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Week Links

Happy Tuesday! I hope you are having a wonderful start to the week. I have spent some time thinking of ideas. Here are some of things that have been on my mind this week and I hope you enjoy them as well! {Image}




The U.S. Women's Soccer pay gap, explained. (I also loved the City Hall speech by Megan Rapinoe. Our office happens to look out over the "Canyon of Heroes" where the ticker tape parades take place and got an amazing view!)

After a full plant highlight on my Instagram, I decided to make a plant and flowers account. Follow @emmasplantsandflowers if you'd like for photos from around the country- I'll be sure to follow back!

For anyone looking for a quality, trendy straw bag on Amazon at a great price, this is the one for you!

After following Mari on Instagram for years, I finally got her postcard set and love it for mail and using the prints to decorate my desk and fridge. 

Kind of random, but my mother and I recently purchased this rug recently for the bunk room we are decorating in Cape Cod and love the way it looked. We are also renting out the top floor apartment if you are looking for the perfect escape!

Weekend Links

Happy Summer Friday! Hope you are having a wonderful start to the weekend. I am looking forward to a spending a lot of time outside in the city and hopefully getting a cliché picnic in Central Park. (P.S. How adorable are these seals?) {Image}


If you have any interest in The Bachelor franchise, I have to shout out this channel and this part one and part two interview with a former producer.


The US Women's Soccer Team have been so much fun to watch this season- a good piece on one of the stars.


Café recommendation of the week if you live in or are visiting New York anytime soon. 

A Guide to Living Beyond Your Means (Without Going Broke)

I will be completely honest- I was a bit of a financial hot mess in college. The combination of a new environment, the temptation of online shopping living in a small town where there were constant trucks delivering the latest L.L. Bean and J.Crew releases to the Bucknell population and having a debit card for the first time was not a good thing for nineteen year old Emma. 

Living in one of the most expensive and tempting cities in the world, I quickly was able to get things under control. One of the most valuable discoveries was The Financial Diet, a website and YouTube channel targeted for millennial women based here in New York. I owe a lot of my financial tips to them. I wanted to break down some of the things that have been helpful living above my means since entering adulthood and wanted to share. In reference to "living beyond my means," I mean utilizing little tricks that allow me to live a higher quality of life for less than market price. 
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Rent | A reality of young adulthood is likely less than ideal living situations. Having rent that is within budget is one of the best ways to reduce financial stress, even if it means adding one more roommate or getting crafty with temporary walls. I also recommend putting the time into decorating and organizing. The more love you put into a place, the more you will enjoy spending time in it. 

Travel | I have found that timing is everything in planning to get dates on the calendar and less expensive travel tickets. Staying with friends and family is a great way to connect with loved ones you might not be able to see as often throughout the year and get a local's perspective on a place! Summed up? More time = more flexibility and options.  

Clothing | I love clothes. I love walking around Madewell aimlessly looking at all of the new scarves, dresses and leather goods. My top two tips are to keep a list of clothes that you need and/or want and either wait for sales or buy items online (or in stores if you're lucky!) second hand. This prevents impulse spending by being able to think about if an item is worth it to you. Ebay is great for a lot of accessories that I tend to buy a bit higher quality under specific brand names (ie: Kate Spade wallet). 

Food | Not the most fun answer, but drinking and eating out less have probably saved thousands of dollars. Cooking can be super daunting to start, but I recommend trying HelloFresh or picking two recipes per week to tackle and make a big batch that can be eaten throughout the week. 

Savings | Automate. 

I also wanted to conclude this post with a very harsh reality that I have learned two years into "the real world"- everyone wishes they had more money. Few people live without worrying about finances. Gratitude is essential, especially in a time in their 20's where it seems like everyone is progressing faster than you. There are always things that we can be grateful for- whether it's not having student loans, the ability to live with family and work (a true privilege for anyone who grew up outside a large city), supportive parents, or a hot meal every day, these opportunities are not given to everyone.  Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Snapshots from Nantucket


Between Memorial Day weekend and starting my new job, I had time to go up to Cape Cod for a week to visit my grandmother and explore. Our family is based out of Woods Hole, and Martha's Vineyard has always been the choice excursion since the ferry is a five minute walk down the street. However, this week we ventured over to Nantucket for a day trip. It was a little chilly, but overall did not disappoint!


Since it was early, we stopped by Downyflake for their amazing $1 donuts! (One of the many cash only places- be prepared to stop by an ATM before your trip!)


We took an Uber from Nantucket to the other side of the island in the 'Sconset area. Be prepared for inflated transportation prices, but we got a wonderfully friendly woman and a ride in a Jeep Wrangler, so worth the trip. I am no expert and really had no plan when we got here, but would recommend going to that area to check out the Bluff Walk, Sankaty, 'Sconset Market and beach. 





We took another Uber to the Sankaty Lighthouse, one of the most photogenic buildings I've ever seen. I made sure to toss two coins over the side of the ferry leaving Brant Point Lighthouse- hoping for many returns to the island and memories to come!


Honest opinion: One of the biggest drawbacks to Nantucket is also it's greatest asset- it's inaccessibility. It's a lot harder (and more costly) to get to than it's Vineyard neighbor. There are only a couple of months of good weather- even in late May, the weather was in the 50's and cloudy. However, from our experience in the offseason, it was very quiet and peaceful, with plenty of charm. Although I would love to check it out in July with the flowers in bloom, in the meantime, will stay over on the Cape Cod side, appreciative of all southern Massachusetts has to offer. 


Twenty-four.

I turned 24 a couple of weeks ago and wanted to cap off 23 in the cheesiest way I know how. I was able to go down to D.C. and convinced my mother to bust out the long forgotten fondue pot from our childhood- to this day there are few things better than a large vat of melted cheese for a meal. This year was a huge period of growth and a lot of life lessons. Here are some of the things that carried me through the past 12 months, and I hope you can find some humor or entertainment from them as well.  {Image}

1. Be on time- you never know what could happen and being early is ideal. Whether intended or not, being late means telling the person that you do not care (and if you are going to be late, let them know as soon as possible). 

2. Dog parks are the happiest, purest places in the world. 

3. You don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but there should always be a level of respect. Additionally, look people in the eye who take your coffee orders. Thank cleaning staff. Know the name of your company’s doormen/doorwomen and mail attendant. 

4. Dresses are god’s gift to humanity- you always look good and essentially are wearing a glorified sack.

5. Never. Stop. Learning. Ever. You should always have an answer to “what is the last book you read?”

6. Take note of the people in your life who are always there when things hit the fan. They are your biggest cheerleaders and will be there through the peaks and pits. 

7. The communities that were made for you in childhood by your parents and at school take a lot of time and effort to create post grad. 

8. One of the most mature things you can do as an adult is own your mistakes, apologize and offer a solution to make things better. 

9. Often when things don't work out, it's the universe pushing you to where you're supposed to be.  

10. Be the person who makes others feel important. Listen when others are talking (still working on this one!). 

11. There will be a lot of relationships that fade out or do not transition to the real world, and that’s ok. It’s no one’s fault, but rather a part of life. However, there is nothing wrong with sending a quick text or DM to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Grandparents are one of the most wonderful gifts in the world- spend as much time as possible with them. 

12. Humor and humility will carry you through every difficult situation in life. 

13. Be generous, whenever you can. 

14. Twenty-two feels really old right out of college, but to the rest of the world, you’re still ridiculously young. However, older generations should still respect you, regardless of your age. Millennials often get a bad rap, and people who use this generation as a scapegoat are often just salty. 

15. AirPods are one of the best inventions of the decade. 

16. Learn a couple great signature recipes- ie: roast chicken, meatballs, an amazing summer dessert.

17. Communication will make or break every relationship in your life. 

18. There is nothing wrong with tuning out the world and getting sucked into a show like The Bachelor- life doesn’t always have to be so serious. 

19. Write every day- even if it’s a brief journal entry. 

20. Showers can be the most creative space- we need to fight the company trying to put TV’s in shower curtains!

21. You eat an elephant one bite at a time- when things get overwhelming, break down the task into little things. Recognize when you are spiraling and get outside. Take a walk. 

22. It’s 9838130928301 times easier to clean a little every day than let it pile up and become a dreaded endeavor. 

23. Find your style and clothes that look good and get them in every color. Quality over quantity comes into play here (especially with limited city apartment storage and closet space). 

24. New York rent is a large chunk of your salary, so take advantage of every opportunity. Applying for Broadway lotteries (you are luckier than you think you are), attending tapings and sitting in interviews will make things a little less painful when the first of the month comes around.