Saturday, April 30, 2011

Confession

I just ate 3 pieces of pizza and a serving of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.  I feel so deliciously full and chunky. I'm also wearing my leggings and my white, billowy button up shirt. That just completes the picture eh? I was craving pizza like a crazy person and then I saw that you get a FREE dessert with your medium pizza order? I LOVE free things. I'm glad I rode my bike today because I'm going to need it after my massive calorie intake over the past 2 hours.

I've decided that this is ok, because Monday is the day that exercise and the tracking of the calories is going to happen again. Not that I'll never eat pizza and ice cream again, but it'll be few and far between. Never a better time to start than May right? Right. I guess I'm taking my own advice and I'm going to start running instead of wishing that I ran more.  So you lucky readers are going to get fun little updates about my healthier habits. I can hear your excitement exploding through the screen. 

Alright, now I'm off to the finale of my night. What can top off my deliciously dairy laden stomach bomb? A nice warm bubble bath with a book. Nothing says "lazy day" more than pizza, ice cream, and a bubble bath. Good times :)

Work, Work, Work It Out

I just went on a 9 mile bicycle jaunt to UVillage and back. I'm very proud of myself because I only left H&M with a smaller sized dress--I didn't buy ANYTHING new! Woo! I'm trying to be more conscious of what I buy, how many times I'm going to wear it, etc.

I was talking with the BFF and we agreed that we love the trek to UVillage. The Burke-Gilman trail is so convenient, there are sweet stops on the way (Gasworks anyone?), and it's not too strenuous. I'm proud to say that I'm no longer afraid of Seattle hills. This last long ride I made it up without stopping, and I ended up taking a detour that took me up another hill just so I could some more exercise in. Ridiculous...but awesome. My legs and butt are going to be BANGING by the end of the year...at least that's my hope :)

It feels like the year is going by sooooooo fast. I can't believe it's May tomorrow, and that summer is almost here. I really need to get back in the groove of running and watching my nutrition intake. I want to lose at least another 40 lbs before the end of the year, and I feel like I've just been coasting this whole year--and now we're in May and I'm like crap! The good news is, is that I lost 40 lbs of my weight pretty much in 6 months. So, the fact that the year is almost halfway over does not discourage me. Also, I'm pretty comfortable with my body. I like this size, and even though I do feel pudgy sometimes, I still feel confident.

Anywhoo, I have 2 5ks to run this month and I seriously need to get my running back into gear. I love how strong I feel when I run. There's nothing quite like the exhausted, allover burn you feel. I love running with my favorite music, with my sunglasses on, watching the people around me go about their business. Exercise boosts my confidence in who I am and what I can do. I never in my life thought I would call myself a runner, and I sure as heck never thought I'd be biking around Seattle. Funny how life changes when you start DOING things instead of wishing for things eh? Life is good :)

Catching Up

So I've been pretty lazy about updating this blog. I always have something to say until it's early in the morning or late at night and then I just don't want to sit down and organize all the thoughts that have been running through my head. I think having that time, where I sit down and just...decompress...is essential. It doesn't have to be through writing, but I think writing is good for me. It keeps me disciplined. Anyway, for this post I'm just going to catch up on my 30 for 30.
Day 14: Dress--Ross, Scarf--Mexico 8 years ago, Belt-Jeans Wearhouse, Boots & Tights-Target
Day 15: Dress, Belt, Boots-Ross,



Cardigan-ON, Necklace-Forever 21

Day 16: Shirt/Dress-H7M, Jeans--ON, Boots-Target, Belt--Hand-me-down from Stacy K.
Day 17: Dress, leggings,shoes--Ross, Cardigan-ON, Necklace-Forever 21
Day 18; White Shirt, tan dress-ON, Boots-Target, Belt, leggings & headband-Ross, Necklace-Forever 21

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Awkward Poses

Easter Sunday and so much to talk about. But I'm exhausted, after having had minimal sleep last night, going to church, and then hanging out with A. & A. eating great food, playing games, watching basketball, and laughing. I know, it sounds pretty relaxing, but I am ready for bed! Ham, collard greens, cheesecake, deviled eggs, and mashed potatoes just seem to go straight to that part of my brain that says "sleep for days."

Today, I took my least favorite photo, but my excuse is that it was raining, I was rushing, and I didn't exactly love my outfit. I don't know what it was, but I just felt blah in it today. Probably because I didn't want to get dressed or do anything today...have I mentioned that it's been a looooooooong week? So back to the outfit. I would like to point out that everything that I'm wearing except for the the boots, tights and the necklace were all on sale. I believe the cardigan was $8, the shirt was $8, and the skirt was $5. I'm pretty damn proud of my bargain shopping :) And please forgive the backward necklace. Like I said, rushed, long week, blah blah blah.
Day 13: Purple cardigan, skirt, shirt-On, tights & boots-Target, Necklace-Forever 21

30 for 30

I've been doing this little project that Kendi from Kendi Everyday thought up called the 30 for 30.  You pick 30 pieces of clothing, and remix them into 30 different outfits. You're supposed to not shop for 30 days, but I SUPER failed on that count. My bargain shopping addiction is a topic for a whole other blog post. Sigh. Anyway, I've been posting the outfits on Facebook, but think they'd probably be even better on the blog because I can talk about the outfit, why I chose it, and all those little inane details that most people on facebook don't care about. But, I'm assuming since you're reading this, you might care a little. :) Anyway, I've already done 12 outfits, and I'm going to repost them here. I just spent about an hour of my life that I will NOT get back trying to post these in order and get them arranged. It just wasn't happening. So, they're not in order, and I'm pretty sure the pictures aren't going to be laid out well, but here are the outfits. Enjoy!
Day 1: Shirt-H&M, Leggings-Ross, Boots-Ross, Necklace-Forever 21
Day 2: Blazer, Yellow Shirt, Jeans--Old Navy, Boots-Target, Grey Undershirt-Savers, Necklace-Forever 21
Day 3: Shirt-Papaya, Skirt & Cardigan-ON, Boots & Tights-Target, Necklace-Forever 21, Belt-Ross
Day 4: Shirt-ON, Belt-Jeans Wearhouse, Grey Undershirt-Savers, Leggings & Shoes-Ross, Necklace-Forever 21
Day 5: Dress-Ross, Boots & Tights-Target, Scarf-Gap, Necklace-Forever 21
Day 6: Dress, Jeans, Cardigan-ON, Belt-Ross, Boots-Target, Necklace, Forever 21
Day 8: Plaid shirt, Jeans-ON, Black Shirt, Shoes, Belt-Ross
Day 7: Pants, Shirt-ON, Shoes-Ross, Grey Undershirt-Savers
Day 10: Jean Jacket-ON, Belt,Dress-Ross, Boots,Tights-Target, Necklace-Forever 21
Day 9: Shirt,Jeans-ON, Grey shirt-Savers, Boots-Target
Day 12: Jean, Blazer-ON, Grey Shirt-Savers, Necklace-Forever 21, Shoes-Ross
Day 11: Jeans,Cardigan-ON, Shirt-Papaya, Shoes-Ross, Necklace-Forever 21, Clutch-made at creation station by me!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Mmmmusic & Cycling

Who can resist writing while "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire is blasting through the speakers. I love music. All sorts of music...pop, country, hip hop, indie, folk...it doesn't really matter what the genre is.  I do lean towards certain styles, but if I hear something that just...syncs...with me, I can't help but figure out what that song is and immediately add it to my playlist. I'm pretty slow on the uptake with music unless I make an effort to look up new stuff--I don't listen to the radio often and once I get in the music research mood I end up losing about 3 hours of my life.

My most recent love is Lupe Fiasco's The Show Goes On and Mumford & Son's cover of Wagon Wheel.  Nothing like a little Modest Mouse to get my attention and I can get on board with the message. And Wagon Wheel is already one of my favorite songs. There's something about the twang and harmonizing that just remind me of home. Home in the sense of Virginia and my childhood :). Add in a little British accent and my little heart melts. I really can't get over how it sounds when the lead singer from Mumford says 'rock me mama.' Swoon. So hopefully you'll forgive me for having both versions on my playlist. I just can't help myself.

I rode my bike twice today and it was wonderfully painful. My seat is not being very nice to my bum, but I love the feeling of whisking around Seattle with the sun on my back and cars ready to run me over at any time. I actually really do love wrangling with traffic. I feel very lucky to live in a city that puts up with cyclists and is pretty bike friendly. While I'm not really afraid of getting run over (although maybe I should be), I do fear someone opening their car door while I'm zooming past and knocking me off my bike. I had several daydreams in my head about said scenario whilst I was riding today and it made me suspicious of every parked car around Greenlake. 

I think I may just start riding to work. I know it's a pretty short distance, but I have these wonderful plans of taking my bike for a spin after work to get some much needed exercise in. I really do need to couple these with running as September is coming up quickly and I'm no closer to a 10k that I was in January.  Eh. That's a topic for later. I'm off to clean my apartment and then hop into bed.

Crafty!

So one of my other goals for 2011 is to learn how to sew. My mum made matching mother/daughter outfits for us when I was growing up, and while I'm not sure I want to continue that tradition, I realized that I DO want to learn how to sew for several reasons.

1. I want to be able to do my own simple fixes on clothes, such as fix a button, hem a skirt, patch a rip...you get the picture. What would also be nice? Being able to make things like curtains, duvets, and other home design type things. Ooo...I'm fantasizing about the possibilities and getting uber excited!



2. I want to be able to make fun little accessories like this clutch. It's super cute, however, I made it at Creation Station, which means it's made of fabric, cardboard, really awesome silver tape, and velcro circles. I wove the tape, attached the fabric, taped that up, cut the corners, then added the circles. It turned out really well, but I want to make something more durable. Thus, learning how to sew.





3. Lastly, I want to be able to make my own clothes. Alot of times I have a vision in my head of what I want something to look like, but I can never find it. Being able to make my own clothing will not only save me money, but it'll also give me cute, unique pieces that I will be proud of. Check out these fun fabrics I just got from Fabric Crush. They sell little squares that are perfect for accessorizing. I also got some plain pieces, and the prices range from $2-$4.

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm passionate about clothes, patterns, accessories, and pretty much anything interesting and pretty that goes along with it. What a perfect hobby to complement that passion!

Friday, April 22, 2011

I Can Ride My Bike With No Handlebars

Ok, that's not true, but I've been hearing that song way too much lately and when I was trying to figure out a clever title, it's the first thing that popped into my mind. I just bought a new bike on Wednesday. It was a goal of 2011 (woot!), but I have been nervous about buying just the right bike, how much work a used bike would be, and the steep hills. Lets be honest my biggest worry was pretty much the hills. Seattle is super effing hilly and I really did not want to be that person walking their bike up the incline looking sad and tired.

But, my concerns were pretty much blown out of the water as I biked uphill and only stopped once! I think I could have made it, but it gave me a chance to rest and laugh with my bff as we realized how out of shape we are :)  Every other time we encountered a hill, I made it up no problem. 'Slow and steady wins the race' was what I kept chanting to myself, although 'slow and wobbly' was probably a better description.  We bike down Stone Way to the Burke-Gilman, all the way to Burgermaster--where we stopped for fries and a shake--and then back home.  Altogether it was about 8.5 miles. I am so proud, and so exhilarated! It was glorious and I can't wait to go again.

Now I'm off to Tutta Bella with J. to enjoy my favorite pizza.  I'll have to review Tutta Bella on here sometime. They are bomb.com. That's right, I said bomb.com. I'm bringing it back :) 

Raindrops are fallin' on my head...

You know what I love? Mornings after a rain. That crisp, dewy air ripe with fresh scents of grass, flowers and pavement. There's nothing like breathing it in and basking in the glory that is a rainy night turned into a spring morning. I was going to try to capture it in picture form, but alas, no camera could ever really capture the feeling, and I suspect my amateur photographer skills would not help the cause. So, I'm just going to let you all use your imaginations on that one. It's pretty great.

This week has been pretty exhausting. I've been working an awesome 7-3 schedule, but my sleep schedule still thinks I'm working 11-7. So, I'm going to bed around 11pm or 12pm (sometimes later), and then feeling pretty damn grumpy when I have to wake up at 5:30am.  Once I get into the groove of going to bed earlier, that schedule is pretty great.  I can't decide what I love more--having a whole morning to myself to eat breakfast, exercise, and get ready slowly, or an afternoon free to do whatever I want. There are pros and cons to both I suppose. I guess I just have it good :)

I'll have to admit that the first couple of nights, what kept me up is this new Oregon Trail game on Facebook.  I know, I know, I sound like a complete and total nerd for staying up to play this game, but it's addicting! It's one of those games that you can halfway pay attention to while doing other things, and they have little perks and rewards in the game. It's not like I'll come home and just play Oregon Trail for hours, but after I've been out, I will definitely decompress by opening it up and playing a bit. I think it's comforting because it reminds me of my childhood, hunting buffalo, fording rivers, and dying of dysentery all in the safety of my classroom or home.  I love that stupid game and I'm not ashamed!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

I Was Told

I was told recently that I should start up a blog. I laughed and said, well I already do blog. In fact, I already have two blogs up and running--one for over 5 years, the other for just over a year. The problem? Both of them are...flawed in one way or another. One is pretty much like a diary, and while I am all up for being transparent and all that fun stuff, I feel like some things should be kept...private.  The other blog is focused on healthy lifestyles, and is pretty intensely focused on weight loss, what I'm eating, goals, etc. Which, isn't a bad thing. I just thought...hmm...why not bring my life together into one cohesive setting in which I just talk about life. My life. My passions, my thoughts, my goals...you get the drift. So here I am. I have NO idea what I'm going to really talk about, in fact, I'm actually pretty nervous to put a moderately unedited version of me out there. However, I'm not going to let fear keep me from making a fool of myself. Right? Right. So here I go!