The Joy Diet: TRUTH

Ouch! The truth sure does hurt. I was a bit anxious about last week's menu item, but wow did it come at a perfect time. I've been bombarded with oodles of truths in the past couple of weeks that have been difficult, hard to swallow but also liberating. The truth really does set you free, n'est ce pas? I wish I could discuss more here, but it's such a private issue. Let's just say that this exercise has been tres, tres good for moi. How did yours go?

Dreamboard: Full Harvest Moon

I got so busy last month that I wasn't able to do my September Full Corn Moon Dreamboard. BUT I made it a point to make time to create my October Full Harvest Moon Dreamboard, even in the midst of ACL madness. Voila!



For moi, collaging is such a fun, creative and peaceful activity. I get lost in it for hours and consider myself quite the expert. ;-) My tips for a great collage? Anytime you're flipping through a magazine, tear out images or words that speak to you and put them in a folder for later. When it comes time to collage, get them all out and start arranging. Layering images on top of each other is fun, and I always recommend using more images than you think will fit. Also, I try not to leave a lot of blank space and will often go hunting for more size-appropriate images in the middle of collaging. I also love to add extras - glitter glue, stickers, and ribbons galore! The most important thing is to HAVE FUN WITH IT! There are no bad collages, after all. :)

Bonjour, October!

Can you believe it's already October? I've said it before, and i'll say it again - 2009 is FLYING by at an almost terrifying speed. My one-year anniversary with the firm is in a few days - crazy!!

I love October for a number of reasons (the start of Fall, <100tres long time. As a kid, I adored Halloween. I mean dressing up in fun costumes and eating obscene amounts of candy? What's not to love?? But Halloween becomes something else entirely once you're of the post-trick or treating but pre-baby age. In short, it becomes Slut Fest 2000 whatever, as evidenced by the majorly ho-ed out girls at college campuses across the nation (or at least at UT). I admit, I'm guilty of it, too. My costume first year of law school was appalling (i went as a pussycat doll, as in the pre-singing group stage dancer. think corset, tiny bottoms, fishnets and TONS of makeup.).

Somewhere in late 2007, much to my mother's relief, I wised up and realized that slutty dressing for any occasion was a bad idea. (Seriously, I can't believe some of the stuff I wore to go bar-hopping... ew.) So now Halloween is just Halloween. I typically gorge myself with mini Snickers and candy corn and do something lame like stay in. Last year I dressed Lola up in a pumpkin t-shirt (sooo cute), and that was the extent of my Halloween festivities. This year I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I promise you this, I will not be walking the streets of downtown Austin. It's downright scary the things you can see...

Anyway, all that to say that it's October, and I'm not really into Halloween, BUT I am into goal-setting! My September wasn't that great on the goals front so i'm hoping to vamp up October. Let's revisit them, shall we?

September Goals:

~ Improve/reduce dining out spending - Yeah, not so much. I mean they didn't get worse, but they didn't get much better either.

~ Love my body as it is RIGHT NOW, not 5 years ago or sans 30 lbs, etc. Semi-success! Admittedly there were some low moments in front of the mirror, but I overcame them with a different attitude than before. This is a work-in-progress, my friends.

~ Finish book club books before book clubs meet (The Lovely Bones and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society). Yes! I loved TGLPPS (way too long of a name). I didn't read The Lovely Bones, but I've read it before so whatevs.

~ Create and stick to my Balancing Rules, aka the rules I have implemented in order to maintain balance in my life. As a dear friend said, I. Come. First. YES! And when work overwhelmed me, I canceled any and every obligation to ensure I could meet my deadline and maintain my sanity. Best. idea. ever.

~ Work on my morning ritual. Uh huh yeah absolute FAIL.

~ And most importantly, DO NOT FEEL GUILTY! Definite improvement, but another work-in-progress.

Okay I guess I didn't do too badly. But moving on...

October Goals

1. Stop swearing - i've been swearing like a sailor these days, and it's awful! I think it's so unclassy and crude, but for some reason the words keep popping out of my mouth, even in passing. Must stop.

2. Re-implement 11 p.m. lights out rule. I've been staying up soo late the past couple weeks! I blame the TV, which leads to me to my next goal...

3. Stop mindless channel surfing. The curse of free cable is that i'm so terrified it'll go away that i keep it on ALL the time. This inevitably leads to a late bedtime and a drastic decrease in productivity. From now on, i will watch my fave shows and that's IT!

4. Find balance. I'm struggling a great deal with finding balance. I let myself get so overwhelmed and stressed by certain work projects that the rest of my life suffers. A lot. Must remember that i have control and can maintain my sanity by finding balance amidst the chaos.

5. Work. Out. I've been majorly slacking in this area, and it should be a priority. I went to yoga for the first time in awhile on Monday, and i've never felt better (despite my soreness - ouch). My running class starts Oct. 12 and meets every Monday night and Saturday morning. I know me, and I know I'll want to skip so I'm making it a goal of mine to stick with it!

6. And last, but certainly not least, focus on MOI. I mentioned before that I'm working on being obsessed with myself. I'm not sure how else to describe this phenomenon except to say that i have a history of becoming infatuated with others (from celebrities to fellow bloggers to yes, Rachel Zoe). I realize that my obsessions tend to breed when something in my life isn't going so well. In other words, I become obsessed with their lives in order to escape mine. Most of the time the obsessions are harmless and fun, BUT I no longer want to escape my life. I want to live it, enjoy it, revel in it! Me and my life? We're pretty fabulous, too.

So tell me, dear friends. What are your October goals?

Award Season!

It's that time again - award season!! Too bad I don't have RZ to find moi the perfect gown... Ok i promise, no more RZ talk until next Monday. ;-)

I've been awarded 2 fun awards by 2 fabulous ladies, and i thought i'd better do this post before the craziness of ACL weekend begins.

First, the Seu blog e magic (your blog is magic) from Jules. What a cute award, no?? I am dying for that little mushroom house - reminds me of old school Nintendo! Merci, Jules. There are no rules as to how many people to pass it to, SO I thought I'd award a new blogger who I am just LOVING. She's been a twitter friend for awhile now, and her words always make moi smile.

Congrats to Kaileen Elise!! Your blog truly IS magic, darling. xoxoxo

Second, the Kreativ blogger award that I received from the gorgeous Crystal (or as I like to call her, Tay Tay). This award does require that I post requisite seven things about myself. The problem with these awards is that y'all already know SO much about me! So I'll try to be "kreativ" here, but forgive moi if you're already bored.



1. I sort of hate Starbucks (for various reasons, some valid, some ridiculous), BUT I still go there because it's: (1) in my building (and everywhere else) and (2) i like to get a grande misto, half soy, half nonfat.


2. I find that most people prefer either tea or coffee, but rarely both. I, on the other hand, ADORE both, but I probably drink coffee on a more regular basis (aka every morning). However, as the weather cools I find myself craving steamy mugs of tea in the afternoon and evening. My fave? La duree melange loose tea + touch of cream. Heaven!


3. I'm on my third Blackberry in less than a year. The first one I dropped whilst running to the car post-ballet (b/c it was FREEZING outside). The second was stolen right before my very eyes (practically). And the third is happily sitting on my desk, begging for some pink bejeweling...


4. I rarely write in black ink, even at work. I much prefer sparkly pinks, purples, blues and greens. (Yes, even at work...)


5. I don't drink diet drinks, and if I do crave soda, I opt for a Mexican coke or Dublin Dr. Pepper. Both are insanely delicious.


6. I don't eat meat either. However, I would probably eat it if I were in Europe (their meat standards are much higher than ours) or if I were eating it at Ma Soeur's (b/c she actually buys a cow off a local farm that she's visited). Then again the killing of animals, as you know, kind of freaks me out in general so who knows...


7. I have free cable (i know, you know), and my fave shows to watch are: Friends, Law & Order CI and SVU, The Rachel Zoe Project, Barefoot Contessa (altho I have yet to actually catch an episode -argh), CSI, Gossip Girl, The City, and Project Runway (altho i'm way behind on this one).



There you go! Oh and I'm passing this award to the following seven bloggers whom I love and adore and cannot get enough of:


1. Kylie Grethen of the ooh la la lifestyle


2. Celia of life according to celia


3. Rachel of and if it's a hero that you want...


4. Stephanie of Bonjour Madame


5. Analise Marie of Tulips and Tea


6. Michele of You and Me and Lucy


7. Lexi of ellecubed

RZP

If you hate all things silly and girly and reality TV-y and especially if you hate Rachel Zoe herself, then please ignore this post, and don't write me off as a crap blogger, okay??

If, on the other hand, you adore (or at least find amusing) Rachel Zoe and her fab and highly entertaining show, The Rachel Zoe Project, then please grab a seat. :)

Last night's episode, for lack of better words, pissed. me. off. Normally I could care less about the actual issues that arise (let's be honest, i watch the show for the antics and for the to-die-for fashion), but I couldn't help but get a little emotional last night. And this is why.

For those of you that watched, you saw RZ take the totally lame and passive aggressive route (for the record, i hate passive aggressiveness.) re: deciding which assistant would accompany her to Paris Fashion Week. First, she told Tay and Brad to "figure it out between them," and then she told Tay that because she was senior, she should decide who gets to go. I mean... Taylor has worked with RZ for 3+ years (and is amazing at her job), and Brad has worked for RZ one year. WHY IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION?

Because of ratings, my friends (or at least that's my theory). Because in real life (aka sans cameras), there would be no question as to who would go to Paris because obviously that'd be Taylor. But for the sake of drama and ratings and all this hubbub about Tay hating her job and wanting to leave, they had to stir up some first class drama. Me no likey. This is when "reality" shows go to pot. I understand that most things are beefed up or dramatized to some extent with all reality shows, but I guess I just hoped this one would be different. Silly moi.

This obviously doesn't mean I'm going to stop watching because HELLO, next week's episode actually takes place in Paris, only my most favorite city in the world!! Bonjour beautiful city, bonjour Chanel runway, bonjour RZ and all her couture ensembles! I. Die.

P.S. I promise I'm still smart. Promise.

Happy Monday!

Word on the Tweet street is that a lot of people are suffering from the Monday blues. In an effort to combat those myself, I'm making a Happy Monday List mandatory! Voila what's making moi happy right now...

1. Truth - It's the next chapter in The Joy Diet, and it's already making itself known in my life in so many ways. I thought it'd be scary, and yes it is a little bit, but it's also liberating.

2. Family and besties - Despite my sister being in Australia, my besties being several hours away and one in Hawaii of all places, and my Mom being uber busy at work, they have all managed to be there for me during some difficult times in the last couple weeks. So much love for them!!

3. ACL - is this weekend, and it's my first time! This is what Austin's known for, people, amazing live music. My boy BFF from DC is heading down Thursday night, and I can't wait to see him!

4. Jennifer - The ONLY person who has managed to get me on a budget (and stick to it!), a previously impossible feat! She's also coming to visit Austin in a couple months, and I'm SO excited to show her my city. :)

5. My Night - Anusara yoga class after work (one of the most challenging classes EVER, seriously) and then indulging in fab Monday night TV - GG and my fave RZP.

What's making you happy on this moody Monday?

Joy Diet: The Art of Nothing

After months and months of plenty of time for doing "nothing," of course this past week was one in which I could barely find time for sleep, let alone nothing. Ah, c'est la vie. So maybe I wasn't able to do nothing for 15 minutes every day, but when I did, it was beyond divine.

As I suspected, my bed (and my couch which is actually a daybed) became my go-to nothing havens. Last night, after a particularly stressful day, I opened the windows, lit a candle, and then crawled into my daybed with a huge comforter (it's actually been chilly here in Austin - amazing!). I didn't sleep, I didn't turn something over in my head over and over, I simply did nothing... for like 30 minutes! Amazing, friends. Amazing. (Oh and it didn't hurt that little Lola was snuggled against moi.)

How was your week of nothing? Are you excited or scared for what's on next week's plate: truth? I'm more than un peu nervous...