figuring out 40

ten on a tuesday.

I skipped out on Hello Monday yesterday. Busy, stressful work day, followed by a PT appt...I pretty much just said "is it over yet?" as soon as I welcomed the day. So, to make it up to you, I'll give you 10 somewhat random things on a Tuesday...

1. I am going to Costa Rica in just about a month (with Barb, Kelly, and Chloe). I am surprisingly calm about the planning of said trip...and crazy excited to leave. 

2. I am pondering (overthinking, actually) Amazon Prime. One one hand, I think it would make my life easier...on the other hand, is it worth $80? 

3. This post has taken up permanent residence in my head.

4. I want this cookbook (which I could have in 2 days, thankyouamazonprime). I also want this book, but wish that it was available on Nook. (weird little idiosyncracy...I like to read books on my Nook, but like to hold cookbooks in my hand)

5. I've fallen back into the habit of drinking coffee at night. I was determined NOT to drink any last night, and I practically dozed on my keyboard. 

6. I will love you forever if you'll like this FB page. (okay, honestly? I'll love you forever anyway...but I'm not above shameless social media promotion)

7. I have customers on site this week, and they've requested green smoothies for breakfast. Seriously? My customers rock. 

8. This salad sounds divine (with just a slight drizzle of olive oil instead of dressing. Oooh, or maybe coconut oil!)

9. This is an excellent meditation practice reminder. (note to next door neighbor...yes, I do plan to meditate on my deck in the mornings. do you really need to stare?)

10. I don't have enough hours in the day to get everything done that I want to get done. And I'm not talking about laundry & bill paying & housecleaning. None of that nonsense. I'm talking about crafting & writing & scheming & cooking & baking & wandering & & & &...

I'd love hear just one random thought on your mind today! 

summer livin'...

Welcome to this week's Life Well Lived Looking Your Best question...

What are your favorite summer staples? How do you bring the summer sun to your wardrobe?

Summer Feet. Sadly, one of my summer staples is going to make less of an appearance this year...goodbye, beloved flip flops. Thanks to ongoing back & hip issues, I'm trying to not reach for flips as my go-to summer footwear. This makes me sad. Thankfully, I did NOT inherit my mother's ugly feet (oh c'mon Mom, you know it's true!), so I normally wear flip flops with a certain amount of pedicure pride. I did, however, inherit my Mom's affinity for skeletal & muscular issues...

Summer Hair. Oh ponytails, how I love you. It's the simplest of summer hairstyles, and keeps this crazy mess of curly hair somewhat contained.

Summer Wardrobe. This one is harder b/c the air conditioning in our office works overtime. Ugh. Aside from that, I adore simple jersey skirts, yoga tanks, and cute t-shirts. 

Summer Makeup. I am still a huge fan of Mineral Fusion's SPF 30 Brush On Defense. 

What's your favorite summer fashion or beauty item? Head over to BlogHer's Life Well Lived to share your thoughts! (while you're there, be sure to enter to win an ipod touch!)

 

OLW: May check-in.

I am 2 months behind on my One Little Word album. I find that sometimes it's a toss-up btwn OLW & Project Life...and PL usually wins. Aside from the creative project, SHIFT continues to be present in everyday life. Here's what's shifting these days...

*I've shifted into a few new freelance projects. It was so heartbreaking to let go of a project that I poured my heart & soul into...so it's great to feel like I'm contributing to new & exciting projects.

*Needing to shift my thinking/reactions to a few things these days. Reminding myself that it's rarely about me. Heeding Angie's sage advice to be unexpected.

*Shifting from red to white for warm days. This is really, really dumb...but I realized the other day that I had taken on this "I don't drink white wine" position b/c I thought that it made me look "cooler" to someone. What am I, twelve????

*Trying to shift my self-talk from "you need to lose weight" to "what does taking care of yourself look like right now?" 

*Shifting into summer mode...dinners on the deck, lighter meals, kiddos coming & going

I started reading Shift Your Mind, Shift the World tonight...really enjoying it so far. 

How is your OLW serving you this year? 

may 12 on 12 : take twelve

An insert for last week...

project life : week eighteen

Welcome to the first week of volume 2! It was fun to change things up a bit - but I also feel like I was struggling for creativity. Hopefully I can get my mojo back on track (can anyone say mojo with a straight face? i can't.)... week 18 full - changing up the date card convention this time around - planning on patterned paper, thickers, and a label. I only have about 539 pkgs of thickers laying around :).  week 18, left side. that iphone only card? that's what to do when you've run out of steam and still have an empty 4x6 slot! i think that i am the world's worst selfie-taker. seriously! (thought bubble courtesy of Digital Design Essentials) one of the things that i love about digi supplies is that you can alter them to meet your needs. for this card, i carefully erased "this" in PSE, and added "having Hope home." (Becky Higgins Turquoise Kit, digi edition) week 18 right side.  added in a spring recipe (thanks for the inspiration Barb!) and a song that was on repeat all week. 

No inserts, but they'll make a triumphant return in week 19! Hope to post that tomorrow, and then I'm back on track. Woot! 

(Past Project Life posts are linked on the right -->. More info on Project Life can be found on Becky Higgin's site.)

hello monday 05.14.12

hello to a rather melancholy, just kinda "off" mood today. apparently i'm not hiding it well b/c my bff co-worked nailed it the minute that i walked in.

hello to delicious left-over broccolini salad mixed in with arugula. i could seriously eat this every day.

hello to finishing the opening pages of my Project Life : Volume 2 album last night. So very happy with it (after a brief amount of frustration over the 2.9 x 4 pockets)

(courtesy of Mondo Beyondo)

confession - I patted myself on the back for the brackets around the months thing. 

hello to juicing this am - apple, beet, celery, cucumber, and ginger. trying to get back into a routine of juice only until noon, then mostly raw until dinner. drinking green tea like it's my job to get me through.

hello to reading The $100 Startup in about 2 days. Crazy inspiring! 

hello to only 6 1/2 weeks until Costa Rica! Wooo hooo!

what are you saying hello to today?

(hello monday is a lisa leonard inspired practice)

photos on friday...

I have been a bit of a slacker with photos this week - not sure what that's about. I might be reaching when it comes to Project Life spreads! Speaking of - I'm intentionally a week behind. Waiting for new page protectors to arrive tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a few instagram shots from the past week (actually reaching back to last Saturday!)...

(okay - dummy me didn't realize that the widget would auto load instagrams - so it's become a continuous feed. Doh!)

menu cover from flatbread | words of wisdom | Hope turns 20

double chocolate cupcakes w/nutella | tofu lettuce wraps | the waterfront

miss Hope | corona lime cupcake (on cinco de mayo) | sweet potato & kale taco

20 and 10.

On May 8, 1992, I was 21 1/2 years old.Today, the baby girl that made me a mommy is 20 years old. This fact has spun me over the past few weeks. Twenty. Two decades. The same age as when I married her father. It's unreal. 

Inspired by Lindsey's beautiful post, here are 10 things that I want my 20 year old daughter to know: 

1. I am so very proud of you. I can't say this enough. I'm fortunate to be your Mom.

2. Try to choose kindness. Life can be pretty unforgiving, and you'll likely meet people who will stop at nothing to get ahead. Choose to be kind.

3. Do what you love...even if it's not your primary paycheck. Passions are worth pursuing. 

4. It's okay to make mistakes. Figure out what to learn from them. Hindsight is always 20/20...let it help guide you moving forward. 

5. Please don't marry the first guy who tells you that he loves you. Trust me on this. ;) 

6. Travel, travel, travel. See Europe. Go to Hawaii. Enjoy the Caribbean. Travel as much as you possibly can. (and don't forget to send your mother a postcard!)

7. You are beautiful. Every single inch of you...your pale skin, your freckles, your crazy-thick hair, your brown-almost-black eyes. Hold on to the confidence that you have now. 

8. It is almost never about you (borrowing this one directly from Lindsey). Everyone is wrapped up in their own issues & their own lives. Don't take it personally - it's really not about you. 

9. Be willing to apologize, and be willing to forgive. Hurt feelings happen. Try not to hold on to hurt, and don't hesitate to say (and mean) "I'm sorry." 

10. Take care of you. Don't let anyone tell you that it's selfish to want to be happy. Put your own oxygen mask on first. 

I love you, Hope Elizabeth. Happy Birthday! 

 

 

05.07.12 : Hello Monday

hello hectic morning getting 3 of us out the door on time (Hope interns at the company that I work for - so we go to work together)

hello to a lack of control over certain situations. I hate that feeling, but am learning to deal.

hello to healthy food choices and walking whenever I can.

hello to having a twenty-year-old tomorrow...how in the world did that happen?

hello to not feeling like working on Project Life this weekend...and letting that be okay.

hello to new flowers, veggies, & herbs in the garden. 

what are you saying hello to today? 

hello monday is a lisa leonard inspired practice

weekly eats 5/6-5/12

Random fact: Having one extra body in the house somehow results in approximately $40 more in groceries.

On the menu this week - 

Sunday (been there, ate that) - baked haddock, mashed red potatoes, green beans

Monday - tofu lettuce wraps

Tuesday - heading to American Flatbread for Hope's birthday. (I'm already planning on ordering the veg special - Wild Ramp Pesto, Amir’s Shiitake Mushrooms, Baby Spinach, Vermont Butter and Cheese Company Chevre)

Wednesday - black bean & brown rice enchiladas

Thursday - fettucine with broccoli & romano 

Friday - sweet potato fritters & salads

Lunches will be a variety of salads + leftovers + hummus & pita chips. 

Note to Kirsten - I had your comment in mind today while I was grocery shopping - bought a bag of black beans & a bag of chickpeas instead of canned!