Catch Me If You Can

I had a terrible feeling that my attempt of becoming a runner was going to be short-lived when I could not even find my running shoes the morning of the first workout.  I searched high and low: closets, under the bed, upstairs in the guest room, all to no avail.  But, not wanting to give up quite that easily, I decided to wear a (very worn out) pair of cross-trainers.  I figured it was the first day of a program called “couch to 5K” . . .  how bad could the first workout be??  I honestly assumed I was in better shape than the average person that sat on the couch all day.  Wrong.  I had to finally get over my denial and admit to myself that I indeed *was* one of the people that sits.all.day.long.  My past years of running no longer counted.  I was horribly out of shape.  And, needless to say, the first workout was a little rough.  However, I pushed through it! (As a side note: I found my running shoes in a black hole in the garage, also known as the trunk of my car, before the next run.)

Since that first run,  my Type-A, obsessive personality has taken hold of my working outs (and I like it!).  The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth runs have been great! And on top of running every-other-day, I’ve added workouts on the elliptical and doing yoga on my off-days (I even went home during my lunch break to get my yoga in!).  Ideally, I’d like to do yoga every morning before work and come home to my running workout in the afternoon (either elliptical or running, depending on the day).  The big hurdle I’ve had in making this plan a reality? Waking-up. I dread my alarm clock going off every morning as is . . . but I’m hoping one morning I’ll bite the bullet and go for it (Maybe tomorrow with the Royal Wedding already tempting me to wake up?!??!)!

And, as an added bonus, now that I’m working out, I’ve started eating better (kind of. okay, maybe not.  But at lunch yesterday I did order the VEGGIE pizza . . . then ate every.single.bite. . . . but then I did pass on dessert . .. . until I got home that night and indulged on Reese’s cups!) . . . So, maybe eating healthier will (probably should) be my next life change?

Back to running: I am planning on running in a 5K in Dallas May 21^st with two of my sisters (one that is motivated by the race and one that is motivated by a new workout outfit; I fall somewhere in between).  We (read: I) decided that the three of us should get coordinating running outfits for the race (I initially wanted matching outfits but the Hubby shot that down saying “coordinating,” rather than “matching,” would be a better, age-appropriate choice, and I guess I have to agree).  I think fun outfits will be a great reward for the work put in up until that point and motivation to keep running in the future, in addition to catering to the notion that I really just want to look cute for my new running debut.  Here are some of my initial thoughts for outfits:

I am LOVING, LOVING, LOVING these shorts!  They’ve also gotten great reviews on the website. However, after running in the most obnoxious pair of shorts that were constantly riding up yesterday, I’ve decided to refuse buying running shorts without trying them on first. Hopefully, I’ll find a pair to try on soon!

I also prefer to wear short sleeve shirts when I run, but I can understand how others may prefer to go sleeveless. So, I’ll give my sisters the option (so kind, I know).

… Off to run!

Crushes

I am always on the lookout for things to add to my birthday/Christmas/”if I had a lot of extra money I would spend it on X” list.  By doing this, I always tend to get crushes on items that I don’t need or are way out of my price range, but I thought I’d share them anyway. Enjoy my crushes.

Silk Maxi Dresses:

I love the effortlessness of these dresses, but I’ve always been concerned that a maxi dress might just be too much visually on my tall frame (not to mention not nearly long enough), but I can’t help but be drawn to them! Maybe I’ll have to just give in and give them a try?

Theory Lanica Silk Maxi Dress

I’d wear this Theory dress with a black belt, and maybe a colorful cardigan. I also like the look of the long necklace and how it does a great job in breaking up the length of the dress. Add some fun strappy, flat sandals and I’m good to go! … Okay, fine. Confession: this dress is on its way to my front porch as I write!  Hope it works out!

Shoshana Silk Monet Floral Maxi

First, Monet is my all-time favorite artist. And I love (LOVE) anything blue. So, clearly this dress is right up my alley! Unfortunately, however, waaaay out of my price range (for now).

Juliska Serving Pieces:

I think these pieces are so charming. And, the fact that every piece is oven, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher safe makes me smile (especially since I’ve had to learn the hard way on a few other things I’ve *accidentally* thrown in the dishwasher).  I received a platter in white as a wedding gift from a friend, and I use it all the time; it’s one of my favorite serving pieces. And now I want more!

Juliska Condiment Bowls

Juliska Platter in Pistachio

Juliska Platter in Blue

Juliska Cake Platter

i-Pad 2:

I got the Hubby an i-Pad 2 for his birthday a couple months ago, and it is so much fun!  I try not to steal his too often, but I do sneak away with it at least a few times a week.

i-Pad 2

What’s on your crush list?

Spring Surprise Splurges

So, I still haven’t given in to buying the Theory suits I’ve been eyeing for months now, (see post dated 3/26/11 for details), but I did give in to a couple other suiting splurges last week. In our small town, some brands are very difficult to find (Theory sadly being one of them).   However, I was giddy to find that a near-by boutique had Theory listed as one of the designers it carried, so I finally went for the kill in the hunt for my perfect summer suit.

Unfortunately, however, the boutique did not have exactly what I was looking for.  I,  instead, walked away with a new pair of shoes and two new perfect blazers for spring.

Maybe this is a lesson that planning isn’t always necessary?  Perhaps surprises can be good… sometimes.

Spring Suit Shopping

I love spring! Enough of the black, navy, dark gray pinstripe, and chocolate brown suits. Bring on the bright colors, bare legs, and ponytails (okay, I admittedly wear ponytails year round, but I they do seem to get higher on my head and worn more frequently as the temperature rises).  Being a working woman now, I try to make almost all tops I buy dual purpose – both work and weekend appropriate.  Then, I just trade slacks for jeans and blazers for cardigans.  It’s tough building a suit collection that you wear and cycle through every.single.day. but I rose to the occasion and got some really great fitting suits when I first started working and have been so thrilled with my purchases (although it’s taken 4X as long for the pocket book to recover… as my sweet hubby has pointed out (more than once), I definitely spent more than I was making the first two months of employment. ouch!).  Now, however, with our pocketbook recovered and the warmer weather quickly approaching, I feel the ever-increasing need to expand my suit collection to khaki, light gray, and bursts of white.

I am coveting these Theory spring suits and check in on them frequently for the hope of catching them on sale, or at least free shipping!

While these pieces may seem very basic, it’s absolutely what I love about them. They fit me perfectly with no tailoring, last perfectly through multiple wears (1-2 times per week for the past 6 months), and let the rest of my outfit – jewelry, tops, scarfs, etc. be the focal point that grabs everyone’s attention. They make the perfect backdrop to many fabulous, office appropriate looks.

Let the saving (and hubby convincing) begin!