Wednesday, January 20, 2010

another day, another dream, but always you...

I absolutely love, love, LOVE my new job!! I couldn't be happier and really I am counting my lucky stars. The Regional Nursing Director and Regional Program Director basically "created" this position for me after my interview for another position. They realized that I would be better suited doing community outreach and offered me this position... the rest, as they say, is history. I am the new office "queen" of community outreach, and so far I have had a tremendous response from local organizations! I'm a little nervous to be meeting with some of the CEO's and Directors of some major non-profits, but I think that my efforts will greatly impact these kids! I also couldn't be happier with my working environment; not only are the people fantastic (thus far... yes, it's only been two weeks!) but my work space is phenomenal! I couldn't ask for a better area, not to mention view...










I have been taking a break on the shopping this week, trying to keep everything under control for 2010. I am also trying to wear everything that still has tags on it before I buy anything else. Sad, that I have enough clothing with tags still attached to limit my shopping until it's all worn! I don't know if that's a good thing or  bad thing... but in my defense, I was in pajamas, AND SOLELY PJ's for two weeks in December because of my surgery/recovery and I did some serious online shopping during that time!


I have been working on my health/fitness the last couple weeks too... The hospital makes it ridiculously easy to eat healthy while at work. Everything is so cheap, especially once I get my "employee discount." I can already feel the difference and it's making me want to make healthier meals once I get home for D and I. :) I have a huge fitness/health goal for myself, but I am allowing myself ample time to meet it... so hopefully it will happen with hard work and determination!


All in all, I"m happy to be back in South Florida and I am loving every minute of it! Here's a gorgeous pic of the sunset on my way home the other day... :) Sorry it's a bit blurry but I was taking it while driving! (Shame on me, I know...!)










Wednesday, January 13, 2010

I thought I moved to SOUTH Florida...

Just another FREEZING day in the neighborhood... I was convinced when I moved out of Tallahassee that I would not have to deal with winter this year, unless I chose to do so. Meaning, vacationing somewhere up north. But no, it appears that this year the cold decided to make an extended pit-stop in SoFla. Well cold, you are making me one very unhappy SoFla resident! Thankfully tomorrow it's supposed to warm up!!


I have since started my new job, and I must say that it's the perfect fit for me. I love everything about it and can't wait to finally have a job description and a project to be working on. The last couple days I have been getting acquainted with everything and meeting other people I will be working with! It seems like I will be out in the community quite a bit making some great connections!! I'm definitely excited about it, and the days seem to fly by!


This past weekend D and I went to NYC with his family. We had such a great time, I wish we could have had more time! We did the touristy things, Top of the Rock, ice skating in Rockefeller Center, China Town, Little Italy, saw WestSide Story, played in Times Square, etc. etc. I absolutely adore big cities and wish that I could pack up my stuff and move to one now. Granted, I suppose I do live in a big city now but it's not the same. I want to live in a city where I can walk, take a subway, or call a cab anytime I wanted to go somewhere... that's not SoFla and I doubt it ever will be! :( The weather was absolutely freezing the entire time we were there! Luckily, I came prepared... :)







I must say, I was quite good with keeping my shopping under wraps this trip! But I really think it's because I ordered SO much online before I actually got on the plane that there wasn't really much else I needed! I have got some great pieces the last week or so. Pieces for work, pieces for play... a little bit of everything. However, I must say that my favorite purchase is the Gucci bag that I bought Thursday night as a "Good Luck on your new Job" bag! :) Thankfully, I haven't needed the luck just yet!! Here are a few more of this week's "goodies."


i'm not 100% sure about these yet, but they match a bag that i have PERFECTLY!



i got this dress in black and plum. it has an exposed zipper in the back as well.
it's work and going-out-for-a-quick-drink friendly!



i got this blazer in a light grey/silver.
SO great for casual fridays!



comfy cute.



will be super cute with a bright colored shirt!






This week holds quite in a bit in store for me... Tomorrow D and I are going with another couple to the Circus! I'm hoping we get to pick up some great dinner in Brickell before hand! It's finally supposed to warm up this weekend too, which will be wonderful and allow me to take B on a walk on the beach! It will be his first time on a beach and it's either going to be an absolute disaster or a breeze, either way I'm not holding my breath!




Saturday, January 2, 2010

Back for 2010!

Well the end of 2009 has come and gone... Everything became extremely crazy after November and I let my blog go. Thanks to a quick reminder from Em, I am back on the ball. December brought some major changes to my life; graduation, a new apartment, a new body (kinda.. ha!), a new city, and potential for a new(er) job.

I graduated from my Master's program December 12th. But it doesn't seem as if they journey is going to end there. I am in the midst of applying to one, yes just one right now, DrPH program. However, even if I am accepted into the program, I may defer one year just to get a little more experience in the field with the job offer I have on the table. But back to graduation... It was a little overwhelming as both my parents and extended family came in town, in addition to D's parents. Dealing with 12 people while also trying to pack and move an apartment undoubtedly wore me down! Yet, everything went off without a hitch; minus the weather. The weather was awful; freezing and rainy all day long, hence the horrible hair in the pics below.


as you can see the dress & tights from an earlier post worked out perfectly!



Next was the big move... I'm finally all settled in, but that too was a borderline catastrophe. It made sense to hire movers to both move out and move in the furniture and everything in. Welllll, apparently the movers that packed the truck were incompetent. They dinged and scratched up ALL of the wooden stuff! :( The same is true for the movers who moved in the new bedroom furniture! What a mess. Thankfully, everything is still in repairable condition...


my bedroom :)



my bath



sinks



living room // some dining room



other view of living room - yay to hanukkah and xmas!



kitchen -- view from dining room



the pool!!!

There's also a guest bed and full bath too- but that's still all coming together! I'll post pics once they are finished!


I'm finally up and able to get things accomplished from surg, but I'm still easily tired and sore. It hasn't been nearly as bad as I expected! Thank goodness that I'll have another full week to recover. I would have been miserable going to work everyday last week. I don't know how people only take a week off, they must have better pain tolerance than I do!

Christmas and Hanukkah have come and gone, and I have to say this year was pretty good! :) "Santa" brought me everything I wanted and then some!! I still have a couple returns to make, but other than that its been great. D got me a Nook for Hanukkah and I must say I am PRETTTTY obsessed. It will make the trip to NYC this upcoming weekend much easier. :) Hopefully, I can stay warm!!

Well, that brings me to TWENTY-TEN!! New Year's was great... a bunch of us went to dinner and a couple parties downtown. It was nice for me to do something a little bit more low-key, especially since I am still recovering. I was SO excited for the parties though because I am obsessed with the dress I found, and even more so with the heels!! Wish I would have gotten a full-length picture, but I didn't... Hope you all had a great time on NYE too!


hot pink four inch heels... love love love.


happy new year!


My resolutions for this year are pretty simple, but some may be more difficult than others:
- Eat out less / cook more
- Stick to a budget (ahh!)
- Read one book a month
- Keep my closet organized, and maybe limit my shopping, MAYBE.
- Get involved in a non-profit in Ft. Lauderdale
- Run a 10K / train for ING Marathon in 2011 (yes, I had to give myself a year because 2010 is too close!)
-Travel somewhere incredible!

What are yours?!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Baby, it's cold outside.

All day long I have been in the mood for the upcoming holidays, perhaps it's because of the cold weather that we are currently having in town... but who really knows. Anyway, I am sitting here and I know that I need to start making up my lists for friends and family! I have found a couple adorable things for my friends... I'm thinking of making everyone little baskets for the season (Emily, I will have to find you something else- haah!) But what do you think of these products..?


this travel kit seems like a great idea! it includes a candle, adorable matches, body butter, and a solid perfume!



three small lipglosses that seem to suit every  skin tone!



these nail files are absolutely adorable and obviously very handy to have around!




another cute lipgloss... if i were given this i would probably keep it in my car or desk drawer because it's always important to have easy access to a great lip balm!



i would package everything in these little makeup bags, tying the card with some hot pink ribbon right to them!!



The bags and goodies would be roughly what I would spend on my closest friends to begin with and I think that I would incorporate the scent that most suited them, with regards to the first item. I might also throw in a nail color for each lovely lady, but I would have to make sure that they don't already have something similar... I guess I will have to do a little spying around holiday season!  I was also thinking a pocket mirror would be adorable. Depending on what the pattern was on the lid of the mirror, I would think about customizing them with their monogram... What do you think? Do you all have any other suggestions for the little baggies?

Today, I found the BEST holiday cards for this year, and I can't wait until they finally come in. I ordered them today and I know I have several to go out so I can't wait until everyone gets them. They're very "me" and I think people will love them... plus, they can be sent to both families as they are more wintery than Christmas or Hanukkah.

Ahhh, well... I guess it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! :)

Upon arriving home last week, I was finally able to try on all my Nordstrom purchases, and unfortunately a lot of the stuff will be returned. However,  earlier this week I found a great pair of nude flats online that I ended up buying and I am eagerly awaiting their arrival! I am going to have more shoes that I can possibly fit in this new closet! When D and I finally found the apartment last weekend, I told him that he could use the second bedroom as an "office" if I was able to call the whole master closet my own... the master closet in this place is tremendous, but with my current shopping habit, it seems as if I might very well have it completely full by the time we move in! Yikes!!



Now off to enjoy the Friday night with D! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Terrible Tuesday...

At least it is finally over! Today was just issue after issue and I was slammed at work... Oh well, I guess that's to be expected after a FABULOUS weekend!! As mentioned, D and I went down to SoFla to find a new place and get everything settled. We were very successful and I definitely am pleased with everything we got done. I was definitely a little upset that we missed out on Halloween  (as we ended up with a flat tire after the last apartment!) but everything else made up for it. We found an apartment that still blows my mind... I keep thinking about it and just want to pack up everything and move right this second! Unfortunately I forgot my camera on this trip, but hopefully I can get some pics over Thanksgiving weekend!

D and I got a bedroom set too... It was something I was really stressing about as I wanted to make sure everything was moved in and settled when we moved. However, he was not in a rush to get everything moved in all at once, and so it was a little contentious for a couple days. We went to two stores in the "cheaper" realm in order to find something and left them liking a couple things but not finding any great deals. We decided to make one last stop in one of the higher end stores before calling it a day on Sunday and we found an amazing bedroom set for a fabulous deal. I couldn't even believe it! :) It is not even close to what we were looking at, as we were set on very contemporary (ie. dark wood, leather backboard, etc.) However, the bed we got it a medium wood king sized sleigh bed. We also purchased the matching three drawer dresser, the media center/armoire and nightstands... actually, we currently only have one nightstand but we are working on a second! I couldn't be more pleased!!

Now when it comes to bedding D and I never agree. I remember having to give something up (although I cannot for the life of me remember what it was) in order to get the bedding we have now. We have been looking for quite some time now as we know that our tastes don't exactly match up... but we found a bedding set that we like in Restoration Hardware (see below) and that is now ordered and on it's way. I am beyond amazed at how fabulously this is all coming together... now if it were only December 18th and I'd be moving in!


i love the green in this! it definitely makes things so earthy and light...

Lastly, I finally got a chance to try on all my new purchases from Nordstrom and unfortunately I'll be returning about half of it. After trying on the tights with the dress I decided to keep I decided I cannot wear the two together, it was just too much! But, I will be able to wear sheer black tights with it if it's cold... Let's just hope it's not because that's an awful lot of black in one outfit. I will have to pair it with a bright clutch or headband if that's the case! We will see... I have to get everything organized for packing tomorrow for my weeks vacation/conference in Philly! :)


Thursday, October 29, 2009

Life is good!

So I got word that I will have the holiday season off this year! I will not be starting my new job until after the new year and I put my resignation letter in today with my boss for December 17th... This will be perfect as it provides me ample time to recover from a surgery I have scheduled for December 21st, and still have time off for Christmas and New Years!

I am so excited because I will be able to get my new place situated and figure out my new surroundings... Figure out where Publix, Whole Foods, the bookstore, some restaurants are, etc. The essentials will all be figured out without the stress of having to get to and from work right away!

Tomorrow, D and I are flying home to check out the new places. We have a list of about 5-7 places, but we think we already know "the one." We are going to that place last because we want to give everything a fair shot. I will take pics of the final place this weekend and let you all know!!

Today I got the dress that I ordered for graduation and it was PERFECT. It needs to be steamed but I am definitely going to be wearing it to graduation. I haven't gotten the tights yet, but hopefully I get them before I leave so I can return them in SoFla if they don't fit! I ordered a whole bunch of other stuff recently for a few upcoming events that I have, so hopefully all that will come in tomorrow and I can try it on before we leave! :)


perfect for a night out!!



something fun... i don't know how this is going to fit/look but we will see.



obvs for work... i have a great trina turk zebra jacket that would spice this up even more!



this is weekend wear as well. i also have a christening to go to this winter and it will be good for that with a pair of black tights and some gorgeous closed toed shoes.



casual... probably what i will wear on the plane to philly next week! something easy, but still kinda cute.



What do you guys think? I need to start looking for a dress for my friend Stephanie's wedding in February, as well as holiday party dresses. However, I am unsure if I am going to be able to attend any parties and I will be recovering from surgery, but hopefully I will be able to find something cute and do-able. It will just be hard to find something because I will be unsure of the size I will be post-op. So frustrating, especially with New Year's right after the surgery! Ahhh. I'm sure it will all work out... who knows if I will even be able to go out for New Year's! :(

Anyway, I found a GREAT idea for place cards this week... I am going to have to make them for my family's Christmas Eve dinner.  They are brownie balls, covered in milk/white chocolate and decorated in a colored white chocolate. I plan on tying a simple string to them with a handwritten name tag! What do you all think?!









Hope you all have a great Halloween!! :) Can't wait to see all your costumes!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Hello world, this is me...! :)

Hi all,

So I am this new to this whole blog scene, but after following a handful of friends for the last couple months I thought it would be a great way to keep up with friends, family and even myself at times. I have so much going on in such a short period of time, it's overwhelming to think about!!

I was recently offered an extraordinary opportunity back in South Florida doing what I have dreamed of doing! I cannot wait to start, but it is a little back to back with other exciting life changes! I am graduating one weekend in December from my Masters program, and the very next Monday I am starting the new job. Mind you, during all of this, I have to make a major move (close to 500 miles!!) with my long-time boyfriend and pup! Needless to say, I have a lot on my plate!

But let's not think about all that... this weekend coming up I am flying home with D (my boyfriend of 3.5 years) and we are going to seek out new homes! I am so excited to finally move back South (as we are both originally from the area) and get settled in for the long haul. We have found a couple fantastic places online and I am eager to get down there and see them in person! Hopefully we will find something perfect- making a little of the stress dissipate!

More importantly, I need to find a dress for graduation! I found a gorgeous Trina Turk dress this weekend, but it was 2 sizes too big and they didn't have anything smaller! Since I am still stuck in a small-town there is only one store that sells Trina Turk so I am hoping that I will have a little splurge time this weekend. If not, I bought a back up dress this morning to pair with some adorable Trina tights! I am nervous it will be chilly the December morning I graduate, so I feel that tights might be something that are worth looking into for a backup... Let me know what you guys think!







I'd be wearing similar heels that are seen with these tights, but I am scared that it might be "too over the top!" I'm definitely a little more funky than most of my friends, but the pink tights are a little bright for me!! :)

Speaking of pink, as we all know October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I have several family members who have bravely battled the disease, and have always been big on supporting the cause. Recently, I got an Avon Breast Cancer Walk brochure in the mail and I am thinking about starting to train for it. I know it will be quite the feat, as it's 39 miles in 2 days. I know that does not seem like an overwhelming amount to some, but for someone who is new to the whole running world, the distance seems like quite the accomplishment! I am working on rounding up a couple friends so we can all do it together!! I will keep you posted on whether or not we are able to pull it off (although it is about a year away!)

Lastly, does anyone have any good healthy recipes for the upcoming holidays? I would love to be sharing some of those tasty treats with my visitors once I finally get situated in SoFla! :)

Well that's it for now, hope everyone is either staying warm- or for the Floridians enjoying the gorgeous weather!