop, Lola, coffee (homemade b/c i can't spend any money this week... yeah more on that later), and in front of the telly.


5 days and counting...



P.S. I am actually tres grateful for this work, as you know I've been terribly slow this summer, and although un peu life-disrupting, it's SO nice to be busy!

P.P.S. OBVI i will still be all over Twitter. In fact, I'll prob be overly tweetastic in an effort to distract myself. Apologies in advance!

Ideal Job Description

Last week, Jennifer asked me to write my "ideal job description." After telling her that would be near impossible (I have no idea!), she told me to write a completely ridiculous fun one. Oh well... that was easy. :)

"Seeking an energetic, creative and passionate individual who wants variety everyday! This job involves personal blogging, developing relationships with other fabulous women, finding and playing with beautiful paper/stationary/journals/stickers/crafts/books/etc, and oodles of other exciting activities! Dress how you please (the funkier and funner, the better!), tease your crazily highlighted hair, paint your nails any and every color you can imagine, and never EVER be boring. Within this position, you have the ability to work from home or from a fabulous studio that you can design in any way you wish! Listen to music, dance, sing, practice yoga, take a nap, indulge in a massage, and do whatever you can to get your creative and happy juices flowing!! Position also includes attending wonderful women/creativity/yoga retreats ALL around the globe, all expenses paid (of course). This job pays you to become the best possible you. :)

Tell me, what would your ideal job description be??

{Photo credit: flickr pink sherbert}

Late Night Musings

Is it really already Sunday night? I guess I can't complain too much seeing as how my weekend was delightfully chill and sans any set-in-stone plans (aside from my Spa time, but that doesn't count!). It's amazing how much I crave open space in my planner. I used to be such a social butterfly, and yes, I often love looking into my planner pad and seeing oodles of appointments/lunch dates/evenings out. But as soon as I start to feel overwhelmed (and yes, I've been feeling un peu overwhelmed these days), I want nothing more than to cancel everything and hole myself up in my petit pink paradise. Why is that?

Also, I'm having a tres difficult time balancing work-play now that work has gotten busy. :( I've made the executive decision to forego both book clubs this month, seeing as how they both meet this week, and I'm nowhere near finishing either book. On top of that, I have oodles of work to do in the evenings, and I really don't want to neglect yoga + running as both make me feel *so* good in my body. So, au revoir book clubs for now. Perhaps I can rejoin next month.

The good news is that I still made time today to have breakfast at my fave coffeeshop (banana filled pancakes, bfast taco & iced coffee), take a 2 hour nap, spend time avec my planner pad, create a weekly menu, go grocery shopping, whip up another homemade spinach/goat cheese/tomato pizza, work for a few hours AND fit in my C25K run. Wow, this weekend I went to a (killer) yoga class, got a deep tissue massage and ran?? I wish all weekends could be that way!

But now it's Sunday night, and oh my, this week is going to be jam packed. Fingers crossed for sanity! Oh and before I forget, voila my weekly menu (only suppers):

Monday - leftover pizza
Tuesday - asparagus & leek risotto (yum! haven't made risotto in ages and i looove it)
Wednesday - korean ramen & my mom's delish kimchi
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - Clay Pit takeout (been craving Indian food, and I've decided that Friday nights are my stay-in personal nights)
Saturday - dinner out avec bonne amie
Sunday - dinner w/ Momma Park b/c she's coming for WICKED! yayyyy

Okay i should really go 2 bed since it's wayyy past my 11 p.m. bedtime. ;-)

P.S. CONGRATS to Melita who won 2 tickets to The Cove! Melita - email me, and we can figure out the details. ;-)

The Office

I've been trying to beautify my office since i've been here, but alas, it has been a slow, slow process. Right now it's feeling cramped and way too cluttered (story of my life), and i'm trying to figure out ways to clear, minimalize, and streamline. The one part of my office i do adore is my bookcase. Not the actual bookcase, mind you, it's hideous, and if i had it my way, i'd order a new one but i refuse to spend money on that sort of thing right now. But the things ON my bookcase bring a smile to my face everytime i see them (which is all the time since the bookcase faces my desk). Voila!



You can see pics of my beautiful parents, Ma Soeur et moi @ her wedding, and moi avec Kimberly Wilson taken at our very first meeting back in 2007. (It is rumored Kimberly later said she didn't quite grasp the magnitude that is Carolyn until Costa Rica. Tee hee.) Also my adorable KEEP CALM AND HAVE A CUPCAKE print. (Psst you can get yours here!) Cute "suitcases" from Paperchase, fun hot pink vases that Ma Soeur gave me, and of course, the Hip Tranquil Chick Manifesto.





Some might say i have too much pink in my office and that it's not terribly professional. To those people, i say suck it. No client will ever see the inside of my office, and so far i've gotten zero complaints. Actually i've gotten compliments, particularly on my "KEEP CALM" print. AND, if certain attorneys can hang DEAD ANIMALS on their walls, i don't see what's wrong with a little pink! Pink is powerful. (Oh and the Minnie Mouse is actually a gift from a PARTNER in my office. Ha!)

My bare walls will soon be adorned with a beautiful vintage-y map of Paris and an actual vintage map of France i picked up at the Paris flea market. Yay!

Now if only i could do something about this god awful furniture...

A Petit Rant

If you're not in the mood to hear someone whining/complaining a little, please feel free to ignore this post. ;) There are just some things on my mind that i'd normally write in my journal, but knowing my readers, i feel that i could get some valuable feedback by blogging about it. So here i go!

Yesterday was a bad day (as it was for many of you, apparently). Aside from the bad drivers, pet mishaps, etc., i was really frustrated at work, which guarantees a bad day, n'est ce pas? As if i don't question enough what the heck i'm doing here, my attitude towards work worsens exponentially when i don't have enough work to do. In theory, not having much to do sounds great. I can roll in around 9 and leave as early as 5:30. I don't have to work weekends or evenings, and i'm pretty certain i won't get a frantic email at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The problem with being an attorney and having no work is that your productivity/success is measured on the number of hours you bill.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow moi to introduce you to the billable hour. We. Hate. It. (at least the the lawyers i know do) Evaluating your day in terms of billable hours can wreak havoc on the mind and soul, esp. when that number is low, or oftentimes, zero. Your value to the firm is how much you can bill the client - money, no matter where you are, is the bottom line. And unfortunately in this economy and in the particular practice area I'm in, business is slow. Being a new associate makes things way more stressful, especially when you read abovethelaw.com and hear about new layoffs almost daily (thankfully, that seems to have slowed down as well). I'm done (for the most part) worrying about being laid off. There was a period i was literally sick with fear every day i came into the office. I emailed City Girl almost daily with new fears/concerns, and she was WONDERFUL about addressing them and getting me to see the big picture (merci beaucoup, City Girl!!). What will i accomplish by making myself sick with worry? If i get laid off, so be it. I can't control the future, and i can only focus on doing the best i can do right now. Right?

This brings me to my current "problem". I'm trying to do the best i can do right now, but it's not enough. And furthermore, i can't bring in my own work which means i'm completely dependent on those senior to me to give me work to do, the hours to bill. It's a difficult balance - being diligent about finding work while also not be the nagging/annoying associate. Everyone is worried about hours, and since there aren't many to go around, being last on the totem pole is a disadvantage. Well yesterday i was faced with Day #3 of absolutely no billable work to do and starting to get really resentful of not being given anything to do despite my constant requests.

Because here's the deal guys, i know i have to PROVE myself. But how can i do that when it's impossible for me to work hard?? I know this may be hard for many to believe, but I ACTUALLY WANT TO WORK HARD. Because THIS is the time to do it! But i can't! And it's not my fault (for the first time in my life). And the thing is, i DO go above and beyond to try and work hard. I answer every email requesting an associate to do a project, i respond to partners who email on Friday afternoons for someone to work on something over the weekend, i try to do everything i can so that i can bill bill bill. It's not enough though. And i'm frustrated. Because not only do i feel worthless, but i feel like people don't see me for what i am - someone who's actually making a serious effort to work hard.

So, of course, that leads me into a downward spiral of "what the hell am i doing here" and "this is so not the right career for me" and "god could this day go by any slower" and "someone put me out of my misery". Now, don't get me wrong, i'm still me. I don't want to be put on projects that'll keep me in the office until 3 a.m.. What i do want is an opportunity to show my employers that i am capable of being a great associate* (and ok, maybe that will eventually involve some late nights, and that's fine). And more than that, i guess i want to feel like i am actually a valuable player in this whole game and that i'm not wasting my days on the internet FREAKING OUT about the number of hours i'm not billing. (Oh billable hour, how i loathe you.)

Ok, i'm done.


*Well, not quite. I have to say that I have been lucky enough to have been given a great deal of responsibility for a first-year associate, and i have been given great praise. I have been appreciated for the times i stepped up to the plate to do unpleasant tasks. And i know my own partner is happy with me. So okay, not all is awful, but if things keep up the way they do, they could quickly turn that way.

Stress: Bad for the Soul

Bonjour, friends. :-( I wish i had delightful news or fun pictures, but non, i regret i have nothing. Instead i have 3 new "URGENT!!" projects (all in diff. areas of the law, btw) and a week full of working mornings, days and nights ahead. I do have some beautiful pics of the bay house and lovely tales from the weekend, but those will have to wait for next time...

Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. Working out with Deb after work today

2. Death Cab for Cutie concert on Friday night

3. 90-minute deep tissue massage Saturday night (booked earlier this afternoon when stress level reached alarming high)

4. Healthier eating this week (and feeling better as a result)

What does your week look like?

Quickie

It took me about 20 minutes to get dressed this morning, which is a LONG TIME considering i wasn't getting dressed for a date or anything, just a normal Tuesday at work. My closet now resembles a Forever21 store. (you know, piles of clothes and hangers everywhere)

And? I hate my outfit today. It's one of those boring, skirt/tank/cardigan/scarf combos that is so matchy-matchy i feel like i belong in a Dillard's catalog. Le sigh. I desperately need Spring/Summer-friendly work clothes, but i hate spending $$ on crap i would have never bought in my former life.

All this being said, i AM still uber grateful for my job despite the fact that i'm spending my prime years forced to conform to this horrifically conservative and completely uninspiring notion of "business casual".

I abhor business casual.

The Office

My office is still ugly. Despite all my plans to turn it into a warm, cozy, soothing and inviting place, it still looks like a glorified prison cell (okay, maybe i'm slightly exaggerating). As i got up to refill my thinksport water bottle, i turned around and saw this...

Not. Attractive.

My goal? Something more like this...

Drew Barrymore's office as featured in Domino (RIP)

Positive Reinforcement

One of the things i loved most about elementary school was the extraordinary use of stickers in our day-to-day activities. Stickers could be good (remember getting a gold star?) and stickers could be bad (getting a number of them next to your name could indicate behavioral issues), but in the end, i loved them all. As a self-proclaimed sticker enthusiast (you should see my collection), i still use them in my everyday life. They decorate my planner pad, alerting me to important dates and appointments. They can be found all over any snail mail you may be lucky enough to receive from moi. They fill up a LOT of boxes. In short, i heart stickers.

Last summer, when i was studying for the BAR, i picked up some congratulatory stickers - you know the ones that say "A+!!" and "GOOD JOB!" and "Great improvement!" I used them when doing practice problems, and it really made BAR study cheerier (if that's even possible). I so often wish they would use them in the practice of law, as i find positive reinforcement of any kind TRES important to young associates. Unfortunately, most first-year's will tell you that it's hard to come by. Lucky for moi, i've been blessed with the good fortune to work for a partner who is not only the kindest man alive, but VERY GOOD about telling me what a great job i've done. Another partner in the firm for whom i do securities work every now and then tends to be a bit more introverted, and i'm never quite sure what he thinks of my work. (i must admit, he sort of terrifies me.) But not five minutes i nervously sat in his office and reported my findings. Not only did he give me a "that's great! exactly what i was looking for!", but he even SMILED! That's an A+ in my book.


P.S. Thanks for the lovely responses to the cable question!! I think you're right.. it's gotta go! Merci beaucoup for all the helpful feedback. You guys rock :-)

Bloom

On Monday i bought a small bunch of daffodils from Whole Foods (only $6.99, which is fairly cheap for Whole Foods). They looked like green stalks when I got them, but just 2 days later, and they are in full bloom! I literally watched them open yesterday. Fresh flowers brighten ANY space, and i hope to continue getting them on a weekly basis for my otherwise drab and dreary office.

First Tea

It's been an... interesting day, to say the least. Woke up with a sharp, stabbing pain in the right side of my abdomen. Worked out with Deb, which is always a fun/torturous experience ;-). And right after i stepped out of the shower, i checked my Blackberry (i.e. crackberry), and lo and behold what do i see? That i missed the first of a series of 8:30 a.m. Tuesday meetings. Well, SHIT. I could've sworn that started next week - oh wait, no. This week. Today. February 3. Awesome.

Fast forwarded several, somewhat grueling hours, and here i sit enjoying my first afternoon tea at work. Because i haven't gotten all i need for a proper tea, this will have to do. Earl Grey decaf (from a bag, but at least it's Mighty Leaf!)sans milk (boo) and the closest thing i could find to British biscuits - Whole Foods' organic lemon cookies. It's not quite as lovely as Holly's, but it's a nice change of pace. Soon i'll bake my own scumptious treats, brew loose tea, and bring some organic milk to work. All in good time...

Feed Me

Bonjour, friends. I hope y'all had a lovely weekend... As for me, i spent the majority of yesterday thinking it was Saturday. Don't ask me why or how, but believe me when i say the disappointing reality that it was, in fact, Sunday hit me hard. But i tried not to dwell on that feeling and instead, opted to focus on how i could make this workweek better than the last. For example, inspired by Holly and her lovely readers over at decor8, i'm going to start making "Afternoon Tea" a daily part of my workday. Around 3:30-4 i'm always (i) hungry, (ii) bored, and (iii) dying to get home. Well my sister, who works at Google (free lunch and dinner? yes, please!), is lucky enough to have treats for afternoon tea delivered to her office. I'll have to make do (aka make my own or buy something), but i can steal the idea! Plus afternoon tea is much better pour moi than afternoon coffee (not to mention cheaper). Potential problems/issues/annoyances? First, while there are a plethora of nearby sinks in the office, none have simple dishwashing soap and a sponge (which, of course, means i'll have to buy/bring them). Second, i want to use a nice teacup, not a styrofoam cup so i'll have to bring a few to keep at the office. Third, i prefer loose tea which means i'll need some sort of straining device... again, more stuff. I'll let you know how this "great idea" works out... Any helpful suggestions??

Another thing i've been trying to do for the past few weeks is to cook a big meal on the weekend that i can reheat during the week. Problem is, whatever i've made doesn't stay good/fresh all week so i need a mid-week solution that doesn't take much time/energy. I've never been a huge sandwich person, but i DO love paninis. So this week i'm going to attempt to make my first panini - tomato, mozzarella and basil pesto on delicious sourdough. Hopefully it'll look 1/10th as good as this...

Fashionista No More?

This afternoon, as i was grabbing a cup of delicious corn chowder from my favorite little bakery - Bakermans Bakery for those of you in Austin - the sweet lady who's always there to greet me complimented me on my "always fun and interesting outfits". I was both surprised and grateful for the comment, as it's been a long time since i've felt trendy/funky/fun at all. And although i admittedly enjoy the semi-grown up attire i've had to adopt since starting my job, i desperately miss dressing like a young 20-something should (i.e. the kickass chick above!). So please indulge moi as i reminisce about some of the things i miss the most...

~microminis (or minis of any kind, really)
~rugged boots with flow-y dresses
~really, really big hair (work hair is only semi-big and only on special days)
~bangles covering my arms
~leggings
~colorful tights (these days i only wear black, navy, brown or grey.. aka BORING)
~knee socks and leg warmers
~wearing my Uggs with everything in the winter
~edgy denim shorts
~hot pink streaks in my hair
~hot pink anything
~sexy tanks (um, sexy anything?)
~bare shoulders
~glitter

On a brighter note, i do SO appreciate the awesome comments i've been getting lately! It inspires me to blog more regularly, AND i love meeting (albeit virtually) all you fabulous, creative women. The blogging world is so unique, n'est ce pas? I've discovered oodles of fun new blogs (and incredible women who write them!) and promise to post an entry sharing the love. For now, back to work and dreaming about strutting the streets of London in head-to-toe TopShop!