The Consolation Prize

Posted on September 23, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

(Can you tell I’ve been really into gifs lately? Who doesn’t like GIFs? Yes, Eva, welcome to the 21st century…)

Today, I wanted to share with you about a little life phenomenon I’ve come to appreciate lately. I call it the “consolation prize.” Yes, it’s exactly like what it sounds like.

I came to appreciate the existence of the consolation prize years ago; I was out to sushi with a girlfriend of mine, and something specific on the menu caught my eye. I used to never order seaweed salad, well, just because I always thought pure seaweed was a surefire way to trigger my gag-reflex if I’ve ever heard of it. But, I had somehow come to really enjoy it. A man I had dated once had insisted on ordering it whenever we went out for Japanese food. I don’t think I would have ever tried it of my own volition had it not been for him. It’s delicious. That being said, I made the crack to my friend that if there was one positive thing that had come from my previous relationship it was my awareness of the existence of seaweed salad.

It’s sort of sad to say, but when we emerge from tough situations, whether it be a less-than ideal job or partner, sometimes all we can do is try to find a little bit of the silver lining. This might not happen overnight, hell, when I left my first “real” desk job, I had a difficult time finding the prize. I felt a little bit like I had given up, that I had flunked out of adult-land, knowing that a rigorous desk job in a corporate setting wasn’t really for me. Oddly enough, I came away from that job with better relationship with my father. Being at the same company, in vastly different departments, he would walk by my desk, find me buried in paperwork, and insist on taking me to lunch. We weren’t speaking very much at the time, and rarely saw each other outside of work, but, after a year, our conversation became a lot more than just about the weather. In a strange way, we bonded over work. The same thing goes with most relationships that don’t work out the way you hope they will. Some of the best things that have come out of some of my dating mishaps were wonderful restaurants, the discovery of new neighborhoods, or a really great pair of shoes. I try not to let how I’ve come about these things color my opinion of them.

The boss lady always tells me that much of your quality of life, of who you are as a person, has to do with how you deal with disappointment. Sure, I’m not going to tell you that I’ve never locked myself inside, drank a ton of champagne, and spent some time lying face down on the floor. A lot of things in life straight up suck. They suck, and there’s not very much you can do about it. I think people don’t tell you this often, but sometimes it’s true. However, you can pick yourself up, and find yourself with that consolation prize. You can change your bad experience into a decent, maybe even good one.

You can do it!

EVA♥

#Missadventure: A Love Story

Posted on September 21, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

I’m going to have a Cathy-comic moment and say “Ack!” It’s been altogether too long since I’ve posted on Watch Me Juggle. You see, I mentally blog everyday, it’s just the booting up the ancient laptop part that seems to scare me. Since I spend so much time in front of a computer at work, I’ve somehow developed some sort of odd fear that my work will jump out at me the minute I open up my computer at home. Completely irrational, I know, this isn’t Poltergeist. That’s just my not-really-an-excuse excuse.

Despite my recent aversion to the computer, I seem to have developed the pesky habit of staring at my phone into the wee hours of the morning, when I’m supposed to be sleeping. I usually regret this, but, just the other day, I discovered something amazing. Kate Spade, in a stroke of marketing genius, has released a series of short films featuring Anna Kendrick, all with the hashtag “Missadventure.” I’ve fully fallen in love with these spots, and have maybe watched them each four or five times at least. Adventure #1 features Kendrick, toting a mini Christmas tree and scores of shopping bags, locked out of her New York brownstone. She ends up taking selfies, drinking champagne on her stoop, and being generally embarrassing until inevitably rescuing herself.

Adventure #2 depicts an LA getaway, where she is mistaken for a meditation guru to the starts. Hilarity ensues. Best guided mediation I’ve heard in a long time: “We are among the clouds, and we look down and we see our feet….and our super cute shoes.”

The latest, Adventure #3, a decked-out Kendrick (complete with purse dog, Milos) is stood up for a date at the Russian Tea room. Again, while only minimally embarrassing herself, she manages to find even better company- not just in her fabulous, glittery gnome shaped purse. “#DatingMyPurse…is that funny? Or just worrying?” You can even shop the looks seen in each film here.

I could go on and on about how much these little ads resonate with me. I’ve shared them with countless people. They’re hilarious, and altogether a little bit too true. (“He sent me a fish emoji..? Is that a metaphor for something?” ) There’s really just something lovable about #missadventure; we’ve tried in the past to categorize this trait as “adorkable,” but this is something a bit more. Anna Kendrick portrays the quintessential girl on the go, who might be a little quirky, but is also more than capable and unabashed at who she is. This pays off for her, and I’m sure legions of women, both young and old, can somehow relate to the way she navigates her life’s challenges. Sometimes, it feels right to do something as ridiculous as having a conversation with your purse and/or dog, ordering just dessert, or dressing up in all your new purchases all at once. It certainly helps that she looks fabulous doing it. Good job, Kate Spade, good job. Now…where can I buy that ridiculous gnome purse?

EVA♥

Why Saying ‘No’ Makes You A Better Person

Posted on September 10, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I was stuck in the traffic that is my morning commute and found myself utterly bored. Because texting and driving is heavily frowned upon, I just let my mind wander. I’ve been thinking a lot of deep things about life lately:”What am I going to make for dinner?” “What if I could have gotten that cheaper on eBay?” You know, the usual. So, it surprised me that among the many deep things that I was pondering, I came across what feels like a gem. I like to joke about my lack of “adult” behavior here quite a bit, but I recently realized that there are some very adult things I do on a daily basis that I don’t give that much thought to anymore. One thing I’ve noticeably become more confident doing over the last few years is simply saying ‘No.’

Usually the word ‘no’ has some really strong connotations that come with it. If you say it too often you must be a negative, stubborn, selfish, uncaring, immature person, right? The awful adjectives could go on and on. We assign it to toddlers, young people with zero-self awareness prone to pitching fits. But, it’s taken me a while to realize that it can be a positive thing too. ‘No’ is appropriate for many occasions, not all of them bad. When it comes to making friends and building relationships I’ve learned to be a little more discerning. Sometimes it’s not the easiest thing to do, but if you have people in your life that you’re incompatible with, or who don’t add much of anything positive, you can say no to them. Be honest, be kind, but still, say no. It’s a much more mature way of going about things than picking fights or leaving them hanging.

You work life might similarly benefit from your new word. Be realistic, if you find yourself running into problems or limitations, you can say no, and maybe spur some change. It’s perhaps not the most optimistic way of thinking about things but, as someone who isn’t terribly opinionated or outspoken, saying no can empower you in certain situations. Of course, I’m not saying that simply saying no all the time is a realistic way of getting things done, or an effective way of getting out of doing things you don’t want to do. It is important, however, to use it as a tool when you feel yourself deviating from the path you want to go. I realize there’s quite a lot of irony to be found in my writing this, as I’m pretty sure I went on a tirade on Saying ‘Yes’ to things a mere few months ago. With gifs and all! They’re weirdly similar- just two sides of the same coin. The ultimate moral of the story is to take a stand for the things you can do, and want to do, and don’t be afraid! Saying no can be a means of sticking up for yourself, really. If you’re able to draw these lines for yourself, I suspect you might garner some respect from the people you would least expect it from. I hate to say it, but you might have a little more respect for yourself, too.

That’s all for now! I’ll be back soon with more incredibly deep things.

EVA ♥

300 Reasons Why Vegas is The Best

Posted on September 8, 2015 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

Here’s my promised, requisite post all about Las Vegas!

I am still alive, and yes, the 300 reasons title is total click-bait. It’s more like seven reasons, to be more realistic. Don’t doubt that I couldn’t give you a really long list of reasons why I love Vegas, but I have a feeling on one would want to read through that! As I’ve said before, the “what happens in Vegas” rules do not apply to me, as I obviously can’t stop talking my friends’ ears off about the many adventures I’ve had there. Quite honestly, I can’t say enough good things about Vegas. Sure, it’s gone down in the history books as “Sin City,” which makes it sound like absolutely no good can come of time spent there. But that’s where popular belief is wrong. Today, I wanted to sit down and share with you some of the reasons why I love Las Vegas so much. It really is the adult Disneyland.

1. You can Choose Your Own Adventure

To give the above photo a little context, my friend Kelsey and her girlfriends ended up getting upgraded to the most beautiful suite I’ve ever seen at the Bellagio. That’s the beauty of Vegas: it’s an adventure. If you feel like staying in a seedy hotel and play poker with a yard size margarita strapped to your neck, you certainly can. Or you can turn your whole life into a party- Vegas is home of the exclusive dayclub/nightclub extravaganza. You can jump up and down while famous djs spin and get showered in champagne/confetti until you’re blue in the face. Not into the nightlife? You can have a ridiculously elegant meal at a Michelin-rated restaurant and shop at the finest stores. Have kids? Believe it or not, all those Vegas lights and water slides can be awfully fun for the kiddos. I speak from experience!

2. Little to no room for judgement

Hey, if anyone in Vegas decides to give you stink-eye (Yes, grandma, over there. I know you think my skirt is too short), just remind them, and maybe yourself, that you are in fact in Las Vegas. Most likely you’re in a casino. They can get off of their high horse and come join the rest of the people gathered around the same craps table they are.

Oh hey! It’s Afrojack everybody!

3. “Because we can!”

This is, in my humble opinion, the Vegas slogan. It’s the only way one could justify the recreation of the canals in Venice, a functioning volcano, dancing waters, and an indoor, life-size waterfall. Who thought this was a good or even remotely rational idea?! You know what else Vegas has, just because it can? Parades. Order a bottle at a 500% markup? You get a whole drum-line coming to your table to deliver it! Alternately, it might be a group of girls in grass skirts, on the shoulders of bouncers, blowing-whistles. Why? Because we can. It completely defies all logic. Oh, look! Money is literally raining from the ceiling! You can’t make this stuff up.

4. All the freebies

Vegas is the one place where women can take advantage of the system. Sure, we may still make 75 cents to an hour for the exact same job as a man, but we can go anywhere and just about do anything for zero dollars and zero cents in Vegas. And we can get there faster. I’m very much a feminist, but I also have no qualms about taking advantage in Vegas. Which brings me to my next point…

5. Vegas can make you feel fabulous

I made myself at home with my $14 cocktail inside of a human-size chandelier/bar. In Vegas, you can get dressed up, skip the lines, be served frozen grapes poolside, and have your picture taken. Be sure to wear your boldest/sparkliest attire.

6. Nothing is too absurd

Oh look! Somehow there are 15 Australians in our hotel suite!

This very much falls under the “Because we can!” reasoning. You can do just about anything you feel like in Vegas! Feel like sleeping all day, staying up all night? Okay! Feel like holing up in your hotel room and ordering room service? Why not? Want to spend your paycheck on ridiculous things, like a daybed at a pool party…uh, okay! Of course, I’m not saying that all of these things are necessarily a good idea, but you have your regular life to make mature choices. Heck, make up an alias for yourself, if you want! My friend Courtney spent her time in Vegas as Morgan. Whatever floats your boat! Have fun.

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7. Singles, singles, and more singles

Single? Never fear, Vegas is the one place in life where you win! Sure, you might not get that nifty tax break, but going bananas in Vegas is one of the top perks of being unattached, in my humble opinion. You’ll still get accosted by your great aunt repeatedly asking why you’re all alone at your cousin’s wedding, but you just had a freaking amazing vacation.

EVA ♥