Personal

who’s got soul?

Friday, February 22, 2013

If you live in New York, or watch the news from time to time, you might have heard about SoulCycle. I first starting hearing about it early last year since a few beauty blogger and publicist friends of mine were (and still are) addicted. From there, it infiltrated my work space and a few coworkers got hooked. Straight up O-B-S-E-S-S-E-D!

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, SoulCycle is a full-body indoor cycling workout. For the uninitiated (ahem, me) SoulCycle sounds like a typical spin class with a really energetic instructor. To my coworkers it was one part fitness and one part therapy on a bike. When the opportunity presented itself to try out this phenomenon (Yay corporate life! Thanks Amanda! And Casey! And work!) I signed up out of pure curiosity.

Let me give you a brief history on my relationship with exercising: I don’t. Plain and simple. I had a brief love affair with Zumba (still love it actually but had a falling out with New York Sports Club) but I’m not one to work out – not on my own at least. Heading into Soul, I was nervous (but excited!) because if you’ve ever spoken to a SoulCycle advocate they convince you that it’ll change your life.

And I’m always down to change my life (#FixMyLife)

Custom beats headphones. Cray.

ZOMG! Now that I’ve survived my first class (#AttentionHasSoul) my body is confused. STRAIGHT UP LOST! Throughout the ride I experienced so many emotions – happy (I’m doing it!) to angry (how far does this resistance thing go!?!??). At one point, I was in the zone – so laser focused on the music and riding that I lost myself – until my leg almost gave out and I had a brief moment of panic (I’m dying!). Sure I might have mumbled some not so nice things under my breath every time she told us to turn our knob thing a quarter of an inch (seriously — how many inches were there?) BUT at the end I felt great! Tired, for sure, but somewhat energized.

And then I bought a makeup case, because, OBVIOUSLY.

I mean…

Would I do it again? YES – why not! Maybe not every week (#TeamLazyPants) but why not work on my fitness every now and then? If you wanna try it out, give it a go. It’s not intimidating and no one’s yelling in your face. It’s 100% motivational (and, let’s be honest, you can take it easy on yourself). I know damn sure at one point I boycotted and sat square in my seat while Biggie played in the background. Right now, SoulCycle is available in the East and West Coasts. Madison was my instructor and she was amazing.

Categorized Personal | Tagged Fitness, Soul Cycle | Comments (1)

this is going to be a long one…

Sunday, January 13, 2013

OHAI! Here we are two weeks into the new year and I’ve decided it’s time I returned from my self imposed hiatus. Truth is I’ve been in a funk and while I’m ~~always~~ sometimes in a funk, this one was bad. I’ve been thinking about this blog, the blogging landscape in general, and how/if I want to continue doing this. Can I be honest? (rhetorical, don’t answer that. This is my blog so of course I can).

I’m kinda, sorta over some of these fashion blogs. Nothing is new. It’s a bunch of girls (women) posting photos of themselves in clothes while staring across the street or at the ground. Some are pimping brands and the free shit they get, while others desperately try to catch up. Am I guilty of doing the same? Hell yeah. I’ve been gifted items and posted them right on this site while looking at my heels thinking “I hope these tourists don’t think I’m crazy.” I’ve begged coworkers to run out and take my outfit photo because ZOMG I HAVE TO DO THIS! I also work in social media where it’s my job to be in constant contact with bloggers so I understand what PR guys and gals are going through (at the end of the day: get press for their clients).

But sometime between an outfit photo and forcing myself to write a review, I started hating what I did. More importantly, I started hating the content. I feel like I’ve lost my muchness. I’ve been so worried about getting home in time to post, that I don’t really see my friends. Or so preoccupied with INSERT BLOGGER’S NAME HERE newest campaign that I beat myself up for not being able to get the same opportunity. WHY NOT ME DAMMIT. And that kind of thinking fucks with you. So I said yes to just about everything (some moderation here and there) and pretty soon – this blog seemed like a yes man. And if you know me, I love saying the word no (so why wasn’t I saying it more often?)

Me being me, I thought I’ll quit and never have to deal with it again! But deep down, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. This blog has opened up SO many doors: I got an internship senior year of college at a prestigious beauty company where I met an incredible woman whom I respected before the internship and even more after; I went to Paris for the first time and fell in love; I met an(other) amazing woman who believed in me enough to grant me an internship despite my whacky behavior on Twitter, and eventually, hired me full time straight out of college. I’ve also met some amazing (and inspiring) people – many of whom I can seriously call friends. So for me to completely quit would be hard.

And then I saw this post by a friend. It struck a chord. It hit me *smack* in the face and said, yeah girl, maybe it’s time…

2013goals

my 2013 manifesto

After thinking long and hard, I’m deciding not to throw in the towel just yet. I’m giving myself another chance, only this time things will be a bit different.

I’m laying off the sponsored opportunities (the money is good but if the time comes for me to post and I get annoyed, what’s the point?). Will I stop completely? Nope (did you read the part where I said the money is good? I live in NYC and am a firm believer in having a side hustle) BUT they’ll be few and far between. And more on my terms
Speaking of sponsored opps, the ones that I do have to be different in some way. I’m tired of the same old crap and really want to take it to the next level. Challenge myself (and brands!) a bit to be more creative
Taking it easy on outfit posts. I don’t have to document what I’m wearing everyday. Seriously, I don’t
Branching out beyond fashion and beauty. As I’ve gotten older, my tastes have evolved and so should this blog. I don’t want to shock the three readers I have so I’m telling you now: be prepared to see some different shit. Maybe food? Maybe some more personal life updates? Decor? WHO KNOWS! I just want to write about what I love

“To start living my life with no other intention than simply being present.” - court + hudson

I just want to get back to how I felt in 2007 posting what I loved and not giving a damn (minus the crappy picture quality).

Eileen out.

Categorized Personal | Comments (5)

juice for a day

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

When it comes to eating healthy and the sort, I wouldn’t consider myself a prime example of how it’s done right. I love LOVE fast food (cheese fries = heaven) and if I eat a salad, I quickly follow it with a big, greasy burger for good measure. It’s not that I don’t care (I still eat home cooked meals) but working in the city near so many different fast food chains makes it super easy for me to eat the fries, burgers, large sodas, and the occasional apple pie.

when presented with the opportunity to try a juice cleanse, I said ABSOLUTELY because I wanted a break, a detox, and something yummy. I’ve avoided cleanses in the past because I’m a commitment phobe and lack any sense of real will power. Luckily, Juice For A Day thinks of ~~weaklings~~ people like me and created a system as easy as its name. So the folks at Cooler Cleanse sent me a pack to try out and here’s how it went down:

You receive six drinks (each numbered for convenience) for one day and you start off by drinking juice No.1 for breakfast and have another juice approximately every two hours. Easy peezy, right? YES! There were so many thoughts that ran through my head (what if the juices are gross? will I get sick? will I cave and eat a burger?) but it wasn’t that difficult. Every time I found myself getting a bit hungry, it was time for me to drink another juice.

My favorite drink was No. 1 (Sweet) which contained kale, watermelon, apple, and lemon. It was the perfect introduction since it tasted really good and didn’t shock my system or overwhelm me with too much greens, etc. Juicy No. 2 (Citrus) is also pretty yummy but tangy. By Juice No. 3 (Green) I felt like a pro, although I was nervous simply because it was pure vegetables (I’m like a five year old in the sense that veggies are not my thing). Juice No. 4 (Spicy) was interesting simply because it tasted a bit like juice two but the cayenne pepper threw me off a bit. That said, I actually liked it since it was easy for me to drink. Juices No. 5 (Veggie) and 6 (Hemp) were the more difficult ones for me to finish because they’re thicker and don’t have any hint of fruit. The Hemp wasn’t my favorite since it was a bit chalky for lack of a better word.

During the cleanse I did get really hungry and considering I did this the day after Thanksgiving I was definitely tempted to dip into the leftovers I felt a little tired post-cleanse and ended up going to bed early. The next day I felt good and honestly did not want any junk food (shocking). What I found most surprising was during the day of and after the cleanse my caffeine craving decreased. As someone who drinks coffee and Starbucks Mocha Fraps everyday (multiple times a day), I was expecting major headaches but that was nowhere in sight!

Would I try another cleanse? Yes! (I may skip the Hemp drink though) The one day cleanse is more my style and I’m not sure if I have enough determination to try a three or seven day cleanse. I am, however, on the hunt for something like the Sweet juice because it’s absolutely yummy. I can drink it every day! Juice Generation has something similar and I’m trying to find a way to get there during the day.

Have you ever tried a cleanse? What’s your experience been? Tell me in the comments (or Twitter!)

Categorized Personal | Tagged Health | Comments (1)

birthday wish list

Monday, November 26, 2012

In a little under a month, I’ll be turning the big 2-5! While I’m pretty positive I’ve gone through several quarter-life crises, I’m still kickin’. To help my good friends, family, and imaginary boyfriends along the treacherous path of finding me a gift, I’ve compiled a wish list of sorts. There are dream items, things I’m likely to purchase for myself within the coming weeks, and/or stuff I added simply because I know a few members have discovered my little blog (*waves!*) and you never know when one of ‘em might think “damn, that Eileen is such a good niece!”

Here are a few things I’m coveting:

Making this list taught me one thing: I’m completely obsessed with J. Crew (shocker).

Coach (also on sale here!) // Pumps // Necklace // Grace Coddington Memoir // Juicy Couture handbag // Leopard bangle // Pave bracelet // Camera

Categorized Personal | Tagged Birthday, Wishlist | Comments

#nowplaying: hump day playlist one

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

so here’s a secret: I suck at making playlists. my music taste varies from hip hop to pop to soca and I don’t care what order they’re placed in so long as I get to hear the songs I’m into at the moment. so I decided to share what I’ve been rocking out to the past couple of days. some old, some new, some extremely cheesey. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Categorized Personal | Tagged Music | Comments (1)