A big deal for me...

Confession: I am not very self-motivated, especially when it comes to excercise. This is why I enjoy the class experience so much. If left to my own devices, as soon as it starts getting too hard, or I get too winded, it's too easy to just STOP. (I mean, really, would I ever just go to the gym and do weights for an hour? No, but I'll do the Total Body class and enjoy it... which is an hour of doing weights!)

However, if I'm in a class full of people and there are people 35 years older (or more!) than me hanging in there and even kicking my tail a little bit, my competitiveness kicks in and I keep going. I may be looking at the clock and counting down the minutes until the torture is over, but I always hang in there until the bitter end.

As I've mentioned on here a hundred and eleventy billion times, I love Yoga (and Pilates, but especially Yoga). It's been 3 weeks today since I've had a Yoga class and I miss it.

This book arrived the other day,

and I've just found it so helpful and enlightening. It's mostly a deeper look at the root causes of anxiety and how to deal with it. Only a little bit of the book focuses on beneficial poses, but I found it to be an amazing coincidence (or not) that a lot of poses that were already my favorite are ones that are considered calming and helpful for anxiety. Reading so much yesterday got me really missing my Yoga class, and wanting to do Yoga RIGHT THAT MINUTE.

When I got home, I searched our TV for any exercise channel/programs I could find. I found two Yoga and one Pilates program, but they air early in the mornings. I set my DVR to record them and figured I'd have to wait to tonight to do them. But as the minutes ticked by, I just felt more edgy and restless. I needed Yoga right that second. Without the slightest clue how I was going to flow from one pose to the next, or even what poses I could tackle on my own without someone instructing me, I rolled my mat out onto the living room floor and  just did it. The more I did, the more I remembered and I just kept doing it, making sure to do all my favorites and ending with seeing how long I could stay in certain plank positions to challenge myself. When I rolled my mat back up and looked at the clock, 30 minutes had passed! I was more than a little proud of myself, but more importantly, my stress and anxiety had melted away. I still had a hard time falling asleep, but that was just regular old insomnia and not from being anxious. I felt quite calm and my mind was quiet. It was a wonderful accomplishment to do it on my own, but I really look forward to doing it tonight with instruction thanks to the programs I recorded... And I look even more forward to my favorite yogi returning from vacation in August!

Books!!

It's no secret that I love to read... here's what I've been reading lately, and what I will be reading soon....

I read this back in May while I was in Ohio and I blame Oprah for it. You may wonder how this is Oprah's fault. Well, I have two answers for that.

1.) Everything is Oprah's fault. ;)
2.) I've become addicted to the "docu-reality" shows on Oprah's channel (OWN) and I got hooked on the one with the Judd's. I mean, Momma Judd is just bat-guano crazy, if you know what I mean (did you watch the show?)... Just watching all that dysfunction made me very interested in Ashley's side of the madness. I'm not going to lie, I skipped over all the chapters about her charity work because it made me too sad and I have enough issues already. I will say, though, the parts I read about her life and family - wow. I have a lot of respect for Ashley.

I know after that I probably read a couple of quick-paced mystery books or something, because I know I read stuff after that book, but I can't remember. Also, I give most of my fiction away after I read it, so I don't have it lying around to jog my memory.

The next book I recall reading is this one:

In general, I really like Lisa Gardner's books, but I always have the same problem with them. They don't grab me at first. I'll read two chapters, put it down for a month, then pick it up again and next thing I know I can't read it fast enough. This one kept me guessing until the end, which I really liked. I found myself rooting for the main character in the book, despite whether I didn't know if she had actually done the things she was accused of or not until the very last pages.


Last week, I read this one:



This is another one I blame Oprah for, because she gave Shania a show on her network, too.  *Sigh*

I have never been a Shania fan - ever. But, I am a sucker for Autobiographies, especially about country singers. We can either blame that on my upbringing or the fact that I've been living in Nashville for almost 10 years.

I actually found this book fascinating. On her show she seemed so self centered, insecure and full of introspection to the point of excessive navel- gazing. It was grating. But after reading this, I can see why she is the way she is - she's had a hard life and went through things that all of us hope we never have to experience. Instead of being annoyed at her for the reasons I mentioned above, I now wonder how she has managed to avoid a straightjacket with all that she has been through. Go ahead and navel-gaze, girl. You've earned it.

Currently I am reading this:

It's the newest book in the True Blood series (and season 4 just started on HBO last night!), and so far it's just ok. Actually the last several have been just ok, if not downright awful at times. But I keep reading because I'm attached to the characters and there's only 2 more books to come after this - I want to see how it all ends. Hopefully then Charlaine Harris can pick up with some of her other series or write about some new characters altogether. I love her writing - it's quick to read, a great blend of light and dark and usually very comical. I have found that the humor has been lacking over the last several books and it makes me sad - it's what made the books special, I think.

Any day now, I should be receiving these 4 books:

I love Karen Slaughter's books because I am attached to the characters - they are very human and imperfect. I also always love a good mystery! I tend to pass her books around at work when I'm finished with them, and everyone else seems to like them, too.

Oh, I can't wait for this one to land in my mailbox!! I need it. I also found a "Yoga for Anxiety" DVD on Amazon that I need to order SOON. When I was reading the reviews for the DVD, guess who wrote one of them? MY YOGA INSTRUCTOR! Oh, I miss her so. I haven't done yoga in nearly 3 weeks and my brain is so cluttered and jumbled... I really need to find another place to go until she comes back, or figure out how to practice at home without being distracted.

Oh, I need this one badly, too. I am the Queen of beating myself up. Why? Because I've made bad decisions in the past. Despite the fact I do my best to make good decisions and live a better life now, I still can't forgive myself for the types of things that most people can shrug off or ignore. It's ridiculous. My load is heavy after 35 years and 99.9999% of the stuff I waste my time and energy fretting over isn't even that big of a deal. I'm tired of it and I need to learn this self-compassion stuff, ASAP!

I'm excited to read this book when it comes, too! It seems slightly different from what I normally read (although I do tend to read a wide variety of stuff), and I'm looking forward to it. Here are some blurbs about it:

“A tense, moving, and wondrously strange first novel. The photographs and text work together brilliantly to create an unforgettable story.”—John Green, New York Times best-selling author of Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns

“With its X-Men: First Class-meets-time-travel story line, David Lynchian imagery, and rich, eerie detail, it’s no wonder Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children has been snapped up by Twentieth Century Fox. B+”—Entertainment Weekly



“‘Peculiar’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. Riggs’ chilling, wondrous novel is already headed to the movies.”—People



“[A] thrilling, Tim Burton-esque tale with haunting photographs.”—USA Today Pop Candy



“Readers searching for the next Harry Potter may want to visit Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.”—CNN



“You'll love it if you want a good thriller for the summer. It's a mystery, and you'll race to solve it before Jacob figures it out for himself.”—Seventeen



“Riggs deftly moves between fantasy and reality, prose and photography to create an enchanting and at times positively terrifying story.”—Associated Press



“Got a tweener child with a taste for creepy horror and time-travel stories? Send them Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children."—McClatchy Wire Service



“It’s an enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters.”— Publishers Weekly



“An original work that defies categorization, this first novel should appeal to readers who like quirky fantasies. Riggs includes many vintage photographs that add a critical touch of the peculiar to his unusual tale.”—Library Journal



“His premise is clever, and Jacob and the children are intriguing characters.”—Booklist



“Readers will find this book unique and intriguing.”— School Library Journal
 
 
 
 
 
 
HOORAY FOR BOOKS! (And Yoga!)

Luncheon for my work ladies? Nope, SURPRISE BABY SHOWER!

My friend and co-worker Daeon is pregnant with her second baby. Some time ago, she mentioned how it was kind of sad that the first baby gets all the fanfare and showers and all that, and the second babies usually don't. That got me thinking... I am just as excited to meet Baby Alayna as I was to meet her big sister Kaelyn. This new baby deserved a bit of celebration before she arrived, and that's all there was to it!

After consulting with my other co-workers and Daeon's husband, we settled on a date and opted to try to keep the shower a surprise. Quickly everyone jumped in with ideas and offers of what they'd contribute. We had this in the works for a couple of weeks before I sent the "fake-out" email, saying that I was really feeling the bite of the entertaining bug and that I wanted to host a little luncheon for all of my work ladies. I even took it a step further and said the colors of the party were going to be blue and orange, and could they please dress in one or both of those colors. I am sure Daeon thought I was completely off of my rocker, but everyone else knew what was really going on.

I decided on blue and orange for the party colors because I already had these banners in those colors that said "Hip Hip Hooray" and "You Rock"... plus, my walls are blue, I wanted to be sure everything would look nice and not cobbled together. And just because Daeon is expecting a baby girl doesn't mean everything needs to be pink, right?

Miriam and Julie came a little early to help me with the last minute touches. Julie also got to meet her favorite dog in the world, Julio! He really enjoyed the attention.





I really was stressed out over the whole event, because I wanted it to be perfect. I had a vision in my head and I wanted this to live up to it! All the prep was going smoothly until I got a call from my co-worker Jenny (who was in charge of cupcakes and onesie-decorating supplies) that the flu had hit her house and she was sick and couldn't make it. I felt myself wigging out a little, because we weren't going to have an "official" cake/dessert without the cupcakes. But then she mentioned they were already made (I thought she hadn't made them because she was sick, but it turns out she made them beforehand - praise the Lord!!),  and I asked if it would be ok if someone came to get them. She said that was fine, and off my husband went to save the day. The cupcakes were beautiful, made to look like hydrangeas with butterflies on them, and were the perfect centerpiece! I can never thank her enough for making them, and also for being gracious enough to let Josh pick them up even though she was ill and probably didn't feel like dealing with any of my perfection anxiety!

Megan opted to drive Daeon to ensure that Daeon wouldn't show up too early. It was funny, because Daeon came bearing beautiful sunflowers in a enamelware pitcher for me... It cracks me up that she brought something to her own party. But hey, I love the flowers and the pitcher, so I'm not complaining!



Other than the momentary cupcake panic and a couple of people not being able to make it, everything went off without a hitch... the food was good, the company was great and it was a relaxed and fun time!

I took a ton of pictures, but I've tried to condense them somewhat by putting them in collage form. Have a look!



Megan made the fabulous tissue paper poufs, and came up with the idea for the candy bar as take home favors... she also provided the containers and the candy for them. Thanks, Megan!



I ordered the clear bags and twine for the candy and bought the little tags that I stamped with an "A" for Alayna in the party colors.



Drink and candy station. I couldn't find white cranberry juice ANYWHERE for the punch recipe I wanted to make. I improvised with blue Hawaiian Punch, Sprite and ice cream! This picture actually makes me nuts because the napkins aren't centered (which is where I had them, I think I just moved them out of the way while we filled the tub with sodas and ice) and the lid on the ice bucket is crooked. Oh, well!

However, the biggest hit of the party may have been the retro striped paper straws I ordered for the sodas (http://www.thinkgarnish.com/ - great website and really inexpensive!)... I think everyone took some home!



The amazing cupcakes...











My melamine summer plates happen to be blue and orange, so they were perfect to use! We had some great food... Aside from the incredible cupcakes, Miriam brought brownies and Megan made this chocolate chesecake type spread that we put on 'Nilla wafers. It tasted like a chocolate chip cheesecake! I made vegetable pizza (tube of crescent rolls rolled out into a sheet and baked, then topped with a mixture of cream cheese, mayo and hidden valley ranch mix and veggies and cheese), cucumber and goat cheese finger sandwiches, crackers with chorizo and manchego cheese, and bacon and brown sugar wrapped crackers. I'll try to link to all of those recipes later!

Opening gifts:


This isn't the prettiest photo evidence, but for onesie painting, I had the onesies arranged on a cake plate sitting in the hutch, and all the paints/stencils/brushes on a second cake plate.










All I know is I had a great time, and I think our guest(s) of honor did, too! Thanks, everyone,  for humoring me and wearing the party colors (my dress is a dark peacock blue, though it kind of looks black in the photos).

I won something!!!

A little while ago, I started following http://www.redstamp.com/ on instagram. From there, I 'liked' them on Facebook. The very day I did that, they had a contest to win some office-supply/stationery type stuff. I looooove stationery (maybe someday I will show you my stationery cabinet), so I "put my name in the hat", so to speak.

And I won!

Here's what I received yesterday from them... so cute (and yes, my dining table is that chippy. I still haven't re-painted it {partly because I'm hoping for a pedestal table to replace it}, so let's just call it "Shabby Chic"... epmphasis on the "shabby"!):



In case you can't tell, it's some lovely fabric covered pushpins (in the cork), plastic clips, paper, circular paper clips (that I think Josh is planning to steal!), and some lovely letterpress cards. It really mady my day. Who doesn't want pretty desk stuff? Too bad my cute little desk is in the garage, waiting on me to get a bigger house... ;)


Like them on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/#!/redstamp

Entertaining Anxiety and other first world problems.

Somewhere in the last couple of months, I have turned into one of those people with a busy life. That's not to say I have an exciting life, by any means, but my schedule is a little fuller. Sometimes we have things to do on weekends, or people over. Working out several days a week, in addition to working full-time also eats up a lot of hours. Pablo is settling down a little, but he's still mostly a full-time job (who has learned to wiggle out of the fence). What I am getting at is that my DVR is backlogged and tons of reading material is going un-read for far too long around these here parts. I feel I have less free-time now than I did when I was working two jobs and it is a weird feeling.

I'm also going through this weird anxiety when it comes to having people over. One of the things I love most in the world is having parties, or just having people over and cooking for them. I love it, love it, love it. I try to be a good hostess, take everyone's food preferences/allergies into account and provide a relaxing and happy atmosphere.  I think I do a fairly decent job of it, but lately I keep second-guessing myself. What if everyone is not having as much fun as me? What if they're all just here to humor me? What if I'm really a terrible cook and no one has had the guts to tell me?

Sunday, we had Josh's dad and his wife over for Father's Day. He didn't want us to do anything too fancy (I tend to bust out the cloth napkins too regularly, I guess), so we grilled sausages and corn on the cob and I also made baked beans and pasta salad. We topped off the meal with this AMAZING strawberry pie:



I have been wanting to make a strawberry pie for a few weeks, but  every recipe I could find called for jello in it... That just wasn't what I was going for. A friend/coworker sent me this recipe and I knew at first glance this was the one. I used a shortbread crust instead of graham cracker, though!

http://bakingbites.com/2009/06/fresh-strawberry-pie/

I really can't wait to have a reason to make it again!

This saturday I am hosting a little luncheon for my co-workers. In light of my recent onset of Entertaining Anxiety, I am a little worried about everyone having a good time, etc., but I think it will all be fine if I stop worrying about it and just get on with it. I am VERY excited about it, though... Many cute details that I can't wait to share once it's over. ;)

How does my garden grow? And other stuff.

Tiny little cayenne pepper:



Asparagus:



A couple of grape tomatoes:



Jalapenos:



I'm in full blown entertaining mode right now... This weekend we are having Josh's dad over for Father's day and treating him to some home cooking. I also have a couple of house projects lined up that I'm eager to get cracking on, and next weekend I am hosting a little luncheon for my work girls... more on that later, but I'm really excited about it!

I have not blogged or even logged in to read any blogs since last Friday... that's almost a week. So I am going to try to catch up now! Adios!

Dude, where's my Zen?

These are total first-world problems, but I can't help but find it comical that I've been geting into a good groove with my fitness routine, not to mention mentally (yoga!), and it's all just went wacko on me a little more each week lately!

First of all, next week is our last yoga class in the Village until late August because our instructor is going on vacation. This is seriously stressing me out, because I know any substitute I do find will pale in comparison. A couple weeks ago (and I already mentioned this), I took the yoga class offered at our gym. Not the same, but it would do for 2 months... and then the next day I found out they cancelled yoga classes. So my first one there was also the last.

Tuesday and Thursday is Pilates at my gym. Two different instructors, and I prefer the Thursday night class, because even though she hurts the heck out of my hips and legs (I mean, she is just brutal... I felt like I was going to die if I had to draw one more circle on the ceiling with my foot last night), she has a very soothing personality and she plays relaxing music. The other lady is good, too, but it's what I call "frantic Pilates"... upbeat music, constant motion. I like both, but I just prefer the calmer atmosphere of the Thursday class. Last night, after class (when I'm feeling kind of blissful and satisfied), she tells us she put in her notice and will only be teaching two more weeks. What What What???? Also, she wasn't sure if they were going to keep up the Thursday night class and find someone else, or just cancel it altogether.

Cue my abandonment issues.

Right now I am hoping and praying (and posting on their Facebook wall) that they will replace her, but who knows? They already took my yoga away. Worst case scenario, I'm going to be doing Pilates to Justin Timberlake for the duration of our gym membership!

Life Lately...

Tiny figs on our fig tree:



Pablo still chewing everything he can fit in his mouth:



Saturday we volunteered on a Garden Tour. We got stationed at a really great house with wonderful owners. They even brought out a fan for us. Even though it was a hot day, we stayed cool and in the shade... And volunteering for 2.5 hours meant our tickets were free!

We saw some really lovely things...

















We're planning how to landscape the front of our house currently, and I think these lovely little purple things would be great along the walkway up to our house...














Life is good. Summer is here. Dreaming of perfect yards and gardens.... zzzzzzz.