why it was so hard to let go

marin county, california

After reading this hauntingly relatable post from Meg, I realized something that took me almost a year to consciously understand.

But let me back up a bit.

You may have noticed from previous posts that I'm a highly anxious person. I'm also highly emotional, getting overly excited about things most people might not think twice about (a quality many compliment) but on the other hand getting devastatingly depressed over situations that don't deserve much energy at all.

Though my ex-whatever-sort-of-boyfriend had a lot of not-so-great qualities and we absolutely didn't mesh in more ways than one, he always helped me rationalize. So when he left (don't worry, this wasn't an easy exit; it went on for a good year until it was over, for real), I didn't have that support I had gotten used to; and the irrational meltdowns began once again.

It's funny how none of this made sense to me until this very second. I had no idea why it was so darn hard to let him go... until I read this post. And now it all makes sense.

Five months after the final goodbye, I can help myself rationalize and the meltdowns are few and far between. I guess it's true what they say that dating is a learning experience.

That same guy told me time and time again, "it'll be okay." And it was okay. It was always okay. It was always right. It was just him who wasn't.

quintessentially san francisco

I can't say enough great things about this past weekend. Friday was a night where I really realized just how great my San Francisco girlfriends are. It was a night where being single wasn't so bad after all; it was actually preferred. And it ended at 2 a.m., eating pizza with our Lyft driver. So I really couldn't have asked for more.

Saturday was quintessentially San Francisco: from the misty rainfall and foggy sky to the incredible noms I was able to devour (evidence below), all while catching up with two friends from college. 

Sunday was for relaxing and watching old episodes of Friends and then wrapped up with beers, In n Out and great conversation.

fried balls of mushroom risotto at pizzeria delfina

prosciutto and arugula pizza from delfina

chocolate peanut butter + snickerdoodle ice crem from bi rite creamery

Needless to say, a juice cleanse is in order this week.

Today I'm feeling extra grateful and extra excited. Today, I started my new job. I couldn't feel more confident and ready for this challenge and I'm beyond ecstatic to work for company I truly believe in in, hands down, the best city in the world.  

guest post: avery from some blissful thinking

Today, I have a special treat (literally) from one of my March sponsors, Avery! With our similar outlooks on life and our shared love for food, Avery has quickly become one of my favorite blog friends (plus she's currently a senior at my alma mater...and we all know how much I wish I was still in college).

Anyways, she's an incredible blogger who really writes from the heart. From amazing baking escapades (example below) to heartfelt posts on self-improvement and life in general, I look up to her a lot. I hope you'll head over to her blog for some inspiration... but until then... coffee cake cookies?

Hi. Yes. Please.

---

I am an emotional baker. For me, a cupcake generously topped with cream cheese frosting is often enough to cure the worst of my bad days. A bite into a snickerdoodle makes me feel like I'm wrapped in a warm blanket, and the smell of banana bread baking is all it takes to send me into a nostalgic stupor.

I grew up sitting on the kitchen counter and watching my mom cook. She made dinner for our family every night, from thick pans of lasagna to plates of chicken and big bowls of build-your-own Cobb salad. For special occasions or simply when it was cold and snowy outside and we had nowhere to go, she would bake. I loved these days. I had my own little apron I tied around my waist and a stool to stand on. When I was deemed old enough, my mom would hand me measuring cups and ingredients to add to the bowls, teaching me how to crack an egg and use the hand mixer. My favorite part of the process is sneaking pinches of dough and licking the spoon.

The other night I found myself in a baking mood after perusing Pinterest (when am I not in a baking mood?). I came across these coffee cake cookies and just knew I had to give them a try. These sweet confections pair my favorite Starbucks treat with a traditional sugar cookie which happens to be a combination made in baking heaven. While I am usually one to forego mixes and instead whip my sweets together from scratch, I decided to give the packaged Pilsbury sugar cookie dough a try for times sake.

The result? Well, the plate of warm, cinamon-scented cookies hardly lasted through the night as my roommates (myself included) snuck into the kitchen multiple times for "just one more." I'd love to try them again with from-scratch sugar cookie dough next time. Click here for the recipe.

-Avery

stag's lunchette

As a transplant from Texas/San Diego, the Bay Area hasn't always been home, though it's funny how quickly it's started to feel like that. Recently, I took a little trip to the East Bay to explore Oakland. With coffee shops, beer bars and delicious restaurants on the rise, I knew I'd find something feastly, which is why I wasn't surprised when I decided immediately that I could easily live there (well, if I wasn't so obsessed with San Francisco). 

My friend and I had lunch at Stag's Lunchette, a small eatery in downtown Oakland. With a weekly rotating menu, amazing and unique sandwiches and soup and even some side dishes (brussels sprouts!) I was pretty thrilled. 

Please forgive my crappy iPhone pics. 

mexican grilled chicken sandwich YUM

cheese and broccolini crostini for the vegetarian

an excellent collection of knick knackery

{Stag's Lunchette is located at 362 17th Street in Oakland. }

insta-lately

one: 40s in brown bags with my favorite people

two: lori came to town!

three: a day in oakland; a delicious sandwich

four: pretty sky the day i became employed

Are you on Instagram? 

@AllieSafran