Emily Ley's Simplified Planner Review

New job means it's time for a new planner, right? With a totally new and ever-changing schedule, I was struggling with scheduling which is something I hadn't experienced before! Last fall, I picked up a great $7 planner from TJ Maxx that was great for the price, but wasn't cutting it any longer. I'm a former die-hard Lilly planner kind of girl, but was ready to branch out to something new. I also write down everything, down to memories like first kisses and anniversaries, so I knew I needed a lot of room to write since my planner is also my diary. 

After some research, I decided on Emily Ley's Simplified Planner. I'm currently spending my evenings working through her book "Grace not Perfection" which is all about embracing simplicity, and celebrating joy, and thought a planner focusing on the same things would be the perfect fit! After Instagramming some fresh and fun office supplies, including my new planner, I got a lot of requests to do a review on how I've enjoyed it!

Similar in size and weight to the standard Lilly planner, I love how customizable this planner is. There is a page for every day which features an hour-by-hour list on the left side, and a "To Do" list on the right side. The bottom quarter is broken up in two sections for dinner planning and notes. The top of each page also has a brief inspirational quote that I look forward to reading daily! Additionally, there is a monthly spread with a month "To Do" list, and tabs dividing each month up. I also ordered my planner with my monogram, as well as a green magnetic page marker. 

It's so helpful to me to keep two separate lists each day of events and meetings, and actual tasks that need to be completed. With the focus being daily, it's easier to keep track of items that might not get done each day and transfer it to a more manageable time frame. 

First Day on the Job

Beautiful blooms from my bestie when I found out I got the job!

Today was my first day at my new job! I am so excited to announce that I am the new Marketing Coordinator for Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin, Ga. 

It was a long day of orientation, which the learner in me loved. There is so much to know when working in healthcare, and I'm excited to tackle this new challenging environment! I'm also looking forward to meeting more people as I'm working. So far, we've truly felt welcomed into Dublin with open arms. Everyone has been so warm and friendly, and we are definitely starting to feel a little more settled! 

Thanks to everyone who helped calm my nerves and celebrated this exciting day with me!

What I Learned after Leaving My Job

I am officially done in Statesboro. I have a few weeks off before I start my new job, and I'm thankful for an opportunity to rest, recharge, and get my house in working order. No one likes to live out of boxes, or without the things they need, so this week I am trying to get as much done during the days so that I can totally focus on CJM in the evenings.

It was hard to leave Statesboro, but it was terribly sad to leave the lovely individuals I worked with on a daily basis. I really grew professionally in my most recent role; it was a job that truly prepared me for the big step up in career that I am going to be making in a few weeks. I've learned a lot about being a young professional, and wanted to share a few thoughts/tips with you! Please leave your suggestions in the comments as well--I truly believe it takes a team to be successful, and appreciate any insight.

• Work/life balance is critical. This was something that I came into this position determined to maintain. At my first post-grad position, I let everyone around me dictate my schedule by answering calls and emails to people that I didn't answer to, ever, and didn't pay my bills. 10 p.m., 6:00 a.m.; I was available. This is unhealthy. And it sets a precedent that is almost impossible to break. I am totally available to my boss/es when they need me. And they know the best, most direct ways to reach me. But there is no need {usually} to answer calls and emails from others late in the evening or early in the morning. Maintain the most healthy for you and your job amount of work/life separation as possible. I was much happier at my most recent job because I had established cut-off times for communication.
  
  
• Not hating your job is key. Job satisfaction directly affects your level of happiness in the rest of your life. While no job is perfect, one that has the right amount of stress, engagement, challenge, and reward for you will be one that supports a positive, re-charging environment outside of the office. We all know that person that hates their boss/job/office environment, because that's all they seem to talk about! And if you can't leave a job where you're miserable, make sure you're doing absolutely everything you can to discover a contentedness while you're there. Your happiness is ultimately up to you.
  
  
• Depend on your work family. While not always a reality in every office, I've been blessed by working environments that recognized that I was a real person, with real emotions, and real issues. When I had family issues that I needed to take care of they listened, were supportive, and allowed me opportunities to address the situation that involved people outside of the office. We all worked to learn about and invest in each other, and created a true sense of community amongst our office. These are the people I invited to my wedding, celebrated birthdays with, and other wins and losses throughout life--even hard ones like moving away, and starting a new job. Support your team, and they will support you as well.
  
  
• Network! At my last job, I worked in networking. We provided multiple opportunities throughout the month for business leaders in our area to connect with others and saw some great initiatives develop through these events. I also saw people who didn't take advantage of networking, and they end up feeling left out of the loop, uninvolved, or uninvited. Insert yourself into networking and building relationships with other individuals whenever you can. These are the people that become your references, help you find a job in another town when you do have to move, and become that person that you can schedule lunch with once a month, too!
  
  
• Be consistent. This is probably my biggest personality pet peeve: I hate when people are inconsistent. I think consistency in work can be shown in various ways: through timeliness, efficiency in work, and in the skills you provide. But it's also in your personality and appearance--don't come in a grumpy slob one day, and peppy professional the next. It sends mixed messages, and makes you hard to get to know and work with. People want to know what to expect; save the surprises for thoughtful notes or words of encouragement, not in your presence or behaviors.
  
  
• Communicate. Our office always worked to know what was on each other's schedule {kind of easy, but also crucial when there was only three of us!} in an effort to not overschedule or overload any one person. It also helping us plan days off that everyone was happy with, and to just be aware of the "real life" things that were going on outside of the office. While those are easy things to share, it's important to communicate the issues too. When a problem arises in a project, if a volunteer becomes too much for one person to handle, or if you are unhappy in your work life and need something to change. Communicate what's really going on--good or bad. Just like in any relationship, it's important to be honest with what's happening in your heart and mind. 

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On My Radar | Spring Things

It feels like we totally skipped over winter here, but I have to say, I don't hate it.

I'm starting a new job soon which has got me really looking ahead to some spring work wear, as well as few more casual pieces just for fun! I love Talbots, but try to be very selective with my purchases and invest in true "legacy" pieces. Also, not every season is "appropriate" for my age and can lean towards being a little grandma-ish. But I am loving most of the spring things this year! So many mix and match options, and classic features like scallops, navy, and some nautical accents thrown in.

On a more casual note, these Marc Fisher wedges are the "hot blogger item" of spring/summer. A dupe for the even more pricey Chloe wedge, these are versatile warm-weather wedges, that I don't know I'm ready to invest in quite yet. I like to give a trend a trial run first! Luckily, Red Dress Boutique has a super affordable similar style--only $32, and only a few sizes are left! I scooped up a pair, and can't wait to try them out. 

I've gotten so many compliments and questions about my fall bag, that I knew Barrington Gifts would be the place for my spring purse, too. Their new spring collection is beautiful with perfect pink and blue pastel colors accented with electric oranges and greens. Of course, there are plenty of more neutral options that can carry throughout the seasons as well! 

Fall Fashion Round Up

The weather has finally cooled off enough in South Georgia to start breaking out the fall clothes! I wanted to share some of the pieces I've curated over the past few months in preparation for 50 degree mornings and sunny 70 degree afternoons.

When purchasing clothes this fall, I really was trying to follow the idea of a "capsule wardrobe" by selecting pieces that would work well with each other for work and play. I have a few things left on my list of things to round it out for this season, but here are a few of my favorite things that I've scooped up so far: 

Striped Mud Pie Tunic | Plaid Mud Pie Poncho | Khaki Utility Jacket {I found an awesome Michael Kors one at TJ Maxx, but this one is similar!} | Camel Colored J. Crew Sweater | Wool Floppy Hat | Faux Leather Leggings | Monogrammed Barrington Gifts Tote | Cabernet Colored Faux Leather Pleated Skirt | Chambray Tunic Dress | Corduroy Skirt 

Monday Blues

Do you ever just wake up and go, "Today is going to be one of those days?"

Now to be honest, I could anticipate this last night, so I tried to combat it by getting up early to do some yoga in an attempt to feel better about my day. Good intentions, followed by spilling my coffee all over me as I sit down at my desk at work this morning. Is it Friday yet?

I'm exhausted and emotionally drained at the moment, and truly don't feel like dealing with the day, or today's blog post unfortunately. I had planned on a lovely weekend recap of Christopher's graduation from pharmacy school, but I have yet to finish uploading pictures and am feeling relatively uninspired to do so at the moment.

So instead, I'm going to share this picture of Layla Claire {she's not really sad, just doesn't like taking pictures}, and this recipe of eggless cookie dough that I made last night in an attempt to eat my feelings.


Emotional Eggless Cookie Dough 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoon of milk {or heavy cream if you're really sad/that's all you have on hand}
1/3 cup flour
A pinch of tears

Beat {and I mean really beat} the sugar and butter in a bowl, before adding the rest of the ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips if desired, or not because I like just the batter best. Or, just throw it all into a too small bowl and attempt to mix with a fork because you're not feeling like following directions/why not make things harder than they should be. It's just that kind of Monday. YUM!

Sweet Pink Baby Shower

A few weeks ago, we had a baby shower for a co-worker in our board room. She's due in just a month, and it was so fun to celebrate together. While my job was really to just take the pictures {something I never mind!}, I really learned a lot about baby showers. My friends haven't quite hit that stage of life yet...we're all still getting married for the most part. I had no idea there were so many baby things you need; I've always just been excited about the cute clothes and bows and things! Clearly shows where my mind is when it comes to babies!

The shower featured a four tier diaper cake as the centerpiece that had little supplies like pacifiers and rash cream wrapped around it. The neatest surprise was the box of baby wipes hidden in the middle of the layers that was revealed by lifting off the top half of the cake! We added some pink camellias in a crystal bowl from the front yard for an additional touch of decor to the room. 

One of the hosts made the cutest shower favors: single serving popcorn packages labeled with "She's about to POP!" and mini pink bottles and pacifiers glued to the front. Such a cute idea if I plan a baby shower in the future. 

We had a delicious lunch of shrimp and grits, chicken casserole, bacon wrapped green beans, and of course a pink cheesecake from local caterer Honey Catering. It was all amazing! The pink cheesecake wasn't strawberry flavored like it looked, which I had to keep reminding myself with every single bite. But it sure was yummy: very creamy, with the perfect handmade graham cracker crust. 

One of the cutest gifts received was a Christmas tree made from alphabet blocks. The bottom layer spelled out the sweet baby's name, and it was decorated with little Christmas trinkets on each level. I've never seen such a precious and thoughtful handmade gift like that before! 

 Babies in the springtime are just so exciting!

Second Annual Pie Day

In honor of National Pie Day, which is tomorrow by the way...January 23...I made a delicious peanut butter pie with a chocolate ganache to share with my work friends! It was delicious. Super creamy and smooth, and the semi-sweet ganache was an excellent compliment to the rich peanut butter filling.

I found this recipe one day from Pinterest; you can check out the pin and the recipe here. Originally posted in 2012, there was a 2016 update about the ganache being too thick. I didn't have that issue, but I also was more liberal on the heavy cream and used semi-sweet chocolate chips that I had on hand. I added a some extra peanut butter in the filling, too!

You can read about last year's Pie Day at the Chamber here which features my super spicy Chicken Bog recipe which is great for a cold/wet/winter-y day like today. Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest by searching "Piper Ellice" which will also find me on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter!

Happy Weekend!

Spending Freeze

Being a grown up is just no fun sometimes! Bills, chores, decisions, and more--can sometimes make life a bore {maybe not if you're Dr. Seuss!}. I've decided to put myself on a spending freeze for the next few weeks to pay off a few items and get a better grip on my finances before getting married. Plus, all this wedding stuff is expensive--mine, and everyone elses!

Here's a few things I'd like to buy if I were able to:

Vince Camuto Jeweled Wedge Sandal
PERMANENTLY Reduced, $79.99

I love these glitzy sandals! They're perfect for dressing up summer sundresses.

Lilly Pulitzer Whiting Cut-Out Shift Dress
$138

Basically all of Lilly's Summer 2015 collection is perfection. I need it all, and need to start figuring out my end-of-summer sale game plan now!

Prada 54 mm Cat Eye Sunnies,$255

I really need to invest in a nice pair of sunglasses. I haven't had a high quality pair in years, and it really does make a difference in the fit and feel on your face. These Prada ones are super popular in the blog-o-sphere right now, but I feel like they're also super flattering on most face shapes.

Rebecca Minkoff 'Medium MAB'
Leather Tote in Aloe; $159 40% off

I love a good structured tote bag. I really like this Aloe color that kind of boarders on white/mint. Sometimes I feel that starch white purses are a little harsh, but the green undertones of this bag will help minimize that, as well as any "contamination" it might pick up from the floor, the car, being outside, etc. 

Kendra Scott Ellie Stud Earrings
in Iridescent Druzy, $65

I wear studs almost every day, but these Kendra Scott beauties would add just the right amount of glitz to everyday wear.

Citizen's Watch with Mother of Pearl Face,
On Sale for $187.50 at Kay Jewelers

I need need NEED a new watch. I've loved my Fossil gold and silver watch for many years now, but it's starting to show. I'm definitely lusting over this Mother of Pearl pretty, and need to try it on as soon as possible.

Jekyll Island Club

This week I had the pleasure of touring the Jekyll Island Club. The Chamber will host their adult leadership class's retreat there in the fall, and since I had never been/am in charge of the class, it seemed like it would be a good idea to go down for the day and see the grounds. Whoa--I am majorly impressed. I'd heard how beautiful it was, but the resort blew me away. It looks like something out of a movie {may or may not have reminded me of Dirty Dancing}with perfectly manicured grounds, accurately restored homes that were originally built by families with names such as Rockefeller, Pulitzer, and Goodyear; and of course wonderful food. I had the "Award Winning" Jekyll Shrimp and Grits for lunch, and I know why they call it award winning--it was different from any shrimp and grits I've tried before, and I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of the dish!

Jekyll Island Club--Clubhouse & Annex

Jekyll Island Club--San Souci

Jekyll Island Club--Crane Cottage 

Jekyll Island Club--Crane Cottage Garden
Wouldn't this be an amazing location for a wedding?

Jekyll Island Club--Crane Cottage Courtyard
I bet they've had some fun wedding receptions here!

Jekyll Island Club--Crane Cottage Garden 

Jekyll Island Club--Faith Chapel
There is a real Tiffany window in here, and precious Bride
and Groom quarters too. 

I can't wait to go back in the fall and explore over a long weekend. This is such a beautiful place--and would be the ideal location for a destination wedding! We ended the most beautiful day by stopping at a little hidden gem known as Driftwood Beach. I've never seen anything like that! Huge trees littered the beach, completely bleached by the salt and sun. I'll definitely have to take more pictures next time!