March was the busiest month that I’ve had in a very long time. It was a whirlwind that I barely remember. So much happened in March. We decided that we we would move from Seattle to the NYC area. I quit my day job. We sold or gave away 99% of our possessions. My mom flew out from the East Coast so that she could drive the frugs across the country (shipping dogs, especially smooshies is about as complex as it sounds). We bought a one way ticket to Newark and flew out (all of this happened in less than two weeks). We flew in on a Thursday morning and apartment shopped for a couple of days. We signed a lease on a little place in Jersey City on Sunday. David started work on Monday morning. Yep, that was March. It was crazy.
I now live in the bottom apartment of a drafty old Victorian in Jersey City, New Jersey. I have no furniture or kitchen utensils. We slept on an air mattress until our mattress was delivered (still without a bed frame). My current living condition is rough but it gets better daily. At least now I have a mattress, my perfumes and my books. My furniture should be in by May. I mean, look at me, I’m blogging. Life is getting back to “normal”.
It’s taken some adjustment but that’s mainly because my routine is different and that I lack a lot of the basic comforts like having a sofa (omfg, I can’t wait to get a sofa). I keep telling myself this is all temporary. And it is. Otherwise, we’re settling nicely. We have supportive friends and neighbors. And oddly enough the space we have here is larger than what we had in Seattle. I’m still figuring out transit, the best places to buy groceries, etc. These are the things we always have to relearn when we move, even without the same city.
There are things that I miss already. Let me rephrase that, people. I miss my friends but I’m planning a visit to Seattle in April and I’m sure they’ll come out and see me too.
Here are my favorites from March 2015:
Wearing (fragrance) – Believe it or not, nothing. I had packed it all up.
Summary – Moving sucks. And I stressed packed so nothing made sense.
Wearing (cosmetics, etc.) – I left Seattle and it felt like spring. I arrive to New York and it felt like winter. This had me craving my usual bare eye makeup/dark lipstick combo. So, I ended up wearing Black Radiance Lipstick in Panther (actually a really “Serge Lutens”-ish shade) and Physician’s Formula Matte Eyeshadow in Canyon Classics. And I’m all about thick, bushy brows. I actually stopped waxing/threading.
Summary – I’m ready for spring. Again.
Wearing (clothes) – Oh, you know the few things I had in a suitcase… I was a dumbass and only packed two thin leather jackets, black jeans, Dr. Martens and slub t-shirts. I froze my ass off in New Jersey. I was actually wearing two leather jackets on top of each other. So pitiful. I wanted gloves so badly but none were to be found. All of the Northeast was literally freezing and all of the stores are selling bikinis and linen shorts in the colors of Easter eggs.
Summary – Merchandisers and buyers drive me bonkers. It’s not like if you put this stuff in your store that the seasons will automatically change. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. We wish it would. But, it doesn’t.
Using (skincare) – The same ole stuff. I’m waiting for the prescription goods to “kick in”. My skin is really dry here. So, I bought CeraVe and that helps.
Summary – My skin is peeling and that’s not cute. It f’n sucks to have skin issues flare up when I’m a grown-up.
Eating/Drinking – Being without a kitchen for 75% of the month, we ate out a lot. Which in theory, sounds great but it gets old. I can’t wait to actually cook in my kitchen. Also, Jersey City is like the sandwich capitol of the world.
Summary – When I’m without a stove, I start to crave weird stuff like cornbread and red beans and rice. Those comfort foods…
Listening – Stuff like House of LaDosha and Juliana Huxatable. I guess not too far off from anything else I’ve been listening to the past few months.
Summary – Speaking of, I want this shirt so bad but it’s sold out. Add this to my list of life frustrations.
Watching – Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Summary – No time to be distracted in March.
Reading – I started to reread “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt. I didn’t get very far. The only time I had the time to read was while I was on the plane.
Summary – I can’t wait to get the luxury of time back.
Wanting – Furniture. And my frugs. It sure won’t feel like home until I get these two things.
Summary – I seriously have no furniture and it’s miserable. And because I have no furniture my mom says I’m not fit enough to have my “kids” back.¹
What were your favorites for March? Did you do anything inspiring? Go anywhere inspiring? Eat anything inspiring?
¹This sounds insane but I actually worry that the frugs won’t want to live with us in New Jersey as they are being spoiled rotten by their bubbe. They get to sleep on people beds (wasn’t allowed in Casa d’EauMG). They get treated all the time with stuff like beef ears and baby carrots. They go to fancy groomers and take car rides daily. They go jogging everyday and have constant contact with people. They’re going to think that Jersey City blows in comparison, lol.
*Jersey City pic is mine. Chanel bottle from leboudoirdemademoisellem.tumblr.com. Miranda Kerr pic from glossmenagerie.com. T-shirt from James Perse. CeraVe from drugstore.com. Cuban sandwich from La Conguita in Jersey City. Juliana Huxtable from wsj.com. TV from ourstage.com. Donna Tartt from AnotherMag.com. Moxi pic is mine.
March was quite nice. We went to a friend’s wedding and visited Point Reyes National Seashore. I got a nice tiny break between school quarters. Currently preparing for my own move but much more local, finally moving in with my boyfriend, but my main worry getting my cat adjusted to new surroundings.
That sounds great 🙂
Congrats! Hopefully it will all go smoothly. Pets will surprise you. They’re more adaptable than we often give them credit for. Hopefully, kitty will easily transition. They usually “act out” for a short amount of time (a few days, a few weeks) but they get used to it.
What a month eh?! So much happening 🙂
I’m a sucker for bushy brows too, Jennifer Connelly is my brow inspo.
Dry scaley face here too, come the cooler month I’m drenching my face in creams and oils.
I love The Secret History in a weird way, I despised all of the characters but there’s just something so cool, weird and dark about it. I would love to see it made into a movie.
I hope you get your furniture and frugs back soon 🙂
Jennifer Connelly has the best brows. What sucks is that at one time in my life, I had those. But it was the 90’s and thin Kate Moss style brows were in 🙁
I’m so crocodile-ish. The CeraVe helps and I’ve been using that Paula’s Choice oil that is really gentle. Now I just need to figure out something that works for my hair. I need a really good deep conditioner.
Same. So I thought if I reread, I could understand why I hated them so much. It’s funny when you read something from years ago and then reread. Sometimes I feel the same, sometimes I change my opinion or at least gain some sympathy. It would be a great movie.
Hopefully by May!
Conditioner wise I really liked the Dermorganic argan treatment masque (I think that’s what it’s called) instead of using it as a hair mask I used it as a conditioner. Pretty moisturising/smoothing without making my thick/dry hair limp.
I saw that while I was waiting in line today at the drugstore but didn’t want to get out of line, lol. Right now I’m using something labeled as a hair mask whenever I wash. My hair needs it.
You have so much hair and it looks so healthy. Whatever you are using/doing is really working! Sure there’s some good genetics too 🙂
Seattle definitely has more of a temperate climate than New Jersey for sure. I can attest to that having lived in Jersey all my life, so be aware we have cold winters and hot humid summers when are building your wardrobe. I hope your place has air conditioning. I can’t imagine moving in just two weeks. Once you get your furniture it will feel more like home. CeraVe has got me through most of my dry skin issues. It seems to maintain my skin’s condition so my eczema doesn’t return.
I’m from the South so I know that I can technically survive a summer but I have no clue how to get through winter. I don’t even know how to dress for snow/freezing.
I can’t wait to get the furniture. This will make it feel like a house and not some crash pad. Hopefully, it’ll all be in by May. I do have a desk and desk chair now!
CeraVe is saving my skin. I don’t know if it’s weather or stress (or both) but for the first time since I was a teenage, I got eczema patches on my arms again. One week of CeraVe and my skin is under control. My dermatologist recommends it and I see exactly why.
Well congratulations on the move – that takes guts. I have done a few coast-to-coast spontaneous moves and even though they were whirlwinds of activity I never did it in such a short time as you. It must be mind-boggling.
I know things are dreary still back east but once Spring really kicks in it will be magnificent and worth waiting for.
I don’t have anything to contribute to March faves but I do want to agree with you on the preference for a more fuller, natural-looking brow. I think I have seen too many super-arched, super sculpted brows and I feel like I have ODed on them.
It’s never easy. Even with planning, it can be rather difficult.
I can’t wait for spring #2! I’ve never experienced a NE spring before. I already bought some allergy meds. I have a feeling it’s going to mess with my sinuses.
I agree. I personally over did my brows for so long. I like that look but I’m personally tired of it on me. I’m ready to try something different.
I’m happy to hear things are going relatively smoothly. The frugs will be so happy to finally see you again all that other stuff won’t matter.
Welcome to the east coast!
It gets more comfortable every day.
I really, really miss them. Today I was out and I swear, I saw like 30 Frenchies today. It was like the universe was taunting me. Anyway, they are being well taken care of and honestly I think the chaos that we are (and lived in) would have really stressed them out more than not being with us. Frink is soo funny about stuff. He can’t stand for us to move things, lol.
Thanks! I’ve also seen more poodles here than I ever did on the West Coast! Very popular breed here? And I love it because I love seeing them.
Glad to see you starting to get back into blogging! I always look forward to your posts. I just ordered the AhHA foot creme. I hope that your dogs are able to come home soon.i’ve never moved with dogs, but cats have a definite spazzy period to moving.
The brand recommends to do a “test” of the cream since some people are sensitive to AHA. I find that my thick callouses are fine with it but it’s something I wouldn’t use on more tender skin.
Spazzy is how I’d describe the dogs too. They’ve moved 3-4 times with us now (can’t remember, at least 3 times). They adapt really easy but they act weird for a few days, like “spooked”.
I feel for you. Moving to a new part of the country can be so challenging. But, gosh, I think you must live very close to where my son lived until recently (Wayne Street). Have you been to the Japanese rice ball restaurant, Koro Koro? I love it. Also the pizza restaurant Razza. And, perhaps this is obvious, the farm to table restaurant Thirty Acres. (Also on Jersey Avenue is the most hipster barbershop in the face of the earth with a bulldog in the window who sits on his own couch and a dress shop that is only open some very weird hours–those places made me laugh–though I tried so hard to go to the dress shop.)
Your dogs will love taking long walks in Liberty Park!
I love Koro Koro!
We ended up in The Heights because oddly enough, it seems to be the only neighborhood in JC and Hoboken that will allow one to have two dogs. Or at least the only place we could find open right now. We would have preferred Paulus Hook area but, hey, have to go with what’s available.
We’re still getting familiar with stuff and finding restaurants, etc. I left for Seattle and came back here and trees have blossoms on them. That’s nice!
You had quite a month! Lovely post! Thanks! <3