less is more

what the hell is going on around here?

2016-07-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

You may or may not have noticed (you didn't notice, no one is reading this, Alessia) that I haven't really been around here for a while. I have an hour or so to kill and just my computer to keep me busy, so I figured that this is as good a time as any to update you all on my life and the downfall of this blog, which was once a very passionate hobby of mine.

It's not to say that I don't love this blog anymore, because I really, really still do. It's just that the things I used to write about — recipes, beauty products, project life, nannying, etc. — are no longer huge parts of my life. I leave my house at seven in the morning and don't return until seven at night. If I make myself eggs for dinner instead of ordering in, I call that a success. The beauty products I used to try after spending hours watching YouTube videos and even more hours contemplating and testing them in Sephora, are no longer products I have time for. Concealer, powder, mascara, out the door — so long, beauty routine. I'm no longer a nanny, so my posts about my little chickens are no longer, and I am still hopelessly working on my PL album from 2015 more than halfway through 2016, so pshhhh.

Although I still read books and can write up book reports, or can find a few great links that I love and share them with you, those types of posts seem to me to be very insignificant pieces of what this blog once was.

I spend 40+ hours a week writing, a few hours reading, and countless other hours on my phone — all of those hours are spent looking at words. I love words, I've built a career out of words, and I hope to continue using words to my advantage as I grow. I just don't have enough time or passion to continue writing words — half-hearted, forced-because-I-feel-guilty words — on this blog.

This sounds like a goodbye, I get that. I'm not sure what it is, to be fair. But for now, Less Is More doesn't exactly have a purpose. I'd love one day to wake up energized and refreshed with a whole slew of new blog post ideas and the time to execute and write them, but right now, that's not my reality. My reality is killin' it at my job, spending my downtime with my friends, family, and boyfriend, and enjoying life one day at a time.

So whether you've been a reader since 2012 (if you have, seriously email me, because why?) or just stumbled upon this post because it's the most recent thing on here, it doesn't matter. I appreciate the eyes that have been on this space for the last four years more than you'll ever know.

This isn't goodbye, it's see ya later.

I swear.

If you want to keep up with me while I get my shit together, check out my daily posts on my POPSUGAR author page, and follow me on Instagram.

five month book report.

2016-07-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Back in January, after a few months of overachieving in the reading department, I got cocky and upped my yearly reading goal from 25 books to a lofty 50. I'm sad to report that so far, I'm falling pretty short with just 15 books under my belt. Sigh.

However, it's no surprise to me as to why I've been slacking so hard. The two hours I used to spend a day reading on the train to and from work are now mostly used as nap time. Commuting appears to be getting to me, and it makes me sleeeeepy. So, because of that I'm definitely falling behind, but I'm hoping I can catch up a bit over the Summer (what else am I going to do at the beach?). Regardless, some of the books I've read have been bangers, so here's my ~~apparently biannual-ish because I can't keep my head above water with this blog anymore~~ book report.

Room. God, this book broke my damn heart. Our book club decided to read it because the movie version was coming out (SO good, if you haven't seen it), and it was totally the best book we've read as a group so far. Five-year-old Jack and his quirky kiddo voice speaking on very adult events — his mother is kidnapped, held captive in a small, soundproof shed, and raped repeatedly, which results in Jack's birth — made for one of the most interesting perspectives. I highly recommend this one, and if you're going to read it, don't watch the movie beforehand (because obviously, even though it was an Oscar-winner, the book was better).

The Age of Miracles. This book, despite making me feel extremely paranoid about my life on Earth, was amazing. It's about a young girl who is living in a time where the Earth starts spinning just a bit slower on its axis every cycle, making each day just a bit slower until everything from the climate to agriculture starts becoming affected. It's a stressful read because it seems like such a real possibility of something that could happen to us, but it's also relatable in that it's about a young girl just trying to grow up and fit in, something that everyone has gone through to an extent. It's a very different take on a coming-of-age story.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I have always said that this is my favorite Harry Potter book, and so far, it still is. It's a very close match to its movie counterpart, but still has all of the extra flair J.K. Rowling intended that you can't get from the on-screen version. There's just something about reading about dragons, underwater adventures, and other high-stress competition tasks that makes this one even more of a page-turner than the others.

Before I Fall. I randomly picked this book up from the "New YA" table at the bookstore and it sounded like an easy read, which is what I was looking for. It ended up actually being pretty great. It's a bit like Groundhog Day, but focuses on a teenage girl and her friends who are in a car accident on the night of a party. The narrator, Samantha, wakes up for seven days straight after the accident, and lives the same day over and over again surrounded by her bitchy friends and the peers they are constantly mean to. She tries to change things about herself and her friends each time to see if she can prevent the car accident that she has figured out likely took her life.

After You. This is the follow up to Me Before You, and though I knew that there was no way it would live up to the first novel, it was pretty good. The story starts eight months after the last one ends, and you are reintroduced to Lou and hear what she's been up to since everything that happened with Will. It's a bit sad along the way, but it's hard not to root for a character like Lou, so you'll enjoy the chase for happiness.

The Silent Wife. Snooze fest, man. We read this for book club (I swear this book club is cursed, because most of our choices end up being mediocre at best) because it's becoming a movie, but most of us didn't like it. I thought it was slow, the characters were horrible people who were totally unrelatable, and the story premise itself was a fraud. I hate telling people not to read a book because I didn't like it, but unless you are like me and need to read a book before you see the movie, you can skip this one.

The Girl You Left Behind. I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. I've been well into period dramas since last year, and this one took place half in the present, half in France during World War I, and revolves around a painting of a French woman named Sophie. The first half is from her perspective and about her life before she gets taken by the Germans in 1917, the second half follows the woman that has ended up with her painting 90 years later. Through both parts of the story, you desperately try to figure out what happened to Sophie. It's a heartbreaking and beautiful story.

The Hypnotist's Love Story. This was cute, but as with many of Liane Moriarty's books, there are a few things that end up bothering me. To talk about those little issues would give away too much of the story, but the gist of it is that I can't stand how her stories tend to end very quickly, and in this case, with very little consequence for horrible actions.

The Light Between Oceans. This was the latest book club installment, about a couple who live out on a lighthouse hundred of miles from the coast of Australia. The first bit was kind of tough to get through, as it's a ton of talk about the sea and how lighthouses work and such, but after that I really enjoyed it. The couple has gone through a few miscarriages, and a boat with a baby happens to wash up on the island they live on. They keep the baby, and the rest is a tense story about the web of lies they weave to protect the baby and each other from anyone finding out.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I forgot how totally different this book is from the movie that I have come to memorize every word of. There is so much more character complexity when it comes to Umbridge and Sirius, and even Dumbledore and Harry's relationship is more intense than it's portrayed in the film. This is also probably one of the longest of the series, which is why the movie ended up cutting so many things. I'm really glad I read this one again.

The Art of Crash Landing. I haven't read a book in a while without knowing any single thing about it, and I definitely picked a good read to do that with. Melissa DeCarlo is the exact type of writer I hope to be someday — she's funny, she weaves a great story without giving too much along the way, she makes you think about your own life while you're reading, and she creates characters that are relatable in some small way no matter how wholly different than you they are. I loved this one so, so much.

mexican salad in a jar.

2016-03-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

I've been making a ton of jar salads lately — and before you say it, no, it's not just because I love pinterest, it's because they actually fit in my work bag better and last longer. The salads stay fresh for a few days, so I can make them on Sunday night and grab one each morning before work, and then when I get to work I dump it all out into a huge bowl and toss with dressing.

For this salad, I tried to replicate what I would get at Chipotle, minus the meat, cheese, and globs of sour cream (though, I might have to add a little dollop to each of these once they're poured out). I'm trying to keep away from unnecessary dairy, especially cheese, and have been replacing meat a few times a week with other proteins, just to keep things light and see if I can shed a few. There is zero science to this, but so far, I feel healthier, and have definitely seen a bit of slimming going on, so I'm not going to mess with what I'm doing unless it stops working. (However, I fully support your additions, and you'd best believe that I'll be making these with cheese from time to time in the future.) This salad is super easy to make, and the directions are made even easier by this handy GIF I made (I know, I skipped the tomato picture and believe me, I'm more annoyed than you are about that).

Mexican jar salad (makes three large jars):
// 1 cucumber
// 1/2 red onion
// 1 can sweet corn
// 1 can black beans
// 3 small tomatoes
// 2 avocados*
// 1 head of romaine

Rinse and chop everything up, and layer starting with the harder veggies, beans and corn, soft veggies and avocado, and then pack it in with lettuce until you can't fit anymore. Seal that puppy up and you're good to go. Enjoy!

*Because avocados brown so quickly, I cut them up into little pieces and tossed them with a splash of lime juice to keep them fresh, and add a little bit of flavor.

27 things in my 27th year.

2016-03-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

For the last two years, I've celebrated my birthday by making a list of things that I would ideally love to accomplish/experience/do during that age's year. I began my 27th revolution around the sun last Tuesday when I turned 26, and there are a fair amount of things that I'd love to do this year.

Looking back on my 26th year, and what I crossed off the year's list, there are still a couple of things that I've been beating myself up about not accomplishing, so some of those items will reappear, and some of the ones that were successful are definitely getting a second round. As for the others, a lot changed for me last year, so there are a lot of new things I'm excited about trying while I'm 26. I just hope I can keep to the list better than I've been able to keep up with this blog as of late.

1// Organize my photos on iPhoto — this was on last year's list, and I'm ashamed to say I didn't get to it, and just added more clutter in the end.

2// Take a class to learn more about my DSLR camera. (I'm thinking this one.)
3// Catch up to the new season of Game of Thrones by the finale.
4// Learn how to make my gramma's famous rice balls.
5// Take a copy editing class OR read at least three books to help improve my skills.
6// Clean out my closet and donate all of the clothes that I never wear but tell myself I will "some day."
7// Add a new product to my Etsy shop.
8// Take more photos.
9// Get my seventh tattoo.
10// See every Robin William's movie that I've never seen.
11// Lose ten pounds.
12// Take 100 days of selfies, as my 30 days of selfies project was my absolute favorite a couple years ago, and it made me feel creative and more in tune with myself.
13// Go to a late-night show taping.
14// Take a cooking class.
15// Take a road trip.
16// Visit three new breweries.
17// Read all of the Harry Potter books again and the new one!
18// Go to at least four concerts.
19// Use my polaroid camera more.
20// Watch the entire series of Parenthood, because everyone who knows me well keeps telling me it's a must.
21// Come up with a new solution for project life in 2016, as I still haven't finished 2015's album and don't think I'll be able to keep up with weekly spreads at all this year (seeing as it's already mid-March and I've done nothing!)
22// Visit the Golden Gate Bridge next time I'm in SF.
23// Either take a class, or teach myself calligraphy.
24// Travel to a new place.
25// Learn the NYC subway system, because I really suck at it.
26// Read 50 books.
27// Write myself a letter to open up on my 27th birthday (I never got around to doing this last year, and ended up being upset this year when I didn't have one).

Let's do this, 26.

goodbye, twenty five.

2016-03-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

I turned 26 last Tuesday, and even though I couldn't get my blogging together in time, I still want to reflect on 25 in the same way that I reflected on 24 last year, so here it goes: 25 things that made my 26th year amazing. (And coming tomorrow, 27 things in my 27th year.)

1// I took an epic road trip with my best friends to Portland, ME.
2// I got my sixth tattoo on my 25th birthday.
3// I had my favorite meal of the year (maybe ever) in SF in April. I still think about it now.
4// I got my absolute dream job just a few days after my birthday, and it's been the best year of my working life.
5// I was converted from a football-hater to a football-butt-lover who also appreciates the game.
6// Got to meet and interview one of my girl crushes, Ayesha Curry.
7// I moved into an amazing house with my two best friends, and it's been a party since day one.
8// Went on a brewery tour in Portland and got drunk off tastings (aka, the best way to do it).
9// I MET SHAQ. NBD.
10// I caught the essences of Max and my relationship on video, and it's my favorite thing in the world.
11// I finally invested in business cards and reopened my Etsy shop.
12// Celebrated Max turning four.
13// And Sky turning one (!).
14// I perfected the homemade bacon, egg, and cheese everything bagel. Seriously.
15// I started up the #alessiacommutes hashtag again with my classic platform photos.
16// I started off 2016 with a new one little word: contentment.
17// I spent a week with my babies in California, and it was the most fun we've had.
18// I traveled to SF twice, and fell in love with it.
19// Started spending more time with my little cousin Sam, who I swear is actually my twin sister.
20// Got to celebrate my pooch's first real birthday on the leap day.
21// Celebrated my first Christmas not living in my parent's house, which was weird, but so much fun.
22// I saw Ed Sheeran for the fifth time.
23// I also saw Taking Back Sunday two times within four days because they're still my favorite band, and probably always will be.
24// Got myself a work wife who works remote from Chicago, and as if that's not the best thing that happened to me this year, actually getting to meet each other in June takes the cake.
25// Celebrated the end of 25 and the beginning of 26 with all of my favorite people on a party bus.

Bring it on 26.

friday link love | 16.

2016-02-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Harry Style's birthday tweet on Monday was everything.
Adele told Donald Trump to suck it, basically. Queen.
This tweet of a story about Alan Rickman's early days on set of HP.
I had a truly picture perfect latte and I had to Instagram it. I'm sorry.
The P.S.S. at the end of this post is literally what came out of my mouth while watching Making a Murderer.
A hysterical post about parenting from Fatherly.
This is what happens when you mess with my basketball skillz.
From my coworkers: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard doing the damn thing in Africa and Daniel Radcliffe's touching tribute to Alan Rickman.
And from me: the cutest little boy in the world attempting a perfect alphabet, an 11-year-old boy crushing a performance of Adele's "Hello," and a little cutie who got thrown a puck at a hockey game.

january book report.

2016-02-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Rosie Effect. This is the follow-up to The Rosie Project, which I read a while ago. I probably should have reread it, because I couldn't remember the complete storyline, but I still liked this sequel (though not as much as the first one). The story is about Don, a man with social awkwardness (who likely falls somewhere on the autistic spectrum) and his wife (who he found in the first book) expecting their first child. His is an interesting perspective to hear from, though the way he thinks and processes certain things can be a bit stressful — and hilarious.

Where They Found Her. After reading Invisible City, I wanted another murder mystery from a journalist's perspective. This was a little less about the clues — in a case about a baby found dead by a river (I know, it's grim) — and more about different connecting stories, which I loved. The twist at the end totally got me. Highly recommend.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This is the first HP book that really varies quite a bit from its movie counterpart, and because it's been so long since I read this, but I've seen the movie dozens of times, it kind of felt like I was reading it for the first time. As always with Mr. Potter, I was not disappointed.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard. This was a really fun read, as it's a cheeky expansion on the HP series. The book is a children's book read to young witches and wizards the same way fairy tales are read to us when we're young, which is mentioned in the novels a few times. Each story ended with commentary from Albus Dumbledore, which killed me — so funny. It's less than 100 pages and the text was huge, so it took me just two train rides to finish it.

semi-personalized semi-DIY mug gift.

2016-01-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

I saw a DIY on a blog ages ago that included a soda and mini bottle of alcohol, and the soda can was sitting in a mason jar. It was the cutest thing, and I thought that it would be such an adorable gift idea for a housewarming, or even just because.I finally had a bunch of mini bottles lying around (stocking stuffers from my roommate), and some soda (my roommate's boyfriends' cans), so I decided to give putting them all together a whirl. However, even though we have 4,920 mason jars in this house — we drink out of small ones, we make salads in big ones — I couldn't fit a can in the opening of any of them (I'm not sure what type was used in the post I saw all those months back. I could swear it was a mason jar, but I can't find the freakin' post). So to improvise, I used initial mugs from Anthro, which actually worked perfectly because they're one of the most common gifts I give people (even though I make custom ones, these are too classic to overlook). Once you have the mug/mason jar/drinking receptacle ready to go, you can use twine like I did, or ribbon, to attach the mini bottles to the top. If I were actually giving these two as a gift, I would have slipped a tag into the knot with a little note, and probably would've wrapped them up in a clear gift bag with some confetti. It's a small gift, but it's a sweet idea for little occasions or just to have something so as not to show up empty-handed to a party. Friends, you may see one of these puppies in your near future (spoiler alert).

project life weeks 28 - 32.

2016-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

July 6 - August 9.What went on during these weeks: Summer was truly in full swing, which meant going to outdoor bars, eating al fresco, drinking iced coffee (and coronas), sitting by the pool, and devouring strawberries by the pound.Details + interesting tidbits: Summer sun equals great lighting, so the spreads with outdoor photos were so clean and bright, which made me happy (especially since there's snow out my window right now). I have been using tons and tons of journaling cards in the spreads I didn't have enough photos for, and rather than stressing me out, I'm actually enjoying those. I also decided to start including my monthly train passes (week thirty one), because they're full of color and add a bit more of the mundane details of my life to the album.Photo Breakdown: W28: phone photos: 8 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W29: phone photos: 9 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W30: phone photos: 11 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W31: phone photos: 8 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W32: phone photos: 10 // DSLR photos: 1 // polaroid photos: 0. | Taken by me, the self-timer, and shutter remotes.Materials Used: PL Core Kits: midnight edition & seafoam edition, PL Add-On Kits: heidi swapp foil kit & Studio Calico PL kits, smash date stamp, fiskars corner rounder, tiny attacher stapler, fiskars paper trimmer, staz-on jet black ink, zig photo signature pen in black (on photos), zig writer marker in black (on journal cards), canon selphy wireless printer, canon selphy ink + paper kit.

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Project Life is a simplified solution to scrapbooking created by Becky Higgins that helps you record everyday memories. Document your story either physically or digitally along with me and so many others. Find out more here, how to start here, & see all of my PL 2014 posts here, and 2015 here. Some links may be affiliate links.

blueberry swirl muffins.

2016-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Be still, my blueberry-lovin' heart.I went through my pinterest for the first time in absolute ages (can't believe how much time I used to spend on that app!!) and spotted these babies, patiently waiting for me on my "sweet tooth" board. I went to the supermarket the next day to grab anything I didn't have (though stick around, I totally forgot something), and used my MLK day off to bake them.This was my first time making muffins ever, and they're the most delicious muffins I've ever eaten, hands down. Normally I eat the full top of a muffin and then nibble at the dry bottom, but these are too good not to eat the entire thing. The bottoms were moist and dense, the tops were crispy and sweet and gooey, and ugh. I can't rave about these enough.Ingredients:
for the streusel topping
// 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
// 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
// pinch of salt
// 1/4 cup flour
// 2 1/2 tablespoons warm melted butter

for the muffins
// 2 cups blueberries
// 1 1/8 cup sugar
// 2 1/2 cups flour
// 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
// 1 teaspoon salt
// 2 large eggs
// 4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
// 1/4 cup vegetable oil
// 3/4 cup yogurt (I used strawberry banana because I forgot to buy plain, but loved the extra flavor. For pure blueberry bliss, go with blueberry yogurt, or to keep the spotlight on the fresh blueberries, go plain)
// 1/4 cup milk
// 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extractDirections:
1// Preheat oven to 425*F.
2// To make the streusel topping, mix the sugars, salt, and flour together, then slowly mix in the melted butter and combine all of the ingredients with a fork. Once it's lumpy and mixed, set it aside.
3// To make that delicious-looking blueberry swirl, add 1 cup of the blueberries with a teaspoon of sugar to a small pan and mix together (frequently) on medium heat for five minutes. Smoosh the blueberries as you go, and set aside to cool to room temperature once the mixture is thick and melty.
4// To make the muffins, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
5// In another bowl, combine the eggs and sugar until thick, then add in the oil, melted butter, milk, yogurt, and vanilla.
6// Fold the dry mix into the wet mix until mostly combined, then fold in the remaining cup of blueberries until you have a lumpy and thick batter.
7// Spoon the mixture into your muffin tin, filling the slots completely.
8// Add a teaspoon of the blueberry swirl mixture to the top of each, poking into the middle with a fork to let it seep into the middle of the muffin a bit.
9// Add the streusel topping to each muffin. Note: the topping will have gotten a bit dry while it was sitting, so use your fingers to crush and sprinkle it all over, but be sure to leave some chunks!
10// Bake for 16 minutes, and let cool before devouring.Adapted from this recipe.

one little word 2016 | diy canvas.

2016-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

The first year I did one little word, I made two canvases (this one and this one) to represent my word and keep it in the forefront of my mind by putting them somewhere I'd see them every day. I continued that tradition last year and made a canvas using my word's definition, so this year making another one was a no-brainer. Like the previous two years, I kept it simple, though this time I combined both methods used in the others — a little bit of black and white (and pink) paint and a gold paint marker (because, again, when am I not breaking that thing out? Exhibit A and B). I sloppily applied the paint, let it dry, then outlined my word, "contentment," in skinny gold capitals.I like making these simple canvases for this purpose because they keep the spotlight on the word itself without being in my face. The 2014 and 2015 canvases are a part of a gallery wall in my room (which I keep meaning to take photos of), but I put this one over my desk so it kind of has it's own little spot for the year. I'm hoping that seeing it every day will really help me work on myself this to truly be a more content person in twenty sixteen.
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One Little Word is a workshop run by Ali Edwards in which participants choose one word to focus on for an entire year. Read about Ali's OLW here, and see all of my related posts for OLW 2014 here, 2015 here, and 2016 here.

friday link love | 15.

2016-01-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

For the third year running, I'm printing out this freebie calendar from The Anastasia Co to clip into my gold clipboard.
This miniseries is taking the world by storm, and if you've seen it you know why — if you haven't, what the eff are you doing?
Best twitter response EVER.
Popsugar got a double shoutout in this hilarious video.
THIS.
The NY Post referenced my post about being a hot nanny, which is pretty awesome.
If you use spotify and haven't seen your year in music for 2015 yet, DO IT.
From my coworkers: a compilation of insane theories surrounding Making a Murderer, Adele impersonating herself, Snape's story edited together in chronological order, and Harry Potter told in emoji texts.
And from me: a man and boy 57 years apart talking about life, an adorable, real life elf on the shelf, and a heartbreaking — yet heartwarming — letter from a mother to her daughter from beyond the grave.

products I used + liked in 2015.

2016-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

1. Purity by Philosophy // 2. The Body Shop Grapefruit Body Scrub // 3. Tarte Brazilliance Self-Tanning Face Towelettes // 4. Lush Karma Kream // 5. Dermalogica Precleanse // 6. The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion // 7. Co Bigelow Lemon Cream Body Wash // 8. Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray // 9. Revlon Lash Potion Mascara // 10. Oscar Blandi Dry Styling Heat Protect Spray // 11. Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer // 12. The Body Shop Aloe Protective Serum // 13. Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Hairspray

I used a lot of products in 2015. For whatever reason, I started to save the stuff I used up in a box, and in cleaning out my entire room this past weekend, I found it. These products are definitely not the only ones I used and liked this past year, but they're all awesome, so I thought I'd recap, even though I'm sure I've written about some of these in my favorites before.In terms of skincare, the precleanse is amazing. It's a first step when washing your face at night to remove excess oil and breakdown your makeup — highly recommend. I like the purity wash to get any of the leftover makeup after that, and to wash my whole face. The aloe protective serum was a really light moisturizer that I liked using during the day under makeup, and the tea tree night lotion was a bit heavier but kept my skin clear and moisturized.

The karma kream is a delicious smelling all-over body lotion, and goes on like a dream after exfoliating in the shower with the grapefruit body scrub. The lemon cream body wash was an awesome winter choice in the beginning of the year, because during those months it's impossible for me to moisturize "too much." If you're looking for an extra boost during the pale months, the Tarte self-tanning towelettes are amazing, and don't turn you orange. I used them mostly to keep the tan dream alive in September, once my natural tan started to fade.For makeup, the Too Faced bronzer is an everyday staple, and I can't stress enough how great it smells and looks. The lash potion mascara was definitely not the only mascara I used this year — if you read this blog, you know that all too well — but it was for sure a stand-out, and something I want to repurchase now that it's on my radar again. The setting spray is another daily staple. It makes me feel like I'm not wearing any makeup, and anything I put on stays put for the entire day (or as they suggest, all night).

Lastly, the two hair items were both ones that I've continued buying over and over since the first time I used them — the dry heat spray is perfect for days you're using a hot tool but haven't washed your hair (um, most days?), and the argan oil hairspray smells like strawberries and provides a light-to-medium hold (my favorite part is that it doesn't feel sticky or crunchy and I can still run my fingers through my hair no problem).

All that this post has done is made me want to repurchase half of these items. That backfired.

november + december book report.

2016-01-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Everything, Everything. Oh man, I loved this book. It was typical YA — the characters were pretty perfect and the teenaged boy was proficient in the language of love in a way that no grown man has ever actually been, but it was incredible. The main character has a fragile immune system and has never left her home, spends all of her time reading and taking online classes, and only ever sees her nurse and mother — until Olly moves in next door, and the rest is history. I enjoyed the characters, their witty banter, the way the world was seen through the eyes of a girl who has never seen the world before, and most of all, I love the way it ended.
"prom • ise ('prämes) n. pl. -es. 1. The lie you want to keep. [2015, Whittier]"

Thirteen Reasons Why. This was this November's book club read, and another YA. About a young girl who took her own life and leaves 13 tapes behind for 13 people to listen to and hear why they were, in some way or another, responsible for why she killed herself. I didn't hate this book, but it was definitely a very easy read, super straightforward, not too shocking or surprising, and I finished it in three sittings. Overall, a good read if you're looking for something quick and easy, but other than that I wasn't totally impressed.
"No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same."

All the Bright Places. This book was tragically beautiful. Also YA and also touching on the subject of suicide, this book really opens your eyes to the struggles within the mind of someone contemplating taking their own life in a way that our book club book didn't. I also loved that it was split point of view between the two main characters, so you could see inside the minds of two troubled young people, but how each handled the cards life dealt them. Truly upsetting but ultimately beautiful, I definitely recommend this one as a more serious read.
". . . but the great thing about this life of ours is that you can be someone different to everybody."

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Every time I read these it feels like the first time and the millionth time all in one. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this series.
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Carry On. I was so excited for this book to come out after I finished Fangirl earlier this year. Even though it has nothing to do with Fangirl, it's the fan-fiction story that the main character of that story started, and I knew it was going to be awesome. I was right. Bear in mind, in order to enjoy this book, you need to accept that it's not Harry Potter at all, and then it's fantastic. It's a different kind of fantasy story surrounding magical students at a school in England (I know, just ignore it, seriously), and the main character, Simon Snow, has spent the last eight years dealing with being the most powerful mage in the magical world. Loved it.
"You were the sun, and I was crashing into you. I'd wake up every morning and think, 'This will end in flames."

Invisible City. This was December's book club read, and even though after the first chapter I wasn't sure I was going to like it, I ended up devouring it. It's about a 22-year-old woman named Rebekah, who is in her first year out of college as a stringer for a newspaper. She is called to get information from a crime scene in which a Hasidic Jewish woman's was found, and Rebekah makes it her mission to find out what happened to her. I enjoyed it and there are apparently going to be more featuring this main character, which is exciting.

In 2015 I read 35 books and crushed my reading goal of 25 by ten whole novels — in 2016 I'm going for fifty. Wish me luck.

contentment.

2016-01-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

For the last two years I've chosen a word to take with me in everything I do throughout the year. In 2014, it was "grow," and it couldn't have been a more perfect word for me that year. Last year I chose "adapt," because after all the seeds I planted in 2014, I needed to work through it all and fit the pieces of the puzzle together. Both years I made massive changes to my life and both years I feel like my word served me. When I started to think about what word I wanted to look to in 2016, I thought about the past few months and how even though I have an amazing life — and am generally a happy individual — I tend to focus a bit too much on the things I think are missing from my life. I drag some of that negativity into parts of me that are already awesome, and it becomes kind of toxic. That's how choosing the word "contentment" came about.This year my goal is to be content. To sit and enjoy the happy little life that I've built for myself, and let the things that are missing come to me in time. I want to be happy just because I can be, I want to appreciate the things that I have to the fullest extent, rather than halfway because I'm searching for something else. If I can get myself to this state, I just know that everything else will fall into place — and better yet, if it doesn't, I'll still find a way to be okay with that.I've realized that I can make any situation awful with my attitude. All it takes is a bad mood to make a day terrible. I'm going to work on making the opposite even more true. I choose to be happy this year, no matter what. Bring it on, twenty sixteen.
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One Little Word is a workshop run by Ali Edwards in which participants choose one word to focus on for an entire year. Read about Ali's OLW here, and see all of my related posts for OLW 2014 here, 2015 here, and 2016 here.

goodbye, twenty fifteen.

2015-12-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

Twenty fifteen has been quite the year. There were a lot of ups and downs, but now that the year is wrapping up, I'm feeling really great about where I am and what I've accomplished in the last 365 days. Every year I get excited for January, because it's the time of year I feel the most inspired. It's the time of year I thrive. That's not because of resolutions — at least not in the traditional sense — but because I've gotten into the habit of reflecting on what I've done at the end of a year, which helps me to make new goals and figure out what I want in the next year. So here we go:

// I started a new job as an assistant editor at the most awesome place to work, POPSUGAR.
// I went to California three times — twice for work, once with my chickens — and now more than ever can imagine myself settling there when the time is right.
// I went to England to visit my best friend, and even though it was the first time I'd been since my breakup last June, it still felt like a home away from home.
// I got to spend three months with my nuggets in between jobs, which meant some time with little Sky.
// I finally moved out of my parents' house and into one with my two best friends, Meagan and Katherine (with their boyfriends, Mathew and Quinn, as honorary roommates) and it's been the most amazing seven months.
// I met Shaq, and even though I never knew I wanted to meet Shaq, it was probably the coolest thing I did all year.
// My friends and I started a book club, which helped me to crush my reading goal of the year.
// I took a random trip to Portland, ME, with two of my friends, and we had the best four days in a city we knew nothing about.
// I saw Taking Back Sunday in concert twice in a week with my friend Laura and remembered how much I love that music scene.
// I overcame my forever fear of lipstick through a work project, #12LipsOfChristmas.
// I continued with project life this year, and even though I'm behind (more behind than I got last year, whoops) I still love it as a way to document the every day. That being said, I'm not sure what 2016 will look like, but the weekly spread may get abandoned in favor of a less structured album.

I feel awesome about the things I did this year, and even though I feel like there are a few pieces of the puzzle still missing, I think keeping that in mind in 2016 will get me to where I want to be. As usual, we'll see how it goes — bring it on, twenty sixteen.

etsy/blog business cards.

2015-12-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's been on my list of things to do — and my 26 things list — to reopen my etsy shop. Well, I think it's finally going to happen, people. My friend Alyssa asked me to make mugs (like the ones I used to sell) for her coworkers, and it's the second year in a row she asked me if I'd mind, since I don't sell them anymore. As soon as she asked, I knew I wanted to do it, because it had been so long. Because of this eagerness, I decided that the ideas I have for my Etsy shop seriously need to be executed asap, so I jumped onto overnight prints to make some business cards.I know that seems backwards, but that's kind of the way I operate. In my head I thought, if I have super cool, official looking business cards, I'll be inspired to want to get my ass into gear with the Etsy shop and start creating again. So, that's what I did.I designed a business card using a bunch of photos of my custom mugs and a few of the stamps out of the ones I've made for myself that I think will be good sellers online. With the pictures on one side, I took to the other side to add some of my info (because, duh) and used a red color as a base because it matched the flowers in one of the photos on the backside. I typed in the details that I wanted on the card — it was important for me to include my blog address as well as my shop link — and added my name to the top in my own handwriting.

And that's that. Overnight prints took about three weeks to deliver my cards, but seeing as I was in no rush (I didn't want to reopen my shop before Christmas because I didn't have the time to work on mugs or ordering stamps during the month of December) it all worked out fine. I'm looking forward to slipping these into orders when I officially reopen my shop in the new year.

the easiest diy ornaments.

2015-12-24T14:31:00.003-05:00

Since this is the first Christmas in mine and my roommates' house, we didn't have all that many ornaments for our Christmas tree. I wanted to make something personalized for all of us, so I bought some simple white ornaments from Michael's, and broke out my gold paint marker (because let's be honest, when am I not breaking that thing out?).I made an ornament for each of the five of us with our names on them, one for the house with our house nickname, "East MAK Inn," and one with a 2015 on it. This was literally the easiest diy project I've ever done, but they're probably my favorite ornaments on our tree this year, so win.

project life 2015 // weeks 23 - 27.

2015-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

May 18 - July 5.What went on during these weeks: I spent some time with my nuggets, remembered how much I hate the city during the summer, and celebrated my best friend and roommate's 24th birthday for a full week. I went to SF for an editor training week with all of my coworkers, and finally got to meet my work wife, Kate, who normally works remote from Chicago. I saw all of my college housemates in DC for a weekend, which was long overdue, then celebrated my mom's birthday and Fourth of July in the first week of super hot weather we had.Details + interesting tidbits: I'm pretty pleased with the way all of these spreads turned out. They all had a good color scheme that tied journal cards to the photo colors, especially week 27. The whole right side of that spread was American themed for the Fourth of July, and I love the way it turned out. A bunch of these weeks didn't have the normal amount of photos, so it was kind of fun trying to fit in additional journaling cards to go with the themes.Photo Breakdown: W23: phone photos: 12 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W24: phone photos: 9 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W25: phone photos: 11 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W26: phone photos: 7 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W27: phone photos: 9 // DSLR photos: 2 // polaroid photos: 0. | Taken by me, the self-timer, and shutter remotes.Materials Used: PL Core Kits: midnight edition & seafoam edition, PL Add-On Kits: heidi swapp foil kit, Studio Calico PL kits, smash date stamp, fiskars corner rounder, fiskars paper trimmer, staz-on jet black ink, zig photo signature pen in black (on photos), zig writer marker in black (on journal cards), canon selphy wireless printer, canon selphy ink + paper kit.

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october book report.

2015-11-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

The One and Only. I picked this book up from the library on a total whim because everything else that I wanted was waitlisted. I've read a lot of Emily Giffin's stuff before, and have liked most of it — apart from Baby Proof — and actually loved this one about a girl named Shea who is obsessed with football. I'm in the middle of watching Friday Night Lights on netflix, and the two coach characters reminded me of each other. There were a lot of negative reviews on goodreads, but I thought for a chick lit, quick read, it was pretty entertaining — and I don't even like football.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone. I can't tell you how many times I've read this book since my aunt gave it to me in 1997, but I still have the same UK paperback copy (and now the illustrated copy!!!) and every time I pick it up I feel like a little kid again. I notice different things every time I read it (especially since my brain unfortunately finds it easier to remember the movie version just because it's easier to watch an hour-and-a-half movie over and over than it is to spend four hours reading the book), and love rediscovering things I've forgotten about the story and the characters, in the original way J.K. Rowling imagined them. The illustrated version is SO beautiful — if you're a fan, I highly recommend. I can't wait until they're all out and can sit on a shelf together, they're amazing.

29/25 of my yearly reading goal — wayyyy ahead of the curve on that one. Gonna have to increase that for next year.

friday link love | 14.

2015-10-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

James Kay speaking on illustrating the Harry Potter series.
THIS ON REPEAT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
What happens when nerdy technology becomes R (not really) rated.
I am a huge fan of contemporary dances, and this routine to James Bay's "Let It Go" broke me.
If Harry Potter characters had instagram — a must read.
The Yankees may not be in the World Series, but McCann killed it this year.
I love honest humor, and this animated first date story is definitely just that.
I. NEED. ONE. OF. THESE. PUPPIES.
I wish I thought of this (as do my HP lovin' coworkers).
This twitter account absolutely kills me.
Gems from my coworkers: this adorable 911 call, and your new instagram obsession.
From me: why you're pooping wrong, the best campbell's commercial ever, and the absolute sweetest thing you'll ever see.

april - october playlist.

2015-10-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't done a playlist in a while — which caused me to combine my april/may/june/july playlist, and then an august/september playlist in a panic — so I decided I'd combine all of the songs I've been obsessed with since april until now (however, I'm not doing that on my spotify, because I get too attached to playlists the way they are, so you can listen to april/may/june/july here, august/september here, and october here).

The above songs are the ones I haven't stopped listening to for six months, and are, as usual, a mix of all genres. Follow me on spotify for more monthly playlists.

*Note: Tim Atlas's song is called "Ten Goodbyes," but because there's no spellcheck on photoshop and I'm so quick to not save the .psd files of things, it makes me look like I can't spell. Ah well.

26 things: half year (and a bit) update.

2015-10-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

For my birthday this year, I made a list of 26 things that I wanted to accomplish in my 26th year, and now that I'm half (okay, just over half) of the way through the year, I wanted to catch-up with how I'm doing and figure out what I still need to accomplish before I turn 26 next March.

11 out of the 26 items have been crossed off so far, seven things are in progress, and eight things are completely unfinished. On the list of completed items, I've traveled to a new place (Portland, ME), gone to four concerts (Ed Sheeran, again), I moved out, got a new job, and went back to California (twice!).

Of the seven things in progress, I've mostly kept up with the month-by-month ones — writing a handwritten letter/note every month, and buying myself flowers — though, I've forgotten most months about the polaroid photos. I've been cooking for myself a lot, and trying to come up with a bunch of staple dishes to make all the time and get really good at (I set the goal at five staple dishes, though I can already make way more things, so it's kind of (?) completed).

Of the things that are unfinished, I either know I'll likely get around to it — like taking some sort of class, maybe calligraphy or copy editing — or unless I really dedicate some time, I probably won't — like brewing beer, or knitting something. The reality of the things that are unfinished is that since moving out and starting my new job (which requires me to write for 40 hours a week), hobbies — including this blog — have hit the back-burner kind of hard. I've tried and tried to keep up with project life, picking up new hobbies, and blogging, but the fact of the matter is, I'm loving life right now, and spending most of my free time with my roommates, seeing friends, going to events for work, and exploring my new town; so I'm not completely mad at myself for having so many things unfinished with my birthday just over four months away.

As with last year's birthday project — 25 things — I have adapted over the course of the year and reevaluated the things that I want to really do. And as with last year, I'm okay with that. I do want to get back to blogging more regularly, and have been saying it for the past six months, but it'll be a slow burn. So I'm not quite close to accomplishing all 26 things yet, but I do feel alright about it all, which is fine by me for now.

project life 2015 // weeks 17 - 22.

2015-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

April 13 - May 17.What went on during these weeks: I started my new job in NYC, caught up with some BuzzFeed friends, moved into a new apartment with my friends Katherine and Meagan (which we call the East MAK Inn), celebrated Max's fourth birthday, and had a housewarming BBQ with all of our friends. Details + interesting tidbits: Each week was a little bit different, but since I'm in beast mode trying to get everything up-to-date, things were kept simple. Most weeks in this grouping had a few less photos than normal because while I was starting up at the new job and moving into my apartment, photo-taking started to go by the wayside. I used extra 6x4 cards and a bunch of see-through pockets — I actually kind of liked how it looked most of the time.Photo Breakdown: W17: phone photos: 7 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W18: phone photos: 11 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W19: phone photos: 7 // DSLR photos: 1 (sky photo credit) // polaroid photos: 0. W20: phone photos: 10 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W21: phone photos: 6 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. W22: phone photos: 10 // DSLR photos: 0 // polaroid photos: 0. | Taken by me, the self-timer, and shutter remotes.Materials Used: PL Core Kits: midnight edition & seafoam edition, PL Add-On Kits: heidi swapp foil kit, Studio Calico PL kits, smash date stamp, fiskars corner rounder, fiskars paper trimmer, staz-on jet black ink, zig photo signature pen in black (on photos), zig writer marker in black (on journal cards), canon selphy wireless printer, canon selphy ink + paper kit.

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easy DIY pumpkin with gold lettering.

2015-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

This literally isn't even worth a post, but for anyone looking for the ultimate last-minute DIY pumpkin decorating idea, this is it.I used a craftsmart gold paint marker to hand-letter "happy halloween" onto a small pumpkin. It took about five minutes, if that. And boom goes the dynamite.