If We Were Having Coffee

Good morning, friends! 

For the most part, my life lately has been looking pretty much the same. Work, write, read, sleep, repeat. But, when I go out and see friends I still find there's things to talk about. So... a quick life update for you!

If we were having coffee... I'd order my usual iced vanilla latte. Or if I have a sweet tooth, some sort of mocha frappachino! However, as September comes closer and closer you know I have my eye out for when the pumpkin spice latte will be released for the season! I know it's slightly early but... I love me some PSL because I'm super basic. I am over the heat and ready for fall! Or at least temperatures in the 70s. 

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about how my family and I are moving - again. We moved into the condo we're in last year, and now we're going to a rented house. The house itself is nice (needs some updating) and we should be able to stay there for awhile, which is great! But, moving is such a pain and while the location isn't bad - it's not my ideal. It's okay though. I'm warming up to the idea and again the house itself is nice. I'm looking forward to setting up my new room and work space.

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about how I'm slightly taking a step back from reading. I finished two or three books right away at the start of the month, but now I've been working on the same book for almost a week! And it's not even that long of a book! (So basically... I'm reading at the same pace as everyone else, haha.) It's weird, but I've been focusing on writing and other things lately. Which, I think is a good thing. Don't get me wrong- I don't expect this to last long. But, it's different.

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about how unhealthy I've been lately. I completely fell off the yoga train, and I don't have an appetite. Then, when I do have an appetite, I end up eating a whole bag of chips and don't have an actual meal. Then, I feel awful about myself. It's not that I need to go on an extreme diet or work out every single day or anything like that. But, I do need to get out of this bad cycle I'm in. 

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about how I'm on a slight social media hiatus. Mostly Twitter and Facebook (I'm having a harder time letting go of Instagram...) because I'm getting closer to completing this draft. If I can get myself to focus, having it done by the end of August is doable. My direct messages for all social media are still open so people can always reach me there, and I might pop in for things like #PitchWars and #ThursdayAesthetic but my hope is to step back so I can focus. At least for the time being. We'll see how long it lasts. 

If we were having coffee... I'd share with you pictures of my niece because I'm that person. She just turned 9 months, has her first tooth, and pulled herself up to standing in her crib! She's just so stinking cute. 

If we were having coffee... I'd gush about how I'm listening to Johnathan from Queer Eye's podcast, "Getting Curious." I'm OBSESSED. I'm listening to all of the episodes where he interviews the other cast members of Queer Eye and I can't wait to get to the rest of them. Basically, each episode he picks something he's curious about and interviews someone who is an expert in that field. I loved the episode about Renaissance Art and now I totally want to go wander around the Art Institute for a few hours. Can all of the guys from Queer Eye just be my BFFs? Cause seriously. They're amazing. 

Honestly, that's about it for me! Life is pretty steady at the moment, and I have a novel to finish. 

How is your life lately? If we were on a coffee date, what would we talk about?

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.

Thoughts On Turning A Year Older

***Author's Note:  I debated on if I should edit/revise this blog post because as I read it back to myself, I realized it was such a "downer." But, I'm not going to, because it's real. I think it still ends on a hopeful note though.***

I had a lovely birthday last week.

It was filled with well-wishes posted on my Facebook, spending time with my family and friends, seeing a musical (Waitress, it was fabulous!), free Starbucks, gifts, great food, and relaxation. I couldn't have asked for more. 

Then once the (in this case, symbolic) confetti falls, the balloons are popped, and the cake is eaten, life returns to normal. 

It happens this way each year. Even as a child you're so excited for your birthday to arrive and you realize that you don't feel all that different at the age of 10 as you did when you were 9. Yet, each year we think it will be different. We'll feel more mature. We'll be smarter than we were before. We'll be more relevant and important. Or we worry we'll be less relevant and not as important as we once were.  We think "this will be the year I..." But not much changes. Not really. The daily routine stays the same and life goes on.

Getting older is a wonderful thing. It's a gift many people do not get to receive, and I am grateful. I lived another year, and from what I can tell I'll live for another one. It's great.

But, I still can't help but feel slightly "ho-hum" about the whole thing. It's not that I don't like my life, who I am, or how I was able to celebrate. It's all wonderful. I know I've accomplished a lot in my life and I'm blessed. As I think about it, I realize as you get older, sometimes it's more difficult to measure said accomplishments and blessings.

When you're a child, you can see your progress. With my niece for example, each month she looks different. She's doing something she hadn't before. She's growing in a new way.

When you get a little older, there's other accomplishments. You finished Kindergarten and now you move onto the 1st grade. You go from elementary school to junior high. You were on the junior varsity team, and now you're on varsity. High school is completed and then you move onto college, a job, the military, etc. You can more easily track your progress in life.

As an adult, those milestones don't come as frequently for many of us. When I think back on my life and where I was when I wrote my birthday post last year, save for my niece being born (which is more of a milestone for my sister and brother-in-law, not me), not a whole lot has changed. A lot of us don't have a lot of change year to year I don't think. Particularly if you aren't getting married and having children. 

Not that I want those things or envy those who do. If I were married right now, it would be to someone who wasn't good for me, nor I for them. If I had a baby right now they would be born into not the most ideal of situations. 

Career-wise though, unless you're getting promotions and new positions each year, that also is difficult to look back and think that you've accomplished something. Perhaps little projects here and there, or a challenge might come up at work you solve, but overall, things stay the same. 

I've never been one for the big "five year plans" or anything like that. I remember in college our professors would ask us about where we saw ourselves in a few years. While, for the most part I did have a vision for what I saw. (Probably working at a church as a youth director, my BFFs on staff with me, either dating someone or married to another church worker.) But, I never wanted to share a concrete "this is what I want" because part of me knew that things change. Your plan doesn't always go the way you think it will and God points you in new directions. 

Well... I did not stick to those plans I had for myself back in college. Thankfully. 

Or when I moved back to Chicago I may have had an idea of "After a year or two I'll be writing full time" or "I'll be working in a bookshop" etc. But, I was open to possibilities and didn't have an exact plan. Just willing to let God lead me where he thought I should go.

Yet, sometimes I wonder if there is some merit to creating those five year plans. Because then maybe at least you would have something you're striving for and as each year passes. You can look back and say "I did X, Y, and Z so I can get to..."

Then again - life changes and you can't always predict where you're going to go. I can proclaim "I will have a book deal by the time I'm..." until I'm blue in the face. But honestly? It's not something I can control. (Traditional publishing takes forever. So even if I were to randomly get a book deal at a certain time, it would still be at least another year until the book hits shelves.) Even goals I create for myself that I can control, don't always work the way I think they will. I planned to have a complete draft of a novel done by spring. Then, major writers block happened, and I switched gears. 

I'm not sure if I'm exactly in a rut. Because when I think about other people in my life we're all somewhat in the same type of situation. Life keeps moving on, even if we don't see the big achievements all of the time. I don't see them as being in a rut - so why would I be?

It's more of being on a straight open path and you keep moving forward.  Like driving from Missouri to Chicago. It's a lot of flat land and not many landmarks. But, you're still moving forward. The only difference is that I'm not 100% sure what my destination is. I have a general idea of where I think I'm going, but there could be a turn ahead that I'm not aware of yet and I'll end up somewhere completely different.

So, I'm not sure where my mind is this year for my birthday. I don't have any particular feelings about getting older. I'm simply here, still living and still moving.

Which even that, is a gift.

---

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee.*

Also, for Harry Potter fans...*

NEW Commemorative 20th Anniversary Harry Potter Paperbacks - Available Now!

*= affiliated link

If We Were Having Coffee

One of my favorite life catch up blog formats is this "if we were having coffee." It's probably because I'm slightly addicted to Starbucks and going on a coffee date is one of my favorite ways to catch up with friends in real life.

Since I can't have coffee with all of you, this will have to do.

No... this post isn't sponsored by Starbucks. 

I WISH. Starbucks, if you want to sponsor me, I'd be MORE than happy to oblidge. Give me all the coffee!

If we were having coffee... if it's in the morning I'm ordering a grande vanilla iced latte. If it's the afternoon I'm going all out and getting a mocha frappachino! Spring has finally arrived in Chicago, and I'm all about enjoying the sunshine and a refreshing cold drink.

If we were having coffee... I'd request we sit outside in the sunshine. There is only a tiny window in the year where it's warm enough to sit outside, but not so warm you're begging for air conditioning. Let's enjoy it while it's here, shall we?

If we were having coffee... I would probably continue to gush about the good weather. I'm not usually one who is overly anxious for spring to come. I don't LOVE the freezing cold, but I can deal. I'm not a huge fan of extreme summer heat, so while I like spring... I just then think that summer is coming. But this year it was even too much for me. Bring on the sunshine!

If we were having coffee... I'd also gush about spring and summer dresses and skirts. I just bought a couple and I love them in place of shorts! They're just so comfortable and even when it's casual, it makes me feel just slightly fancier and more feminine. Nothing beats looking cute while also feeling comfortable.

If we were having coffee... I'd bring up work, because whenever I talk to people for some reason I can't avoid it. Work is on my mind a lot, and I have to let it out sometimes! There's some changes coming soon, and they make me slightly nervous. We're also short staffed at the moment (again) and that makes everything more stressful. Basically, I need a nap and a vacation.

If we were having coffee... I'd share my woes about dating. (Again.) If this was a week ago, I would have talked about how I was feeling hopeful and talking to a couple of seemingly great guys. This week? It's a whole new story. I'm down, frustrated, angry, and disappointed. Every time I think I'm finally up to meeting someone, they turn out to be awful, or plain disappointing, or not who I thought they were.  I'm wondering if I just have terrible taste or don't know how to read the warning signals. I'm also wondering if I need to delete all of the apps and not bother anymore. I'm constantly battling not settling for less than I deserve, while also not having unrealistic expectations. 

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about nostalgia. This past week I went out with some college friends to the neighborhood where we went to school. I rarely go out that way these days and driving down those roads gives me some hard core nostalgia. It's like I'm 21 again! (Which... I graduated 9 years ago. Yikes! I'm old.) We saw students from the school getting ice cream where we were eating and it was weird to think it was so long ago we were in the same shoes getting ready to graduate. I'm also amazed how much my life and relationships have changed since then. I'm surprised by who I've kept in touch with and who I haven't. I'm surprised at how much my personality has changed... but also how it hasn't. If only college me could see me now! I think she'd be pretty shocked and appalled. But, I'm okay with that.

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about how I'm super excited that I finally finished my Chicagoland Vampires book collection. Nerdy, I know. But do you expect anything else from me? I fell IN LOVE with this series about a year or two ago and read all of the books via the library. Since it completed last year, I decided I should own them for myself. As of this week I have all 13 and they fit perfectly on my shelf. They look fabulous!

If we were having coffee... I'd say how I wish I could do things like this more often. It seems like I never have time or opportunities to hang out with friends and relax. I do have relaxation time, but it's usually alone. I miss being more social, but with my odd schedule it's difficult to find time when others are free when I am. I'm not sure what to do about that. 

If we were having coffee... I'd share how I'm attempting to do yoga again. Not every day, but a couple of days a week. I love watching Yoga With Adrienne videos on YouTube, but I'd like to explore more!

If we were having coffee... Going with the "self-care" lines I'd say how I'm also taking more baths lately. It's been YEARS since I've taken a bath, but a month or two ago I did a bath bomb making night with some friends and one of them encouraged me to take more since it'll help with my bones and relaxing all of my sore muscles. At first, it was super weird and awkward. I didn't really know what to do with myself. But, now I've gotten myself a bath pillow, fun bath bombs, and I bring music and a book with me. It's so nice and relaxing! #treatyourself

If we were having coffee... I'd talk about how my niece is already 6 months old! She's getting so big and active. She's even going to be transitioning to "real" food soon which I can't believe! Aunt life is the best.

So, what about you? If we got together for a coffee date, what would you talk about? And more importantly - what's your order? 

---

Also, if you're buying some books - check out this offer (and others) from Barnes and Noble, good May 9-15, 2018! (Yes, it's an affiliated link. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!)

Take 10% Off Your Order with code YESWAY

Like what you read? Consider buying me a coffee. 

Mid-Month Update September 2017

All week I've been trying to think of what I wanted to blog about. I miss the "old days" of blogging where it was all about tags, rambling about life, and sharing random pictures. I think some of the other bloggers I used to follow then feel the same way. Then, something changed. Everyone had to write posts that were "The Top Ten Ways..." or "Let Me Give You Advice About..." or "Listen To Me Talk About This Important Topic." All of those are great. But, I think I kind of got burnt out on it. 

Yet, when I brainstorm what blog posts I want to write, I can't get my mindset out of the "make your post on brand!" Which then leads me to "What is my brand?" and "What is a brand anyway?" I think about how no one wants to hear about my boring life.

But then, I look at my favorite bloggers. The people I've followed for years, the ones who maybe left for awhile then came back, or the ones I stopped reading and have come back to. You want to know what my favorite posts a lot of times are? When they're just about life! 

I saw one of these bloggers, Brittany from Palms and Palmettos, did a "Mid-Month Update" just about things in her life going on at the moment. So, I'm stealing that idea! I have to break this bloggers writers block somehow. 

• My sister had her baby shower this past weekend! My family came in on Saturday and we all went to a White Sox game. (They actually won, which was a happy surprise!) Then on Sunday was the shower. We were running late the entire weekend, but it all turned out well. My sister got SO MUCH STUFF and all of it was adorable. Particularly all of the nerdy onesies I bought. But I might be partial. It's becoming more and more real that she's having a baby and we're all ridiculously excited. Only two more months!

And even more stuff piled up after I took this picture. It was awesome!

• I am beyond ready for fall. I'm not the biggest fan of summer. It's too hot and muggy to want to be outside, but the air conditioning inside is so cold I'm walking around with warm socks and a blanket. Granted, we had a decent summer this year. But when I saw that later this week we might be getting up to the 80s - I was not happy. I've been loving it being in the 50s-mid 70s the last couple of weeks and I want it to stay that way! I haven't even been able to bust out a scarf yet! But, I'm drinking my Pumpkin Spice Lattes like no one's business. At least there's that.

• I've decided that I have far too many friends who live in hurricane areas. This past week has been stressful because NONE of them evacuated and I was freaking out. Which, I fully understand that my stress is NOTHING compared to what people who were living down there actually experienced. But, I vote that everyone I know who lives in hurricane areas come and move up here. Yes, Chicago has terrible winters and gangs galore. But we don't have hurricanes which cover our entire state. So... I say it's a win.

• At the start of the month Sarah J Maas, one of my favorite authors, released the next book in the Throne of Glass series. I'm complete trash for SJM. She definitely has problematic elements in her books, but I love her stories and have connected with her characters and I can't stop reading. And I binge her books like crazy. They can be over 700 pages long and I'll still finish it in a day or two. I have a problem. But anyway, I LOVED her newest book and it dealt with a character who had become parlayed and I was so happy with how she handled it. I thought it showed how much SJM is trying to listen to people's criticisms and she wants to be respectful and thoughtful. AHHHH it makes me happy. I'm so stinking proud of her. So, I posted a full review about it on Goodreads, which is rare for me. The response I've gotten is crazy! It has far more likes than any of my other reviews and I've been getting multiple friend requests each day since I posted it. It's been exciting for me. You can read the review here (and yes, it does have spoilers. Sorry!): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2114999039?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

• I haven't had the chance to sit and write my novel for awhile. Well... that's not entirely true. I have time after work where I can sit and write. But, I'm so tired when I get home my brain can't function anymore. All I do is lay on my bed, watch Netflix, and read. Besides, my desk chair is covered with laundry at the moment and I don't feel like putting my clothes away. How do you all deal with fatigue? Cause it's really putting a cramp in my writing routine.

• Have you noticed how all of these amazing female artists are coming out with new songs lately? Kesha, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, even Aly and AJ! I've been loving all of them. But do you know who I've been LOVING? Demi Lovato. I've never disliked her, but I've never been over enthusiastic about her music. I'll listen to a song, enjoy it, then move on. But OH GOODNESS her new ones I have on repeat and I can't get enough!

So, that's my life at the moment. Nothing outrageously exciting outside of my sister's baby shower. My mom's birthday is coming up though, so my sister and I have to make plans for her now! What's going on in your life? 

Life at 29... +2

There's something about my birthday which makes me motivated to do ALL OF THE THINGS. Like updating my blog, changing how I subscribe to my favorite blogs, and completely redoing my Facebook page. Maybe the thought of getting older makes feel as though I need to be productive and show "YES! I am doing things with my life!"

Who knows? But, here I am, exactly a month after my last blog post, I'm writing again. Which is better than the several months or even a year between blog posts. Progress!

As I was catching up on bloggers I used to follow almost religiously but have fallen by the wayside, I decided that if I do want to blog again, I should maybe give you an update on my life. 

My most recent selfie, taken a couple of days ago when I went to go see The King and I. 

Honestly? My life doesn't look a whole lot different than it did when I blogged regularly. 

I'm still working the front desk at a hotel. I different hotel now, I switched in April, but it's the same corporation and position, just a different location. This one is closer to home and the commute is infinitely better. 

I'm also still living with my parents - which I honestly don't mind. We're helping each other out, and I like that I can be so close to them, and my sister and brother-in-law come by all of the time. It also doesn't hurt that my dog, Bandit, always has someone to keep him company.

Yes, Bandit is still doing well and is as awesome as ever. He's even starting to get along with the cat, Peanut.

Speaking of family - my sister and her husband are expecting their first child! This is the biggest news in my family's life, and we're ridiculously excited. They are finding out the gender today (it's a girl!) and we can't wait. Life has been filled with baby shower planning, visits to Babies R Us, and searching Etsy for the cutest clothes.

I'm still reading an obscene amount of books. I had created a goal to actually read less this year because I wanted more balance to my life so I could spend time with family and friends and work on other things. Since I am currently on my 54th book of the year... I'm not sure how successful I've been in this goal. 

I've been attempting online dating - and it hasn't gone well and recently deleted one of the apps and have felt like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I might do a blog or vlog series on it. We'll see.

Then there's my writing. I completed the third draft of my novel after having to cut thousands upon thousands of words to make it ready to send out to literary agents. In April, I began querying. Which... has been a learning experience. (See my most recent post before this one.) But, I recently found a new critique partner and she and I are working together to figure out what's going wrong with my pages and why agents aren't biting. (And I'm reading and sending feedback on the manuscript she's currently working on.) She's been amazing so far and SO helpful. 

In the meantime, I was trying to work on a new novel to distract myself from all of my literary agent rejections. It worked... kind of. Then, around the time I was getting started at my new hotel, I hit a writing wall. Not writer's block per say, because I had a general idea of what I wanted to write. But I couldn't find the motivation and each time I sat down at the computer I couldn't get myself to put words on the page. 

So, I joined a short story contest. I figured having deadlines, a goal, and short story to work on would give me motivation to just get writing again.

It worked. 

You can read it here: http://shortfictionbreak.com/summer-17/ and find the story "Mixed Drinks by Emily Hornburg." The stories are organized by author last name. It's not the best one of the bunch I'm sure, especially since this was my first attempt at such a short story. (Our limit was 1000 words!) But, it was a good exercise for me and gave me inspiration for other short stories. The winners won't be announced for awhile yet as the judges are still reading all of the submissions, but you can vote for readers choice and read all of them. 

Now, I'm working on my next novel, which is a fairy tale mash-up and I'm excited to finally be making progress on it.

Honestly - that's about it. I'm impressed I was able to find so much to say! I would love to hear what's going on in your life and... maybe it'll be sooner than a month from now when I blog next!

If you want regular updates, check out my Facebook page and/or subscribe by email! The form is at the bottom of the page.