Today I’d Rather Be….

March 1, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ Leave a comment

getting-back-to-meg beach

If you can’t tell by all these pictures of other places I’d like to be, I’ve been feeling a little restless lately.

I realized, after months (and months) of getting settled and exploring, I feel like I can finally say I know Dallas. I know how to get where I’m going…although my apartment is still the first location to auto-populate in my Google Maps search thanks to all too frequent direction searching. I’ve explored a lot of the major neighborhoods, eaten at a different restaurants, gone out to some different bars, even managed to find multiple different coffee shops, which is quite a feat in a world now overrun by Starbucks’ on every corner. Some people might find all this comforting, but I was always the kid shoving furniture around my room every couple months to have “new” surroundings, living vicariously through often multiple book characters a week, and asking to go to a boarding school so I could have some adventures of my own.

Adjusting to life in one place and without the limitless flying privileges I used to be privy to while still a student is definitely, well…an adjustment. So to me this feeling means it’s time to a) go somewhere new and/or b) get creative.

Luckily, I actually do get to go somewhere pretty soon. Like Lydia, I’m also “planning” a trip, albeit much shorter and not quite as exciting as Europe…I will be celebrating my birthday weekend in Washington D.C. next week. The word planning is in quotation marks because (to my boyfriend’s chagrin) my idea of trip planning involves quite a lot of vague, general ideas about activities and destinations. I’m happiest when I’m just wandering around somewhere new, soaking it all in and stopping at places based on a providential mix of happenstance and locals’ recommendations. I’ve found countless great coffee, cupcakes, shops, and even some celebrities this way. All that said, I am quite excited to be somewhere I have to get on a plane to get to, and I would love any recommendations for cool, must-see (aka must eat or drink) local places.

As for the getting creative, I’m sure there’s plenty of new places in Dallas…now I’ll just have to find them.

A Plan to Plan

February 26, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ 3 Comments

So as it turns out, Friday is March 1st. This date implies two things. One, it’s somehow been two months since New Years – I was pretty sure that was just last week. Two, my Europe trip is just a few weeks away. And what have I done to plan and prepare? Nothing. Squat. Nada. Absolutely zilch.

Okay, I am probably exaggerating (a favorite past time of mine). We have all the hostels, trains and planes booked and printed confirmation receipts in a folder for each one..it’s the “what are we doing when we get there” aspect that I haven’t given a second thought. My Rick Steve’s Best of Europe tour book came in last week, and it’s about time I take it out of the bubble wrap. In case you missed it, I’ll be exploring Paris solo.. I’ve never been anywhere outside the continental US of A and I don’t speak a lick of French. Are you praying for me yet?

Now now now, I’ll be meeting up with friends in Seville to continue the Europe adventure, but Paris is me time. I had every intention of spending this past weekend planning more of my day to day trip, but who can turn down hanging out with a new man friend, brunch or seeing Argo? Certainly not this girl. So once again, I didn’t give Europe any more thought than “what should I wear?” Furthermore, this upcoming weekend I’ll be taking an impromptu lake house trip with a few new friends. When I get back it will be March 3rd, just 15 days till I take off on a jet plane. Dun dun duuunnnn.

Part the problem is I am completely overwhelmed. There’s so much to see in Paris, I’ll have to spend many hours just researching and narrowing down what it is I want to see. And then there’s the transportation, the directions, learning tourist social faux pas, and etc etc. It’s all quite daunting – in the most exciting kind of way of course. So since I’m heading out of town on Friday and am going to a dinner party on Thursday, this leaves me 2 days to nail some plans down.

Now I’d love to come back to you with some life changing trip planning advice or some super brilliant way I am organizing everything, but truthfully I’m the chicken with no head in this game. I really want to find some great way to keep everything organized – 5 cities in 5 countries in 14 days is in desperate need of some organizing tricks. So I am only giving myself one single goal this week. Plan and plan some more.

Meeting the neighbors

February 26, 2013January 2, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ Leave a comment

south dallas - nylo soda nylo terrace dallas skyline nylo terrace foosball nylo dallas bar nylo terrace brunch nylo dallas lamp nylo dallas lobby 1 nylo dallas lobby 2 nylo dallas piano

One of my “semi-near future life goals” was to create more, and another related goal involved getting a camera and actually using it. While you’ve probably noticed from recent posts that I’ve indeed gotten the camera and actually started using it, there’s a huge difference between playing around and happening to get some decent shots with actually knowing what the heck is happening in my camera to get said shot. Luckily, I have a friend who was willing to lend some photography knowledge, so I spent my Saturday learning the difference between ISO, aperture and shutter time – just a couple basic slr settings.

I then headed over to my neighbor, NYLO, with my new-found knowledge. NYLO is a hotel and rooftop bar that opened up in South Dallas a couple months back, with an infinity pool that rumor has it, is going to be open to the public in the summer. Before you get all excited by their sign for an old-fashioned soda bar and tell all your friends about it as you picture how much fun you’re going to have sipping on all sorts of root beer float-esque drinks (not that I’m speaking from personal experience or anything), I might as well be the one to burst your bubble…it turns out “SODA” actually stands for South Dallas. Not actual soda.

Despite this minor disappointment, however, my earlier explorations also resulted in a delicious prosecco (of course) cocktail with a friend, so I knew this was going to be just the sort of space I felt right at home in. It also helped that their music selection is fantastic. It was like someone had stolen my favorite Pandora station. The kicker was stumbling across their brunch menu this time around. Ah, a good brunch….they found my Achilles heel.

On the bright side, this can only help me further accomplish my other earlier goal to brunch more.

Status quo

February 24, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ Leave a comment

Every third Thursday, myself and all my coworkers pick a place and enjoy a good happy hour full of laughs and Blue Moons in the warm Texas sun – on the company card [the best kind of happy hours!]. Literally heaven. We have a new graphic designer and she started asking our Creative Director about his past life experiences. And let me tell ya, he’s lived quite the life. Home schooled, graduated at 14, had his first paying design gig at 15, trained horses, became a solid DJ, owned a record store and at the ripe age of 28 is second in command at our agency. He’s the kind of person that makes you feel like your experience in a public school system, in a suburban bubble, and going off to a state college is completely inadequate.

I’ve been having this thought for quite some time now. I feel like growing up in suburbia trains your mind to think in a certain way. I never challenged the status quo, didn’t question authority, and was completely content playing [and kicking some major bootay *humble brag*] in tennis and eating at Chili’s. I dressed to try to fit in and gain the acceptance of my peers. And then I went to college because that is what you’re supposed to do after high school. College taught me how to memorize a text book, why joining a sorority is the best thing for your social ife, and what major I should choose if I actually wanted to get a job after graduation, whether you’d really enjoy it or not.

Now lucky for me, I’m terrible at memorizing text books, couldn’t really afford a sorority/wasn’t completely sold on the idea of sharing a house with a few hundred girls, and chose a career that I would do even if money wasn’t a concern. At the same time, dressing like everyone else, loving High School Musical (guilty as charged), attending a few date parties and going to a big state school is what made me happy at the time. Maybe this is all part of being in your 20’s (at least I hope I’m not alone on this), but I want nothing more than to throw the status quo and normal out the window. Have my own opinions that aren’t swayed by those around me. Even now when I want to do something, have an opinion, or date someone, a little voice in the back of my head says “what will everyone think? what will they think about me?” My question is, how do you shut that voice up?

Because sure, maybe I didn’t always choose the path less taken, but is there anything wrong with the more worn path? In the end after all, it brought me to today. I’ve had a fantastic weekend filled with laughter and pure happiness, so is there really anything wrong with that? Because truly, I loved college football, I think Justin Timberlake and I would make a great couple, guys simply look good in Polo button downs and I happen to love blasting Taylor Swift in my car. But I also genuinely dislike most major brand names, am a complete book and art nerd, relish quiet and alone time on a Friday night and tend to enjoy a weird variety of tunes from americana, jazz and African tribal music.

Perhaps the important thing is to take a moment and look at your options or opinions. Ask yourself, do I really like this? Is this actually me? And to be honest, I’m not really sure on this one. I’m still figuring it all out which is probably obvious by the heavy use of question marks in the post. But hey, what else are your 20’s for?

This time of life

February 22, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ 7 Comments

{Two of my favorite women completely rocking their twenties.}

Tonight a co-worker and I had the opportunity to attend a happy hour…that started at about 8:45 p.m. She turned to me and aptly said, “A basically 9 p.m. happy hour is no longer a happy hour. That is just a party.”

Spoken like a true 20-something. I’ve been noticing a lot of articles lately about “what it means to be a 20-something” or “signs you’re a 20-something.” While most of these provide endless amusement with their eerily accurate observations, they also promote this sense of unity in knowing I’m not alone. You’d think this would be discouraging to learn I’m not as much of a unique individual as I thought I was, but it’s actually strangely comforting. On one of Soul Pancake’s message boards, somebody asked, “What’s so noteworthy about being a 20-something anyways?” Someone else responded, “Nothing more than any other age.” While I completely agree that this could be true as I don’t have a whole lot of times of life to compare now to, I’d have to say there’s a lot about being at the time I am now that’s noteworthy. I’ve caught myself a lot over the past few months just marveling about how it feels to hit these “milestones” compared to how I thought I’d feel. It’s a strange feeling to spend your whole life wanting to be “old” then finally getting there to realize it’s a whole lot different than you thought it’d be. At the same time nearly everything in my life is changing all the time, and I’m knowing the “adults” in my life a whole new way.

Here’s a couple of the realizations I’ve found myself pondering lately:

Parents are actually always right. At that same moment, you realize that they told you they were always right, not because they were your parents (which is what you thought growing up), but probably because they, too, at some point realized their parents were always right.

Getting married isn’t a happy ending or a solution. And even though there’s a lot of happy engaged couple around you, it turns out the whole process is not nearly as romantic or surprising as you thought it’d be because there’s a whole lot of real life logistics that need to happen as far as jobs, locations of jobs, leases, roommates, and probably so much more.

Being “old” doesn’t mean you have everything figured out. In fact, it seems that most people don’t ever really know what they want or where they’re going. It’s a mix of educated guessing, luck and simply taking the next step. I also know people older than me who have changed their career path completely, taken time off to travel or volunteer for a social cause, etc. There’s not some secret “right” path to life it turns out…and that’s okay.

Less lazy, more crazy

February 19, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ Leave a comment

I had a ridiculous lazy time last week and like Sarah, finished an entire box of Mac ‘n Cheese all on my own. In my defense, it was Annie’s – practically healthy right?

Win at phone tag. While blissfully signing my adorable Valentines last week, I realized that several of these long distance friendships that I cherish hadn’t been receiving much TLC as of late. I’m not much of a phone talker. And the fact that my iPhone is on the fritz and the screen doesn’t lock when I hold it up to my cheek certainly isn’t doing me any favors. I prefer to do all my phone catch ups while I’m driving (dangerous) or walking my dog (windy). I absolutely hate talking on the phone in my apartment, unable to accomplish anything else on my to do list. This week I need to just get over it. Good friends are hard to find and hard to keep if you don’t make a valiant effort to reach out. So get ready AT&T, I’m actually going to use all those minutes you give me.

Read, dangit. Like Sarah, I have a book that’s been hanging over my head for months. With several books in the pipeline, I need to hunker down and actually read the thing. I mean, it’s a great book! But I so easily get distracted by emails, blogs and Gawker (guilty pleasure) that by the time my head hits that pillow, it’s lights out for me.

Speaking of lights out. Last week I put myself through a terrible sleep cycle with going to bed after midnight and waking up between 4 and 5 AM. Luckily, I love coffee and will take an excuse to drink more of it, but I know this isn’t good for my mental or physical health. Plus, I was so pooped by Friday night I stayed in with just The Avengers and my pup (oh, and my mac and cheese). So this week I want to work on getting in bed at a reasonable hour. Hopefully this will play into the reading goal as well!

Make it into a headstand. As you may or may not know, I’m a yoga addict. They have me hooked. And I am SO close to being able to get that handstand! All I can really do is try my absolute hardest and practice focus. I also plan on staying super hydrated all week in preparation for Saturday’s workshop class where I get to do some handstand practice. Wish me luck!

The tulips featured above, by the way, have absolutely nothing to do with this post. In the community I live in though, the city is planting them EVERYWHERE and I am loving it! They’re so cute how they open during the day, face towards the sun, and close up at night. The added array of colors is like a real live rainbow everyday of the week. I just can’t get over them!

Giving myself a break bisquits

February 19, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ Leave a comment

baking photography mixing bowl baking biscuits strawberry biscuits - side

This weekend I was determined to rest.

Like all good intentions, this idea started out so well, with a slow morning spent sleeping in then getting creative in the kitchen…but after celebrating two friends’ engagement, making a couple drives across the Dallas metroplex and one unhappy head/stomach later, it was clear that I had not exactly been the image of peace and stillness I’d envisioned all week leading up to that point.

Since I was not one of those lucky enough to have this President’s Day off and wishing it was still the weekend isn’t making my weekend any magically longer, I’ve been thinking of little ways I can treat myself to some relaxation throughout the week rather than just keep putting all my hopes into the weekend to recharge.

This week I plan to…

Wake up earlier. I know what you’re thinking…didn’t she just say she was needing more time relax not less? The thing is, I’ve found that even though I absolutely love my hibernation, er…sleep, I love my peace of mind more. Waking up with enough time to journal, do some yoga or run, shower and get myself looking how I’d actually prefer people to see me goes so much farther in getting me ready to tackle each day. The holidays completely threw off all the progress I’d been making, but I suppose with the passing of Valentine’s Day I can’t exactly pretend that now still counts as ‘the holidays’ anymore, can I?

Cook real food. Confession. My laziness knows no bounds…I’ve been eating out a LOT this past week or so. Even when I had the good sense to actually be in a grocery store I ended up getting frozen Asian food (never a good idea) and blue box mac and cheese (always a good idea, except when you end up making and eating two boxes in one sitting. But hey, it was Valentine’s Day…). How can I expect my body to feel good (and look good) if I don’t put good things in it? I really enjoyed taking the time to make myself something fun and good this weekend. I think adding time for that into my week is just what I need to force myself to slow down, make the most of my time with food I truly enjoy/can be proud of and oh yeah, take care of myself.

Light candles. This one’s just plain fun. They look pretty, smell pretty and make me feel like life is just a tad more on the luxurious side. Plus I have quite a few that even though I love everything about them, I’ve never actually ever lit. And if there’s one thing Finding Tiffany’s is all about it’s that life is not for hoarding and hoping, it’s for actually experiencing and enjoying. Now this goal, I can accomplish.

Update – Last week’s goals to read more and be nicer to myself have been going so well, I’ve decided to continue them…I will finish that book…one day…

{Vanilla Biscuit Recipe: Gluten-free Bisquick, Vanilla, a tiny bit of sugar, milk, eggs and butter. Plus fresh fruit and whip cream. I wish I could tell you measurements, but I had way less than the recipe called for so I had to eyeball it. Basically my rule of thumb for pretty much everything is to start with the recipe on the back of the box, then add way more vanilla than it calls for. Voila.}

A clean home is a happy home (and a happy Lydia)

February 17, 2013April 11, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ Leave a comment

I’m ordinarily a pretty neat person – with the exception of the clothing tornado that happens each and every morning I get dressed. I like to have a place for everything and consider organizing a great hobby. When my room is a mess, I feel like a mess.

Yet apparently when my roommate goes out of town for the weekend, I become a 13 year old boy with no care for seeing the floor of my room. So I spent the first half of the weekend making a huge mess for myself. That macaroni and cheese pot from Friday night that I regrettably finished all on my own? Feel free to soak till Saturday when I muster up the energy and courage to tackle you. The living room became both my closet and kitchen. Consequently the second half of the weekend I spent cleaning. I came home on Sunday morning [feeling a little rough from too much fun on Saturday night] and couldn’t believe the mess I had created. A few hours of elbow grease later, my apartment now has the oh so sweet aroma of bleach and Windex. Not that this did much to help my headache, but the clean smell is delicious nonetheless. My clothes are back on their hangers and sanity is back in my head.

It’s amazing what organized surroundings can do to change your attitude on well, everything. It energizes you, makes your hair less frizzy and I’m pretty sure I lost weight – okay, maybe that’s excessive. But it really does play so much into how I feel. This whole week has just felt kind of messy. As a result, my dog had shortened walks and my Finding Tiffanys blog posts were lacking. I feel that clean surroundings are part of my 2013 vow to live and eat healthier. Furthermore, when my the items in my life are in place and organized, it’s setting the stage for me to live. And not spend 30 minutes looking for my keys.

I would also like to add on a completely different note, that this weekend I found the jeans. The jeans I’ve been looking for since 1989. Skinny jeans that don’t make me look like a Jonas Brother, fit around the waist, and are comfortable enough to sit criss cross at work. Thank you Urban Outfitters and your $39 BDG Jean sale, you made this jean seeker incredibly happy.

Part Of Your Life

February 15, 2013January 2, 2017 ~ Sarah ~ Leave a comment

bob marley quote

While I will take any excuse to dress up, I admit I have never really gotten as sucked into the romantic hype of Valentine’s Day as I have into the fact that it’s just an excuse to reflect and celebrate. And that, I am all about.

No matter if you spent your Valentine’s by yourself or with friends, family, a love or even the love, I hope you take the time to read this card (courtesy of my roommate). I hope you reflect on what it means to really love the people in your life. And don’t forget the celebrating part!

As for me, I spent my evening avoiding persistent chocolate cravings (as I’m still holding strong to my decision to not eat dessert at all since January through March). I’ll also be hitting up the clearance aisle tomorrow with the hopes of scoring some Justin Biebers or other likewise completely ridiculous but amazing cards to hand out at my work’s official celebration next week. Wish me luck that the school kids haven’t taken all the good ones yet?

Oh and hey, thanks for being a part of our lives by reading Finding Tiffany’s!

New York City Where All the Girls are Pretty

February 12, 2013January 2, 2017 ~ Lydia ~ Leave a comment

It seems Sarah and I have switched motivation levels. Mine is quite low this week. I couldn’t even get enthused over a solid Co. Design email newsletter. Furthermore it’s raining today, and with every drop that falls, my energy falls with it. But we can’t be super energetic and productive all the time can we? I don’t know if I can afford that much coffee..The only concern I have about this is that I have no idea what I’m going to do for my “1 Second Everyday” videos this week..there are sure to be a lot of boring (to everyone but me) reading shots. Anyhoo, instead I’d like to give you a nice pretty tune that I have on repeat today. Is it helping me get motivated? Not in the least. Is it beautiful and do I love singing it loud in my car? Absolutely. Enjoy.