#GirlBoss : a review

I recently read Sophia Amoruso's #GirlBoss. Yes, I know I'm about 8 months late to the party, but I'm not a "fashion girl" and honestly have never even been on the Nasty Gal website so it wasn't a top priority. I've read some really mixed reviews, but overall I really enjoyed it. Enjoyed it so much that it's the one book I got from the library (because a Girl Boss doesn't pay for anything she can legally get for free) and finished before it was due back. There's no great hidden secret to success she shares that hasn't been said before, but it's a good pick me up read. Every time I opened the pages to read I felt really empowered and like the sky's the limit. Basically I felt like a total GirlBoss

In the end there were 3 major points that I think are the real takeaways.
1. At Subway it's someone's job to mix the mayonnaise in with the tuna to make tuna salad. Okay so maybe not earth shattering, but I simply cannot get that image of massaging in mayonnaise out of my head. I would never order the tuna salad at Subway anyway, but now I'm going to cringe a little when I hear of anyone who does.

2. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can start climbing to the top. She was literally caught shoplifting tampons before she turned her life around; I don't think it gets more rock bottom than that. Once you hit the bottom you have to realize you aren't where you want to be and make a change. In the words of Drake "started from the bottom, now we here."

3. There is no singular "right" way to be successful. This is by far the most important idea in the book, and one that I think most of us know yet need to be reminded of often. Sophia doesn't have a fancy degree from a very expensive university, in fact she has no degree. But what she does have is resolve; she figured out what she was good at and what she liked doing and figured out how to turn it into a very successful career. Just because you're not good at what you or other people think you should be good at doesn't mean you have no worth, you simply have to figure out where you worth lies.

Friday Five

1. I really really miss blogging regularly. I know I probably sound like a broken record by now, but seriously thanks so much to those of you who keep coming back and reading when I do post. To get a post up I have to hand write it all and then type it; getting links placed is a chore and you can just about forget adding a graphic. Because they only require my phone I'm able to post more frequently to Instagram and Twitter and I'm able to read (but not comment) on your blogs there too. I've been doing really great with my no spend June, so I think I'll be able to treat myself to an early birthday present beginning of July and get a new laptop. I think I've decided to go with another Mac because I loved this one so much and literally had no problems until about 2 months ago, I just need to decide which one to get. Not having a fully functionally computer really sucks because not only do I need it for blogging, but also for applying to jobs.


2. Speaking of applying for jobs, can we just talk about LinkedIn for a minute. Is it just be or is there not a singular "right" way to do your profile. I feel like everyone has their own little twist and it makes trying to create your profile really difficult. For example the summary; I've seen no summary, I've seen just action words, I've seen written in third person, I've seen written in first. So which is the correct way to do it? Seriously if you have any insight please please share!


3. The other day at work one of my coworkers put in her notice and my supervisor asked me to help him with the interviews to replace her. There are three of us who do the same job, so basically it's hiring someone to do my job in just a different shift. I have zero experience hiring people and only a handfull of bad interviews to go off of, so I really don't have any idea what I'm doing. I'm flattered he asked me to help, because it shows that he thinks I do a good job and have a firm understanding of the position, but at the same time I feel really awkward about it. It'll probably be a handfull of internal applicants and maybe a couple of outsiders which makes me even more uncomfortable because these are people I know and will have to work with regardless of if they get the position. Anyone ever been in the same situation? Any advice?


4. What shampoo do you use? I use and it's been leaving my hair feeling seriously icky lately. Before I started this job I washed my hair every other or every third day, but because I work in smoke I now wash it every day and my hair is just not loving it. I have longish, thick, naturally curly/wavy hair that I prefer to just wash at night, let air dry while I sleep and just bobby pin back so it's not in my face.


5. I seriously cannot get enough of this version of Bad Blood. I had a moment when I remembered I couldn't add it to my spotify playlist because I just want to listen to it on repeat. I still don't love the video, but I really love the addition of Kendrick Lamar




Have a great weekend! What's on your mind today?

Yes, my job matters

My computer and I are currently in a love hate relationship and someone has decided to keep acting up. For now getting a post up isn't my number one computer priority so posting will probably be a little sporadic until I replace it some time in July. But make sure you're following along on Twitter and Instagram because those postings will be much more frequent. 

One aspect of my current job that I really struggled with for a long time was the feeling that what I do makes no difference. For the most part I spend 8 hours walking the casino floor interacting with guests. I am smart, articulate, and driven yet I'm mostly paid to walk around and talk to people all day? For someone who has interned on Capitol Hill and once dreamt of being the White House Press Secretary or teaching in mission schools in Africa this was a hard pill to swallow. At risk of sounding like a total brat, I more often than not felt better than my job. It was really difficult to be motivated to give it my all when I felt so negative about what I was doing. After some soul searching and conversations with people I really respect at work I realized how very wrong my thinking was. No, I do not go to work every day and work towards curing cancer or solving America's foreign diplomacy problem but what I do does matter. Hospitality, retail, food and beverage, really anything in the service industry often gets overlooked as not real jobs, and while none of this may be life or death, it still matters.

My favorite quote is "Be the change you wish to see in the world," and I've finally realized that through my job I get to be that everyday. When you do a really great job working in the service industry you've made someone's day better. Wether that's helping someone pick out the perfect first date dress, getting a complicated food order completely correct, or simply being extra cheerful while listening to someone tell you about their 8 hour drive to start their vacation, these seemingly small gestures usually go a long way. I still don't love my job and I'm still very much on the job hunt, but I have realized this is an industry I enjoy because it brings people joy. The other day I revealed my desire to be a travel writer; I hope to work in a variety of tourism and hospitality jobs so that I can have the best insider's secrets to share with others one day. So be on the lookout for my book or column in Travel and Leisure in about 10 years!

Friday Five

Today I thought it'd be fun to do a different type of Friday Five post, instead of sharing 5 things on my mind I'm going to share 5 things about me! I noticed a few new faces around here and Instagram and Twitter so I wanted to share a few things about myself. I think the best part of blogging is the community so I love getting to know everyone a little bit better. We may have never gone to summer camp together where we played one of those "if your favorite food is pizza take a step forward" type games, but hopefully with posts like these we can all get to know one another a bit better. I'd love if you left a comment telling me something about yourself or a link to a post where you've done the same!

1. I laugh and roll my eyes when I'm feeling uncomfortable. People think that I'm being rude or disengaged, but really I just feel really awkward. It's a nervous tick I didn't even realize I had until a boy pointed it out to me about a year ago.

2. I really really love Harry Potter. As in Harry Potter World (yes I know it's not called that but it should be) is towards the top of my travel bucket list. I can distinctly remember the first times I heard the stories, yes heard because I listened to them on audiobook with my portable CD player because they were too long to read. The first one I read was number 5 and I'll never forget how quickly a crush I had for a boy ended when he was a faster reader than I was and told me that Sirius was killed at the end. Oh and for the record I'd totally be a Hufflepuff. 

3. My ultimate career goal is to be a freelance travel writer. For a long time I thought I wanted to work in politics, and while I still really enjoy the subject I've realized that's not how I want to live my life. One positive of my job is I've realized I really enjoy the hospitality and travel industry. Taking a trip usually makes people really happy, and well the exact opposite is true of politics. I hope to one day be able to spend my time writing and sharing where to travel, when to go, and what to do there; it's my way of making the world a happier place.

4. My favorite color is pink, but I don't think I look good in it so I hardly ever buy pink clothing. A bag, a beach towel, a donut; if it's offered in pink that's the color I'm going to buy. But when it comes to clothing I sway more towards blues because people always comment how it makes my eyes pop, and well I guess I'm a little vain.

5. I am terrified of snakes, alligators, all bugs, and earthquakes why I'd probably never live in California. But I'm convinced I'll die by drowning. I've never been to a palm reader or anything that told me this was my ultimate fate, so I really can't explain my reasoning but I just feel really strongly about it.


So let's get to know each other a little better, leave me a comment telling something about yourself!

Happy Friday!

3 tips for caring for druzy jewelry

I am obsessed with druzy jewelry. When I first saw it popping up in pieces I thought it'd be a fad that I'd quickly be over, but I couldn't have been more wrong. I love how it's the perfect amount of sparkle for everyday wear without running the risk of people asking you why you're so dressed up to run errands. I also love how they're natural stones so every piece is a tiny bit different. But one thing I don't love is when it loses its beautiful shiny sparkle. I feel like when druzy jewelry first started becoming popular everyone was buying piece after piece, but we had no idea how to take care of it. My first instinct is always to use a damp cloth, but that's the fastest way to ruin a druzy piece not that I would know from experience or anything. Today I thought I'd share a few tips for caring for druzy jewelry.

navy ring white ring gold ring necklace

1. Make your druzy jewelry the last thing you put on and first thing you take off. Make sure you put on your lotion, perfume, self tanner, etc and give it time to set before you start piling on the druzy. I'm really bad about this because I'll be completely dressed and ready to walk out the door before I remember that I should probably put some lotion on my legs.

2. Absolutely do not get in the shower, pool, wash dishes, or work out with druzy jewelry. I've never understood how people do that anyway, but if you're one of those girls who it doesn't bother just make sure you don't with your druzy jewelry.  Druzy stones are like a sponge so they'll soak up water leaving them looking dull. I also usually take off any rings before washing my hands to be extra careful.

3. Store your druzy jewelry in a separate dry area, so not your bathroom. Even if they don't receive direct contact with water living in a humid environment is not good for druzy jewelry's health. It's also good to not just throw them all together in a drawer and instead use separate dishes or hooks so they have room to breathe.

This one is seriously so stunning in person I've had it mistaken for an engagement ring 

One of my favorite places to buy druzy jewelry is Wrenn Jewelry. All the pieces are handmade in California and y'all know how much I love supporting small business and made in America products. Everything is very affordable and they'll even do custom pieces.

They're offering my readers a 15% discount with code "salsatheblog"! So if you've ruined previous druzy jewelry pieces because you didn't know how to care for them or just want more now's a great time to treat yourself! If I weren't in the middle of my no spend month I'd be ordering these fun tassel earrings, or if you like someone a little more understated this gold teardrop necklace is a stunner. Druzy jewelry not your thing? Wrenn Jewelry also offers pieces with normal gem stones, this turquoise necklace is perfect for summer. And make sure to follow them on Instagram because occasionally they'll host contests and flash sales!

Wrenn Jewelry graciously provided pieces to me as a fan and previous customer in exchange for photos. All opinions are my own.