Category — Inspiration

Yesterday was tough. Really tough. I spent the day in the hospital, pretty unexpectedly (I had about two days notice plus a few less than great bloodwork results).  I’m okay now, I promise.  A bit defeated, maybe a bit more shaken than before, but I’m used to this. I’ve had a surgery and at least one major procedure every year of the first three years of my marriage.  I’m actually bizarrely chipper once I’m in the hospital – this time, post piña colada on IV drip, I waved like a prom queen and said goodbye to every staff member on the floor.  I’m so unbelievably grateful for my family and husband.  Everyone in my family has gone above and beyond; even my sister read me Harry Potter last night … (Which, by the way, I have never read!  I’m a weirdo.)  I could not do this without them.

And I know sometimes love seems tough, but it’s so worth it. I love my husband in a way that almost hurts. We’ve been together more than a decade, we met and began dating as kids, but to this day, I miss him when he’s gone (and we’re barely apart, so I’m talking the hours before he’s home from work.) Yesterday he had to run to the lab to finish last minute details for his thesis, because in addition to moving into a new apartment on Tuesday, surgery on Wednesday, recovery today, attempts at unpacking our new apartment, packing for Europe, and getting all of my own posts and legal work done before next Wednesday when we get on a plane headed for a trip I won to London, the day we get back hubby starts rotations so his PhD work has to be done before our trip.  To say this week has been crazy is an understatement.

Ahhh, yes, to the point: last night, hubby shows up to my parents house, where I basically spent my afternoon post-hospital buried in blankets, with six bags of frozen yogurt and toppings.  I could have burst with excitement, pride, and so much love.  (I really really really like frozen yogurt … in a big way.)

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I know things get tough, and crazy scary sometimes, but it’s the people around you that back you up, make you tougher, make you smile, and feed you endless frozen yogurt.

In the next two-and-a-half weeks I have to move into a new apartment, get all of my work done and lined up for the two weeks I’ll be out of town after that, and then as a reward, I fly to Europe.  I’m totally in a panic.  Nothing is ready.  My health has hit a bump in the road.  Our house is only half (okay that’s a stretch, I’ll give myself one-third) in boxes.  The goal is to have movers show up at our doorstep next Monday, but I am nowhere near ready for that.  The movers may be at our doorstep, my hair in a messy ponytail, pillows scattered across the floor, boxes still needing heavy duty tape, no one to watch the dog, and forgive me, but likely the ugliest pair of sweatpants I own (i.e., the ones I vow to never pack, to wear only on moving day, to throw out immediately upon move-in at new place, only to throw them in a bin for their reemergence at our next move in day), a.k.a., my worst nightmare.  And boy do we have plenty of moving to do.  Not that I’m complaining; I dove in headfirst to the married life of an MD/PhD’s spouse (and he really is the best); from what I hear, we still have years of hospital hopping (and city hopping to go with that).  And I planned the big apartment move just before our European Adventure – which was sort of unavoidable with hubs starting rotations two days after we get back from said vacation.  I’m a masochist.  What can I say?

But you know what — my organized-meets-disorganized chaos … it kind of works for me.  Actually, it really works for me.  I organize and plan and make lists, and then as the weeks and days to the events near, I run around like a crazy person, forgetting to put on mascara or match my pants to my top.  But in the end, it all sort of falls into place.  Obviously not without some hiccups, but life’s hiccups are what make us better, stronger, and a whole lot funnier.  And I am sometimes a mess.  And sometimes I don’t brush my hair.  So far, so good.

How do you keep it all together?  Especially when your “to do” list is miles long and all of your “planning” is not very helpful at all?

Creative executive and tastemaker, Aerin Lauder of Estée Lauder has the kind of Manhattan Headquarters most of us can only dream of (and pull plenty of inspiration from.)  The ultra chic setting is the base of her new home-furnishings- and-fashion company, Aerin.  As for the inspiration for her own lush new office space, “I grew up around color,” says Lauder, who has worked at the company her grandparents founded for the past 20 years. “{Her Grandmother} Estée always loved color—living with it, wearing it, entertaining with it—so I’ve never been afraid of it. I’ve always embraced it.”

Be sure to check out all of the fabulous details on Architectural Digest.

And get Aerin’s Stylized Office Look:

Images via Architectural Digest + World of Aerin

Why yes, I am referencing Jersey Shore. It’s not my fault really … for the awful show-quoting. It’s Pauly-D. I love him. His hair is just so … spiky.  Sorry, it’s Tuesday, I’m slap-happy.  Riiight, back to fashion.

I’ve never really been a t-shirt kind of girl. I loathed field trip days in school because it meant I had to wear the fill-in-the-blank ugly school color du jour t-shirt, and I was convinced I looked like box of cereal in them. I used to cut off the necks and roll up the sleeves and pout. But lately, every fashion-forward subject of street style photogs seems to be sporting a classic t-shirt, and I’ll admit it – I’m kind of into it.  That doesn’t mean I won’t gussy mine up – a chic blazer and fur-stole-topped t-shirt sounds much more my type.  (And if you just want to try out the trend without breaking the bank on a t-shirt, Old Navy has some adorable graphic tees right now – really loving this one, this one, and this one.)  Or just raid your brother’s closet.

Images: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7