The Good, the Bad, and What's Coming

Looks like I need to dust off some of the cobwebs around here!  But I guess that's how it goes when life happens.  Things have been pretty hectic around here for the last couple of weeks, but now it's starting to get back to normal and I can breathe a big sigh of relief.  My goal going forward is to post weekly updates every Friday, but clearly this week I'm a couple days late.  Master procrastinator over here.  All that being said, here's a little update of what's been going on in Amanda-land.

The Good:

- I bought a new car!  Since being in a wreck and having my previous car totaled, my biggest source of stress has been coordinating calls with insurance, test driving potential new cars and balancing work in between.  I can happily say that all of this has now been settled and I can get back into the swing of things.

- Football season is upon us!  My Louisville Cardinals have already won their first two games and I can't wait for the big conference games coming up.

- We've launched the website for

Bloom Creative Company

!  Chelcey and I are so excited to get this thing off the ground!  We have a fun giveaway going on through the end of the month, so be sure to head on over and get entered.

- I have my bangs back!  Cutting my bangs is my ritual for welcoming fall because every summer I grow them out to pin them back out of the way.  Come September, I'm ready for the swoop again and this year was no exception.

The Bad:

- Every used car salesman in the city has my number, or at least it feels that way since my phone is ringing nonstop.  I probably won't be answering any unknown numbers for a loooong time because I just can't deal with their back-hand guilt-trip sales practices. 

I'm drawing a blank on anything else bad that has happened lately (aside from the car wreck, of course)....that's gotta be a good thing, right?! 

What's Coming:

- This week at work, we have a big acquisition happening which is probably going to mean some later nights for me (or maybe I'll challenge myself to get up when my alarm actually goes off

and get into work earlier.  Hey, it could happen).

- I ordered my dress for the

Maiedae Mixer

in a couple of weeks and I am eagerly anticipating its arrival!  Here's to hoping it fits like a glove because I probably don't have time to find anything else.  I'm a procrastinating queen I tell ya.

I hope you've had a great last couple of weeks and are ready for fall as much as I am!  Might I suggest running out and getting a Pumpkin Spice Latte?  Do it.  Now. 

xoxo,

Amanda  

Confessions of a Girly-Girl Sports Fanatic: College Football Edition

Fall is almost upon us, and I can hardly contain myself.  Well, it's like a month away if you want to get technical, but close enough.  Besides pumpkin everything, fall means football.  College football.  The University of Louisville Cardinals to be exact.  I pride myself on being a die-hard Card, although my extreme girly tendencies might suggest otherwise.  Don't be fooled by the lipstick and curls though, I can hold my own when it comes to sports and cheering on my team. 

Journey with me, if you will, through the thoughts that run through my head on game day...

1.  I am perfectly ok with being a bigger fan than you.  You being the guy.  The guys I have dated in the past, specifically.  For some reason, I end up being with guys who don't know the schedule and roster by heart.  I mean, what gives?  But it's ok, I exude enough fanatic-ness for the both of us.

2.  I know how to keep score and the rules of the game, from first down to touch down and everything in between.  You won't catch me playing dumb for attention.  I'll leave that up to the girl over there asking which one is the quarterback.

3.  Don't be scared if I start to pace the floor and yell at the TV.  That's just my way of controlling my nerves.  I mean come on, the game is on the line here with 3 seconds left, so how can you be so calm?!  Bonus points to me if I can keep the expletives in, but it's probably not gonna happen.

4.  If we can't make it to the game in person, we better go watch it at a bar.  And we better get there a couple hours early to get premium seats.  You know those people who walk into a movie 10 minutes in and wonder why there aren't any good seats?  Yeah, that won't be us.  And if that doesn't happen, I will sit my butt down on the couch and watch it from start to finish, unless I'm up pacing of course.

5.  I am not afraid to accessorize the crap out of a regular U of L t-shirt.  I'm talking statement necklaces, cute cardigans and boots for chilly days, bright red lips and coordinating nails.  A girly-girl can show team spirit too, ya know!

If you find yourself nodding in agreement with some of my confessions, then please, can I get a heck yeah!  Throw up the L too while you're at it (Louisville, duh!). 

For all of the other girly-girl sports fanatics out there, who is your favorite team?

xoxo,

Amanda         

According to Amanda: Budgeting and Saving Tips for the Working Girl

When it comes to budgeting, a lot of people get overwhelmed and don't know what factors to consider, and therefore don't bother to create a budget at all.  You would think that the accountant in me would not let this happen for myself personally, but I will say that I have been guilty of not managing money as closely as I should have in the past.  That's not to say I'm out gallivanting all over town dropping Benjamins like it's nothing, but I was keeping everything in my head.  Now, I do have a pretty stellar memory (they call me a steel trap at work) but I knew that this method wouldn't work forever.  So since moving, I have decided to get down to business and really get a handle on things.  I've got some trips and tricks to share, so that hopefully you'll be able to implement an attainable budget process into your own routine.  

1.

Calculate your monthly take-home pay so you know how much you're working with.

  I know that many employers are on a bi-weekly pay schedule (so 26 paychecks a year).  If this is the case, take your bi-weekly pay x 26 payments, then divide by 12 to get your average monthly rate.  Now in actuality, there are two months when you get the extra check so if your budget is a little more tight, a better method would be to take your bi-weekly pay x 2.  You can check the calendar to see when you get the extra check and add that in at the appropriate time.  Keep in mind, you should use

NET

pay.

2. 

Figure out all recurring monthly expenses. 

This would include rent, utilities, cable/internet, cell phone, car payments, and insurance.  For the most part these would be the same each month, except for utilities which will vary by usage.  This gives you a basis to start with so you know how much up front you will have to pay.  Deduct that from your monthly pay and use this new amount for the next step. 

3.

Consider all other recurring expenses that will fluctuate month to month. 

This would be things like gas/transportation, food/groceries, and entertainment.  I find it best to track how much you spend on these things for a couple months and then get a good average that you will be comfortable budgeting.  For example, I know that I can go about two weeks on a tank of gas in my car, meaning I fill up twice a month on average.  When you consider that it costs around $50 each fill up here, I would budget about $100 for gas a month.  With groceries, I shop weekly and that's usually about $50 a week as well which covers three meals a day.  It will also depend on if you're buying extras like condiments, spices, or things that last a while.  I would consider eating out as a part of entertainment to keep things simpler, since it's more unpredictable as to how many times a week or month you will dine at a restaurant.  Plus, it's typically a social activity with friends or family.  Analyze a couple of months and see how often you go out to eat, go the movies, go to concerts, etc. and come up with a ballpark amount to allocate to entertainment.  It doesn't have to be perfect, but the idea is to give yourself a general outline with numbers you can see.

4.

Decide on an amount you are comfortable setting aside each month for savings. 

You might wonder why I would put savings after entertainment, but the way I see it, it is not worth living a life if you don't allow yourself to have some fun because you're so worried about saving everything.  Of course, you can't go crazy and spend everything left over shopping and buying crap you don't need.  If you have any ounce of self control, you'll be fine with determining a savings amount this way.  You can use a flat percentage each month or look at each month individually and save more when your budget permits it.

5.

 Keep track of it all however you are most comfortable. 

For me, that's with good old fashioned pen and paper.  I'm a color coordinating machine with my highlighters, too.  For others, the best way might be with an app on their smart phone.  If you're feeling really fancy, you might want to try a computer program such as Quicken.  In any regard, however you choose, the point is to get it down in writing so that you can physically see the money coming in and going out.  Having a visual will really help keep you in check and realize how much you are spending.

Other helpful tips:

- Don't worry if some items exceed your budget for any given month.  These numbers aren't meant to be the end all, be all that you can spend.  It's more about having a tool to see where your money is going.

- Don't rely on credit cards, but instead consider it a part of your normal spending.  When I use mine, I factor this into the amount I have allocated in a certain category (usually gas and groceries, yay double points!).  You can really get into trouble if you swipe that little piece of plastic without a second thought.

- Give yourself some wiggle room and try not to live paycheck to paycheck.  This may be something you achieve over time, but it is definitely an important goal to reach.  Obviously certain bills are due at various times through the month, and you don't want to deal with the stress of having to wait to pay for something until you get paid yourself.

- Have liquid savings that are easily accessible in an emergency, and higher interest-bearing savings that are long-term.  A great idea would be to try the weekly savings challenge, where you set aside $1 the first week of the year, $2 the second week, and so on.  At the end of the year, you will have $1,378.  If your financial situation permitted, you could then roll this amount into a long-term investment such as a CD (certificate of deposit) which will earn higher interest, but you can't touch until it matures.

- Look for ways to save money, such as bringing your lunch to work, planning your meals so you don't wander aimlessly in the grocery store, and planning for larger purchases rather than making impulse buys.  See this

post

for other life-organization ideas. 

These tips have been great for me, and I've really been able to see how I'm spending my money.  I encourage you to implement a budget in your life and see how it can help.  If you have any other tips or tricks, I'd love for you to share them below!

xoxo,

Amanda

How to Deal

After reading Chelcey's

post

 about when things don't go according to plan, it really hit home.  I am not a roll-with-the-punches or go-with-the-flow kind of girl.  I'm the girl who asks what time we are meeting up to hang out tomorrow and secretly freaks out when you say "we'll figure it out."  I

like

need to have things planned, preferably so I can jot it down in my Day Designer.  Ok, that may be a bit exaggerated, but you get my point.  I have my spontaneous moments, but for the most part I keep things nice and organized. 

So when I was involved in a car wreck this past weekend, throwing off my weekend plans, you can imagine it was a little difficult for me to handle.  I kept it together the night of the accident, but the next morning I had a minor breakdown.  Blame it on hormones (thank you, mother nature) or the fact that I had just been dealing with some other apartment problems (which had just been fixed), but in that moment I was wondering "why me?"

I don't want to come across as dramatic, because I know I have a lot to be thankful for - that no one was hurt, that I am living in a brand new apartment, that I have a great job and am an independent woman - but dealing with life's blows is something I admit I need to work on.  I'm going to challenge myself to handle these situations better in the future.  I realize that life is not perfect and things will not always happen as I want, so I have to be able to deal with it.  First up with this will be dealing with the aftermath of the accident, waiting to hear what will happen with my car.  If I end up having to get a new one, then I'll make it work and move on from this with a positive outlook.

But it doesn't have to always be the big things either.  I'm terrible about dwelling on the little things that can get me down until something else comes along to take my mind off of it (ahem, salad dressing on my shirt).  Seriously, what a waste of my time and energy to put so much into these thoughts that just ruin my mood. 

So, thank you Chelcey for helping me see the bigger picture.  And I challenge you to do the same, don't sweat the small (or big) stuff.

xoxo,

Amanda  

DIY Eclectic Gallery Wall

I absolutely adore the look of this eclectic gallery wall in my new apartment.  It's the first thing you see when you come in through the front door and just perfect for the space.  The shelves, knick-knacks and wall hangings balance each other out nicely.  Putting this mix together was pretty simple, and I was able to get everything hung and styled one evening after work.  If you want to re-create this look in your own space, keep reading!

You will need:

-

Two shelves of different sizes.

  I bummed these off of my parents since they were lying around in their basement.  If you aren't lucky enough to score shelves this way, I'm sure you could find some at Goodwill.  At the very least, Target would have them new.

-

Knick-knacks for the shelves.

  I used a couple of picture frames, figurines, and a mug used as a vase with some flowers.  Don't worry about having everything be matchy-matchy.  If you have things you've collected over the years, they'll add character and you'll have a story to tell if someone asks about it.

-

Frames/mirrors/letters/wall hangings to go around the shelves.

  Again, use things you have that are special to you.  You can always buy small items to fill in any holes if everything doesn't look quite right laid out.  Open frames are my favorite for this.

How to get the look:

I started by laying the shelves out on the ground in the position I wanted.  The staggered look creates visual interest and allows for things to hang nicely around the shelves.  You can also accommodate items of varying size this way.

Then, I started playing with the arrangement of my wall hangings.  The biggest tip I can give is to imagine that you have a large rectangle you need to fill on the wall.  You don't necessarily have to cover every last inch inside the shape, as long as you have defined the four outer corners.  That will make the gallery look complete and most visually appealing.  Notice with mine, my four corners are completed with the letter, shelf, framed print, and open frame.

Once you have your arrangement ready to go, start by hanging the first shelf.  Luckily for this OCD girl, my shelves hang on a nifty little piece that has a level built in.  However, if you don't have this, just use a piece of painter's tape and a regular level to make sure they hang straight.  As far as picking the initial placement on the wall for the shelf, I really just eyeballed it based on how much room I needed around it.  Also, I knew that since this particular wall wasn't super wide, I would be filling most of the space.  If you have a larger wall, you can always use painter's tape again to mark out your imaginary rectangle and make sure it's centered. 

After the first shelf is hung, add the second one.  From there, I added the pieces that would create the corners so that I could make sure everything was a consistent height.  This was really only three things (framed print, open frame, and letter) since the shelf itself made the bottom right corner.

With your space defined, it's super easy to add in the rest.  I recommend hanging everything first and then decorating the shelves.  You wouldn't want something to fall off of the shelf from the hammering (yes, speaking from experience here). 

I love the versatility of this gallery wall.  It is so easy to switch things up and change the photos, knick-knacks and anything else if you get tired of the look.  You can even add things in for holidays or different seasons.

If you decide to create your own eclectic gallery wall, I'd love to know about how you do it, and what some of your favorite things are to include in it!

xoxo,

Amanda