Let the countdown begin

May 2, 2013November 5, 2015 ~ Sarah ~ Leave a comment

I recently came to the conclusion that teachers are smarter than the rest of us.

Not only do they get the satisfaction that comes from a noble, rewarding job and (hopefully) cute kids, but they also get the entire summer off to do whatever their hearts desire. Maybe I’m the only one that saw High School Musical 2, but since May has arrived all of two days ago all I can hear in my head is the semi-creepy whispering from the movie’s opening number: “summer summer summer.”

I’ve heard the magic of summertime is supposed to fade just a little bit post-graduation, but this 20-something girl can always make time for a little summer fun in her work day. Of course, Texas weather loves to remind me that I may be jumping the summer gun, as outside is now gloomy, windy and expecting temps in the 30’s. Minnesota is even in the middle of a snowstorm for goodness sake! But sitting at my desk in front of a space heater and looking at these fun (and free!) Paperless Post invites, I can’t help but get excited about all the upcoming opportunities for friends and sunshine. On Monday I shared that one goal for making the most of my current apartment before my impending move will be to host a going away pool party / cookout. Thanks to these loverly invites, I’m proud to announce, mission accomplished.

Do you have any fun summer plans in the works or am I the only one counting down the days until we can make this summer thing official?

Making room for changes

April 29, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ 2 Comments

We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are. — Max DePree

Isn’t it funny how our minds unconsciously prepare us for upcoming change? I know, I was just writing about how I’m making a conscious effort to live in the moment and appreciate where I am now before I move. Even so, as I rolled into work a tad on the late side this morning I caught myself cursing traffic and thinking, “I can’t wait until I move in a month and don’t have to deal with this traffic anymore.”

Mind you, my new home will not be any closer to work than I am now. In fact, traffic could ~~even be~~ probably will be worse on that side of town. But it’s like the promised newness is a glittery object (preferably from Anthropologie) dangling in front of me that I can’t help but mesmerizingly coo “oooh pretty” with arms outstretched.

Rather than look at this as a bad thing, I’ve realized it’s actually a coping mechanism of sorts. I’m soon closing the “post-grad firsts” chapter of my life, and my mind is just helping me prepare for a smooth transition to whatever is next. Instead of wanting to hold on tightly to what I have now out of comfort, nostalgia, fear or laziness, my mind is letting me acknowledge those minor details that aren’t 100% awesome to fuel anticipation of all that’s to come.

So, May marks the last month of my South Dallas home and roommates, and I plan to make the most of it by…

Spending as many sunny afternoons at the rooftop pool as I can, even if it’s just for the last hour of sun after work.
Actually using my apartment’s gym.
Hosting a going away party, preferably pool-side of course.
Finally photographing my favorite buildings, painted walls and random art structures throughout South Dallas.
Riding the DART…somewhere.

Eat good food. Om nom nom.

April 29, 2013April 10, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ 1 Comment

I’ve had quite the delicious weekend. It began with a birthday dinner on Friday, the boyfriend and parents meet and greet on Saturday, and an amazing brunch today. I was so terribly spoiled. Although I did a terrible job of taking any photos while I ate, I feel a need to divulge my #foodporn adventures nonetheless. I also had the added bonus of great company for each meal – see what I mean? So spoiled.

For the Friday birthday, we went to Lark on the Park.

We started with a few bottles of Prosecco before diving into our meals. I had the Wild Mushrooms House-made Pappardelle spinach, creme fraiche and Parmasan. It was so amazing. The pasta is homemade and thick. Lark also specializes in supporting local artist and has 6 huge chalkboards that feature selected artist. Every few months new artists and their work are selected, and the chalkboards are changed up. It has a very urban and modern feel to it, with relatively high prices to match. In fact, as an added bonus, the birthday girl had a piece of work up on the wall!

On Saturday the parents and the boyfriend went to Farnatchis.

Farnatchi’s is a family favorite. Whenever my parents are in downtown around dinner time, this is where they go. The place is small so there is usually just one or two fulltime waitstaff. My parents visited here so frequently that they got to know the waitress and she remembered their orders and name. The new waiter of the restaurant is also super friendly and good hearted. Which only adds to the positive experience. The food was heaven. I had the lemon chicken special and never looked back. The chicken was so tender and went delightfully well with the cabernet my parents brought. Not to mention, the family and the boyfriend got a long great- phew.

Sunday afternoon my amiga and I went to Odd Fellows in the Bishops Arts District.

When we put our names on the list, they told us it would be an hour. But a girl at one of the galleries assured us it was going to be well worth our wait. She wasn’t kidding. First off, this place is adorable. My roommate and Sarah have both raved about this place, so my expectations were high and were easily met if not exceeded! I had the eggs benedict. Oh. My. God. Luckily it was 2 PM and the only thing that was in my stomach was a 9 AM banana, so I had no problem fitting that whole plate into my tum tum (not that this is ever a problem for me if we’re being honest). The food was so amazing, that I enjoyed a fantastic food coma upon my return to my bed.

Now I am fully aware this doesn’t exactly go along with my dedication to the diet. But don’t you worry, I made up for my binges on my other meals and work outs. Who can turn down amazing food? Not this girl.

Inspiration: Ahimsa

April 26, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ 2 Comments

I had an amazing week on my mat.

At Gaia Flow they always emphasize focusing on your own practice and not looking at your neighbor and try to do their practice. To not go further than you can. To not strive to go somewhere your body isn’t ready for.

Prior to my Wonderlust 2013, I assumed this didn’t apply to me and I jumped right into their hardest level courses just as fast as I can. It’s not that I’m an overly competitive person, it’s that I saw people doing amazing poses and was just like “Yep, that. I want to do that. Now. Right now.”

But now we’re post euro trip. As I’ve said before, I had to start back in the easier classes. The more I’ve stuck with these so called “easier” classes it the more I realized how I was becoming more flexible and more graceful in moving from pose to pose. It’s been kind of an amazing thing to be a part of. I’ve really changed my outlook on my yoga strategy and am looking forward to mastering those foundational poses and improving my practice. One of the girls whom I I have yogi envy of, stated that she has been practicing for 8 years. I, on the other hand, am going on 8 months. So can I really expect to be at her level? Hell to the absolute no. But the improvements I’ve seen in my practice just make me so excited to continue my yoga journey, one downward facing dog at a time.

The other reason that my yoga week has been so amazing, is that we are working on practicing Ahimsa this week. Ahimsa is practicing nonviolence. Do no harm to yourself or to others. Or as the image above states, peace with yourself, peace with the world. If you have love for yourself, you’ll spread that love into the universe. Every class you go to the instructor may have a different perspective, anecdote or suggestion on how to bring this into your life. I believe that taking my yoga practice a little slower is just one way to practice Ahimsa, but that’s just on my mat. The beauty and the goal of Gaia Flow Yoga is what you bring from your mat to your life. So one of my instructor’s provided us with this little nugget:

If you truly love yourself, you could never hurt another.

– Buddha

I just loved this and really connected with it. Because truly, if you love yourself, you know how important happiness and love truly is. So you would never want to steal that away from someone. Whether it’s a stranger, a close friend or a family member. I think this is just amazing inspiration and a great goal for yogis and non yogis alike. I plan on bringing this into my everyday life. Although I do believe I never purposely cause pain or harm to those close to me, what about those strangers you pass on the street or the barista at your local coffee shop? I wouldn’t say I’m ever openly rude to them, but why not smile, ask how they are, and actually care about their response? In the end, they’ll feel great and you’ll feel great. (The practice of ahimsa also might explain why yogis are just so happy and nice all the time)

All that to say, my yoga practice and my instructors at Gaia Flow were such an inspiration for me this week. Now excuse me why I go drink a gallon of water to recover from last night’s sweat fest on my mat. TMI?

The “path” to success

April 25, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ Leave a comment

The never-ending struggle between my so-called practicality and adventure-hungry spirit was brought to the forefront a lot this week with conversations about career next steps, how to find your passions, random entrepreneur ideas and even this blog post by A Cup of Jo aptly called…Success.

As I was talking about my growing obsession with Istanbul and (unrelated) business partnership ideas, I heard myself talking and thought, “Hey, this actually sounds like it makes a lot of sense.”

But I have a confession to make.

A lot of times those ideas don’t sound plausible.

A lot of times I think I need to keep working, to keep advancing.

A lot of times I think there’s only one way to get “there.”

A lot of times I hear about friends traveling around the world, taking a year off work to pursue their passions or starting their own companies and I think, “That’s SO great!! ….for YOU.”

But why not me? I highly subscribe to the idea that success means different things to different people. Now I just need to figure out what that means to me. In the meantime, I’m thinking hard about this success chart and being encouraged by it.

What does your path to success look like?

Found Tiffany’s?

April 23, 2013April 10, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ Leave a comment

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet

– James Oppenhiem

I had a very Finding Tiffany’s moment the other day. My dad emailed me something about an impending family trip we are taking in May and referred to it as happening in “a few weeks.” I scoffed and said to myself “in a few weeks? There’s absolutely no way…”, my parents and their forgetfullness is just totes adorbs. And well, as it turns out May 11th is in fact just a few weeks out and as always, my dad was right.

Why is this moment so great? Maybe it’s all the yoga, new relationships or new work responsibilities but I feel like I’ve been so lost in the today that I am no longer constantly waiting for what’s coming next or counting down the days to the weekend. There’s so much happening in my life right now, right this second, that time spent where I’ll be in five years seems wasted. Each day is presenting its own challenges, its own quirks, its own joys and its own sorrows. I feel I’ve been lavishing in each and every one and working each day to its fullest. Perhaps I should be planning a little more than I am (no need to remind me, Bank of America), but I’m okay with taking some time off from a plan to plan. Maybe I’m still on “Spain time” but this week I’m just continuing to focus on the here and now and loving each and every minute of it and those I choose to spend it with.

So, Tiffany’s found? Blog over? Not quite. The effort to live in the now while planning for the future will always be a juggling act. Plus, there’s always something to improve, something to strive for and something worth working towards. Which brings me to goal numero dos.

My other goal for the week is a bit more taboo in a sense and I actually considered not posting about it. I have come to the conclusion that I wish to lose weight. I’m not necessarily overweight nor chubby, in fact according to most BWI measurements I’m right smack dab in the middle. But there’s always been that extra 5-15 pounds that I just don’t think belongs on my body. So, I’ve decided to make a valiant effort for the first time in my life to make it go away. My desire to trim down has stemmed from several events. The first is Europe. I ate like a king and the walking tours simply didn’t provide me with the calorie burn I needed for all that pasta. The second is because my metabolism will actually let me shed some pounds (and with my 24th birthday rapidly approaching…) it’s only going to get harder as I get older. The fourth is well, I have several family and friend events coming up in the next few months and frankly I want to look damn good for those photo opps. And third because I want to see if I can do it.

The “I want to see if I can do it” is really my strongest motivator. Ever since New Years I’ve experimented with a multitude of tests for myself. The first was giving up all sugar, including the kind in breads, deli meat, past sauce etc. This wasn’t that difficult but mostly I found myself eating almost worse because if I found something with no sugar, but still high in calories, I decided that I deserved it. I also tested out the giving up of desserts. I tried this for a few months but when Valentine’s Day rolled around and I was on a first date, I simply couldn’t say no to a Lavender Vanilla milkshake and risk cutting the night short (which I have never regretted since the milkshake was the best dessert I’ve ever had and the guy turned out to be well worth the extra calories). And then it was just downhill from there. I enjoyed these little challenges to test my will power, something I thought was in the pits due to my escalating love of sweets. But I found that saying no was easy, and that days I ate well and put good nutrients in my body I felt amazing. Furthermore, I do not wish to be controlled by food nor cravings. I am also not a foodie nor a cook (and I can’t afford to eat out all the time), so eating to me is a means of getting energy and not being cranky, so I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on anything. A craving for chocolate simply should not result in maybe one, okay two, well maybe just four more halves, Snickers minis. I want to be able to think to myself ‘yes, I do want chocolate, but no it isn’t worth the calories or the terrible run I’ll have later.’

So for the next month or so I’m going to be eating cleaner. I have no real time table on this as I hope it will turn into an all over life change. And I just hate the word diet, as it leaves me with the bad taste of no carbs, starvation and desperation.

Plus, fruits and veggies are way more fun than buying a pair of Spanx. Now, I’ll be honest, I will be keeping some prosecco in my diet. I’m not a miracle worker here people.

Planning for now

April 22, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ Leave a comment

After months of feeling ‘eh’ and a week and a half where I literally didn’t leave my apartment, I finally feel like I’m getting back to myself and to my life. My planner had become accustomed to such neglect that it’s not sure what to do with all this one-on-one attention now. It truly is like the post-pill popping portion of those allergy commercials…I’m basically pushing back the curtains to let in blinding light and running through a flower-filled meadow as we speak.

This past weekend was filled with three of my closest friends, an art party aka my new favorite Dallas event – the DADA Art Walk, reaching new poses at Super Yoga Palace and reminiscing on high school days at The Rocket Summer concert / dance party. Instead of being completely wiped out from the weekend, like I would have when submerged in allergy-related sickness, I woke up this morning energized for the week and summer ahead. This year’s new bathing suit, check. New Home Pinterest board, check. Plane ticket bought and time off approved, check and check!

All this planning has got me quite excited for the fun ahead, but my favorite part is that for once I’ve managed to keep my balance between the doing and planning so far. It’s easy for me to get lost in the plans and possible scenarios instead of making the most of the time that’s going on right now. New changes are just one month away, making being present in this time even sweeter.

This week my only goal is to continue this momentum, which will require even more of my previously mentioned mindfulness and thankfulness. After all, sometimes goals take more than just one week to master!

And of course, since no life moment would be complete without a corresponding movie quote, I’ll leave you with this little nugget from the always fantastic Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the always fantastic 10 Things I Hate About You…”And I’m back in the game!”

Liebster Award

April 20, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Finding Tiffany's ~ 4 Comments

Leah and Jane of smartassy nominated us yesterday for the Liebster Award. As a fellow blog duo we’re quite fans of their work and honored by the nomination! Because seriously, their posts are relatable, brutally honest and usually pret-tay hilarious.

(Flexible) Rules of the Liebster Award:

– Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you.

– Answer the 5 questions from the nominator, list 5 random facts about yourself, nominate 5 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed, and create 5 questions for your nominees. (Blogs should have 200 followers or less. Let the blogger know you have nominated them.)

– Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.

Questions

1. What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?

Lydia: Honestly I think I embarrass myself all the time but don’t notice nor care. Furthermore, I am confident I have just blocked out all my middle school years. But I did recently have a heavy blushing stint at work. Ya see, I had this one horrible photo taken of me at a club/bar in Sevilla, Spain while on a recent vacation. I’m clearly having a blast dancing in my red lipstick with a bunch of male friends around. Somehow this managed to live on my Facebook for enough time that my coworkers saw it. When I arrived back to work full caffeinated after my long flight, I discovered the photo framed (in a cute frame, I might add) and placed on my desk. So embarrassing! They all think it is hiiiilarious. Somehow though, the picture seems to have disappeared in my drawer…RIP. 😉

Sarah: Oh dear. A side effect of being both awkward and clumsy is that I embarrass myself regularly. I came to terms with this long ago, so now it’s usually just something to laugh about and rather hard to pick just one most embarrassing moment… I mean, there was the time my ex-boyfriend of almost an entire year saw me a year later in Walgreens, and I didn’t recognize him for a good full minute into the conversation. Or the time when I had to run through basically a monsoon to get to a ceremony I was hosting…and then proceeded to announce the awards in a now see-through skirt and bright red underwear. But truly, these are all topped by the fact that I had a xanga. I put all my far-too-personal teenage angst online for the world to see (aka my one loyal reader, my youth pastor) and nearly melted into the floor the day I reread it in college. My best friend reread it with me and likes to quote it from time to time just to rub it in. It has since been deleted, but there is absolutely no way I’ll be sharing my username with you…just in case.

2. Would you take the position of president/prime minister of your country if it were offered to you?

Lydia: Oh absolutely not. I’m quite stubborn but also super indecisive. I feel like I’m the right combination to be totally manipulated like The Sultan from Aladdin. Just awaiting a Jafar. Furthermore, I tend to want people to like me.

Sarah: While the traveling and perks like knowing Beyonce would be sweet, it seems like far too much stress than it’s worth. I also have a tendency to feel an unreasonable amount of responsibility to everyone followed by sickening guilt when I can’t live up to my own unrealistic expectations. This would likely be a recipe for disaster with the whole country counting on me, political parties vying for contrasting outcomes and all in a time of so much international relations instability.

3. What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

Lydia: This one was hard! I think the thing I most like about myself is my open mind. It’s not something I’ve always possessed but cultivated over time. I will try most anything once (maybe I’m a little pickier when it comes to food though) and am open to learn about other’s opinions and lifestyles. It’s also enabled me to see other’s perspectives and engage in great discussions where I learn a lot and can often change my opinion on something.

Sarah: Hmm…This was a hard one at first, but I actually landed on two qualities. I like that despite being a bit of a perfectionist and a huge fan of planners and to do lists, I’m actually pretty easy going. I’m not one for drama and generally flexible when it comes to settling on food, activities, etc. The second is that I’m loyal to a fault…this might be partially related to that sense of responsibility I mentioned. I have friendships that are decades old and will try to do whatever I can for my friends.

4. What (if any) movie always makes you cry?

Lydia: Pretty much any movie where an animal is injured or killed brings a tear to my eye. But my go-to movie for when I’m looking for a good cry is always A Walk to Remember.

Sarah: I swear, before I read Lydia’s answer, A Walk to Remember was totally my choice, too. Every time. I also cried for an hour after the first time I saw Pearl Harbor (I went through quite the Josh Hartnett phase). It’s also worth mentioning I will cry at literally any sentimental or sad moment in any movie or tv show, especially if that show is Grey’s Anatomy.

5. Why did you start your blog?

The heart of the blog is to share the good, the bad and the “oh to be 20-something” digressions on our path to achieve our goals and dreams, to remind us to live intentionally and to constantly seek out new inspiration. We hope, in turn, to inspire others to do the same. After months of noncommittal, whimsical brainstorms, it took several bottles of Prosecco and almost a full season of Pretty Liars commercial breaks before the blog came to fruition. It didn’t hurt that we are both devoted blog readers and always on the lookout for new creative outlets of our own. And on sixth day Finding Tiffany’s was born. On the seventh day we rested… with more Prosecco.

Facts

Sarah used to want to be Amish. She still thinks they are quite cool, but not so sure she could live without her hair dryer…or cell phone.
Lydia talks really really unhumanly fast. She blames it on being from the East Coast, but even east coasters think it’s a little ridiculous.
Sarah will only drink hot drinks through straws. No straw = no coffee, tea, etc.
Lydia pronounced the phrase “hand me downs” wrong until the age of 17, because her mom thought it was just too cute that she said “handy downs” to correct her.
Sarah and Lydia got locked in a mall once. Visions of camping out, raiding the food court and playing games a la The OC flashed through their minds, followed quickly by terror and a sudden onset of growing claustrophobia. Luckily a security guard was kind enough to find and escort them to their car.

Blog Nominees

Since it took us SO long into the Liebster nominating process to A. notice we had been nominated and B. actually get together to compile this post, it’s been hard to find blogs that haven’t already been nominated! It turns out that many of our go-to blogs are also beloved by many others, which is a great thing. Here’s some of the other blogs we love (sorry if there are any repeat nominations!):

Your Questions: What’s Your…

Number one place you’ve always wanted to visit?
Absolute dream job (regardless of any practicality, your education / experience, etc.)?
Best book you’ve read recently?
Happiest memory?
Celebrity crush?

Inspired by humans

April 20, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ 1 Comment

Between the bombs in Boston and the explosions in West, Texas, it’s been a rough week for America. But, like all tragedy, comes beauty. Since I’ve been at those marathon finish lines (to run a half marathon, to be clear) and West is so near, both of these events really struck home. This week I’ve been so inspired by the people with such big hearts and are doing big things to honor Boston or help those displaced families in West. I can’t imagine the fear, anxiety and just absolute terror that those present at the Boston marathon underwent. I can’t even begin to fathom having your entire town wiped out. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I’m not sure where I stand on religion. But this week I had so much faith in humans and our country. Between the Google docs listing places for West residents to stay, marathon runners who ran right through the finish lines all the way to the hospital two miles away to donate blood, and the immediate reaction for donations throughout Texas, it’s truly an amazing thing. Although there was a lot of evil and hate circling around, I think it’s comforting to try to also hear the positive stories of people helping and the loving messages that filled our newsfeeds. As soon as tragedy strikes, there’s always going to be love and a need to help our fellow man.

So this week I was inspired by the human race. By the human instinctual tendency to care for those who are suffering, to bring others up when they’re down, and to cry and hope together as one.

Inspiration: Gwyneth Paltrow

April 18, 2013April 10, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ 3 Comments

I can’t say I’ve given much thought to Gwyneth Paltrow in the past aside from the occasional movie, red carpet dress or snicker at her daughter’s name (Apple). But all that started to change when I read about her new cookbook, It’s All Good, on one of my favorite blogs, A Piece of Toast. Celebrating all the reasons they love Gwyneth is a fond pastime for their blog, and I have to say, I’m starting to get it. I love that she’s family-focused, seemingly very genuine and follows her heart in pursuing a variety of interests instead of pigeonholing herself or letting others do so.

True, her cookbooks have come with some criticism. The Huffington Post likened the cookbook to flipping through a J. Crew catalogue (um, why is that ever a bad thing?). Others have made fun of some recipes’ obvious or simple nature. But you know, that’s exactly why I like it. Pouring through the pages as the type of cook who has youtube-d “how to cut broccoli” and “how to cut eggplant” in the past couple months alone, I find the way she describes the book, organizes the recipes and details them quite helpful. Does she have a “recipe” for how to hard boil an egg? Yes. But I’ve seriously had some bad egg boiling experiences in the past so I welcome the break down! She also has a great section about stocking your pantry, which taught me a lot about different types of food and their uses / combinations.

Gwyneth (after this many nights reading her book we’re on a first name basis) is…

Inspiring me to learn more about food, nutrition and cooking.
Inspiring me to continue living a healthy life starting with what food I put inside me.
Inspiring me to look for more opportunities to love on people through food and hospitality.