Rainy Weekend Turned Bright

 

It’s been raining here in Virginia Beach for what seems like an eternity.  Yet only two weeks ago I was bragging about the beautiful fall skies.  Shame on me for bragging too much about the amazing skies.  Mother Nature has shown me nothing but grey skies for 10 days now.  Vitamin D supplements have been consumed to combat any possibility of moodiness. 

 

Instead of giving in to the grey skies, high winds, damn air, and puddles, I embraced them.  I lit candles, turned on some tunes and went all Betty Homemaker!  It was glorious!  I made tomato soup from scratch…mostly from my garden and it was delicious!!  We are still eating it and my tummy is very happy!  I painted a little rocking chair fire engine red!  It’s a happy little chair, isn’t it?!  Oh and it was a thrifty endeavor!

 

Rocking Chair: $5.99 at Thrift Store

Spray Paint: $3 at Home Depot

Sand Paper: Already had

Damp Rag: Free

Total Cost: $8.99

Since I had this happy little red rocking chair, I only needed a cute little boy who adores climbing to model with it and model he did!!

 

 

 

While he loved climbing on the rocking chair and eating playing with the pumpkins, his mama and I had fun documenting his 8 month pictures.  His mom is so great at taking pictures each and every month of his little life so far!  I can only hope that I am as dedicated with my future kiddos as she is with him. 

Totally Random…having a dirty baby diaper in my trashcan kind of made me happy.  Oh and I was so proud of my little Lira puppy who belly crawled up to baby C man and sniffed him.  She was wonderful with the active baby!  Yay!  I think Lira and I are both ready for some babies in this house! 

 

Aside from these two creative endeavors, I hung out with friends, went on a spur of the momeny date with my hubby, and cuddled a ton with my puppy!  She was in such a cudde bug mood and I ate it up! 

 

SPIL: Simple Pleasures In Life

~Friends that "get" you

~Cute diners with Christmas lights & Flying Pigs

~Homemade Soup in the Fall

~Babies learning to be mobile

 

Much love.

 

Off to the Ball

If you would have asked me two weeks ago if I thought I'd be able to compete in the Fall 2013 Arthur Murray DC Freestyle Ballroom Dance Competition, I would have told you no with an extremely sad heart, but my knee has healed quickly and I can in fact compete this coming Friday!  I am beyond excited!  My knee injury was a result of overuse.  I basically strained my IT band and staying off it, icing it and stretching it, was exactly what I was supposed to do.  The doctor was completely find with my dancing, but told me not to run or cycle for 3 weeks.  The constant repetitive motion is what irritates the IT band and in turn my knee.  Luckily for me, dancing isn't repetitive or pounding. 

 

While I do not feel nearly as prepared for this competition because I missed three weeks of lessons and I am not dancing with my traditional instructor, I am still very excited to compete.  When I dance, I feel so alive.  There is an energy that exudes from my body.  I absolutely love it!  When I dance, I feel. I feel the music. I react to the lead most of the time. I'm focused. I'm smiling. I'm in a different world for those two minutes per dance. 

On Friday, the studio had a "spotlight" or a mock competition for all the students competing in DC, so Ryan was able to see me somewhat in my mode.  I wasn't in costume and my hair and makeup weren't done, but I was all smiles and much more confident while I was dancing.  He was thoroughly impressed and said I like seeing you like that.  You are way better than you used to be.  It's cool.  He has never seen me compete, but fingers crossed he will be able to see me this weekend!  It's a different world and for those who aren't competing it's like watching a movie.  There are costume ball gowns, an abundance of fringe, tan bodies, fake lashes, an insane amount of diamonds and glitter, constant dancing, and plastered on smiles. The one thing that bonds us all together, we love to dance and we want to be great!  It's such a fun family to be a part of.  We are competitors on the floor and friends off the floor.  I watch in awe of several dancers, take mental notes on how to improve my skills, compliment others, but the second I get on the floor, I dance and if you are in my way, I'm sorry, buy you'll probably be hit with my arm extensions or stepped on my by heel.  It goes both ways.  I've had my fair share of damages.

Here is a picture of a picture of my during my last competition!  I've got some swag, but I also have a ton of room for improvement.

 

Oh and for pure entertainment, each competition has a theme and this year it is an 80's theme!!  Like my costume?!

 

 

SPIL: Simple Pleasures In Life

+Feeling like a rock star on the floor

+Fringe dresses that give you sass

+Amazing instructors and friends

+Dancing

 

Much love.

P.S. If anyone has any digital pictures of me, please let me know!  I don't have any because I am always behind the camera...

Time for a Chop.

I need to cut my hair. 
Heck, I really want to cut my hair.
But I am so indecisive.
I wish there were wigs that I could try on.
I know it's hair and it will grow back.
But to have an idea of what I will look like with short locks would be nice.

 

I am thinking of having the longest strands at my collarbone and the shortest ones at my chin.  I will NOT be getting bangs because I'd like to look at least half my age.  Bangs instantly make me look 14 and I definitely don't want to go that route.  I may do the long angled bangs, but not traditional bangs.  The bigger question is, do I angle it shorter I the back and longer in the front OR do I do long layers and one general length??  Help!  This is me with my long straight hair:

This is a horrible picture, but you can see the length - bra strap length.

  These are my favorite options for my future chop-a-roo:

Option 1: Angled

Option 2: Keeping some length, long layers

Option 3: Shorter with long layers and long bangs

 

Option 4: Very close to option 3 with a side part (my natural part) and a little shorter

Please. Please. Please give me your honest answer.  Which one's your favorite for this round-faced brunette?!?

SPIL
+Quickly growing hair
+Foam rollers that loosen tight muscles.

Much love.

Stop Littering

Please.

Stop Littering.

It's selfish.

It's lazy.

It's flat out dirty.

It can kill.

 

I'm not perfect, but I don't litter and instead of preaching to you, I'm going to tell you an amazing story.  Brace yourselves because it's a good one and it's real.

 

This past Sunday my mom, dad, sister, brother, brother's girlfriend, the family dog and myself were fishing and hiking the creek when we heard the family dog barking, growling, and splashing through the water.  We immediately took off up the creek to see what was going on.  Bella, the family dog, was attempting to attack an 8-point buck.  Why wasn't the deer running?  Then we realized that there was what appear to be a rope strewn from a tree and across the creek that the deer's antlers were caught in and prohibiting the deer from running away.  We were able to get Bella away from the deer without injury to either the deer or our pup, but the deer was farm from calm.  Deer are strong. Antlers can spear the human body.  This was a sticky situation because we didn't have anything to cut the rope.  After debating about whether or not we should run back to the house or try to find a house in the woods, my brother decided to use his animal instincts and knowledge of deer.  He took his shirt off and slowly walked towards the buck that was now lying in the brush.  Slowly he was able to get close enough to the deer to put his shirt over the deer's eyes.  When deer can't see, they are very calm because they feel safe.  The deer stayed calm and my brother proceeded the sit on the deer and unwind the electric fence rope from the deer's antlers.  After a few minutes, my brother slowly stood up and walked away.  With that, the deer shook the shirt off of his face, looked around and took off into the woods.  He was free!  My brother saved him!  It was one of the coolest nature experiences I've every witnessed.  I am beyond proud and in awe of my brother.  It takes a special person to be able to do that. 

 

The electric fencing rope was over 100ft in length and was extremely strong; it is a tightly woven flat rope with wiring through it.  There was no way the deer was going to get out; his antlers were tightly tangled. 

 

Please stop the littering.  This rope probably came from a job site and was most likely no on purpose, but it trapped a deer and could have turned out far worse than it did.  Just be aware of your belongings and respect nature.  

 

Thank you from the deer community!

 

SPIL

+Brothers

+Deer

+Instincts

 

Much love.

A Visit Home

Home.  Ahh!  I absolutely love going home to parents’ house, seeing family, enjoying nature, catching up with best friends.  It’s a version of my heaven.  This past weekend was no exception.  Lir Lir puppy and I had an easy drive north, enjoyed an extremely colorful and sometimes blinding sunset on the Easter Shore, were greeted by a very excited and much larger pup the second we drove into the now PAVED driveway, and then we were embraced by my parents and younger sister as we walked in the door.  It’s so nice to come home!  The paved driveway was neighborhood news when it happened.  No one ever thought my parents would pave the driveway.  It’s never been paved and they have lived there 28 years.  Never say never.

Saturday morning Jamie came over with her dog and we have a puppy play date.  A huge yard that isn’t perfectly manicured is perfect for puppies to play in.  These dogs are puppies in age and dogs in size, so they can do some damage.  We had a few quarrels, but other than that there were just lots of running.  The weather was perfect so we just hung out at the picnic table and talked about life, love, vacations, work, you know the norm.  Sometimes perfect weather and good company is all the heart, mind and body need to thrive.  This weekend I enjoyed just those things with a huge dose of love. 

After some awesome friend time, I enjoyed some wonderful family time.  Bonnie had Soccer Day...yes, that's a day filled with soccer games and it is an extremely exciting time as a community soccer play because it is the one tournament of the season.  I used to love soccer day!  Bonnie's team came in second place.  They were so close to winning, but sluggish muscles won over and they failed to hold off the gold team.  



My sister is so pretty :)

 

 

In between soccer games we visited with my Gramma because her nursing home is literally next to the soccer fields!  It was perfect!  She definitely loved the company.  We took a nice walk outside and enjoyed the weather.  Fall is definitely coming because while it was sunny, Gramma was quite content in her sweater. 

 

She's such a strong woman, whom like many people her age, has suffered great loss and experienced monumental joys.  She is an inspiration to me because while she has very little feeling of her lower body, hallucinates at times, and is bed/wheelchair bound, she loves deeply, always has room for sweets and  speaks her mind!  She loves visitors and tells you straight up that she wants you to come back.  So, Saturday evening after seeing her twice that day, my little sister and I brought little lir lir puppy in for a surprise visit!  Gramma was sleeping, but in her words...I sleep a lot, just wake me up!! Time passes quickly when she has visitors and when she sleeps. Lira loved the visit just as much as Gramma did!  Gramma loves animals, especially cuddly ones and Lira loves to cuddle and be pet, so they make a perfect pair!  It was one of the sweetest visits I've shared with my Gramma and I wouldn't change that spur of the moment visit for anything.  She was happy.  I loved it.

 

Fall is coming!

 

 

 SPIL

+Grammas who speak their mind

+Small hometowns

+Flowers grown with love

+Huge puppy licks across your face

 

Much love.

Weak Knees

No, I'm not weak in the knees for a guy, although I'm always weak kneed for my hubby.  I literally have weak knees.  When I was 17 years old and a junior in high school, I tore my ACL in my left knee. On Sunday, at the age of 27, while running my first half marathon, a shooting pain started in my right knee...my good knee up until then.  Now lefty is known as my other bad knee. It only took ten years to ruin my knees.  Ok, maybe I am completely overreacting.  My left knee is doing just fine.  My muscles were still strong when I had ACL reconstruction.  My Other Bad Knee is recovering because I am babying it.  I ice it, use a foam roller on it, and have been hobbling around on crutches. 

Sad Face.

From my research (no I have not gone to a doctor because I'm stubborn and it's not that bad) I have a strained Ililotibial Band (ITB).  All the causes and the pain description line up pretty perfectly with ITB issues.  I was feeling hip pain around mile 10 prior to the knee pain and the ITB starts in the hip and runs down to the knee.  My muscles were tight.  I was running on pavement and the road was slanted. 

For the medical ones out there **cough cough Dad** I have full mobility of my knee, there is no swelling and there is no bruising.  I have been icing it, staying off of it for the most part, rolling it with a foam roller, and taking anti-inflammatory medication.  If anyone has any recommendations to sooth ITB issues, please let me know.

 

Thing is, I have a dance competition in less than three weeks and I really want to compete although I am fairly certain that I won't be able to.  I can walk on my knee, but any twisting is out of the question.  It's definitely a mental challenge to stay positive.  I am not perfect and I have been a little quieter...I've read three books in three days...but I am working on being mentally strong and recovering as quickly and as completely as possible.  I definitely don't want any permanent damage done to my knee, so I am being careful. 

 

SPIL

+Book Trilogies

+Making Christmas presents in September

+Children waiting at bus stops

 

Much love.



About Me

I don't know how often people read my "About Me" tab, so I figured I'd share it with you.

I am a lover...

Ryan & I when we were dating!  Rhode Island, Fall 2008

 

I don't just live, I love to live.  I feel everything...joy, pain, the deepest of heartthrob, the most powerful love...the love that makes the grass greener, the skies bluer, and the laundry list much shorter. 

I was raised with love and in turn I was raised to love!  My parents express their love for one another, for their children and for complete strangers day in and day out.  Kisses, hugs, door holding, laughter, date nights, support and a resounding excitement for exploring life has surrounded me throughout my life.  It has always been natural for me to throw my whole heart into relationships and expect that in return.   I just want to spread love and put smiles on faces!  Being in love is the most amazing feeling in the entire world and I wish it upon everyone!

Little Man when he was little.  Now he is 11.  He still makes this face though!

I am also blessed with a beautiful, well handsome, stepson!  He is a little boy and a  complete Daddy's boy through and through!  There is nothing like seeing a dad and his son having a "moment."  It just puts the biggest of smiles on my face!  Tickle fights, archery, WWII documentaries, middle school, golf, and Star Wars pretty much rock his world !  Little lives make life so much more interesting!  I simply adore the way kids see things and how innocent they are; they can teach us a world of lessons.  There is nothing wrong with being a child at heart and loving unconditionally!

As for me and what I do, other than love...

I work fulltime as a Financial Analyst for a coffee company and am a recent M.A. Economics graduate.  I am a self-taught photographer and a tutor on the side.  Learning is a love of mine.  I'm always reading something and my brain never shuts off.  Recently, I started running...it's a work in progress. Dancing is a love of mine...rumba, salsa, waltz, foxtrot, cha-cha, east coast swing, west coast swing, hustle, tango... love them all.  Oh, I garden too!  I pretty much never stop.  Like father, like daughter.   

I also adore being domestic!  Yes, I enjoy cleaning and cooking and sewing...if I could decorate a house to become a home and then turn that home into a loving and laughing fest of family and friends with food and pictures and knitted afghans with music playing and candles glowing, I would be in all my glory.  One day that will all come true, but until then, my dreams will have to suffice.  And I must say, I am pretty darn good dreamer!  My imagination just runs wild and puts a huge smile on my face!  Thank the Lord!

My creative edge has been coming out much more recently!  I have been taking pictures and creating scenes for my lucky subjects.  I've also been planning gifts to craft for the holidays.  Yes, I plan ahead.  You have to when you make most of your holiday presents.  I  read a lot, jam to music and dance my heart out!  Music makes me feel alive.  It's powerful.

Random loves...the sky, grasses...all types, smooth skin, huge smiles.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog and if you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to post a comment and I will do my best to answer you!  Thank you for reading!

 

SPIL:Simple Pleasures In Life (14-17)

+Sunrays bouncing off morning dew

+Sound asleep cuddles

+Waking up to a puppy nuzzling into your side

+Two fried eggs

 

Much love.

Receiving Criticism

It's performance review time at the coffee company and regardless of how strong your performance has been, there is the dreaded opportunities section.  The section where your boss tells you were you have room for improvement.  There is no way that this section is an extremely pleasant experience for anyone, but by God, I do my darndest to make the most out of it.  Hearing constructive feedback from your boss (or anyone) can be challenging, especially when they hit the nail on the head.  My boss sent me my review to read over prior to our meeting, so I knew what I was walking into.  Don't worry, it wasn't bad. 

 

I will say that I read my review and thought two things:

1. Wow, my boss knows how to glorify my accomplishments which makes me super happy.

2. Ugh.  He knows my weaknesses too well...I need to be better at hiding them.

 

It's easier for me to receive feedback that I don't already know that I need to work on, but hearing feedback that I already know I have to work on is just a bit more difficult to hear.  I tend to get very defensive, but I'm going to pat myself on the back because today I didn't get defensive.  I listened and discussed and asked for ideas on how to improve.  Holy humbling experience batman.  It wasn't easy, but it was a learning experience and I learned.  I listened.  I cared. I discussed. I learned.  Now it's time to act. 

This wasn't me, but it's funny to me!

 

SPIL: Simple Pleasures In Life  (9-13)

+Cobalt blue and neon yellow running shorts

+Breakfast for dinner

+Refreshing coconut water

+Listening to Mr. Johnny Cash on vinyl.

+Honesty

IG @xsarexbearx
#SPIL
 

Much love.

Deciding to S.P.I.L

I'm an emotional girl. 

It's a fact.

This song is me to a T.  I believe I warned my hubby long before he was anything more than a crush.  Actually...I'm pretty sure I showed him through tears, intense laughter, heated debates, and lots of love.  Emotions are awesome and a total pain in the rear all wrapped up with a huge bow. 

This week...really last night and today have been highly emotional for me.  I'm feeling extremely lonely and missing my little man a ton.  Bad combination.  I cry.  I talk. I try to rationalize and explain. I cry some more. I get quiet. I cry.  Yea, I do a lot of the crying or on the verge of crying thing.  Oh it's hell.  I feel sorry for the people that have to deal with me, but I really wish they could realize that they are only getting a glimpse of the pain I am feeling on the inside and that I am the one who truly is bearing the brunt of it all.  I don't cry because I want to or because it's the easy thing to do.   I cry because it's the only way I know how to release some of the pain.  Crying is therapeutic for me.  Just let me do it.  Let me lock myself in my closet and sob.  I might be quiet for a bit afterwards, but believe me, I feel better.  I feel lighter.  Needless to say, I cried this evening.  I'll probably cry again soon, but I'll be ok.  I always am.  I'm not scared of crying.  I'm emotional and proud!

 

Crying helps me shed sadness from my core.  Focusing on the simple pleasures in life also help me refocus, revamp, and simply be happy.  In an effort to be happier in life and really embrace the little joys, I am going to add Simple Pleasures In Life aka SPIL to the end of each post.  I think it's fitting.  SPIL the positive to defeat the negative.  I got this idea from a book I found on Amazon called 14,000 Things to Be Happy About and from a friend's comment in IG (@xsarexbearx).  I posted a picture of an excerpt of this book and she thought the list was written by me.  It got me thinking...why don't I start my own list?  I love lists.  I love writing.  I love being happy. It's a perfect fit.  Then on the way home from work today as I was about to burst into tears I decided to focus on coming up with a name for this list.  Tears starting to spill and BAM it hit me.  SIMPLE PLEASURES IN LIFE...SPIL!!  Sold. 

SPIL (1-8)
+Puppy snuggles.
+Packing gifts for a friend and new mama who has moved away.
+Authentic tacos with cilantro.
+Picking tomatoes from the vine.
+Inappropriate old men.
+Manual transmissions, sunroofs, and rockin music on your drive home from work.
+Falling asleep to rain pattering on the roof.
+Lavender Lemon candles.

Much love.