Life Lately...

 

I'm long overdue for a "Life Lately" post, considering I haven't blogged in almost 2 months.  We made a pretty big decision to stay here in Alabama for the time being.  We'd love to move to Nashville in the future, however now just isn't the time.  That being said, we're looking at our options to open our store here.  We're planning on getting our business license within the next 2 weeks (or whenever I can finish a business plan!), so it's finally setting in that we're actually doing this.  I could share all the glorious details about how excited I am, but that's for another post.

I attended my first Alabama Bloggers meetup recently and it was great to meet some like-minded people in the area.  I was terrified that they were going to shun me and my purple-haired self, but they were extremely welcoming and I can wait to be a part of the local blogging community.

 

I haven't stopped thrifting (how could I stop?).  This chair was one of my recent purchases.  It's a velvety material and I couldn't believe how well maintained it was.  It didn't even have a hint of mustiness to it.  The dogs have taken a liking to it.

 

I sort of fell into a job at the local Amphitheater.  It's funny how I started my career in ticketing as a box office assistant, moved up to box office assistant manager, left to become a box office manager, and now I'm back to box office assistant.  I've come full circle.  I was trying to get away from the business due to issues like super long hours (i.e., working about 12 days straight at the fair), but it seems like ticketing always has a way of luring me back in.

 

That same wonderful week(s) of the fair, I went over to my old venue in Tuscaloosa to work the John Mayer concert.  I was reminded how much I love my former co-workers!

 

Last but not least, I ran my first 5K during the Color Run Nashville.  It was a good first experience for a 5K, but I'm not sure how many I'll be doing in the future (or at least until this fall.  It's too darn hot outside now!).   

So things have been good!  I've hung up my grad school plans for the time being after a pretty rough spring semester.  I'm not throwing in the towel yet, but I'm focusing on getting our business up and running.  And I'm trying to get back into the swing of blogging!  I spent hours trying to catch up on my Bloglovin feed and I can't believe how much I missed reading everyone's blogs.  Hopefully I can set myself a schedule to start blogging again on a regular basis, because I've missed it dearly! As you can tell, I did a little makeover on it already (it's slightly Mario Bros inspired).  Thanks to everyone for sticking with me and I'm happy to be back!

 

My New Favorite Thing- Running

I'll be honest...exercise hasn't been a part of my life since my elementary school days.  As a teenager, my metabolism was great and I could eat anything and still be skinny (oh the days!).   But ever since college I've slowly decreased my physical activity and increased my caloric intake.  When the scale hit an all time high this past Christmas I knew I had to make a change.  

I've always thought of running as the ultimate exercise.  If you can run any number of miles, you're in pretty darn good shape.  So I started running intervals in January.  When I say I couldn't run 20 feet without getting winded, I'm not exaggerating.  I was that out of shape.  Over the last 2 months I've slowly increased my running distance (I do a total of 3 miles, 3 times a week).  Now I'm to the point where I can run over half of my 3 mile route.  I still can't run a whole 1/2 without stopping, but I've improved significantly since I started (intervals are the best thing ever).  I use the Nike + app on my phone to track my progress.  I told my husband it was like playing a video game because I get achievements.  He called me a dork.  =)

Since Christmas I've lost 10 pounds (5 of that was probably just from not eating holiday food).  The weight is slow coming off, but that's ok.  I'm doing it because it makes me feel good.  It's also something I never really thought I could do.  Me...a runner?  No way. 

I'm also running my first 5K (the Color Run) at the end of March in Nashville.  It's just giving me something to work towards and hopefully will keep me motivated to do better.  Luckily it's not timed and a lot of people just walk it, so I won't embarrass myself too bad!  I've finally got my 5K time down to around 40 minutes, which is pretty crappy compared to most runners, but for me it's an accomplishment!

I'm glad I've stuck with an exercise routine this time.  My attempts at getting healthier in the past have failed due to me trying to do too much at once.  This time I'm taking the slow and steady route and it's been much better.  By the time I turn 30 in July I will definitely be in the best shape of my life and kicking butt!
 

Monday Mushrooms

We've had quite a bit of rain lately and I started noticing a few mushrooms popping up.  I had no idea that we had so many different kinds growing in our yard!  I was particularly excited to see the huge red mushroom.  I'll have to check again in a few more days to see if anything new has sprung up.

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!  Mine wasn't great, but it could have been worse.  We were at a yard sale on Saturday and a lady backed into my car.  We weren't in it, but it did some pretty good damage.  Not only that, but I found out that my car tag was registered incorrectly.  It was a clerical error, but it also means that my car is unregistered (great!!!).  So we have to drive about an hour to the town we lived in last year to get the tag fixed.  I know....bitch, bitch, bitch. 

Anyways, I can't believe my husband and I are going on our road trip this weekend!  We're going to Baltimore for a wedding, but hitting up Washington D.C. for a day to see the sites.  I'm hoping we can do some thrifting on our way up and back.  Yay!!!

Have a fantastic week everyone!

 

"Your Life is yours alone...Rise up and live it"

(source)

I apologize for my absence the last few days.  I had a rough weekend (I worked over 35 hours in 3 days- sucked) and had a bit of an emotional breakdown.  It was probably just from sheer exhaustion, but the funny thing is, I feel like I needed it.  I've come to the conclusion that I'm a chronic worrier, and I have a serious problem.  I have the hardest time letting myself be happy.  Even when something good happens, I somehow let it stress me out.  I have to learn to let go of my worrying, stress, and anxiety, or I'm never going to live the life I want.  Worrying does nothing but cause stress.  Not only does it not solve the problem, it creates a new one.  Life is entirely too short to let worry rule over me.  

I'm sure you're wondering what the hell the picture above has to do with any of this.  The day after I had my little breakdown, I finished the book "Faith of the Fallen" by Terry Goodkind.  I've written about the "Sword of Truth" series before, and I'm still far from finished (it's a lot of books to read).  I think this has to be my favorite of the series so far, just because it struck such a cord with me.  I won't recount the whole story to you, but the basic undertone is that only you have control over your life.  It doesn't matter what your situation is, you can change it.  The past is the past, and your future is yours to create.  The quote in the title of this post is actually what's written on that gold thing in the picture.  Is seems silly to be so inspired by a fantasy novel, but I think this quote came to me exactly when I needed it.  I've even actually considered getting this quote tattooed on my wrist.  What do you think?  Yay or nay?  I just think it would be inspiring to me on a daily basis.  

Anyways, just wanted to share my life as of late.  I hope you all are off to a great week.  I am going to photograph the hell out of some vintage clothes today and hopefully get some more things listed on my shop.  And I'll try not to worry about anything.  =)

Composting

WARNING: This post may contain pictures that may be disturbing to some viewers.  If you are squeamish, look away. 

Ok.  So if you didn't look away, I'll tell you about my compost bin for food scraps.  I've always wanted to compost because it seems like such a waste to just throw your food scraps into the garbage when it can make such wonderful soil!  And just to prove that you don't have to spend a lot (or any) money to start composting, here's my bin...

Yes, it's ghetto.  But guess what?  That's ok!  I simply used an old recycling bin, but you can use a plastic tote box and just drill some holes in the bottom.  If your box has a lid, then great.  Use it.  If not, you can just use a large plastic garbage bag and something to hold it down.  I just use the shovel that I stir my compost with and a stick.  It ain't pretty, but neither is what's inside.

To start composting, tear up some old paper scraps or newspaper to line the bottom of your container.  Just a thin layer will do.  Now add a layer of soil from your yard or potting soil (about 6 inches worth) on top of the paper.  Now you're ready to start adding your scraps.  But wait,  you can't add just anything.  Here's some do's and don'ts...

Do add...

• fruit peels
• over-ripe fruits and vegetables
• used coffee (along with filter)
• used tea bags
• egg shells
• bread and rice (sparingly)

Don't add...

• dairy products
• any meat or fish
• inorganic materials (such as plastic)

 

Here's what mine looks like on the inside.  I've got some watermelon rinds and a coffee filter in there.  When you put your scraps in, stir them around to help the decomposition process get going.  Once in a while, add a cup of water.  Your bin will need to be a bit moist.  

So on to the gross part of my post.  A few weeks ago, I noticed something new in my bin.  Maggots.  That's right (I tried to warn you).  Big, nasty, freakin gross maggots.  I was not at all pleased.  My first thought was that this can't be good.  But, upon further research, it's actually about the best thing that could happen to your compost bin.  These little buggers will eat ANYTHING and eat it fast.  They basically neutralize anything bad that might be in the food.  I saw several articles that said it was ok to put meat and cheese into a bin with maggots, but I'm not going to press my luck with that.  Apparently I have the perfect conditions to harbor maggots in my bin.  It's warm (or hot), I keep it moist, and I keep the sunlight out of it.  So as much as it freaks me out, I'm going to let the maggots do their job. 

Composting is a great way to get nice, rich soil for planting food or flowers.  And the best part is that you're using things you would be throwing away anyways.  It doesn't take any more effort, but the benefits are great!

Monday Ramblings

So, not sure if you noticed or not, but I didn't post anything this weekend.  And guess what.  The earth still turned and the sun still came up.  One thing I wanted to make sure I didn't do while blogging was to let it stress me out.  I want my blog to be an outlet to share the things I am already doing.  Instead it seems like I started doing things only to blog about them.  I don't want blogging to ever seem like a chore to me.  So I felt like I needed to take a step back for few days.  Don't worry.  I'm still going to continue blogging, but I need to shift my focus to living my life.  Hopefully readjusting my mindset about it will help me create some more meaningful content.  Even just having this weekend off has helped me to become a bit more inspired.  

That being said, I do have some great posts ready for this week and will try to keep it up!  And if you're wondering what the hell is up with my hair, this is my super fabulous wig.  I have to wear it to one of my part time jobs and it hurts my head.  How do some people wear these things everyday?

Birthday Plans & Thoughts on Turning 29

So, I may be the biggest nerd in the world to actually typing an itinerary for my own birthday, but my husband and I are going to head up to North Alabama on Thursday to go thrifting!  I usually have a pretty low-key birthday, and this year is really no different.  I'm just super excited to go to some new thrift stores and that's good enough for me. 

I'll be turning 29 on Thursday, and it's a bit surreal.  I'll never forget what my late grandmother told me about getting older, "it's better than not getting any older."  I remember this every time I lament adding another number onto my age.  I think now that my twenties are close to the end, it seems more obvious that I only have so much time to live, and it doesn't seem like nearly long enough.  It's also become more obvious to me over the last few months that I was not living the life I wanted.  I wasn't really living life at all.  When your life becomes work and little else, it's time to step back.  And I'm so glad I did.  I've learned more about myself in these last few months since I quit my job than I have in about a decade.  I feel more like me for the first time in my life.

Since I feel a bit more grounded in my life now, it's so much easier to look towards the future in a positive way.  I'm letting go of the ideals I had been convinced I had to follow.  I don't have to have kids if I'm not ready.  I don't have to pretend to have perfect relationships.  I don't have to have one job for the rest of my life.  I can shape my future to be whatever I want it to be.  I know that's such a simple concept, but it's great when you realize you can actually do it.  

So I'm going to savor this last year of my twenties.  I'm convinced that it's going to be the best year ever.

Thoughts...

I've been trying to be a little more proactive about finding other blogs to follow, creating relationships with other bloggers, and being a better blogger myself.  I started using Twitter (which I was really opposed to at first but now I think I'm obsessed).  I've started following a lot of new (new to me at least) blogs, and I've met a lot of great new people in the last week or so.  I feel as though things may actually be coming together.

For some reason last night, I felt this overwhelming sense of belonging.  I've never really been one to have a lot of friends in real life and I'm fine with that.  I've never been one to care if I fit in or if people like me.  But in the little time I've been blogging (only since January), I've made more friends and felt more accepted than I have in many years.  And not just accepted in that a lot of us like vintage stuff (that's great though!), but accepted on a personal level.  I've met people that are going through the same life changes I am, and have the same struggles I do, and I can't tell you how wonderful it is to know that someone understands you.  This is such a great community of people that genuinely accept everyone for who they are.  And I think that's why I enjoy blogging so much.  It's not about how many views you have, how much money you're getting from sponsorships, or what company sent you a new pair of shoes to wear.  It's an outlet for a bunch of great people to just be themselves and have other people enjoy them for who they are.  Such a great concept.

 Ok, my ramblings are over.  =)

Mid-Year Goal Update

(source)

I've seen several bloggers give a mid-year update on their goals for the year, and I think that's a great idea.  I surprised myself by actually achieving most of mine.  Here are my goals from the beginning of the year and where I am now....

· Chill Out!!! I have actually chilled out a lot since quitting my job.

· Re-Open Etsy Shop. Done!  I haven't done anything with my handmade shop yet, but I'm focused on my vintage shop for now.

· Lose 15 pounds. I've lost 10 so far, so I'm doing pretty good!

· Dye hair blonde (and one other funky color). Definitely did this!

· Make good grades. Well, I haven't exactly started grad school yet (except for one class).  I'm hoping to start next month.

· Take dogs for walks more often. I haven't done this, but in my defense, it's too darn hot to even go outside.

· Travel to at least 4 new places. Working on this.  The husband and I are going to Baltimore for a wedding soon, so that will be a lot of new places along the way.

· Start a blog (for fun and no pressure).  Done!

· Explore area where we live. Find new places to go and get out of the house.  We've kind of done this.  This weekend we are going to get out and find some yard sales, so we'll do a little exploring then.

· Spend more time outside in nature. I've been going to my favorite nature trail and been enjoying it.

· Volunteer somewhere at least once. Haven't done this yet!

· Take lots of pictures! I have done this, but I always feel like I could take more.

· Spend more time with friends and family. Done.

· Take time to read more books. I'm trying to get through the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind, but it's like 15 books long and they are some thick books!  I love them though.

· start a menu planner. I've been trying to do this and have been pretty successful.  It helps so much when you know what you actually need to buy for the week.

· start a budget. I've kind of been avoiding this one.  

Have you achieved your goals for 2012?  

 

Bridal Shower

  

On Saturday, my mom and I went to my cousin's bridal shower and it was just lovely.  Of course, I'm super upset because I took about 10,000 pictures with my good camera, and when I was trying to get them off the SD card it corrupted everything I had taken that day.   I shed a few tears and I'm still hoping my computer genius husband can do something about it.  Luckily I took some pictures of the shower on my phone too.

 

Anywoo, the shower looked like it should be on Pinterest.  It was extra special to me because she used our grandmother's old cameras and books to decorate.  

 

We're still in Ohio and are heading back tomorrow.  I'm coming back with lots of vintage goodies and pictures to share.  I may be MIA tomorrow, but I'll be back on Thursday!  Hope you all are having a fantastic week!

Weekend Review

 Found Jake sitting in the cereal aisle at Wal-mart.  It made my day.

 

 Green nails, green smoothie.

 Hair pre-bleaching.  Ewww...

 Hair post bleaching.  Ahhh!!!

Mason thinks this is his chair now.

 Lost at Trivial Pursuit, but I will have my revenge.

I had an ok weekend.  Friday we went thrifting and I found a few things (I'll post later).  I bleached my hair in preparation for a new hair color.  As a blonde, I looked like I was channeling Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones (which has been disappointing this season).
I'm heading up to Ohio sometime this week (I said I was going this past week, but apparently I can't read a calendar).  I hope to do a bit of thrifting while I'm up there.  It will be interesting to see what the Northerners have to offer.
Anyways, I hope not to be MIA too much.  We'll have to see what kind of cell reception I get up there.  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a wonderful week!!!

Weekend Review

I had a fantastic weekend.  I hope you did too!  I did a lot of work, and I'll have a big announcement on Thursday.  You'll just have to wait until then to find out what it is (and I'm not pregnant so just forget about that).

I've been getting out and walking 4 miles each day, and it makes me feel so much better.  I've already lost over 5 pounds since Friday, but most of that was from sweating out every ounce of water in my body.  Exercising outside in Alabama in the summer is like using a treadmill in a sauna.  I'm going to try to keep it up until I get to my goal weight, and then I may be a little more flexible with it as long as I can maintain a healthy weight.  I need something to motivate me every week.  I thought about allowing myself to buy 1 beauty item or accessory every week that I exercise everyday.  That way I give myself something to look forward to. 

What have you all done to stay motivated to exercise?  Any advice?

Scale hate

So I weighed myself last night for the first time in a while.  I was feeling pretty good about it, until I got on.  I've gain even more weight.  I will admit that while we had company this past week, I didn't exactly eat healthy.  But seriously, I've got to get off my lazy butt and start shedding some of these pounds.  I have no excuse not to get in shape, so I need to just do it!

What have you done to get in shape?  Any advice would be more than welcome!

Green Backyard

Everything in my backyard is so green right now.  I think I may have a little too much green, since it looks a little bit like a jungle.  I can't wait to really start cutting some things back and cleaning up.  Hopefully I may actually be able to plant a small garden if I can find a place with enough sunlight.  I would love some tomatoes, green peppers, basil, and arugula.

What does your backyard look like right now?

 

Cinco de Mayo- Rivermarket Grand Opening

 So at my previous job, I had a small part in opening up the new Rivermarket (aka Farmer's Market) in Tuscaloosa.  On Cinco de Mayo they had their grand opening and I couldn't be prouder of what they accomplished.  There were lots of vendors with all kinds of fresh vegetables, crafts, and tons of activities for the kids.  There was also a HUGE turnout of people which was awesome.  It's great to see so many people supporting their local community and farmers.  I hope they keep up the good work!