Transitions // Dignity // Forgiveness

I'm getting SO excited as the summer comes to a close.  I remember getting anxiety, sadness, nostalgia, and about a thousand other not so great feelings last year and the year before that around this time.  It truly makes me thankful and eternally grateful for where my life is going.  I am attempting to appreciate every day and the little things that come with preparing for my new journey to St. Louis.

More than anything I'm excited to start my new part-time job as a graduate fellow with the office of Residential Life.  I've always loved mentoring others and working with young adults.  The excitement of starting college as a freshman is contagious and I cannot wait to share it with incoming students at Washington University.  Second, I just LOVE the program I have enrolled in and it excites me that my hands-on learning begins in the spring semester.  I have the ability to customize my own program based on my future career goals, which if I haven't talked about are rural education and non-profit management.  I also plan to explore the idea of school social work.  The possibilities are endless...

On a different note and a little something more personal I'd like to touch base on apologies.  I think those of us that are most prideful (I am guilty of this) understand that apologizing is hard to do.  A good apology, one that comes from the heart, swallowing that pride, whether a year or five years after should always be appreciated.  Sometimes people don't realize they need to apologize and sometimes it takes time for that apology to be honest.  In my eyes, a genuine apology deserves forgiveness, and forgiveness requires vulnerability and grace.

I am referring to all of this here because recently someone that I used to know reached out to me for reconnection and most importantly with a much needed apology.  I almost considered not opening the e-mail and simply deleting it, but after reading it I was thankful and am eternally grateful for that apology.  I think it was the apology that gave that chapter in my life the closure that was necessary.  The reconnection however, is something I cannot do.  The reconnection is not about a lack of forgiveness or about pride, but about dignity.  Six months ago, or even eight months ago I may have considered accepting reconnection out of politeness.  I have realized, however, that for my own mental health and self-respect I choose to not reconnect.  To this person: thank you, sincerely, for the apology, and I hope you can respect my decision.  

Project Repat // T-Shirt Blanket

I've been waiting to write a post about my awesome t-shirt blanket! Months ago I bought a Groupon for approximately $67 for a full size (5'x6') t-shirt blanket.  Years ago when I was in college I saw that a friend of mine had one that her grandmother made her and it was absolutely perfect.  I had fallen in love and wanted one ever since.  I never did it because every time I researched online for local people to make one for me the cost exceeded my budget.  Usually at least $200 for the most basic style and definitely ranging in the $300 zone.  Simply too expensive!

Project Repat (the company I bought the Groupon for) is completely affordable and sustainable.  The company is based out of Massachusetts and partners with three different organizations to produce the t-shirt blankets.  One of the partnerships is with a non-profit that provides jobs for people with disabilities! Neat, huh?

How does it work? It's simple, you go to their website and decide what size of blanket you want.  The larger the blanket, the greater the cost and the more t-shirts needed.  The blanket can be as small as a throw made of 9 t-shirts (right now on sale for $70) or as large as a king size bed (8'x8' or 64 t-shirts) and running at $250.  The blankets are made up of 1'x1' squares of  t-shirts on one side and high quality Polar-Tec fleece on the other side.  Oh, and let me add that this is HIGH QUALITY fleece, it's so thick and so warm. You do NOT have to worry about any additional shipping.  Project Repat will send you a kit immediately for you to mail your shirts to them and within 4-6 weeks you'll have a blanket! I was really impressed with the timing of it all.  I'm sure it varies, but the entire process did not take more than 3 weeks for me and I had it shipped from Massachusetts to Texas!

Project Repat also has great customer service, they shoot you an e-mail from an actual person (not one of those automated e-mails you can't respond to) when they receive your shirts.  I e-mailed them to ask if I could have grey fleece (because it wasn't an option online) and they responded immediately saying "of course" and that they would edit my order for me.

The best part about Project Repat and me sharing my blanket with you is that you can use THIS CODE right now to get 15% off your blanket! Take advantage now.

You're welcome!
Happy t-shirt blanket ordering. Feel free to drop me a comment below if you have any additional questions or concerns regarding Project Repat.

Stone Brewing Company

I recently went for a pint this past week and was highly impressed with Stone Brewing Company. They are based out of California and have a variety of darker beers and a truly complex combination of flavors. 

Lately I've been into IPAs a lot. It took a couple of months but my taste finally acquired to the hoppier side of the beer spectrum. I asked the bartender to sample all three Stone IPAs on tap and my favorite was definitely the Cali-Belgique IPA. 

It was crisp, refreshing, but still had a unique blend of flavors. It's robust, yet crisp, with a familiar background. Must be the Belgian style.  

All in all, definitely a thumbs up and worth trying! I would order this again and again. I also gave my brother's Stone stout a try  and it was phenomenal. Stone beers must be tasted. 

Happy drinking!

Nekkid Lips

It's a girly kind of Sunday for me.  After spending far too long feeling sick and miserable after my trip to California I finally felt like myself again yesterday and mustered up the energy to do my hair, put on some makeup, put on a pretty outfit, and basically feel pretty again.

I've been meaning to talk about a couple of things makeup and beauty so here it goes...

Last year I talked about the infamous cat eye and my obsession with this eyeliner. Well, a few weeks back my awesome Stila eyeliner finally winged its last eye because it was time for a new one.  As much as I was tempted to splurge the $20 for a new one (btw: a year is not bad for an eyeliner that is worn 2-3 times a week),  I had seen two or three commercials for the L'Oreal Infallible Super Slim eyeliner.  I caved and decided to try the $8 steal at my local drugstore.  So far, so good. No, it is NOT Stila, and after a year of using the same eyeliner I was very used to it.  The L'Oreal is a GREAT alternative if you cannot justify spending $20 on eyeliner.  It is easy to use, long-lasting, has great precision and the same tip as the Stila, making it easy to create a fine or a thicker line as desired.  My ONLY complaint, if I absolutely had to have one is that I do like the pigment in the Stila more, it is just a wee bit richer.  The L'Oreal is very black and awesome, but I do notice a slight difference in richness.  Other than that, you cannot go wrong with the $8 steal! 

Next on the agenda: lipstick.  I have never been a fan of lipstick, lip stains, lip gloss, or any colored lip product other than good ol' fashioned chapstick.  This is not to say because I am afraid of a little color, in fact I love color and love to try new things.  The problem is my lips.  Well, according to my mother at least.  My lips are already so naturally rouge that many lip colors don't even really stand out unless it's a bright fuchsia or candy apple red.  My mother, who is a lipstick connoisseur is always wanting to try new colors on me at department stores and constantly becomes frustrated because every color looks the same on me...or is not visible.  As a result, I have stayed far away from lipsticks and choose not to even bother. 

I am a fan of nude lips, because my lips are already so naturally bright, I like the idea of toning down my lips when playing up my eyes.  Last week I made the executive decision to give lipstick a try.  It all started with my friend's Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Charm.  I tried it, and fell in love.  It is perfect! Moisturizing, dewy, and the perfect nude. I went on the search for it today and also found Revlon's Lustrous Ultra Shine Lipstick in Pink Cognito which I just adored. 

$7.49 at Target in Charm

Charm on the lips, excuse any chapping...

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Pink Cognito $5.99 at Target

Pink Cognito! 

Me, I'm just prepping for that tropical vacation of mine.  I'll fill you in on where I'm going as it nears.

Are you a lipstick wearer? What's your favorite shade? Any tips out there?

Off to continue this night of beauty by painting my toes the ultimate nude shade: OPI's Bubble Bath.

The Ultimate Snail Mail

Well, California was amazing (as expected) and never disappointing.  I am literally having withdrawals, my body refused to go back to normal the minute I stepped off that plane.  I have had low energy, a semi-stuffy nose/head, fatigue, loss of apetite, and come and go nausea.

I finally felt well enough to bathe, drink a gatorade, and eat most of my kids meal from Blimpie today.  Oh, and obviously well enough to research these infamous boxes that you can subscribe to monthly or annually.  

I am intrigued...I love snail mail and I love receiving products, especially full-size or partially full-sized products.

The dilemma...Birchbox or Popsugar?

Can I have both?! Here's the thing, my birthday is at the end of the month and ideally I would treat myself to both for at least two months each.    

Birchbox

• $10/month, free shipping
• 4-5 sample sized (sometimes you get full) high-end beauty samples
• All items are customized for you based on your beauty profile
• Review products and earn points towards your account
• You can purchase full-sized items on their website 

Popsugar MUST HAVE

• $35/month, free shipping
• Save more if you subscribe for 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc.
• You receive over $100 worth in full-sized products
• Must haves in beauty, fitness, home, fashion, and food

Thoughts? Do you subscribe to either of these services? 

I know, I know, as my friend Liz would say, "First world problems."

Healthy Airport Eats

Isn't it always such a drag getting wholesome foods at the airport? 

Sometimes I just hold off until my next destination to eat, but on days like today when I've been up since 5am with no breakfast and a long layover, I need to fuel up!

My go-to is always Starbucks 

I choose their Perfect Oatmeal: the perfect energy breakfast. Complete with an array of toppings from dried fruit to brown sugar and mixed nuts. 

I also order a tall iced coffee with 2% milk , cinnamon, sans sweetener. 

If I cannot find a Starbucks in my airport or terminal there is usually a Smoothie King (or similar place). I find the best smoothie that will keep me full the longest but is still fairly lean. Usually some kind of chocolate protein, banana, and peanut butter. 

Still struggling to find something, most convenience stores at airports have energy bars as fresh fruit. Opt for that until you reach your destination. 

What about you, any airport breakfast faves?

Off to catch up with this girl, who just caught up with me at Dallas DFW!

Do you know the way to San Jose?!

Posting from the plane this morning!!!

So very excited to be reunited with three lovely girlfriends of mine in the Bay Area. 

I am attending a traditional Punjabi wedding and could not be more ready to soak in the cultural experience. 

See y'all on the Pacific Coast!