Whatever Wednesdays...

A collection of tips, memos and randomness!

1) After using many different brands of face wipes... (My staples being Target brand and Burts Bees "The ones with the White Tea extract") I've been using baby wipes as makeup remover wipes... I will only be using these until further notice. Amazing!

2) I'm allowing myself one extremely casual - dress down day a week. Yes, I have that luxury but I don't abuse it! Sometimes a compression pant is necessary for an active day! Oh and with that comes a headband and a sweet little side bun! Anyone just need it once and awhile?

3) Much to your curiosity, I have tried the pumpkin spice Oreo... And I HATED it.
Not for me. Not okay to destroy a classic lol. (This is also coming from the girl - who never liked any of the other varieties either) What did you think?

4) I am on a witch hunt for the perfect blanket scarf. However I've purchased 3 other scarves during my journey! (Fashion Friday will have more on this) Anyone find a good one at a decent price?

5) I lost one of my treasured notebooks... I haven't really brought it up because I don't want to get upset. But I asked the Mr. if he had seen it and he hadn't. I think when I knew he didn't have it, I knew it was long gone. Very emotional about this

6) I started a new show. I should clarify... I binge watched a new show. Thankful for on demand, I was able to catch up in time for the next episode. (which is this Thursday evening) I had wanted to watch it when Fall lineups were released but forgot? Odd, but who knows! All I do know is "How to get away with murder" is awkwardly addicting! Anyone else?!

7) I'm lusting over the ENTIRE SJP shoe collection. Can't even believe I'm saying... I might ask Santa for these!

8) HGTV is my drug of choice... And maybe you hadn't heard but now it's offered some of it's hit shows on Netflix! Ahhh

daring to go there

as you know i'm always writing...

but the posting is what i deliberate on!

this last batch has been sitting in drafts for too long

and seeing as the nature of the topics/titles

i can understand my shy-ness with it!

some of it is a little, intense

not political or controversial type of intense

but, poignant

moving

maybe bitchy

100% rejuvenating

i was loving it, i was working it. over editing just being myself!

but then i was outed!

i say that, because someone who read the title page 

said so themselves! (can't wait to hear what you all think)

they used the phrase "gasp worthy" 

now what do i do?!

they also asked where i was sharing all of these pieces...

i decline to comment on that part!

simply because - i'm not sure yet.

but i do love a good jaw dropping moment, don't you?!

guess we'll just have to wait and see how much turns up here.

;-)

inspiration in all places

if you follow me on instagram you know i love my notebooks!

i try to not hoard them
BUUUUUT i really can't help it sometimes! #yikes

on my usual marshalls/tjmaxx haul

(which i'm not sure if it's become bi-weekly or if its monthly now?!)

i stumbled across these very inspirational beauties!

do you find that a pretty little space 

makes for the best of your writing and brings you good vibes?!

show off your fancy journals on instagram so i can see! :)

PS*secretsheadquarterstourcomingsoon 

adventurous autumn bucket list

last year i made you a little pretty  "to-do" list of autumn essentials
that i think make the season so much better!
 but how about the many things to see and places to go!\

are you ready?!

check your planners, contact your crew and grab your coat!
you have PLANS! ;-)

(all light blue will link to official sites)

Central Perk 
COULD I BE ANY MORE EXCITED?!
only a few days left to have a great cup of coffee on the same couch
as the fabulous 6, maybe you'll run into gunther?!

Bear Mountains Oktoberfest 

as if Bear Mountain couldn't be any prettier
take in the sights, shop the vendors, 
enjoy some good ol' polka and get your dance on after indulging in some german faves
the foliage should be just perfect this weekend right about now!
but don't forget your steins & the tums!

Walking It Out

the temps will be ideal this weekend
so get your sneaks and maybe your camera
head to any, maybe all of these gorgeous trails & parks for a view of fall
you'll be sure to break a sweat while your at it! 

who didn't love the legend of Sleepy Hollow 
growing up about 10 minutes from there, i was a little scared as a youngin' 
but i love the tale now!

get your spooky on and head to the most epic of hayrides!

The Great Jack O'Latern Blaze

i love the beauty of these pumpkins, if only i had those carving skills
even the kids will love this outing! 
every year i want to go, and it never pans out...

but this year it has to happen!
~~~~
looking for something a little more casual?
stay tuned for more fall fun in your own backyard!
<3

the bold and the beautiful

well we covered our nails... 

so pucker up and toss those rosey pink shades to the side!

there's a new sheriff in town ;-)

wait, you didn't think i was just going to leave this out...did ya?!

these are my personal favorites for fall!

1.buxom "big & healthy lip stick"  in BROOKLYN

2. elf "JUMBO LIP GLOSS STICK" in MOVIESTAR

3. elf "LIP STAIN" in BERRY BLUSH

4. maybelline "shiny*licious" in CHOCOLATE CHERRY

5. wet n wild "natural lip shimmer" in MAPLE 105

5. buxon "full on lip cream" in KIR ROYALE 

6. nars "lip laquer' in MEDEA 

fall polish favorites...

well it's about that time...

personally i took to it a little early this season and did so with a BANG!

(been rocking OPI's lincoln park after dark since October 2nd) 

these are just a few of my favorites to rock this season!

what are yours? any classics that i'm missing?!

happy manis gals <3

Confessional

As someone who doesn't believe in diets, I've never had a reason to have this experience...
But I am coming off the heels of my first actual, CHEAT WEEKEND.

And yes, I am calling it that and I will tell you why!

I am someone who did go on "diets" in the past, but as most of you probably know...
The second you "call it something" out the damn window it goes!

Truth be told, I was coming down with something early last week.
So to start I was slightly exhausted, beyond anxious and incredibly off schedule.
My BFF was getting married, I had some bridesmaid dress drama 
and I didn't give myself anytime to get those little extras done. 

Lets kick this journey off  with some pasta and bread and alcohol at the rehearsal dinner on Thursday!  I never eat 2 of those things together. EVER! And I very rarely drink, but will in moderation!

On Friday morning, at bridal party headquarters... There was a bagel, (and fruit and chicken wraps which I did enjoy - but were focusing on the crap I ate) There was maybe 2 mimosas, perhaps 3. A beer or 2 on the ride to the wedding (can you say party bus?!) pasta probably 2 times at cocktail hour, several white wine spritzers, many a MORE glass of champagne AND maybe a beer or 2 at the actually wedding. I  can say I had an amazing time... But wow, a little extra indulgence on my part had me feeling a little crazy! Thank god for dancing my butt off right?!  (sweat, sweat, sweat - but that makeup didn't budge off my face!)

( I want to also include that I went to bed around 3am on Friday into Saturday - Woke up at 7:15am on Saturday morning! ) That brings us into Saturday where I catapulted myself into more gluttony. Some read this as awesome-ness - I consider it a nervous breakdown!
Indulged in a breakfast outing (that DID NOT include egg whites and/or veggies) then indulged in greasy, fried and cheesy appetizers with friends for "linner" early that afternoon accompanied by an angry orchard! A venti (non skim) iced pumpkin latte at Starbucks and a birthday cake pop, popcorn at the movies (I did drink a seltzer though - because a diet coke that large makes me incredibly uncomfortable!)

Finally I slept... Saturday to Sunday there was an incredible 7 hours
I could have and should have stuck it out for more but whatever...

Sunday morning, I woke up and I literally have never felt SICKER.
As you would imagine, I was definitely in a food coma, maybe still hungover and clearly EXHAUSTED. I couldn't breathe, my head was pounding and everything just hurt.
I was fortunate enough to have my mom make a pot of homemade chicken soup which made everything better, of course! But I couldn't wait to food shop, sleep and run!

I never noticed how off you could SOOOOOO feel from not being on your game!
I've always supported allow vs. deprive, I watch my portions, and eat clean and fresh as often as possible. That is my normal routine (if you will), I will pick and choose what I am okay with eating. (Ex. If I want a carb with dinner, I'll hold off on dessert.) I'm pretty good about my eating patterns, and my liquid consumption is water or seltzer at all times.

I won't say I hated the indulgence, I just didn't feel my best!
I wasn't worried that I took a step in the wrong direction with this "cheating/ gluttonous weekend" of mine but it really put into perspective how much progress I've made. And how much my body enjoyed routine and the finer green things!
I've been losing weight for the greater part of the last year.
I've been rather proud of my commitment to myself, however stress does take a toll, big time!

I won't be indulging like that anytime soon but geeze,
now that I got it off my chest - I do feel much better!
I was really almost beating myself up over it when I looked back for a minute.
And yes, I've ran several miles since Sunday :-)

Ever had a crazy weekend like this of your own?!
How did you feel, how did you heal?
Did you recover quickly... <3

Just Be...

On the heels of last weeks post on allowing myself to be

and waking up to a milestone of sorts, here are all the things on my brain today. 

Things that may apply to you, no matter what your circumstance or position in life is.

Challenged and changed aren't negative terms in my life any longer.

I am empowered and I am proud as all f*cking hell.

I used to think nothing was worse than these following things :

Your parents getting divorced, not getting prom queen, 

not getting into the college of your dreams, falling for the wrong man,

and being betrayed by someone you never thought would take you for granted.

I have seen it all, 27 years of life and 2014 has literally stole the show.

Things can be worse then what I listed above.

Most of your life, you see things as trivial. 

You think you are untouchable, and nothing can shake you.

However we each have our own idea of tragic and trivial.

That is, until tragedy really strikes.

But we all learn the difference in our ways and in our own time.

If there is anything I've learned over the past 9 months... 

It is to JUST BE. 

Be myself, 

be strong, 

be happy, 

be mad, 

be curious, 

be protective, 

be smart, 

be a bitch, 

be careful, 

be in the moment, 

be aware, 

be funny, 

be witty, 

be sassy, 

be courageous, 

be whatever my heart and mind wants me to be 

and 

BELIEVE. 

Because life can change in a minute, people come and go.

People turn out to be something they aren't, or turn out to be better than imagined. 

You get put in weird situations.

Tested and pushed in all directions.

Your faith will be shaken many times. ( a day!)

God gives you things you never knew you would need.

He takes you down a path of uncertainty and despair but he has a plan for you. 

I've found SO much of myself in grief. 

I AM A better person, even though I am changed. 

No matter how lost and confused I can be at times.

 I know myself and I stayed true to what I've always known... 

And I simply just want to BE.

Allowance

In the haze of life moving, no matter how much I wish it could pause, just even for a minute. In a haze of everything always happening, weekends with events and days of work that I needed so badly before they stopped. Appointment, calls and interviews and deadlines a plenty. I finally crashed. It was weird. I was a wreck, but it was destined to happen. Why? Because I couldn't tell which end was up and which was down anymore.

I didn't know if I was in the right place sometimes. 
It was getting bad. But I just kept going.
For the record, two times I was in the wrong place.

Not a single person reached out and asked what was going on. But they couldn't have asked, because they didn't know. Not a single person noticed. I handle crisis and chaos so casually its pretty alarming for myself to even admit, let alone here on my blog - for god knows who to read.

It's not that I was hiding or faking it, its just that I was too brave for my own good. I thought I needed to constantly juggle. Anything and everything that crossed my path. 

And begrudgingly, make it work! 

I never allowed myself to have moments of saying no, or backing down to things, I didn't let weakness come over me much. I never accepted that I have had major "things" happen to my life and that I could  change. I could be different, I could be affected.  I could have moments, be weak one minute and stronger, knocking shit down the next...

It wasn't until recently that I was having a conversation with someone (someone, that I truly look up to and adore) she said to me... "It is okay. You are a changed person, you don't need anyone's permission to live anymore".

That was it, that was all she said. And it was all I needed to hear.

Tragedy and trials mold and shape you more then you can even realize.
I just kept trying to move with the happenings.

Life isn't a chore,that you get allowance for.
I am not working toward anything that I want compensation or approval for.
I am living, some days confused, many happy, but majority in transition.
I have my goals, my morals and my dreams close to my heart.
But what I didn't have was the allowance that I could shut down and be a changed person.

I wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize it, but I'm glad I got the time...
Because at the very least, I found more courage in the process.

Have you ever experienced something similar to this?
Have you ever not ALLOWED yourself the time to simply, just be?

hello october...

i may have made the great transfer, but i am finally back at my desk! 

feels good to be in my space again, we're getting along quite swimmingly.

as i write this, i have on blue "doctor gloves" doing a deep conditioning treatment to my cuticles and softening up my hands. there is a vanilla nutmeg candle burning beside me

a sparkly fake pumpkin sitting near my lamp. playing over my phone is kanye & jay-z radio... my ideal writing music lately lol! hey don't knock it til ya try it!

so here we go, october 1st!

hello long lost love of mine, the fall! 

to do lists are in order, calendar of events in place, fall fashion to lust after

and multiple posts a week, which is a first in a long time!

i have written some amazing-ness that i am excited to share over the coming month. 

maybe a serious turn for me and this lovely little journey...

as you know from instagram

 the #SECRETSPHOTOADAY photo challenge has just started!

and i'm super excited about it, i think there will be amazing turnout for this one :)

feel free to join along if you haven't already!

hope you all will enjoy the lineup for Secrets this fall

and i can't wait to see your photo challenges 

;-)  . <3