I’ve been working on a personal website for some time now. A site that I can be proud of and that, hopefully, reflects my professional life in a cohesive and polished way. This blog has long been my place to write, share and process all sorts of information but it’s time for a change.
Starting this week, my #GSD (Get Shit Done) series and the Weekend Reads will be published from my new site. If you receive my posts via RSS feed or email, you’ll need to update or resubscribe quickly! Everything you need can be found on the blog page of my site. Just scroll down a bit and you’ll see I set up RSS feeds and email subscriptions for each set of posts for you to make it super easy. And if you don’t already subscribe to my posts, can I ask you to consider doing so? Plug me into your Feedly or invite me into your inbox – I promise not to disappoint you. (And if I do, dude, let me know!)
And in case the Upgrade photo is lost on you, it’s from Beyoncé’s song Upgrade U. A wonderful song that I highly recommend, particularly on your Summer Jams and I Didn’t Like That Guy Anyway mixes.
When I saw that Lady Gaga quote, I thought, damn! That’s a dose of angry real talk! The truth is though, she’s right. It’s an interesting thing to consider balancing love (or the pursuit of it) and your career – whatever your level of ambition or drive. I think about this stuff a lot, especially lately, because this year I’ve done nothing but invest in my career. It’s been rewarding, frustrating, inspiring…the whole gamut of positives and negatives…and I really wouldn’t have it any other way.
Are you practically Snow White? Then you need these apps that tell you just how much time you should be in the sun.
Who’s looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday? This girl! And now I have a list of movies to watch online, so I may just stay in bed all day!
Newsletters seem to be making a serious comeback! These tips are interesting, but Alexis Madrigal’s point about a newsletter audience v a Facebook audience was most intriguing. Should I be turning this list into a newsletter instead of a blog post? Hmm.
I did a bunch of work so clearly now I can surf the net for two hours! Right? Wrong.
Want to foster a creative environment at work? This is how Pixar does it.
Trendy restaurant menus are…so formulaic. (Also, the vegetarian part is SO true!)
I have major wanderlust this year. My brain has headed to every exotic locale at least twice! This list of magazines that are great for travelers isn’t helping me any. (I must admit, the best/worst thing I’ve done all year is subscribe to Condé Nast Traveler.)
Ira Glass’ Lifehacker “How I Work” column is getting a lot of buzz. I suspect it’s because the man is a) a total beast and b) does almost everything either in the cloud or without the clunky equipment one would assume he’d use.
My iTunes is solidly stuck on songs that came out in the 90s and it’s making my morning commute so much more pleasurable! Here’s some Fugees for you – have a great weekend, friends!
You guys, I’m heading to the beach for a few days! It’s basically all I’ve wanted for months now and all I’ve been thinking about all week! Of course, how much I unplug and just enjoy it is always a struggle. This little guide on how to unplug was the best advice I’ve read on the subject. Mostly because it didn’t tell me to just “not check email” and “enjoy being present” or make me feel guilty for being super dedicated to work. I can’t wait to look at the horizon, listen to the waves crashing and grill some food. Doesn’t that sound nice? I think so!
“Congratulations on taking your age to the next level. I wanted to optimize this yearly touchpoint to encourage a paradigm shift in how you approach life going forward by enclosing a copy of The Likeability Factor.” Take your good wishes to the…next level.
“I have been in relationships where a man has disrespected me, and I don’t need to be friends with that man anymore. I don’t want to be the one going, ‘I’m cool, because I’m friends with all my exes.’ There’s a reason why you’re called an ex. I crossed you off my list. Moving on. You cross a line, you need to know that you’re going to walk this earth knowing that there’s an individual who has no respect for you.” Zoe Saldana is such a bad ass.
I’m thinking of updating all my social media bios. This little guide is leading my way.
5 business lessonsCindy Gallop learned from starting a porn* site. (*it’s not a porn site) (Don’t let the sexiness dissuade you – read read read it!)
“The most important advice I would still give — and it may seem crazy because I did lose this job I really loved — you have to be an authentic person.” Jill Abramson is also such a bad ass!
The next time someone complains about Buzzfeed being shameless clickbait of zero substance say this: “BuzzFeed headlines pay off particularly well because they actually make fairly small promises and then overdeliver.” Then tell them the real problem with click bait.
Kara Swisher is the gal who brings you all that juicy news about Yahoo! and Google and Marissa Mayer and Sergey Brin. This New York Magazine profile of her is a fabulous look at the woman is both feared and the person you want to tell everything to.
Tim Howard, star of the US Men’s National Team at the World Cup is hot hot hot on the cover of Ad Week!
Talk about songs I’ve had on repeat lately…this Nico & Vinz song, Am I Wrong, is playing all. The. Time. I think it’s the song of summer 2014, but we all know I can be a questionable judge of music. Have a great weekend, friends!
I had quite a fun, and slightly over-booked, week! Great dinners with friends, I was a guest in Carol’s Georgetown class about personal branding and I get to see an old college buddy I haven’t seen since we were actually in college! Not bad, but I’m looking forward to a restful weekend for sure.
I was on a hunt for new music to listen (and finding nada!) when I just went back to the classics. I’ve been re-rocking out to The Miseducation of Lauren Hill all week and it has put me in the best mood! Have a great weekend, lovahs!
I didn’t make New Year’s resolutions this year, which I felt okay with. But when June hit and it seemed as though half the year had just flown by and I was just being tossed around in it like a rag doll I started to feel an itch, and maybe a little lack of purpose? I stumbled across Bleubird and her list of things welcoming summer and thought, that’s just what I need! Maybe it will give me a little direction, a little sense of purpose again. Without going into much detail, I’m mostly DC-bound this year. Not much in terms of vacation or travel on the docket. When I realized that, I also realized I needed to make the most of being here. So here goes…a few reminders, a few affirmations…
Eating / fresh seafood, right out of the Chesapeake Bay. (Good thing I know a guy.)
Drinking / tequila & sodas with a lime.
Practicing / patience.
Mastering / a good habit.
Learning / to go easy on myself. (Still.)
Trying / standup paddleboarding.
Playing / Cards Against Humanity.
Finishing / my to-do lists. (Plural. Always.)
Reading / the huuuuge stack of magazines in my living room. And then the medium-sized stack of unread books next to it.
Remembering / that a night at home is just as good for me as a night out.
Wearing / running clothes more often. I’m definitely back in a running groove.
Cooking / more. Period. Cooking has lost its joy for me recently. (How sad is that?!)
Working / on being more open. (Still.)
Traveling / somewhere. Anywhere.
Wanting / more experiences and memories with my friends.
This week flew by thanks to a cross-country tip, a day-long layover and massive productivity at work this week! The great thing about this week was that I’m finally starting to feel like I have a handle on things. Maybe it was my trip home that helped me reset things and get a little perspective, but I’m (finally!) feeling a little lighter in life and more optimistic. I plan on riding this wave, too. All the way to Virginia wineries this weekend!
I still have no plans to hit the beach this summer (tear) but these books will be good for pool reading too.
Why dad’s who do household chores raise more ambitious daughters! (Do that laundry guys! It’s for your kids!)
With all the open discussion about gender issues in the news lately, here’s a practical guide for the men in our lives for participating in a constructive way.
The anonymous sharing app, Secret, has turned into a digital burn book for the DC gays. After being burned by the app myself, I highly recommend not downloading it. Also, nothing good can come from airing your mental dirty laundry like that.
Reading Cosmo and Maxim shapes our relationship with sexual consent…you’ll be surprised.
I’m not exactly a music aficionado but the Chela “Zero” EP Minimix would be perfect for a summer evening grilling party. These Rihanna covers are great for a dinner party! And last but not least John Mayer’s take on “XO” by Beyonce would make the perfect soundtrack for Sunday morning coffee and magazine reading!
Have a wonderful weekend! I’ve had Haim on repeat for a week now (mostly because I feel like their new album could be the soundtrack for Romancing the Stone!) so I hope you like ’em too…
I need this 3-day weekend so badly you guys. Mostly for the sleep…also for the lazy. I don’t even care that I’m not at the beach or off on a fun trip. Waking up in my own bed, sipping on coffee and watching some bad, bad TV sounds so delicious! I have a high-rise stack of magazines to dive into while I’m up on my roof deck soaking up some sun, too. Work: off! Weekend: on!!!
Speaking of Ann Friedman, she’s my internet girl crush for sure. Great writer, funny and (mostly) talks about stuff relevant to my (feminist) interests.
If you love the West Wing, you’ll love this homage to Seventeen People.
What happens when I don’t do the weekend reads one week? Apparently I amass a ridiculous amount of links for you guys! While I was busy jetting to Nashville, New York and back I religiously sent links back to my … Continue reading →
When my alarm went off at 6am I laughed. I was having a dream about my boss’ boss just as I was waking up and thought, TGIF indeed. Things I’m looking forward to this weekend include: pasta dinners, farmers markets … Continue reading →
So, here’s some #realtalk for you guys. I’m in NYC for work last week, having dinner with my dearest friend Lindsay when I start telling her a story. The weekend prior, I was at brunch with a handsome gent when he asked … Continue reading →
frijolita 