I’m sure many of you are either ducking out early for the long weekend or mentally checking out if you’re staying local. I’ll actually be heading out to New Orleans tomorrow, so I’m signing off a bit early this week. See you next week! xo

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A little peek at life in real time:

Currently I’m…

Reading: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It’s amazing. AMAZING! Adichie is such a skilled writer who can balance pain, laughs, insight, and quick wit. (No wonder Beyonce sampled her TEDx Talk in “Flawless.”) Given how much people have hyped this book, my expectations were high, but all the praise is warranted. My copy is due back to the library this weekend, so now it’s a race to the finish the last 100 or so pages. Pretty sure I’ll be sad to be done with this one.

Traveling to: L.A. this weekend for work/play, New Orleans next week for a blog trip (!), Malibu at the end of September for a wedding, and likely Catalina in early October. After a relatively quiet August, the travel ramps up yet again. Woot!

Eating: At home more. I went through a few weeks of constantly eating out, partly because I was too tired to cook and partly because I was wholly uninspired. This Martha Stewart blistered eggplant dish was a particularly memorable meal and perfect for summer.

Watching: The Wire. One episode in, I’m not totally won over yet but am curious to see why people call it the best show in the history of television. I’m also watching my Real Housewives (of Orange County and New York) because there’s no better mindless entertainment after a long, hard day.

Exercising: Differently. As much as I loved going to a yoga studio, with the amount I eat out for work-related events and meetings, I wasn’t getting the burn I needed to balance out all the calories. It wasn’t about weight; I simply felt unhealthy and sluggish. So I joined Fit, an admittedly fancy gym that offers spinning, weight classes, yoga, barre classes, and more (I get a discount rate through work). I swore off gyms after OD-ing in New York City and also because San Diego is such an outdoor activity kind of town, but I needed efficient workouts. I like doing my weekday morning classes and then adding in long walks and hikes with Teddy on weekday evenings and weekends. #balance

Working on: Purging. It’s funny that for two years of working from home, our one-bedroom apartment (which is a decent 600 square feet) seemed like the right amount of space for me, Eaman, and Teddy. Now being home only on weekday evenings and weekends thanks to a full-time office job, I find the space totally claustrophobic. Maybe it’s because the novelty has worn off. Maybe it’s because I can finally separate work from home, and really need home to be an uncluttered sanctuary. Either way, I’m getting a lot of satisfaction out of walking around the apartment and tossing (into a bag for Goodwill) items we don’t need or hardly ever use. Decluttering my space has done wonders for decluttering my mind. I also plan to check out Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Have you heard of it? It seems like a bible for minimalists and manual for hoarders.

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But first…coffee! Though my caffeine headache was looming throughout our morning drive, I held out for quality coffee that I knew I could find in the newly happening downtown LA area, where Unique LA took place. Enter: Santa Cruz-based Verve Coffee Roasters. This location was elegantly minimalist, save for the lush plant walls by the patio, and shared a space with Juice Served Here. I’m so glad I waited; the latte and croissant were certainly worth the caffeine withdrawal. Ah, but back to the shopping! The two-day shopping bonanza included L.A. and other U.S.-based vendors selling jewelry, prints, clothing, pet gear, and more. I went in with the goal of finding some delicate jewelry pieces and came home with a ring by Kyle Chan, and a ring and earrings by Wildcat Boutique. The market is ginormous, at times the vendors seemed repetitive, and some of the price points were crazy ($60 candle, what?!), but I found my own great options and appreciated how laid-back, roomy, and non-frenzied that whole market was. I also loved the various DIY stations. Above, we got to paint illustrations with watercolor paints, courtesy of the team behind 25 Beautiful Things, an adult watercoloring book. The two prints I painted are now hanging in my office. If you’re interested, Unique is headed to SF (September 19-20) and NYC (dates TBD) next.
We then spent nearly 40 minutes driving from downtown to West Hollywood (AHH!) for a late brunch at Gracias Madre, a super stylish vegan Mexican restaurant, where we dined on fried plantains, roasted cauliflower topped with cashew cheese sauce, guacamole, and grilled peaches  It’s truly one of the most beautiful restaurants I’ve ever seen! The price points are on the high side—my plantain entree was $18—but it was fun to finally experience a restaurant I’ve been seeing so much on Instagram. Their cocktail menu is impressive, too. My only complaint is that I wanted a virgin drink, but our waiter informed me that they can’t do any substitutions or menu changes.
We came back from L.A. Saturday evening, and I vegged out the rest of the night in preparation for a working Sunday. In order to balance a full-time job, freelance magazine writing, and blogging, you have to accept that you can’t balance it. But to get as close as possible, I’m trying to be more strict about working on Sundays. So after a few hours clocked, Eaman and I headed to Mama’s Bakery for my favorite garlic chicken shawarma wrap.
Then the best thing ever happened. We were walking in North Park, happened upon a golden retriever and his owner, and after we began chatting, we realized this. is. Teddy’s. brother! It started with the owner saying that his dog was also 2.5 years old. Then he said he got him from a breeder in the same area as we got Teddy. Then he said his birth date was also February 3. And just like that we met, Rusty, Mr. Teddy’s brother! It’s most every dog owner’s dream to find a fellow littermate, and here was Rusty rolling around for belly rubs in the exact same way Teddy does. Beyond looking alike, their mannerisms are very much the same, too. It was wild and weird and wonderful. And yes, we exchanged numbers and will be taking the two bros to the beach soon. What’s better than a golden retriever? TWO! (Or five.)

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Yes, I’m going to Cabo tomorrow! The idea hatched just a month ago within a few days of deciding that Eaman and I really needed a vacation. It’s the quickest I’ve ever planned a trip, and I’m so, so excited.

As I mentioned here, I’ve been burned out. A new work schedule and my mom’s surgery have been recent stressors, but both events made me realize how the last 2.5 years of freelance hustling and being the supportive sounding board for a boyfriend creating a start-up had taken a toll on me, on Eaman, on our relationship, on our health, you name it. I’ve been exhausted, eating poorly, becoming increasingly forgetful, and worst of all, anxious. There were some mornings I had to turn on talk radio just so I could drown out the to-do lists running through my head or go to evening yoga because I was starting to have mini panic attacks every day at 5:30pm. And seeing my mom in the E.R., coping with a broken ankle and then surgery, made me realize that I needed to take care of my physical and mental health. I needed a vacation.

Around this time, I was also reaching out to a few girlfriends, all of whom are successful business owners. Quite simply I asked them, “How do you do it without pulling out your hair?” All of their tips had a common thread of traveling. One had just come back from a trip, another was about to leave for one, and the third travels so frequently (for fun) that she might as well be a travel writer. One of them explained that she just books a trip for the future so she’s committed. Leading up to it, she makes tweaks—maybe less shopping or less eating out—and it’s worth it because getting that change of scenery is rejuvenating. We’re all struggling, we’re all hustling, and we all don’t quite have the funds, but they all seem to make it work, so why can’t I?

For 2.5 years, I’ve been really hard on myself, whether it was talking myself out of going to the movies or getting a manicure because I thought I had to save money. Well yes, I do need to save money, but I also need to take care of myself, lest I want another epic meltdown.

Visiting family is not a vacation. Weddings are not a vacation. Press trips, while great and I know I’m lucky, are not a vacation. Two-day weekend getaways are not a vacation. I needed something longer.

So one day last month, feeling totally worn out from my anxiety, I texted Eaman that we needed to book a trip asap. To my surprise, he was 100 percent on board. (Usually one of us checks the other when it comes to finances.) And before we knew it, we decided on Mexico, then Cabo (big ups to Alaska Airlines for affordable direct flights!), then found this relatively cheap and secluded eco-resort. All of a sudden everything was booked.

I’ve packed sunscreen, my swimsuit, books, and a big floppy hat. I may or may not Instagram. I may or may not blog about it. But finally, I am doing something good for me, and it already feels right. (Cabo was under hurricane watch this past weekend—”Blanca” was the earliest-in-season tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Baja peninsula—but it was downgraded to a tropical storm yesterday and will dissipate today, so I think we’re in the clear *fingers crossed*. And more importantly, it doesn’t look like the area endured much damage.)

The blog will continue as normal on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so see you Thursday! I hope to come back a little sun-kissed, a lot relaxed, and full on tortilla chips.

Photo via

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I feel totally all over the place, and each week a few things fall to the wayside. Either I don’t see friends or I don’t work out or I don’t spend any time with my dog or I eat like crap. Bah! I’m going to have to make some changes, what those are I have no idea because I haven’t even had time to think about it, but one thing that will help is taking a few days off from this blog to recharge. Sometimes you need to just sit on the couch while your golden retriever sits next to you and snores ever so softly without the compulsion to cross something off your checklist.

So I need to figure out ways to allow for more of that in my life. Thanks in advance for being patient with me! As with everything in life quality > quantity.

Image via

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Some reads to take you into the weekend:

Coffee naps, when you take a 20-minute nap immediately after drinking coffee, will make you more alert. Great! Except for the fact that I will have to get up 20 minutes earlier in the morning.

If you love Friday Night Lights, then you will love Amy Schumer’s send-up on her Comedy Central Show.

Ann Taylor Loft is killing it, and I’ve snatched so many great pieces—including these shorts, this maxi dress, and this top—at ridiculous discounts during their recent friends and family sale. Not sponsored, just awesome.

Cosmo UK turned the tables by asking Mark Ruffalo all the sexist questions women typically hear on press junkets, while Scarlett Johansson was asked the more thoughtful questions. I like the idea, but it’s viewed as a joke when he gets asked. Women are asked those questions seriously! Blergh.

So excited try this spinoff eatery from my favorite San Diego Thai restaurant, Sab-e-Lee. It’s going to be a cloudy weekend here, and I can’t think of anything more comforting than a spicy tom yum soup. And coffee followed by a coffee nap.

Happy Friday!

Image via

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Here are a few weekend reads for ya:

The most amazing round-up of career advice from 20 female entrepreneurs.

I’ve completely fallen off the boat with meal planning and packing my lunch for work. I need to change that quickly, and my friend Betsy’s recipe for an easy and very spring vegetarian pasta sounds divine.

Do you watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? Good on you if you don’t, but I do and comedian Amy Phillips’ impression of Lisa Rinna is fantastic.

Image via Baker by Nature

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Today marks the first day of spring, a new moon, a supermoon (when the moon is closest to Earth), the South Indian new year, and Persian new year. To top it off, early this morning, certain parts of the world were treated to a solar eclipse. People living in northwest Africa, most of Europe, and northern Asia saw a partial version, while those living in some of the northern stretches of Europe—think the Faroe Islands—saw the eclipse in its full glory. (The next time a spring equinox aligns with an eclipse will be 2034!)

So I’d say those are more than enough reasons to welcome change. And my spring is full of change/renewal.

In addition to the recent blog makeover and my and Eaman’s nine-year (WHAT!) dating anniversary coming up, in about a week, I’ll be starting a part-time editor gig at San Diego Magazine, filling in for one of their editors who’ll be going on maternity leave. (You may remember that I did a similar stint last year for a different editor there.) It’ll be a big change to relinquish my flexible freelancing schedule, which involves everything from mid-day yoga to grocery shopping on a Tuesday at 10 a.m., but freelancing is also incredibly hard and exhausting. Many who do it will tell you it’s virtually impossible to survive on freelancing alone. And in January I accepted the reality that a side gig was crucial for both my bills and my sanity. (Luckily, I had this editor gig already lined up.) This part-time work is going to give me some much-needed stability and will be such a good break from working at home. Maybe I can finally feel like there’s a division between work and home? Probably not, as I’ll continue to moonlight as a freelancer, but it’ll help!

I also turn 30 in a few weeks. I can’t really believe it, not because I’m hung up on the number, but because I feel like such a kid still. Sure, I have the responsibilities of rent, a car, self-employment, and other grown-up tasks, but sometimes I feel like Eaman, Teddy, and I are all just playing house in this little San Diego apartment. Maybe it stems from going backpacking for a year and then starting fresh with a new job and in a new city; it’s like the experience added a few more years to my 20’s. That said, who says you can’t be a kid in your 30’s anyway?! I’m sure I’ll have more thoughts on the new decade when the time comes, but for now, I hope you all can take a few minutes today to think about what this new season brings—hopefully warmer weather for my friends on the East Coast and in the Midwest—and what you’d like to see change.

And if you’re in San Diego, I can’t think of a better place to welcome spring than in Balboa Park (above). Happy Friday!

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Currently I’m…

Preparing: For a visit from my college girlfriend-turned-NYC roommate. On the  agenda? Fish tacos, perhaps WowWow Waffle, and an al fresco meal at Buona Forchetta. She’s coming from chilly Chicago, so her main goal is to be outside as much as possible, and I can’t think of a better outdoor seating situation than Buona Forchetta’s string light-filled patio.

Eating: This freekeh salad. Since I was too busy to make a proper meal plan this week, I just made a pot full of this salad. Healthy grains are much needed after all that seafood, especially fried fish tacos, I had last week in Mexico.

Reading: Nothing. I have so many different projects and potential projects in the pipeline that all day my mind bounces around like a Plinko chip. By the time I have a hot second to sit down, I just want to clear my head and stare at a wall. It’s not quite meditation, but it does a mind good.

Watching: House of Cards, season 3 on Netflix. The plot points have gotten a wee unrealistic, but I still love it. Robin Wright is such a damn good ice queen.

Crying: About a sweet, dwarf golden retriever named Smiley who was born without eyes and saved from a puppy mill. Since his owner saved him, Smiley has become a therapy dog and brings so much joy to people in nursing homes and hospitals. Are you crying happy tears yet? Just look at his photo.

Packing for: Vegas! I’m headed to Sin City tomorrow on a work media trip for the opening of the new Omnia Nightclub. The weekend will also include dinner at the Michelin-starred Hakkasan (pinch me) and hopefully a Justin Bieber sighting because, get this, the Biebs is celebrating his 21st birthday at Omnia the same night we’ll be there. I’d probably be more excited to see Kate McKinnon as the pop punk, but sure, I can be a Belieber for a day.

Happy Friday!

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First things first: a logo. I reached out to a talented graphic designer, Jess Jaime, whose work is equal parts precise, professional, and fun, as evidenced by this great logo she recently created for my friend’s blog, La Petite Winget. I told Jess that I wanted to convey a vibe that was beachy and colorful but not in an overpowering way and with a nod to vintage type.

A (secret) Pinterest board was created, an evening coffee meeting took place, and what resulted was this inspiration board that perfectly summed up the gibberish I spouted out to Jess:

We then went through a few rounds of edits—here are a few of Jess’ initial sketches—and decided on this watercolor iteration featuring her hand-drawn script. When I saw it, it felt happy and lighthearted but still polished. I’d like to think that that’s the spirit of this blog.

For my new template, I wanted to dial things down about, oh, 10 notches and go for a much more minimalist look so that the new logo and my photos (of colorful SoCal life!) could have some breathing room. I found this particular template via Blogzilla, which I highly recommend. Not only are their designs clean and professional, but after purchasing your choice online, the DIY installation is a breeze, thanks to their handy instructions. As a side note, I’m geeking out over the static navigation bar, which makes poking around the site so much easier.

The new look is mostly complete, but there are still a few tweaks to be made, so please bear with me during the process. Hope you love it!

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