BRB

Taking a quick break from posting today! I overdid it this past weekend and am prioritizing health over a rushed, sub-par post. See you tomorrow (or Friday!). 

Listening to my body and all that...

ARS xx

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Tuesday Thought:

 

“Ah! There is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort.” ― Jane Austen

Ready for the day ahead of me, 

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for R & R

Last week was jam packed - from birthday celebrations to hosting a number of guests I was super busy. It was such a blast to see everyone, but I'm ready for some post-birthday week rest and relaxation. Lucky for me I have a long weekend ahead of me! I'm working on a solid weekend plan but you can expect there to be lots of beach and pool time, a facial, and just general "treat your self" activities. 

Ready for a relaxing weekend,

ARS xx

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Currently...

Celebrating my birthday with my cousins. I'm having such a blast with my cousins in town and while I'm not able to take time off, just having someone to hang with is so nice. 

Working on my 101 in 1001 list this weekend. I feel like I started the month off strong and my goal completion has sort of petered out. I'm excited to get back on the wagon and make some progress! 

Relaxing this whole weekend! Work has been absolutely insane this weekend, so I'm excited to have two days to rest and relax with my family. After a week of 5 auctions, a birthday, and lots of company I'm ready to enjoy some time off - or to at least sleep in! 

Thinking it's time to organize my shoes and get them out of the suitcase they have been living in the past few weeks! I miss my shoes and my goal is to figure out a storage solution for them.

Scheduling in some beach and pool time! I'm eager to get some kind of summer glow going. Now that I'm in Florida full time, I try to limit my sun exposure but I would love to get in at least some vitamin d! 

TGIF everyone! 

ARS xx

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Summer Goals Weekly Check-In

I didn't check off a single thing on my 101 in 1001 list this week, but I didn't and that's ok. I will continue to lay the groundwork for future line items to be checked off. I'm hoping to get a few more done before the end of the month so I stay on track to finish all 25 goals I intend to finish by the end of the summer. 

I wish I could say I lost some more wight, but I haven't. I'm trying to do the best I can with this goal, but life has gotten in the way. My cousins are in from out of town and my diet has fallen through the cracks. I'll have to really buckle down next week and focus on dropping the excess weight. 

I'm feeling a little defeated on this goal too, as my progress is not being made as quickly as I had hoped. A large part of it is my own fault so I can only get mad at myself! I went a bit crazy treating myself this week. I need to get back into savings mode and make sure I keep focus on the bigger picture.  

ARS xx

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On Turning 34

My colleague loves to use the gardening phrase "sleep, creep, then leap" when talking about strategy and this really feels like an apt description for my thirties. When I turned 32 we were in the early stages of the pandemic and I was in sleep mode for a full year. I went back to the basics and rediscovered the joy small things can bring. Last weekend I was reflecting on the past year and I came to the conclusion that in a way I creeped through 33. The second half of last year felt like a test and I realized that at the end of the day I have the confidence and strength to quietly, yet firmly stand up for myself. There is something so powerful about standing up for what you believe in. I know 34 is going to be all about leaping, growing and branching out. After a rollercoaster of a year, I hope this year will be all about positive changes and celebrating who I am. I'm being very honest when I say I'm excited for the year ahead and for all that it's set to bring! 

Cheers to leveling up, 

ARS xx

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Tuesday Thought

 

“With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.” ― William Shakespeare

Officially the last day of being 33,

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for My Birthday Week

It's no secret that I'm not enthused about celebrating my birthday this year. I usually love celebrating my birthday but this year I really just wanted to keep it low-key. The universe and my family had other plans and I guess I'm grateful that I have people who want to celebrate with me! I think this year will be a lot of making lemonade out of lemons and looking at the bright side of things. Below are a few pins reminding me to go with the flow and to embrace the year ahead. 

Let's do this!

ARS xx

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Currently...

Planning out my birthday week. My cousin Nick, his friend and my sister will be spending the week with me and I need to make any applicable reservations and figure out a meal plan. I also need to make a list with different suggestions for things they should do while I'm a work. Maybe I'll make more progress on my Palm Beach guide than I thought! 

Dreaming of my old bedding. It's such a silly thing to miss, but it's still in NY and I really miss the daily joy it brought me! Bedding is a luxury I never regretted splurging on - it's the little things that matter.

Playing around with outfits this weekend! I know I have more outfits than I think I do - it's just a matter of trying on clothes and digging through the drawers to find the hidden gems. 

Planning out my meals for next week. Dinners will be tricky, as I'll have guests here but I can still control my breakfasts and lunch. As you know one of my summer goals is to lose 15 pounds by the end of summer and diet will be a major factor in it. 

Watching the real estate market. It's no secret I'm eager to buy real estate, but I've been hesitant because prices have been so hot for so long. I'm noticing with  interest rates rising and the recession looming that it's slowing down. Now I just need to pray I don't face more hardship! 

TGIF, 

ARS xx

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Summer Goals Weekly Check In

I checked another item off my list! Yesterday I shared my NY Guide. I'm working towards checking off a bulk amount of line items next week and the week after, so I'm  focusing on laying the groundwork this week. I'm really excited to check off even more by the end of the month! As I suspected, setting a certain amount of goals per month and scheduling things into my calendar has made the difference. 

Slow and steady will win this race. I'm really happy about the progress I made so far- it seems like I'll be able to make my goal by the end of the summer if I just stay the course. With all that is going on in the world, it's a little scary to be focusing on a down payment instead of building an even bigger emergency fund, but I'm doing what I need to do. 

So far I've lost about 2 pounds since I started this endevor. I'm hoping that the weight drops a little bit faster as time goes on and I amp up my workouts and meal prep. I'm a bit discouraged, as I used to drop weight quickly but I guess it's true that your metabolism slows down in your thirties! I'm going to stay positive, do the work and hope for the best outcome. 

Excited to check in next week! 

ARS xx

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NY Guide and Three New York Staycation Ideas

I'm delighted to share my long overdue New York Guide. I've been meaning to write it for quite some time, but time got away from me and that's that! I finally sat down and did a brain dump to write all of my favorite spots. This list will evolve over time, especially as I anticipate new additions as I travel up to NY more but I'm officially hitting publish and am hoping everything is open! 

To launch my Guide to New York,  I thought it would be fun to share a few of my dream tourist days and how you can put together your own mini-trip using my suggestions! When I lived in the city I wanted to plan a staycation and experience New York as a tourist. My plans never really panned out, but I still had a few ideas in my head of what I wanted to do if I did a staycation. 

AM Highline Walk + Chelsea Piers Mini Golf + Lunch at The Orchard Townhouse 

(alternative plan: AM Highline Walk + Chelsea Gallery Hopping + Whitney Museum + PM Drinks at the Standard Beer Garden)

Lunch at Dante + Explore every nook in the West Village + Dinner at Palma

Ferry from Downtown NY to the UES + Takeaway Lunch at Elizabeth's Carriage House + Picnic in Central Park

Officially homesick, 

ARS xx

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Tuesday Thought

 

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” ― George Washington

Feeling patriotic this week,

ARS xx

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Pretty Pins for Anxious Thoughts

With the price of gas and inflation going up, as well as all of the geo-political factors coming into play, it's hard not to focus on the negatives. While I've been on a positive kick for a few weeks, all of a sudden I'm anxious again. It's easy for me to focus on the negatives, but I'm working on training myself to focuson the the positives. Part of that means I'm reverting back to my "control the controllables" mindset and building up a larger down payment for a house and having fun with my 101 in 1001 list - all while getting a bit healthier this summer. I have a big week ahead, but below are a few pins inspiring me to drop the anxious thoughts and to just enjoy summer. 

Ready for a new week, 

ARS xx

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Currently...

 

Celebrating Henry's 22nd birthday. His birthday is the kickoff of June birthdays, which is always so fun! I love that so many of my friends and family members share my birthday month. It always makes it so much more special. 

Checking off finding a neighborhood church and purchasing a Kate Schelter Bain de Soleil painting off my 101 in 1001 list. I know the neighborhood church goal initially fell under New York, but now that I live in Florida, I had to adapt and I love the church I found down here. I am beyond excited to have checked off purchasing a Kate Schelter Bain de Soleil painting off my list too! This is a painting I've wanted for quite some time, so this is a special birthday gift to myself. 

Planning out the rest of my summer! It's so crazy how summer flies by each year. I'm eager to book a trip up to New York, as well as plan a few more weekend getaways. I haven't travelled in awhile, so this would be the ultimate treat. 

Hoping to make a few dresses out of some fabric I bought. We'll see what is possible, but I'm excited to get back to creating outfits. 

Obsessing over the Sworder Fine Art Auctioneers Fine Interiors sale. I'm an auction girl through and through and this one has so many chic finds! I'm just about ready to buy a container and bid on everything before I even have a house. 

TGIF,

ARS xx

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Summer Goals Weekly Check In

 

I'm thrilled to say I've already made progress on my 101 in 1001 list!  In fact, I was able to check off two goals from my list in the past week! Stay tuned for tomorrow's Currently post, as I'll share which goals I completed. I've also made some strides in my goal to send out 50 handwritten notes, and I'm planning something special later this month and beyond to celebrate my birthday. Rome wasn't built in a day, but I'm determined to chip away and make steady progress. Hopefully I'll have even more to share next week! 

I just finished a two week Sculpt Society challenge and I'm eager to keep the momentum going. I haven't seen any noticeable weight loss yet, but I know it takes time and focus to get results. I will say it's been nice to get back outside and move again. I'm going to buckle down on my diet next and really work on meal planning and batch cooking on Sundays. 

I haven't made any major yet progress on my down payment goal, but this may require a monthly check in, as I can only make so much money.  That being said, I'm looking for ways I can further reduce expenses and also boost my income! My focus this weekend will be to look at ways to reach this goal and how I can visually share my progress with you all. 

Hoping to have an even more productive check in next week,

ARS xx

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Outfit Inspiration: Summer Edition

I'm back to shopping my closet again - which is not a bad thing! I actually love shopping my closet because I need to get a bit more creative so things still feel fresh. I'm slightly more limited on choices this summer, as not all of my clothes fit right now, but I'm hopeful I will get a handle on that sooner rather than later.  This time around I'm planning to shake up simple outfits with statement accessories and jewelry, but I don't have my full roster down here. Below are a few looks that I'm inspired to recreate from what I have in my closet right now! 

Can you tell there is  theme?

ARS xx

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