my first "currently" of 2020

It has been over a year since my last "currently" blog post. I could chalk that up to all the craziness in 2019 (planning a wedding, getting married), or I could blame it on 2020 (you just know). Alas, here we are. From new shows to new clothes, here's what's been going on in my little world lately:

Watching

The Haunting of Hill House - As much as I love learning about hauntings and ghosts, I have become a nervous Nelly over the years (ha...show-related puns!). I was hesitant to watch this show, but I'm so glad I did. Absolutely loved it. It definitely has its jumpy parts, and I wouldn't watch it alone, but the story was just too good, and it was beautifully filmed. The twists! The turns! 10/10 recommend. 

The Haunting of Bly Manor - Started watching just before Halloween, but we're only a few episodes in! Just as chilling, but not as "jumpy" so far.

Schitt's Creek - Season 6 is finally out on Netflix. AHHHH. Surprisingly, Ryan and I haven't quite "binged" it yet, but I think it's because we're sad to have it all come to an end. We're not doing anything for Halloween, but I think I might dress up as Alexis and gallivant around the house doing her voice and mannerisms. Mmmmm, happy Halloween!

Emily in Paris - Mixed thoughts about this one. I love Lily Collins, but there isn't anything exactly novel about this show. Her neighbor in the show is nice to look at, so that's reason enough for me. I'll definitely finish the season, but I wouldn't say it's anything to write home about.

The election results - I started drafting this post a few weeks back, but how could I not add this to my "watching" list? As of now, we're still awaiting final results and my anxiety levels are hiiiiiigh.

Reading

I have been slow in the reading game this past month, and I think it's because the two books I've started are nonfiction, which takes me a bit to get through. I started reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle, but then put it down once October hit to read I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara for a little spooky thrill. I haven't really sat down to read in awhile, so I haven't given myself the time to catch interest in either book. I'm hoping to give both of them a real shot over the next few weeks. 

Kinda feeling like I need to hop into another fiction read, though. Anyone else have a hard time with nonfiction? I rarely get that "I have to know what happens next!" feeling.

Making

Lots and lots and lots of Boom cards! I'm so glad I got into making these for my patients this year. Not only does it save me a lot of prep time, but I'm happy I get to use my speech and language knowledge to create a passive income. 

Our house a home! I think both Ryan and I got a little winded from all the renovations and seemingly endless projects. Our doors still aren't painted, baseboards still need to be calked, and it's time we got started on that guest bathroom, but we're slowly getting things together again. We just had someone give us a quote for plantation shutters on ONE window ($1200!!! For ONE!), and we're in the process of figuring out what to do with our backyard/porch situation. In the last few weeks, I've taken on some smaller projects, like framing and hanging wedding photos. Our home feels more cozy with our special moments hanging on the walls.

What are you up to lately?

currently | september 2018

We’ve already hopped right on out of September, and now we’re entering one of my favorite times of the year -  alllllll the holidays. In October, I’ll be celebrating 5 years with Ryan, starting my new job (hopefully...), and getting involved in Halloween shenanigans in some form of another.  I’m a day late and a dollar short, but here’s a little “current” update, since I’ve been a bit MIA around here:

Reading: Vanishing Girls by Lisa Regan. This book has great reviews, but I'm struggling to get into it. I'm nearly halfway through, so I'm committing to sticking it out! 2018 has been the year of frivolous reads, so I'm trying to get back into mysteries and thrillers. Up next: Sharp Objects (so I can finally watch the show, of course).

Watching: I just finished The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon Prime (just in time for it to win eight Emmys!), and GUYS. I HAVEN'T BEEN THIS OBSESSED WITH A SHOW IN SO LONG. Set in the 1950s, it follows Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a New York housewife who decides to become a standup comic after her husband leaves her. It's perfectly witty with fantastic characters and a unique storyline, and I am so ready for season two. We also just finished The Handmaid's Tale, and just...what the...can we not.

Buying: As of 8 a.m. this morning, I bought a package of La Bang body oil, as recommended by my favorite fitness YouTuber, Sarah's Day. I'm awful about moisturizing anything on my body besides my face, so I'm hoping a new oil will kick start the habit (her code LOVESARAH gives 15% off, just as a helpful heads up). Also recently bought (affiliate links to follow...):
- High-waisted jeggings in a darker denim wash and black (this link says black, but they appear to be khaki...weird). I've never bought a pair of high-waist pants in my life, and I'm actually pretty excited about these! Like many, I'm loving Target's Universal Thread brand, and both of these babies are on sale for just $15. I almost sized up, but I found that they stretched pretty well over my tummy. My "next size up" had more of a legging feel with some excessive material around my hip area, if that's helpful!

- These earrings, but in a darker copper color that I can't seem to find online. They're my first "crawler" type of earrings, and I'm obsessed.

- This matte lip creme by Milan in the color Loved. Maybe slightly drying, but the color lasts a long time, and at $6-7 a pop, can you really go wrong? 

Getting ready for: My first job as a full-fledged speech-language pathologist! I was verbally offered a split elementary school position with the county this week, with a formal offer to follow later this week. I'm nervous to get started, but also super excited! I officially put in my two weeks with my serving job (on a pick-up only basis for the next month or two, "just in case"), and while I'll miss my coworkers, I am beyond ready for this change.

Saying: Yes to the dress! Contrary to popular belief, I actually had no idea what I wanted my wedding dress to look like, so dress shopping was a combination of exciting and only slightly overwhelming. It's another post for another day, but I had such an amazing experience with The Dressing Room in St. Petersburg and got a perfect dress "off the rack," aka 50% off. WHAT A LIFE.

September was a month full of family time, as my sister has been staying with my parents (she lives in Bulgaria) since September 11th. She's leaving today, but it's been a trip full of bargain hunting, dress shopping, wine drinking, and laughing.

Here's to October, as to inch closer and closer to the end of 2018!

a little update in my newest season of life

I'm not quite sure how we've gotten past the midway point of August without so much as a blog post about me graduating (though I'm sure you're over hearing about it via Instagram), but here we are. I am a fresh little graduated petunia, and I'm scared out of my mind. But we will save that for a later date, yeah?

August has actually thrown me for an emotional loop. About a week after graduation, my grandad passed away. He'd been battling cancer for a number of years - was in remission for awhile before it came back and metastasized - but he's been in a lot of pain for the past year, so while I'm heartbroken, I'm also a tad relieved. I'm fortunate enough to be able to say that this is my first time dealing with the loss of a loved one, and it's definitely been a process. I posted a little something about it on my Instagram story on Sunday, which felt weird. I felt like I needed to acknowledge it in some way, but for the most part, I've been trying to keep it all pretty personal. So this is me acknowledging it again - not to say, "hey, feel sorry for me!" but to say "hey, sometimes social media makes it seem like things are pretty and perfect and all is going well in the world, when really, I'm crashing in ways that I don't necessarily want to talk about...but this is proof that it is happening." Does that make sense?

Shout out to Ryan for being a damn trooper during all of this - from hand holding to laundry, making dinner, and being on pooch patrol. I will say that I really lucked out in the life partner category.

In other lighter news, it's certainly weird to know that I'm not going back to school this week for the first time in three years. In some ways, the last few years felt like the longest of my life, but for the most part, they flew by. I've been job hunting and trying to find the right "fit," but I've also been trying to relax and enjoy this little season of unemployment. I'm still serving tables until then, so in between shifts I've been going to the gym, reading books, and getting together with friends.

To cap off this mixed up post, I figured I'd drop a little "currently" closer to keep you up to date with the frivolous bits in my life:

Reading: Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis.
Watching: Not a whole lot, honestly. I need to find something to binge watch.
Buying: These, these (which I would check your local store for...I bought them for $6.88 before the coupon!), and these from Target because they have a 30% off flat sandals coupon on Cartwheel (until August 25!). I nevvver buy shoes, so getting all three of these for less than $40 was a real treat. Additionally, I bought an Enso ring for work/the gym because I am deathly afraid of ring avulsion. I went for the pyramid stackable in pink sand.
Establishing: a morning routine. Well, attempting to, anyway. More on that later.
Attending (?): Taylor Swift's Reputation tour! I went with a group of girlfriends last week and to no surprise, Taylor killed it. I left my glasses at home (womp womp), so aside from the giant screen, I couldn't see her very well, but I had such a blast.
Booking: wedding things! If you follow along on Instagram, you'll see that we signed a contract with a venue in downtown St. Pete, and we are so pumped! Now to book everything else...yikes.

Right now, I'm in the Midst of...

Planning vacations. Despite my two summer classes plus specialty clinic starting up next week, I’m making as much time for travel as I possibly can this summer. I’ll be visiting my sister in Bulgaria at the end of July, with hopes to take a road trip down to camp on a Grecian beach for a couple of days. COLOR ME STOKED, GUYS. Ryan wasn’t able to book the trip with me because of work, so we plan on taking a little 3 day vacation at some point this summer. Right now we’re between Palm Beach and Key West. I’m in serious need of some travel!

Buying all the things. With graduation season happening this month, the restaurant I work at has been slammed, and I’ve been taking advantage by picking up all the shifts I can. The result? I already have all my bills paid for this month, I’ve put a decent amount into my savings, and it’s finally time to “splurge” on all the things I haven’t let myself buy all semester. New sandals, bikinis, wardrobe additions…stuff I usually say no to, I’m letting myself say yes (within reason, of course).

Relaxing. As in wearing all the comfy clothes all the time, allowing myself to indulge in some Netflix binge sessions, and taking a bit of extra time before “starting the day” every morning. I'm making extra time to lay by the pool, to get brunch with friends, and to get lost in a book or two.  I have a feeling that next semester is going to royally kick me in the butt, so I have zero problems with letting myself be lazy this week.

What are you in the midst of this week? 

This Month, I'd Like To... | February.

February snuck up on me. No, like really snuck up on me. Like I didn't even realize Tuesday was January 31st and Wednesday morning I looked at my phone calendar and saw "Feb 1" unapologetically glaring right at me.

What? When? It was just New Years Eve. I just started my second semester of graduate school.

Truthfully, I don't have a whole lot going on right now. I feel like I should be stressed out about school, considering the semester is well under way for most everyone else in my program...but it isn't for me, so I'm not. I'm still only working twice a week (broke AF forever!), and with all this extra time, I'm trying to stay on top of my extra readings and lectures so I can at least feel semi-prepared as I begin to work with preschoolers (ah!).

I don't have any real "goals" for this month, but I do have a few things on my 'to work on' list:

This month, I'd like to start writing again. Not just blog writing, but real writing. I came across a few blurbs and stories I wrote awhile back - some that I wrote in high school, some I wrote just after graduating college...and they were actually halfway decent. I'd like to get back into that again this month, just for fun, for a creative outlet. I've also had my 52 Lists Project on my desk for a couple weeks now, waiting patiently to be filled in. And my personal journal that I've been keeping tucked away in a drawer.
This month, I'd like to keep up a workout routine & eat healthily throughout the majority of the week.."Summer bodies are made in the winter" isn't quite relevant when it's almost always warm in Florida. Having said that, I'd like to workout 5 days a week every week and see how I look & feel at the end of the month. And I'm all about "treat yo'self" when it comes to eating junk food, but this month, I'd like to be reminded that treating yourself every day doesn't count as "treat yo'self." It simply turns into a regular [bad] diet.
This month, I'd like to drink a little less coffee. For those of you who know me (or that've been reading awhile), you know that cocoa beans and I don't necessarily get along. AKA when I have too much coffee or chocolate over any give period of time, I break out. I thought I'd finally beat the system as I drank coffee every day during last semester's finals week without a breakout in sight - maybe if I never give myself a break from coffee, I'll never have a zit again! Wrong. I've been breaking out quite a bit as of late, so I'd like to pump the brakes on the coffee unless it's a really early morning before a really long day.

What would you like to do this month?

Currently | October 2016.

I'm sorry, what? Hey, hi, hello October! I barely noticed your arrival, partly because it's 90 degrees outside almost daily around here. But I'm elated to see you and all of the Hocus Pocus you have to offer us.

And with a new month comes new "currentlys" --

Reading | In honor of the movie coming out this weekend, I decided to finally pick up a copy of Girl on the Train. I've heard mixed reviews, but I'm excited to delve in...I figured a good thriller is the perfect way to hop into the Halloween season.

Oh, and textbooks. Lots of textbooks.

Listening | Happy to see The Veronicas are making a comeback with their newest "In My Blood." Great song for getting ready to go out and/or working out! Also, Spotify's Autumn Leaves is my new favorite study playlist, if you're in need.

Wanting | Lululemon Align Pant II, every fall scented candle ever created, and for prices on flights to Nashville to miraculously drop. I've been trying to book a trip to visit my friend for nearly a month now, and these airlines don't seem to care for my graduate school budget. Seems to be a common trend, because I don't care for it either.

Loving | Grad school. While it's a lot of work, it's a lot of fun work. And when it isn't fun work, I just remind myself how important it is for me to be learning as much as I can, and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to learn. That positive mentality usually lasts about 37 seconds, but it's the thought that counts.

Watching | I just started season seven of Gilmore Girls, so I should be all caught up by the time their Netflix mini series is released on Black Friday! I'm pretty sure Ryan wants to take me out for a celebratory dinner & drinks soiree after I finish it...he absolutely hates it. But you know what they say: "don't care."Also still catching up on Veep, always keeping up with Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and decided to give American Horror Story another chance this season.

What are you currently up to this week? 

Currently: March.

Welp, is tomorrow really the last day of March? Somehow we've already made it through the first quarter of 2016. Here's a little bit of what I've been up to lately! You can also check out my Instagram for a closer look. See ya there!

Watching...

I'm absolutely loving Girls (HBO) lately. The writing is especially excellent this season, and every episode is more captivating than the last. If you don't have HBO, I recommend trying out HBO Now (free for one month, $14.99/monthly for all their TV shows and movies). Seriously cannot get enough of this show. Ryan and I are also almost finished with Bloodline on Netflix. Such a strangely eerie show...I'm really looking forward to the season finale.

Listening...

To a lot of reggae rock. Rebelution, Iration, Hours Eastly, and Dirty Heads to be exact. I blame it on the warmer weather. Which brings me to...

Loving...

This weather! True to her nature, Florida skipped spring and jumped right to summer. It's been super sunny with a side of afternoon thunderstorms. Just what the doctor ordered, if you ask me.

Reading...

The Lovely Bones. I know, I know - I'm late in the game. I finally finished You Are A Badass (loved!), and since I'm trying not to spend frivolously, I picked a book from my shelf that I've always been meaning to get around to. I've never even let myself watch the movie because I've been so set on eventually reading the book. Up next: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

Waiting...

For grad school decisions. Back here, I mentioned that March was going to be a month of decisions. Well, to some extent, it was. I was rejected from two schools, and wait listed to my number one choice. Have I ever mentioned how hard it is to get into speech-language pathology programs? Yes, well...it is. I'm still waiting on two more programs + my wait list, so I'm not losing hope yet!

Working on...

Myself. I had a "come to Jesus moment" (as my mother would call it) earlier this weekend where all the traits I don't like about myself were brought to the surface, and I just felt ugly. Not physically, but internally. I didn't like who I was in that moment, or maybe who I've been for awhile. Or forever. Who really knows. Onward and upward, though, right?

What have you been up to lately? Any good reads? New shows? Let me know!