Darcie Bakes //

Random Sides // Cheers to 2016.

I’m certain that I have mentioned before on this blog that I’ve never been big on New Years’ Resolutions. Last year, I actually did write some out [see them here if you’re so inclined]. But what I am finding as the years roll on is that – more than anything else – things change.

cheerstonewyear2016
{Image via yours truly. Yay for glitter pattern overlays in Photoshop!}

When it came to my 2015 goals, I did achieve some of them… But most of them just got altered or forgotten about in some way.  Of course, some of that is on me – my issues, my tendency to be lazy about some things, my flaws and shortcomings – but it’s also just because so many things changed in 2015. 2015 had a lot of ups and downs, just like every other year, however, many aspects of my life just changed so, so much.

That’s why I have decided to take a slightly different [perhaps more sustainable?] approach to my goals for 2016. Instead of creating new, concrete goals, I have decided to make a list of things that I want to continuously work on improving throughout this year. While it’s always lovely to have that sort of “mental reboot” that a new year brings about, I also think it’s important to create sustainable practices for a better life. Mostly, I want to just continue focusing on improving who I am as a human, with a huge portion of that focus on self-care. My thoughts are below.

+ Darcie’s 2016 Goals / Resolutions to Continue Growing and Rolling with Life’s Changes:

  • Eat a more “clean” diet. My diet is fairly healthy and well-balanced, all things considered. Still, I have my vices, and I could work to eat more cleanly. To do this, I’m trying to incorporate more simple, whole foods into my diet (e.g. more fruits/veggies, less artificial/refined sugars, etc). I also really need to quit being such a slacker when it comes to breakfast! Why is it the “most important meal of the day,” yet also the one that’s the hardest with which to maintain a dang routine?! Here’s to hoping some tasty green smoothies will be my savior in the mornings [and no, a cup of coffee is not an acceptable breakfast].
  • Get back into yoga. I was doing pretty well with attending yoga classes last year, but my budget had a major hiccup, and sadly, my [not the cheapest] yoga classes had to go first with my budget cuts. However, this year I’m doing better financially, and I am going to start attending classes again twice per week. I’d also like to work to build a yoga practice at home, but I’m not in a huge rush with that just yet.
  • Try a few new fitness activities. Even if I decide I hate spinning, it never hurts to try something new. It’s important to stay active, and I’m more of a “try to stay active and let the rest work itself out” type of person than I will ever be a gym rat. My goal for 2016 is to try at least one new fitness class, just for the heck of it. First on the list is a spinning/pedaling class, as soon as I have the budget for a class card [for those who care, this will probably be at some point in February].
  • Read more books. I’m not sure if I want to set a specific number of books to be read, but I do need to make the goal somewhat more concrete. “read more books” could mean reading two books throughout the entire year, and that seems silly. For now, I’ll simply make it my goal to read at least one book per month. That seems doable; it’s a good way for me to relax, learn more, and to not rip my hair out trying to accomplish too much.
  • Travel more within the U.S., as time and budget allow. As far as “TREAT YOSELF” activities are concerned, I have decided that 2016 is the year for tattoos and domestic travel. I’m in the process of [slowly] planning another international trip for 2017 (sup, Ireland?!), but for now, I need to focus my traveling shenanigans to right here in the good ol’ U.S.A. There is still so much of this gigantic country that I’ve never seen, so here’s to enjoying the culture right here at home.
  • Continue improving finances. This goal is all about learning to save more money and reducing debt, plus just using better practices when it comes to money. I had quite a few scary problems with money last year [largely self-inflicted issues], and I don’t ever want to go through that again. Finally, I’m getting myself back on the right track, and I want to continue to pay off my debt and live more within my means. {Read: I’m a 20-something who realized she was not actually “makin’ it rain,” as she previously and very naively thought. Ha.}
  • Build more confidence in myself and continue on my quest to radically love myself and who I am/who I’m becoming. A manager recently told me, “You have serious talent, and so much potential, and I can tell you’re very intelligent. We just need to figure out how to get you to tap into it.” Self-love is tough for me, especially with managing depression/anxiety. But I know that I (and you, too!) have the potential to do so much more, if only I’d just believe it. I have spent far too long doubting and hating myself, so 2016 is the year in which I really get into lazer focus mode when it comes to my mental well-being.
  • Cultivate existing friendships and be a better friend to others. Friendship is, of course, a two-way street. I’m also one of those people who is a little too inwardly focused, especially as someone who leans far more toward the introverted end of the personality spectrum. But this year, I’m trying to work on existing friendships and continue being a better friend. I have a feeling that I (very unintentionally) come off as a bit of an a-hole sometimes when I neglect friendships, so I’m working on being there for the people who have proven themselves loyal friends. Small things even make a huge difference: such as just making sure people get home safely, checking in on people to see how they’re doing mentally, etc.
  • Continue baking and trying new challenges within baking. I mean, obviously. *hair flip emoji* I’m going to be attempting more challenging baking feats this year. French macarons, bagels, multi-layer, frosted cakes, and croissants!? Here I come! 😎

Aight, whew. That was a novel…So let’s discuss. How do you feel about goals and resolutions? Did you set any for this year, or do you think new years’ resolutions are for the birds?

Random Sides // Depression: Iteration 3.71.

Hello.

…Is this thing on? Is there anybody out there?

If you’ve been following my blog and wondering where the heck I’ve been lately… {I last posted on October 18th, and it’s now November 29th! Yikes.} Well… I have been on a bit of a blogging hiatus. I like to think it’s for a “good” reason. That “reason” is that I have had to take a step back and work on improving my mental health. Yup.

Of course, I always feel bad when I neglect my poor blog. This blog is such a fun, creative outlet for me. Unfortunately, when I’m mentally and physically ill, it’s quite difficult to muster the energy to even get out of bed to go to work, much less work on my hobbies.

depressionpiechart
{A very accurate pie chart that describes depression. Via BuzzFeed.}

The point of this blog post isn’t to sheepishly apologize for my absence. The point of this post is to discuss a bit more about depression: namely, I’ve been thinking quite a bit (what else is new) during my down/healing time, and I have the urge to write more on depression and my experiences with it.

Throughout the course of the last year and a half, I’ve written pretty candidly about depression twice on this blog [here and here, if you are so inclined to check out my ramblings]. That being said, I find it very therapeutic to write about my journey with clinical depression and anxiety (sometimes much to my mother’s dismay). Admittedly, it is not easy to just throw myself out here for the world to see. It’s a little embarrassing, and sometimes I still contemplate removing any trace of the word “depression” on my blog; as if that’d make me out to be a “stronger” person to others who might be reading this. But that would be very inauthentic to who I am, at best. And, at worst, I wouldn’t want to remove posts that could be potentially helpful to other people who deal with similar issues. If nothing else, it’s good to know that you’re not alone when you’re dealing with something rough – especially something as rough and confusing and all-consuming as depression.

As I’ve most likely mentioned in my previous two depression-themed posts, I have been dealing with pretty severe clinical depression for at least the last five years of my life. I have the unfortunate suspicion that depression is not something that will go away for me. In some people, it’s a situational illness, but for most of us, it’s a biochemical illness. That’s not even me having a defeatist attitude about it; that’s me simply being realistic. Like everything else in life, depression and its episodes tend to ebb and flow. Right now, I’m on the mend: on a healing path from yet another bad episode of depression. But I’m doing much better than I was about a month ago, and that’s why I’m ready to write about of my few recent “epiphanies,” if you will. Below I’ve written a bulleted list of my thoughts on depression as of late. The point of this list is twofold: 1) I hope that it will shed some light on the ignorance and stigma that still surround mental illness, depression in particular, and, 2) I want to share my experiences and facts with you so that if you or a loved one might be experiencing depression, you know that you’re not alone. <3

+ Part I: My thoughts on my latest experiences with depression:

  • Sometimes medication can work. Often, it will work for a long time… Until it doesn’t. Recently, I underwent a huge medication change. I have been on various antidepressants for the last five years, but there’s no exact science to it (yet). Suddenly, about a month or so ago, my medication seemed to just stop working out of nowhere. I started feeling awful in a number of ways, so my doctor increased the dosage of one medication that I’ve been on. That increase made my anxiety worse, and I began having frequent panic attacks. As you can imagine, that stuff is not fun. So at the moment, I’m on a medication “cleanse” of sorts, and I will be readdressing medication with a psychiatrist in the near future.
  • There can be many triggers for depression, but often, it can come back out of nowhere. I’m honestly not sure what triggered this “bout” of depression. Nothing tragic has happened in my life as of late, but that doesn’t matter. Depression can come out of nowhere. Often, it is triggered by stress for me. As a normal (ish) mid-twenties-something woman, I obviously deal with pretty typical stressors that most young adults face. But beyond that, nothing crazy or out of the ordinary has happened. I just started feeling miserable again, and that’s all there is to it.
  • Depression actually is physical, and it often causes physical symptoms. My body has been aching and I’ve been just feeling “not like myself,” if that makes any sense. Both my physical body and my brain have just been in chronic pain and feeling foggy. It’s a common misconception that depression is “all in your head,” but really, it generally takes over a person’s whole body. {Plus the brain IS a part of our bodies, so why are we so quick to dismiss mental illnesses as something that’s made up, or secluded to only our heads, anyway?}

+ Part II: Here’s a list of things/activities that I find to be therapeutic, especially during the most difficult times:

  • Lavender ALL THE THINGS!: Lavender is known for its ability to help reduce and anxiety and increase relaxation. So I’ve been using it constantly, and I think it does actually help. Either that, or it’s a placebo effect; either way, I’m okay with it. I found this lavender sea salt scrub from Trader Joe’s and I’ve been lathering up in the shower with it a lot lately. Yay for exfoliation!
  • Baking: I mean, I think this one is a given. Baking is my number one hobby; shit, it’s what I pretty much live for. Don’t forget about your favorite hobby; use it to your advantage, especially when you’re feeling down. Baking always keeps me inspired and presents me with a good personal challenge.
  • Cozy stuff: I’ve been stocking up on cozy sweaters, cardigans, and leggings for these upcoming cold, dark, and dreary months. Sometimes just having simple but warm clothing helps keep me going. I even found a few thick cardigans with metallic threading throughout them, so now I’ma be cozy AND sparkly. 😎 Winning.
  • Pretty and inspiring images on Pinterest: It probably sounds cheesy, but sometimes I just get so happy and inspired when I take some time out to look for aesthetically pleasing and inspirational images on Pinterest. Here’s a little collage of some of my favorites:

~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ * ~ * ~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ * ~ * ~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ * ~ * ~ *~ *~ *~ *~ *~ * ~ * ~ *~ *~ *~ *~
Anyway, I digress. More regularly scheduled food-related posts are coming soon; I just wanted to check in and let you know that I’m doing much better, but it’s always a never-ending healing process. Peace and love to all y’all. <3

xoxo ~ Darcie

PS: If you are going through similar issues, PLEASE feel free to reach out to me. I am a huge advocate for being open about mental health issues, in an effort to remove the stigma surrounding them and help others.

Random Sides // Drafts From the Archives: Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes.

Recently I found myself sifting through this blog’s archives, mostly out of boredom. In my quest to relieve some boredom, I came across this post. Initially, I wrote this post in the spring of 2013, right before I packed up my life and moved to Missouri after graduating from college.

It’s interesting to look back on these old posts that are just chillin’ in my archives. Actually, I did have this post live and public at one point in time. But for a reason that I can no longer recall, I unpublished it. Now I think I’m going to leave it here, in block quote format below. Although I certainly feel less in limbo now than I ever did back then, it’s fascinating to look back on how things have changed over the past two years or so.

Things have changed a lot, for better or worse. And it sounds cliche, but change really is the only constant in our lives. The lesson here is to just roll with the punches; plan where you can, but let things be as they are. I’m feeling anxious about a plethora of things right now. [But like I said, I definitely don’t feel “in limbo” now like I did then. Also, as I suspected, things have worked out fine for the most part in regard to my job and apartment.] And it’s okay to feel anxious. But it’s also liberating and peaceful to basically let the chips fall where they may.

The past two years have definitely not turned out like how I pictured in my head. To be honest, I don’t really know what I had pictured when I was at the ripe old age of twenty-three. Whatever it was, it’s definitely not how things are right now. I’m surprisingly a-okay with that. <3

Change is a funny thing. I have an odd relationship with it. Part of me hates change because my Type A personality dislikes the feeling of being “in limbo.” But the other part of me gets annoyed and feels stifled and restless when there seems to be a lack of variety in my life.

Right now, I’m feeling more “in limbo” than I ever have in my entire life: I just graduated from college with my Bachelor’s degree. My parents just sold my (second) childhood home in central Illinois to relocate to a town outside of Nashville, Tennessee. I’ll be moving to the St. Louis, Missouri area in late June, and the following week, I finally start my full-time career.

Along with all of these changes, there is so much to do during the next month. I have to help my parents get settled into their new house. I have to buy things [furniture!] for my first real, officially-on-my-own apartment. I have to get my top two wisdom teeth removed before they come in and ruin all of the orthodontic work done to the rest of my mouth [thirteen years of work, mind you]. Then I have to get settled into my new apartment, and adapt to the corporate IT world. And the list goes on. While I’m in this “in limbo” phase – when I’m not obsessing over my massive to do list – my impatient brain likes to over-think about what will actually happen once the end of June actually gets here. What if I hate my apartment? What if I don’t fit in with my co-workers? What if I decide that I hate my job? What if, what if, what if…

I know that my brain means well – it (along with me, of course) just wants everything to go well. I want to be happy and successful. I want to enjoy my new job, new apartment, and new city. I want to make new friends and stay in touch with the old. I want to pursue my hobbies and grow even more as a person.

Although it is commendable and important to hope for the best, to be concerned about doing my best and living a good life, eventually I have to quiet down my brain because I get overwhelmed.

I have to remind myself to trust the process: to plan where I can, and leave the rest up to the universe. Or God. Or whatever.

We can worry all we want, but worrying doesn’t change the outcome. And we can plan all we want, but nothing ever turns out quite like we imagined it.

To me, this mystery that surrounds life is equally terrifying and wonderful. But in order for me to find peace within, I have to simply let it be. Everything will turn out fine, even if it doesn’t turn out like I had hoped or imagined, so just let it be.

"Let it be" graphic
A friendly reminder. {Original photo taken by me, then edited in Photoshop. These are the beautiful redwood trees in California.}

Currently // 08.03.2015.

Oh hai.

It recently hit me that I have not done one of these “Currently” posts in quite some time. Without further ado, let me update you on my life {whether you care or not}. 🙂

So here’s what I’m currently…
MAKING A to-do list for all the stuff I have to get done in the next three days.
COOKING Nothing today, but I am making chicken/broccoli/quinoa casserole tomorrow. It’s so delicious. I’m also making some boozy brownies. Yesssssss.
DRINKING Water + Arnold Palmer iced tea from Whole Foods.
READING Nothing at the moment. I purchased a copy of Alice in Wonderland from Anthropologie around Christmas time. It’s one of those books with the gorgeous covers on it. I should probably get on reading it soon.
WANTING I want many things. I need to learn to want less.
LOOKING My outfit is on point today, not gonna lie. So I look pretty good. Hey everyone, come see how good I look! 😛
PLAYING No music right now. I’m on an all day online training session for work [this blog post is a break from staring at a screen and listening to someone talk for six hours].
WASTING Nothing? I try to not waste too much.
SEWING Lulz, I can’t sew.
WISHING That I could be done with my day job so I can go do other things. Story of my life? Haha. Story of everyone’s life.
ENJOYING My hair. I bought some new Herbal Essences Naturals shampoo, and my hair is so soft and silky smooth! Ha.
WAITING Patiently (or not-so-patiently) for the end of the work day. 🙂
LIKING My new role at work. I am on a great team and my work is pretty fulfilling.
WONDERING How I’m going to get everything done before I take a mini-vacation to Tennessee.
LOVING This black cherry yogurt from Whole Foods. It’s converted me to actually tolerating yogurt!
HOPING That the brownies I’m going to make tomorrow turn out well.
MARVELING At how amazing it’s been to do more volunteer work as of late.
NEEDING More water. I’m developing a bit of a headache.
SMELLING The hand lotion I keep on my desk. The cheap soap in the work bathrooms always dries out my hands…
WEARING Black skinny pants, black Tieks flats, a multi-colored, flowy top, and a light green cardigan.
FOLLOWING My heart. Or at least I attempt to find a balance between my head and my heart.
NOTICING That my contacts are starting to get dried out. Argh.
KNOWING That everything is going to turn out just fine, and possibly even better than expected.
THINKING I’m currently thinking about agile project management concepts and how they relate to Microsoft Team Foundation Server [IT nerd probz, haha].
BOOKMARKING Several articles on privacy in the digital age. I’m in the very beginning stages of collaborating on a published paper with one of my former undergrad instructors.
OPENING My bottle of water.
GIGGLING At my friends. Always. They usually have a way of making me laugh.
FEELING Decent!

// Photos from Instagram. #oninstagramstraightflexin

currently071515

Top Row:
01. As I’ve mentioned, I spent two weeks in Germany and other parts of Europe back in June. This is a picture from one of the information security classes I took in Deutschland.

02. The lookout towers in the forest preserves in the Czech Republic are way cooler than ours!

03. In keeping with my new tradition, again I gave some baked goodies to some fellow STL foodies that I met IRL [in real life]. This time I made browned butter chocolate chip cookies for Christine and Kate. They loved my cute little pink bakery boxes, the emoji stickers, and my custom-made Darcie Bakes stamp! Hooray.

Middle Row
01. I saw so many pretty little gardens throughout the small town of Deggendorf, Germany.

02. These “Live Free, or Chai Trying” growlers are at a local STL brunch place called The Mud House. The Mud House is awesome and I really want one of these growlers, just cuz.

03. Last week, I attended a meetup for entrepreneurs and creatives. I brought red velvet whoopie pies, and one of the photographers decided to snap a photo of me. I had the cookie/cake whoopie pie all over my teeth when he was taking pictures of me, so I didn’t want to smile with my mouth opened. “I have cake all over my teeth!…” His response: “Just put one of the whoopie pies in your mouth, like you’re eating it. Then it doesn’t matter.” The result was this picture. I think it’s pretty entertaining. 😀

Bottom Row:
01. Kate and I are very excited to be holding our “We Eat Stuff” stickers in St. Louis. {PS: People who like to eat really are the best people!}

02. A friend and I decided to try some gin drinks at a place called Cafe Natasha in the Lou. I never even knew I liked gin, but it was pretty fabulous. I’ll need to go back soon. {The Gin Girl, aka Natasha, is pretty rad too!}

03. The Lantern Festival at the beautiful Missouri Botanical Gardens was a fun sight to see.

xoxo. <3

Random Sides // Baking is My Love Language. <3

It’s true. Baking is my love language. What does that mean? Well, there’s a theory out there that says we all show love and affection to others – whether it be romantic or platonic or familial – in a particular way, that is unique to us. The five “love languages” are as follows: words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch… Or something like that.

bakingismylovelanguage

Of course, we all have a combination of the five love languages in how we interact with our loved ones. However, we all lean toward one way or another. It’s been awhile since I have taken a quiz on love languages, so I can’t even remember what categories I fall under the most.

Anyway. It’s pretty interesting to read about, and I think it can be helpful to learn about when it comes to our relationships. It’s a good way to understand our own needs, as well as our loved ones’ needs, and how we show love and vice versa. That being said, I always like to say that baking is my love language.

Baking is my love language because I love to bake, and half of the reason why I find baking so enjoyable is that it brings so much joy to other people. If I like/love you, I’m gonna bake for you. If I don’t care for you, then you’re definitely not getting any tasty treats from me! 😛 It’s that simple. I show people love by baking for them. [Really, I’m not trying to make you “fat!”]

What is your love language? What skills do you have that show others your love for them? 🙂

/ End random stream of consciousness. <3

Random Sides // I’m Going to Germany!

I haven’t talked about this on the blog yet. But you read the title right: I’m going to Germany!

I’ve never been out of the continental U.S. [nope, not even to Mexico or Canada!], so this will definitely be a new adventure for me.

{Image via Pinterest.}
{Image via Pinterest.}

Like most great adventures, the opportunity for the trip kinda came out of nowhere. At the beginning of 2015, one of my undergraduate instructors invited some other alumni and me to attend a study abroad program in Germany this summer. So, I’m going to an IT security seminar at a university in Deggendorf, Germany. On the days in which we’re not required to be at the seminar, I’ll have time to myself. My instructor has scheduled some touristy activities for us to do, and then I’ll find some of my own adventures on the other days.

I’m flying from Chicago to Dublin to Munich, and I’ll be in and around Munich for a few weeks.

That’s all I want to share for now; I need to finish packing and organizing blog posts! I am trying to schedule some blog posts ahead of time so that my regular schedule doesn’t get too thrown off. In the meantime, I’m getting super anxious about my first international trip! I’m certain that it will be amazing, but I am definitely nervous.

You’ll be seeing regularly scheduled posts from me, plus a few updates on the trip every now and then. I’m going to do my best to take a lot of awesome photos while I’m in Germany.

Here’s to my first adventure abroad! Prost! 😀

Local Noms: Lulu’s Local Eatery.

local noms

Note: For more details on what this Local Noms post series is all about, please see my little preview post.

This installment of “Local Noms” features a local St. Louis business called Lulu’s Local Eatery. Let’s begin!

// Today’s “Local Noms” Review: Lulu’s Local Eatery.

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+ Background Details: I had been itching to visit Lulu’s Local Eatery for quite some time. I got there for the first time last year, and I’ve been back several times since then. Sometimes I like to order the food to go, or I will get a bite to eat from their food truck at the farmer’s market.

+ Restaurant/Shop Location(s): Lulu’s is located at 3201 S. Grand Ave. in St. Louis, Missouri, 63118. They also have a food truck, which is always at the Saturday Tower Grove Farmer’s Market, as well as other food truck events. The brick-and-mortar restaurant sits along the business district of Grand Avenue.

+ Initial Impressions: It’s a fun place to visit; when you first walk in, you’ll notice the rustic chic vibe of the place. There’s reclaimed wood all over the place, plus fresh flowers on every table. [Personally, I’m a huge fan of fresh flowers everywhere.] Plus, it’s located in an older building, so it definitely gives you that old world St. Louis vibe. The “old world” style that is stereotypical of St. Louis is, of course, something that I love.

+ Pros: Everything is super healthy and delicious. You might think that vegan food can’t be good, but this place proves you wrong. I’ve never had a bad dish here, and I have tried several meals from here. When I’m in the mood for some tasty vegan food, Lulu’s is where I go. For this particular visit, I tried their jackfruit BBQ sandwich. It’s shredded jackfruit (which ends up being surprisingly similar to actual pulled pork) with Pappy’s (yay for more local places!) BBQ sauce on a pretzel bun. Pretzel buns are my favorite already, and then it’s topped with a fresh and crunchy slaw. I ordered a kale salad on the side, and ate some of my friend’s buffalo cauliflower bites. Finally, I finished off my meal with a fresh tea. I also ordered the “Buddha bowl,” which is an udon noodle dish that’s bursting with veggies for lunch the next day. Overall, it was tasty. My friend also enjoyed her sweet potato and black bean burger!

+ Cons: It’s a little pricey, but that is, again, to be expected with healthy and locally sourced food. That means that unfortunately, I can’t afford to go there constantly. But it is a really nice, healthy treat for me on occasion. Parking along Grand Ave. can also be a real pain, as it’s a busy area. The Tower Grove neighborhood is right around there as well, which, although it’s a pretty and old area, cars are everywhere! So be prepared for a little walk when you go there.

+ My Overarching {Ha! STL pun totally intended!} Review: Every single experience that I have had at Lulu’s has been a good one. The food is very good and filling, and it feels great to know that it’s both extremely healthy and locally sourced. The staff here is always super friendly, and the restaurant’s space is a pleasant place to chill and enjoy a meal. Whether you’re a vegan or carnivore, you are sure to enjoy Lulu’s Local Eatery. It’s a local place that St. Louis is lucky to have, so I’m gonna keep on supporting it! 🙂

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Obligatory Disclaimer: I’m not a professional food expert in any sense of the word, nor am I compensated for any nice things that I may say about any of the restaurants I feature on my blog. All of my ramblings on here are just, like, my opinions, maaaannn. I just really like talking about and eating food, and I think it’s fun to feature local food establishments that I think are awesome, and if it helps them out in the process? Even better! Join me on my quest to EAT ALL THE LOCAL FOODS!

Currently // 05.21.2015.

Dayum.

I have been quite busy as of late, but I gotta say that the past several months have been pretty glorious [for the most part].

I wanted to mix things up a bit, and make this post a bit different than usual. To do that, I’d like to share some morsels of knowledge that keep getting pounded into my thick skull these days. {Obligatory Disclaimer: Not tryna tell you how to live, yadda yadda. Just sharing some epiphanies that help me when I’m being a real dipstick.}

1. Take everything one step at a time. ONE. STEP. AT. A. TIME. Doing so will greatly reduce your anxiety levels. Just calm down. Everything will sort itself out in due time.
2. Learn to gracefully let go of things/people/places not meant for you. Sometimes, certain activities/things/people just are not meant for you. This is okay. It’s okay to change your mind. To say no. To politely decline. To realize and accept the fact that you’re just not meant for certain things. [And sometimes, these “not meant for you things/people” come in the form of unfortunate events/falling-outs. It will suck at the time, but often it’s for the best.]
3. Yoga is good for you. DO IT MORE OFTEN. Preferably erryday.

Oh yeah, and as usual, here’s a compilation of pics from my Instagram account for you to peruse, plus a brief description of each:

currently0521

 

Top Row:
01. I was able to go to a Cubs vs. Cardinals game at Busch stadium with other work people several weeks ago. Although I’m not a huge baseball fan, it’s always fun to see the infamous rivals! Go Cards! 😛 {But since I’m from central Illinois originally, I’m kinda split between the Cubs/Cards. Actually, I’m not really loyal to either… Because I don’t care. ;)}
02. Some pretty flowers sittin’ in my bedroom window sill. I love buying fresh bouquets when I have the chance. They always cheer me up.
03. I enjoyed a beer flight at a brewery in northern Illinois about a month ago. I love beer!

Middle Row:
01. I had the privilege of seeing one of my favorite bands for the second time – Death Cab for Cutie. They are always great live, and I would go see them again whenever they’re in STL again.
02. Some of my friends are from Louisville, Kentucky, so we recently took a little road trip over there. It has a lot of similarities to St. Louis. The architecture is pretty similar. Me likey.
03. I got the idea to paint some plain terra cotta pots with acrylic paints to give them a color block effect. Then I planted succulents in them. I love them!

Bottom Row:
01. Finally, I got a membership for the Missouri Botanical Gardens (aka MOBOT). This is one of the neat concrete walls in the Japanese garden. If you’re ever visiting the Lou, definitely check out the gardens. They’re super pretty and relatively cheap to visit!
02. I loooove brunch, but I think most people do. The Mud House on Cherokee St. is amazing. Mmm.
03. Some other STL foodies and I met up at Urban Chestnut recently. One of the husband and wife foodie teams – We Eat Stuff – captured an awesome photo of my #bakinghalfsleeve! I don’t think I’ve really posted photos of my tats on the blog, but… There it is! (Or at least part of it.)

Random Sides // Some Life Lessons as of Late.

Do you ever have those days – or times – in which you experience more epiphanies than usual? I swear, sometimes I’m going along in life and everything is just hard or not making any damn sense. Then all of the sudden, it’s as if I’ve made progress; I’ve pushed through the mud, and I have become stronger and more knowledgeable. {Then, of course, life enjoys reminding me that I actually don’t know shit.}

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{Image via Pinterest.}

Well, that’s how I’ve been feeling lately. Life lessons tend to stick better at some times than others.

Lately, I’ve been practicing quite a bit of yoga and meditation, as well as self-hypnosis [not as whack as it sounds without context]. I think that, for me personally, all of these activities have been working wonders on both my mental and physical health.

The other day, I was listening to this self-hypnosis audio recording for decreasing negativity on YouTube. And in it, the one thing that stood out to me, was when the guy said something to the effect of, “If your brain has the power to create all of these negative thoughts and energy [e.g. falling into a depressive/anxious state; this hypnosis/meditation stuff is great for depression and anxiety, and I have both of those disorders], then it must also be capable of reversing [aka getting rid of – over a lot of time and work, of course] those things.”

It sounds so simple, and I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it before [hi, Dad!]. But something inside of me just clicked when I heard the dude say what I just mentioned above. I sat up in bed, and was like, “WHAT?! It all makes so much sense now!”

Of course, it’s not that simple. Depression and anxiety are serious issues, and you can definitely not just “will them away.” That being said, there is power in knowing that if your brain can get you into something, it can also get you out of (or to the opposite/reverse of) something.

Okay, all of that rambling aside, here’s a trusty bulleted list of some thangs that have been stickin’ in my thick skull as of late. I hope you find them helpful.

{And remember, I’m not tryna tell you how to live your life. I just like to occasionally share little morsels of knowledge that I find useful as I trudge through this thing we call life. #imjustbeinghonest}

+ There is almost always a way around [or out of] everything. If you fall into any problem, there is pretty much always some kind of solution. It may take a lot of time and effort, but as my parents always told me, “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” If my brain has gotten me into a really bad depressive episode, or if I’m really anxious, there are [positive] ways to reverse the issue. I’m one of those lucky people who is most likely going to deal with depression for the rest of my life. But there are always ways to improve it, as well as to prevent the worst of it.

+ Yoga is probably the best thing ever [after beer and chocolate, of course! ha!]. It works really well for me, so of course it’s easy for me to tout its benefits. It is not for everyone, obviously, as no one thing works for every single person on the planet. However, its benefits are just endless to me. I’ve been back on the mat and attending basic classes again [at Urban Breath Yoga, just FYI] for the past month or so, and I’m kicking myself for not having done it sooner! It is very important to find the right studio and instructor(s) for you, if you plan on doing it. Personally, I lucked out, as I have fallen in love with the first studio I (very nervously) tried out in St. Louis. Anyway, enough rambling. Here are some of my favorite benefits of yoga: it improves mental and physical health; it always reduces my anxiety; it improves posture, as well as digestion, and it just makes me feel good.

+ As my yoga instructor said tonight, “In everything we do – sitting at a desk, driving a car, etc. – we are always leaning forward. That’s how we end up getting hunched over and having poor posture. Always keep your shoulders back and tall; reverse the aging process! Keep them back there where they are supposed to be!” That really stuck with me. I sit at a desk all day for work, and I definitely do not have great posture (I also have scoliosis, so that doesn’t help). But when you’re standing line, sitting at a desk, sitting on the couch, working in the kitchen, what have you… Try to stand up tall, and keep your shoulders back and away from their tendency to get close to your neck.

+ And finally, I just wanted to write this, because it’s what I keep reminding myself of all the time: Good things take time. People are mostly baffled by my from-scratch baking/cooking shenanigans, because, and I quote, “That sounds like too much time and work!” Well, yeah, baking does take extra time and effort than using a box mix, or just going to the store to buy a treat. But you know what? The end result is far more worth-it, and that’s partially why I love baking from scratch! Because good things take time! Good relationships, good careers, good physical fitness… It all takes time.

Okay, I’m done. Have a lovely weekend! More tasty recipes will be coming soon. 🙂

– xoxo

Random Sides // Late Night Logo Practice.

Sometimes, I like to spend hours messing around in Photoshop. I usually choose to do this late at night – when I should most likely be sleeping. Whoops. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I am a night owl. And my creative bursts generally come to me at odd times, but I’m pretty sure that’s a common phenomenon for most creative people.

So, tonight’s late night Photoshop binge includes me just messing around with some logo ideas for the blog [plus an upcoming small business venture… more on that soon!]. What do you think? I’m no expert, but I guess I know enough to be dangerous. Plus, it’s just great fun to create stuff like this. 😉

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xoxo. <3