Living Alone; Part II of The Random Thoughts Chronicles.

 Hello everyone!

 

Today is a continuation of the Brain Is Cobwebs series, aka: The Random Thoughts Chronicles. I’ve been revisiting it periodically in the midst of my writing, and boy, they were really random. I wanted to write about something that’s been near and dear to my heart for quite a while now, something that I’ve often touched upon briefly in past posts.

I live alone.

Yes, it was a very daunting thought when I first stepped into the realtor’s offic. I remembered how I felt when left home alone as a kid, and assumed every day would feel a little like that. What if I got lonely? What if I couldn’t decide what to wear out at night? What if I decided to watch a scary movie all alone and subsequently scared the crap out of myself? What if everyone forgets about me while I’m holed up all alone in my pad? All alone. That’s the phrase that kept repeating itself in my head.

I’m really glad that I had so many great people to encourage me, or else I would have never done it. They had lived through the “aloneness” and even rejoiced in it. I love living all by myself now. Mind you, sometimes my house looks like a war zone; And sometimes I burn my dinner beyond recognition; and sometimes I do watch scary movies (ultimately a bad idea). I’ll also be the first to tell you that I owned only an airbed, suitcase, coffeemaker, and dresser when I initially moved in. But, no one is around to chastise me for the mess, or laugh at my failed culinary attempts, and I find that a ridiculous amount of cartoons can chase away anything that might have spooked you.  Whatever the Ikea directions say, you can put that bed frame together all on your own. Years ago, a friend of mine visited me in the Bay Area and remarked upon how my apartment made her feel a little sad. She had never lived alone, and now, living with her fiancee, she would never really get the chance. It makes me feel a bit lucky, in a way, that I can come home to a place that really is all mine.

So, there are all my deep thoughts about living alone. On the other hand, I find that it’s given me rather peculiar mannerisms that other people are quick to remark on, much like the video I posted above. My quirks involve things such as:

  • Spontaneous singing of questions/statements
  • Adding sound effects to daily life, i.e. makeup application (Whoosh!!)
  • Eating entire meals in bed. No, not like breakfast in bed. Like, it’s too-hard-to-eat-off-of-this-plate-while-sitting-in-a-chair.
  • Spontaneous bad dance moves and/or flailing.
  • Not using proper silverware/plates/glassware when eating meals. i.e. I stir my coffee with a butter knife every morning.
  • Talking to myself out loud. I’m unfortunately infamous for this as it startled past roommates. I can’t imagine why…

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, the pros and cons of living alone. Having your own places means you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, but don’t be surprised if the rest of society finds you irrevocably weird.

EVA♥

Five Things

Hello everyone!

We’re officially half-way through the week and still alive, so give yourself a great big pat on the back! This week, I’ve developed the rather unhealthy bedtime habit of changing into sweats, turning on the tv, and subsequently watching Youtube beauty videos on my phone until I completely lose consciousness. My life is clearly very glamorous.  Remember the concept of  “blackout” that I once wrote about? I think now might be a good time to instate it. I promise one day I will, but for now, enjoy this week’s Five Things- courtesy of a few blackout free nights.

IMG_2404I enjoyed my beautiful birthday flowers so much this last week. These Stargazer lilies from Trader Joe’s made my apartment smell so amazing. Better than any candle I could have burned.

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I’m rather a rare breed in that I’m a dancer who rejoices (maybe sometimes too frequently) in the occasional cheeseburger. Ok, make that a cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake. My absolute favorite as of late is Super Duper Burger in San Francisco. It’s comfort food at it’s finest, in my humble opinion. While it may not be the healthiest option, I do feel like I’m not eating anything overly processed or frighteningly manufactured. They’re house-made pickles are also some of the best I’ve ever had, and I often end up eating several of them as a makeshift appetizer while waiting for my meal.

 

I came across this amazing clip of the famous Nederlands Dans Theater while perusing Youtube the other day. While I had the privilege of seeing them perform live a few years ago, I have to say that I find the most beauty in the studio work that dancers do. I love how this video is essentially a collage of that work, showcasing the intensity and evolution of the pieces we come to enjoy on stage.

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Along with a few birthday festivities came a Saturday night out on the town, complete with dancing of course. My favorite spot of the night had to be a relatively no frills bar in San Francisco, that is, of course, if you happened to miss the staggering amount of disco balls on the ceiling.

and, lastly…

How Y’all, Youse, and You Guys Talk. 

A good friend of mine introduced me to this fantastic dialect quiz courtesy of the New York Times. Quite a few of us took it at the most recent family dinner, and had some fun comparing our results. Essentially, it analyzes your everyday idioms and pronunciation to predict where you’re initially from in the United States.  It’s incredibly accurate, for the most part. According to this quiz, I was either originally from Fremont, San Jose, or Corona, California. I  guess it picked up on my stint of living in Southern California!

EVA♥

Birthday Dinner

Hi everyone!

I must say I have missed my dear blog over the last few days. Sorry to be MIA, but, as you might have gathered from my previous blogs, I have been occupied with celebrating my birthday over the last week. Which is totally appropriate adult behavior.

On my birthday proper, a small group of girlfriends and I gathered at Hard Water, a waterfront bar on the Embarcadero. Specializing in bourbon cocktails and New Orleans-inspired food, it was an intimate and enjoyable cocktail hour, although it was quite cold and blustery out.

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This top-heavy concoction consisted of bourbon, St. George’s NOLA Coffee liqueur, organic Straus cream, and a variety of other things beyond my comprehension. It also came with this curious little metal straw/spoon, in the manner of those Iccee straws of your childhood. Also pictured are some beautiful pink dahlias I was gifted. True girlfriends are worth their weight in gold, I’ll be the first to tell you.

After a few drinks, I got to check another item off of the Summer List with a late dinner at Foreign Cinema. Two birds with one stone!  I’ve never had the opportunity of being at this beautiful restaurant while they were showing their signature films, so this was an absolute treat. I found it a bit difficult, however, to enjoy Casablanca in the full interior of the restaurant and without totally ignoring my date. It was a lovely sentiment, though, and created a really nice ambiance. Being the girl that I am, I did manage to document the lovely festivities by taking gratuitous photos of my celebratory meal before devouring it.

…minus the actual dinner…

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When my exotic seafood stew arrived, you see, I decided that it needed to be in my face as quickly as possible. So, I put down the camera and enjoyed my dinner. Bad blogger! However, I did manage to capture the beauty of my cocktail. Typical Eva.

 Here’s the fantastic chevre cheesecake I had for dessert:

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Topped with berries, brown sugar oat crumble, and a swipe of a white peach based sauce.

I have a feeling that this restaurant will continue to be one of my very favorites for years to come. I was so full by the end of the meal, I was beginning to regret my dress choice. Unfortunately you can’t unbutton any buttons when you’re wearing a dress…#girlproblems.

Happy Monday all! Promise I won’t be too much of a stranger.

EVA♥

The Loot

Hello everyone!

Life has been crazy, as usual. Today I write to you after a late night commute, culminating in a breakfast-for-dinner concoction that I’m very proud of. I cannot praise frozen vegetables enough; if you have them in your freezer, along with some eggs, you’ll always have a filling, ready-to-go meal. In case you haven’t noticed, many of my blogs are introduced by an assortment of random facts, or a summation of my current state, which is also always random. Many of you may have noticed that I celebrated my birthday this last Tuesday, and, continuing with the “Forever Young” theme, I plan on celebrating this entire week. Here’s a little glimpse of some of the related festivities thus far.

 …

It’s been a longtime tradition for beauty and fashion bloggers to include “hauls” in their repertoire. I guess you couldn’t necessarily classify some good, old-fashioned birthday shopping as a “haul,” so I deem this the birthday “loot.”

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The Fit ‘n Flare dress is from Banana Republic- here. They had a fantastic sale last weekend and it was too lovely to pass up. I was gifted some DV by Dolce Vita shoes, which were also a great find. They paired wonderfully with my favorite black leather jacket. Yes, this was my birthday outfit, and I felt very chic in it. Unfortunately, I was in too much of hurry to take the requisite selfies of myself that day.

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The Clubmaster-style sunglasses and my favorite leopard scarf are not new, but I couldn’t help but include them in my photo. I was visually brainstorming outfits, and these staples couldn’t not be included. They are from Madewell and H&M, respectively. While wandering through Nordstrom, my mother and I perused the MAC counter, and I found my favorite new lipstick: Peach Blossom; as well as a fabulous mineralize eyeshadow duo in Spiced Metal. I’ve been wearing these almost nonstop since she treated me to them. Thanks mom! Additional newer items pictured are a refill of one of my favorite perfumes, Unconditional Love by Philosophy, in addition to a little something in a special blue box. The contents of which are pictured below:

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Every woman should have exquisite and simple pieces that she can wear everyday, and that will live on her nightstand every night. Seeing as I survived my “scary age” birthday, I certainly have something to show for it. This little necklace is something I’ve wanted for a really long time. I’ve gotten so many compliments, and I’m hardly willing to take it off at the end of the day.

I hope, like me, the voyeur in you enjoyed my first ever “loot” post. Perhaps one day soon I’ll have another!

EVA♥

Things It Took Me 27 Years to Learn

Hello everyone!

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My 25th birthday. Possibly the best birthday party ever. Almost all of my favorite people were there.

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This was what 26 looked like. Swimming with sea turtles, hiking in a bikini, and a sand birthday cake.

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Today I am officially 27.

While I’m not currently sunning myself in Hawaii or Las Vegas, I’m celebrating nonetheless. As I’ve previously shared with many of you, 27 is my “scary age.” Yes, I’m aware this is illogical and absurd. 27 is not 30, or 40, but for whatever reason, I’ve anticipated this year since I was young. While 26 was perhaps more of a milestone (Hello health insurance!), 27 always seems to mark the beginning of one’s late-twenties. To me, it’s always signified going to bed a responsible hour, investing in an IRA, and attending copious amounts of baby showers. You know, that time when the universe yells at you to wrap up all the fun you’ve been having. Silly, I know.

One of the many distinct memories I have of this day last year is that right when the clock struck midnight I was startled awake by Nicki Minaj’s “Starships” blasting through the speakers of my girlfriend’s iPhone. On a side-note, I had had the song stuck in my head since arriving in Hawaii, and kept singing “Let’s go to the beach beach…” over and over again. It seemed appropriate, and had soon turned into the theme song of our trip. So, in the dead of night and half asleep, I was asked to recall the the one thing that it had taken me 26 years of my life to learn. That year, I learned what it meant to truly go on vacation.

So, to continue with the ritual, today I will share with all of you some of the things it’s taken me 27 years to learn…

Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s okay. Not everyone has to like you. All that matters is that you like the person looking back at you in the mirror.

 You can not jump into a swimming pool wearing fake eyelashes. It’s not a good look. Just don’t do it.

Thrift stores are amazing. Who doesn’t love paying $20 for $400 boots?

Going to the gym, yoga, dance class…whatever you enjoy doing, is an investment in your mental health as much as your physical health. 

You don’t need a bottle opener to open a bottle. Keys, the side of a barbecue, and the corner of a coffee table are just as effective, if not more labor intensive.

The $20 handshake is a real thing. Depending on the occasion, it works marvelously.

Your iPhone charges faster while in airplane mode. A tip I picked up from a handsome stranger while on a layover in the Honolulu airport.

Money is fluid. It will always come back to you. Maybe not right away, but it’s there.

On the same note, you will never regret money spent on travel. You’re literally buying yourself memories and life experience, not to mention stories to tell the grandkids.

I can drive on the other side of the road. It’s scary, but I can do it!

Spending the day at the pool is an acceptable way to spend the day. The same goes for spending the day snuggled in bed.

 

It’s most definitely better to have quality people in your life that you can depend on, whether it’s in times of emergency, or just on those days when you really need a hug. Quality trumps quantity, any day. 

Happy Birthday to me! Here’s to another good year.

EVA♥

Age is just a number, and other nonsense…

Hello everyone!

The countdown to my big day has officially begun. In a few hours, I will officially be one year older.

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For those of you that need help with math, this means I’m 22, and none of this applies to me 😉

Funnily enough, a few of my favorite bloggers who I currently follow also seem to have summertime birthdays. It’s been quite fun sharing in their birthday experiences via the internet machine. Yet, for as many times as we generalize ourselves as a “20-something,” there seems to be simultaneous hierarchy instated in this land of “20-something.” Heaven forbid you, a 28-year-old , hang out with a 23-year-old. Ugh, doesn’t their world revolve around keg stands and going out on Monday nights? I’ve honestly heard this conversation take place more than once, and, to me  it’s just utterly ridiculous.

Just the other day, I came across an article on Twitter entitled: 25 Things You Can Get Away With Before 25 But Can’t Get Away With After.

I’m going to come out and say that I probably do more half of these things, so, by default this article is beyond absurd. Sure, there are important things listed like taking your career seriously and using sunscreen. But of course, like #4 mentions, the marker of impending adulthood is clearly choosing to sit inside in front of the television because you would rather catch the next episode of whatever-series instead of going out. Making small talk is clearly for juveniles. Also, as the fabulous @MFAMbloggette  says, we need to stop doing all these things “because 26 is geriatric.”

I’m about to turn 27, so watch me:

  • cram all six of my girlfriends in my studio apartment/one hotel room
  • wear a colored bra under a white top
  • eat all day and not work out. Gasp! This is just as scandalous as keeping my eyes open past 11pm, which I also do.
  • use “OMG” in an everyday sentence
  • attend music festivals
  • stand all night in high heels
  • have entire conversations involving “Other People’s Drama”
  • CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY FOR A WEEK

 

EVA♥

The Bugs.

Hello everybody!

Alright, so today, I’ve decided to do something a bit unconventional (at least thus far) on Watch Me Juggle. It’s my first official, random series. It was all inspired by my initial lack of inspiration that I documented a short while ago, aptly entitled: Brain is Cobwebs. First off, I just have to say that you, dear readers, are pretty dang funny. While my total dissatisfaction with my latest content was leaving me frustrated, you were coming up with ideas for me, and were oddly fascinated by the emptiness/randomness that was my brain recently.

Bless y’all. That’s all I’m saying. So, without further ado, I present you with Part I of the “Cobweb” series. Please enjoy the irony, in that I’m writing about bugs today. It’s unintended, I assure you.

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That’s a huge freakin’ moth, in my humble opinion.

Now, I realize that in many places in the world, there are much larger bugs than this. But, when you leave your house early in the morning with your car keys in hand, the last thing you expect to come in contact with is a powdery bug the size of your fist hitching a  ride on the back of your car. Now, I’m not the usual girl who screams at the mere sight of a spider. I admit that they disgust me in almost every way, but the happy pacifist in me will also scoop one up in a tissue and set it free outside anytime. With well disguised revulsion, of course. For those of you that are less inclined to practicing your poker face, or remotely getting near a spider, may I recommend hairspray and a kitchen pot? This is particularly effective with cane spiders, although I luckily don’t have the firsthand experience.

Despite the fact that I can handle most spiders with ease, there are bugs out there that have made me scream, cartoon-like, and clamber up on any available surface. When I first moved back to the Bay Area, a conscientious roommate of mine would regularly compost. While said roommate was out-of-town one weekend, our kitchen compost bin stood unnoticed and neglected- that is until I glanced down one evening and saw a single maggot crawling near my foot. There was screaming, some hysteria, and I may or may not have brandished a spatula frantically at another roommate while simultaneously trying to climb atop the microwave that was occupying most of the counter space. This was a proud moment for me, clearly. In short, I’m sure there’s a deep, intrinsic fear of insects embedded in all of us, yet, to make a long story short, it’s ok if you just think they’re icky.

Before I go- Big shout out to you, Emily. You gave me complete justification to write about the most random things I could think of….ever.

EVA♥

Five Things

Happy Wednesday all!

We’re exactly halfway through the week, yet I remain convinced it’s Thursday. Don’t you hate those kinds of weeks? They just seem to drag on forever. Between all the work-related gigs, Taco Tuesdays, thrifting, and requisite summertime fun, I’ve been frantically searching for new content and topics to write about. Funnily enough, it’s always the minute I stop making a concerted effort that I have the most prolific ideas. Everyone has a different creative process, I guess. Enough chatter- on to the weekly Five Things!

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If you happened to be anywhere near a beauty blog yesterday, you’ll have been made aware that it was #NationalLipstickDay. In a nod to many people’s (myself included) love of lipstick, I recommend that you check out a piece on the lovely Joanna’s blog, A Cup of Jo, where her new editorial assistant executed a “Lipstick Challenge.”  Digging in to the depths of her lipstick drawer, she wore a new shade every work day over several weeks. I might just be a huge beauty junkie, but I found this weirdly fascinating. And also now want to own blue lipstick. Yes, it sounds strange, but just check out her look on week two! So pretty.

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Yes, here’s a gratuitous sunset shot for the week. We’ve been having the most spectacular sunsets in the Bay Area as of late, so I naturally have to document them as soon as I get a chance.

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If you’ve ever been to Starbuck’s, you are totally familiar with the baristas propensities to utterly screw up the most basic names in existence. I get a lot of Ava and April, but never before have I seen a “Hayva.” Extra points for creativity to that one. For more funny misspells, check out Buzzfeed’s 27 Times Starbucks Failed So Hard It Almost Won.

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Photo c/o Daybreak & The Bold Italic

Did everyone know that the early morning dance party is now a thing in San Francisco? I happened upon this latest trend while perusing the Bold Italic this morning. For those people who genuinely enjoy dancing, but don’t always have the energy to go out-and-about every Saturday night, you can attend this dance party on a random Tuesday, right before work. Lasting from 7:30-9:30am, next week’s fun offers atypical fare- no cocktails, but coffee, tea, and breakfast treats in abundance. This is way better than running on the elliptical at the gym for an hour. Just saying.
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With the big birthday fast approaching, I’ve been frequenting Sosh, an app that I can best describe as a more personal Yelp that’s strictly for social events and activities. While only available for certain US cities at the moment, Sosh allows you to search by the activity you’re interested in- be it happy hours, fitness classes, concerts, or restaurants, within your neighborhood of choice. You can also write reviews and bookmark activities and events you hope to attend in the future. I have 33 events bookmarked currently,inlcuding Dim Sum at Yank Sing, cocktails at the “Vegas inspired” Drake lounge, and an outdoor movie screening in Washington Park. I’m looking forward to chipping away at them very soon!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Wednesday!

EVA♥

Art & Wine

Hello everyone!

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been slowly chipping away at my Summer List, very slowly but surely. I have yet to do some of the little things- buying a new swimsuit, going to yoga more often, but I’ve certainly been trying to cram in as many summer activities as I possibly can. Unfortunately, this seems to involve more eating ice cream, and less outdoor activities.

As a few of you know, this last weekend was Alameda’s annual Art & Wine Festival. Having always taken place in the end of July/early August, I was convinced as a child that this particular festival was solely in honor of my birthday. I admittedly did not get as many pictures as I would like, but when you have delicious fair food in one hand and a drink in the other, it’s quite hard to navigate crowds and take photos at the same time. What makes the festival a little extra fun for the adults is that it’s one of the few weekends out of the year that open container laws are waived, leaving you to enjoy your glass of wine or pint of beer in the sunshine, while perusing the many local artists’ booths and restaurants up and down the downtown area. In the past, I’ve frequented the Bend Soap Company’s booth, and have purchased some of my favorite pieces of hand-blown glass jewelry here. As kid, I was more than happy to rock the flower crowns that they sell here, too. What can I say?  I was ahead of the “festival fashion” game at a young age.

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Navigating the crowded Alameda streets often felt like salmon swimming upstream. I feel as if this year was exponentially more crowded than years past. Good for my little town!

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Some beautiful metalwork on the streets.

IMG_2357A much-needed summertime drink: Strawberry lemonade.

I was really impressed with the many food choices at this years’ festival: barbecued oysters, roasted artichokes, and crab cakes were readily available, along with your standard fair food of kettle corn, sausages, and funnel cakes. Despite having reapplied sunscreen (SPF 8, shame on me) and having spent time in the sun earlier that day, I got a wicked sunburn on my upper back in the hour that I was out and about. I can usually spend hours wandering and the four-or-so city blocks filled with booths, yet with Sunday’s heat, it was best that I didn’t. I would have been as red as a beetroot after, I think .

Happy Monday!

EVA♥

Brain is Cobwebs.

Hello everybody!

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So today after work, I spent exactly 2 hours wandering about both my home and my neighborhood, all while chatting with a friend of mine on the phone. Mother, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry about the phone bill and all. Anyway, after we caught up with each other, said friend, Emily, and I bounced some ideas around for the blog. Being a lucky dog who gets paid to edit content and churn out blog for a variety of companies, she’s a pretty good judge of what strikes a chord with all of you on the other end of this internet machine.

Meanwhile, like today’s title indicates, the interior of my brain is essentially a mass of cobwebs. If I could draw a crude depiction of what was in there now, I would go with one of those little blank faced emojis- you know, the kind with a hyphen for a mouth- and some generic, dust-covered linoleum tiling. I’m entirely stumped. Sure, I have some vague ideas of what I would like to write about, but nothing seems to stick around long enough to come to fruition.  Apparently, the summer seems to bring on a universal topic-drought for bloggers everywhere. It wasn’t until I came across Whitney’s post on I Wore Yoga Pants to Work that I felt comfortable sharing my recent ridiculous ideas, or lack thereof, with you:

There was a very large moth on my car the other day. So big it covered half my license plate…the end.

I live alone, and sometimes this leads to socially awkward behavior. Like spontaneous singing. Is it just me? 

When your boyfriend can’t dress himself, aka adventures in makeshift personal shopping. 

Weird dreams I’ve had over the last month. 

Maybe I’ll just do a collage of fancy coffee I drank this week? That’s a thing, right? 

 I suck at numbers so bad and I’m not sure how to manage my 401k. 

Dear God, I’m almost 27. Maybe I should post a list of things to do before I turn 30? Nevermind, too stressful. 

I took the Enneagram Personality Test yesterday. My results were absolutely accurate. This might actually have some potential- to be continued.

Odd rituals I find comforting in times of stress. This often involves TV Land reruns. Also, some potential here…

and

I haven’t taken a dance class in two weeks. I think I’m experiencing something akin to cabin-fever.  Rolling around on the ground is like dancing, right? 

I hope you find the idea of even beginning to write about these topics as amusing as I do. That moth, though. I literally had to stop myself from posting a photo of this thing for the last two Wednesdays’ blogs. Also, is blogging about blogging a faux pas? If it is, I’m horribly gauche.

I’m still totally surprised/amazed/so flattered that anyone actually reads my blog. I love you all for it, and it makes me absurdly happy. Thanks for reading.

EVA ♥