This Week's Top 10: It's my birthday!

1. Wow... what a week. This work week was definitely in my top 3 of the most stressful/busy/overwhelming weeks yet. I've never been so eager for the end of the week, and because it's my birthday today, that feeling was especially strong!! I don't have any crazy plans this year, just dinner tonight with a few friends, and then going to the Yankees game tomorrow, which I am really looking forward to. LOL, I got a manicure last night and I can barely type.

2. I treated myself to this adorable workout set as a birthday present to myself!! Can't wait for it to come. I don't have any matching sets and it pains me every time I go for a walk, so this was definitely justified, haha.

3. What is happening in Afghanistan is devastating. I can't imagine how Afghan women are feeling right now. This article is really insightful and shares how you can help. I have also heard about the organizationn Women for Afghan Women (WAW). 

Easy Zucchini Fries + Homemade Aioli

Yesterday was... a lazy day for me. I went to brunch with a friend, church with another friend, and just chilled in between. Last night when dinner rolled around I realized I hadn't gone to the grocery store and the only thing to eat in my apartment was oddly enough, a zucchini about to go bad. What do you do when you have a zucchini about to go bad? You made zucchini fries!!! It's literally the only non-staple ingredient you need for this entire recipe, and it works for people like me who still don't have an air fryer (but if you're living in the 21st century and do have an air fryer like (seemingly) everyone else, this is even easier for you!)

This Week's Top 10: Books, Weddings, and Lots of Sneakers...

image via town & country

1. I finished The Alchemist this week and absolutely loved it. It's a pretty quick read so I would highly recommend it. If you don't know what The Alchemist is, it's a classic fable written by Paul Coehlo, and it's sort of a mystical, metaphorical story of a boy who goes out on a search to discover his personal treasure and learns many life lessons along the way. It's essentially just a metaphor for life and following your dreams. I found it peaceful, heartwarming, and honestly, really encouraging. I gave it five stars!

2. Up next I am reading The Most Fun We Ever Had, and The Idea of You. I started The Most Fun on the plane last weekend and I am loving it so far. It's the story of four sisters, all going through their own individual crises right now, while their parents are living blissfully in retirement, more or less completely unaware of what the daughters are going through. It is really light so far but I just know something juicy is going to happen! 

3. After I finish that one, I picked up The Idea of You to read next!! I am SO excited to read this one because Grace Atwood (one of my favorite bloggers) has given it the highest praise and it's been on my list for sooo long. I don't even know what the premise is, I just know it's going to be great.

13 Table Lamps I'm Loving

image via

I'm finally starting to get back into the mindset of making apartment decor progress. When I moved in April, I was so overwhelmed with making a bunch of big-ticket purchases and just getting the basics into my apartment, and then I was out of town so much in July I just didn't really realize that my goals for my apartment had been put on the back burner and there are so many ideas that I have to make this space great and feel more complete! I am mostly just looking for art and decor, which is the fun part. 

August Moodboard (Desktop Wallpaper!)

How is it August?! July flew by, spending over two weeks in Wisconsin, and then heading to Dallas this past weekend. August is generally my favorite month of the year, as it's my birthday month and means enjoying the last moments of summer, and in the past, it was time to head back to college, but this year I just don't feel the energy... 2021 feels like it's gone to fast and been too rushed, probably as a result of trying to make up for lost time last year. I am still not over my European adventure that was canceled in 2020, so the past few weeks have had me seriously daydreaming about a month in Europe, swimming in the sea, drinking spritz's, and exploring new places. You'll notice those are the vibes I channeled in this month's moodboard. I suppose a girl can dream, maybe next year!