Life

a new year resolution – 2024
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a new year resolution – 2024

i started this year with no idea that i would find my way back to art. my new year resolution for 2023 was to listen to my own needs. no longer would i burn myself out to keep others afloat. i would rest when I needed it, ask for help without shame, and acknowledge and accommodate my struggles rather than hide them. in january, i started with a neurodivergent aware therapist. in january, i began working with an hEDS aware pilates studio and instructor. i slowed down tremendously this year, purposefully. things have been extremely difficult for myself and those…

Plan Another Day is Here to Stay
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Plan Another Day is Here to Stay

It’s hard to believe, but I’ve had my own tiny corner of the internet for over a decade. I’ve made a few changes over time (new platform, new branding, new focus) but at the core has always been me. My interests have fueled my online presence, and as those interests changed, so did my direction, eventually forming into Plan Another Day. This site, along with @plananotherday across social media, is where I’ve felt the most at home, even as I’ve struggled with content over the last couple years. I’ve had no lack of ideas. I have notebooks full of ideas,…

Getting an Autism Diagnosis in Adulthood
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Getting an Autism Diagnosis in Adulthood

2020 was a lot. So many things have happened, it’s been hard to keep from sinking. With everything that’s transpired, one thing, above all, has been life changing. I received an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. At 30 years old, I finally have understanding into my entire life experience thus far. What does Autism mean? I must admit, my prior view of autism was extremely limited and ableist. There were people, mostly boys, who were clearly autistic, stereotypically so, and I wouldn’t have put myself into the same category as them. I blame this narrow view on societal prejudices and media…

Our PDX Wedding
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Our PDX Wedding

It’s been a year since I married my best friend here in the city we’ve fallen in love with and are so happy to call home. How time passed so quickly, I’m not entirely sure, but here we are in a new spring season with all kinds of new adventures behind us and before us. I wanted to take some time to walk through the day as I remember it a year later. It was easy to say, from our perspective, that everything went according to plan. That was mostly thanks to an amazing group of people who helped pull…

30 Before 30
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30 Before 30

My 29th birthday was last week. I both don’t feel almost thirty, which only a few years ago felt so old to me, and don’t feel like I’m really a twenty-something anymore. Most of my twenties were about change: working through and finishing college, starting new jobs, moving to new cities, dynamic relationships, meeting new people, finding and re-finding myself.  Now I can feel things slowing. I see changes in the future, but with so much less uncertainty. I feel more stability and intention. Facing my thirties, I feel a totally different excitement than I did facing my twenties, but…

Wedding Planning – Getting Started
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Wedding Planning – Getting Started

The last few months have been a bit of a whirlwind for me. So many changes in such a short amount of time. My favorite change of them all? An engagement (beach, stars, very romantic) to my best friend and partner in life (soon to be for the rest of my life!). With an engagement comes the planning of a wedding, and since I’m all about planning, I didn’t waste my time diving in. But since I’ve never planned a wedding before, I needed to figure out where to start. There are so many free resources online, but they all…

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Shopping when Petite

I spent a lot of time last month searching for the perfect raincoat since I knew I was unprepared for the rainy days ahead. All I had was a black anorak from Target that was a size too small and, while it said water-resistant on the tag, got soaked through pretty quick. But shopping for petite sizes is really tough. I still don’t understand why so few styles are made in petite sizes when the average American woman is 5’4″.  That has to mean there’s a bunch of us under the 5’3″ that is the cutoff for petite sizing, right?…

Budgeting Bloggers Q3 2016
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Budgeting Bloggers Q3 2016

I admit it, I spent way too much this quarter. As far as budgeting bloggers is concerned, I threw my budget into the wind, decided it didn’t exist, and did whatever I wanted. Not good for my wallet, but also not the worst thing ever. Let me explain: Before I left my job earlier this year, I set aside quite a bit of money. I put together an emergency fund that should sustain me for about 6 months if everything in my life falls apart. That’s not getting touched. I also put aside some spending money. I knew life was going to be…

Falling for Fall
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Falling for Fall

I know we have a few days left until autumn is truly here, but it sure feels like summer just called it quits here in Portland. A rainy weekend and a forecast that shows cloudy skies and cooler weather have me ready to snuggle up and fully embrace this fall thing. Now, maybe the weather isn’t the most exciting thing to talk about, but remember that I grew up in the desert. There are really only two seasons in the desert: hot and grab a jacket. If you look outside the window from your climate controlled house, you usually can’t tell…

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Whole30 Wrap-Up

At the end of June I made the decision to start the Whole30, a challenge that I knew wasn’t to be taken lightly. Whole30 is a temporary exclusion diet meant to reset your system by removing any foods that have the potential to cause inflammation or any other negative effects, so that when you reintroduce those foods you have a better understanding of what your body doesn’t agree with. I’ll be honest, my motivation wasn’t so much about figuring out what wasn’t agreeing with me as it was doing a sugar-reset. I had been in the habit of eating lots…

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Budgeting Bloggers Q2 2016

With June being over, we are officially over half way through the year. It’s a great time to reassess plans and budgets that were made (or make new ones!), since things change over the course of a year. I’ll be honest, I didn’t really set myself a strict budget for anything this year. We’ve been pretty lax to being particular about our spending, especially with a big move and so many changes taking place. But now that we are pretty settled into our routine, we’ve reassessed our finances, and are re-establishing a budget. Moving forward I’ll have $100 to spend each month…

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Another Evening Stroll

I’m in love with Portland. That much can be said without much hesitation. The weather is enjoyable, the greenery is breathtaking, and the people are so friendly. It’s really feeling like I’ve made it home. Our pup seems to enjoy it here as well. We both enjoy evening walks. We aren’t quite used to the sun going down at 9pm at this time of year, but it makes for more time to explore. We come across so many interesting and beautiful things just minutes from where we live. One of my favorite things this spring (since I guess it isn’t…

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Budgeting Bloggers April & May 2016

Even though I track my spending by the quarter, I thought I’d do a little check-in with one month left. My goal was not to spend anything in April, but with a $40 rewards card and a 20% off my entire purchase coupon, I headed off to Loft Outlet and did a little shopping anyway. For less than $50 I ended up with 5 new additions to my wardrobe, all of which have gotten more wear in the last month than anything else in my closet. After that trip I didn’t head to a store again until a couple weeks…

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Rainy Days and Fashion Faves

Southern California has been hit with a few cloudy, rainy days, and it is lovely! Especially since it was in the high 90’s just two days ago. I recently bought this trench coat (listed in my Q1 recap here), and I honestly thought I was not going to have the opportunity to wear it anytime soon. This coat is from ASOS’s petite section and wasn’t as expensive as most other trenches go for. I love the look, and really love that I don’t have to make any alterations to it! ASOS’s free returns also gave me the opportunity to try a…

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Springtime

A big challenge for me right now is figuring out how to dress for the spring weather without having the restrictions of strict work clothes requirements. It’s awesome that I no longer have to wear jeans every single day, but I’m also not entirely sure what to wear either. I really love this outfit, but I decided to wear it on a super windy day. I guess jeans may have been a better option after all. top: h&m // skirt: asos // shoes: nordstrom rack