Just Because I Missed This

Hi, party people. I'm coming atcha with a very Carrie Bradshaw-esque stream of consciousness, to only let you down with (likely) no startling conclusion at the end of this. But I've missed this, so here I am with no plans, nothing especially noteworthy to say, just a lil update and a few photos from my January—I hope you like 'em.

I'll jump in with January's highs, lows, and things of note.

HI!

• I spent a full week with my bestie + former roomie Merry in Santa Monica. If you're not aware, I work remotely for an app company called A Color Story, which meant I was able to do my normal work stuff and experience some sunshine, all while getting to know her new neighborhood and routines. I n-e-e-d-e-d this friend time!! We also happened to sit next to Conan at dinner one night, so that was pretty fun.
• Not exactly a January thing, but Austin and I approached our 2022 goals (individual and shared) with more strategy than previous years, and I'm appreciating them as a way to stay grounded during the winter months.

LO!

• A low with many silver linings: Many of my closest contacts came down with The Sickness (you know the one) while I was in California, meaning I couldn't go HOME-home without exposing myself. Lots to be thankful for—everybody experienced mild symptoms and is now fully back to work and life per usual. Also very thankful to have a sister-in-law who is a gem of a friend, and let me take refuge in a familiar space. You might recognize those walls from our former loft. 🥰
• Not a low, per se, but not a high. Can you have decision fatigue about decisions you haven't yet started to make? Those are my current feelings regarding our upcoming kitchen reno.

ETC!

This section contains a variety of things I've been reading, listening to, and [contemplating] adding to my cart.

• This article about how female scammers became the accidental antiheroes of the girlboss era from Refinery29. I'll read anything about Elizabeth Holmes, ha.
• "Talking While Black" by This American Life was the last podcast I saved. Highly recommend giving it a listen.
• The winter weather has me asking myself, "can I bring back Uggs, like in the 2022 way?" My Gen-Z friend said I can, but it's very possible that she was just being nice to me. [This is not an official Kaylinn Clotfelter endorsement].
• I've been eyeing some pull on flare pants like these from Anthro for months, and I found some similar at a local boutique when I was in CA, yay!

That's all for now. Wishing you all peace, sparks of creativity, and people who both refresh you and offer refuge in 2022. Thanks for being here on this quiet winter evening. ❤️

xo, Ana

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A New Thing I'm Trying for My 2021 Goals

Did you make New Year's goals for 2021? I know a lot of people didn't this year, and, trust me, I get it. Making it through this pandemic is certainly a worthy goal without adding any extras on top.

Personally, goals are my teeny, positive distractions from covid. Since there's little I can control about these circumstances, I've kept my annual tradition of setting goals with Austin as a reminder that I can still set a hopeful trajectory for my life.

And I'm trying a new thing with my goals this year! Which may be pretty obvious to anyone who's better than me at goal-setting, ha. But this year, I'm committing to revisiting them monthly. Too often in the past, I've written my goals on or around the New Year, and then reviewed them in December like I was opening up a fortune cookie to see what it said.

By reviewing them more frequently, I can even decide monthly if a goal is still worth pursuing or not. No shame in changing your mind about what you want to work toward!

By looking over my January 1st goals at the beginning of February, I've already noticed I'm baaaaarely succeeding at my 2021 goals of having better morning and nighttime routines, which is something I still want to work toward. On the flip-side, I did a good job of decluttering in January, and we're almost completely finished with our front living room. (hooray!)

I don't know if I'll share monthly updates on my personal goals, but I'm excited to review them and see how far I've come throughout the year. Sending you all the warm, hot chocolate, hot soup, hot-anything-vibes as it is COLD out there. xo!

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What 2020 Taught Me

Hiiii, remember me?! 

I went into 2020 expecting a very normal year where I was going to bake bread, just for fun. Then the world closed down, everyone learned to bake bread, and I didn’t even have the energy to do that. For all of us, 2020 was heavy and disorienting. But I’m thankful for a new year, a clean slate, and the promise of a hopeful tomorrow.

The number one lesson 2020 taught me is to appreciate the little things. Of course, I’m thankful for HUGE things in my life, like health, family, a job I love, etc. But when a year like this removes a lot of the small, everyday routines in life, I’ve learned to chase the tiny joys harder and appreciate the new:

• the satisfaction from placing the final piece of a puzzle
• challenging how many times I can flip the same vinyl without feeling sick of it
• walks around my neighborhood have become an anchor I didn’t know I needed
• the happy + sad feeling from finishing an addictive tv series
• sitting around a fire during a snowfall was just as magical as it sounds
• the shared intimacy of facing a tough year with people I love

Ironically, the one project I did keep up with in 2020 was recording 1 second of (nearly) every day of the year. I went into 2020 thinking this would be a fun hobby, without having any clue that it would become my personal time capsule for a year the world was turned upside-down.

 

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Some days from 2020 feel bigger than others — the day we left the office to work from home, knowing barely anything about what a pandemic was. Easter at home. My best friend’s wedding. Biden winning the election. Thanksgiving and Christmas, to name a few.

But recording 1 second a day gave equal time and priority to every day of 2020, and it’s a good reminder that the bulk of our lives happen in the small moments between each big event.

Sending you so much love + well wishes for 2021, savoring the little things, especially as we face the (hopefully!) final days of this pandemic.

xoxo

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