Currently: February 2024

I went down for over a week at the start of February, so I feel like all I’ve been doing is playing catch up. It was so severe that I went to the doctor (*gasp*). I tested negative for all the things, but it was brutal. When I add in all the additional work stress, it’s been a WHOLE month. There’s a poem by E. E. Cummings that encapsulates what it feels like to be an empath and dealing with everything that is affecting my work so deeply.

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Travel Planning:

It’s looking like spring break will be a central Germany trip. We have flights in and out of Frankfurt, and my systemwide upgrade has already cleared on one of them, so I am reluctant to change it. We had a really lovely trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Wurzburg, and Frankfurt in March 2022, so I’m not sure why I’m so reluctant to just finalize the itinerary. There is so much to see and do. I think I’m afraid that if we do it now, we won’t want to do it during Christmas market season, which is my favorite season of the year. That’s dumb because we go back to a lot of places, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. That and my overwhelming desire to go somewhere new.

It is, as my sister would say, an embarrassment of riches to have so many places to go.

Wellness:

With a few more rides than last year under my belt, I am making some progress on Peleton. I bought a heart rate monitor so I can see how I’m actually doing on my rides. I think it makes a difference, at least mentally. It’s a fight to get myself on the bike, but I always feel better once I do it.

One thing that has helped is researching and saving classes. Disney music for a Peleton ride? Don’t mind if I do. Reba McEntire to live out my 10-year-old Sara dreams? Okay, that class was REALLY hard. Taylor Swift? Of course. Viva La Vida by Coldplay? Excellent. If I don’t have a list of go to workouts, I’ll just… get overwhelmed and do something else.

I need to be more intentional about meditation. When I was staying in Houston last week, I had a dental emergency, and my blood pressure almost prevented them from going forward with the procedure. (To be fair, an emergency dental appointment when you are on a work trip in another city will induce high blood pressure…)

Wearing:

Last year, I was asked to be a class model for the Trish McEvoy NorthPark spring masterclass and collection. It was a really fun experience, and I enjoyed playing with make-up. (Fun fact: I’m a former pageant girlie.) I was shocked when I showed up to the masterclass this year, and they just plugged me in as the model. I love the Trish McEvoy So Pretty planner for spring. After the class, I finally purged my make-up down to what I currently use. #Success

My February list is a mix of things I love and things I’m hoping to pick up this year. I bought another Lafayette 148 Greyson shirt from Gilt recently because I love it SO much. My personal shopper helped me find this last year. I love to throw it on with the Gramercy pants and my Chloe flats. (And, because it’s been 70+ degrees outside, sometimes I wear sleeveless sweaters…)

I really do not need a wool blazer. We’ve been fortunate that the weather has been pretty mild, but I just love the colors in this Akris Punto blazer. It would be a fun transition piece if you need a wool blazer. (I don’t.)

I am obsessed with the new Emilia Wickstead Marlen dress. (I am thrilled that more US retailers are carrying the brand.) I think the UK version features a knotted neckline similar to the dress I wore in our 10th anniversary photos, so I like that the US version is slightly different. I am in love with the sky blue color and the style. The same is true about the Tuckernuck Chloe dress that comes in a similar shade of light blue. Ever since I saw this dress last summer, I’ve been in love with the style. I think it’s a great spring piece that can be worn through fall.

I bought a really fun spring cape from Marta Scarampi during her last sale, and I think it would pair really well with these light brown Gramercy pants and a Wolford body suit. I have a pair of Wolford suede leggings that may look good with it, too.

Last but not least, can I make yet another plug for my Sarah Flint block sandals? I walked 45 minutes (3.0 km) through the streets of Paris without blisters and my feet didn’t even hurt the next day. I don’t have another dress shoe that will do that. Her winter sales have been great, so I’m going to encourage you to pick up a pair.

Honestly, I don’t need to do any shopping until I lose some of the weight I’ve put on from work stress. My body image is not great right now.

Photo Editing:

I’ve been going back and forth about what I want to edit and write about next. I decided to go ahead and knock out a post on our most recent stay at the Hilton in Venice over Christmas.

In addition to updating my post about our rooms at Hotel du Louvre, I added a new restaurant to my post about where to eat in Paris. La Forge, in the 19th arrondissement, was recommended by one of our favorite waiters in Paris, and it did not disappoint. Maybe I should write about our latest dinners at Le George. Those definitely did not disappoint. Best splurges in Paris? Perhaps.

I added information about the Tuscan cooking class in Florence that we took with my mom and my sister. Now that I’ve moved my blog over to Kadence, I want to experiment with different post layouts. (Always trying to foster my creativity.)

I am continuing to write a post about why the beaten path is beaten and how we should embrace the beaten paths in our lives. Perhaps that’s what I should focus on. What better way to leave you than with a photo of Venice at Christmas? One of my husband’s favorite beaten paths, and one that we will probably travel down again this year.