on my wishlist

I’ve been working 50+ hours a week since June 10th and on July 15th, this Monday, my first paycheck is expected to come through the mail. Can I just take a moment to say… IT’S ABOUT TIIIIIME. It’s been over a month now! The day I see that beautiful white envelope with my name on it, there WILL be a happy dance along with a happy song. Lyrics go: Finally, finally, finally, finally, finally. (repeat x3)

It’s a fairly simple song and dance, I’m sure you’ll catch on in no time.

But that will be happening this Monday, save the date. The company usually sends out paychecks bi-weekly, but us interns arrived mid-week and we couldn’t jump on payroll fast enough, so this whole process was delayed quite a bit a lot.

Whatevs, tho. It’s fine, I’ve just already broken down the monies and mapped out exactly where each cent is going to go. In other words, I made a very long wish list of things I can finally, hopefully, maybe afford to buy. (Hey, a girl can dream.) Care to see it?

• ADOBE SUITE
• RAD LAB
• WRIST WATCH
• WEEKEND WALLET
• FAMILY DINNER
• SANDALS
• GOLD NECKLACE
• TITHING + SAVINGS
• …AND MORE?!

Happy Fourth of July!

(image: lovely indeed)

Hope YOU had a safe and happy and faaabulous one! One around tables covered in delicious food, surrounded by the ones who make you laugh and make you feel known… Or maybe just a good book to get lost in. Whatever floats your boat. (:

I know I’m a few days late on the fourth status, but I had an absolute great one so I wanted to share a little bit here.

Here are some photos of the day. I even (attempted) a home-made video:

10 things I learned in June

HAPPY JULY! 🙂

Each month, my favorite blogger, emily @ chatting at the sky, shares on her blog some of the things she learned that month. Some things are significant and impressive, and others are small and light. For this past month, she invited all of her readers to join along and share the new knowledge June has personally brought them!

So today, I am linking up with Emily and sharing the bits and pieces of things I recently learned. (:

10 things i learned in june

1. Always, always check the expiration date. When I first came home from Italy in early May, it took me a really long time to unpack. I left my suitcases untouched for weeks, and along with it, my sacred face wash. So I just used a random face wash I found under the bathroom sink, and I noticed that within days my face started to break out uncontrollably. IT WAS BAD. LIKE WHEN YOU ACCIDENTALLY PRESS THE WRONG SQUARE ON MINESWEEPER AND SUDDENLY THE WHOLE SCREEN IS FILLED WITH RED X’S AND IT MAKES YOU SQUEAMISH. DO YOU KNOW?

I could sit still for two hours, minding my own business, and next thing I know, new raging red bumps are invading my chin. So what did I do, used that effing face wash even more. I attributed the breakout to the fact that the US doesn’t recycle and my new Italian skin couldn’t handle the polluted air and water. (No, I’m just kidding, I just feel like I haven’t said any pretentious European stuff in awhile.) Anyway, but after about three weeks, I noticed one day six digits engrained on the bottle cap. And it read: 03/13/07…… THE FACE WASH EXPIRED IN 2007. Lesson learned, Biore. Lesson learned.

2. Pic-tap-go is the best photo editing app out there. It was the best $1.99 I have ever spent.

3. The OT is great and changed my June. (see why grace is so sweet)

4. Running isn’t that bad. I mean, it is in the sense that it hurts different parts of your body before, during, and AFTER the run, but it also releases a wave of endorphins and changes the way one perceives themselves in the mirror. So, I guess it’s worth it?

5. I have a bottomless stomach for Mexican food.

6. Everything, and I mean everything, is all about perspective. An experience is not innately “good” or “bad,” it’s how you look at it. And YOU have the ability and power to choose how you want to look at it. EREGO, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY AND POWER TO MAKE A SITUATION GOOD OR BAD. So, how is today? Is it good or bad?

7. Good coffee, good handwriting, and a good journal affect my mood. Like, a lot. It is what helps my soul BREATHE and if I go for too long without it, I grow anxious, frustrated, and out of touch with myself.

8. Home videos are so cool and I really want to get into them. My inspirations: lovetaza

9. God is my boss and no one else. (there’s a story behind this one.)

10. Tina Fey is great. That’s all.

—

see what other women learned this month here.

Life of an Ad Intern: Day 2

Day two was INSANE. Let me tell you about it.

The Insane Story of Day Two:

I boarded the 8:00 am train (per us), found a seat, opened my purse to pull out my train ticket and realized that my wallet wasn’t in my there! -Along with all my cash, cards, train and bus tickets… I had a mini-panic attack unsure of how I was going to get through the rest of the day, let alone pay for the train ride I had already boarded. I was like… should i run off, should i stay on, should i lie, should i cry… I felt like I was in Italy again illegally riding those trains to Milan. Anyway, I rummaged through my purse and found a crinkled $10 sitting at the bottom, (lucky instance #1)  so I was like nice and I decided I would use that for that train! …And figure out the rest later.

So, the ticket master stepped in going around to see some everyone’s boarding pass. By the time he got to me, I explained to him that I had already purchased a monthly pass but accidentally left it at home so I didn’t have it with me that day, but I assured him that I ride that train every morning, yadda yadda wink wink pulls shirt down — no I’m totally kidding. He asked me if I’d be there tomorrow, and I responded yes, and he let that ride go. (lucky instance #2 — ticket master pulled through that morning. ps: i saw him again a later day and said “HI” and flashed my monthly pass in the air for a few seconds to show gratitude for the previous day… he didn’t remember who i was and sort of cringed for being so enthusiastic. end note). So I was like okay, I can use this $10 for the ride back home then.

AND THEN, the train was delayed. Like I said, I hopped on the 8:00 train which is supposed to arrive at 8:34…  BUT we didn’t get to union station until 9:40!!! Two trains broke down on the track and one of them had to be tied up to the train in front and dragged into the city. Our train just followed slowly behind that whole ordeal. It was a mess. Do you follow? Picture oregon trail on the train tracks, because that’s pretty much what it was.

When I found out the train was going to be delayed for such a long time, I panicked because I didn’t want to be late on my second day of work, and decided I would use that $10 to pay for cab fare. I emailed my supervisor letting her know about the metra delay and that I would be in ASAP. She responded by telling me to just take a nice walk cause it was beautiful outside. “no worries” she said. So I was like, okaaaay!  So I took that 30 minute walk to save that $10 for the train ride home like I originally planned. (lucky instance #3)

Then I came work, read some blogs, stapled all these packets (i’m becoming an EXCELLENT stapler, btw. I started to play this game to see how quickly i could get through packets… and the time is honestly pretty impressive.) So after I kept winning I got bored and lunch time came around. I had luckily thrown in some granola and decided to just munch on that to save monies. BUT THENNN, one of my supervisors came in and told me that there was a client lunch happening and that we could go out to eat on the company card!!! Just my luck. (: So, we went to Nordstrom Cafe and each enjoyed a $15 dollar meal. I got this amazing chicken pasta and a red velvet cupcake. It was freaking perfect. (lucky instance #4) Way to be clutch, havas. 

Then the afternoon is kind of a bluuuuur and the work day ended and , I walked back to union station, and payed $8.75 for the train ride home. What a day. Now all I remember is a blur of mini-panic attacks; but luckily, somehow everything aligned and it was a-okay. (:

Anyway. That’s my ridiculous story for the day. Now I will show you my outfit which has nothing to do with said story… HOWEVER, I am linking up with Mix & Match Fashion to daily document how I do biz casual. (: 

DAY 2 OUTFIT: 

 

DAILY TAKEAWAY: 

• PC STILL sucks. My eyeballs hurt so much from staring at this dim screen for 8 hours. And you can’t take screenshots. And you can’t zoom in/out with your trackpad.
• It’s hard to type quickly with long nails. I should probably cut them because they keep sliding off these cheap, plastic keys and falling into the cracks in between. ESPECIALLY BETWEEN “k” AND “i” AND “f” AND “t.

 

xo.

Photo Look Book : Barcelona

Friday Five

Magical dusk at Barceloneta Beach.

This week was filled with several special moments, including celebrating a friend’s birthday, visiting Vicenzia, finding a new favorite cafe, and appreciating time for rest. I leave for Rome Saturday and friends of friends have graciously welcomed us to stay at their home for the night and even offered a ride to the airport. On Sunday, we leave for Greece where we’ll spend the rest of the Easter Break. Hopefully I’ll return with some color on my skin! It actually feels a bit strange that I won’t be celebrating this Easter at home. My church hosts a “passion week” revival and an extravagant Easter dinner each year, and although I can’t join them, I will keep this holiday in mind and be joyful nonetheless. Jesus has risen, people! Hallelujah! (:

Here are my five favorites of the week. Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Sail boats were everywhere in Spain and it ignited a new desperate desire in me to find a sail buddy. Where’s a Nolan when you need one? (“Revenge”, anyone?)

Coffee gelato + girl talk @ Amorino.

We celebrated a friend’s 21st birthday with 21 gelato pops! (Scoops of gelato dipped in chocolate, then frozen) I tried the custard and mint — both were delicious. Now I’m looking for a reason to make my way over there and try more flavors.

A new store has opened in Verona; it’s comparable to a Nordstrom or Whole Foods. The first floor is a sophisticated eatery complete with an oyster bar, sandwich counter, fresh produce, and more. The design is phenomenal and I found myself equally enchanted by both the food AND branding. I plan on copying this hanging clipboard design to showcase print in my future apartment. 

Happy Friday!
XO.

Love at First Sight — Wicker Park

Although I grew up in the Chicago suburbs, my family always lived a comfortable distance away from the city. Specifically, Lombard and Naperville — neighborhoods that were both tucked away from the heart, but still attached by a strip of highways. So it was an odd relationship, between the city and I. I called Chicago home but I never understood it. Not the language, not the culture, not the street names. I was still a tourist snapping shots at the bean and eyes glued to the GPS… but it was my “home.”

Last summer I had the opportunity to find a corner of the city when I landed an internship downtown. I took the 7:46 am train every morning from Naperville to Union Station, stopped by a nearby coffee joint, and walked my 20 min commute to my building, gaining a sense of ownership and familiarity with each step. And throughout the duration of my internship, I started to feel less and less of a tourist. I started to walk the talk — sit in a quiet car to avoid loud children, choose Marianos vs. Au Bon Pain,  respond to emails within the hour you receive them, avoid Jackson at all costs, and ignore pushy taxi drivers. Head straight, earphones in. My taste and knowledge of Chicago was limited to the Loop and that language.

Today, I had the opportunity to see another side of Chicago — a much, much different side — Wicker Park. I spent the day with one of my girlfriends from college, who lives right near the city and is very familiar with it, and  she showed me “her neck of the woods.” It was so fascinating to me that there could be cultures on such opposite sides of the spectrum in one city. If the Loop is fast-paced and pretentious, then Wicker Park is easy-going and liberal. And as much as I admired and adapted into the Loop, I felt immediately accepted and inspired by the ways of Wicker Park.

The air there is inspiring. Brick walls covered in beautiful graffiti. Criss-cross streets jam-packed with sushi bars, cafes, boutiques, thrift stores—

But rather than me tell you why it’s so amazing, let me show you…

This is why I love Wicker Park:

    

What’s your favorite part about Chicago?

XO.