Wednesday Motivation: Planning

 

"You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win." - Zig Ziglar

I've been branching out of my normal realm and decided to sign up for a few classes and virtual conferences. I'm stuck in a rut and am desperate to snap out of it. If there is anything I have taken away from these highly successful and motivated people it's the importance of creating a plan and sticking to it. I'll be the first to admit that I tend to lost motivation quickly, but if I want to get anywhere close to where I want to be in my life I need to come up with a plan and stick to it. The next few weeks will be about coming up with a plan for a few personal goals and I'm excited for it. 

Shifting my mindset, 

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for Being Thankful

This week is a time for gratitude, family, and love so this week's inspiration roundup is all about being thankful. I'm so thankful for the life I have and the family I was blessed with, as well as my loyal friends. I always want to thank you, dear readers, for faithfully checking in and reading what I have to say. As I've shared before, this blog has kept me sane during many dark times and I've felt a little less lonely knowing I have you all here with me following my journey. This blog has taken many twists and turns throughout the years, but know I'm always grateful for any visitor and welcome you to share your triumphs and failures with me. Below is a roundup of a few pretty pins I saw around the internet this weekend that inspired me to write this post. 

With Gratitude, 

ARS xx 

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Currently...

Dealing with a major case of anxiety. I'm trying to slow my thoughts down but am totally struggling to keep it together. I know I'll get back to a better mental state soon, but I'm definitely working through constant anxious thoughts. 

Making a list of all the books I want to order off of Thriftbooks! You can read about my favorite source for books here. I've definitely cooled it a bit on my nook purchases (they have been a major budget buster) and am rereading all of my favorite books. I forgot how much I love how good a book can feel in my hands!

Cooking all weekend long! I have a ton of recipes to catch up on (and add to my freezer stash) and this weekend seems like the perfect time to do it. I'm preparing for a possible lockdown and want to minimize future grocery store trips as much as I can. 

Planning out the rest of my Christmas gifts. I always am a last minute shopper and while I've made some serious progress in acquiring some presents ahead of time, I'm still way further behind than I thought I would be. I'll have to get creative, but I know I can do it. 

Writing out a few letters this weekend. I made the lofty goal of writing out 50 letters on my 101 in 1001 list and I'm definitely falling behind! This weekend I'm planning sending out a few notes letting my friends know how grateful I am for their friendship. 

What are you up to this weekend?

ARS xx

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3 Budget Friendly Ways to Treat Yourself

While I'm still working out the kinks to my budget - specifically my food and personal spending categories - I was finally staying somewhat on track until this past weekend. Before I went off the wall and blew my budget this month, I wanted to celebrate this little win, but in a way that doesn't break my budget and undo all the good I had been doing. With all the craziness going on in the world right now, it feels especially important to treat yourself and hopefully give yourself a little break from the chaos. I won't be treating myself this month anymore, but below are a few budget friendly ways I've treated myself in the past or plan to treat myself with that might give you some inspiration!

I love my local bakery, which has trays of mini cupcakes, but at $25 a tray it can quickly add up. Baking mini cupcakes is something fun to do and an inexpensive way to treat yourself and something you can share with others! I don't have a mini cupcake tray, but I think it would pay for itself even if I baked just a few times.

Flowers are an indulgence that I hated having to give up. I stopped ordering regularly from my florist to save money and started making my own flower arrangements with the flowers picked up at the grocery store, farmers market and bodega. I impressed even myself with my low budget bodega bouquets! If you have the backyard space and want to learn how to grow flowers, why not check out Floret's free mini-workshop! It's a great way to learn something and indulge in a hobby or passion.

A great book is always a budget friendly win (depending on where you buy them, you can read more about where I pick up books here). I really want to preorder Rachel Cruze's new book "Know Yourself, Know Your Money", which comes out in January. I'm especially tempted by John Delony's new book "Redefining Anxiety" for $10. I've been especially anxious lately so the title is really calling my name. I thoroughly enjoyed each Ramsey books and find them to be really educational but not intimidating. 

Ready for the weekend and it's only Tuesday,

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for Feeling Out of Control

I totally went off the rails this month in regards to my budget and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was feeling anxious and disappointed in myself. I'm definitely a spender when I become stressed and with a little bit of money to spend paired with the stress of lockdowns, elections, and work I totally went off the deep end. I was able to cash flow everything, but at the literal expense of not contributing to my emergency fund this month. This week I need to get myself under control and not let my anxieties influence my spending for the month. When I feel out of control my mind tends to go a mile a minute and I have to work very hard to get myself back to a calm space. In the meantime, below are a few images that are inspiring me to figure out how to make up the deficit in my budget and get back to a place of calm. 

May nee dot sell a few things,

ARS xx

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Currently...

 

Catching up on Dave Ramsey's SMART Conference and am totally inspired. I bought the ticket on a last minute whim last Saturday because there was a week long replay available. Each night this week I went through a different section and totally enjoyed ending the day on an inspirational note. I highly recommend signing up for the next one - it gave me extra motivation when I needed it most! You can still order the replay if you feel like signing up!

Bidding in too many auctions right now! There are so many chic and fabulous auctions happening that I don't know where to focus. I already won a new pair of earrings and have my eye on a few pieces in Leland Little's Bob Timberlake auction and some more in this month's Hayloft sale. I'm also loving a few things in next week's Doyle at Home sale. Can you tell I'm obsessed?

Living in my HillHouseHome nap dress. Last year I bought one of the first iterations of the nap dress and wore it for the first two weeks of lockdown. Little did I know these  dresses would take off and become the it dress of 2020 (for good reason - they are the absolute perfect house dress!). Can we get another blackwatch plaid version?  

Thinking about what I'll do if there is anything full scale lockdown. I just resigned my lease with the maybe too optimistic thought that full scale lockdowns were behind us. I'm starting to hear rumblings of another lockdown in New York and if I'm being honest, the thought is terrifying to me. Beyond not being fully prepared on a supplies front, I'm finally just getting back on my feet financially speaking and am worried about what my financial future looks like. New York, I love you but I'm not sure how much longer I can afford to stay. 

Trying to recreate the effortless, yet chic look of this outfit. I have always struggled with pulling off a "casual comfort" look but am going to try to make more of an effort in 2021 incorporate a more laid-back, cool style into my wardrobe.

Is it 5pm yet?

ARS xx

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Note to Self: Relax

 

“There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy.” –Ralph Blum

Take a deep breath and it will all be ok, 

ARSxx

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November Wishlist

As time goes on it's getting harder for me to stay the course on building an emergency fund - there is so much temptation out there right now! I'm finally sort of finding my rhythm and want to keep the positive momentum going. That all being said, I feel like I'm being seriously tested this month because my wish list is already a mile long and we aren't even halfway through the month. I'm constantly reminding myself that shopping is not an emergency and that instead I should revisit my budget and see where I can save more or what side hustles I can do to help increase my shopping budget. I'm also looking for budget friendly ways to treat myself. In any chase, below are a few things I'm obsessing over and talking myself out of on an hourly basis. 

Molly Moorkamp Red Skirt

Ann Mashburn Black Jacket

Riley Sheehey X Moda Operandi Plates

Molly Moorkamp Red Sweater

Sarah Bray Bermuda Caftan + Headband

Did someone say "Holidays in Palm Beach?",

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for When You Lose the Plot

My friends and I have been talking about our lives and where we are and I was surprised to hear when someone said they felt like they lost the plot to their own life. I was surprised because one - I thought they totally had it together and two - I felt completely the same way. This year has thrown so many people for a loop so quickly that I think we're all just starting to realize how far off I am from where I want to be. While I can't rewrite history or change what I've done up until now, I can and have already been making changes to take control of writing my story again. Below are few pins inspiring me as I redo my outline and adjust it for where I currently am in my life. 

Wishing weekends were just a tad bit longer,

ARS xx

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Currently...

Cozying up at home this week. As the weather has begun to take a colder turn, I've been craving nights in so am indulging in myself. The unrest surrounding the election made my choice to hunker down a no-brainer. 

Loving my new bedding! I made a quick, game time (and budget friendly) decision about my backup bedding and I have no regrets. It's a pretty print that brings a new color into my apartment! While it's not very "winter" it still has a bit more visual weight to it than my other duvet. 

Taking Create Academy's Rita Konig course I talked about a few weeks ago. I finally bit the bullet and bought myself the class. Between writing about the class, reading Stephanie Hill's blog post about it, and seeing it on my 101 in 1001 list every day it seems like the universe was telling me to finally take the damn class. It was a major splurge and I'll review it once I finish the course, but so far I really like it! I can't check it off my list just yet, but I'm thinking I'll be able to check it off sooner rather than later. 

Crossing off Vote in 2020 Election off my 101 in 1001 list! I was really happy I voted early because I started the day off excited, not anxious! My anxiety did take off as the day went on (and is still alive and well as of this minute), but starting my day off on a positive note was a win. 

Putting together a Christmas decoration plan! Before I know it the holidays will be right around the corner and I'm trying to get a head start on things. I'm thinking of ordering some new Christmas decorations for the first time, maybe ever! Admittedly my apartment has never been too festive and decorations are mostly comprised of inherited leftovers, but now that I'm home for the foreseeable future I think it would be fun to decorate and enjoy the season! 

Take it easy, it's Friday!

ARSxx

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On Patience

 

“Trust the process. Your time is coming. Just do the work and the results will handle themselves.”  - Tony Gaskins

It's been an unusual year to say the least and this year's election has been a nail biter and totally unprecedented. We've become too used to an instant gratification world that it's a bit of a struggle to be patient, especially when the states feel so high. Tempers are rising on both sides, but I'm going to sit tight, and do my best to trust the process and know I did all I could as a citizen. These past couple of days I've had to keep reminding myself to be patient and to control the controllables. 

We will get through this together,

ARSxx

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Chic American Made Companies

In honor of Election day yesterday and despite the lack of a definitive outcome last night, I decided to do a post celebrating American companies I love. I've always been a big believer in supporting American businesses, especially when the products are made in the US. (This passion has gone as far back as 2000/2001 when Juicy Couture was "Made in the Glamorous USA".)  Regretfully it can be a challenge to find something I'm looking for that's also made in America.  It's always extra special when I can find something chic, exactly what I'm looking for, and American made. To my surprise and excitement my roster of American companies is constantly expanding. Aside from supporting our small businesses and American manufacturers, supporting brands that make their products in America means I'm lowering my carbon footprint and ensuring the factory has ethical working conditions. The prices may be slightly higher, but I know I'm getting a quality, ethically made product and supporting my own country. I've highlighted a few clothing companies already, like Molly Moorkamp, but wanted to share my growing list with you all. Below is a roundup of a few of my favorite companies to support. 

Bennington Potters is based in Vermont and has the absolutely most adorable plates and baking dishes. I personally love the Morning Glory Blue glaze. 

I keep getting instagram ads for Redland Cotton Sheets, which was really timely because I've been on the hunt for American made sheets. These are exactly what I'm looking for!

Hank Panky is a company that I was pleasantly surprised to learn makes their products in the USA! I know I'm not alone when I say I'm a huge fan, so I'm even more excited to support this company.

Having grown up on Long Island, Graphic Image was an familiar name. I grew up using their notebooks and planners and still love them to this day. 

When I think of Simon Pearce I think of my Nanny. Growing up I always heard the name, but it wasn't until Nanny gifted me a tree that I fully understood the magic of this company. As my tree collection grows, I always think of how special it was that my first one was from my grandmother. 

Happy Wednesday, 

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for Election Day

I've shared my love and excitement for Election Day in earlier posts and it actually made the cut for my 101 in 1001 list, but now that we are finally here my excitement to vote has increased by tenfold! Having grown up in a family of immigrants (my uncle voted for the first time in the last election!), I have never taken voting for granted and have exercised my right to vote in every election I've been eligible to vote in. This year's election feels a bit different than in years past and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was feeling a bit anxious. Between the lockdowns, BLM protests, and pandemic there are a lot of emotions running high this year. I've even seen it in my neighborhood as recently as this past Sunday! Despite everything that is going on, I'm doing my best to forget about my anxiety and focus on what lies ahead, regardless of the outcome. Everyone please be safe today - we are in for a wild ride. Below are a few pins that are reminding me to enjoy the day and to focus on the moment! 

Now what are you doing reading this? Go out and vote!

ARS xx

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