Savor the Good

It's cliche, but

you really have to take the time

to love the little things.

This weekend's were:

a walk in the park,

booty-shaking at the gym,

couch-lazing,

the most scrumptious grilled cheese,

over-iced cinnamon rolls,

and ballpark hot dogs,

accompanied by a Nats win.

(Hmm...so maybe a little food-centric.)

So what if

I also had to spend the weekend

dealing with annoying work?

You have to take the good with the bad,

and choose to savor the good!

Here's to a great week ahead!

xoxo

Coco

Happy Friday

Happy Friday!

Just a few short long hours until the weekend. Until then, here are some ramblings that have been flitting across my mind.

...

I am physically unable to read a romance novel if the hero in the cover illustration is not attractive. True. Story.

Sometimes I want to eat lunch at 10:15 a.m. Is this okay? My instinct is that it's not okay. Also, the cafeteria at work is not open for lunch at 10:15 a.m. That should tell me something.

I feel so confident when I'm rocking a bright nail polish. It is my superhero costume. But a) I hate even the tiniest chips in the polish, and b) I'm incapable of not chipping my nail polish. So, you can imagine I'm not doing my superhero strut that often.

...

Here's to an amazing weekend!

xoxo

Coco

Be Kind

It should go without saying, but

Treat others as you would like to be treated.

Always give the benefit of the doubt.

Don't project your insecurities onto others.

Show love.

Don't hate.

Be kind.

(Note to self: thinking unkind thoughts doesn't leave you feeling great in the long run!)

xoxo

Coco

Sunday Night

Isn't it amazing how a day week month can turn around in a single evening?

How saying yes to a table outside, another glass of white wine, 

the most scrumptious steak tartare, the sunshine, 

and house made bread 

can make everything seem all right again?

And, by the way,

I'm so happy we've spent the last year together. 

I'm looking forward to many more. 

Thanks for putting up with all my sh*t.

And, lord, I'm so full, but I guess I could have some ice cream.

I ate the whole thing. Can you believe it?

Good night.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.

xoxo

Coco

Just Do It

{Art: by me}

I mentioned in my last post that my new job is kind of taking over my life. At least during the week, I'm so exhausted after a long day of working (and commuting) that I have little motivation to do anything other than catching Jeopardy and eating dinner in some outfit that doesn't involve a bra. And sometimes (usually) I use that as an excuse for not getting things done in my life. Not the "need to do" things, like paying the bills, or doing laundry, or cleaning the bathroom - although, okay, sometimes that falls by the wayside. But I mean all the "want to do" things, the "I've always meant to do" or "seriously, this is the year I do" things. Despite my best intentions, those are the things that get pushed aside.

You know what I mean?

I've written Post-Its, listed goals, created intentions, made resolutions. But all that planning means nothing if I don't get things done. And my track record, so far, is not that great. But (and here's where I've had a major shift in thinking) I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'm not going to blame myself, guilt myself, or lament every excuse in the book. 

I'm just going to do it. Do something. 

I'll spend an hour, or even a half hour, each evening, chipping away at one of my things. It won't be perfect, and they won't get done overnight. But, eventually, I will accomplish the things I want to. Write a book, learn the guitar, speak a new language. And if, in the end, one or all of those things doesn't get done, it will simply be because I didn't want it enough. And I'm okay with that.

How do you find time in your life for your goals and hobbies?

At Weekend's End

{Art: by me}

Weekends are funny things.

They can be both wonderful and frustrating at the same time. I have a bad habit of letting the last few hours of a weekend get to me. No matter how productive I've been, how much fun I've had, how much I've savored and relished each moment of the days, I can't seem to help being in a funky mood once the Sunday-afternoon downtime kicks in.

Suddenly, every second I'm on the couch becomes an audible tick on the clock, counting down to Monday morning and the return to "real life". I'm paralyzed by a storm cloud of panic about every aspect of my life and whether I'm making the most out of every moment of it.

(Oh hi, quarter-life crisis. I see you're still here.)

If you're reading this hoping I've found a solution, I haven't. Since my What am I doing with my life? dilemma isn't going to fix itself overnight, I'm resigned to the fact that one of its side effects - my Sunday night ennui - is going to be recurring for a while. So I have to go with the next best thing: not beating myself up over it.  Whatever I'm doing - going for a walk, catching up on Netflix, munching on a peanut butter cup or two, writing a blog post - it is what it is. It's the weekend.

Do you find yourself with the Sunday night blues? What do you do?

Life is Good

{Images: My Instagram}

There's something to be said for a quiet happiness - the kind that gives a calm to everything, that takes away the panic and discontent and replaces them with a low hum of peace.

I love coming home to our apartment and crashing in front of Dancing with the Stars. I'm all abuzz waiting for my new job to start in a month. I get excited about home-cooked dinners. I'm rejuvenated by trips to the gym. I relish getting a little junior-high fangirl about Drs. Mindy Lahiri and Danny Castellano. I'm energized by long wine-fueled conversations with girlfriends. I can't wait for two getaway weekends lined up in the next month (including one that starts today!). 

It may not be worthy of fireworks or running through the streets. But life is just really, really good.

The Power of Pause

     

{Original image}

Being in my mid-twenties is, shall we say, a learning experience. Those of you who are wise and in your thirties are nodding your heads, murmuring, "I feel your pain, girl." And for those of you still in school, who dream of blissful post-grad life...you'll find out soon enough. While I often struggle with feeling confused, lost, inadequate, and immature, I sometimes notice a nugget of self-growth - evidence of naturally-evolving maturity that reassures me that I am, in fact, growing up. 

One such nugget is something I describe as "the power of pause". It's that second you take before saying something, to ask yourself, "Is this really necessary? Will what I'm about to say contribute in a significant, positive way?" Over the past year or so, I've found myself unconsciously taking these pauses more and more, and when I ask myself those questions, the answer is usually no.

Now that I'm aware of it, I try to pause more often than not. Before commenting on a random Facebook post, or hitting "reply all" on a mass email, or running to a coworker to share the latest gossip, I take a moment to think. Those tiny moments of self-editing, cutting out some of the noise, have also helped give me clarity on who I am, and what's important to me.

Do you practice taking little pauses?

Happy Monday

{Original image}

Happy Monday!

The above "thought for the week" is something that I constantly (and I mean constantly) have to tell myself. Yesterday afternoon, in the midst of the big move, I lamented my inability to not be stressed. When my life is overtaken by chaos, I feel powerless to resist, and I end up being paralyzed by worry and a lack of control. I asked my man how he manages to be so patient and calm, to which he replied, "Well, I'd just rather be happy."

Yes, folks, it really is that simple.

Here's to a happy week!

Quarter Century

 

This week I turned a quarter century old.

I can't even begin to describe how frightening that is.

Looking back at all I've accomplished in my 25 years, I am overwhelmed by how much more I want to do.

So much to do, so little time.

Where do I even start?

Hello August

{Photo: J. Crew catalog}

It goes without saying, but: August already?

When I was a child, August meant buying new pencils, picking out back-to-school clothes, and preparing for a new school year. Now that I'm grown up, August still signifies change. The last days of summer and the promise of autumn bring thoughts of (ahem) turning over a new leaf.

When I think about how far I've come since last August, I still can't believe it. A new job, a change in relationship status, new good friends and better relationships with old ones. As far as I've come, I'm ready to go farther. To chase my dreams and fill my life with more good things.

What does August mean to you?

Be You

{Photo: http://wrdbnr.com}

There's a lot of talk on the street about self discovery.

I've read countless blog posts (and paid for more than a few therapy sessions) in the search for me- that is, the me stripped down of other people's ideas, the trappings of the past, and my own self-imposed expectations of who I 'should' be.

If you're reading this hoping for all the answers, sorry to disappoint, because I'm still looking.

But I'm starting to realize that there's a difference between who I want to be and who I am. And that those two will probably never be one and the same. There's a beauty in embracing the unique parts of myself (the out-of-control TV habit, the usually messy living space, the unyielding tendency to procrastinate) that may be less than glamorous, but are undeniably me.

Be you.

When I Grow Up...

 {Photo: Pinterest}

When I grow up

I want to be

an

author

designer

musician

visionary

artist

inspiration

and

happy.

When I grow up

whenever that is.

In the Long Run

This evening, I had the privilege of having dinner with an old friend from high school. We hadn't seen each other in over six years, so over our enchiladas and drinks, there was a lot of catching up, reminiscing, and (to be honest) gossiping. As most of us know, high school girls can be mean. Hurtful and vicious. And usually without even realizing it. But, as much as I hate agreeing with my mom, the truth is that in the long run, none of it matters. As we grow older and into the people we are meant to be, we realize that we are all human beings with hopes and purposes and pains and joys. It makes me want to wipe the slate clean and begin friendships with some of the amazing people I didn't completely appreciate when we were causing drama in the middle of Calculus.

How do you look back on your high school years?

My 'Pale Blue Dot' Moment

I'm not a morning person. And I rarely leave for work the same time two mornings in a row.  (I know, you're wondering where I'm going with this.) Yesterday morning, as I was on my way to work, I was stopped in my car on the ramp to get on the highway, which happens to have a walking trail that runs beside it. And I saw a mother dressed for work, pushing a stroller with two small boys. The oldest boy (who was about three) was singing to himself and bouncing his head. And I love kids, so I spent several seconds watching him, and thinking it was darned cute. Then I drove on, went about my day, and forgot all about that little family. But this morning, as I was stopped in traffic yet again, that same family strolled by, and the little boy was pointing at cars and exclaiming to his mother excitedly. And it struck me, how different our lives are, that mother's and mine. Her strolling her two children to daycare, me sitting in my car after having to get just myself ready that morning. And yet there we were, passing not one, but two days in a row. Living in the same neighborhood, living the same days as they passed on the calendar. The same days that are passed by over seven billion people on this planet.

I am not alone.

But I am also part of something so much bigger than myself.

The Great Dating Unknowns

I assume I'll know when a person is the one.

When do you know a person isn't the one?

Is every date spent wondering a missed opportunity, or is it an opportunity for learning and growing and figuring out that maybe guys aren't so weird and different after all? Except in all the ways they are.

Still Waiting for the Upswing

You know that Steve Miller Band lyric, 'Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future'? Ain't that the truth!

Time keeps on slippin', whether you're up, down, waiting, barreling ahead...time keeps moving on, and sometimes time takes you where it wants to. Sometimes things take longer than you'd like.

Remember me saying that life is a sine curve? Well, I'm still waiting for the upswing. On top of all the yucky stuff I mentioned before, I've also seen several people on my team lose their jobs with no explanations, watched a close family member make some very bad decisions, and stumbled back into the dating scene with less than exciting results.

Sometimes life takes its sweet time. 

In the meantime, I'm not just waiting for things to come my way. I'm taking action and moving forward as much as I can. By the way, anyone have suggestions on how to meet people outside of work? I'm all ears!

{Photo credit: here}