My Ultimate Playlist

Monday, November 30, 2015

I don't know why these songs get me like they do...but they do.

This list includes my current all-time favorite song: Come on Eileen.  That changing tempo and repetition of "Too-ra-loo-ra" have me jumping out of my seat no matter where I am.  Sometimes, though, it's best not to delve too deep into the meaning of these songs...especially with Come on Eileen.

10 Books That Changed Me

Friday, November 20, 2015

Hi my name is Jen and I read books.  All the time.  Non-stop.  People scream fire centimeters from my face while I'm reading and I can't hear them.  I am long gone in whatever world is currently unfolding in between the pages my hands so carefully hold.

These books below are ones I got lost in from the very first page.  Their words still influence me; I can quote from most of them without batting an eye. They all seemed to fall into my hands in exactly the moment and time I needed them.  Reading each one of these was like discovering the magic of books for the very first time.  The worst thing about these books was finishing them.

What I Would Tell My 17 Year Old Self

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Thanks to Facebook's ingenious On This Day app, I am reminded of many awkward and uncomfortable connections I made spanning the ten years I have been using the site.  From what I gather, the best term for me over these past ten years is dork.  A huge dork.

However, if I could go back and reach out to that seventeen year old girl I'd shake her by the shoulders and give her some of the following advice:

Life With Grandpa

Monday, November 16, 2015


For almost three years, my grandfather was my roomie.  And it was glorious.  Every day was truly full of laughs.  Most nights, Grandpa would flip between a sporting event or some Big Bang Theory or Blue Bloods rerun while I worked on the day's crossword (I miss you Newsday!!) or some of the freelance resume work I had leftover.  In nicer weather, we would sit out on the front steps and Grandpa would talk about the neighborhood or any other random thought that came into his head.  It was always the perfect ending to any day.

Feeling a little lonesome for my favorite housemate after briefly seeing him this weekend, I tracked down a few of the amazing things my Grandpa has said during my time spent with him and made a list.  Because I think he's funny and they still make me laugh.

Pittsburgh Bucket List

Friday, November 13, 2015


Since moving back, I've been frustrated with the lack of things to do.  Leaving New York is rough.  There is so much available to you, you don't have to look very hard to find it. Pittsburgh, on the other hand, is an enigma I'm ready to crack.  Plus, I'm just not the suburban girl I thought I was.  I like grass and a backyard, but I'd trade it in for some concrete if it meant I was in walking distance of any type of Ethnic food restaurant, period.  A real one, not a chain.  No, Chipotle, you do not count.

Happy Singles' Day

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

This morning I received a text message from my, very quickly becoming, new best friend Megan.  Macy's shot her an e-mail congratulating her on Singles' Day (11/11) and inviting her to join in on the sales celebrating the holiday.  Is this the Valentine's Day for single people?  If there's chocolate involved, does that mean tomorrow it will all be half-priced?  These are important questions I need answered.

As the concept of Singles' Day isn't wholly American (it's a Chinese tradition, mostly boosting online shopping sales), it's a bit of an unwanted reminder.  Just as Valentine's Day is.  I can buy chocolate/clothes/electronics any day of the year.  Do I really need a holiday based on my relationship status to make these things available to me?

When I started my new job, one of my co-workers cornered me in the kitchen and asked for all the good gossip I could share about myself.  I laughed and asked her what she wanted to know.  Was I married? she asked.  I quickly responded no, which she followed up by asking if I had any children.  Again, no.  "Well, that's all I wanted to know, really."  And she walked away.

Why Going to Work on Mondays Should Be Abolished

Monday, November 9, 2015

1. Because I could have done all of this online shopping I'm doing from my desk in my bed.

I Don't Know What I'm Talking About

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

When I started this blog, I thought it would be my way to revolutionize the existing blogs I already saw.  Instead of promoting How-To-Hairdo's, I'd create How-To-Volunteer posts.  In some small way, I'd be making an effort to foster positivism and encouraging a world that develops core values around the inner self rather than the outer self.

But that's not 100% me.  I am a very negative personality.  I can find the worst in anything, don't challenge me.  Centering a blog around something that feels fake is the opposite of what I was trying to create. I couldn't get posts out and I abandoned far more ideas than I started.  I began to feel demotivated and, for the most part, stopped writing.

So all I'm saying is, I don't know what I'm talking about, but I want to be talking and maybe along the way I'll find my voice.

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