A couple of quick things...

A few different friends have shared this on Facebook lately and every time I see it it makes me positively cackle: 

I love that I have joined the "LOL"s after so many years of life in the "FUCK FUCK FUCK IT'S COLD"s! 

On a less profane note, I actually skipped the Golden Globes this year - in getting over being sick, I honestly completely forgot they were on and spent my Sunday afternoon/evening at Costco and cleaning our bathtub because #glamorous. That said, I loved the #TimesUp movement to wear black dresses on the red carpet. Primarily because black is my go-to for all formal events...oops? 

Favorites of the night included: 

Jessica Chastain's fabulous sparkly back (I have such an affinity for that neckline, too)...

Allison Janney's intricately detailed sleeves - almost figure-skating adjacent, which seems appropriate given her win for "I, Tonya!"

The endlessly elegant Nicole Kidman, who absolutely knocked it out of the park - she is so statuesque and beautiful, and gave such a lovely speech upon her win. 

And I actually adored Elisabeth Moss's chic little 50s-esque number - I would wear that to death. Completely up my alley. Bonus points for fabulous shoes, too!

And my misses...

Yikes, Caitriona Balfe - she's so pretty and this Chanel monstrosity looks like a weird combination of a harness and a garland on a barmaid in the Wild Wild West. 

Margot Robbie's dress, in my opinion, did nothing for her and the embellishment combined with the shoulder poufs and that massive deep V was kind of weird. Not that she isn't gorgeous, it's just way out there and weird for my taste.

And poor lovely Emma Watson - that Havisham-wannabe thing is swallowing her whole. Ancillary thought - are her shoes formal TOMs?

Anyway, I loved all the black because I am a fiend for black dresses and black clothing in general (as I type this, I'm wearing black pants with a white shell and a black sweater/scarf/earrings...eek!). And I thought the dialogue on the red carpet was interesting, although I'm not one to discount the meaningfulness of asking what designers celebs are wearing - those looks are spectacular, whether good or bad, and I think the designers deserve their moment in the spotlight too! 

Of course, couldn't talk about the Globes without a little love for America's apparent 2020 president-elect, Oprah...I'm kicking myself that I missed her speech live, but Youtubing it and reading the full transcript was almost as good. I have such an appreciation for truly eloquent orators - there's something to be said for a speaker, male or female, on any given topic, who truly knows how to work the room and to give a speech, not just to speak. Her delivery was impeccable, and the energy in the room listening to her looked electric. 

Looks like I need to get cracking on watching movies...Oscars are right around the corner, hooray!

Resolutionizing: 2018

Hi team...I know I've been ghost-silent around here for far too long, but I have a good excuse, per usual. And that good excuse is that I have been on the brink of death - slight exaggeration, but not really that extreme. My family cut our planned ski trip to Tahoe short by several days due to my delightfully phlegmy lungs, and I've spent the last week more or less tucked in bed doing next-to-nothing while coughing, sleeping and reading to kick off 2018. BOOOO. 

With that said, I never let a year turn without doing two things - recapping the year past and appreciating all its goodness, and making resolutions for the year ahead. Being a basic bitch, I couldn't let a little sickness stop me from starting 2018 the same way, so without further ado, a few small resolutions and, as usual, my bigger goal for the year! 

1. Explore more of the Bay Area. 

I LOVE CALIFORNIA, and I am so glad I moved here. That said, I've quickly fallen into my usual patterns of having "my" spots, and while that's an utterly lovely feeling, I can't let one of the biggest cities in the country go unexplored. Here's to a 2018 full of more time in SF (and Oakland and San Jose and Berkeley and all over the Bay!), new wineries, different restaurants, and most of all new outdoor adventures in this wild, gorgeous area I call home now. 

2. Try harder at dating. 

I hate Millennial dating, and I am terrible at it. In 2018, I may not want to date, but I need to put more effort into that - whether that's trying harder to build on existing connections, biting the bullet and getting back on the apps (UGH), or even just seeking more opportunities to meet people. I may be fine with things the way they are in my personal life, but I also know I won't be fine with that forever, and practicing dating is a painful but necessary exercise. 

3. Do more yoga.

I have fallen so hard for yoga in the last year and a half-ish, and with a plethora of opportunities for yoga in my day-to-day life, I have no excuse for not hitting the mat more often. I'm currently averaging 1-2x a week, but would love to increase that to 3-4x over the course of the coming year. 

4. Write more regularly.

This was a resolution last year, too, and I'm sad to say it's the only one I truly failed at. While my lack of time writing has been due in large part to living a life that is fuller and more lived off-paper, I truly do treasure the archive I create here and the feeling of connection this blog gives me. I plan to stick to a more stringent writing schedule this year, and to be better about chronicling things - even if it's a "quantity over quality" exercise from time to time. 

And my big intention for 2018: 

Be open. 

I don't know why this felt like such a necessary intention for the year, but this has been stuck in my head since I started ruminating on this year's goal back around Labor Day. Last year, I set the goal of "being intentional," and it was honestly the most successful goal to date. The way it manifested itself was definitely unexpected - choosing to let some friendships go, focusing on what fulfilled me, and, most significantly, taking the giant leap of moving across the country - but I can genuinely say that as 2017 wound to a close, I found myself extremely contented with the amount of thought and consideration I put into what I do. 

As for "be open?" It's a tough one. I think very few people realize how private and closed-off I really am, despite the seeming transparency of, you know, writing a blog and sharing thoughts with hundreds of people on a regular basis. I am extremely protective of myself, and I think that often leads to me closing myself off to a degree - not just from new people and experiences, but from sharing how I really think and feel. I protect myself by holding things back, and at the end of the day I think that sometimes bites me in the ass when things go unsaid or unexpressed. 

In 2018, I want to teach myself to be less afraid to open up - to seek and savor new experiences, to cultivate new friendships and relationships, and to be more candid and less guarded along the way. While the thought/phrase "be open" is, inherently, open-ended, I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing - I feel good about seeking out a year that is a bit more undefined at the outset. 

Happy 2018, campers - here's to a year of yoga and writing and love and openness and adventures ahead :)

From the iPhone archives

Well that was a nice, unintended, accidental two-week vacation from the blog, huh? 

I've been, as usual, running around the Midwest like a chicken with my head cut off, having entirely irresponsible amounts of fun. Winding down summer internship stuff with work and ramping up the employee giving campaign has kept my days full, and coming home every night to happy hours, dinners, Em in town, and general social overflow has ensured my usual rigid 10pm bedtime exists only in my imagination. Add to that a wild and crazy Labor Day at Greg's cabin and a quick trip to Chicago to celebrate Laura's OMG 30th birthday, and there you have it...all quiet on the western front! 

Here's a peek at what I've been up to in the last month-ish: 

--rambling through Uptown's prettiest hallways...remembering to look up even on the busiest days

--Serving as a case study judge for Gopher Business Days, a summer camp for high schoolers at the University of Minnesota

--loving the curb appeal at Café Lurçat

--getting caught in downpours during the rainiest summer on Minnesota's record since the early 1900s

--but enjoying the calm before/after the storms

--BLITZING through "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" (and already planning on seeing it on my next work trip to London)

--rocking the "Drunk 1" and "Drunk 2" tanks with Kelsizzle at her annual cabin weekend

--getting up (and leaving) cabin weekend early enough to catch an absolutely insane sunrise

--deeply appreciating Northern Minnesota

--toasting Grandma Lo with Jodester...Cosmopolitans at the St. Paul Grill

--laughing at these two goons

--always always looking up

--no, really, always always always looking up (and falling over my own feet in the process)

--hitting Rojo with Hannah and Kristi for good life chats and the best guacamole

--finally paying my framer a visit with art from Paris 2015 and Scandinavia 2016 (it's about time) (stay tuned!)

--playing lunchtime hooky with coworker Cousin Matt on his 27th for free crème brûlée

--getting caught in the rain (again) in Loring Park

--enjoying old-meets-new juxtapositions after a failed Skyline Mini Golf attempt with Hal on roomie date day

--loving pretty knickknacks on my bookshelves

--cheering on the Saint Paul Saints during the annual work Field Day

squeezing in one last "namaste" at the last Lake Harriet Yoga Project of the Summer

--and popping over for after-work laps that begin and end at the Bandshell

--sipping Bellinis and gin martinis on the roof of Louis with yiddle brudder

--cutting through the official cutest alleyway in Minneapolis en route to church

--and off-roading home through Loring Park

--taking chilly sunset boat rides on the coldest Labor Day weekend I can remember

--living for sunsets from the boat

--repping Team Kenya (Marlee rocking the role of Baby Simba, clearly) at the Second Annual Lake Francis Labor Day Beer Olympics

--enjoying the first overall draft pick in this year's office league (hello Antonio Brown, please win it all for me)

--amassing an embarrassing number of tickets to arts events in the Twin Cities...and still waiting on the orchestra season tickets to show up! 

--living that margarita life before my Chicago flight

--debating which non-essential organ to sell for this view from Laura's roof

--toasting the birthday girl with inordinate amounts of champagne, housemade pasta, and "grown-up Butterscotch SnackPack dessert." 

--toasting to birthdays, frosé, friendship, and fall during Basic Bitch Birthday Weekend

Hi, campers. MIssed you. 

tids and bits.

I love Saturday mornings. There's something so luxurious about having a whole weekend ready to unfold in front of you, isn't there?

Jon only takes his socks off inside out. I'm sitting here and I should be folding laundry, but I keep looking at those socks scattered all throughout the pile, inside-out, and I just had to stop a minute to marvel and laugh a bit inside at how much our relationship and my life as a result has changed since we moved in. This domesticity and "settled-ness" makes me feel so deeply happy and content. 

Courtney, new friend who I (to be frank) have a major friend-crush on these days, works at Target like so many young professionals in the Twin Cities do. Courtney, however, has the coolest role...she works in the Beauty department! She raided the sample room for me and now I have all kinds of new beauty goodies including the perfect mint green nail polish (Breakfast at Tiffany's, currently on  my toes) and a nude lipstick (Pinky Beige!) that actually works for my complexion! Thanks for the treats, Courtney dear...next happy hour is totally on me :) 

My friend Mike is incredibly politically aware and keeps my Facebook news feed hopping with topical articles from a wide variety of news sources. It makes me feel a little guilty to say it, but a large part of my regular news consumption comes from him! This morning, I woke up to a duet of articles on George W. Bush's post-Presidency painting career. He's exhibiting for the first time in Dallas, and I'm fascinated by his depictions of world leaders he interacted with as a president. It intrigues me to see how he managed to make a wordless medium so revealing of his relationships with and attitudes toward these hugely influential figures. Check it out...fascinating read, if the paintings do leave something to be desired. 

Minneapolis got hit with 6-8 more inches of snow yesterday, which crushed my soul a tiny bit. Fortunately, we're forecasted to see high sixties (dare I hope for low seventies?) this week, which should get this white shit safely out of here before I lose my sanity and start singing "Frozen" at random passers-by. God help us all. 

Hannah and I are hitting up a charity fundraiser tonight called The Womanless Beauty Pageant, and I couldn't be more excited about it. One of her work friends' husbands is participating, and the proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I can't wait! At the very least, it should be a riot. 

And finally, for the fifth year in a row, my beloved alma mater is ranked #1 for undergraduate business programs by Bloomberg. To quote Roger Huang, Martin J Gillen Dean of the Mendoza College of Business, "It's a responsibility." To quote the published rankings, "Mendoza Students Really, Really Love Their School." It's true. Congrats, ND!

Hell has frozen over...

 ...and they renamed it Minnesota. 

Guys, it is REALLY cold. Even being a Minnesota native, I can't remember back far enough to remember a time when even a few minutes outside was a: dangerous and b: quite THIS miserable. I'm incredibly spoiled by Jon, who not only dropped me at the door of work yesterday, but also picked me up there at the end of the day...ensuring I only had to be exposed to -50 degree temps for a total of twenty seconds yesterday. He braved the frigid walk to/from the parking ramp not once, not twice, but three times today (went over lunch to make sure his car still started), all to make sure I'd stay warm. Honestly one of the most-appreciated, kindest moves I've ever experienced. 

I've sunk to a new low: I actually wore leggings as pants. Those who know me know that I am vehemently, passionately adamant that leggings/sweatpants, while insanely comfortable, shouldn't be worn in public. Call me old-fashioned, or too sartorially aware for my own good--I've never personally worn them in public. Sunday, however, was a windchill of -20+ (-20-? If it's going lower?) and I had a date with my friends A&A, who are getting married this October, to put my formidable penmanship to good use addressing their save-the-dates. (Their save-the-dates, by the way, are stupid-adorable in every way.) I was super tired, super cold, and super cranky about having to go out in this weather...and I totally wore my UnderArmour fleece-lined cold-gear leggings over to their place. Thanks for not judging me, A&A. I promise it (probably) won't happen again!

Other things that are keeping me warm or making me feel warm and fuzzy these days:

-copious amounts of Green Mountain Gingerbread coffee (via my beloved Keurig)

-SmartWool socks (worn over and under everyyyything, including tights, at work, still. It's more professional to be warm than to get sick from being super cold, after all.)

-This hat and this scarf which I adore beyond all else. Nothing like being able to look moderately fashionable and not freezing off body parts in the process. 

-Knowing there are wonderful people who are helping out those who really need somewhere warm to go these frosty days. 

-Ironic listens to songs like The Virgins's "Love is Colder than Death," Ivan & Alyosha's "Running for Cover," Gold Motel's "Summer House," Passion Pit's "Take A Walk," Kings of Leon's "Sex on Fire," and We Are Twin's "Cold Stone Lips." Get it? Heat? Cold? Summer? Winter? Haha. 

-Laughing with Jon at the "hottest Bachelor season ever" last night. I don't even know if I can hate-watch Juan Pablo's season--it's gonna be AWFUL and I'm not sure it can pull off "awful in a good way" like most seasons do.

Here's to you, hopefully at home snuggled up warm with a hot beverage, or even better, NOT in the death grip of this "polar vortex!"