Purpose

I realized yesterday that this blog (in it's 13 post lifespan) has already deviated quite a bit from its original purpose.

Many of the blogs I read are focused on fashion and style and I think that has rubbed off on here quite a bit. Not that there is anything wrong with that and I'm sure it will continue to some extent.

However, in starting this blog my goal was to chronicle my post-college adventures and what life is really like for a 20-something who is entering the real world. I'm not quite sure how to go about doing that and I am 100% sure this blog will ultimately end up being a little bit of everything that I am but I would like to try and achieve that goal at least a little more going forward.

xoxo, Elena

Week in Review

Wow, it has been a whirlwind of a week! It definitely does not feel like it's been a whole week since I last wrote. I guess time flies when you're having fun...and are crazy busy.

Valentine's day and last weekend were wonderful; I spent a lot of time at home catching up on laundry, TV shows and the Olympics. Also got to get in a few rides on my horse which was wonderful.

This past week has been really insanely busy and stressful at work. Usually I really thrive in that type of environment but the projects I am working on now have no creative outlet (lots of plugging numbers and filling out forms), makes me very excited about taking my next steps come May!

What work feels like lately

I'm really excited about pursuing my career in Marketing and expanding my creativity. I've also spent some time this past week helping a family friend design a brochure, website and business cards for her new business. This is not something I have done before but it was really enjoyable and I hope to take on more similar projects.

Also, I've been plugging along with WhoWhatWear's 30-day Wardrobe Challenge which has been making me think more creatively about my wardrobe and how I dress; something I always enjoy but don't often make time for.

Swapped out my giant purse for a clutch. Makes life seem a lot simpler!

This weekend I am planning to do some organization of my make-up and beauty products (in addition to watching the Olympics, obviously). I seem to have acquired quite a bit recently and haven't even had time to decide what I like and don't like. My goal is to come up with a streamlined beauty program to follow at least semi-consistently.

LOVE this!

xoxo,
Elena

Valentine's Day Inspiration

I know Valentine's day is just a Hallmark holiday but I still always enjoy a day filled with reminders of love. My hubby surprised me at lunch today with flowers and chocolate covered strawberries which was so sweet and wonderful. Tonight we are spending a quiet night at home probably watching the Valentine's episode of The Inbetweeners, can't go wrong there!

Lazy Weekends

I don't know about you but there is almost nothing I love more than a lazy weekend at home. This past weekend I didn't even leave the house to go to the barn! Generally a perfect weekend for me includes snuggling with my husband, playing fetch with Sirius in our front yard, spending some quality time with my horses and catching up on some reading/crafting/tv.


I caught a pretty bad cold last week and it hit me the worst on Saturday so I actually spent most of the day in bed, either sleeping or watching Season 2 of Revenge. That show is so addictive! I just wish the episodes were slightly shorter as I usually get bored part-way through.



Sunday I was feeling a bit better and was thinking about going to the barn but decided to stay home another day to really try to kick the illness. I ended up spending almost all of the day on the couch alternating between watching the Olympics and reading my book (currently reading Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card, highly recommend). I honestly wish I could spend every day doing just that. I don't even follow the Winter Olympics much but I somehow got caught up in {almost} every event I watched, sorry cross-country skiing...

Gracie Gold skated a flawless routine and credited Phil Jackson's book for inspiration, definitely a fave for me!

While the weekend didn't leave me super excited to be going back to work I definitely felt rejuvinated and looking forward to the next one! {I've already checked to see what Olympics events will be on for Saturday}

Making Plans

I have some very big news to share with you all.

I have hinted at this but it wasn't official until this afternoon so I didn't want to share yet...I have just officially given notice at my job. This was a difficult decision for me because their are many aspects of my job that I really enjoy but, overall, it is not what I want a career in and therefore, not the right fit for me. I have decided to go back to school to get a Master's in Marketing which is a field I have been interested in since I graduated from UCSB.

For the immediate future, my plans are to stay at my current job until the end of April, spend May in the UK spectating at Badminton, looking at a couple schools, interning at Rapanui Clothing and meeting my new niece or nephew. I will spend the first half of June traveling with George before coming home to plan out my next steps but they will either involve doing some temp work or finding an entry-level Marketing position in SB.

I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few months about where I want to be short-term and long-term and I've decided that although going back to school might take be away from where I want to be in the short-term, it will definitely set me up for more success in the long-term.

Here's to more adventures!

xoxo, Elena

Shopping Problems

Well, I did it again guys. I felt so good about my limited shopping on Friday but then I won one of the Super Bowl pots over the weekend and cancelled a trip to Vegas and had a few not-so-great days and saw some great items on sale on Hautelook and...you get the picture.

I did get one more item from my shopping list, a new pair of brown riding style boots. The ones I currently have are about 7 years old and have been through thick and thin with me. I obviously get a lot of use out of them so I feel like the purchase was a good investment.

I also got a cute sweater and some works pants. I actually carefully sifted through what was in my cart and cut it down pretty drastically.

Even though I feel fine with these last purchases I also feel like I want to continue to be very careful about my spending. I booked a very exciting plane ticket yesterday for a trip I really need to save for. So, new goal...no more shopping until May! And lots of closet weeding out. I honestly don't think I'll have much trouble with this goal but we shall see how it goes!