A-Z | Get To Know Me

For the last full week of #CHYtober, I wanted to do some sort of Get To Know Me type post. I was thinking of a Q&A post but that didn't quite work out this time, so perhaps in the future. Instead, I'm going to do this TAG which I've seen around the blogisphere - most recently I saw this on Nicole's blog (The Glam Surge). I don't know about you guys, but I always love getting to know the blogger behind the blog. I hope you do too and enjoy reading / getting to know me a little bit better!

ALLERGIES | I am allergic to all fruits (sadly) and can never eat them. They aren't deathly, they just make my throat and skin itchy and it's a discomfort I'd rather not experience. Kiwis are the worst of them all, and I still remember when my friends made me a green smoothie - guess what the secret ingredient was.

BOYFRIEND | My boyfriend and I were actually just talking about this the other day, but we've known each other for 15+ years now. And Facebook just informed us that we've been 'FB Friends' for 8 years. I feel old. We went to elementary school together and ended up going to the same college. He was the boy I had a crush on when I was in 3rd grade. You know how the story goes...

CINDY | This is my name (duh) and how did my parents decide to name me? Well, I was named after a Disney princess. By my older brother.. LOL. *Note to self - never ask a toddler what to name their future sibling.* Can you guess which one? Hint - the one with the glass slippers (obviously).

DRIVING | In the US you can get your license at 16. Most of my friends had their learner's permits by 15 1/2 and their licenses by 16/17. My parents made me wait and I got it the day I turned 18. 2 years doesn't seem like a big difference but it definitely was - I always had to rely on someone to take me somewhere. I live in the suburbs and there is no such thing as public transportation. And everything is miles apart so walking is just not an option. But in turn, I ended up loving driving and enjoy long drives. (As long as there isn't traffic).

EXERCISE | Tbh, people don't associate me with exercise. Truly - when I tell my friends I exercised it's usually followed by shock and laughter haha. I got away with not exercising when I was younger because I did a lot of sports and thus had a high metabolism. That metabolism has definitely slowed down and I need to make more of a conscious effort to exercise for my health. I'm trying to fit it into my lifestyle and have been taking classes twice a week for the past month. And I'm actually really enjoying it! I'm currently taking some strength training / endurance classes right now and they're totally kicking my butt. But really, I love taking barre classes (think pilates meets ballet) - these classes tone everything. 

FRENCH BULLDOG | I am obsessed with frenchies. I saw an IG post that said "I care deeply for about 7 people in my life and about 50 dogs on Instagram that I've never met." Never have there been truer words to sum up my life. (There are more than 7, but you get the gist.) My boyfriend accepts my frenchie obsession and understands that we will own one in the future (he's a keeper). Send me frenchie links/gifs/accounts - I will love you forever.

GMA LYFE | If you know me in real life, you'll know I'm quite an old soul. Others can try and say they're a grandma, but no - I am a true grandma. I live in a shell and I love staying in, curling up in bed, and sleeping early. Even when I travel I travel like an old person. I wake up early, I do touristy things, take photos of everything, and sleep early. I've come to terms that I'm introverted and I'm totally fine with it. (Sometimes tho I wonder if I'm an outgoing introvert.) I'd much prefer to stay in and read blogs rather than be out getting pushed around in a sweaty crowd at a club or bar. I'll go out occasionally, but I'll usually team up with my bf so we can go home early (#oldmarriedcouple). 

HOSPITALS | I hate hospitals, and I know a lot of people probably do too. But after being sick last year and having to be hospitalized for a week, I've grown to actually detest hospitals (and actually a lot of doctors). It was by far one of the worst experiences of my life and I wish it on no one else. I get a bit anxious in hospitals now and will stay as clear as I can from them.

ITTY BITTY TITTY COMMITTEE | LOL sorry guys, I had to. I know people say grass is always greener on the other side - girls with smaller chests want more, and girls with larger chests want less. There's pros and cons to both sides, but as someone in my mid-20s, I'm glad to be part of my itty-bitty side now. Reasons why? I get to wear bralettes, I can go bra-free in a body-con dress, and best of all - I don't have back pain. Love your body for how it is!

JUNE | This is my birthday month and such a good placement in the middle of the year. I was spoiled growing up as I never had school on my birthday. Life is a little more meh now that I have to work on it - forever sad. Although this past year it was on a weekend - so win.

KAYAK | When I was younger I used to go camping with my family up north in California and the camp was placed was along a river. While at the camp we would go kayaking and it was always so much fun. I took some friends there last year and it was still fun! It's a great workout too, extremely relaxing, and fingers crossed that I'll be able to kayak the next time I go to Europe! 

LIPSTICK | I am a lipstick fiend. I have far too many for one person and they are my forever weakness. I'd much rather be bare-lipped with maybe a hint of balm, but I still can't say no to a new shiny lip product. It's a problem.

MAP | One fun thing I saw from Urban Outfitters years ago was a peel off map - peel off each new place that you've visited. I didn't actually get one but I have a mental map of the world and my hope is that one day I'll have covered most of it. My goal is to see as much in the world as I can and I've been doing a pretty great job in the past few years. Cure your wanderlust and just travel. 

NAP | Ok, I love naps. And in college I abused naps - I probably napped every day for at least one hour. I'm also incapable of power napping, I basically sleep. A 3-hr nap is nothing out of the norm for me. (My bf knows this all too well.) 

ORTHODONTICS | I lost all my teeth by 2nd grade and got braces on in 4th grade. I had my braces off by the beginning of 7th grade when some of my classmates were still actually losing teeth (shock - I know). I was a pretty bad kid and didn't wear my retainers, but I'm very lucky my teeth never got too out of hand (they weren't all that bad to begin with anyways). Because most people never knew me with braces, people always have to double guess themselves when asking if I had them or if my teeth are just naturally straight. And in case you were wondering, yes - I had headgear too.

PURSES | Okay, if you saw my bag collection post (HERE), you'll know bags are my jam. They're the one thing I truly invest in because I know as long as I take care of them, they will last. And it's something that can be passed on for generations. I'm most definitely taking a break with the bags for a while tho as I've gotten a few too many in the past year. But I already know which bag I'm eyeing up/saving for next ;)

QUOTE | It may be surprising to a lot of people but I have a tattoo. It's over my rib and is a short quote that is always a good reminder and motivator for myself. I learned from this that I have a high pain tolerance for tattoos (as rib tattoos are supposedly one of the most painful ones to get) and it takes all the self control not to get more. 

READ | Let's be honest, I don't read. The only books I've ever really read (and enjoyed) were Harry Potter. I am wanting to read more books as my dream was to always have shelves full of books in my future home. And it'd be rather hypocritical to have them all and not have read any. Right? If you have any suggestions, please do leave them down below.

SHOWER | I have to shower at night - I don't sleep well if I don't and will shower even if I'm half asleep or had a little bit too much to drink. Perhaps it's some sort of OCD lol.

THANKSGIVING | This is my favorite holiday. I love a good comfort meal and a full turkey dinner with all the best sides is what I look forward to the most - don't mess with this day for me. It's also a long weekend and one that's relatively relaxing. It's not as big as Christmas or New Year's, so it's always a lot more slow paced. Also, there's a ton of shopping deals so the online shopping crazy inside of me is released. And this year, the Gilmore Girls revival is happening - so it's going to be the best Thanksgiving yet.

UNIFORM | No, not in the private school clothes sense. But in the general sense. My go to look is always a dark wash shade for bottoms, a loose top of some sort, and a slouchy grandma cardigan to top it off. No colors are allowed in my wardrobe, unless they're a neutral shade. The only "colors" I allow are neutral blues and greens. I'm pushing myself out of my neutral boundary by adding a deep maroon and an eggplant colored top to the mix. We'll see how they last.

VSCO | VSCO is by far my favorite app on my phone. Photos take up such a big part of my life and VSCO seriously just makes it so much easier to edit them to share with others. If you're interested, I did a little post on how I use VSCO to edit my photos HERE.

WINE | I really like wine. I'm counting down the days til' I get my own place and can crack open a bottle of wine when I get home from work. I live at home and my parents don't drink - so any time I even want to drink a beer/cider/wine I get that judgmental side eye.. Napa is a short drive away and I love heading up for a short day trip when I'm feeling adventurous or if my bf and I need to re-stock our wines. (Napa Photo Diary HERE).

XRAY | I've never had a body x-ray (teeth don't count, right?). I'm lucky to say I've never broken a bone or fractured anything - *knock on wood. I was always jumping and swinging around on the jungle gym as a kid, so it's pretty lucky nothing bad ever happened. Fingers crossed it stays that way forever. Because 'H', I hate hospitals. 

YESTERDAY | Random, yes. Let me explain. I used to spend so much time dwelling on the past and thinking of opportunities missed, or what-ifs / how I would change something if I had another chance. The fact is that isn't going to happen, so there's no point in living in the past. Yesterday is old news, today is the present. I'm focusing on living more in the moment and looking to the future. And slowly my memories of insignificant things from the past fade away and my mind makes room for all the new opportunities and life that lies ahead.

ZOELLA | I know this is a random one, but I started watching Zoe back in 2012 when I was going through a pretty shitty time. I delved into the world of beauty and I really haven't left since. I'm glad my best friend introduced me to her account and that I ended up creating this space which has allowed me to blab as much as I want about whatever I want - and of course to meet so many of you! Making new blogger friends across the world is probably the best thing about blogging tbh.

That was kind of a long one and kudos if you made it through. It was actually really fun to write and I tried my best to think outside of the box! If you do a post like this please let me know so I can give it a read! I love getting to know the blogger behind the blog.