On Setting Boundaries...

I know we've broached this subject before, but I thought it was important to revisit.  Mostly because I am realizing how guilty women are made to feel when they say "no."

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but do we women start policing each other and how much we've sacrificed with our jobs, families, and relationships?  I feel this, "Well, I did it so you should have to now," mentality permeating my everyday life!  I know I sound naive, but I've had the privilege to work in some relatively martyr-free environments in my day...and I think it spoiled me!

So how do I draw my proverbial line in the sand without seeming like a laze or unambitious?  Is there any happy ground?  I feel (many, not all, of course) men are given respect when they say something conflicts with their schedule, but a rationale must be given from a woman.  What gives and how do we fix it?

Dressing Your "Age"

I used to live for the makeover shows that dominated in the early aughts.  What Not to Wear and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy were a weekly ritual that would usually find we weeping and wiping my stuffy nose brought on by the sheer glory of a great sartorial transformation. 

I also remember just ticking over into my twenties and being very struck by the opening credits of WNTW where one fashion caution was "NO MINI SKIRTS OVER 35!"  At 20, this was no bigs...but into my 30s, it's another story.

Dressing Up....AT WORK?!???!

I have always had jobs where dressing up was the LAST thing on anyone's mind.  Does a fancy skirt really make a better latte?  Do perfectly tailored slacks really assist in testing blood for certain diseases?  Do your clients even care that you have J.Crew on (and styled just so) from head to toe?

No.

In my new path, dressing up is apparently imperative.  I grumbled at the thought of stuffy office attire, but leave it to EmersonMade to raise me up when I was wrong!  And I was so, so wrong.  I love pretty much every piece of their fall line!

*SWOON*

Kitchen Demo Lite

Signs you are really, truly a grownup now:

~ You spend your anniversary weekend eating Taco Bell to save moolah.

~  Said anniversary weekend is also spent wrestling 60-year old cabinets out of your kitchen.

~  You are now a proud owner of a sledge hammer.

~  But you only bought the sledge hammer 

after tapping away at counter tops built for the zombie apocalypse 

with a regular ol' pantywaist hammer

...for SIX hours.

~  You had a sincere discussion about garbage disposals.

~  THEN, you spent YOUR SHOE money on a garbage disposal...

~  The best part of your day was collapsing into bed and holding your husband's hand,

knowing you did a grownup kitchen demo together.

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Annnd we're still not done!

Reflection on My Adventures in Grown-Up Land

I only have 10 (10!!) days left at work before I leave and start down this (kinda;)) new path of school.  While I am so grateful for the experience I've gained and the clients I've had the privilege to work with, there have been more than a few things that have struck me as imperative to remember and I now consider myself warned for the next go-round in Grown-Up Land.  Some valuable things I've learned:

~ Ethics are a sweet little dream academia makes up 

that is rarely enforced in the "real world."

~In further detail, ethics are actually a joke.  As in haha funny.

Especially when brought up in meetings.

~ Nobody is going to stick up for you except YOURSELF.

~ Boundaries are very, very important.

~That said, NOT bringing your work home is virtually impossible.

~ Never accept a job that does not pay you for being "on-call."

~ Just because an individual identifies as a "grown-up" 

does not mean they identify as "professional."

~ Do your job and do it well.

 ~Don't try to do other people's jobs well.

Taking on more lets the inadequate individuals slip by on credit you deserve.

~ You always have more to learn.

~ Even if you work at the most vile, horrible establishment,

rise above it and keep those bridges intact.

This may sound like sour grapes, but those that are close to me know that I've had a pretty "educational" year in Grown-Up Land.  I want to reiterate how thankful I am that I have had a job in this recession and that I was able to work with some of the most inspiring and selfless clients and coworkers.  I also want to emphasize how fortunate I am to have a wildly supportive husband, family, and circle of friends that have truly carried me through one of the toughest years of my life.  I love you.  I know that I haven't been able to express that eloquently or often enough, but you are my reason for being.  And trying.  And dreaming.

Retail Therapy

There is nothing like finding a treasure to perk up your day.  I was having a bit of a pity party for myself yesterday, when I was admonished at work during a meeting in front the entire staff.  I am all for constructive criticism, but taking petty shots at a coworker and her skills in front of an audience is less than unprofessional, it's just plain mean.  I also had worked allllll weekend and have been feeling about as burnt out as a black piece of toast!  Needless to say, I needed a break.

I skipped out of work a little early yesterday to hit up my favorite place to find great labels at a discounted rate: Nordstrom Rack!  After about half an hour I found these lovely Elizabeth and James suede booties...for $60!

  I KNOW!  They are buttery soft suede and I can see myself wearing these with everything from skirts to shorts this summer!  I also can see myself kicking some shins with these on, too;).  *Ahem* No shins in particular...

Recipe of the Weeks: Egg and Asparagus with Gluten Free Pasta

There is nothing more difficult for me than to come home after a super-long day and get creative about what's for dinner.  I'm a little ashamed to admit that some nights, all our dinner consists of is cheese and crackers or chips and salsa!

This quick and simple recipe will have you enjoying a healthy meal in under 15 minutes!  Really!  It's filling, healthy, and can be customized for your resident wheat-eater (with regular pasta), carnivore (add shredded chicken breast or pancetta), or vegan (by omitting the cheese and egg and adding walnut pieces and nutritional yeast!) Shug and I, the culinary moderates we are, like the ovo-lacto vegetarian version of this!

Egg and Asparagus with Gluten Free Pasta 
Serves 4 hungries
Ingredients:
3/4 -1 pound gluten free pasta, any shape
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 pound fresh asparagus, rinsed and woody ends trimmed
4 organic eggs
2 T butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Get a large pot of generously salted water boiling over medium high heat.  Add a squirt of olive oil to help the gluten free pasta from sticking to each other.  Once the water is at a full boil, add your pasta and stir well.

Take your trimmed asparagus and cut in half or in thirds, depending on their size.  You want easily munchable pieces!  When the pasta is about 3-4 minutes away from being "al dente," throw your asparagus pieces in to the boiling pot with your pasta.  Give the pot another good stir and get working on those eggs!

In a large saucepan, heat a generous squirt of the olive oil over medium heat.  Crack and add your eggs gently to the pan, making sure they don't run together.  While the eggs are cooking, test your pasta and asparagus.  The pasta should be soft, but not mushy and the asparagus tender-crisp.  Drain your pasta and asparagus, but leave about 1/2 cup of the cooking water in the bottom of the pan, this will help make the sauce!

Add the butter and 2 T of olive oil to the pasta mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste and throw in your Parmesan cheese.  Be sure to reserve a little cheese for the garnish!  Your eggs should be cooked to your liking (we like sunny side up!)  Serve up the pasta and asparagus and top each portion with an egg, another sprinkling of Parm, and pepper!  Eat up!  You've had a loooooong day;)!

Perfect Day

Some weeks are so insanity-filled I like to take little mental health breaks throughout the day to recharge.  I like to imagine my perfect day.  It changes all the time, but I think it changes to meet me where my stresses are greatest.

Some days, I'm on a chairlift, the wheels happily squeaking against the line.  My legs feel comfortingly heavy against the chair because of the weight of my skis.  The sun will be shining through a light cloud and when the rays hit just right they sparkle like glitter suspended in the air.  The snow would muffle the occasional whoop and holler from other skiers below and it would be, just, perfect.

Other days, I'm back in Paris with Shug.  We're sitting in a park enjoying a bottle of deliciously cheap wine and a picnic.  We get to sit in the mid-afternoon sun and watch the tiny dogs run around with the serious purpose of playing.  The dull thunder of traffic is actually cut out here and there by the water splashing in a million-year-old fountain nearby and both of the sounds together are oddly soothing.  Shug will make me laugh so hard my cheeks hurt and we may even take a catnap there on the grass, warmed by our full bellies and the sun low in the sky.

And then there are days where I'm cannon-balling into our family condo's pool.  It's still a liiiiiiitle to cold to be swimming, but I don't care.  I be sure to stay away from the leaves floating here and there like little brown lily pads and wait for my Grandpa to skim them out and away from the clear water.  I know he enjoys this morning ritual, we get to talk and I show him my impressive backflips. 

See!  SO nice to take a little break!  What is your perfect day like today?

And GO!

I'm going to be as happy as this bloke after this week is over!

I was on call all weekend and the holiday and didn't get much time to relax.

Here's to a 4-day work week, though!

Hooray!

Coming Down from the Holidays

It always takes me a few days to get myself back together after the insanity of the holidays.  I love that time of year, but I'm also so ready for the New Year to happen and be over with, so we can all try to get back to our already overbooked routine.

I don't make New Year's resolutions, but I do try to orient myself so I can start working in a direction of a goal.  I feel I need to start spending less time being surrounded by chatter, noise, and music and more time just being.  I realize one of my most favorite times of the day is when I get up earlier than Shug to write my blog post for the day.  While I truly enjoy the blogging part of my early mornings, I have discovered I love the silence, too.

When I let Ruby out into the dark morning after we've been all snuggled up in bed, the cold and the heavy quiet have the most calming and invigorating effect on me.  These opposite feelings are also coupled with a clarity I usually lose once the noise of the day gets into full swing.

Do you have a favorite time of day?  I want to try to recreate this time I enjoy so much throughout the course of my crazy days, even if it's just for a minute or two...!

Priority Smackdown

Sometimes,

you have to leave the laundry where it is,

turn your phone off,

put the homework away,

order takeout,

and love on your sweetheart(s).

My house is a mess.

My jobs are crazy.

School is ridic.

That's ok.

I'm looking forward to spending time with my sweets.

What are you doing this weekend?

Humdinger.

New mantra to go with the new job:

Because resolutions are gonna be few and far between....

Via Etsy.