At the Office

Something I can say without hesitation is that I really like my co-workers. I have some really awesome people that I work with. Smart, funny, incredibly accomplished, and we are all bonded. I swear there will be a reunion of sorts to get as all back together. in years to come. The last year of all our lives is reunion worthy.

Naturally these very smart people also share my love for all things sweet. So around the office we have become obsessed with the Sea Salt Caramel from Chop't. At 65 calories a piece, these little nuggets are heaven in two-to-three-bites. Bags of these have started appearing in desk drawers, and when you hit that breaking point, leave it to one of us, working in health care, to bring you a caramel.

They are perfection. Sweet. Salty. Chewy. Buttery. Delight.

 

 

Last night, it was a good friend, and co-workers final day before she moves on to the next great thing. To celebrate we headed too a rooftop bar, indulged in some summery cocktails and talked about how much we loved those caramels!

 



 

This morning it was super grey out. All I needed was a space needle out my window and I would have thought I was in Seattle! (A girl can dream right?). I hope we are headed into fall soon, skies like this make me lust for leggings, sweaters and a time when I can move my furniture back into it places since I can finally turn off the air conditioner. One can hope.

 

 

I have also been pretty busy at work, and I have neglected one of my favorite things! I forgot to flip the page on my royal wedding calendar!! So a few days later, I got to reveal this month's photo.

 

 

Now please excuse me while I got rummage through my purse to see if a lone caramel made it home with me this evening.





Already Wednesday

Kiss your life. Accept it. Just as it is.

Today.

Now.

So that those moments of happiness you're waiting for don't pass you by.

Found in 150 Love Notes to Make your Nearest & Dearest So Dog-Gone Happy!

Domination in an Evening

I've had back to back to back of really awful work days. Outside of my co-workers who know what is going on, I haven't really been able to talk to anyone about it. Well it is catching up with me. Monday night I baked brownies in an attempt to BTC ( bake to cope). Last night I watched 1.5 hours of mind numbing trash tv ( whoo teen mom finale!). Then tonight....we cleaned. When I clean past the normal wipe, dust, vacuum, pick-up, you know I am in a bad place. Mentally it makes me feel like I have control over at least the task at hand. Well tonight....I dominated.

Tonight I have:

• finished and cleaned up after an art project ( this may be the first art project I have completed in years!)
• Did my laundry
• Changed the sheets on my bed
• Vacuumed
• Picked up the main room
• Sorted through old magazines
• Organized all my paperwork for things I need to take care of
• Laid out my lunch for tomorrow

AND! When I was doing my laundry there was a pile of things someone was getting rid of and there was a little organizer. I hauled it up to my apartment and organized the space under my sink. It went from a dreaded niche of my apartment to organized and pulled together.

The pull out drawer is perfect to store all the things I need periodically.

I also had another IKEA storage bar that I bought months ago to try to reclaim 8 inches of precious counter space. Well BAM! Finally hung and reclaimed counter space is mine!

I'm feeling pretty good about the evening. I also feel a bit better. That control...never fails.

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Love It.

1) Siggi's Icelandic style Skyr (aka really yummy yogurt)

2) Nutella

When do I not love Nutella? Well, never. But this mini one came in a FREE snack pack I got on the plane last week. So good!

3) The latest photo of my niece.

Adorbs and I know you all secretly wish she was your niece. Back off. I saw her first.

4) Thinking about winter as the weather starts to get a bit nicer in DC and when I will get to use these:

Thanks again Mom & Dad for my birthday present!


5) These new loves. I love me some Toms, but my Saltwaters have a very special place in my heart

My Thoughts, Feelings and Lack Thereof.

It started awhile back. Noticing that my friends couldn't spend time together without everyone having a phone in their hands or on the table. Every subject of conversation was not complete without someone using their phone to look something up, show an email,  or finding a youtube video we were talking about. It started making me frustrated. In response, I started correcting my own behaviors: my phone remains in my purse when with friends at dinner, trying to call people more than tweet, text, email, facebook them, and generally just making sure my "social media life" isn't impacting the people that were tangibly right in front of me.

I feel like I do a good job being present and engaged when I am with people. Most of the time. I will be the first to admit I have days where I can't get off facebook, or evenings where I am texting, emailing away and my presence is half-assed. However, I have made an effort. I have recognized that the never ending stream of information about people, their lives, news, worthless crap could go on all day, and yet what really matters to me is spending quality, focused, and intentional time with the people who deserve all of me.

Even on phone calls, I am trying to be more focused. Giving the person on the other end, intentional (albeit sometimes brief), meaningful conversation. In-person, I strive to make sure I don't  make someone feel the way I feel when someone is choosing to pay more attention to the things happening on their phone than me.

We obviously live in a world where technology drives much of our lives, but I want my relationships back. I want to also feel like I am not asking too much of people to put away their phones and to have intentional, dedicated time with me. I'm tired of feeling like I am asking too much for phones, and computers to be put away. I am also tired of feeling like I have lost the ability to have a life outside of these "social" tools. I want to feel happy, invigorated, challenged, and connected after I spend time with someone or give someone a call. I want to take back control of having meaningful conversations that actually mean something, that contribut to my life, and made me think. Right now, I feel so stressed about not being funny enough, or engaging enough to deserve some one's full attention. And that. Is. Just. Sad.

Jenni's post today over at Story of My Life spoke to me with words I had been miserably failing to utter. I am glad she said something. I am glad I am saying something now. I want to join her in taking the effort to make my time "more intentional". I hope that you will all hold me accountable. Tell me to stop texting you and to call. Tell me that gchat is not an acceptable form of communication for speaking with your best friends (at least as the ONLY form of communication). Ask me why you've seen 11 tweets in 10 minutes. Tell me to put my phone away, or to go home if I have more important things to do. And tell me that it is ok for me to feel like I deserve the same from others.