Life Lately | Fall

While I do enjoy November, October is arguably one of my most favorite months of the year and I am a little sad to see it go. But then again, I have a tendency to say that about most months from about May through December (yes, this means that in my books, January through April generally suck. Except the parts in January where we celebrate my birthday).

This year, I sadly haven't been up to many "fall-ish" activities like usual. Sure, I've had my fair share of pumpkin spice iced coffee and I did stop at a pumpkin patch for about a total of 5 minutes, but other than that...we haven't done much celebrating of this favorite (ok, probably second favorite) season of mine. Don't fret! There is still time to light the fall candles, sip tea in my favorite chair, and awe at the changing leaves.

Fall has a tendency to make me nostalgic for some reason. Anyone else? Maybe it is life generally slowing down from the busy-ness of summer fun, but each time late September or early October rolls around, I find myself being reflective about life and wanting to watch comforting shows that I have loved for years (like Gilmore Girls and How I Met Your Mother, my go-to's).

Here are some things we have done/that have happened so far this fall:
- I went out to the Sacramento area to visit my animal-loving aunt
- Someone rear-ended me in my beautiful new car (all is well now though!)
- We went to San Diego for my dad and uncle's surprise 65th birthday party
- Dai and I played on a new co-ed softball team together, our second team we've been on together
- I got into a great workout/healthy(ish) eating routine that I love
- Dai's kitchen flooded and is in the process of being repaired/remodeled/AKA everything is chaos
- I finished some cool projects at work that I am pretty proud of
- We went to a live show of the My Favorite Murder podcast (my fave!!!)
- Dai and I went on a mini weekend trip to Sonoma to celebrate a close family friend's birthday
- At work we had a week of workshops/meetings where we got our whole team together in one location (we all work across the country) and had lots of fun going to dinner every evening
- I discovered I love sheet masks
- We went on some nice dates
- I've read some good books
- We went out for a wine tasting day with my friend Nathalie and her boyfriend
- I've hardly slept in my own bed
- I forgot to go to jury duty and had a small panic attack about it (it all worked out though!)


We technically still have nearly two months of fall left, so we shall see what else happens :)

How has your fall been?

Life Lately | June

June. Somehow I blinked and it was already June. It seems like I was just curling up inside, hiding from the cold, and now I am planning a summer of outdoor adventures and time spent by the pool. Time can be a funny thing.

I hate that it always seems that when I pop back up here in this space, it has been so long that I feel the need to update you on what has been going on in my life. But alas, here we are again, virtually strangers. Let's see...the last you heard from me was April, the 19th to be exact. This was shortly after I had returned from spending some time in San Diego and had bought a new car. I had also shared just a bit about my dad's health problems that we were learning about at the time.

Since then, my dad has had quadruple bypass open heart surgery and is recovering very well. We had no idea that the blockage that was found in his arteries would end up being something so extreme, but we are all glad that this was caught early enough and that he was able to quickly act and have the surgery. I spent another two weeks down in San Diego at the beginning of May to be with him and my family during the surgery and those first weeks of recovery. The time leading up to the surgery was definitely stressful and scary and took an emotional toll on me and my family, but once he was out of surgery and awake, we could all let out a breath of relief. He went home after 5 days in the hospital and has been doing really great ever since. He will be going through a lengthy rehab process, but we all feel very blessed that it went so well and that he is back to being like him old self again, which didn't take long at all :)

Literally right after I got home from San Diego, I took a short nap and then went off to see Taylor Swift! I was gifted a ticket from my close family friends for Christmas and I had been waiting since then for the day to finally arrive. I wasn't really sure what to expect from Taylor in concert, especially since I have been a fan for 10 years and her style has changed so much since then, but my MIND WAS BLOWN. It was honestly more than I could have ever even imagined. Say what you want about Taylor Swift, but that girl is TALENTED. And passionate. And pretty all around amazing if you ask me. I really wasn't into her latest album when it came out, but after seeing her perform most of it live and understanding the context of it all more...I really see that Taylor is still the same Taylor, but she has just grown and developed. It was such an amazing night and I am so happy I finally got to see her perform live!

Less than a week after I returned from San Diego and saw Taylor Swift, Dai (remember him? my cute Japanese boyfriend??) and I flew up to Seattle for a weekend away with our two friends who are also a couple. I plan on sharing more about our trip, but for now I will just say that we had a really fun time and that even though I had been to Seattle twice before, I saw it from a different perspective.

In the few weeks since our Seattle adventure, Dai and I have both been just trying to relax and get a handle on life, really. I've been doing things around my apartment and trying to feel organized again. I'm adjusting back to my work week routine of actually going into the office more regularly, rather than working from the hospital, my dad's house, Seattle, coffee shops, wherever there's wifi... We stayed local for Memorial Day and just did whatever we felt like doing, like going to Santa Cruz for brunch and to play on the beach with Marly, and having my family over for a BBQ. Last weekend we went on a hike in San Francisco and I had a day of solo adventuring. This past weekend we went to the county fair and to see Ocean's 8 (loved it!).

It's been getting warm out and I've been enjoying the taste of summer that we have been experiencing here in San Jose. I can't wait for more weekends of relaxing by my pool and mixing up summer cocktails to enjoy while I do so. We have some fun things planned for the coming months and we are determined to have an amazing summer.

Well, that's pretty much all that's been going on in life lately. On Wednesday I am flying down to San Diego (with my Marly!) for a long weekend and will work for part of the time I'm there and will hang out with my family the rest. I'm looking forward to seeing my people and spending Father's Day with my dad for the first time in a few years!

How has life been for you? Do you have anything fun planned?

P.S. I also chopped my hair off while I was in San Diego in May and I am LOVING my shorter hair. It is so fun and feels much healthier! I just needed a change and decided to go for it.

Happy List | 19

Happy Thursday, friends! Thursday is pretty great in that it's-almost-friday kind of way, right?! Like the last several weeks, this week flew by. We spent last weekend down in LA with Dai's sister and nephew (and parents who were visiting from Japan) since they were getting ready to move to Hawaii this week, so after getting home late Sunday evening, we had to jump straight into the work week.

Life has been moving quickly lately, but it has also been really good in many ways. Through the busy-ness and curveballs, I've been trying to do my best to savor the little things that make me smile.

Happy List | 18

I know for a lot of people that January can be a pretty dull month. For me though, it is always one of my favorites. I enjoy the start of a new year and of course, I love my birthday! We always end up having a great month filled with fun things going on.

Hey, Remember Me?

Well, it has been nearly six months since my last post. I am not really sure how that happened. This year has been pretty hectic, yet also really good so far.

Some highlights...
+ I hustled hard this past semester and finished with stellar grades
School swallows up most of my time and this past semester was particularly busy. I did my best to stay focused and organized though, and ended up with my best grades yet since transferring from community college. It felt really good to finish on a high note!

+ I stopped nannying
This is sort of something that just happened and not something that I was planning on (not yet anyway). Back in March, I lost my job with a family I had been nannying for over a year. I really liked them and was planning on working with them until at least the end of the school year, but one weekend they called me and said they didn't need my help anymore since the dad had been laid off of his job. That was it. I saw them again when I dropped off their key and haven't spoken to them or heard anything from them since. I had a really difficult time with it because I couldn't believe that they could just drop me so fast and I had built a very close relationship with their little girl in particular. I was definitely blind sided by this, but I learned a lot from the experience and am happy to be moving on towards a career in my field.

+ I graduated from college!
After 5 years of college, I finally did it! Sometimes it truly felt like I would never graduate. I always did my best through school, but it just seemed to take so long and to be so stressful and grueling... It was a wonderful, perfect day that I will always cherish the memory of! I will share more about my graduation soon :)

+ Dai and I went to Japan!
A few days after my graduation, Dai and I headed to Japan for two whole weeks. If you recall, we went to Japan back in 2014 and ever since, Dai has been begging for us to visit again. It is hard to tell a Japanese boy 'no' when it comes to visiting his home country ;) We had a really great time and I have lots of photos to share soon!

+ I started a design internship
When we got back from Japan, I started an internship at the company I interned at last summer. Last summer, I interned on a marketing team though and this year I am on the creative team, which is my field. It feels good to finally get some experience in a design team! This internship will be through the end of August, so I am also looking for my next opportunity.

It is kind of a long story, but I also got a new roommate and that has been an interesting transition. She just moved here to California from Texas and I am hopeful that we will be a good roommate match! I am really happy to have resigned my lease and to not be moving yet again. I love my apartment and it really feels like home to me. Maybe I will finally get around to giving you all a little tour...

I've really been enjoying this summer and have been trying to soak up all of the things I love about this season. So far I have spent many days by the pool, have hung out with friends, and have developed a nice tan. We even made some travel plans for next month to celebrate Dai's 30th birthday (!!!) and our 6th anniversary (!!).

As far as blogging goes, I'm not really sure what my place is in the blogging world anymore, but now that I am not bogged down with school assignments, something inside me wants to write in this space. I can't say that I will be writing here regularly again, however I feel that you may see more from me. The blogging world has changed so much since I first started off in it back in 2012, and truthfully some of those changes have made me sad and not really interested in being part of it. It seems that so many people have abandoned their blogs or have only sponsored posts or "fluff" post after fluff post like "5 Tips for               ".  I feel like a lot of the authenticity is sadly gone.

When/if I do end up writing regularly again, I am definitely going to have a much more relaxed approach to it. This is a hobby for me and not something I am trying to make my full time job. I enjoy working with brands and growing my audience, but I care most about authenticity and being myself. I want to be able to share what's on my mind or what is going on in my life and not be worried that it doesn't fit my "niche" or "vibe."

So that's pretty much all that I have been up to lately and all I have to say for now... You'll be seeing more of me around here :)

xoxo

Jess

Life Lately // August

HELLO!!! Here we are, almost done with another month and I have blogged about a total of 3 times... All I can say is that this entire year has been a wonderful whirlwind! Though August is not yet over, it has been such an amazing month and I am here to fill you in!

First of all, I am 100% moved into my new apartment and am pretty much settled. So far I am loving living with my friend Laura :) It is so different to actually like the people you live with and aside from staying with Dai, I can't say I've felt that in the past two years! I enjoy having time alone at home, but I am also like "When is Laura coming home?" I miss hanging out with her when she isn't there haha. It has also been so great getting to build a household from scratch and getting to decide (with Laura's input of course) where everything goes or how we want things. I love it! Plus, there's a pride that comes along with having your own place, like wanting everything to be neat and clean! I am now realizing just how much my dad's particular-ness rubbed off on me after 20 years of living with him haha.

Aside from the apartment stuff, I also finished my 10 week internship, which really felt like an accomplishment! It was a really great experience and I am so thankful that I was given that opportunity. I loved meeting so many new people, working in an office environment, and learning about so many different fields I had no clue about. I am definitely looking forward to having another internship sometime soon!

The biggest thing that happened this month was definitely our trip to HAWAII!!! Oh man, I can't even begin to describe how amazing it was and it is going to get a couple posts of its own very soon. It was my first time there and believe it or not, Dai actually surprised me by taking me! He is just the sweetest. We had the best time and are already scheming up ways for us to go again soon...but I should probably graduate college first :)

Speaking of college, my last year of school started on Wednesday! I was not looking forward to school starting, especially after just getting back from vacation, but now I am trying to get psyched about it haha. My schedule isn't terrible and my classes actually seem interesting! I am taking a mass communication class (where we are going to learn how to make blogs (insert crying face emoji) and other things), a food culture class, an architecture history class, an electronic media class, a hip hop dance class, and probably a latin dance class! I know those last two probably threw you off! I have never taken a dance class in my life, but I need a couple PE credits and figured why not?! :)

Other than that, I've been working on my August goals and have been dabbling with the ukulele just for fun! It has been pretty cool actually and I hope I can keep learning more! Marly is also doing well and is as cute as ever :) He loves our apartment! I've been reading more which has been making me happy and I've been going to our pool often. I used to have a pool, but I definitely took it for granted, so it is really wonderful having such a nice pool after two years without one, especially since I live in a pretty warm area! Soaking up every last bit of summer while it is still here :)

Well, I think that pretty much covers it for this month! How has your month been?

xoxo

Jess

Currently // June

Now that this month is coming to a close, I thought it would be nice to take some time to reflect on how June has been and to document some things that happened...

Reading... The book Brooklyn. I have had it for several months now and am slowly getting into it.
Playing... Sudoku on my phone. I had never played before, but while I was in Chicago I gave it a shot and now I'm addicted.
Watching... The Bachelorette and the new season of Pretty Little Liars. What can I say, I just love trashy TV haha
Trying... To make plans for our anniversary getaway and for a trip I may be taking with some friends. So many details to work out!
Cooking... Everything on the grill! I grilled tri-tip and veggies by myself for the first time the other day and now I want to grill allllll the things. So yummy! 
Eating... Yummy catered breakfast and lunch at my internship everyday. Yes, we are very spoiled.
Drinking... Vanilla coffee. We have awesome coffee machines at work and I am trying to not get hooked on caffeine!
Texting... My sister because she is awesome and I miss her.
Pinning... Branding inspiration for a bakery I am designing things for!
Going... To bed early these days because I have been so tired from working so much!
Loving... Swimming pretty much every afternoon at my nanny job! Makes those 10 hour work days a lot better!
Hating... The fact that I have to get some stuff done to my car this week which just means $$$.
Discovering... What I am really interested in for a career and also what I do not want. 
Thinking... Of all the things I would like to accomplish this summer and that I should probably write them down so I can start working on them!
Feeling... Generally happy about life right now! Good things are going on.
Hoping (for)... A miracle to happen and I find a place to move to soon!
Listening (to)... The Gilmore Guys podcast. I still have not caught up to the present day episodes, but I have been loving listening to them while I drive everyday! Plus, with the GG revival coming, it's been extra nice getting ready for that!
Ordering... That pink donut pool float and other things from Amazon because Amazon is king. Gotta love that Prime shipping! My sister also introduced me to Jane.com and that site is dangerous too!
Thanking... Myself for finally getting a new iPhone. I love it! Oh, and Dai for putting up with my antics :)
Considering... Taking off on an adventure this weekend! It is a holiday weekend after all, so why not?
Starting... To blog more often! I have really missed blogging consistently and would like to get back into it!
Finishing... This post because I should probably get back to my actual work ;)

All in all, June has been a great month! It flew by way too quickly though and I just want summer to slow down a bit! I'm excited to see what July and the rest of the summer will bring :)

How was your June? Did you do anything special? How is summer treating you so far?

xoxo

Jess

The Busy Bee Update // 2

I have been on summer break now for 4 weeks and I am just now sitting down to finally write a blog post. I know you are probably wondering what in the world could now be keeping me from blogging now that school has ended. Well, let me just start by saying this: life has been quite the wonderful whirlwind!

Let's see...what have I been up to?
I went out of town for two weeks with my dad and took a road trip from Illinois to California.
The day after I finished school, I headed out to Illinois to help my dad and his siblings clean out their 92-year-old aunt's house since she unfortunately passed away in April. I had not been to my dad's hometown in 6 years, so it was nice to visit again and see some extended family. While I was there, we were very busy trying to sort through my aunt's belongings and clear the house out so it could be put up for sale. It was really bittersweet being at her house, but it was good closure and I really enjoyed getting to know her more simply through all of the things she had. She and her late husband built that house and had lived there since the 1950s, so as you could imagine, there were tons of things buried in there. I found many vintage treasures and am happy to have those momentos to remind me of her.

During the second week of my trip, my dad and I drove from Illinois back to California. I had never done a road trip like that, so I was very excited for this adventure with my dad! We left Illinois on Sunday and ended in San Diego late Thursday night. We took our time getting home and stopped along the way in Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas. I will definitely be posting more about that very soon, but it was such a fun trip!

I started a summer internship!
Two days after I got home to the Bay Area, I started an internship at a company called RingCentral. I am working in the marketing department (no, nothing design related) and have really been loving it so far! I just finished my second week and it has been a fun new experience. I have made lots of friends with the other interns from various departments and I am enjoying the team I work on. I am still nannying in the afternoons though, so between the two jobs I am working 50 hours per week. It has been really great and fulfilling, but I am definitely tired at the end of the day!

I'm figuring out where I will be moving to in the next month or so.
Along with all these fun things going on, I also have to deal with the not so fun task of figuring out where I am going to be moving to. So far I haven't found any great options, so it has been a little disappointing. I am not sure what I am going to do yet, but I know everything will work out one way or another!

I've been enjoying my weekends and evenings completely free of homework!
Aside from everything else, I have been simply enjoying my evenings and weekends that have left me free to relax, go places, and just hang out worry-free! It is so nice not to have any school assignments hanging over my head! I have been hanging out with friends more and have lots of things lined up on my summer bucket list. I am definitely soaking up every moment of this freedom before school starts back up again in August!

I am currently at Blue Bottle Coffee in Palo Alto with Dai and we are having a lovely summer day out and about! We are sitting outside at this public workspace and it is so nice! I wanted to use this relaxing time to quickly write a post to check-in and update you all on what's been up with me. I haven't abandoned this blog, I promise, and look forward to finally writing all these posts I have drafted in my head :)

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Busy Bee Update

There are exactly 3.5 weeks left in the school year, but I am not really sure how that is possible. I cannot believe how quickly it has gone by! I am so very ready for a break, yet am also very stressed out thinking about all the things I need to accomplish in such a short period of time. I am doing my best to take things one day at a time, but I definitely often feel overwhelmed.

Sleep has been pretty inconsistent depending on what is happening with assignments, but today I am feeling good and much more well rested than the other days this week. Plus, I am having a good hair day, so I am counting it as a win! Let me tell you, lack of sleep screws everything up. Every evening has been spent eating a quick dinner after work and then spending the rest of the evening doing my school stuff. I have been doing pretty well at focusing this week, which is great because I don't really have any time to waste!

Other than school being a crazy whirlwind, life has been carrying on and things have been looking promising. I finished working on my resume and am currently on the hunt for an internship in the "real world." I have a few opportunities in the works thanks to connections I have made, so I am hopeful that something will work out! I have been realizing lately that, depending on how my portfolio review goes in May, I could be graduating next spring! Though I am hoping that my portfolio will get me into the BFA program, which would extend my schooling a year, it is still a really crazy thought to think since I really don't feel anywhere near ready for that. But it is also kind of exciting. Hopefully getting some experience in my professional field this summer will help me to feel more prepared for that if that is what will be happening!

I also found out recently that I am going to have to move in August, which is a huge bummer. I am really not thrilled about this and the hassle of having to find a new place to live when I have finally settled in pretty nicely where I'm at now. This will be my 4th move in two years and I currently have no idea where I will end up living, but I know that this is all happening for a reason and everything will be alright in the end.

As you can tell, this post doesn't have any particular purpose other than to pop in to say hello and
give you all a little update about what has been going on with me lately! I likely won't be posting much until school is over (May 19th!!!), since I have an animated design video to finish, a portfolio to put together, a couple papers to write, and a handful of tests to study for! After that though, I am planning to get lots of blogging time in over the summer, which really makes me happy to think about :)

I hope you all are having a great week!! I'll just be over here keeping on as a busy little bee... buzz buzz!

Have things been really busy for you lately? How do you deal with so many things and such little time to do them?

Happy List // 15

When life gets busy, it is easy to just think about all the stuff that is causing you stress and your never ending to-do list. Busy or not, I think it is always important to remember and take note of all the good things happening in life, even if they are small and simple :)

Here is my current happy list:
+ Wearing my big sun hat to the dog park.

+ Green tea soft serve ice cream.

+ The fact that we are exactly one month away from summer break! Oh my goodness.

+ Museum dates with my guy.

+ Sprinkles Cupcakes, especially the dark chocolate with sprinkles and the salted caramel.

+ The idea of spending summer by the pool. Pretty excited that my nanny family has one in their backyard!

+ Luxury movie theater seats that recline. Movie watching will never be the same.

+ Costco trips with Dai.

+ The fact that The O.C. is now on Hulu. Long live Seth Cohen and baby Rachel Bilson.

+ Sitting on the grass talking and eating lunch with design friends between classes.

+ Mini golf with my nanny kids.

+ The free resume building site that has been a lifesaver in helping me create mine! Probably one of the best things I've discovered in a long time.

+ Breaking out my spring clothes.

+ Spring morning walks to Starbucks with Marly (and Dai occasionally!).

+ The lovely, sunny week we have been having!

+ Taco Tuesday.

+ Blogging again!

What's been making you happy lately?

I am really looking forward to the weekend! On Friday I am heading out to see my mom overnight since it is her 50th birthday! It will be nice to spend some time with her and celebrate. The rest of the weekend will be spend with Dai, probably alternating between relaxing and working my booty off on homework! The end of the semester is so close! I just need to hang in there!

Thoughts that Come to Me in the Shower

I often wish that I could write while I am in the shower, since it seems that is where inspiration tends to strike for me. Tonight was one of those nights. I was standing there, rubbing coconut shampoo into my hair, the hot water beating down on my back and suddenly had a flow of thoughts about life lately that I wanted to write down.

First of all, the new semester started last Thursday and it was a bit of a drag going back to school after a 7 week winter break. I was definitely spoiled with all that time off! I think my classes are actually going to be pretty interesting thankfully, but I am already a little stressed out thinking about how I will manage four classes (on top of work) instead of two like I had last semester. The class I am most concerned about is my design class, which is the next level of the class I was in last semester. It was definitely a very time consuming class, so I am worried about being able to balance my other classes too. I know I will figure it out though and that everything will be ok!

A second major thing is that I am starting a new job in two weeks! When I started my new school and moved in August, I kept working with the same nanny family. It was a struggle though because they now lived 45 minutes to an hour away, depending on traffic, and I was spending so much money on gas and precious time driving back and forth. It is most likely the thing that made last semester the hardest and I knew that over winter break I had to find a new job much, much closer to home. After a bit of searching and a few interviews, I finally found the perfect new family to work with!

Though I am very sad to leave my current family since they have truly become like family to me (and have supported me like no other), I am really looking forward to this change. It will seriously vastly improve my day to day schedule! Now that I will be working close to home, I will have time to go home after class to have lunch and see Marly, and will get home at a very reasonable time in the evenings. Aside from the kids being great, the family owns a local bakery and has even asked me if I'd be willing to help with design needs and photographing food as extra hours. Of course I immediately said HECK YES! So there's that.

Like most people around this time of year, I am trying to be healthier. Dai and I have been eating a lot more veggies and salads, and have been skipping dessert. We even went out to get ice cream one evening and while we were waiting for our turn to order, we actually left because we realized that we didn't need ice cream. What?! I know. Dai also gave me a Fitbit Aria smart scale since he was gifted an extra one by his work. Even though I am not a big fan of scales for obvious, painful reasons that a lot of women can relate to, I must admit that it is a pretty cool device. Also, since I will actually be spending my week days near home, I am considering joining a really awesome, reasonably priced gym. I've never really done the whole gym thing before, but I've been going to this one for the past few days with a visitor pass and it's been pretty fun! I don't know much about working out yet and know that I will have to start little by little. I just need to start being active and think that this would be a great way for me to begin!

I've been pretty excited about blogging lately. I know that I haven't always been the most consistent, but I am really trying to set realistic and manageable goals for myself when it comes to this blog. I would love to spend time churning out posts for every day of the week and doing all of the proper networking things to promote myself, but honestly that's just not what my life will allow at the moment since I am in school full time and work 20 hours a week. That being said, my hope is to not let this blog be silent for weeks on end! I am working on finding balance.

Speaking of blogging, I am also working on some changes for Blog Buddies Network. It is officially one year old and it has been great being an admin for the group, but it is time that BBN refined its focus and we revamp it a bit. Stay tuned for details! Also, if your interested, you can request to join this awesome group of bloggers that support each other :)

One thing that I'm not looking forward to now that I am going to school more than I was last semester and will be spending most of my time in the city I now live in, it means that I will just be seeing Dai on the weekends now. It is a bummer and will take some adjusting to get used to, but I know that we will be alright during this season of life. It is simply where we are at with me in school and everything and him working full time. We will just do our best to make our time that we do have together wonderful and hug each other a little tighter <3

Well, I think that's all for now! Good talk, yeah? There's just something about showers that allow for such clear thinking. I recently remembered how nice it is taking showers at night, too. The other day I was talking to the 6th grade girl that I nanny about my morning routine and she was like, "why don't you take showers at night to save time?" and I was like, "I don't know." And then I started taking her advice and decided that that tween might be on to something. Plus it is so cold in my house in the mornings, especially in the bathroom, so after a shower all I want to do is get back into my warm bed. I also discovered that if I turn my heating blanket and space heater on before I get in the shower, when I come back to my room, the whole place is nice and toasty. It is quite magical!

Overall, I'm just really feeling good about everything that's happening right now. 2016 has been off to a great start so far! I'm excited to see where all these good things lead :)

What's been happening with you lately?

October // Life Lately

Hello there! Remember me?? You know, girl who supposedly runs this blog?! I know, it has been way too long since I've posted here. Life has been crazy! Crazy, but good. We are just past midterm in the semester and it is hard to believe that I am already halfway through my classes. Thank goodness! Things have been pretty overwhelming and it has been very difficult balancing school with work and life in general. The past couple weeks, though, I have been working less and it has made all the difference. I'm starting find some answers to the things that have been causing me stress and I am feeling more like myself again. 
A lot has been going on since I last filled you all in! Some highlights...
+ We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend! It was a busy place, but it was fun being surrounded by fall fun and checking out the pumpkins.
+ I have been exploring the new area that I live in more, which includes a few local coffee shops! I already have a favorite so far :)
+ I really, really, really love fall! It has started to expose itself here more in California and it is wonderful.

+ I met Lauren of My Passion Journey in person last week! She and her husband just moved to the Bay Area and I already love her! I think we clicked well right off the bat and it has definitely been nice having a friend that lives very close by :)
+ I'm currently searching for a new job! I don't really want to leave my current nanny family because they have been so great to me, but I know that I need to make changes that will help me maintain a calmer schedule so that I can focus on school. I have been looking into internships and other nanny positions that are close to home, so wish me luck!
+ Aside from some decorating and organizing that still needs to happen, I have finally been feeling settled and at home at my new place! Unlike the place I was living at this time last year, I actually look forward to coming home and feel relaxed when I am there, rather than filled with anxiety and loneliness. I have been spending more time at home over the past couple weeks and it has been great!

It feels like I always say this, but I am hoping to be able to fit blogging into my routine more! Unfortunately lately when I have had to choose between finishing my homework and writing a blog post, my homework has to take priority! Hopefully, though, my work and school life will balance out more very soon and I can devote more attention to this hobby that I love!

Thanks for hanging in there with me, friends :)

How do you balance blogging with school, work, or the rest of life? 

Life Lately

I never know what to title these kinds of posts (or most posts really) and maybe this sort of "update" post should be its own little series, but here I am to fill you in on what's been going on in my neck of the woods the past few weeks! It has been a pretty busy time for me, though there have been a lot of fun things sprinkled in. Let's see... Where shall I begin?

+ One of my best friends got married! I am so happy for her. It was a beautiful backyard wedding and I had the privilege of being in charge of all the decorations. I loved spending the day with her and being there to help her get ready and spend those last moments with her before she walked out to meet her husband. It is kind of crazy to think that people I know that are my age are starting to get married (and that my sister got married when she was my age!) because I am so not there yet. Don't get me wrong, I'm in a happy, loving relationship, but I still want and need to grow up and learn things on my own first before I embark on that journey. So, for now I will settle with showering my friends with love on their special days and dream of what I want my own wedding day to be like!

+ Tomorrow I'm heading to San Diego! I have the next week and a half off of work, so I'm going down to Southern CA to hang out with my family. Gosh I just love my family. I always feel so lucky when I have the time to get away and spend time with them. I'm really looking forward to just relaxing, going to the beach, and doing other fun things while I'm there.

+ I have another week off at the end of July! I know it is good to work to make and save money, but I'm secretly (or not so secretly!) happy that I have two whole weeks off this month! My friend and I were planning to take a road trip, but that sadly isn't going to work out with her schedule, so now I need to decide what to do with my free week. I am thinking of going back to Southern CA just for fun because why not?! Or, maybe sticking around town to work on whatever projects I have been putting off and connecting with friends. I don't know! Either way, I am pretty grateful to have some time off, especially since I start at my new college next month :)

+ I have been taking a typography class! For the past four weeks, I've been making my way through a summer typography class and tomorrow is actually the last class session. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the class, but I have really been enjoying it. It is actually pretty fun and fascinating! It helped me feel like I am getting closer to being a real graphic designer, which is really awesome. As a class assignment, we had to make an online portfolio of some of our work from the class, so I chose to make a Pinterest board for mine. You can check it out here if you're interested! I'm definitely the most proud of my midterm project.

+ I love summer! Even though I'm working more than usual and have been taking a class, I've had plenty of time for some fun! Going to the pool has especially been one of my favorite things. I recently got a new high waisted bathing suit (ahh! I'm still not sure how I feel about it, but oh well!) and a sun hat, so I've been feeling kind of stylish while hanging out pool side :) The warm weather has also been quite nice for evening walks and staying outside longer. Summer usually brings less work and more fun, so I'm quite the fan!

Well, that's what has been up with me! How about you? How is your summer going?

Life Snippets

Hi! So, I see these little "life lately" type posts everywhere, but I really love the way Miss Emily of EmmyJake does hers. So, thanks for that inspiration, Emily! Anyway, here is a post of random things that have happened in my life lately and also a place for the random photos I take with my phone.

+ On Saturday morning, Dai dragged me to a TimBuk2 warehouse sale in the city, but it was pretty packed and by the time we got in everything had been picked over. Had to take a tired-eyed, makeup-less selfie while waiting in line though, of course.
+ The sky after all this rain! I just love it. I made the girls I nanny get out and go for a walk with me the other day so we could enjoy the stormy sky.
+ I snuck Marly into the room I'm renting when no one was home so he could see where I live and lay on the familiar bed and sniff all the familiar things that he hasn't seen since staying with Dai. I definitely put him in a reusable grocery bag to smuggle him in, even though it is pointless because he is too big and his little head sticks out.
+ Marly in his Christmas finest. OMG.
+ Rainy day tucked away indoors with the Christmas tree on and Gilmore Girls going.
+ Expensive hipster food that I will not buy again. Meh. It was nothing too special.
+ Someone caught us fast asleep and cuddling.
+ Coffee was necessary today since I only slept for 3 hours. I do it to myself of course, but I guess that's just how my creative mind functions, by doing projects at the last moment. My teacher loved my final project though, so that's good! In other news, I think I may be over iced coffee for a while. I spoiled myself this fall by making a habit of adding pumpkin spice syrup to it, so going back to just half & half with two Splenda is depressing and gross.
+ I'm not ashamed of how many photos there are of my dog in this post. I mean, look at him?
+ On Sunday, Dai discovered that this pizza place that just opened nearby was offering a free pizza to each person that 'liked' their FB page. So, there is my free pizza masterpiece.
+ I love wrapping gifts! I haven't even reached that "ugh I'm so over wrapping" phase yet, so everything is good. I think I have a lot more in me.
+ More rainy day scenes. I really really really love our Christmas tree and always turn it on as soon as I get to Dai's house. For some reason he never turns it on just for himself because he is convinced it is a waste of electricity haha and asks me "Do you really need to turn the tree on?" Hey, we only have 1 month a year to enjoy it, so you bet I will turn it on whenever I can!

Also...
+ I am so happy to be officially finished with school for the semester! I definitely had a lot of work to do to finish up, but I made it!
+ I think I need some pampering. I have a certificate for a facial that I am going to try to redeem and I want to try doing a coconut oil mask on my hair. I just want a nice hot bath too! And warm PJs.
+ Today I started thinking about going brunette. I don't really know why, but I figured it might be a fun change. Plus, I really love how blue eyes pop with brunette hair. We shall see... I am too cheap to have it done, so I would have to ask a friend who knows what they or doing. Or one of my sisters... Stacy, what do you think?
+ The Michael Bublè Christmas special is on tonight!!! So with that, I must go now...

Stay warm, friends!

Life // Catching Up

^^ 3 brothers looking peacefully at the sunset on our evening walk ^^

^^ Living that young, fun aunt life ^^

^^ S'mores in our patio chiminea! Made with PB cups instead of milk chocolate! ^^

^^ Doing touristy things like riding a cable car. Also, having 3/4 sisters together is quite rare for us! ^^

^^ Special aunt-nephew time with the eldest... And Marly too! ^^

^^ This boy's 1st birthday! Also, he is loving the sushi set we got him in Japan ^^

^^ And you know, this guy. Always. ^^

So it seems that things have been a little quiet here lately.... I finally realized that I could just tell y'all what's up with my life and why this month has been a bit slow. Because, like, isn't that what a blog is for?

Alright, so, we all know by now that this summer has been a tough one. My job plans haven't worked out like I had hoped, our house has in the process of being put up for sale, I pretty much just hung out at home for the entire month of June, I've been running out of money, I have no idea what I'm doing etc.

Well, in the past couple weeks it has become apparent that it is time to figure all this crap out. We cleaned/organized the house, put it up for sale, showed it for a few weeks, and now it is sold and officially in escrow. WOW. We have to be out by August 22nd, which means that I need to find a new place to live in the expensive land that is the Bay Area. Where am I going to live you ask? NO IDEA. I've been scouring Craigslist (where else do you find rooms for rent?) and wracking my brain to think of someone I know that has a (pet-friendly) room that can be my new oasis or is looking to rent a place with an awesome 20-year-old gal (you know, me). Oh, and I've also been figuring out how my dad and I are going to work together as a team to make this all financially happen. Not to mention that this will be my first time living on my own.

Additionally, I've also been trying to figure things out in the way of a job. I love being a nanny, and let's face it, the pay is outstanding. There is nothing else that I can do at my age that will pay me as much as nannying does. And, hello, set schedule! I always hated not knowing if I could make weekend plans when I worked in retail. It was awful. So, I've been working with a nanny agency for a little guidance and they have actually been wonderful, enough so that I think I may have (hopefully) scored a great position. I need to see how that all plays out, but I am hopeful that things are turning around in that area.

Oh, I should also mention that last week I started working as a hostess at a Japanese barbecue restaurant. I know, very different than nannying! I needed something to do for the time being since I have things like bills to pay, and I figured why not try something new. I was feeling quite lost the first day, but I'm starting to get into the swing of things. My training is over this week and I will start working on my own, which I am actually a little scared for. Being a hostess is actually kind of stressful! A lot of pressure since people don't like being told they have to wait to eat and there's a lot to juggle in the planning of tables. There's more to it than I would have thought! It is likely that I will quit once I get my fall schedule nailed down (that is if I have enough nannying hours to support myself), but for now it is bearable.

Last week my super awesome sister was visiting from San Diego with her husband and three boys. I had a great time hanging out with them and have been pretty busy ever since they left! Working at the restaurant, doing an interview and trial work with a nanny family, and looking for a new place to live has sucked up most of my free time, hence the quietness around here. I've also been told by several people that I need to start packing. They all think I am avoiding it, which maybe I am. It is just difficult to pack up all my stuff into boxes when I don't know what my next step is. It is a bit unsettling, really. Plus, I guess I just don't think it will take me that long, but they have all assured me otherwise... I promise to stop avoiding it soon though!

Right now I am currently sitting at Starbucks having one of my first coffee dates with myself in a while. I need to be working on a project that I need to present this week for my communication class (did I mention that I took an incomplete in that class because I went to Japan? The professor wouldn't pass me because I missed too many days, so now I am just making up a few hours of class and presenting my final project! Really actually a blessing to not have had to deal with it along with catching up with my other classes after getting back from Japan. Also, kind of funny that he is the only professor that had a problem with me being gone for two weeks, but I digress....). BUT, of course, I got a little distracted with all the other things I need to do to sort out my life (see above paragraphs) and thought that this would be the perfect time to update y'all on what's happening over here.

SO ANYWAY, now that I have typed out enough with my little fingers, I must go. Have no fear, though, I shall be back soon with things that I typically like to talk about. Speaking of that, is there anything you would like to see around here? Something I'm somehow an expert about that you'd like me to post about? In need of a little inspiration! And maybe someone else to spruce up my design. I love doing it myself, but you know, a fresh set of eyes is always, well, refreshing.

Have a lovely week, my friends! <3