grateful for time, grateful for flexibility

"i love a broad margin to my life"
-henry david thoreau

i'm back

there are two kinds of blogs out there: pretty ones and honest ones. why can't mine be both?

i started this blog as a senior in college. it was mean to be a practical guide to living life to the fullest with an emphasis on supporting local business, living within one's means, and maintaining an easy-going and humble lifestyle. it was a pretty blog. 

but then i grew up. in the last three years, i graduated from college, spent six soul-crushing months in asheville with no direction, nine months living and working a big girl job in nyc, another nine in the first year of a Ph.D. program in Chapel Hill, and the last six recovering from an eating disorder, putting my broken body and spirit back together. 

i also met the man of my dreams, bonded with his little boy, reconnected with my family, and charted a new course for my life. i've turned away from isms (workaholism, perfectionism, materialism, and careerism) and turned toward peace (health, happiness, balance, and contentment). 

i've left my Ph.D. program in favor of a telecommuting job with a close family friend. i'm moving back to asheville to start a lifewith my partner and his son. i'm focusing on building up from the bottom of the hierarchy of needs. my priority is stability.

i am 25, and this blog is not meant to be a practical guide to anything. it's meant to be an honest and beautiful accounting of what happens when i try to put the lessons i've learned into practice.  it's meant to help me stay accountable, to be grateful, and to stay in the gray. 

to be unabashed is to own oneself - the pretty and the honest. this blog, like life, is meant to be both. 

fall cross-body bags... under $200

staying true to my hands-free lifestyle, loving these cross-bodies for fall --

both fossil vintage re-issue crossbodies - $158

still a little out of your price range? me, too! these are a lil' cheaper... gotta love asos. 

 from top right - saddle satchel - warehouse clean cross-body bag - leather saddle bag - suede slouch satchel - prices range from $34 (!) to $112.

for you ladies interested in handmade, check out this awesome etsy shop - harlex. handmade leather goods for all of your carrying needs. my favorites are...

 

personalized envelope leather clutch - $94 - leather pouch bag - $255. 

definitely a little pricey, but very pretty. i'm not much for personalization, so i'd probably ask for the clutch without it.

happy monday, happy august

after an AMAZING bele chere weekend (i know, gasp!), i'm already excited for what the week holds. 

monday 

i will continue my quest to find the best fish tacos in asheville. so far, papas and beer takes the cake, with a $2.50 fish taco on the a la carte menu. delish! but, i have a good lead on some tasty tacos at u joint, which the ladies and i will be hitting this evening!

tuesday

the movies! so excited that something i actually want to see finally came to the brew n view, (also known as the asheville pizza and brewing company on merrimon). $3 movies, great pizza, and great beer - how could you go wrong? i'll be having a slice of shear delight and a pint of shiva as i watch bridesmaids there tomorrow!

(thirsty) thursday

my favorite summer tradition - thursdays watching our beloved asheville tourists hammer or be hammered on the baseball field. that is, of course, while we do some hammering ourselves on one dollar beers! 

hope everyone has a great monday and a perfect start to a new month. keep an eye out for my expert opinion on the fish tacos at u joint!

best practices: bele chere

bele chere - excellent way to spend the weekend or to be avoided at all costs? depends on if you know what you're doing. after going to at least a decade's worth of this summer festival, i've gleaned a little knowledge that i'd love to share. 

1. go early or late - don't go during the day! too hot, too crowded. 

2. shhh, but byob. unless you like shelling out $7 for a bud light. i like to bring my hydroflask full of my favorite cocktails. (also byo water!)

3. walk, don't drive. 

4. as far as wardrobe is concerned, anything goes, so the less clothes the better!

5. the best part is the bars after the festival closes! go late, see a few bands, then hit the bars!

6. hate to share this one, but many of my favorite stores have super sales going on throughout the weekend. make sure to check out minx for big discounts. go today! 

bands i want to see: 

fri - floating action, the whigs, holy ghost tent revival.

sat - kovacs and the polar bears, jessica lea mayfield, railroad earth.

sun - common foundation, do it to julia.

catching up

i've been operating on a "work really hard, play really hard" schedule these last few weeks, hence the lack of posts. for those of you who would like to follow a similar schedule, it's possible with these simple steps:

1. work

2. work

3. work

4. binge drink

5. fall asleep with your boots on

6. rinse and repeat

not so healthy, but i'm compensating for all the beer calories with all the food i haven't been eating. right? however, i did check out some new places that i'd like to tell you about!

dobra tea house

my friends camilla and rachel took me to the tea house on a rainy saturday, and it was adorable! they literally have a phone book's worth of tea choices, and the prices are great! we got a pot for $5.50 between the three of us, and sat for maybe two hours? they bring you extra hot water so you can keep on infusing and keep on drinking!  you ring a bell when you're ready to order (which, between the eight thousand varieties of tea and copious amounts of girl talk to be had, took awhile). that part was cute, but kind of odd.  i highly recommend it! it was really cozy and a lot of people were there with their computers, just getting stuff done in a really nice environment. 

universal joint

swung by here after the wedge friday night to watch the carolina game and get some grub. cute place in west asheville with a good beer selection and GREAT service. they were totally packed, it being friday and a huge basketball night, but the people were so nice and accommodating! i ordered the black bean quesadilla, which was a mistake, but my friends got burgers which they LOVED. so, definitely need to check it out again. 

also, learned what may be a bad bit of information for me to have my hands on... $2 wells and draft beers at the southern on tuesdays. i know, just the day you need to be doing a serious amount of drinking, but do what you choose with this information. 

sephora giveaway!

hey, hey -- stumbled upon this $40 sephora giveaway. enter!