Team in Training

Finish Line photo

Today was the first day I have run since the 10K race on Saturday. It was glorious.

I started thinking about how far I've come and how easy 2 miles feels now. I'm incredibly excited for the 4 miler this Saturday and meeting all the new Team in Training folks who are doing the half and full marathons this summer season.

Go team!

I'll be fund raising for blood cancer research (through the Leukemia Lymphoma Society). Here's the blog link for donating to the cause - if you feel so inclined.  Click here to donate!

East Coast Weekender

How about we all go to the shore this weekend and have a lobster bake?

I'm wicked-sick of work. (super East coast right?)

The images below make me feel like a New Englander. Especially the pug with a peacoat on.


Bowtie


Sling bag


Most stylish pup on the beach

Cranky

You can judge me. I accept that you will when you see the image below. But I pinterested (it's a verb) the word "cranky" and this was the only image that made me laugh. So it wins.

I wish that I was above choosing to be cranky today. But I am not. I am in the cranky bubble and shall stay here until I can drink a glass of wine and watch smut TV later tonight with my dogs.

The anti-cranky image (if one chooses to employ it):

We Did It

Well, 6.4 miles and some change later, my first 10K was completed. There were over 25,000 people signed up for the Cowtown events this weekend. In my race there were more than 4,500 people. Coming in something like 1,601 place was A-OK with me.

I was so jazzed up about the whole experience that I signed up for a Team in Training Summer event. I will be running a marathon on June 23rd... wait for it... in Anchorage, Alaska.

I am beyond excited for this new goal and challenge. Get ready AK - I'm comin' for ya.

Inspiretsy

Goofy things I love on Etsy today:


wayfarer glasses earrings



Leather and suede pouch



chunky hand knit hat

The end of training

It has been an incredible month and a half of training.

I went from claiming I couldn't run a mile to waiting in excited anticipation to run 6.2 miles tomorrow. I am running in the Cowtown 10K for the leukemia and lymphoma society, with Team in Training.

It's unreal what a group of inspired individuals can do for others. Our team of less than 30 people has raised almost $10,000 for blood cancer research in less than 2 months. AND we get all the benefits, emotional and physical, of the training for an endurance event.

I can't wait for tomorrow. It's going to be amazing.

Tea Time

We have started a new tradition in my office - Japanese Tea Time.

For Christmas my mr. man's parents sent me a traditional tea set (they live in Japan). The, for Valentines day his mother sent me a variety of cherry blossom teas to boot! I figured it was time to use them, so this week we have started a late afternoon "tea break."

I highly recommend this at your place of "nose-to-the-grindstone." It is helping to bring us all a little closer for 15 minutes every day.

Pretty Little Things

I gave up shopping for lent but I didn't give up pinterest.

New loves from a great lil' etsy shop.

Lost Dog

I thought this morning was going so well. I was up at 6:15 and did my 2 mile run for training, despite the lactic acid screaming "NO! Stay in bed - you are sore from the kettebells!" I was even back before 7 so that I could possibly be early to work.

The universe had other plans. I went and started the shower, let the dogs out, lathered, rinsed and repeated and then went to let the dogs back in. Here's the problem - they didn't come back in.

After 5 minutes of calling Emma, she finally started barking and I realized she was on the other side of the fence that was supposed to have contained her. Apparently they can push their way out, but can't pull their way back in.

Bella was no where to be seen. After 30 minutes and many loops around my neighborhood with the roommates, searching for her, she sauntered on home.

Thanks a lot Bells - you're lucky no one put you in a spaceship and shot you into space. (note photo above.)

KettleBell Training

The time for the 10K is fast approaching.

Saturday I will show what I've got at the Cowtown and run the full 6.2 miles. For someone who has adamantly insisted they are not a runner, the reality that I can run 6 miles without dying is still exciting.

To offset the 10K training one of the roommates and I signed up for a few sessions of personal training to teach us about healthy but productive weight training. This morning we learned our very buff trainer-lady's secret...

The KettleBell.

The YMCA gym-rats/overly chipper instructors will show you the basics of what kicked my butt at 6 am this morning. Enjoy.

Shopping Success

This weekend I dominated the San Marcos premium outlets.

On the list of favorite purchases: 

Long desired nested mixing bowls from Williams-Sonoma, mine are more buttery than this yellowand $30 instead of $65 for the set? Yes please.

Under-Armour shatter capris for running, $25 instead of $50.

And potterybarn wine glasses. Set of 6 for $20? Get out of here.

San Marcos

I get the dogs groomed so they are soft and smell nice, just in time to leave for the weekend. Off to San Marcos for some outlet shopping. The girls know it too - currently Emma (pictured below) is laying on my keyboard while I try to type. She saw the weekend bag get packed. Poor kids.

See ya Monday!

ALSO: DON'T TRY TO ROB MY HOUSE - I HAVE ROOMMATES WHO ARE STILL HOME THIS WEEKEND. THANK YOU.

Tiny little friend

I have a tiny, new, beautiful friend I call mack-attack.

My laptop has been down and out (despite it's beautiful tree decal) for the better part of 3 years. Senior year the ol' HP started to get pretty spotty and I stopped using it very often, and eventually retired it.

But today friends - we have a new connection to the interwebz and all things computer. The lovely macbook air.

What's that? My computer only weighs 2.3 lbs? You don't say...

Flu Season

No Flu so far (knock on wood), but everyone around me seems to be ill or trying to recover from illness.

I think we'd all feel better if we got our Kleenexes from a friendly whale.

Cheesy meets Indie

Good 80s cheese-tastic tunes mixed with a hip indie performer = Clem Snide's Journey covers. Enjoy.

Happy Valentines Day

Favorite kids Valentines I saw on pinterest:







I miss the days of classroom Valentines Day parties.

Moments of Impact

So have you seen the vow yet? My house full of women went last night and got all teary eyed and had a good laugh.

Plus you get to see this:



Everyone wants to see that. Men included. I'm convinced.

There is a lot of reflection and commentary on valuing moments with someone you love and appreciating all the little parts of the relationship that make the two of you an "us."

For the rest of this month I'm committing to appreciating those little moments that make up the memories that matter. With friends, family or significant others it's a good thing to remember this week of Valentines.

PETA would be furious

A while back my coworker was telling me about things she has inherited from her mother and grandmother and one of her most "random" items is what we've named the "fox stole". In the 1920s her grandmother wore this, at the time very stylish piece, on a regular basis.

In the summers they stored it in a "cooler" with their other fur coats.

As Susan said : "to have fur was to agree to spend a good deal of money on the upkeep."

These are the things I learned today that PETA would be furious about.

Break

The only thing that sounds better than sleep is sleep followed by brunch with mimosas and maybe a massage.

I'm done with you real world. I would like a break.

Do Not Disturb

photo credit




Being surrounded by people I love, admire and adore is one of the best parts of my daily life. But when your brain starts to shrivel and die from lack of rest and quiet alone time you realize you could probably use a large do not disturb sign.

I know in these exhausted moments of clarity that I need a day off and little to no human contact. Because most of my life revolves around people and relationships I feel like asking for peace and quiet is like presenting them with an unexpected eye exam.

You just don't see that coming.

Wish me luck in my efforts to try out hermit mode as soon as possible.

Painfully cute.

Ok either it's a Tuesday and I know the day is going to be incredibly long... or these really are painfully adorable. 6" high "soft sculptures."

The penguin's name is Peggy. I'm seriously considering paying $10 of shipping costs to get her here from her Finnish homeland.

I have chest pains she is so cute. Etsy... crafter's from Finland? Will the wonders never cease?

Check out Sofia's shop.

Mixedy mix

Currently I'm coveting the following nesting mixing bowls.









Said products are high on my list because every time I cook I realize I have neither a "large mixing bowl" nor a "medium mixing bowl". The only reason I say I have a "small mixing bowl" is that I do in fact have normal size bowls, which I think qualify.

Quiet Place

Li Ang loves Polaroids that capture everyday moments. Her work above is featured on her Etsy page.

This morning I needed to find images of quiet. When I searched that word under the Etsy art tab, Li's photograph of rumpled bed sheets came up and caught my eye immediately.

"That's exactly it."

My truly incredible and wholly-unbelievable significant other is my quiet place - even when the world is really loud. That photo reminds me of waking up and knowing that everything can stay still for just a little longer before the day sneaks in with its tasks, trials and tribulations.

I hope to find a little quiet this weekend. Don't you?

Self Love

A certain blogger (Amy) had a fabulous idea. 

Let's dedicate February to self-love. Let's say no-more to self hate and negative language about ourselves. Let's love ourselves. 

I challenge you to join the revolution. See the button on the top right side - I signed today.

It's a beautiful day to be a confident and unique woman.

Pietro

The young man above is named Pietro. He was painted in the early Italian renaissance.

To me - he looks overwhelmed. I know a lot of people who are feeling the way Pietro feels. Only they aren't Italian. And it's now.

Sometimes we have to accept that we can't fix the way others are feeling, we can only listen when they need us to and make a joke when it is most inappropriate and hope for a laugh.

If Pietro was here I'd tell him this joke:

Q: What's stucco?

A: What happens when you step in bubblegummo.


You chuckled right? I did.