weekend happenings

This weekend while J was out golfing with the guys, I finally forced myself to do some of the less-than-exciting projects I've been putting off for the past couple of months...

It may seem ridiculous, but I still haven't unpacked all of our boxes from the move that happened in MAY. More than half of my clothes were piled into a horrible ginormous cardboard box next to the bed. Well NO MORE! Indy and I ventured out onto the thrift store scene and finally found a dresser that i didn't hate, and it was only $70...woo hoo!

I'm still deciding whether or not I want to paint it and add new knobs, but for now my clothes are off the floor and the infamous cardboard box is gone! 

I also finally got into our pantry, cleaned it out, put cute paper down on the shelves and organized our food. This was terrible and boring and a dusty hot mess but its handled and now I'm not scared to open the door anymore ;)

And last, but certainly not least, I was able to make a whole new batch of my homemade essential oil moisturizer, some all natural bug spray, and delicious tangerine/eucalyptus room spray. We go through these things quickly in our household and they make amazing gifts! 

*On a side note, if anyone is interested in trying out my recipes for themselves I am more than happy to ship them to you. I use all natural, organic coconut oil, vitamin E oil, Young Living and Aura Cacia oils. And your second orders are half price if you send me the jar back for a refill ;) I also have sugar scrubs, chapsticks, and body butter that are made to order based on personal preference. 

real estate

   As most of you probably know, I have been a Realtor in North Carolina for 3 years and am currently getting licensed as a broker in Florida. But one could argue that I've been in Real Estate for my entire life. Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by realtors, dragged along to closings, and barraged by information regarding the real estate market in a way that only a person with generations of realtors as family members could be. 

   My grandmother, Marie Austin, started her Real Estate company in her very own living room in 1960. She was ahead of her time in many ways, but especially as a woman in a predominantly male field of work during a time when it was almost completely unheard of for a wife and mother to own a business. However, her dedication to her clients and willingness to go above and beyond for each person, no matter the price tag of their home, their skin color, or where they came from, soon made it known that Marie Austin was a force to be reckoned in the Real Estate market of good old Durham, North Carolina. 

   Well I guess being a Realtor was genetic because my mother, Joan Austin, went to work for the family business (which was going stronger than ever) almost straight out of college! Together, with a group of almost solely female agents, Marie Austin Realty became one of the most well-known and respected realty firms in the triangle. Known for many things, tenacity and kindness included, Marie Austin Realty became the standard for service, quality, & tradition in the real estate market. 

   My mother and grandmother showed me at an early age that women not only belonged, but thrived in the business world. Having such strong female role models as a young girl made me the strong, independent woman I am today. And let me tell you, those Austin women are a force to be reckoned with, especially when you are on the other side of the negotiations...I would know! Growing up, I never in a million years thought I too would follow in their footsteps and become a realtor. But after being convinced to get my license because "it might come in handy one day," I took the course and became a licensed broker in NC. 

   There were times when I wasn't sure that real estate was for me. Living up to such high standards in a community where my grandmother and mother were so well-known was daunting and, as I'm sure anyone will tell you, working in a family business can be a difficult balancing act. But, over the years I have grown to truly appreciate the history behind my family business and the amazing knowledge that has been passed down to me for so many years!

   When I decided to move to Florida with James, it was the single hardest decision that I've ever made in my life for many reasons. Who would leave behind a ready made career and family business that had been handed down after 50+ years of work?? Even I thought I was crazy at times. My family, friends, network, trusted clients and coworkers, all of the wonderful vendors and attorneys and local businesses that I had been working with for my whole career were going to be in NC...

I honestly struggled with this decision for about 6 months before taking the plunge and making the move. I was worried that I was letting my family down. But, if I had learned anything from those strong go-getter women, it was that you should always follow your heart and trust your gut!

   Now, as I work to learn the market down here in Florida and meet new friends and co-workers and clients, I've come to realize that all of the knowledge I learned in Durham has followed me down here and I know now that Real Estate IS what I'm meant to do. I love meeting new people and working to find them the perfect new home! And I love the challenge of marketing a house for my sellers, its become such a game of social media and knowing the ins and outs of your local market, its almost like a giant puzzle that is made specifically for millennials like me ;) There is honestly no better feeling than knowing you have made your clients happy and that through hard work and determination you have helped them through one of the more arduous tasks in life (and become good friends in the process!)

   I know that for the next few years, I will probably not be in any one place for too long. However, real estate is a wonderful job to have while being nomadic. Getting to meet new people, learn about the markets in different places, expand my knowledge of the national real estate trends, and help people find homes all over the country sounds like a pretty great adventure to me! This is a career where you never stop learning and must always be ahead of the curve, so it never gets dull. I know that one day I will end up back in the Bull City carrying on the family tradition of Marie Austin Realty, but until then I am excited to continue helping bring buyers and sellers together right here...wherever here may be!

A little mid-week fashion...

Wake up in the morning. Look through your drawers, your closet, your floor piles (you know what Im talking about!). So many clothes but NOTHING to wear. Its such a silly problem, especially if you're like me and have way too many clothes to start with. But it is a serious pain in the you-know-what trying to get dressed in the morning when its a bajillion degrees outside but negative 40 inside your office!

How is one supposed to look professional while alternating between sweating profusely and getting frostbite??

I'm still not sure I know the answer to that question BUT I have learned a couple of key fashion tricks over the years, namely, the art of layering. Here are some of my favorite outfit ideas that can go from work to play super flawlessly...and help regulate insanely variable weather/temperatures:

Or in other words, all you need is a couple of pairs of fitted slacks in different lengths (preferably grey or black), a black pencil skirt, a couple of fitted blazers (at least one that is only three quarter length in the sleeves so you dont have a heatstroke), work appropriate but comfy shirts (in black, grey and white obvi), and some killer heels. Viola! 

Now, if you are anything like me, you have a closet full of black, white, and grey clothes, with an unnatural number of black and white striped shirts...

case and point...

DO NOT BE ALARMED. These are what we call wardrobe staples and they are perfection. I personally feel like you can never have too many of these articles of clothing. But, that being said, don't be afraid to throw in some color every once in a while to shake it up!

Basically, as long as you are comfortable, not-to-hot, not-to-cold, and no inappropriate body parts are showing, you are good to go! 

All of these outfits and more are on my Fashion Pinterest board, so feel free to check it out and share your ideas too :)

Happy Hump Day!!

Guest Blogger Monday: Indy

Hi everyone! Im super excited to announce that today is the first edition of Guest Blogger Monday woo! My wonderful friend Indy has agreed to be the first guest blogger and i can't wait to share this post with you. Indy is not only one of the funniest people I've met, she's also one of the first friends i made on this move and her compassion, friendship and positive attitude has been one of my favorite parts of Pensacola. She is a yogi, DIY master, navy wife, and awesome friend. I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did :)



I've never been so confused with my idea of home since my recent trip back to the Philippines. Home is really difficult to define for me especially as an immigrant, and now, a military wife. The little house with the big tree inside, next to the church across Ilog Pasig, in Mandaluyong City, Manila, Philippines has always been 'home' to me. The all changed when my family and I immigrated to New York City ten years ago. My grandparents, my aunts and uncles, and my cousins live in the Philippines. It is my heritage and my culture. And I still call it home. My parents decided to leave everything - their career, our house, our home, our family, our lives. They also decided to move to great United States of America. (music cue: Star Spangled Banner) They wanted the American Dream. They wanted their children to go to American colleges. And they've done pretty well so far (I think). I graduated from City University of New York (CUNY), Lehman College with a degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. My brother Don just graduated from CUNY Macaulay Honors College at Baruch College with a degree in Business Administration in Computer Information Systems. My sister Julia is starting her first sememster at CUNY Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College. And my youngest sister is going to be junior at Irvington High School. So, that's 3 out of 4! I'm so proud of my parents! They work so hard to give my siblings and I the best life and to give us the best education. New York will always have a place in my heart. New York is where I graduated high school and college. New York is where I experienced many of my "firsts." New York is where my parents and siblings still live. And I still call it home. As a military wife, it's even more difficult to call any place home. We have moved three times since my husband commissioned as a Naval officer. We live in Florida (for now). We bought our first home here. But guess what?! We are moving again in a few months! (YAY! not!) And oooh, guess what?! We don't know where we are going! The joy of being in a military family. Everything is a surprise! But in all seriousness, unfortunately, the military sends you where they need you. Even though my husband put in a list of places we want to PCS (Permanent Change of Station), we will be sent to wherever he will fill a billet. 
**side note: there are a lot of acronyms in the military! take note! 
I'm not looking forward to packing and moving but I'm really excited about living somewhere new. I like moving because it's an opportunity for me to purge - my junk, and my closet especially. I love seeing new places and discovering new restaurants, walking in new parks and sidewalks. It's intimidating and also challenging. What worries me the most is not having a job. I know with my experience, my skills, and my line of work in the medical field (I'm an audiology assistant), I'll find a job. It's just always a source of anxiety for me, and for any military significant other for that matter. We sacrifice so much to be with our husbands (but that's another post!). 
With that said, the Emerald Coast will always have a place in my heart. Especially with it's beautiful white sand beaches! Even if we are moving in a new months, I will still call it home. I've come to realized that home has nothing to do with structure. Home is where my heart is. Home is where my family is. Home is in my husband's eyes. Home is when my puppies give me nonstop wet kisses. Home is in the footprints of my ancestors. Home is in the memories of the places that have touched my soul. Home is where my path take me. Home is where the Navy sends us. Home is everywhere and nowhere.

http://ithomsen.wix.com/indythomsen

A Little Piece Of Peace

Saturday morning. There are few things better than waking up slowly to the smell of coffee and knowing that there is nothing on the schedule for the day that HAS to be done. 

Unless of course you count going to a book store, studying a little bit for the realtor exam, drinking MORE coffee, and maybe going for a run in the evening...all good things. 

The past couple of weeks there has been a wonderful sense of calm in my life. Maybe it has to do with finally having a job I enjoy, one that challenges me in a good way. Or the fact that it always takes a while to get into the swing of things when you move. Whatever it is, my sleep has been sounder, my days have gone by faster, and I just feel less anxious about things in general (which is rare for me haha). For every big change in life there is an adjustment period, a time when it is easy to doubt yourself, but without these changes it would be impossible to grow and evolve as a person. 

The older I get the more I realize that there are somethings in life that you just can not control, and that your energy is better spent working on the things that you can control and change. Especially now that the Marine Corps is a part of my life through James, Ive learned that everything must be written in pencil and that plans change. Being a person who finds comfort in routine and having control over situations this has been a huge wake up call! But in a way it has been liberating too, because it allows me to (whether I like it or not...) let go of things a bit more and just go with the flow. No perfectly laid plan will ever work out the way you want it to, but there is beauty in challenge and those crazy little life messes that pop up when we least expect it :) 

So, as I sit here drinking coffee out of my Bull City mug and writing this post, I am content with the direction of my life but also excited because I know that everything could change in an instant, and all any one of us can do is be the best version of ourselves that we can be and weather the storms when they come. 

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!