The Market Darling: February 2013

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Weight Loss Wednesday!

I've been absolutely terrible at Weight Loss Wednesday lately! Aaaaand I am happy to admit that it is because I have been really very busy at becoming healthier!!!! I have been spending most of my evenings at the gym, trying new classes, weight training and running.

Driving home after the gym last week I realized something kind of big.
That I have stepped out of my comfort zone.
I never really knew what that meant until last week. But it has actually been going on for quite a while. Last year, at my heaviest and unhealthiest, I signed up for a Warrior Dash. I trained for it, or THOUGHT I did, but when it came to the race, I did more than poorly and really disappointed myself. So, I signed up for another one. and this time I did it. Alone. I sure as heck didn't win the race, but I finished it and felt totally amazing. Crossing that finish line was one of the best feelings in the whole entire wide world. So, I signed up for another one :) And this time did it with friends! We made some new friends along the way (some who were in the same position I was in during my first and second races), and it took us longer to finish as we decided we weren't going to leave any of our new friends behind, and by the time we finished I could tell we were all experiencing that same great feeling.
And I've noticed lately, especially at the gym, that I've been stepping out of my comfort zone almost every day. I've been pushing past the "I cants" and the "don't feel like its" in my workouts. Even just walking into a new gym was scary for me! But I did it anyway. And only wonderful things have come out of it. When I walked into the gym that first time, feeling anxious that I didn't know anybody there, didn't know where anything was, etc. A total stranger invited me to the Zumba class that was happening at that very second and it was AMAZING.
And I'm all fired up for the Boot Camp Conditioning class on Tuesdays because the last one I SUCKED at, and I know if I keep at it, I'm going to see results and I'll kick everybody else's butt eventually. And even though it's hard to walk and I ache in places I didn't know you could ache, I'm totally jazzed to see my progress in the next few classes!!!
So, my advice for this WLW is simply, step out of your comfort zone (and you don't even have to go that far. Baby steps are okay). Sign up for something that is kind of major for you. Go be a part of something that makes you nervous. Do something right this second that will make you proud tomorrow!!!! If I can do it ANYBODY can do it.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Shop Envy; Maureen Dai Photography

Even when I have no money I like to wander the pages of Etsy and get inspired and drool over things that maybe someday I'll own, or just keep happily dreaming about. And today, just now, I found Maureen Dai Photography. Her photos are unique, beautiful, thoughtful and inspiring. I wish wish wish I could purchase all of them because they are wonderful. Here are my favorites....

Monday, February 18, 2013

New Things!

Hello All! Happy Monday! Today was full of creating things, organizing things, getting rid of things and BLUEBERRY COFFEE!!!!!!!!!

I felt the need to finally update my shop, SECRET CITY, after not getting a job I was sort of excited about (they found someone to fill the position before I could have my interview :-/ ) . So, to cheer myself up, and hopefully make a bit of money, I put these headbands up! I feel a late night coming on.... I have a few more to make and photograph tonight and obviously, more blueberry coffee to drink! (which you can purchase HERE. This particular link is for a case of it, but believe me, it's worth it. 66 oz. of BLUEBERRY FRACKING MAGIC. DO IT!!!!)

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

The Versatile Blogger Award

Lovely Miss Pati over at Nebula In Bloom nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award!!! I am a new follower of her blog and so glad I found her! She has amazing personal style, travels to cool places , takes awesome pictures and makes awesome looking food. If you don't already follower her, you should! Thanks Pati!!!!

Instructions are to:

Nominate some other new bloggers
Let them know you have nominated them
Share 7 random facts about yourself
Thank the blogger who has nominated you
Add the Versatile Blogger Award to your post

The bloggers I nominate are:

Facts

1. I am really really really ridiculously musical. And I don't say this to brag. It's just that it's my one thing. It's the one thing I know inside out. I can pretty much pick up an instrument and play it. You know when you have something that comes really natural to you and you don't have to think about it, you just do it, even if you've never done it before? Music is that thing for me.

I'm told I should do more with it, but it gets put on the back burner quite often because I get so busy learning new things that I don't want to play with something I know so well!

2. I pick up a new hobby every 2 weeks or so. Sometimes it drives me crazy that I can't focus on any 1 thing for a long time. And at other times it makes me happy that I'm interested in soooo many things. This week I've started making fancy pants underroos!!

3. By the power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts I can pronounce you whatever. I became a "minister" when I was 19 so I could marry folks. Then I went to my city hall and got a fancy piece of paper that, basically, said whatever I "pronounced" would be legally bound! The closest I ever got to actually marrying anyone was one Valentines Day a few years ago when a bunch of my pals got together and after a few drinks, started pulling names out of a bag, I "married" them and so it became known as the "Semi-Legal Marriage Valentines Day Dance Party"

4. If I didn't think I was going to become a teacher, all my fingers would be tattooed. I love finger/hand tattoos. They are super sexy in my book.

5. I could eat grapefruit all day, every day. It is my favorite food. I would rather have grapefruit than chocolate. Grapefruits are also super sexy.

6. I am recently obsessed with Grey's Anatomy. I have watched three seasons in like, 5 days. Not even joking. It helps that we had a blizzard and I had already cleaned my house....

7. I worked at Starbucks for 5 years. And one time my friend, Jacks, and I fat-poisoned Martin Scorsese's and Leonardo DiCaprio's lattes. At the time, we didn't realize who the drinks were for. We just thought we were giving some stuck up, skinny jerk some super-fattening lattes (we're talking 1000 calories or so per latte. It's amazing how fattening you can make a Venti Latte...). We found out later on that that stuck up, skinny jerk was Scorsese's personal assistant and those drinks were for him and the cast of "Shutter Island". Oops >:-)