Hello, loves! Thank you for your incredibly supportive words. Your comments reminded me why I fell in love with blogging: there is a great community of women out there when they support one another.

Life’s pace hasn’t slowed down whatsoever this week, and these are the sounds, scents, sips, snacks and sights that have helped me power through it all.

This week’s…

Sounds
Only Way to Be Alone, Good Old War

Soviet Kitsch, Regina Spektor

Strange Clouds, B.o.B. (Source)

Scents:
Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer (I seriously smell like it for hours and hours afterward)

Arquiste Flor y Canto (From this month’s Birchbox! It’s dreamy.)

Sips:
Yogi Green Tea Rejuvenation

Low-sodium V8 + 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Barefoot Moscato (A coworker of mine graciously gifted me a bottle— just in time, ya know?) (Source)

Snacks:
Cold, plain slices of tempeh dipped into TJ’s roasted garlic hummus

Jalapeño Popchips (These have been a favorite around the whole office!)

Overnight oats (1 C plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 sliced banana, 1/4 C oats, cinnamon, stevia, peanut butter)

Sights:
Glee kids do it right (I’m slightly embarrassed to admit I still watch it, but the music! The drama! The dreams!)

Gisele’s ass-tastic Vogue Paris cover

Dark Shadows (I had zero expectations walking into it and left loving it. Bella Heathcote is captivating, too.)(Source)

Ciao for now,

Kailey

Question: What are some of your favorite sounds, scents, sips, snacks and sights this week?

I’m just going to cut to the chase. Rip it off like a Band-Aid. I’m going to be the only thing I know how to be on this blog: candid.

Your girl is now single. It’s strange, it’s freeing, it’s sad, it’s new and it’s private. Even though I’d like to be entirely open and I write about/analyze relationships for work, I’m going to keep this more about me than anything else, out of respect.

To fall into a relationship just as you’re graduating college is a tricky thing. My instinct was to go for it; my heart followed. And then two years later, I found myself not pursuing the things I’d dreamed of conquering my whole life. I was (am) pissed at myself for that.

While any breakup comes with pain, the decision was the right one. DM and I ended things as amicably as possible. I still love him, respect him and want only the best for him.

As for me, I feel like myself again. It’s wild. I am making plans to move forward in my life— things I haven’t let myself consider for a long time. These “things” will reveal themselves over the next few months, and I am pumped about that.

In the meantime, I’ll be listening to hours of hip hop, working, working out like mad, reconnecting with my friends and sending out moody/philosophical tweets.

Ciao for now,

Kailey

What do you do when everything is changing?

You go out. You surround yourself with friends. You dine with your family. You thank God for the people in your life. You laugh at yourself. 

Rocked that Sean John.

And the cryptic posts will keep on rolling in until I find the words. In the meantime, why is my camera’s flash so overexposed?!

Hoping your weekend was everything you wished it would be!

Ciao for now,

Kailey

Hi, friends! It’s been a nutty week full of ups, downs and hilarity. Here are some things I’ve been digging this week throughout it all.

This week’s…

Sounds:
Take Care, Drake (every day, every week)

Xanadu, Original Broadway Cast (kind of hysterical)

Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes 

Scents:
Prada Candy

Capri Blue Jar Candle Citrine

C. Booth Ginger and Coriander Energy Body Cream

Sips:
Black coffee (always)

Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness

Absolut Grapevine (Source)

Snacks:
Honey Nut Chex

Uncle Eddie’s Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chobani and sliced banana

Sights:
New Girl season finale (ended exactly the way I hoped it would! TOO good!)

SatC Season 2

Diane Kruger in Prada at the 2012 Met Ball 

That’s all loves!

Ciao for now,

Kailey

Question: What are some of your favorite sounds, scents, sips, snacks and sights this week? 

In a word: incredible. (Source)

On Friday, I headed down to Louisville for another Maxim event— this time, the Kentucky Derby. What we expected to be just a muggy night of mingling at the party turned into an extraordinary evening of posing on the red carpet and chatting with hundreds of people. It may have been an even better time than the Superbowl. (OK, it was!)

The next day, I went from the red carpet to my roots. I spent the remainder of the weekend with my whole family to celebrate my cousin’s graduation. I loved every moment of it. It was a pivotal weekend for me, showing me what I want to achieve and what’s truly important to me.

My brain is fried at the moment (working on very little sleep here), so I’m keeping this update short. I hope your weekend was fabulous as well!

Ciao for now,

Kailey

Don’t just tell me, show me.

Actions speak louder than words.

The superior (wo)man is modest in his (/her) speech, but exceeds in his (/her) actions. 

I have a bad habit of dreaming constantly, talking a big game and then never following through. I promise posts I never write, but want to write. I talk about wanting or needing to sleep more, but never do. I dream of living in California (or New York or Charleston or Miami or could I even be a Boulder girl?) and am convinced I will some day, but fall short on making sure it happens.

There’s thinking about doing something, talking about doing something and then actually doing something. I’m a pro at the first two and I fall short on the last. My thoughts and words don’t mean a whole lot until I put them into action.

It’s been on my mind a lot lately because at work, it’s something we train to. We hand women a huge opportunity, but it’s up to them to make it happen. I think, “Am I the woman who would flail around, thinking she’s going to do something but not actually doing it? Or would I go all out and take action immediately?” Some things in life I’m great at immediately taking action. An audition at 6 p.m.? I’m there. Having to be photo-ready by Friday? I’m up for the challenge. Need a draft of a booklet by 3 p.m.? Let’s do it! It’s the larger things I tend to let fall to the wayside. Anything that takes a huge amount of planning ahead bogs me down. I’d rather live in my daydreams of it. Until I don’t.

I’m inspired by people who not only dream, but take action. Take one of my closest friends, Alyssa, for example. She, like millions of others, has a bucket list. Unlike millions of others, though, Alyssa actually crosses off the things on that bucket list. And they’re not all easy tasks. She not only writes about wanting to write a book, but she also chips away at her book proposal every week, if not every day. It’s not about daring to dream. It’s about daring to do.

At the end of April, I felt a strong call to action. Not any particular action, just to get sh!t done. In one day, I booked a gynecologist appointment (OK, that was more out of necessity— it’s been a year), set up a photo shoot, asked a friend to help me create a demo reel and followed up on booking a modeling job, even though I was afraid my persistant following-up would be annoying. I’m tired of letting my grand plans get lost in the shuffle of the day-to-day, or— dare I say it— get lost in my own laziness. It’s time for some action.

Hello, strangers! I am in disbelief that my blogging has been spotty in April— I don’t like that. But when I recall that this has been the busiest month of all at work, I get it. Who wants to read half-baked posts of a fried brain? Not I.

As you can imagine, working around the clock took its toll on my mental stability, my health and my relationship. When I had time to talk to DM, I barely had anything to say. All I could talk about was work. SNOOZE. In addition to little communication, we had to cancel a weekend visit because of work conflicts.

So when DM came to town this past Friday, we were overdue for quality time. Here’s a little LDR tip: If you and your significant other haven’t seen each other in weeks (months, etc.), don’t make your first activity together something that involves lots of people or friends. It needs to be just the two of you— give yourselves time to reconnect and fall back into a rhythm. Every time DM and I have reunited on a Friday and immediately gone out or met up with friends, we’ve had a tiff. That one-on-one time is imperative to getting on the same page, laughing together and remembering what that chemistry is like in person, not just on the phone.

On Friday, that’s exactly what DM and I did: had uninterrupted one-on-one time at McCormick & Schmick’s. He drank Ketel on the rocks; I drank Patron and soda. We caught up while feasting.

So bad it's good.

We started with shrimp kisses, which were shrimp stuffed with pepper jack cheese, wrapped in bacon and fried until crispy. I know. The best thing I’ve ever eaten.

Next up, we shared lobster bisque. Our server, Byron, brought out a bowl that had a stack of lobster, crab and buttery croutons in the center. He then poured the broth around it.We should have just stopped while we were ahead. The lobster bisque was perfect in every way. And I was stuffed already. But……there was mahi mahi served over a crab-potato hash to be had. You gotta do what you gotta do, you know?

After this crucial one-on-one time (I’m really using this as a euphemism for “date night” because I can’t stand that terminology), DM and I went on to have a lovely time with his friends at a wine bar. Overall, the night was quietly wonderful. It was all just a warm-up for Saturday night.

Ciao for now,

Kailey

Last Saturday, after working for six hours at the office, the crew and I decided we deserved a break. A delicious, satiating break.

Most of my coworkers live in an entirely different, slightly younger area of Cincinnati. Because they experience entirely different restaurants on their side of town, I said, “I’ll go wherever!” Twenty minutes later, I found myself outside the most fluorescent restaurant I’ve ever seen. We’d arrived at Terry’s Turf Club.

We were greeted by an 18-year-old dude with serious sales swagger. He showed us to the bar, where we waited for a table. I ordered a black currant elixir, which was simply black currant juice mixed with vodka. As I told the bartender my name for my tab, he said, “Are you foreign? You must be. I knew from those beady eyes.” Um, OK. There’s a first for everything…

It was only after we were seated that I figured out Terry’s Turf Club was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. I always feel kind of dweeby eating at a restaurant that’s been on a t.v. show, but I did see Guy Fieri at the Super Bowl. And I geeked out.

I took a glance at the menu and was completely overwhelmed. Our waitress was kind enough to walk me through it. I decided to go the non-burger route, and ordered a mahi sandwich with gouda and mango tequila jalapeno sauce.

We then waited, sipped drinks, gabbed about relationships. (Fact: Spending all your time at work will cause a kerfuffle or two.)Soon enough, happiness arrived. When food is this good, it doesn’t matter that it’s served on a paper plate.

The mahi was fat, perfectly juicy and tender. Topped with a thick slice of always-good gouda and sweet-spicy mango jalapeno sauce, this was nothing short of succulent. I’m sorry if that word creeps you out, but it’s the only word to describe this. Also, heaven. And the FRIES. Crispy on the outside, puffy on the inside.

After a week of sleeping five hours per night, writing and editing in every hour other than those five and subsisting on caffeine snacks, this was the soul-satisfying meal I needed. It was as though my whole entire body sighed with relief.

And then we got in trouble for talking about R-rated things in a family establishment. That was our cue to head to a bar.

Ciao for now,

Kailey

Question: Are there any restaurants in your area that have been on t.v. or are highly publicized (NYC readers…I know)? Does it live up to the hype? My answer is a resounding yes when it comes to Terry’s.

Hello, hello! It’s a good thing that before I headed into the craziest week of my career thus far, I had a weekend of college proportions.

My absolute best friend in the entire world, Muffin, flew into Columbus from NYC on Friday the 13th for a reunion weekend. We wasted no time once arriving in Athens. Tunes up, curling and straightening irons on, drinks poured. Ready.

TTG, trained to go, shawty.

The progression (regression) throughout one hour was notable.

The inner divas reared their heads.

To…

Mean muggin' in no time.

In every bar we visited, we heard one “cultish, chant-like song” (hilarious description), We Are Young. The irony of 18-22 year olds (and myself) singing every word of We Are Young with vigor was laughable but wonderful.

The next morning, I felt like the bottom of a shoe. For the love of all things good! I was in pain. How, how, did I do this three nights a week in 2010? HOW?

I practically fell face-first into a pile of tortilla chips at 2 p.m., when we summoned a scant ounce of energy.

Casa Lopez in my face.

Muffin, DM and I dined luxuriously at hole-in-the-wall Casa Lopez. It’s the best.

Huevos rancheros in the spiciest ranchero sauce.

Muffin and I then spent the rest of the day watching mindless t.v. and eating gummy bears. Basically, it was a perfect afternoon.

In the evening, we prepped for an alumni event at which we stayed for only 30 minutes. Whatever. You leave when people shake their heads at your totally not-too-short shorts.

What do we have to say? Deal with it!

And we feasted, round two.

Bar food: salad, pizza, fried pickles, pretzel bites, bread sticks. And I said, "Hell yeah, hell yeah, hell yeah." #HYFR

Yuengling.

Of course, things went from sweet to rowdy again.

Cute, right?

The girls:

Girls, girls, girls.

Into the wee hours of the night, we danced, talked page layout, got emotional about fonts, and took penis colada shots.

You can't see that sign and NOT try.

My love. She brings out the best in me.

The next morning, we felt fantastic. We’d done what we set out to do: have a flipping blast. We chatted about the weekend’s happenings over brunch.

Gigantic pancakes at Casa Nueva.

Afterward, we trotted around uptown, searching for “hippie jewelry” and anything interesting.

Banana and her pup, Lily One, are identical.

It was the best weekend of 2012 thus far. I felt alive and like my old self…and then I had the first 80-plus-hour workweek of my life. It figured. Work hard, play hard. We are young anyway, right?

Ciao for now,

Kailey

Question: How are YOU?! What’s been a big highlight in your life lately? 

This is what happens when you work 80-plus hours in one week.

You go from caring about your appearance and being able to pull yourself together…

(I STILL have to tell you about that weekend!)

…to this:

I have some waxing to tend to. My 'stache matches the shadows under mah eyes.

But you know what? I’ve laughed more this past week than I have in a long time. I felt good about what I was accomplishing with the rest of the crew. I got to know people I never would have if it weren’t for this project. Any of my previously held schedules were completely turned on their heads. Also, what does exercise feel like? I forget.

We’ve all written, read, and/or edited hundreds— possibly thousands— of pages of content. I’m anxious to see how it will all come together as a final product, and I love that.

But I miss y’all and I can’t wait to blog again this week. As soon as my brain returns…

Ciao for now,

Kailey