I’m a Professional

Posted on October 17, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Happy Friday! Blogtober is going in full force, and I almost feel as if my day isn’t complete if I haven’t visited Watch Me Juggle at least once.

I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, by any means, but if there was a job with any of these traits in the job description, I would be hired in a millisecond…

I’m really good at tripping going both up and down stairs. On a similar note, I’m really good at high heels. Ok, I’m decent enough at walking in them, but I can always find the most amazing bargain when it comes to shoe shopping. I found the above Pour La Victoire shoes for $11.50. That’s right. $11.50. Brand new. I win.

I can make a mean at-home latte. I’m also a professional coffee drinker, if that were a real job.

The boss lady says that while I may look pretty, it certainly doesn’t stop me from being a complete and utter goof ball; usually to get a laugh or a smile out of even the most stoic people. It makes me happy.

I’m like a chipmunk with a cheeseburger. You’ll wonder where I put it all, it disappears so fast.

Google-stalking people. I can do it.

As the infamous Jenna Marbles says: “Goo hoarding.” I excel at keeping bottles, all just shy of empty, all over my bathroom. If you need enough volumizing shampoo for a hamster, chances are I have it somewhere.

I can kill hours in thrift stores. I’m a professional Thrift Store Wanderer. I usually come out with some amazing treasures, too.

I have a knack for finding the best parking spot…approximately two seconds after someone else does.

I’m also a professional at:

Wearing Lululemon
Awkward somersaults
Drawing directly on my eyeball with eyeliner
Leaving my dishes in the sink forever
Staying up way past my bedtime
Making funny noises
Petting cats for hours
Making mimosas
Dancing

Add these to my resume.

EVA♥

Notable Quotes. Quotable Notes.

Posted on October 15, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

This week feels like a week of endless Mondays.

Ever have one of those?

….

Today’s Blogtober prompt was to share your favorite quote. Now, if you know me, that’s like asking me to choose my favorite flavor of ice cream, or doughnut. It’s just not possible. So, I thought I would share some of my latest discoveries, all of which are currently residing on my “Notable Quotes. Quotable Notes” board on my Pinterest. I wouldn’t call myself an avid pinner, by any means, but I do like to peruse the site, from time to time. I’ve discovered some beautiful and inspiring things there.

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These are some of my favorites, for the moment.

Words are like food for me- some people find a dish they enjoy, and never feel the need to try anything else. I, on the other hand, find something delicious and suddenly want to try more. I want more thought-provoking words, more poems, more things to connect to. I’ve been rather restless this whole week, and sometimes those words of encouragement are all you need. I think that sometimes our lives get too cluttered with junk: junk food, “guilty pleasure” tv, cheap clothes, excessive social media. I love reading about the latest beauty trends as much as the next gal, but do I really need to know what Kim Kardashian’s new haircut looks like according to Facebook? No. No I do not. It’s much easier to fill up on the frivolous stuff than to sit down and to think about things that really matter. To me that’s art, music, the people that are close to me- the things that I’m passionate about. When things get a little dicey, those are the things that I want, along with the little, constant reminder:

I am, I am, I am.

EVA♥

Fall List

Posted on October 14, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Remember my Summer List? Well, here’s the fall edition!

I had quite the busy summer, and while I didn’t manage to buy myself a new swimsuit, visit the Hippie Tree, or go paddle boarding, I did have a summer filled with visits to the farmer’s market, the Alameda Art & Wine Festival, and plenty of sundresses. You might be able to recall that I also wrote about my day in St. Helena, and my beautiful birthday dinner at Foreign Cinema. I would consider my summer a success. Yet, seeing as fall is one of those proverbial in-between seasons, I didn’t expect it to be quite as extensive as my summer list. Here’s what I have so far:

…Drink as many Starbuck’s pumpkin spice lattes as possible…
…Wear my favorite warm sweaters…
…Carve pumpkins…
…Go apple picking…
…Do something, anything for Halloween, in a fantastic costume…
…Have a girl’s afternoon tea at the Neiman Marcus Rotunda…
…Attend Off the Grid, Twilight at the Presidio…
…Buy an absurdly large bag of Halloween candy, all for me…
…Wear lots of dark, berry-hued lipsticks…
…Dance as much as possible (as usual)…

While I’m sure that many ladies have those pumpkin spice lattes on the top of their lists, it’s relatively respectable, right? I’m working on those Halloween plans, and the afternoon tea reservation is already made. So far, so good!

Happy fall!

EVA♥

Fall Recipes

Posted on October 13, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

Congratulations on surviving your respective Mondays! After an action-packed weekend, I’m soothing my soul with home cooking and a rerun of The Notebook on Lifetime. Yes, yes, I’m a giant cliché

Photo c/o Smitten Kitchen

Now, while Fall doesn’t seem to have reached the beautiful Bay Area as of yet, I wanted to share one of my favorite comfort food recipes with you today for Blogtober! I made this for the first time two years ago after coming across it on the fabulous Deb’s website: Smitten Kitchen. I can’t wait for it to cool down enough so I can make it again! It’s one of those hearty, potato-based soups, and while it feels incredibly indulgent, its primary base is simply chicken broth and a whole ‘lotta sweet potato. Healthy and full of flavor!

I amended it a bit because I had a hard time coming across fresh chorizo, so I used Trader Joe’s chicken andouille sausage instead, which also packs quite a punch. I also like that it’s a one-pot meal, so clean up is really minimal.

According to the recipe, you’ll need:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 10- to 11-ounce fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced.
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 pound white-skinned potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 9-ounce bag fresh spinach

Simply sauté the sausage with a generous amount of olive oil in the stock pot you plan to cook in. Remove the sausage and add in onions and garlic until translucent. “Add all potatoes and cook until beginning to soften;” then add broth, and simmer until potatoes are fully soft. Smash potatoes with a potato masher (a large fork will do the trick as well) and stir in sausage. Add in spinach and cook until just slightly wilted. (Deb’s original recipe called for a remaining tablespoon of olive oil to be added, but I always skipped this step.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

If you prefer a creamier soup, I’ve been tempted to stir in a spoonful or two of sour cream, which I think compliments the spiciness nicely. The Afghan in me can mix yogurt or sour cream into pretty much everything. I’m always looking to expand my repertoire- what are some of your go-to Fall recipes? If you’re on the lookout, I can’t recommend Smitten Kitchen enough. It’s a wealth of amazing recipes, complete with beautiful photos. I have yet to come across one that I don’t like.

EVA♥

If I Were President…

Posted on October 11, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the first ever Saturday edition of Watch Me Juggle!

Today’s Blogtober14 prompt is, appropriately enough: “If I were president…”

Why is this so appropriate, you may ask? Well, primarily because the president himself was in my backyard yesterday. Before you ask questions, yes, my backyard is totally the W Hotel in San Francisco. I’m a busy girl, so P made sure to tell Mr. President I said hello, because I had a ballet class to teach and couldn’t make it, naturally. I also got sent this super blurry photo of him:

See? It’s totally like I was there.

Now, I can’t pretend that I’m wildly involved in politics at this point in my life. Unfortunately, the older I’ve gotten, the more disillusioned I’ve become with them. I’ll admit that it’s difficult to stay optimistic when the men and women in office are so gridlocked in their own political party differences that they can’t even perform their basic job functions. Not to get overly political on the blog or anything- that’s not what I’m here for, to be quite honest. Yet, there are a few things I feel passionate enough about that I would want to change in this country, if given the chance. I’m sure that this is a gross oversimplification, and that none of things would be even remotely possible at this point, but a girl can dream, can’t she?

I would love to improve the quality of public education in this country. I’ve received an exclusively public school education, from kindergarten to university level, and was quite satisfied with my experience. But, I would love to make art and music education a priority. I dream a country in which the vast majority of schools are arts-based. It’s my personal belief that many of the problems we’re seeing in younger generations, the inability to express feelings until they’re vastly out of control, the penchant for violence, etc. could be almost entirely avoided if we valued the arts more in this country. Unfortunately, we are a completely consumerist culture, and don’t see enough value in investing in the formative years of life, or in our “twilight years,” for that matter. We dump an obscene amount of money into entertainment and sports, but most of these things aren’t thought-provoking or personal the way that the arts can be. If we put them on equal pedestals, instead of dismissing artistic endeavors as a gross waste of time or a childhood occupation, we would be all the better for it. I’ve personally committed myself to an occupation that, while paying jobs do exist, will leave you in a constant struggle to make ends meet. Once upon a time, dance was government subsidized, and there were a vast number of successful companies touring the country. Now, you’re lucky if you see upwards of $100 for all your hard work.On another note, the mental healthcare system in this country is deplorable. Just walk anywhere, anywhere in San Francisco and you’ll see what I mean. The people who need this help the most aren’t getting it, and I’m sure statistics will point to the fact that many of them are veterans. I could go on and on, really. These are just a few things that have been on my mind since I first caught sight of today’s prompt.

*Phew*

And lastly, if I were president, I would also say:

Free chocolate for everyone.

That is all.

EVA♥

Who knew…

Posted on October 10, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

It’s finally Friday.

Yes, that is a tiny umbrella. The kind you put in tropical cocktails.

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you seem to have too much to do and not enough time to do it in? Coupled with the fact that this week seems to have dragged on forever, it’s been quite the roller coaster. And what do I do when things get crazy? I close my shades, light my favorite candle, and schlub around the house with a cup of coffee for company. Glamorous, right? Oh, so productive as well.

I never thought blogging would be the one thing that I want to do in the day. To the point where I would curl up with my laptop in the same manner that I might curl up with a book at the end of an evening. I never thought that it would be the thing that would make my life seem calm and normal, a comforting thing, really. Sure, I tend to get really down on myself when I don’t make it point to publish on time. Of course, this schedule is entirely imaginary and entirely dependent on me. Then again, what schedule isn’t totally arbitrary when it comes down to it? I’m really enjoying giving myself challenges, and cultivating my little space on the internet. I didn’t give much thought as to how much time and energy I would want to pour into Watch Me Juggle when it all began a little over a year ago, and while the idea of being a full-time blogger sounded beautifully appealing, I had no idea of how to even remotely get there. I just remembered that I once had a dream about being a writer, and that I wanted to write, regardless of whether or not anyone was reading. And that’s all you need, really. So, who knew?

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend, and Happy Fleet Week to all of my San Franciscans out there!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on October 8, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

It’s still Blogtober, but I’m going rogue today! And, by going rogue, I mean I’m doing the exact same thing I do every Wednesday: Five Things! Yes! It wouldn’t be a normal Wednesday without it. Let’s hop to it!

What’s a Watch Me Juggle post without an ode to doughnuts? Lucky for me, my favorite little SF doughnut shop has a kiosk walking distance from P’s house. (Yes, I’m calling him “P,” I’m not quite that clever yet.) When you walk up, they have all their flavors on display in a pretty cake stand. On this day, I opted for something out of left field: a gluten-free doughnut. Now, before you accuse me of jumping on that bandwagon, it was the only chocolate-y one there, with raspberry glaze. So good!

I discovered this gem hidden on my phone this week! A little throwback to this summer’s St. Helena adventures at the Castello di Amorosa.

In the beginning of the school year, I introduced the boss lady to the world of Instagram. We celebrated this last week’s World Ballet Day by watching the livestream of San Francisco Ballet’s rehearsals in the studio, while documenting it, of course.

The lovely crepe dessert from a mother-daughter lunch last week out in Pleasanton. Filled with warm, crushed berries, it was one of the best desserts I’ve shared in a long time.

Photo c/o Bath & Body Works

I recently splurged on one of my favorite fall-scented candles. I know, it’s a silly little thing to consider a “splurge.” I must say, Bath & Body Works does their seasonal scented candles right! What I love about this particular scent is that it’s not horribly sickly or overwhelming, like some scents can be.

EVA♥

That One Time I Went to Hawaii…

Posted on October 7, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

It’s day number two of Blogtober (or seven, if you’re counting correctly), and, as the title suggests, I’m revisiting one of my favorite vacations. It’s a fit of nostalgia I’m glad to indulge.

I took 800 pictures of turtles. Turtles!

My fabulous travel companions.

For my 26th birthday, two of my girlfriends and I went to Hawaii, Oahu to be exact. Seeing as most of my family lives outside of the country, the majority of my vacations have consisted of running around Europe every year. These trips are amazing, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never quite had the opportunity to go on a trip just to relax. You know, just sit on the beach and read. It was an absolute break from real life- I didn’t put on an ounce or makeup, and never thought to touch a blow dryer. By the end of the trip, my hair was a mess, and I lived in my swimsuits. I bought a pair of shell earrings from a beach side surf shop and I wore them everyday. I have never felt better. The sun and the salt somehow makes you feel beautiful, no matter what.

The day we arrived, I was so relaxed, I fell asleep sitting upright around a bonfire in our local friends yard; passion fruit beer still in hand, wrapped in my sarong. One evening, the power to our complex went out completely, and we wandered through the dark down to Turtle Bay Resort where we had piña coladas and my friends sang karaoke at the bar. On my birthday, we had acai bowls for breakfast, and inadvertently ended up swimming with sea turtles on a secluded beach. My “cake” that day was a large sandcastle, and I mimed blowing out my candles, making a wish. Writer Isak Dinesen says that “the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” I only got two out of three this last vacation, but it was perhaps the most healing few days I can remember. Those little vacations are important. You deserve some time to put yourself back together- irregardless of the current state of things. Your life could be going splendidly well, you could be on the precipice of something, or somehow unhappy with the way some things have turned out. No matter what, give yourself the permission to be happy, and indulge in new and beautiful things.

EVA♥

It’s Blogtober!

Posted on October 6, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Happy Monday! Today, I’ve decided to do something new on the blog this month:

It’s Blogtober!

Ok…I’m a little late to the #Blogtober14 party, but cut me some slack. It’s only been the first year of Watch Me Juggle, after all. This little link up was inspired by the lovely Taylor Wolfe, who’s blog, The Daily Tay, I recently stumbled across on Bloglovin’. While I’m not promising I’ll be able to keep up with blogging every day, I will certainly try to ace as many of these prompts as I can this month. You might even see some writing from me on the weekends! Gasp! I’ve unfortunately missed the first five prompts, and they were pretty good ones, too. So good, in fact, that I might revisit them later. I’ll admit it, I might just customize this thing to my liking. Rules, schmules. Let’s begin:

10 Things I’d Tell Myself When I Started Blogging:

Things change a lot in a year, and looking back to the place I was a year ago, I can say that I’m so proud of my work. Both on and off Watch Me Juggle. So, like the prompt suggests, these are some of the things I’d tell myself:

1. Everything is going to be fine. I’m still constantly telling myself this, but a year ago, I could have really used the advice. On a quiet, uneventful evening, I wrote my first post. My job/financial situation wasn’t the most stable, and I felt uneasy 99% of the time.

2. People are going to read your blog! Don’t post something ridiculous or try to be someone you’re not. Take pride in the work you do, and trust that you can represent yourself better than anyone else can.

3. Plug, plug, plug. Shamelessly. While I don’t needlessly start conversations with people with the fact that I have a blog, I sometimes feel odd about blasting every blog post all over social media. What I often forget is that there are people out there who are experts at this, even basing entire careers off of it. Hello, social media marketing! Yes, I’m still new at this stuff, but I’m going to tweet the living daylights out of my blog in the hopes of reaching some new internet friends out there.

4. Why are you not on Instagram? No, seriously, why? It’s amazing. It’s like a more visual Facebook, but back when Facebook was simple and still cool.

5. More pictures, please. I’m still working on this one. It’s all too common that I end up enjoying myself too much while out and about, and neglect to document it in photos. I’ve gotten a bit better, but would still like more photographic proof of the fact that I do more than dance, all the time. Like, sometimes, I like to go out and dance…in new places. It’s totally different.

6. Find your niche and enjoy. I frequent fashion and beauty blogs non-stop. I love seeing the outfits everyone else puts together and exploring the plethora of makeup tutorials plastered all over Youtube. While I enjoy all that, and like to feature fashion/beauty-oriented things on the blog, I think a huge part of who I am as a writer is based on my life experiences- my stories, if you will. Luckily, there’s a convenient category of “lifestyle” blogging, which allows me to write about, well, life.

7. Don’t force it. This one is a hard one. There are some days that the ideas just aren’t there, and the drafts you started weeks ago are collecting dust, looking totally uninspiring. Be kind to yourself, go for a walk, and let your mind rest for a bit. The writing will continue as always.

8. Find inspiration where you can. They say that there are no more “original ideas” when it comes to art. All those amazing blogs you read? A wealth of inspiration. Write about things you want to read!

9. A little everyday goes a long way. Take advantage of the times you feel inspired to write. Sure, you might have already published your post for the day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start one for the next day. Or the next.

10. Enjoy the positive feedback. The people who genuinely enjoy your blog will tell you. Accept these compliments, and let them give you confidence. Don’t forget to pass the positivity on to other people.

You can do anything. ‘duh.

EVA ♥

Five Things

Posted on September 17, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hi everyone!

Between running boring, adult errands (fingerprinting and insurance, anyone?), watching complete drivel on Youtube, and teaching what feels like constant ballet classes, I’ve come across a few little gems throughout the week. First off, I’ve been lucky enough to have a mailbox full of notes recently, which is a refreshing change from the junk/bills I usually get. Below is one of my favorites:

My friend Emily sent me this surprise “just because” postcard in the mail! Love the diamond in the middle. She knows me so well.

I’m relishing the last remnants of summer with my produce lately. I cut into this beautiful nectarine the other morning and its natural heart shape made just me happy.

Apparently Yan-Yan now has “educational” phrases on each cookie, stick…thing. Star+Fish.

Also, I have giant hands. It’s not an illusion at all.

The most delicious seared ahi tuna and avocado taco at Garaje in San Francisco. I highly recommend.

and finally,

15 Career Tips from Smart Women

as featured on the amazing, and oft-frequented Joanna Goddard’s blog, “A Cup of Jo.” I think my favorite tip is from Hilary Rodham Clinton on the “perfectionist gene.” It’s something that I can wholeheartedly relate to. Do you think men worry about wearing the wrong shoes in a meeting? Um, no. Go forth, ladies, and conquer!

EVA♥