Currently.

Hello, July and goodbye, June. Here's some things that have been on my mind and going on lately. 

Cupcakes. 
I've been going to an adorable cafe in Providence called the Duck and Bunny with a lot of my friends lately for tea and cupcakes. This is seriously one of the cutest places I've ever been to and so delicious too. I'm obsessed with their honey cupcake with lavender frosting and the vegan dark chocolate, mixed-berry cupcake. I've been there twice in the past month and want to go soon for lunch to try their crepes (and most definitely devour a cupcake). 

Debating renaming.
When I started Living Bittersweetly about a year ago, I really liked the name. It seemed fitting. I liked the idea of bittersweet, two opposing forces that work well together and it describes me pretty well and I still like this idea and the way it sounds but I'm not crazy about the "living" part anymore. I've been thinking about changing the blog name for a while but am not sold on anything yet. Anyone have suggestions?

Seeing.
Rainbows everywhere. Ever since I had to put Penny to sleep I've been seeing a rainbow at least once a week, starting with the day after. I'm not that superstitious or anything but to me it's a sign that she's okay and happy and looking after me.

Studying.
For my driver's permit. I know most people have their licenses the instant they turn 16 but I never took driver's ed in high school because I couldn't afford a car, gas or insurance and it seemed silly to go through all of the things to get a license. Now, I'm getting it so after college I can get to places if I leave Boston and surprisingly a lot of places don't accept state IDs as valid identification..

Freaking out over.
I'm going to be a senior in college in two months time. It's so weird to be that close to finishing school and embarking on real life with a job and an apartment and grownup things.




 

Currently

Reading- This past winter, I was attempting to read House of Leaves and never finished I'm trying to finish it this summer and got further than I did at my last attempt and it's so good I can't wait to finish.
Watching- I'm rewatching Parks and Rec on Netflix. It's so funny and one of my favorite shows.
Obsessed with- iPhone apps. I've had my iPhone since November but am just starting to use some helpful apps regularly for things like tracking positive activities (Lift) and calorie counting (My Fitness Pal).
Doing- Working a ton at both of my jobs. I'm lucky enough to make time for friends and Kris still but a lot of my time is spent at work right now.
Blogging about- I'm starting a new series called "Reasons I Suck at Blogging." I think it's pretty funny and it's just pointing out a couple of things I need to get better at that some of my favorite lifestyle bloggers are amazing at. I'm also going to start making some downloadable, useful things for my readers.
Missing- Penny. We had to put my dog down a few weeks ago and it's hard to be home without her. I miss her so much and am trying to not be sad.

 

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Post Inspiration
Photo

Reasons I Suck at Blogging Vol. 1

One of the things I love seeing on my favorite lifestyle blogs is beautiful food photography. Strangely enough, there is an obvious lack of food on here and on my instagram feed. Why you ask? 

Because of two of my fatal flaws: eternal hunger and impatience. I'm always so impatient, especially for food. When food appears in front of me I need it in my mouth immediately. The sushi in the above photo (along with the four other food photos on my instagram) only exists because instagram was still a novelty and I, like everyone else in the smart phone universe, had the desire to see how my food looked in filters "Amaro" through "Kelvin." Before thoughts of "Nashville" even came to be though, I probably devoured the majority of my food considering there's like less than half of the maki I ordered in this photo because I already ate it. It's a miracle I even remembered iPhone apps were a thing while consuming raw fish. 

Basically, I'm saying I wil always suck as a lifestyle blogger because I never remember to photograph my food until it's in the process of being digested. So maybe this is a reminder to pause a moment and snap a photo or two of an interesting meal or pretty culinary presentation. Or to complain about my lack of patience. Or even poke fun at the trend of food photography on lifestyle blogs. Regardless, it's something that I see a lot of and enjoy and never remember to do.

This series, by the way, isn't supposed to be taken seriously. I don't think someone can actually suck at lifestyle blogging. I also do want to start getting better at i.e. remembering to take photos of food though. So here's to pointing out what I think my blogging flaws are and working on improving them, while being amusing (for myself at least).

Links of the Week

Here's some things that I've been enjoying this week:

Shopping
Sephora + Pantone Universe Brush Set
This $10 necklace from ILY Couture (Living Social Deal until 3/26/13)
Forever 21 Sale

DesignCathie Bleck's "Becoming Human" Catalog
Brighton's Dome's new branding
Beautiful Business Cards
Jay Hafling's Portfolio

Blogging
Emma Chapman's engagement photos via A Beautiful Mess
Currently posts on Sometimes Sweet
Weekly Feminist GIF on Feministing

Reflection on Blogging

I have been blogging here for three days shy of nine months now and lately I've felt a lack of inspiration. I love talking about my day and sharing it with everyone who reads it and I've really loved looking back at pictures of day and me talking about my life. But for the past month or so I've lost my inspiration and motivation to blog.

Like I said, it's been nine months. I should have more than 11 followers. I should have more interesting content. Right? I love reading blogs about people who have perfectly designed homes, beautiful clothes and eat meals with plate presentation. I can't help but compare it to my messy dorm room, my cheap, lackluster wardrobe and the nauseating cafeteria food I survive on. It makes me sad that I no longer love posting my comparatively mundane instagrams of midnight sushi binges and rabbits in the middle of Boston. I don't feel like talking about what I've been reading; no one cares about Baudrillard and Benjamin. No one wants to see my design projects. Right?

Then I recently read a post on Bitch Media, called Better Homes and Bloggers. It's a great article and I highly recommend it. It discusses how the "norm" for lifestyle blogging encourages others to feel as though their lives come up short. And I never wanted it to be about that for me. Yes, I love reading about perfectly planned parties and impractical DIYs but that's just not my life. And I want this to be an authentic space where people enjoy reading about me. And most importantly, I enjoy what I'm doing here and want to look back on it happily.

Hello 2013!

It's hard to believe that I started Living Bittersweetly seven months ago but it's true. I started this blog to have a place to share what I love with the world and have a place to talk about my passions in life. I'd like to think that so far I'm doing  great job and it makes me so happy when I get comments and pageviews (it's really hard to believe that anyone wants to hear about what I have to say)! But these past few months have been fun and I love looking back through my posts to see all I've done. 

Just as I have personal New Years Resolutions, I think my blog should as well. I'd like to focus more on fashion and design on here as they are two things I love and am passionate about. I would love to work in either the design or fashion industry and they are two things I incorporate into my everyday life as a well dressed (I hope) design student. 

So what does this mean?
In addition to all of the posts about my weekends and online shopping obsession, I would like to start doing outfit posts and posting about my design work and my attempts to become a professional in the field. I hope everyone who reads this is as excited as I am to the upcoming new additions to Living Bittersweetly! Happy 2013!

Featured!

This week I was featured at My Sweet and Savory's Meatless Monday for my French Onion Soup Grilled Cheese! Visit My Sweet and Savory for some delicious recipes and for the blog party where you can share your meatless recipes and find new ones.

I''m so excited that I was chosen to be featured on My Sweet and Savory. I love blogging and having my own little piece of the internet to write about my life. I just get so excited when people view my blog and comment, even though I would still love this blog if no one ever looked at it. 

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out My Sweet and Savory!

5 Tips for Redesigning Your Blog

In case you haven't noticed, Living Bittersweetly has gone through quite a big change in design. The original layout was fun but a little confusing. While redoing my blog, I followed a few rules in order to keep the design simple and cohesive. I hope you like the redesign of Living Bittersweetly and these tips help you make your blog look as great as possible.

1. Banner

The new banner is easier to read and keeps the font cohesive with the rest of the blog. When creating a banner, keep in mind that it needs to be simple and readable while still depicting the feel of the blog. 

2. Introduction

My old introduction was barely an introduction. The introduction is a quick way for your readers to learn about you and your blog and decide if they want to keep reading. I emphasized my name, using a different font, as well because it is my personal blog and that way it would stand out among the other text.