July 30, 2014

Summer Collection for Latidoe Etsy Store In the Makings...

One word. Finally!!!
In part because this was supposed to be a summer floral collection and the summer is more than half way done. *Freaking out.* In part because I got this fortune in a fortune cookie at work and decided it's a very possible fortune to come true. 
Dear self, please muster up the motivation to get this floral collection you promised yourself moving...

Now off to see what happens when I listen to myself...so far so good :)

July 23, 2014

The Garden State Revelation

I'm going to go ahead and assume that if you start to see New Jersey in your chipped nail polish...it probably meas you're home sick. I miss the beach and the cows and the farms and the City and Watson the ridiculous puppy dog...and Rita's...and Route 1 even. Great Indian and Mexican food. Not having to pump my own gas...but most of all I miss my friends and family. Because people bring places to life. And without people...there isn't much else to distinguish one place from another. Except maybe the beach. <3

July 17, 2014

Updates & Catching Up with My Own Life

I haven't blogged in a million and one years so it's time for an update. Life's been pretty busy! I'm excited to announce that my hair is no longer glowing yellow/orange/red, as you can see. After a long struggle, I'm actually fairly happy with it. It's still not what I wanted...but I like it.
My little Mumsi came to visit last week so I got to spend some time with her. We went to Eastern Market in Detroit and picked out a bunch of plants for the front yard -- the BF and I (ok, mostly him) did some landscaping. The final touches still aren't totally done...it will be a surprise:
Lately I've also been spending a bit more time in Detroit. I'm not someone who pretends like I'm from there at all. I'm not. But now that I live in close proximity, I've grown to care more about it and am interested more in exploring and seeing what Detroit has to offer. And contemplating more about how, if at all, I have anything to offer it. 

A few weeks ago I went to the Moth with coworkers -- it was very cool. And pretty funny at times. VIP status + beer + friends always makes anything that much better. 
VIP status
Myself and coworker/best friend  outside the Moth
Exploring Detroit with the BF
Exploring more of Detroit after browsing Eastern Market

This wasn't intended to be a rant post...but as usual...I feel super behind. Though lately, I've just learned to be a little more okay with that. The other day -- or was it today? -- my boss had made mention that "millennial's" values are very different than those of previous + older generations. He was basically saying that our priorities are more competitive and that our goals are centered on success. Which we typically view as being smarter, richer, or higher up on the social food chain. That our values aren't so much being "good" but being better than someone else -- in usually superficial terms. 

It got me thinking...that I am a millennial after all...and so like most of the rest of my cohort have always felt the pressure to be smart and successful--and prioritizing going to college and getting a degree and not so much being a doctor or lawyer necessarily, but at least being something with solid income. I felt that pressure even more so while in college. Pressure to switch majors because where will communications or psychology get me? What's my plan? And pressure to do something now that could guarantee a stable pay check later. Rarely mentioned in conferences, study groups, networking events, or even family gatherings was anything about being a good person or using my life, time, money or resources to contribute to any greater good for something other than my own finances. 

I feel like much of my anxiety about feeling behind likely stems from all of this. Feeling behind other people in my graduating class. Especially because many of them are now off working for big businesses in NYC or Chicago or going on to grad school. In reality, I'm not behind. I'm right around where most 20-something-year-olds likely are, too. In retrospect, I've had many accomplishments. And so then, if the anxiety of feeling behind in my life is just rooted in a priority to be more successful than average -- it's not worth it. 

If I feel behind in blogging, I've realized that I don't have to feel guilty about it. Because I would rather post scarce genuine posts because I simply like blogging, than post frequent posts just for the sake of pumping out content more or equal to that of other blogs. If that makes sense. And this logic applies to most things. 

If you take away the goal of being "better" or comparable to anyone else (whether it's consciously or unconsciously) then you can never be behind. You can tread through life at your own pace and simply tend to being the best you can be. Days like today when I feel slightly behind in my own life -- or feeling like it's becoming impossible to catch up -- I just have to remind myself that I'm doing the best I can, and more importantly, that the best I can is good enough for me.