pink nostalgia

the 31 list: #20 take yoga [seriously]

Yoga is just one of those things, right?  Seems like everyone and their sister loves it, and I'm the only one not on the bandwagon.  Case in point: my 74-year-old grandmother does yoga twice a week at her local YMCA.  Seriously.  It has always looked easy to me, but people swear by it, so there must be something there, right?

When I was in college, I tried yoga once (technically it was a yogilates DVD). The instructor had a long black braid  and a white unitard.  She was on a beach somewhere under a palm tree.  I swear I heard a dolphin.  During leg raises, I got into a full-on giggling fit.  Rolling around on the floor.  My takeaway  - yoga is stupid.

So.  When I wrote "take yoga [seriously]", I meant:

1. Seriously.  Try to get into yoga.

2. Learn to do yoga without laughing.

I tried Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown first in my apartment living room with the blinds closed.  I love her 30 Day Shred and doubted it would be cheesy.  Oh.  My goodness.  Why do I keep losing my balance with both feet on the ground??  How does she get her leg up there??  What the H is a sun salutation??  By the end, I was dripping sweat and my arms were shaking from the chaturanga push-ups.  My shoulders ached for two days.  This is legit.

I especially like it in the mornings.  J and I have been working out at 5:30 AM (more on that later), and yoga is about the only thing I get excited for.

There are still some aspects of yoga that I don't get - during a savasana pose, you literally just lay on the floor.  Ummmm??  But it's at the very end of the P90X3 workout, so I'm not complaining.

For me, the key is no fake beach, and I have to sweat.  I can tell I'm getting better.  There was one time I glimpsed my pose in the mirror and thought, "This is what my leg looks like in warrior III?  Very cool."

I'm taking it seriously and I seriously like it.

I don't laugh at all until J says, "What tha?  Why didn't you tell me I'm on the wrong move??" when he realizes that he's in a standing split with his leg in the air and I'm in plank.  : )

 

You can read the rest of the 31 list here.

the 31 list: fill up a journal

So, when J and I were in the first few months of courting (hee, hee),  we coined "top cards." 

Your top cards are your daydreams and desires that are very close to your heart, that you hold onto tightly and maybe can't even bear to utter outloud. 

They are the glances that make your heart stop and the conversations that burn into your memory.  They are the moments when your cup runneth over.

When J and I are giving top cards, we usually preface it with, "Okay, are you ready for a top card?"  This is serious...I'm handing you my heart...  We would sometimes quantify the vulnerability and say, "It's a TOP top card, like a 10 of hearts!"

So I started a top cards journal.  Some of the entries are things I wanted J to know but couldn't say them out loud.  Some of the entries are things he already knew but needed to be recorded.

I found this playing card patterned paper and KNEW it had to be for my top cards journal.  The birds are too perfect - one of J's nicknames is J-bird, and he calls me aleebird.

You can see the rest of the 31 list here.

the 31 list: #8 read and watch gone with the wind

No spoilers, I promise.  ; )

This one feels epic.  Like, every woman should read GWTW once in her life. 

the book

Loved the book.  LOVED.  All 1,186 pages of it (oh, except for a few sections about war logistics). 

Just be prepared to read slow.  That said, it moves forward well because there are multiple distinguishable sections.

I didn't like Scarlett until I was about halfway through!  But I like the way the author uses Scarlett's whining and complaining and selfishness to describe the injustices and sacrifices and heartache.

Oooooh, and I got hopping mad at the Yankees!

I only cried once, at the end, when Melly, well...you know.

Does Rhett remind anyone else of Christian Grey??

the movie

me: Do you need anything?
J: No.
me: Okay, I'm going to watch Gone with the Wind.  See ya in four hours.

I didn't like it.  I even scrapped a mini album AND painted my nails while I watched it and still felt like it was a waste of time.

There were huge chunks of plot and whole characters that were omitted.  I had a hard time keeping up even though I had just finished the book.

I did like some of the panoramic shots taken at sunrise or sunset so that the landscaping was a silhouette.

If you saw the movie and didn't like it, please please read the book!

The first Harry Potter is on my nightstand queue...

the 31 list: #10 try new vegetables

This resolution was kind of hard because there aren't a lot of vegetables that I haven't tried.  But I did manage to find a few.

Beets.

Excuse me while I vomit.  Again.

Butternut squash (recipe here).  Ehh, but it looks pretty.

Spaghetti squash two ways.  Good not great (even with the extra bourbon!), and too crunchy to even try to trick the boys into thinking it's actually spaghetti.  One version had Swiss chard, so I at least got a bonus vegetable out of the deal.

(By the way, these smell real bad if you leave them in the fridge for say...two weeks.)

The elusive "greens."  Turnip, collard, and mustard that Lori made, Southern-style (that means "bacon", y'all).

Sadly, no keepers.  : /  But at least I tried.

Happy Thursday!

 

the 31 list: #28 & 29

I had a lot of down time (read: scrapbooking time!) after Thanksgiving.  I had so much fun (in a reflecting-on-my-soul-kinda-way) making a simple mini album/journal for these two goals that for me are inextricably linked.

#28 Be grateful.

I spent about 4 hours by myself last weekend, curled up on the couch, ruminating on the weight, the magnitude of my gratefulness.

My life has changed dramatically in the past year.  In fact, it's been right at a year when I set the divorce in motion.  And I'm incredibly grateful for where I am now.  I'm grateful for how I feel and how my spirit has changed.

Years ago, I caught part of an episode of Oprah where she talked about journaling and being grateful.  She said to always start with "your breath," the ability to be alive, the fact that you're still on this earth with the ability to create your future.  For some reason, that stuck with me, and whever I think that I don't have anything to be thankful for, I start with my breath.

If that doesn't get me very far, then I look around at what I take for granted.  A couch to sit on.  Electricity.  A great set of pots and pans.

Then I notice things I have that make me happy.  Gray walls.  These dishes from Target.  Netflix.

And then big things that are hard to put into words.  Parents who can't stand to NOT help and are ready to throw punches for me.  Family who allows me to make my own decisions and loves me unconditionally.  This new family that I fit with seamlessly.  Being noticed.  Being cherished.  Being calm.

#29 Look up.

Jason coaches his son's little league baseball team.  Ethen was pitching poorly, and Jason called a time-out.  Ethen, knowing he wasn't doing well, had his head down as Jason walked to the mound to talk to him.  Jason said, "Why are you looking at the ground right now?  Your Savior's not down there."

That's what "look up" means to me.

Seek God.  Pray.  Notice the gifts He gives us.  Keep your chin up.

I think of this most when I literally look up at the sky, particularly when the sun is near the horizon.  God makes some gorgeous skies.

Right??

What are you grateful for?

the 31 list: #23 & 30

#23 dress up

I love dressing up, love having pretty pretty dresses that I'll only wear once.  (In fact, I still have one party dress in my closet that I've never worn plus another one that was shamefully underutilitzed...)

I tried on about two dozen dresses as potential black tie wedding attire.  This one was the one.  I felt sophisticated and feminine and confident.  And ha, I couldn't stop looking at myself in the mirror.  My dad would tell you that's a common occurrence.

 

#30 see something magical

When better to see something magical than at a wedding?

It was really cool to see the bride and groom smile and beam at each other.  It was a heartwarming-awww-they're-in-looooove kind of thing.  The decor was gorgeous.  The food was delicious.  And there was that glow, that static, that smittenness in the air.

And I had a magical time.  J and I danced ALL NIGHT.  I don't really dance when there are people around.  In my kitchen by myself - yes.  On a dance floor in front of a hottie you're trying to look cool for - no.  I've sat out and felt lame at many a school cafeteria, sorority function, and dance battle.

But J makes me confident and bold, so I danced.  All night.  He was pulling me onto the floor, and then I was pulling him onto the floor.  I made him laugh.  He sang to me.  And it was magical.

And it was magical that my feet didn't start to hurt until we left the reception (wearing brand new 3" heels!!).

Aaaaaaand, J's sister said I'm "such a good dancer!"  Whaaaa??  And she's intelligent with great vision!  Have I been wrong all of these years??

the 31 list: #31 do something crazy

I fell in love.  Really fast. 

Crazy.

the 31 list: #11 try 12 new recipes

I've noticed that I tackle the food and reading goals first on any list I make.  Yep, that's about what anyone would expect, right? 

I thought trying 12 new recipes would be a lot harder, but since my recipe box is currently being held for ransom, it wasn't hard at all.

1. Lemon Basil Bowties.  Ehh.  Jessie and Y liked it more than I did, but I still had seconds.  : /  I don't think this one is a keeper.

2. Strawberry, Cucumber, and Basil Salad.  Yummers.  A great alternative to tomato and cucumber for your loved ones who don't like tomatoes. 

3. Summery Confetti Salad from Self Magazine (August 2013).  A good and easy way to eat vegetables.  I would steam and blanch the lima beans next time.

4. Hello Dolly Bars.  OH.  YEAH...TWICE.

5. Asian Beef with Snow Peas, also twice.  It's also good with broccoli, and definitely double the sauce.

6. & 7. I was looking for an amazing cheesecake that did not require a spring-form pan.  I made this one a few times, and it was good but not "the one."  So then I made a different one.  I followed the recipe exactly.  And it burnt.  As in, the entire thing was black.  As in, can't even scrape off the top layer and salvage the filling.  (Whatever, the filling was too custardy anyway.)

8. Which led me to try our new standard no-bake cheesecake, herein referred to as "the best cheesecake ever."

9. Chicken and Goat Cheese Quesadillas with lots of modifications.  I've had these dog-earred for years, so I'm glad I tried them, and they were good, but I don't think I'll make them again.

10. Honey Garlic Balsamic Chicken.  That's the "before" and "after" photo.  So yeah, it's a keeper.  Just make sure the chicken is completely thawed first.  ; )

11. PW's Delicious Creamy Mashed Potatoes.  I know, I know.  They're just mashed potatoes - basic, right?  But y'all.  These were the best mashed potatoes I've ever had, and I never pass up mashed potatoes.

12. Maple Granola.  Umm, not sweet enough for me.  And the dried pineapple was kind of...different.  : /

#11, done.  You can see the whole list here.

the 31 list: #7 read 3 nonfiction books

This one was easy.  I had all of these on my proverbial list and then realized that I already read one a few weeks ago.  ; ) 

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (And Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas.

I picked this book solely by the cover.  It stopped me in my tracks, I took a pic of it with my phone, and I downloaded it a few weeks later.  I love that Amy is passionate and that she arranges her life around that passion.  She takes big leaps, and she confesses that sometimes living out your passion is hard.  I completely related to her struggle of making a home in a new city and figuring out where you fit in while sometimes your old city feels foreign and sometimes it feels perfectly worn in.

Bossypants by Tina Fey.  I've never particularly thought anything about Tina Fey.  I don't watch 30 Rock and didn't watch SNL when she was on it.  I picked this book solely because two of my favorite bloggers recommended it.  I read it in a weekend.  I laughed out loud multiple times.  I like her self-depricating humor, her insights to the acting and writing industries, and her [solicited] advice.  She's so generous with sharing her life; it's exactly the type of autobiography/memoir/blog I like to read.  Specific and real stories that don't necessarily provide a glossy front of amazingness, although I do now think that she's amazing.  I would say that I'd add Tina to a proverbial which-celebrity-would-you-most-like-to-have-dinner-with list, but I feel like I already have.

The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal.  Roommate Beth recommended this on our RR5 weekend.  It was just ehh.  It didn't pick up until the middle, and while it was intriguing, I kept thinking, "So why did he do that?"  I might like a parallel novel or autobiography that gets into his head and answers, "But WHY?"  But I don't think I'd recommend this on its own.

So that concludes the first item of the 31 list.  Only 30 more to go.  : )

the 31 list

Since my birthday in February, this year has been...awful and amazing and intense and incredible, to say the least.  I have upheaved* my life in several major ways.  It could have been a lofty enough goal for me to just hang in there.  

BUT.  

I'm me.  And I'm ready to conquer.

Since I'm 31 this year, I came up with 31 things that I want to do and ways I want to grow before my year is up.  So even though I'm out of the gate six months late, I'm going for it.

1. Fill up a journal.
2. Send one piece of happy mail per month.
3. Give handmade gifts.
4. Paint something.
5. Attend a show.
6. Get my financial ducks in a row.
7. Read 3 nonfiction books.
8. Read and watch Gone with the Wind.
9. Try Harry Potter.
10. Try new vegetables.
11. Try 12 new recipes.
12. Participate in breakfast in bed.
13. Ban fast food for a month.
14. Start a vitamin regimen.
15. Shoot something.
16. Preserve something.
17. Fight for something.
18. Take photobooth photos.
19. Take a Mac class.
20. Take yoga [seriously].
21. Do the splits.
22. Make something to wear.
23. Dress up.
24. Earn a t-shirt. 
25. Host a theme party.
26. Host a tournament.
27. Use the backyard.
28. Be grateful.
29. Look up.
30. See something magical.
31. Do something crazy.

Stay tuned...it's gonna be good.  ; )

*upheave (v.) to rise upward, especially extensively or powerfully.