something to chase

 

I'm glad you ran past me as I was stretching.

I'm glad you gave me the runner's nod so I knew you were for real.

I'm glad you wore a red shirt so I could see you up ahead.

I'm glad you sped up every time you heard me closing in behind you.

I'm glad you didn't turn around and see me take this photo.

to the guy ahead of me on the trail tonight:

thanks for giving me something to chase.

two tone tuesday

big spender / go overboard

Boston bits.

chopped.

martini fail

the other night I tried my hand at mixing up some martinis for Husband and myself.

[I've drunk a few martinis in my time, but never made any]

apparently I misjudged how much a "splash" is. all we could taste was vermouth.

 they looked pretty, but Husband told me I would never cut it as a 50's housewife.

 darn. guess I'll have to stick to scotch until I perfect the martini.

red pants revolution

I've been doing a lot of deep thinking lately. the kind where you dive inside your brain noodles and don't surface for a while. the kind where you ask yourself the hard questions- the ones sometimes you don't ask because you're scared of the answers [even though deep down you know what the answers are, otherwise you wouldn't be avoiding the questions] but at some point you just have to man up and ask them. those kinds of conversations with yourself are hardly comfortable, but from time to time, they are necessary.

I can get why red pants might not seem to fit with the concept of mental spelunking, but they do.

red pants started to be "a thing" a few months ago. I noticed them on the internet, of course, as one of my favorite bloggers was sporting a pair. I immediately fell in love. I wanted red pants, but assumed I couldn't pull them off. they would draw too much attention. that on me, they would just look silly. I wanted red pants. I thought about how perfect they would be for the holidays. I visualized all the outfits I could make with things already hanging in my closet. I wanted red pants. but I didn't buy them.

in the past few weeks, I've been thinking. about all these things I like or enjoy doing, but never seem to advertise. about why I always try to downplay my interest in photography, or why I never talk about my blog when someone from work asks me for a recipe. about why I have two blogs, carefully separating my personal life from interfering with my cupcakes. why am I hiding the things that make me unique? why am I trying so hard to fit in?

I don't want to suppress who I am anymore, I want to express it freely. I want to embrace it. I want to advertise it. I want to celebrate it.

so, I bought red pants.

and more importantly, I wore them.

week 52: the end

friday five [in photos]

1. sparkly nails: Essie "set in stones" over "power clutch"

2. messy Friday hair

3. Beau deciding he would rather sleep under the tree than destroy it

4. crafting Christmas presents galore

5. dark chocolate peppermint bark. duh.

two-tone nails tutorial

continuing my obsessions with all things Pinterest- inspired and nailpolish... I tried out two-tone nails the other day. turns out this is SUPER easy to do, and all you need is scotch tape. I used Essie master plan [lighter shade] and merino cool [darker shade]. I was going for a more subtle effect, so I stuck with two colors in the same purple/gray family, but I'm so trying this out with bolder combinations...

here's how I did it:
1. paint your nail solid with the lighter color and let dry.
2. use scotch tape to block off part of your nail what you want to stay the light color.
3. paint on the dark shade over the exposed nail.
4. before the polish dries, carefully peel off the tape. you'll be left with perfect lines!
5. touch up any areas that need it, dry, add a top coat.

week 48: coming home

on the car ride back to the east cost

I spent all of Thanksgiving week at home in Michigan. Seeing all of my family, [a few of] my friends, my sister’s wedding, running with my Dad, making pie with Husband…. I know I say this every time I go home, but: every time I go home, I appreciate it more and more.

friday five [in photos]

1. Starbucks up and down the turnpike for 10 hour drives home.

 

2. assorted wedding decor and activities to photograph.

3. 21,000 runners and 1 million spectators in downtown Detroit.

4. completing my first race since the 1/2 marathon with sub 9 min miles.

5. pie.

week 46

how I do business casual:

essie "size matters", grey tweed dress, pattern tights

packing + procrastination

I am the worst at packing. the worst. I take forever. I get anxious about not bringing the right things, because I always seem to end up forgetting something. or having wayyyy to much. I waste a lot of time washing things I don't end up packing, and trying on outfits.

so I'm happy to report my suitcase is full [minus what's drying overnight] and my sister's wedding gift is wrapped and in the car. I tried on about 12 thanksgiving dinner outfits before settling on the above. and I'm sure I won't wear half of what I've packed. but, I'm packed.

Beau was absolutely no help. when he wasn't napping, he was jumping in my clean laundry piles and hiding in my suitcase. or fighting with Rocky. they always get cranky when they know I'm leaving town. punks.

 for now it's time to relax... beverage and pedicure, chopped marathon on food network, maybe a little pinterest-ing. then a good night's sleep and a 10 hour drive back to MI!

Friday Five

a little bit of [slight rule-bending] 52 weeks catch up:

Week 36: my gorgeous sari for the P+S engagement extravaganza

 

Week 37: the modern saddle shoe- perfect mix of nerdy and trendy

Week 38: a peek at my Chicago whirlwind weekend

Week 39: good cop/bad cop impressions

a taste of Maine

fourth of July weekend, Husband and I drove up to a friend's place in Maine. some of my favorite memories growing up took place on a lake [at my family's cottage in Michigan] and it was great to escape for a while. I really miss being in nature, and Maine did not disappoint. I was a little lax on the photos this trip, but managed to snap a few instagrams while still spending good quality time with Husband.

1. we of course had to get lobster... it's cheaper than chicken by the pound up there! I didn't have any [I'm allergic] but the general consensus seemed to be: delicious.
2. we spent a lot of time on the boat, in the sun, enjoying the views. I also made a grand return to the world of waterskiing [and was sore for 3 days after!]
3. the lake was just plain gorgeous.
4. we also got to play with Chloe and Max, our friend's two [very energetic] dogs. Husband and I have been talking dogs a lot lately... I'm not sure this is the breed for me.

1. one of my favorite things in the world: waking up early, sitting on a deck, and drinking coffee while watching the mist burn off the lake as the sun comes up. everything is so peaceful, bright, and full of possibility. I haven't been able to do that in years.
2. other than coffee, we consumed a LOT of delicious beverages. maine root root beer is my new favorite. AND I think I can find it in NJ!
3. went to a pub which proclaimed to be "beer heaven" and it certainly lived up to the name. they had a bottle list thicker than a Bible, and had one several awards for best craft brewery selection in America. seriously. right in the middle of nowhere. beer heaven.
4. we did have some rainy weather part of the trip, but sitting inside with the windows open playing cards and listening to the rain was almost as good as lying in the sun by the lake drinking a beer.

twenty-four-five-six

a quiet morning with a good book and coffee.

a windblown sunset and a kiss from my love.

an unplanned stop for popsicles and smiles.

it's the little things in life...

sunday morning ritual

sitting here, once again, on a sunday morning. drinking french press, wearing the ever-faithful worn out MSU hoodie that has become my equivalent of a security blanket. staring at a blank screen, wondering what I should say and what I should not.

sundays are always a struggle for me. looking back on the week past, looking ahead to all the things in the week coming. the urge to relax and do nothing vs. the panic to be productive while I have the time. the guilt of not attending church services and disappointing my parents vs. the defiant conviction that going for someone else instead of myself would be meaningless. the need for more mileage vs. sore legs and swollen knee.

but that's just the nature of life. the world is a dichotomy. good vs. evil. male vs. female. the comfort of the familiar vs. the desire to explore the unknown. not just on sundays, but every day.

please excuse the philosophical tangent. back to your weekly recap:

my week started off all bright and shiny, golden sunrises on the way home from the gym and a sense of accomplishment before 7am. I don't understand how I woke up every morning for high school at 5:45am, yet trying to do so now feels near impossible. the alarm goes off and I inevitably try to talk myself out of going to the gym. "I'll run after work instead" sounds great until it's 7pm and you find yourself starving and exhausted and missing socks in your gym bag. I need to be better at remembering how great it feels to walk out of the gym after a morning run. the high you get from a good sweat. the calmness of no one else awake. and that whole not having to take 2 showers in one day thing.

unfortunately my work life had other plans for me. by tuesday afternoon I was clinging to sanity by my fingernails. thank goodness I had a friend at the precipice who also has a weakness for margaritas and gossip and shoe shopping. we left work early [and by early, I mean 5:30 instead of 6:30 or 7] and drowned our sorrows in frozen limey goodness and discount designer shoes. I even bought myself a pair of heels. which I actually desperately needed, since the last time I bought heels was 2008 and I don't actually posses any dress shoes that go with a summer dress. I have an obsession with flats. we can discuss that later.

later in the week I started experiencing knee pain and swelling. my knees are another story completely. to summarize: I had knee problems, thought I was clear, and now it feels like they are back. and with the pain comes a lot of emotional issues.

I was struck with a bad bout of indecision.  keep running and risk hurting yourself further vs. the humiliation of admitting defeat and quitting. I chose to run. I went out and did 5 miles yesterday. I wanted to vomit afterward. it was wonderful. so I rewarded myself with the first Rita's of the season.

as for the rest of the day? I have plans to play around with the little black beauty above. the newest addition to our photographic family. I love my little SD1000 but it was time for an upgrade. Husband is traveling to Turkey for 6 weeks this summer and this is what he'll be taking with him.

also, I have some cream cheese and butter coming to room temp so I can make a batch of these while simultaneously beating back the tentacled laundry pile beast.