#PRIORITIES

21 June 2016

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Has anyone ever told you that you need to get your priorities in check? When I hear this, I not only think that it is a harsh statement, but it seems they might be suggesting that you are acting irresponsible and judging the way you choose to live your days—your life. We unknowingly make day-to-day decisions, big and small, that we prioritize.

After the long Memorial Day weekend, a co-worker asked me what I did and if I had a nice day off. I explained how I made a shoe wall that was built with bookshelves from Ikea, something I’ve been dying to do. She laughed and said, “So that was the priority for the weekend!?” and I thought, “YES!” but it was more than that. Sure, I could’ve been more productive and done laundry, worked out or gone grocery shopping, but I didn’t. It would be easy for someone to say, “Haha, priorities of a basic millennial.” Honestly, it was more than just the shoes (and a lot of them) … I needed that weekend to build a space for myself, one that I felt comfortable and happy to walk into. I think it’s choices like that, the kind that may seem silly to others, are the ones we need without even realizing why at the time. 

CAREER OR LOVE: Oh, the theory that you can’t have both! I never looked at love that way. I never consciously made the decision that work OR love has to be the priority. I think when you meet the right person, you both should know each other enough to feel secure within the relationship and be capable of compromising. Some believe that your significant other should always come first and that’s ok. Although, I would want someone to have their own thing, a passion for something other than me and the relationship. Sure, who doesn’t want to feel important?  Ideally, it is just as important to grow as individuals as it is to grow together and build a strong foundation.

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Audrey With The Red Hair

17 June 2016

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Before I begin, please note this story isn’t about a guy, but rather a twist of fate, a sign that came at the most ideal time. 

I can’t lie. It hasn’t been an easy adjustment this past month. It feels like it’s been the calm AFTER the storm where everything that just happened, on top of being far away from friends and family, has sunk in. This past week I wondered, “what am I doing here in California?!” Sure, the weather is awesome, the food is fresh (sushi everyday please!) and I love my new job and coworkers who helped make this transition easier, though I can’t help but miss home and feel as though nobody here will ever fully understand the heartbreak I just went through.

It was the end of the workday and I opened up to my coworker, Audrey, who I’ve been sharing an office with for over a month. In the short amount of time that we’ve worked together, she has taken me under her wing and although she was new to LA too, she has made the move easier. As if I didn’t like her already, she gave the best advice that made me feel okay to go through my emotions, especially since she knew bits and pieces of my recent breakup.

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5 Things I Noticed When I Moved to LA

5 May 2016

One night while binge watching Laguna Beach and The Hills I started thinking about the interesting differences between NYC and LA. It hasn’t been hard adjusting to the amazing weather, great food (sushi and tacos everyday please) and friendly neighbors. However, there are still a few things that I’m taken back by. Let me know if you agree…

1. Everyone is pretty. And I mean like really pretty. Uber driver, gorgeous. FedEx guy, stunning. Homeless person, kinda hot?

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2. My first month here I wondered why it was just me and the homeless hottie on the streets. Ohhhhh… because people don’t walk! They do however go hiking 10+ miles in their free time. Yeah, I think I’ll stick to my brisk walks to Pinkberry and Starbs, catch you later!
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3. Everyone wants to be your BFF when you have a pet. When you don’t, you better hope your hair or outfit is on point cause bitches won’t notice you anymore. (Kidding… Sort of)
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It’s Handled

1 May 2016

“It’s all in the rear view for me. I need to move forward. I am moving forward.”
– Olivia Pope.

Around this time last year, I wrote a post about loving my career and putting 100% of my time and energy towards it. I craved success, and it felt so close I could taste it. At the same time, I wondered how “full” my life truly was. I have no regrets; I just look at things a bit differently now.

It all started when I was chatting with a friend in the coffee room. It was another late night and I remember telling her how I started drinking my coffee black like my soul and she laughed saying, “I know you feel like you have bigger and better things to do, but maybe you could find someone to have an even better time with… Go home Dayna. And please add milk, that’s disgusting.”Screen Shot 2016-05-01 at 3.50.38 PM

She was right. Why was I acting like a single 50-year-old woman? I excused it with answers like, “I don’t have time to commit and think about a relationship and love” or “I work late hours, I’m glued to my computer and won’t have much time for romance.” That was a lie, excuses holding me back from finding true happiness and fulfillment. Truth was, I was too busy keeping life squeaky clean and easy… God forbid I opened myself up for the possibility of things to get messy (and boy did they get messy).

I’m not perfect, or going to be the perfect girlfriend. They say love is made in the kitchen, but I think salmonella poisoning and stomachaches are made in mine. When I was single I was content ordering takeout, watching Scandal, having another peaceful night without setting off the smoke alarm. I mean… Olivia Pope doesn’t cook! Girlfriend lives off popcorn and wine and look at her! I bet if Fitz was like, “Liv, I’m starving. What’s for dinner?” She would say, “it’s handled”, close the laptop, answer the door, and take that seamless delivery to her man like a boss. [enter fist pump emoji]

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Get Lost

27 April 2016

After moving to California and going through a devastating transition to say the least, I found myself wondering what am I doing here (and in life). Everything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong.  A breakup, a car accident, getting a puppy than him peeing all over my new dress, phone shattering, losing power … I could go on…I thought the universe was against me, and I started to feel truly lost. As tempting as it was to take the first flight back to New York to be with my friends and family, I knew deep down, I couldn’t give up that easily.
Instead, I cried my eyes out, vented to my besties, Patrice and Peter (my Cali BFF’s who may or may not be in their 50’s…) poured myself a glass of wine, bought some waterproof mascara and decided I was just going to go with it. I am now embracing this unique “journey,” canceling my pity party and saying cheers to being lost. Here’s why :)

  1. This experience has taught me to be able to accept things that don’t go according to plan.
  2. There is something great about feeling curious and wanting more in life.
  3. Your journey is yours; it’s unique. You don’t need to proceed down YOUR path at the same rate as your peers.
  4. It feels good to be up for a challenge. Remember, if you aren’t being challenged, then there is no growth.
  5. You will avoid being a “know it all” and instead continue to learn, grow and work hard. If you’re the smartest person in the room then you should open the door and explore new opportunities and then become the boss bitch you secretly are.
  6. It’s an awesome feeling to be open-minded.
  7. When you aren’t so hard on yourself, and you admit that you are a little lost, you become open to more opportunities that will help you find what you are looking for.
  8. When you’re hard on yourself you can become hard on others. There’s power in showing and accepting your flaws.
  9. You will be able to get excited about the unknown and the future.
  10. Maybe you are exactly where you need to be – lost… because how does anyone stumble upon a new (amazing) path anyway?

Go get ’em ladies!
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DREAM CHASER

24 May 2015

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For 5 years I put my blog first and whatever job second. I would post 2-3 times a week and spent hours on Photoshop building the perfect article. I wrote on the train ride into work, Sunday afternoons at Barnes & Noble, and I swear writing even cured my hangovers. After a while it killed me that I couldn’t give this blog my all because of the job I had. My parents agreed to give me 6 months focus on my blog if I worked hard and made enough money. I was 23, fearless, passionate… And in for a ride.

Everything was going well in the beginning. I had more time to network my ass off and build relationships with people in the fashion and entertainment industry. Phone call with Leah Jenner? No problem. Interview Carmelo Anthony? Done. You could no longer find me in Barnes & Noble, I was a girl on the go and no one could stop me.

I challenged myself to make every post more creative than the last. It wasn’t just a “blog post” it was a full on slide show with graphics, a Instagram flipagram, a photoshoot- it was my baby. I taught myself new tricks and took a course at NYU to learn how to code and use HTML.

About 5 months later and a very low income from my sponsored posts, I started having second thoughts. On top of that, something I loved, my therapy, wasn’t fun anymore. It dawned on me that my time was almost up, and that was ok.

At first I thought maybe I wasn’t ready. That’s probably true, but when are we ever really ready start a new career or a new beginning? Many of us feel we’re ready, but never take the chance. Well, I’m happy I took mine.

It’s been almost a year at my current job and I continue to be humbled by the fact that I don’t know it all. There’s so much left to learn and I’m excited to go to work everyday knowing I’ll be faced with a new challenge.

In the end, I’ll always believe in chasing a dream but I’m no longer afraid that dream is running away from me. We’ll meet again soon.

You Know Your Getting Old When…

20 May 2015

1. You swoon over a request from a hot guy on LinkedIn and not Facebook.

2. You stop looking at your ex’s tweets because your too busy following real life issues.

3. You realize that Instagram fame won’t pay the bills, build relationships or get Ryan Gosling’s attention.

4. You check your work e-mail more than your Instagram.

5. You’d rather a good laugh over another “fashionable” post. I could care less about Kendall, Kylie, and what celebs are “in.” Instead I’m following @marniethedog, @cheesecurlsofinstagram and @thefatjewish… Humor never goes out of style.

6. You forget to snap a picture of your beautiful cosmopolitan for Instagram because you drank it too fast. It was a long week at work so SCREW INSTAGRAM! #adultyolo

7. Your grandma has a Facebook and your younger cousin in high school doesn’t. Enough said.

8. That younger cousin has more likes on Instagram than you.

9, Your friends on Facebook are having “life events” like getting engaged and married and your just tagging yourself in the hottest bar in NYC.

10. IRL, #DM, #GTFO? Hold on let me google it.

When I met you in the winter

1 May 2015

“Be nice or I’ll write about you on my blog”, my instagram bio says. Well, a few nice guys didn’t like this and asked if that meant I only write about the bad ones. I then thought of a couple boys I’ve met and there was one that stood out to me. 

On a chilly winter day I was running late and a little lost in New York City. My phone was dead and I had no shame asking anyone and everyone for directions. I asked a foreigner, of course, and two girls who completely blew me off. That’s when I met him. He told me to follow him, he was taking the B and I was taking the C train uptown. He just moved into the city and we talked about how easy it is to get confused with the subways but I think he was trying to make me feel better.

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