Me in Melange

A Day In The Life

The new normal....

Wake up too early to get up, check the news, get depressed, stop reading it.  Try to go back to sleep. Can't because of said depressing news.  Get out of bed for real, and make a happy collagen latte (hoping it enhances my super immune system so I don't get the CV).

Clean up the kitchen after the kids tornado thru for breakfast.  Cheerios everywhere and evidence they ate every strawberry in the house. 

Exercise, which now consists of giving myself a yoga class which is far less peaceful than going to a yoga class. I cheat in poses much more and I can't get myself to relax.

Force the kids to go on a walk with me.  Gia tells me bees pee out of their stingers.  I believe her for about 3 solid minutes because my brain is filled with coronavirus stress.

Go home, work a bit, get more stressed when I learn that Melange is going to close for at least two weeks.  Stop working and go online to buy some more vitamins--again to super-immune-system my body up.

Decide that the kids have once again eaten thru half the food, so head to grocery store where I likely will get coronavirus, ebola, hep C and god knows what else because it is packed beyond capacity with some people with very questionable health.  

Go home, unpack groceries.  Encourage the kids to make a list of things they "need" to do during the day (like practice music, do math, read, clean room).  Hear entirely too much whining and run out of energy to stand my ground.  That's on my list for tomorrow, for sure.

Do laundry, get irritated that Lucia uses 4 towels each time she showers and hangs up none of them, but instead throws them into the dirty laundry.  Spend too much time being irritated and folding clothes.

Stop and take 5 deep breaths, it helps.

Call my friend.  Text three others.  It also helps.

Decide that there is no way I can spend the entire next 2-3 weeks of this new schedule in sweats and a tee, I'll lose it.  Vow to make myself more presentable tomorrow even if I don't leave the house.

Gia makes breadsticks. She's used all the butter, most of the flour and a lot of sugar in the last 3 days (two cakes, brownies and now breadsticks).  It's messy, lots of ingredients get wasted, there are 5 million questions and I try to be super patient but it's tough. She just wants me to bake with her but I have a hard time pulling myself out of my news stupor which I later feel bad about.  I know the kids need things to do to stay entertained, but...ugh.

Find out John's work is officially stopping travel and everyone is working from home.  Also find out the governor closed restaurants and bars temporarily.  John's visibly depressed about not being able to eat out (the highlight of his days, literally).  We're bickering constantly about the state of the world and I wonder if we're gong to kill each other during this "work from home period".  I'm betting yes.  We could have a corona-casualty divorce.

Bars are slated to close tomorrow, so John and I take 45 minutes to go down the street in a patently socially irresponsible move before the official close of bars and restaurants.  The restaurants and bars will be closed for our 25th wedding anniversary so it feels like we deserve to take advantage of this last opportunity.  Whiskey was awesome, I can't lie.  John ordered a Penicillin, the healthy whisky drink version guaranteed to keep you well.  John leaves the bartender a fat tip because it's his last shift for quite awhile.

Overall, not my best day at managing my mood or stress.  The state of things is going to bring ups and downs, and I guess we have to be able to roll with it.  I am going to follow my own advice and try to find something to hold on to that feels normal.  My favorite candle, cozy pj's, my face moisturizer that I love, maybe my favorite funny movie tonight (which is Horrible Bosses FYI).   It's up to us to lead the way for everyone around us (our kids, our partners, our friends)....to set the tone, to try and be generous with our kindness, and ease up with our stress.  I don't pretend I can do it every day, but I'm really going to try (and definitely try harder tomorrow).

Now's a good time to send your favorite people cards and little treats, because we're all going to need our moods lifted a bit, so why not be the bringer of joy?  Seems like a good move to me since there isn't all that much we can do, except be careful, be kind and be supportive.

Signed, ME {lv}

 

Store Closure Update

It's hard to wrap our head around this new reality, but we are officially closing our store in Fifth Street Market to the public for at least the next two weeks until we collectively have a handle on the virus.  A store that we love dearly and that has been open 362 days a year for 20 years.  We're not even sure what to do with that fact, it almost doesn't compute--our head is still spinning.

It's hard to know exactly exactly when we will reopen to the public, I don't think anyone really knows for sure, but we are hoping two weeks will be enough.  We are however, keeping our website going strong, and sending out packages daily.  We'll be at the store shortened hours, 11-3, each day to do this, so if you are local and want to swing by and pick anything up, try anything on, or visit (with all the distance safeguards in place of course), please feel free to come by and knock on the door.   If you aren't local, know that we are here to chat on the phone, and of course via email.  We want to remain here for all of our customers and friends as much as possible during this incredibly stressful time. This is when we need each other the most!

We know we'll come thru it all in one piece, we just need to take it one step at a time, and stay focused on keeping our communities healthy, and giving each other moral support through kindness and caring.  

Thank you to all of you who have and who will shop our website in the days to come, we appreciate your support more than you can possibly know and we are eternally grateful for all of you.

Stay healthy.

With Mad Love, 

All of Us at Melange

Bake Off & Hand Moisturizer

It's been less than two weeks since I've adopted obsessive hand washing and hand sanitizer and my hands are officially RAW.  They also look like the hands of a person 50 years older--dry and very unattractive. Small issue in the scheme of things, but I will say, it calls for good hand lotion.  I've now tried both the Elizabeth W. and the Nash & Jones and I do love both.   Elizabeth W. wasn't Amanda's favorite because it's very scented (but I actually really liked the scents so I was good with that).  We are about to get in another line called Féret Parfumeur and I can't wait because it's supposed to be amazing.  Stay tuned, we're gong to need this (it arrives Wednesday).

Today felt long, and I know I wasn't alone.  The days ahead seem like they are going to be impossibly long don't they?  The kids being off school for the next 3 (and maybe more) weeks seems mind blowingly long.  I'm really trying to take deep breaths and just set up routines and a sense of normalcy.  I forced myself to turn off the news today (which honestly was hard), but once I did I felt someone normal again within a couple of hours.    We can't lose our sense of balance thru all of this, because it's unhealthy on all levels.

So I cooked today (fennel and potato soup), and Gia baked a cake.  I let Romeo watch too many video games. We lounged, and ran a couple of errands but stayed out of big and crowded establishments.  Gia is a huge baker.  Yesterday she made brownies, today the cake from scratch, complete with butter cream frosting.  The kitchen was a disaster, but she had fun.

So maybe the answer during this really stressful and trying time is to just try and enjoy some simple things.  We can't stop being worried to death about the health of our loved ones, our jobs, or our livelihood.  There are so many wonderful perks about owning a small business, but during times like this it feels like the heaviest of burdens because there is no net, and there is so much responsibility.  Couple that with SO much unknown.  It's the definition of stress.

Yet we can't let ourselves get consumed with the stress because so much of this situation is beyond our control and we just have to come to peace with that.  So enjoy the things you can, and balance out the stress that we all will be feeling.  Who doesn't love to eat cake right?   Get fresh air, visit friends from a safe distance, smile and remind yourself it will be o.k.

Signed, ME {lv}

My Interview, Classic Black & Mean Teen

So today I had my interview for a clinical psychology masters program that I am trying to get into for the Fall.  I haven't talked about it much, but now that the application process and interview is over, it is what it is and I feel like I can talk about it without making myself more nervous.  

First off, I was afraid that I would be the oldest one there (it was a group interview plus individual interview).  In fact, that fear was totally unfounded because there were ALL different ages, and a really diverse group of people wanting to do the program.  Some straight out of college, some older who had other masters in other areas that would pair well with the clinical psychology.   I went into the day feeling particularly self conscious about being "older", especially since Ava was being a mean teen the other night and told me I was old and wrinkled.  Just plain mean right?  I have a friend who later texted me that night complaining about her teen daughter and how they had fought and her daughter called her the "B" word, and how angry my friend was.  I told her what Ava said and how I might have actually preferred the 'B" word because now I was just feeling self conscious and NOT ready for my interview.   See, if I was already a psychologist maybe I wouldn't be so bothered by what my super rude teen said, but alas, I'm still a hot mess and my vanity is bruised.

Anyway, I will start by saying that I wore classic black trousers, white button down shirt (thanks Anni Kuan), and a black Margaret O'Leary cardigan.  I cut the boring outfit up a bit with my very cool python heels, but overall I was classic and understated.  I was trying not to be "too" dressed, but still professional.  People were largely under dressed (or poorly dressed) or both.  Super nice group of people, but it was a reminder that if you dress well, you almost always stand out because so many people do not.

The interview consisted of all kinds of things including a small group analysis of a movie we watched before we arrived, 30 minutes of of essay writing, a role play exercise and an exercise where you discussed a personal object that meant something to you in front of a group (the whole process was 3 hours).  

The role play exercise was seriously fun.  You and a random partner sat in front of a professor, one person was the client, one person was the therapist.  There were different scenarios, and you chose one and then role played for 5 minutes.  The easiest one for me was being the client who was a mother with an 18 year old daughter who was super headstrong who fell in love and was getting married despite the mother trying to convince her otherwise. It was FUN, I should have done more theater in college.  Then I got to be the therapist to a teen who was too embarrassed to get an educational evaluation for her learning disability.  Again, pretty fun stuff.  Maybe I should have just been an actress that PLAYED a therapist?

Anyway, the rest of the interview went fine, including the individual portion with a professor who started by asking the obvious question, "why do you want to be a therapist."  Uhhhmmmmm???  Can the answer be that I have a lot of my own emotional problems so I can relate to other people and maybe can learn to help them (and/or myself)??  I didn't quite say that, don't worry.  

I'm excited it's done.  It's been a long day that also included a hot yoga class and a visit to my OB who basically told me that what I thought were "hot flashes" were in fact NOT hot flashes and more a situational issue (i.e., my bedroom was just too hot).  I wanted the 411 on bio-identical and other pre-menopause assistance.  She basically told me to slow my roll, my test results said I'm not there yet, the test results show all normal hormones.  What she didn't quite say (but I know she was thinking it) was that my anxiety about what was going to happen centered around getting older in general and I just needed to learn to embrace it because nothing was going to stop the clock).  It's like she knew that my night stand was filled with anti-aging books and life extending reads.

Wednesday's mystery flash sale on Velvet day....because it's fun, and Wednesday deserves to be a little fun right?  code: mystery

Signed, ME {LV}

 

 

 

Little Bit Prepper, Hot Yoga and Gratitude

All I know is that this virus outbreak is only worrying me to the extent that NOW I feel the need to be a little bit more of a "prepper" -- not for this situation, but for a truly bad one that might come at some point in the future.  What I'm noticing is that people don't do well with a little uncertainty, or restriction, or risk.  Seriously, if something even remotely bad happened in this country, there would be a full blown crazy panic of monumental proportions.   I wasn't feeling the need before, but now I feel like I do really need some kind of stockpile for when a real crisis happens because things will not go well and people will likely lose their collective sanity.  I feel like we are just starting our experience with the coronavirus and already people are giving themselves anxiety attacks.  Slow your roll people, it will all be fine and you can't burn out on anxiety this early.

Not to totally minimize the coronavirus, it's a terrible inconvenience and yes, we all need to modify certain behaviors to help mitigate risk (i.e. washing our hands alone is thing #1 and the practice will help not only this new virus but the spreading of the flu which is already dangerous to so many vulnerable populations).   John keeps saying that at the end of all of this we might end up socializing behaviors that save many lives that otherwise wouldn't have been saved.  Let the hand sanitizer and hand washing mania begis.  Better stock up on hand cream, that sanitizer dries your hands out BAD.

I returned to hot yoga today after my microblading week long hiatus.  It felt great, and I was totally grateful for what my body could do the whole time.  I just felt so happy that I was there, my body felt good, and I was no longer jeopardizing my eyebrows.  Big sigh of relief there.  Last week taking it easy in more restorative classes was nice, but today felt 'back to normal' and really good.

The sun is shining this week, and we've got at least one day hitting 60 degrees.  That's a reason to be happy right there!  The only thing salting my game is that I noticed some gray hairs in my eyebrows.  What the what?  I take a lot of different supplements, why haven't they figured out one to fix grey hair yet?  I feel like I need to do some more googling on that.  Meanwhile, my Glossier Boy Brow gel is going to do double time.

Digging on these new Prairie Underground joggers--you can feel like you are lounging in your sweats, BUT you will look super cool.  They are really cute on, love these!  Especially love the cropped length.

Signed, ME {lv}

 

 

Looking Ahead

I tend to be a big planner.  I have fun looking ahead and getting excited for what's coming.  I know that doesn't sound very "in the moment" but I do get a lot of enjoyment from thinking in the NOW about what's ahead.  Planning trips, special holidays, birthdays...yep, most all of it.  And if course, planning my wardrobe too - I'm always starting super early. Some people like to react spur of the moment...."oh, I need a summer dress, I'll go look for one right now."  Me, I'm looking NOW for that Summer dress because those impromptu shopping trips stress me out.  So it's no surprise that being in the clothing world has suited me perfectly, because it's ALL about planning and looking ahead.

Today Amanda and I went to look at FALL PJ Salvage, and FALL Lilla P.(the NW Apparel show is going on--it's small but there are still a few good designers there).  Yes, that's right, FALL.  Is it crazy that I can't wait to wear white linen, yet simultaneously I'm excited to wear the fuzzy PJ Salvage olive green vest that comes in September?  Wish I had taken a picture of that vest, it's seriously adorable (this is the little drawing from the line sheet to the right, but imagine something super soft and cuddle-icious).  I love our PJ Salvage rep, she's
absolutely hysterical and isn't fake or salesperson-y at all.  We can also manage to slip in all kinds of fun topics while still getting thru the huge line....like what bio-identicals she's taking, and the latest on what her son is doing (I met her son when he was probably 9 and she came to my house because she was on the road with her lines and I think I was probably pregnant or had a newborn, so she came to me instead of me seeing her at a show).  That 9 year old son is now 25 and works in LA.  Nothing like those numbers to make you feel old right?  

We also found a few other nuggets of goodness today (new designers that we really liked), so that was fun.  

I hit all elevator buttons with my elbow, and adhered to social distancing.  Just kidding, I didn't really adhere to social distancing, but I did use my elbow to touch the elevator buttons but to be fair, I kind of do that all the time because those things are SO dirty.  No, I'm still working hard to do the opposite of freaking out....instead, I'm just being my normal level of crazy.  Here's to having a happy, and freakout-free week.  

Signed, ME {lv}

Wonders Never Cease

I just want to take a moment to appreciate how amazingly possible BIG change is.  Two years ago if you had told me my husband of almost 23 years (that was 2 years ago), would someday work out all the time, lose 25 lbs and drop two pants sizes there would be NO way I would believe it.

As long as I've known John he's been a little thick around the middle.  We met in our early 20's and I think then he might have been leaner, but I can barely remember because it didn't last long.  He use to tell me that it was just "his body shape" because I, on more than one occasion, approached him with the harsh reality that he had gained quite a few pounds and it was bad for his overall health.  He was flummoxed for YEARS by even the suggestion that he might need to lose a little weight and work out.  He just didn't see it--like men sort of tend not to.  Women are acutely aware of their weight, fitness, and where they fall on the scale of physical fitness.  Men, not so much.  Usually he would lose weight in the summer when we were traveling and he was super active, but then gain it all back by Christmas.

Everything changed about a year ago, and I'm not entirely sure what the turning point was.  He was a solid 178 lbs, and then he started consistently working out 3 days a week, then 4, and next thing he knew he was down to 155.  Super lean flat abs for the first time in his life.  Maybe it was a mid life crisis, who knows, but all of the sudden it was like he realized at age 50 that he wasn't in fact in shape OR very healthy.  He'll now look back on a picture of himself 10 years ago and he's shocked that he looks so "puffy"--he's genuinely shocked, I find that baffling.

I know what you are thinking, did he get a girlfriend or engage in some illicit side action?  Yeah, I've seen enough movies, I thought about that too.  Nope, I don't actually think that was the motivation, I think it just finally dawned on him he could really change.  I also think once you make headway toward a big change you realize how awesome it is, and that motivates you even more.    

I contemplated all of this as I lay in my 8:30 a.m. yoga class that JOHN motivated me to go to with him.  That's right, he pushed ME to get out of bed at 7:50, and rally to yoga without coffee or breakfast.  John's favorite thing in life is food, so the fact that he'd actually get moving early, without breakfast AND coffee, all to exercise??  Needless to say, it seriously blows my mind.

It's a true testament to the fact that you can change, and surprise yourself and everyone you know.  It makes him happier and it makes me happier because I know he's physically so much healthier, I notice it in everything he does.  

So here's to changes (and wonders) that can amaze you at any time!

Signed ME {lv}

Less is More

I'm reminded this week that less can be more.  I've been off my regular yoga schedule--no hot yoga until my brows are cemented down.  So I've been taking a mixture of slow flow classes, and this morning I did a slow restorative meditation yoga class.  First I will say, it takes some mental flexibility for me to change things up, I am so married to my routine (which I love) that going outside of it throws me off more than it should.

What I will say, as I've gone thru my "new" week is that it's been really nice.  My regular classes are really physically demanding, and they are so dang hot.  They feel intense, always.  Sometimes though, less is more, and I feel like I've gotten so much out of going at a slower, less intense, and more reflective pace.  The stranger thing?  I've been SORE and it's like I took harder classes, but they were harder in new, softer ways (which apparently still made me sore).

On a new stuff note, I'm crazy for the little dainty rings from Jennifer Cervelli.  They come in gold, rose gold and silver, and they are wonderful solo but also stacked up.  I love the idea of making a wish and putting on the ring....three rings, three wishes.  When my brother in law (years and years ago), wanted to propose and used the excuse he had no money to buy a ring for the reason he wasn't doing it (not really the reason), I tried to convince him to buy these rings and pledge three romantic things to my sister (like I promise to love you forever, support your soul, and rug your feet when your tired....or whatever).  For the record, he didn't use my good idea.  Can't remember what he did, but it wasn't nearly as good...not even close.  

Oh, and I ALSO love the long Salt + Slate necklaces!!  How awesome is that going to look with a simple white
tank and white linen pants??   Also super cute wrapped around the wrist!!

Signed, ME {lv}

Pant Vents, Coronavirus Tag & Spring Weather

When you think of a 9 year old boy, you don’t think of style.  You think jeans and a tee-shirt, probably both dirty.  However, they are in fact very particular about WHAT they wear even when it wouldn't appear so.  Romeo currently only wears shorts and tee-shirts to school, the fact that it’s still 40 degrees when I drop him off makes no difference.  So I bought him a new pair of athletic shorts yesterday.  They are heather grey, with a drawstring/elastic waist.  As plain as plain can be really—no emblems, no weird colors.  I was just about to rip off the tags and wash them when he declares, “nope, don’t like them”. Uhm, why exactly?  Because they have a small vent on each side of the leg. That’s right, a small 1” vent on the outside of the leg is the “style deal breaker” for my 9 year old.  How quirky is that?

I also heard today from my friend who works at a school that the new game at recess is “coronavirus tag”. Leave it to kids to find a fun twist on a stressful virus.  Romeo declared that he’d be fine if “a bully at my school got sick with coronavirus because then they’d close down the school for a week.”  He clarified that he didn’t want anyone nice, or  in his class, OR his teacher to get sick though, but apparently he’s fine sacrificing the unnamed bully in the school for some much desired “no school days”.

Virus anxieties aside, it’s officially super springy outside here.  The weather has been so good, still cold in the morning but warming up above 50 degrees during the day which doesn't sound all that warm as I type it but somehow in the sun it feels warmer (or at least feels like the promise of warmer).  It has been bright and cheery outside, there are cherry blossoms, daffodils and budding flowers everything.  It’s awesome.   I have already spring cleaned thru my current closet, but this weekend I will officially pull all my winter clothes out of my closet and pack all of them away, it’s time! I’ve managed to wash a lot of my cashmere sweaters (it feels so great when you hand wash them vs. dry clean, the cashmere feels SO soft), and now I’m going to layer some Meyer dryer sheets between the sweaters, and put them into plastic storage bins.  Bye-bye heavy winter sweaters….miss you until next year!  Also time to say hello to Spring clothes!  

Signed, ME {lv}

Jumping to Conclusions, Sabotaged Yoga & Costco Mania

This is my daily reminder to myself to NOT make assumptions.  We all do it constantly, and sometimes it’s just utilitarian and necessary.  Sometimes it’s unfair and counter-productive.  I do it a lot with my older girls.  I got my undies all in a wad this morning when I couldn’t find a shirt I wanted to wear.  I was ready to tear into someone for stealing it without permission.  I had my finger on the trigger the second I realized the shirt wasn’t there.  To be fair, I’m not entirely crazy, they have stolen MANY things from me (their version is that it was “borrowed”), and it’s been a lot more than once that I’ve found things crumbled up on their bedroom floor.  Once Lucia even CUT a shirt of mine (cropping shirts is a big thing with teens and her excuse was that I never wear it).

Anyway, I was about to hit the fan this morning, angry energy was pouring out every pore of my body….and then I found the shirt, in the place I had put it away, and then forgotten I had put it away there (only to remember when I actually found it).  OOOOOHHHHH, yeah.

My point is this...Get your finger off the trigger, don't jump to conclusions.

My morning yoga class was sabotaged because I forgot to leave my door unlocked.   It’s house cleaning day, my one day where I get to enjoy a few hours of a clean house before the minors ravish it again.  It’s basically my favorite day.  I am suppose to leave the door unlocked, and even though I remembered everything else this morning and had plenty of time to finish the laundry, write their check, pick up all over the house (basically do a mini-clean before the deep clean), somehow I forgot the most important part. I know, first world problem, but still a bummer. 

So 5 minutes into the class my watch vibrates, and I can see it’s the cleaning service, and instantly I remember that I had forgotten.  I was so mad at myself!  Why is it that I have to literally write everything down or I forgot?  Can I blame it on peramenopause? I had to pack up all my crap and dash because otherwise my window of time would be over and they would write me off.  I get so much joy from yoga, but I DO also really love a clean house….there were clearly conflicting worlds today.

Almost lastly, I had my normal Costco food delivery today (there isn’t a Costco very close to us so I just have it delivered every couple of weeks).  The guy that usually comes is hysterical, with dreadlocks that go past his butt, a big laugh, and he's always full of jokes.  So we got to chatting and he told me stories about the current Costco mania.  Apparently people are stocking up x 10.  Understandably people are nervous, but I didn’t realize quite how bad until he showed me pictures of the line for checkout on Saturday (no joke, it was like a 4 hour line), and the huge cart flats he was filling for orders.  I had ordered garbanzo beans and he informed me there wasn’t a “bean to be had” in all of Costco…and apparently it was a good thing I didn’t need toilet paper either because there was a run on that too.    I’ll say it again, my goal is to NOT freak out despite all the current events.  He told me that he delivered a big flat shopping cart of soda pop to a woman.   No joke, he showed me the cart, and there had to be 50 big things of soda stacked on it, every kind imaginable.  I said it must have been for the woman's restaurant, or a school carnival or SOMETHING other than 'end of the world prep'?  No such luck, he actually asked her, and indeed, she wasn't worried about running out of water, but she was REAL worried about running out of pop.  True story.

Lastly, for real, how cute does Amanda look in in the header picture wearing the new EF (tee, cardigan and scarf)??  Such a cute group!

Signed, ME {lv}

The Opposite of Freaking Out

The is my goal for March--to do the opposite of freaking out.  You can't watch the news from any source, or talk to just about anyone, and not have a panic attack for one reason or another.  I thought it would only be election year stress, but with the new coronavirus there's a whole new layer of stress.  It's hard not to get yourself all whipped up and prepping for doomsday.  

Just go try to find hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, or face masks, you'll find empty shelves and frantic people searching everywhere and paying exorbitant prices, there's panic in the air.  I'm not saying the concerns aren't legitimate, they definitely are understandable.  We are in unchartered territory and the unknown is scary for everyone.  Freaking out though?  I think we can do without it.

So when I pondered what my goals for March were, I decided it was first and foremost to NOT freak out.  Instead, I'm going to do the opposite and I'm going to take a deep breath and chill out.  

So when people ask me if I have two weeks supply of food because they read somewhere that it was recommended by the CDC, I'm going to say, "yes, but that's because everyone should have two weeks of food for any disaster that might happen (natural or otherwise)". When people ask me if I'm going to cancel travel plans, my answer is, "no, but we might wear masks on the plane as a precaution."  Things will be ok, no matter what, because we'll make sure they are.  Freaking out isn't going to help, or make life better, or stop something bad from happening.   Stress isn't great for your body, but relaxing, sleeping well and washing your hands IS good for your immune system so that seems like a better route.

So each day of March we're going to send out a good mantra for the day, one that calms and empowers, and I hope everyone remembers to just take a deep breath, not get caught up in the mania of panic, and remember that it will be ok.  March will bring the start of spring, the rebirth of everything dormant, and hopefully some sunshine....bring it on!

Signed, ME {lv}

The Power To Do What You Want

I walked with a friend this morning in the beautiful sunshine and it felt like food for the soul.  I had planned on going to a noon yoga class, but then right before I needed to leave I realized that I didn't quite feel like going.  I usually always feel like going, and I'm completely a creature of habit.  I also tend to be a little OCD with my schedule and rituals and feel guilty when I don't follow thru.  But here's the thing that is awesome.  You can change your mind.  You can do whatever you want and you don't have to feel bad or guilty about it.  It's so basic.  So simple.  It felt liberating to remind myself though, and good to follow thru with doing what my body and heart felt like doing--regardless of what I had written in my bullet journal.

So that's it.  Remember that you have the power to do what feels right for YOU.  That means you can change your mind, change your attitude, change your style....and you can own it fully.  AND, it will feel good.

Have an amazing Saturday, filled with everything that feels right for YOU.

Signed, ME {lv}

 

Uncomfortable Change, Microblading & Summer Cover Ups

Yoga was tough today.  All around.  It was definitely a day I felt like I might just have to NOT do one more forearm plank.  The message was good though, it was all about how uncomfortable any change was, and how even the changes you want to make, need to make, or are otherwise totally welcome, come with the uncomfortableness of making the change and losing your old patterns.   We all gravitate toward what we know, good or bad, and that makes the "new" inherently tougher to embrace.  It was a good reminder, and I for one need constant reminders.

The big news....I've got an appointment for microblading Saturday morning.  I'm super excited, and I'm really, REALLY hoping that it looks ok.  In my head it'll be great because my brows will always be perfect--no maintenance needed.  As it is now, I usually grab my eyebrow pencil and do them in the car rearview mirror at a stoplight and then inevitably they look a little wonky in some way or another.  Maybe if we did them in a real mirror each morning and took some time it would be fine, but that NEVER happens.  So here's to hoping they will look amazing.  Downside is that you aren't suppose to do any super sweaty workouts for 4 days (so no hot yoga), AND they look freakishly dark the first few days until they flake off and mellow out.  So it may not be my best looking weekend unfortunately, but that's the price.  Come Tuesday or Wednesday though, look out...I'll keep you posted.

Lastly, my mission is to start stock piling light and airy things for summer that will protect my skin.  We're going to Greece and Turkey, and it's going to be warm and sunny--really warm, and really sunny.  I'm not sure if its and age thing or what, but last summer was a freaky intro into pigment malfunction.  I do not need even ONE more sunspot, and I've now spent all winter trying to get rid of them so I'm going to do everything short of carry around an umbrella this summer (and I'm not even totally opposed to that).  I'm looking to find light and airy fabrics, with as much coverage as possible, AND hats.  The new Margaret O'Leary skirt caught my eye--perfect example of coverage, yet light and airy.  I also want one of the Shebobo hats (super silly name, cute hats). I'm going to pop that brim out and  protect my face (along with 10 layer of SPF).  I'll admit, I'm super jealous of all the women I see who have gorgeous olive skin and tan perfectly the second they are out in the sun.  I'm just a sea of sun spot freckles.  Ugh.  

Signed, ME {lv}

 

Spring Cleaning Stage 2

I'm feeling SO proud of myself!  I took 3 hours today and I made some serious headway on my re-organization/spring cleaning!  I did all the horrible stuff we all hate to do....like cleaning the junk drawer, attacking the hall closet, going thru the drawers in the media stand that accumulate stuff somehow.  I have at least two kids who are too lazy to put anything away in its proper place (especially if it involves walking up any stairs), so in the media stand drawers I found tampons, a plate, tons of pens, usb cords, and loads of empty wrappers from snacks, cups...the list went on.  It was maddening.

I powered thru though, and then I did something worse than all of the above.  I got out the upholstery cleaning machine, heated up extra hot water, and worked on getting the dripped candle wax off the tv room sofa.  Yes, down the entire side arm was wax that "mysterious" was dripped.  Sounds safe doesn't it?  Of course there was fervent denial from both teens (they lie though, and their motto is deny, deny, deny).  Anyway, it was a horrible task and I have dreaded it for weeks.  I'm happy to say though, it's DONE!!!!

So my point in all of this, is that as much as I was dragging my feet, I'm so glad I put some time in because it felt amazing to purge and organize.  I ended up with four large garbage bags full of stuff....and I'm not even done!  Sometimes the anticipation of doing jobs you don't want to do is worse than the actual job itself.  I instantly felt lighter going thru the closets and clearing stuff out--I felt the energy flowing much better.  It's a great feeling, I'd forgotten how great it feels to just tackle the thing you don't feel like tackling.

My reward?  Yes, because I feel like I deserve one for sure.  I'm going to have a little beauty
night with some of my favorite Melange beauty purchases.  #1, bath with a Latika bath bomb (these smell great and are just fun), and while I'm taking a bath I'm #2 doing a mask from Nash & Jones (the fossil mask).  Then I'm going to #3 do the Elizabeth W. lip scrub.  #4 Nash & Jones body lotion (love this stuff), #5 I'm going to jump into cozy jammies and #6 do my nails in the Priti NYC Sea Holly color (just because its fun and different).  A little TLC for me.

Lastly, I just want to make a report on my weekly organic fruit and veggie box.  I can say (and I realize it's only week #1) that so far, it's been awesome.  Besides the obvious of wanting fresh and organic fruits and veggies, I was hoping that it would push me outside of my veggie comfort zone and force me to diversify.  I love veggies, but I am the first to admit I get lazy.  I might not buy beets, simply because they are more labor intensive. Well, tonight I made bok choy, which for me is totally diversifying.  I just don't generally cook it, but I did it tonight because I got it in my box and didn't want to waste it.  I've also had two kinds of kale this week (granted, I made both kinds into crispy kale chips loaded with olive oil and salt), but still.   I'm excited for week #2!

Signed, ME {lv}

 

Ear Piercing

There was a time that I was much more conservative as a parent.  When Ava, my oldest, asked to get her ears pierced I made her wait until she was "old enough".  When she asked to get second piercing the answer was, "absolutely NOT."  The same went for hair dye, bikinis and makeup.  

But truthfully, it didn't last long because Ava is, unfortunately or fortunately, an unrelenting child (the CIA could use her interrogation purposes, she's be better than water boarding.)  She wore me down year after year, and I consider myself to be fairly tough.

Fast forward to today.  My second daughter, Lucia, now 15, asked me to give her a second piercing.  Well, not exactly.  She actually GAVE herself a second piercing on one ear, but then came upstairs to ask me to do the second one because it was harder to do the "other ear."  That's right, she pierced the first ear herself, with a long needle, some alcohol and an apple--I didn't even realize she was doing it. Girl has nerves of steel.  When I asked her why she didn't wait and have it done at one of those mall kiosks she said, "you need a parent's permission to do it and it costs like $50."  So apparently she didn't consider asking for my permission, but kudos to her for saving $50.  

So when she came up and asked me to the second ear, I felt obligated to help.  She was one ear in, and clearly not feeling confident about the second hole (and it's tricky to get them even.). She's been a handful lately, so stabbing her thru the ear with a sharp object didn't seem entirely ridiculous. 

So I did it.  It was awful--it goes against your instinct as a parent to actually stab something into your child that isn't for life saving purposes.  It did however bring back a very old memory of a high school party, my best friend, and a similar ear piercing situation (I honestly can't remember if she pierced mine or I did hers--she couldn't' remember either.)  I can recall the orange we used to hold behind the ear, and the wine coolers we were drinking for courage (remember those awful things?), which are probably responsible for our poor memory of the whole thing.

So that's it, I've come full circle from piercing ears in high school, to piercing my own daughters ears. I'll add that to the list of things I never I thought I would do.

Yoga today was good, but the best part really was at the very end when we were just about to say namaste and get out of that hot sweaty room and she said "I see you."  For some reason that phrase really hit me, and stuck with me.  It's what everyone wants, it's universal.  To be seen.  It's funny though, rarely does someone say it out loud like that.  It was lovely I will say.

We had more sun today.  It's official, Spring is almost here!  I finished my closet today, and have my piles of stuff to get rid of.  There were winter pieces that won't make the cut and it's nice because now when I go to put my winter clothes away for good (which will be very soon), I will only be putting away stuff that I know I want for next year.  I'm also methodically going thru and washing my cashmere, de-pilling it and then when I pack it away I'm going to use some of the Meyer's dryer sheets in the plastic bins so that they come out smelling wonderful next winter.  The only thing better than cashmere, is good smelling cashmere.

Signed, ME {lv}

Teary Yoga

I know I talk about yoga a lot, but I can’t help myself.  Today was an intense class.  The instructor is one of my favorites, and she had just come off of an intensive weekend training and she warned us that she was a bit raw.  This is what I love about yoga, it’s so much more than just the poses, it’s really all in your head, that’s where the real work is.

Anyway, she talked about she felt during this training program she attended, which basically amounted to “unworthy”.  It was that feeling of walking into a room and feeling like everyone had a better job, more education, better outfit, prettier, funnier….basically that everyone is out of your league.  Who hasn’t felt that way?  Part of the training during the weekend was to tap into what was holding you back, what made you feel unaccepted, or unworthy.  She shared a memory of her father (who died suddenly when she was in her teens), and how he had come to a diving meet (after rarely ever coming) and said, “I just thought you’d be better by now.”  So part of her cathartic weekend, was coming to accept herself, and her father’s limitations, and forgiveness. All in order to move thru them and keep them from holding her back or being the excuse that held her back.  As she was telling her memory of her father she broke into tears.  It was such a vulnerable moment for her, and she was willing to share it with everyone. Another reason I love yoga.

She quoted someone…I think it was Eckhart Tolle, who said, “First there must be acceptance. Then you can begin.” All the things (insert people, circumstances etc.) that hold you back, are things you haven’t fully accepted yet. 

She went on to teach a hard ass class….lots and lots of arm work.  Another reason I love yoga.

On a totally other note, my other favorite thing (clothes) deserves a little shout out too.  I just got the Anni Kuan Kite top, and can I just say how great it is??  I think this is such a perfect morphing top….it can morph from day to night, or season to season.  Super cute on too (love the sleeves), and I think it will make a great travel piece. I like that it isn’t black, but it’s not a washed out grey either—it’s that great in-between that manages to still look fresh and not dreary.  It took me a long time to warm up to Anni’s fabrics (I couldn’t get past the fact that they weren’t “all natural”) but I have come to totally trust her ability to find fabrics that feel, wear, drape and wash really, REALLY well.  I’m never disappointed. I have her flight pants in black, but now I know I need them in the grey too because it would be fantastic worn with the top—a lá jumpsuit style. 

I will also say, that I’m enjoying my Child perfume and body cream almost every day.  Last I heard Cammi had totally converted to loving it too.  Initially when I asked her if she liked it she said, “well, it’s not for me really.” The smell changes a lot on your skin, and at first smell from the bottle it can feel a little bold, but softens and mellows so beautifully on the skin.  She now has confirmed she’s completely in love with it too.  I just really adore the small roller ball size, it’s always in my purse and I love that I can dab it on during the day.

Lastly, Romeo wore shorts and a tee shirt today….it probably didn’t get warmer than 52 degrees outside. When we walked the dog in the late afternoon he said, “mommy, I hate to tell you, but I think it’s because you are over 40 that you are cold because I’m always comfortable OR I’m too hot.”  So apparently my advanced age is making me cold. Who knew?   

Getting Organized For March (and Spring)

It's the last week of February, which officially means, March is RIGHT around the corner.  This gets me in the mood for some spring cleaning.  Time to start prepping for the new season to come since March is almost here and March = Spring.   I know it's early, but I've waited before, and then all of a sudden it's a rush and I'm shoving wool sweaters into bins and searching for my spring stuff.  

So I'm starting on my closet first. First thing I did was to pull everything out of my closet and anything I haven't worn in a year gets a super hard look and theoretically goes in the "to go" pile.  There was an article in Elle that said, "If you haven't worn it in a year, what makes you think you're going to wear it now? Don't hoard items under false pretenses."  I think that sort of sums it up.  It's really easy to make excuses about why you did or didn't wear it, or why you "might" wear it at some point.  The truth is though, if you didn't wear it, you most likely won't because if you really think about it, there's a REASON why you didn't wear it.    

Cocktail dresses, dressy outfits and formal wear are excluded from this rule.  I hold on to pieces for years, and I can go a year or two (or more) before looking at it again.  Good pieces are worth hanging on to.  

I do have some other exceptions to the one year rule that I found.  Really nice pieces that for whatever reason just didn't make the rotation this year but I know I can't part with.  Example, a double oversized Margaret O'Leary cashmere wrap with fringe.  I didn't wear it this winter, but it's a keeper for sure. I did however, part with a Prairie Underground top that I've held on to for two years, and haven't worn it once.  It's darling, but in the end just doesn't fit me quite right.  There's something about it that doesn't work on me but it's subtle so when I see it's cuteness hanging in the closet, I think I must be able to find a good outfit for it right?  I can't though, and I won't. I decided not to hoard it any longer.  Not everything you buy is a winner, but it's so much worse if you let it just take up space and energy in your closet when someone else can use and love it.

Truthfully that's the only thing I did toward my spring cleaning/March organization so far, and it took me a long time (and I'm only 3/4 the way thru and that might be generous).  Tomorrow I'm going to mock up a list of all the other spring cleaning things I want to knock out and then a reasonable schedule to do it.  Plus I'm definitely going to need some reward at the end of it to help motivate me (something new and Springy maybe?)

Signed, ME {lv}

 

 

Acceptance & Hotter Than You Think

I don't usually go to yoga on the weekends, but I did today.  It was a great class, and the messaging was all about acceptance.  Acceptance of yourself, of the things you can change and the things you can't.  It was a really good class, and I needed it.  You know how I know I needed it?  As I lay there in the first couple of minutes of class, when I was suppose to be thinking about relaxing, and focusing in, I had crazy monkey mind instead.  The kind that goes like this..."I left the kids alone, hope they are ok, Lucia is up with her friend and she said her room smelled funny, but what if you lights a candle, and what if her friend knocks it over, and then her drapes catch on fire, those drapes are so long, and then the whole room goes up in flame, where are the fire distinguishers downstairs, would Romeo and Gia know what to do, what about the dog, maybe I should go home, I should really be there in the morning, they are going to make a mess in the kitchen, I hope no-one uses the new sharp knife, what if they end up getting cut, what will they do, we probably don't even have bandaids, but what if the ambulance has to come, i should have told them not to cook anything, boy my underwear feel tight, I wonder if I shrank them."

For real.  That stream of consciousness was about 10 seconds, and it only got worse from there.  Sometimes I shocked by how much your mind can get squirrelly and spend so much energy running around chasing nothing.

In the spirit of acceptance though, I recognized that I just was what it was.  That was where I was at today....and it was ok.  I worked with it, and did the best I could.  

My only other reminder for everyone is that you are hotter than you think.  If you doubt me, just look back on a picture of yourself 10 years ago (long story, but suffice it to say, I'm looking at old photos.)  I bet you'll think, "dang, I looked pretty good."  We are our own worst critic in the moment.  So just remember that this is as young as you'll ever be from here on out, and you are hotter than you think.   Appreciate yourself, you are beautiful!

 

Signed, ME {lv}

 

 

Sun & Flowers, 5 Cents Bags & Midnight Vacuums

We have one of those floor robots that vacuums automatically.  Theoretically this would work great.  In practice, something always goes wrong.  It’ll get trapped under a chair, or will stop working because someone forgets to empty the dirt bag.  The latest issue is that it randomly, and without logic, starts vacuuming in the middle of the night.  It keeps waking me up at 2 a.m., and that is because for two days in a row I’ve #1 neglected to figure out the problem and #2 forgotten to just shut the whole thing down. I’ll tell you right now, there is nothing more annoying than being woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of vacuuming.   I’m writing about this mainly because I want to cement it into my brain, so that there is hope that I can remember to fix it or turn it off before tonight.

The other thing I keep forgetting, since we’re on the topic, is my re-usable bag!!!  I have several cute ones thanks to the YaY bags we carry, but I KEEP FORGETTING THEM when I go into the grocery store.  It’s terribly annoying, and made worse now that it’s state law that you have to pay 5 cents for a paper bag.  The money part isn’t so bad, what’s bad is that each time you go into any store they ask you, “do you want to buy a bag for 5 cents.”  So then each time you are reminded that you forgot again, and you are annoyed because you have one sitting in your car.   So not only do you have to pay 5 cents, but you have to be “that person” who didn’t bring their bag (and it seems everyone else I see in line manages to remember them.)   I would like to promise myself that I won’t check out from the grocery store UNLESS I have a bag, but I’m pretty sure I won’t stick with that. 

I’m happy to say we had a sunny, gorgeous day today.  Blue skies that made you feel like it might be warm (it’s not really), but it’s a wonderful preview of what’s to come.  Our cherry blossoms are blooming too, which are uncharacteristically early this year (last year we had 2 or 3 legit snow days at this exact time of year).  It’s absolutely amazing! 

So. here’s to everyone having a wonderful weekend, that you remember to do everything you need to do AND that you get some sunshine.

Signed, ME {lv}

Memento Mori

Amanda and I had a conversation yesterday about my Xanax worthy anxiety that I'm having right now.  John just left for his Panama trip with my brother-in-law where they will surf and dive.  Because of all of the serious health issues that crept up with my father-in-law, I’m irrationally scared that something is going to happen to John.  Yoga is barely helping, that's show bad it is.

Amanda, in her wisdom beyond her years, talked me off the ledge. She has already been faced with her worst fears regarding death and losing a loved one, and so she has perspective the hard way.  People like me, who live in anticipation of their greatest fear, have no perspective yet, just fear.  

She said, “if I'm being completely honest, I kind of appreciate people when they live with a little bit of the anxiety of the inevitable, means you aren't taking it for granted.  You're trying, and appreciating what life is, and who is in it.”

So if I can clamp down my anxiety to a tolerable degree, I think she is right, being aware of the fragility of life isn’t a bad thing, and once you are aware of it, you can’t help but be somewhat anxious but you also are hyper aware of all that you have in the moment.

She also forwarded me two things, the latin phrase: memento mori, and the quote:

"let us prepare our minds as if we'd come to the very end of life. let us postpone nothing. Let us balance life's books each day. The one who puts the finishing touches on their life each day is never short of time" – Seneca

Memento Mori translates to “remember (that) you will die.”  It’s the idea that the contemplation of death is an appropriate way to appreciate life.

So now I’m contemplating that this post might sound a little morose.  It’s not meant to, it’s meant to be a reminder that life is short, and to appreciate all the joys you can in the moment. I know I've talked about it before, it's a common thread running through my head these days.

Of course, because I love a good pivot, I”ll just say that I’m fully enjoying the new Velvet group.  I just love the line, it's super high up on my "things I wear" list.  I think I might have said that about Margaret O’Leary, Lilla
P. and Anni Kuan that came in this week too.  We’re so lucky to carry such wonderful designers, it’s all such a treat when they come in.   This is one of my favorite little white tees, I love it....although I think I'll probably actually wear a bra, unlike the model they used.  I mean really, no on does that in real life??!!  The sleeves are awfully sweet though.

Signed, ME {lv}

Cards, Burmese Food & Layering Perfection

I’m currently obsessed with cards.  Real cards that you hold in your hand and stick in the mail with a stamp (remember those things?)  Not ecards, or emoji-cards, or anything electronic. Not to be hating on the modern era, but I really do miss the days when people sent mail, and your mailbox might actually contain something other than junk mail or catalogues.  I get SO excited when I get a card in the mail...which I will tell you right now, is next to never.

We got in a new shipment of All My Layers, which I think are just darling cards, with sweet simple sentiments.  I also love that they are $5 which is totally reasonable (no joke, I went into a fancy paper store the other day and it was $7.95 for a card which just seems excessive.)  I took a moment to send out a card today for a girlfriend just because I missed her (she lives in town but I never see her enough) and I even went to the supermarket to get stamps (there is ONE small supermarket near me that still sells stamps…even my bank doesn’t do it anymore)!   It’s up to our generation to keep this art alive and teach our kids otherwise it’ll be no time before they are baffled by the possibility that something might come in the mailbox that they might have to read.  

I find it fascinating that my teens do ALL of their communicating via snapchat and Instagram stories.  They don’t text, they don’t email.  My 15 year old wasn’t even sure what her email was when I asked her the other day. They don’t use landlines, and they don’t write letters or send cards.  I hate to sound like an old timer, but what is the world coming to?

On a totally other note (and I mean a complete and total pivot), I have recently become obsessed with Burmese food.  Actually, mostly just ONE Burmese dish, and lots of their coconut rice.  It’s a pickled green tea leaf salad and it’s amazing (cabbage, tea leaves, peanuts, some oil and sesame seeds...and other stuff I'm sure.)  I can’t even branch out to order anything different because I’m so obsessed with the salad.  John and I went to lunch today and I ordered the salad and he ordered a curry beef.  She brought this huge salad bowl out, two plates and big serving tongs.  Then I had to inform her that no, I didn’t plan on sharing, and yes, I did plan on eating that thing myself.  And I did. So here’s a nod to Burmese food, which I would have probably never rush to try except my friend served take out from this place at a little impromptu dinner she invited us to.  It was amazing and I was instantly hooked.  What if I hadn’t ever tried it?  I would never have known how delicious it was.  That’s a real argument for trying new things.  I will also note, that I zoned in on this today in yoga too when the teacher specifically said, "today try something you've never tried before, reach for something new."  Side crow here I come.

We got in Lilla P. today, and I know it’s probably the most boring aspect of the group (actually, not probably, it’s most definitely), but the new stretch layering pieces are fantastic. They come in all the usual suspects (black, white and nude) and in a camisole version and the scoop tank version. They are fantastic!  Great length, great stretch fabric, great fit.  These are the perfect foundational pieces I always need and never have handy.   I’ve tried a lot of basics like this, from all kinds of places (including Target, and big box stores), and I’ve been very disappointed overall.   Target actually has a decent tank for sleeping in, but it’s not nice enough to actually wear under something where it might peek out  (like a low cut v-neck or a partially unbuttoned shirt).  These pieces from Lilla P. look super nice, and they wear really well (plus I love that it's primarily cotton.)  There is nothing worse than not having the right layering piece to go under something you have that you want to wear and with all the slightly sheer stuff that comes with spring/summer styles, these are going to be perfect!

One last note....has anyone noticed that it's staying noticeably lighter later?  It's 5:45 p.m. and it's still light outside!!!  That's progress, Spring is definitely coming!

Signed, ME {lv} 

Meet The New Anni Kuan

Spring is the kick off of Anni Kuan’s brand new, laser focused and über inspired group.  She decided last Summer to give her clothing line and business a makeover (which is being debuted now.)  She streamlined everything within her company, and she tailored down her line to a much smaller capsule of only the pieces she really, really loved, and really believed in.  Her epiphany was that she was designing and creating a bigger line to support an entire operation with her business and organization--the cart was pulling the horse.  She decided to scale back, only produce the pieces she felt passionate about, and to strip down her overhead to a simple operation that would make it easier for her to not feel external pressures to design a certain way, or satisfy a certain client, or “sell” what she didn’t feel super driven about.

She was getting lost in the rat race essentially, so she forcefully pulled herself out of the race, and reinvented herself—or perhaps a better way of saying it is that she “found herself” again.

The result?  It’s a small, and amazing collection, and when you talk to her she’s passionate about each single piece, and each and every piece has a multi-layered use.  She’s thought out how it pairs with everything else in the collection (and outside of the collection.)  I think it’s quite possibly the best spring/summer group she’s ever created.

My personal favorite is the Tonnero jacket.  It’s expensive, and my only hesitation was about the price honestly.  But once you see it and put it on, you realize how unique and wonderful it is—and worth the tag price.  It’s one of those jackets that you can throw on over a white tank, pair it with your favorite jeans and a pair of tennis shoes and feel totally great in. You can also couple it with some cool wide leg, high waisted black pants for work.  It’s got all kinds of possibilities, and it’s this oddly timeless style, that still manages to look very “now”.  

The only problem with Anni’s collection is that honestly, every piece feels indispensable, so you want them all, and I could argue that they are all must-haves, so choosing is going to be hard....do we have to?? 

Signed, ME {lv}

The World Of Gifts, Jewelry, Accessories & Beauty

You’ve probably noticed that Melange has picked up a LOT of small gift, accessories, and jewelry items lately.  We’re branching out a little deeper into all kinds of little treasures.

 

When I was in Europe last summer, and traveling in Spain, Portugal & France in particular, one of my favorite things to do was to shop the little boutiques.  There are SO many, and while I’m sure there are plenty of the big box stores as well, in the areas we gravitated toward (old sections of town, little villages etc.), there were ONLY boutiques.  What I loved about the little shops over there was what a wide variety of things they carried.  You’d walk into a little store and it would be filled with such diversity.  When I say little, I mean LITTLE.  To have three people in the store at the same time would seem crowded.  I’m visualizing this little neighborhood shop in Bordeaux right now in particular.  It was tucked into a block of apartments, with really not much around it in terms of retail other than the grocery store ½ a block up that we went to regularly, and the drug store 2 blocks the other way that we also went to.  There might have been other stores, but honestly the hours were so sporadic and odd that I didn’t actually see them ever open.

 

Anyway, this tiny little shop was darling, and while they didn’t have a ton of anything, they had a little of everything.  I could buy a pair of cute sandals, or earrings, or a dress, or a little zippered yellow animal print pocketbook (which is what I actually DID buy).  It was clearly the neighborhood boutique, and curated with only the things she liked the most in such a darling and special way.  

 

That was my inspiration. We’ve always carried a little jewelry here and there, and we’ve dabbled in certain accessories more than others (like scarves), but I wanted to find more....great hair items, and the coolest handful of beauty things, and maybe a perfume or two that we loved.  Well, we’re definitely on the way to creating that shop with a million wonderful treasures in it.  I walk in now and think, “I could totally find everything I need here from a birthday gift, to a new lip gloss, to a basic white cami, to a new dress or pair of jeans.)   It's a slow process though for us to get to know all the different gift, beauty, accessory, and jewelry options out there and then find the designers that we can really get excited about--ones that have a story to tell, and a purpose in what they are creating.  We've definitely found some good ones though.  I'm a huge fan of Collin Garrity vases (they are just beautiful), and Elizabeth W. lip scrub (which I only mention because I literally just used it last night and it was amazing.)

 

We're still getting the hang of the right quantities to buy, and how to merchandise it so that everyone sees how awesome all these things are (vs. them getting lost in the shuffle).  It’s coming together slowly but surely though, and we hope everyone enjoys the new goodies, there will be more to come in 2020!

 

Signed, ME {lv}

 

 

 

 

Long Weekends

I’ve had 4 cups of tea today, watched 3 movies, read, gone into the hot tub twice, made sushi rolls, took one freezing cold walk, and went to the grocery store where I paid entirely too much for an avocado (among a lot of other things.). We’re in Sunriver for the long weekend.  I’m home with the two little kids who didn’t ski today (Romeo has a cold and Gia only wanted to ski one of the two days).  John’s got the older girls on the mountain.

It’s been a long lazy day, one that included a lot of eating, and a lot of lounging in front of the fire.

It’s also a day during which I spent a lot of time thinking about the moment, and how lucky we are to all be here together as a family.  On our drive up here (5 hours with traffic) we got some very tough news about my father-in-law’s health--very tough, and a shock.  It was jolting reminder that time is short, and that we don’t know what each day brings.  Everything I saw, did, and experienced today was consumed with the sense that it’s ALL important, and it’s ALL momentary.     

So here’s to enjoying every lounging moment, all the time with our loved ones and friends, and the beautiful places we get to be.  We can’t control how long we have the people we love, but we can make the most of every minute we have.  I’m drinking whiskey on the rocks as I write, and I’m toasting the moment.

Signed, ME {lv}

p.s. Total side note, but you know what the most coveted thing has been so far on this weekend?  The PJ Salvage charcoal luxe blanket that I had bought and threw in the car last minute because I thought someone might want to sleep in the car.  Well, turns out this house we're renting has no throws, so Gia and Romeo have fought over that blanket which has been a cozy addition to the movies, fire and big overstuffed leather chairs.

So Much Love We Could Burst

This time, I really am keeping this short and sweet.  I just want to express a little love, since it's love day after all.  

Love for my kids, who keep me laughing and pulling my hair out on a regular basis. I had to pick Lucia up at the high school in the middle of the day, and drive her home to poop in her own bathroom because she simple could not do it at the high school.  Seriously, if that's not funny (and extremely inconvenient and annoying), I'm not sure what is.

Love for John who's unflappable peace of mind and goofy humor allow me to keep a good perspective.  25 years together and I'm not sick of him yet, which seems like a good sign.

Love for myself.  Yep, that's right.  Myself.  I can finally say at age 31....ok, I mean 48, that I love myself, and I've done a pretty good job of letting go of the self loathing of my youth.  Self love is so important, it's the foundation for everything we can and will love in the world.  

Love for yoga, which is one of my favorite things to do in the world. I'm so lucky to have found it and I know how cheesy that sounds, but it's also so true.  It's changed my life.

Love for Melange and all the amazing people I've met over all the years (nearly 20 if you you can believe).  I feel so lucky to have had so many amazing women touch my life thru this job.  It blows my mind on a regular basis. 

Love and appreciation for the fact that I have a warm cozy house and healthy food to eat.  I'm thankful for that every single day and know how lucky I am that I don't worry about having the necessities. 

Love for my country, that despite being in crisis, is still the most amazing country in the world (and I say that having a LOT of love for a LOT of countries out there.) 

Love for my friends, without whom no amount of therapy would be able to prop me up.  I feel privileged to have a circle of friends with whom I feel completely comfortable and completely supported and I don't ever take that for granted because it's a gift.

Love for my dog, who never complains about being stuck with a family that ignores him most of the time, doesn't walk him enough, and complains about his large body regularly (he really does need to go on a massive diet though.)

So that's it.  I hope everyone today takes a moment to make their love list, because it's a sweet day to remember all that you love.  It's also a really great day for treating yourself to chocolate, flowers, red wine, and oh yeah, even a little Melange shopping.

oxoxox

Signed, ME {lv}

Telomeres, Waxed Canvas Totes, Health Vibes & BO

I’ve got a lot to say, but I’m going to try and make it short and sweet (which just means it’ll be slightly shorter than a novel.)

First, I went to yoga this morning and I almost died.  Not from the class itself, but from SOMEONE in the class with the most alarming body odor ever.  I could not for the life of me figure out where it was coming from.  It was so strong at first I thought, with genuine alarm, “could that be ME??”  So I spent a good chunk of time analyzing that possibility.  First, would you even smell yourself?  I mean, if it was THAT bad, wouldn’t you notice it….OR would be the opposite, maybe you don’t even notice it the way you don’t notice that your house smells like a dog when you own a dog?  That was my first contemplation.  I had been using John’s deodorant because I ran out weeks ago and have been uncommitted with which direction to go (Megababe again, or something else?)  As my mind is racing I'm considering the fact that maybe men's deodorant doesn't work on women?  This is how crazy I was getting.  Anyway, I confirmed there was no way it was me, but the smell was so overpowering at times I honestly thought I might have to leave.   A rather traumatic, and not very peaceful, yoga class.  My yoga take away was this: make sure you wear deodorant. 

My focus today (and anyone reading this please focus all your health energy on this too) is on my dear friend who is going in for testing today.  She had cancer last year, beat it after a grueling chemo round, and has been clear since but they saw a suspicious spot on her lung in her last scan, and then she has some symptoms that make me entirely too nervous.  I’ve been trying to channel lots of good energy her way all week.  She’s the most amazing person, and I think of her as family (an older and wiser sister….she could probably technically be my mom if she had me at in her teens.)  She’s definitely given me enough guidance to be a mom, she’s one wise woman.   I’m nervous though, it would be devastating to hear anything but good news.  

Because I love to pivot from the serious to the frivolous (and let's face it, life is a weird combo of both), I will do so by saying that my Newton Supply field tote that I recently bought is quickly becoming my favorite thing ever. That waxed canvas gets better as it wears in, it takes on this cool patina as it creases and gets tumbled. It's even on sale--even better.

Lastly, I have been known to go down many-o-rabbit hole regarding health, longevity, eating for health etc. I don’t waste time on Instagram, or facebook, but I do waste a crap-ton of time reading about health stuff online….and also in books (but is that really wasting?)  Right now I’m knee deep in the book, The Telomere Effect.  In a nutshell, telomeres sit at the end of your chromosomes.  They can be short, or long.  You want long ones because that is what keeps you young and healthy. The book tries to sum up all the ways our telomeres gets shortened so that we can stop doing that, and start doing the stuff that keeps them long and keeps us young.  Since I want to live forever, AND would prefer to do it looking wrinkle free and perpetually 40, I like to deep dive into all of this. 

Pessimism is not good for telomeres, but mindfulness and focus IS good.  I won’t bore you with all the details of why those are both true, but unitasking and keeping my mind from wandering like a monkey are attributed with longer telomeres.  I was just saying the other day to my friend when I was talking about the Moment  app (that tracks how much I pick up and use my phone each day), that my one goal out of it was just to try and condense my usage, not necessarily limit it, but condense it so I’m not constantly flitting around from thing to think.   So far I haven’t improved, but I’ve definitely confirmed that I suck and pick up my phone WAY too much.  I haven’t been disciplined enough to try and limit my “check in’s” on the phone to hourly (which is absolutely enough, but my self control and ability to let go of the concept that I need to know everything right this second, is real, real bad.). First step is recognizing your addiction right? I do really want to stop involuntarily multi-tasking.

I'm excited for Valentine's Day.  Prepping my love gifts today, can't wait for our all heart dinner (yes, silly tradition with the kids where dinner involves only heart shaped foods).  

Signed, ME {lv}

Church Yoga & Losing My Car

Ava recently go her license (just about a week ago).  She’s 17, so she’s waited a long time to get it because we forced her to take a 3 month driving course and rack up loads of driving experience.  She’s still only an ok driver (on a good day).  I am not entirely sure I’ve ever driven with her when I haven’t feared for my life at least once.  

So now that she’s officially in possession of a card that says she’s “allowed to drive” (the state licensing system must be fundamentally flawed), she’s basically begging to drive ALL the time.  Ultimately we’ll buy a third family car, but the thought of her having easy access to a lethal weapon right now seems like a very bad idea.  So meanwhile, she’s begging to drive our cars.  My car is the smaller of the two, so it’s probably safer to drive for her and maneuver in the city and into parking spots etc.  She borrowed it today, and I gave her a very specific window of time she could use it, and then she blew thru that car curfew and brought it back an hour late claiming, “I thought it didn’t matter because you had dad’s car.”  All I know is that this is going to be TORTURE from start to finish.  I know it’s a “learning” time and I’m supposed to be patient and all that, but still, it’s horrible and I pretty much dislike every minute. I worry the entire time she has the car on the road, it’s going to take years off my life, AND I’m basically losing my car every other minute which is not a little inconvenient.

On a brighter note, I took John to my church yoga class Sunday morning at 8:30 with my favorite instructor.  It was a really hard class, with some crazy balancing moves that were hard for experience yogis.  Twisted half moon?  There were like 20 of them.  John was totally lost, and every time I happened to notice him he looked like he might topple over, and/or he was doing a very, VERY distant cousin of the actual pose. Still, he liked the class a lot, and that made me happy.  The message today I thought was fitting for me, because I literally was just complaining about my mundane, crazy boring day.  The offering today was two things, to seek things out that make you uncomfortable or challenge you because those are the moments and memories that are most valuable to us.  The other aspect of his sermon was about being present in the mundane aspects of our lives, and how much work it takes to actually do that. It’s a huge challenge, but when you can be present during all those countless “mindless and mundane” things we elevate them. I've got a lot of those mundane moments, so I'm going to really try hard this week to be less cranky about them, and more appreciate of the moments themselves.

What I also know is that we finally got Makana candle restock, and I'm so happy because I've burned thru my secret stash of them (I have to hide them from Ava & Lucia because they like to steal them.)  They all smell so delicious, and I love the smaller size we carry because it's the perfect size for the bathroom, or little places here and there.  It's also a great size (and price) for an easy little gift for your girlfriends (Valentine's Day treat anyone?)

Happy Monday!

Signed, ME {lv}

Smell Like A Goddess

Seriously, the new Child Perfume is amazing.  I can't even begin to give it enough praise.  I've been wearing it for 18+  years, and recently a friend tried to appropriate it, and I was bummed for awhile and tried to experiment with new scents, but I will always have this in my arsenal of smells.  

It's floral, but super rich and exotic, and because it's a rollerball with oil it warms up on the skin and takes on a unique "just for you" smell as it reacts to your skin and body heat.  It actually stays on too because of the oil factor.  I put it at the base of my neck at the back, cleavage and I've been even known to dot the armpits.  You start heating up and you smell delicious.  Apparently it's known as the scent that drives men wild.  

I also love that it's totally affordable, and last a LONG time...AND you can throw it in your handbag and do a quick refresh on the fly.

That's it, hope I've convinced everyone of its awesomeness.  What I haven't tried yet (but I can't wait to own) is the rich body cream.  I'm all about layering a scent to that you just smell like it head to toe and this would definitely do the trick.  I'm also a sucker for rich body cream.  Apparently it's pretty amazing according to those in the know.

Lastly, happy Friday people.  It's been a week, but we made it.  I will leave you with one parting word from my yoga instructor this morning: "if you don't choose the time to relax your body, your body will choose for you."   So take care of yourself, give yourself some down time this weekend!

Signed, ME {lv}

Car Butt, Polar Express & Froggy Destresses

You know those days that move along like a breeze, where you are floating on clouds, everything works like clockwork, your skin is perfect, your outfit adorable, the kids are healthy, your husband isn’t bugging you, birds chirp and the sun shines?  Well, this was just like that, but the exact opposite.  Ugh, seriously, not sure what was in the air but Wednesday takes the award for craptastic day of 2020 so far.  Was it a full moon?

I won’t bore you with all the details, but I’ll give you the briefest of highlights so you can adequately sense my pain.  Ava decided to sleep thru her alarm feigning some illness (that only kept her home until 11:30, after which time she got dressed and went to school—I drove her adding to my list of drives.) Gia felt well enough to go back to school but started machine gun texting me at 9:30 a.m. to be picked up at 10:45 because essentially her “friends” said she couldn’t sit with them at lunch due to some pre-planned lunch activity that she wasn’t privy too since she’d been out with the flu for two days.  Those little…..  

So she was upset, wanted to come home during lunch, and not only was it 20 minutes there and back, it was also heart breaking to hear her talk about it.  On the way to get her I logged in to the store cameras to see who was working....oh, look at that, it's 10:30 and the store is DARK.  Literally every owner or manager's worst nightmare, the morning shift person was a no-show.  That little episode took a year off my life--and that's conservative.  A crisis I didn't see coming, sneak attack crisis.

Lucia texted me at 1:30 with dramatic complaints of her "killer period", so then I had to pick her up.  Then it was on to pick up Romeo, then Ava again, and then Gia again.  Normally I would just be picking Gia up at the bus stop a mile away, but because the day was out to get me, she called (along with her frienemy from the earlier saga), and announced that the bus driver didn't let them on the bus because it was "too full."   If you are counting, that's my THIRD trip to a school 20 minutes away.   Honestly, I have car butt today from sitting so long in the car, I could feel my hips getting bigger.

The brightest spot of my day was coming home after I picked Romeo up, and he declared he was “going poop ASAP”—which he does daily at exactly the same time.  He’s also declared that no matter HOW bad he has to go during school, he’ll never actually GO at school. Is there a psychological term for a fear of pooping in public??  Anyway, he got home, and shouted that he was going to do his business, and then 5 minutes later I hear coming out of bathroom the sound of him singing, and not so quietly, the hot chocolate theme song from Polar Express.  What the hell?  Where does that even come from out of the blue?  It was HYSTERICAL though, and lifted my spirits.

Lastly, I texted my dear friend a picture of yoga froggy trying to destress in shivasana, but he had to put a wrap around his eyes to mellow out.  That’s because froggy never closes his eyes, which is how I feel right now, like my eyes have been tooth-picked open all day and all I want to do is to close them and drift off into my shivasana.

Real life comes in between all the fun stuff at Melange--you heard the real life part, now on to the fun stuff--like the cool new Sarah Liller group that arrived today.  I do love her fabrics—and I will say that I’ve tried and tested them all (machine washed and accidently super hot dried), and it still looks great.  It’s one of my favorite travel fabrics.  Check out the new icy blue top to the right, the Petunia, that is actually a new gauze fabric that she did this spring and it feels like sunshine—light and airy and wonderful.  

Signed, ME {lv}

Going Your Own Road, Phantom of The Opera, & New Bags

I’m just going to give a shout out here to those out there comfortable enough to just DO. THEIR. OWN. THING.  I have a renewed love for all people who just take it upon themselves to zig when other zag, and do what they need to do for themselves.  I ponder this because I realized this morning in yoga that I’ve been taking classes with this woman next to me about two years. I’ve only recently learned her name, because (and I’m embarrassed to admit this), I was a super judge-y yogi and was kind of irritated by her.  Why?  Well, because I have never known her to actually “take” the class in the classic sense. She comes in, grabs a lot of props, and basically does her own class, she might take a cue here and there from the teacher, but by in large she goes at her own pace, does her own stretches, and you’d almost think was literally taking a different class by what she was physically doing.  Sometimes she even seemed to dance and sway with the music.  Granted, it’s good music, but still.  Of course I’m being super stereotypical too, because to me she looked the part of a yoga class attendee, so I expected such.  She’s dressed in cool yoga clothes, had all the equipment, she’s was put together, pretty, not really old, not really young….basically she looks like someone who should be doing the class like everyone else.  How terrible is that for me to say?  (I’ll admit, if she came in looking like a hippy from the ‘60’s, with long undone hair, beads everywhere and flowy clothes,, I would have maybe “gotten” the whole thing better.) The Lulu Lemon and cute yoga bag threw me off and made me think things should be a certain way.

 It grated on my nerves, and I can’t really say why exactly. I think for a long time in the beginning of my practice I was much more aware of people next to me, and less in my “own zone” than I am now.  I would look over at her and she’d be doing something completely different and I couldn’t help but think, “why bother coming to class if you are going to ignore the teacher?”  I was also probably irritated because her separateness threw me off, I lost my place as a result.  I was doing exactly what you AREN’T suppose to do in class, comparing myself and looking at my neighbor.

Well, fast forward to now, and I honestly barely notice her physical movements.  I’m concentrating on my own junk, and the external things don’t mess with me off as much.  Plus now I have come around to a new way of thinking, which is KUDOS to her for coming to class so diligently, and doing what she needed to do for herself!  Now I think she’s super cool (and not just because I introduced myself and found out she IS in fact super cool.)  Every single instructor is always pushing the concept that you take what you need, leave what you don’t.  That’s all she is going.  She’s taking the construct of the designated time, place, and hot yoga room. She’s taking the teacher's messaging, some of the physical poses, and she’s making all those things work for her in a way that actually works for her.  It’s pretty awesome really.  She doesn’t worry about what anyone thinks, or get embarrassed that her jive is different than someone elses. 

So this is just a long way of expressing my new found love of “going your own road”, even when it looks funny, even when it stands out, and even if no one else understands it.

My other highlight of the day was the fact that Romeo, when it came time to choose a new song to learn with his guitar instructor, chose the theme song from Phantom of the Opera.  Why does this make me happy?  Well, because you do all kinds of stuff for you kids, and you always wonder what, if any, will stick, or make an impression.  Half the time you do stuff and you get deflated because they most definitely DO NOT seem to make an impression (and usually you’ve spent a pile of money, and/or time which you then feel like you’ve wasted.)   

We went to Phantom of The Opera last summer in London at the Queen’s Theater.  It was a splurge, it was a late showing, it was long….all things that were making it hard for Romeo (then 8 years old), to fully process.  He seemed to really love some of it, but then did also fall asleep at the end.  I was excited that he pulled some memory up that propelled him to want to learn the music.  Something DID stick (clearly the cool music.) 

Lastly, I’m love, love, loving the boho nod from Chloe & Lex that makes me so excited to wear spring clothes and liven up the world with some color!!  This bag to the left is just whimsical and funny and everything a spring bag should!

Signed, ME {lv}

Warrior Day

Sometimes you have to just go full warrior to get thru the day.  Today was that day.  Mondays are always a push, but today followed several days of no sleep, and I still had a sick kid at home.  I just felt spent all around, and depleted.  John comes home tonight, so really the day was just about powering thru because once he's home to balance out the energy in the house, all will be good.

Having him gone was hard in odd ways this time.  Even when I wasn't driving the kids around or doing stuff for them, just having their energy in the house and feeling like I was the only one there to absorb it, that felt hard for some reason.  Plus they had friends over a lot, so you can just amp up the energy there, and noise, and again, it felt like a lot to absorb.  I don't think there is any logical reason why physically having John in the house would have changed that situation, but it feels like it does.  The other thing I hated and underestimated (which I've complained about a lot already) was the weekends and having to stay up to make sure the girls came home by curfew.  I HATE staying awake late (it's one thing if you are out at a cool dinner or bar), but just sitting at home, it was torture.  John's a night owl, and it's one of the few ways our perfectly opposite personalities actually mesh perfectly because he doesn't mind staying up for them.  Likewise, I don't mind getting up early and feeding the little kids.  

I did, despite having Gia home from school, steal away for a quick hour to go to yoga.  That was my loving act of kindness to myself.  I told her it was to sweat out any flu germs she may have given me.  Not sue if that's possible, but it sounded good.  The yoga wisdom today was the teacher's offering of "determination."  Which I felt like was perfect for me because determination requires a vision of where you want to go, and pushing thru the hard stuff--and I had both of those things (yes, on a micro level I realize, but sometimes you have to work one day at a time.)  I love yoga, sometimes it really is what holds me together.

I was also comforted by the new Prairie Underground that came today.  The Adrian tee--AMAZ-ing,  the detailing is so cool, and yet it's a classic wear-with-anything tee.  I'm leaving this pic big so you can "maybe" see the detailing.  It's a hard to describe, inset  raglan type seam, with ruching.  It's just cool looking.  Also love the neckline, it's not scooped, but it's not crew either. I want two in each color that's how much I dig it.

Signed, ME {lv} 

 

Saturday

It’s Saturday.  Here’s what I am realizing.  My time tracking effort is, #1 a lot of work but more importantly, #2 SUPER interesting.  I feel like I do in fact have way more time than I want to admit.  In my head every minute is filled, and on paper I seem to be doing a ton, but yet there is still a really good chunk of time that is flitted away. Now, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it means I can’t really use “no time” as an excuse for not doing something because I have the time, but I’m choosing to spend it in ways that I don’t think I’d really choose if it came down to choosing one thing, vs. the other (which it always does in the end but I pretend I didn’t have the choice in the first place.)  Down time is good--absolutely necessity really--but I could be spending my down time more interestingly I think.

On a totally other note, we are getting in my favorite perfume this week, which I've worn on and off for the last 20 years...CHILD.  I can still remember buying my first bottle at Fred Segal when I lived down in L.A.   It's YUM, get excited...

Signed, ME {lv}

Hello Love Month, First Act of Kindness & Yoga Inspiration

I've got BIG news.  Well, maybe not that big, but it feels kind of big to me.  Lucia went to yoga with me this afternoon!!  Yes, my moody, more than occasionally irrational and irritated teen went with ME to a 4:30 p.m. (on a Friday no less) yoga class.  I thought for sure she was going to bail on me.  I would have put money on it.  But no, she actually came, and it was a good class, and I think she really liked it.  The message today was awesome, and the teacher was one I really love AND who is infamous for lots of messaging.  Seriously though, all I could think of during the entire class and all the awesome yoga lecturing was "Lucia, I hope you are really listening."  The focus today was on the concept that it is never too late to do what you want to do, or be what you want to be.  She actually gave this quirky (and totally random) example that had inspired her whole thought process.  The story went like this:

She was watching videos of kiss cams at sports events.  Who knows why, but she got sucked into some social media rabbit hole and found herself watching them.  So the kiss cam focuses in on all these different people....some are happy couples who kiss sweetly, others are couples that play jokes or dump popcorn on the others head (sounds rude, but ok).  And in one of the videos this woman turns to her date for a kiss and he laughs, shrugs his shoulders and turns away.  So what does she do?  She turns right around to the guy on the OTHER side of her, and leaned in for a kiss.  

I guess the point of this little story was just that, you, on the fly, can change it up.  Just. Like. That.  You can take something, and turn it into a totally different thing.  You can change your attitude, your relationships, your health, your look, your whatever, at the drop of a hat. Just because you can.  It's never too late, and nothing is "fixed". It's pretty empowering when you remind yourself of that fact.

On a totally other note, HELLO FEBRUARY!!  I'm so ready for a new month, and SO ready for February.  I've always had a soft spot forthis odd little bridge month, with a love holiday smack down in the middle.  I dig it!  I'm super excited about our February challenge this month because we wanted an excuse to, on a daily basis, think about, and actualize loving things for ourselves and others.  It's not easy to do it every single day in a conscious way, but we're up for the challenge.

My loving act today is going to be my kick off of heart notes.  My plan is to take my 3" heart punch that I bought JUST for this lovely month, and make little notes for the kids each day with words of encouragement or love.  One a day, and today is day #1.

Happy Love Month people!!

Signed, ME {lv}

Sale on Sale, Relaxation & Hygge

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but 90% of my wardrobe is from the sale rack.  No joke.  No one ever believes me because it seems like having easy access to all these clothes I would grab things right out of the box.  I do…sometimes.  BUT, Amanda will tell you, I’m a sucker for the sale rack and the best is when I wear sometime and I get 10 different compliments on it.  In my head I’m thinking, “that’s right…70% off because everyone else rejected it, FOR NO GOOD REASON!!” 

Our sale rack is always a mixture of onesies that are randomly left and we move them out quickly so the store doesn’t look piecey with single sizes everywhere. Other things we just ordered (and sometimes re-ordered) too much of.  Still other pieces are just sitting there for NO good reason on the sale rack. I think that’s what always gets me. I’ll see something marked way down and I can NOT for the life of me figure out why someone didn’t snatch it up. Then it’s a challenge because if no one else thinks something is cool, then I have to definitely PROVE that’s it IS in fact cool. 

Hence, my wardrobe is a collection of random sale styles, sometimes even random sizes (I’ve been known to buy something too big and create a whole new slouchy vision where none was intended.)   There are some really great styles that end up on sale, and it’s like the orphanage, the older kids never get picked, and everyone wanders what’s wrong with them.  I’m here to say, 9 times out of 10, it’s seriously nothing.   All of this leads me to remind everyone, it's SALE ON SALE this weekend, which means an additional 40% off any of the awesome sale items! 

I did go to yoga today, and my take away was simple. Fun relaxation.  The power of fulling relaxing into whatever you are doing.   I’m not doing the message justice, but it was really well said, and the upshot was that you have to fully embrace and relax into whatever you are doing.  Accept it, even if it’s hard.  You can either resist it, or relax into it and the latter is so much easier on you in every way.

Lastly, it’s the weekend, and the weather is horrible.  It’s dark and stormy outside, ,and I plan on embracing the full hygge of the situation.  I’m going to make a fire, put on a candle, make a warm soup, maybe some cookies, and snuggle in.  Yes, I’m tired of these grey days, but we’re going to have them for awhile longer whether I like it or not so I’m making the best of it with some Danish-word-invoking-cozy-vibing-efforts.

Signed, ME {lv}

Tiny Transitions

Today’s yoga wisdom was about tiny transitions.  Tiny shifts or changes that can make a big impact on your yoga practice, your life and your happiness.  Her point was that sometimes it's the little things that make a difference--more than you'd think.  Everyone is always thinking BIG...but tiny is good too.

I’ve been pondering that all day.  Sometimes changing just small little things in your life CAN make such a big difference in your overall happiness.  I’m not even sure I have an example.  Wait, yes I do.  This really is a silly example, but I’m going to use it anyway because it illustrates the point (sort of.) 

We have a big hairy dog, Milo.  He’s not horribly stinky, and that’s just mostly because he is lazy and doesn’t go outside much so he doesn’t get dirty and wet often.  But he’s a dog, and generally speaking, they give off a doggy smell.  I almost always notice it when I walk into someone’s house that has a dog, because while YOU the dog owner might get use to the dog smell, other people coming over haven’t.   Anyway, I think of my doggy-house-smell on a regular basis…basically whenever I notice that Milo is indeed, a little smelly.

So recently I decided to stop hating on the dog smell and do something about it (something more than lighting a candle here or there).  I bought myself a new fancy air diffuser that sits in a little corner in the entry way right before the living room. You barely notice it because it’s tucked to the side of a entry table and it’s small.  I bought one with a timer, so it goes off for a number of hours when I hit the button.  Now, when I get up in the morning and walk thru the entry way, I hit the button.  My house smells AWESOME now, all the time.  I’ve got some yummy Nest diffuser oil that smells heavenly and it makes me happy every time I smell it.  

So I guess my point is only this.  I spent a lot of little milliseconds thinking about the stinky dog issue with negative energy, and those are gone now and replaced with something so simple that makes me happy. Is it subtle?  Of course.  We’re talking about a diffuser, nothing of consequence I realize.  Yet still, it adds something nice to my day and it took little money or energy to make the shift.  It was more just the small intention to change it up, and not run the same stupid negative dialogue in my head.  And before you wonder how it is I'm sitting around obsessing about my dog issues, I'm not really (at least intentionally), but I think I read somewhere that 90% of our thoughts are actually repetitive--we don't even NOTICE it.  Those silly stupid things that run around in a loop in your head, that involuntarily pop up whether you like it or not.  Like seeing a coaster on your coffee table that you actually hate but haven't gotten around to changing.  Every time you look at that coaster, that thought is there involuntarily.  Remove the coaster, remove the thought.  Replace with a beautiful coaster you love, create a new happy thought loop.

So now I’m going to try to make a list of some other small subtle transitions I can make in my life that either make me happy, or align me closer to where I want to go somehow (oh yeah, I have to figure that out too.)  I do believe that life is in the details, and that's definitely true with yoga too.  

I will conclude by saying, I’m also very grateful today for the tiny thing called hair scrunchies.  Who isn’t just over the moon that these silly little things came back into “du jour” and now we can get cute ones all the time?  They are SO much more comfortable than rubber bands. I’m particularly sweet on the new polka dotted ones from Pretty Simple.  Cute right?  

 

Signed, ME {lv}

9 Days of Rain, Dinner Parties & Goat Brie Jeans

Ok, no joke, when I look at the forecast I see 9 solid days of rain.  No days on the weather app with just the solo clouds, no days with the little sun peeking out of clouds.  Just clouds with rain…EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.  The only good thing is that the temps are all above 50 during the day, so it’s not freezing. It’s just dreary, with no end in sight, and all I want to do is dream of sunnier days.  This is by far the toughest time of year.  Spring feels far until you get out of January, which is only 9 or 10 days away I guess.  Once I see the word “February” I feel more hopeful. It can’t rain forever right?

We got in some fantastic new Citizens today, and I’m gunning to buy a pair.  I thought I would share my goat
brie jeans situation, and explain.  I have a variety of jean sizes in my closet.  I have jeans to wear when under high stress and I lose a few pounds.  I have jeans for what I think of as my “resting weight”, and then I have jeans for my goat brie weight.  Sometimes I can’t get enough of it (brie, and specifically goat since I'm allergic to cow milk), and I’m literally addicted to these little rice crackers with a slab of goat brie, and then a smear of fig jam.  I can eat 100 of them.  I probably have.  Until I get sick of them, and then I don’t want to see another one for months and months. That’s the way it goes.  So right now, I’m in full GB mode, and whatever jeans I buy are going to be on that end of the spectrum.  I’m a firm believer in embracing the ups and downs.  I’m not a big person, I’m 5’3” and so it doesn’t take very many extra lbs to pop me up a size in jeans.  It’s really a range of only 4-7 lbs, and thru the years for goat cheese reasons, hormonal reasons, and mega stress reasons, I’ve seen the whole range.  All I know is jeans are awesome, and I don’t want to put on a pair and feel like they are too lose, or too tight. I also don’t want to be “trying” to get to a weight all the time that is perfect for one size.  So I guess I give myself a break and just go with my 3 tier jean system, so I’m never battling jean stress.

Lastly, I was contemplating today that I have not had a dinner party in a LONG time.  A real dinner party, with a cool mixture of friends, good wine, good food.  I think it was last summer, THAT’S how long it’s been.  That's too long.  Then I was thinking how fun they are, and how they don’t have to be nearly as much work if you don’t put so much pressure on it (which is probably why I don’t do them very often, I’m trying to wait until I have enough time to make it “extraordinary”). We’ve had a lot of French friends over the years (when our kids were in immersion school), and one thing I loved about them was their ability to always make dinner parties such a casual, easy, relaxed thing, that go late into the night and are unfussy.  I just want to throw an email out, put it on the calendar and keep it mellow. That takes me thinking about it, and writing it out, otherwise I’ll slip into my default mode which is a lot OCD, stressing about guest lists, menus, flowers, and things being perfect.

So that’s what I’m going to do tonight…plan a dinner party time, and gather my friends up because there is no time like NOW, and nothing has to be perfect or overwhelming. All that matters is spending time with the people you adore!

Signed, ME {lv}

Attitude of Gratitude, Going Solo, & Retail Therapy

Coming back from our quick jaunt to SF, I’ve done nothing but ponder how powerful the “attitude of gratitude” is, and how wonderful it is to stop and realize all the ways you are blessed, even when things seem really difficult.

My dear friend I was visiting (who I mentioned yesterday and I’ve known since 5^thgrade), is an amazing and patient mother. Her youngest was born with profound disabilities.  She’s a sweet and loving child, who is happy and so loved by her parents, siblings and caretakers, it’s wonderful to watch. Although my friend has had many moments (seen and unseen to me), where she has felt the weight and sadness of her daughters condition, I’ve also seen her grow and come to appreciate this whole new side of life, with a whole new gratitude for the simple things from her children.  A smile, a laugh, the absence of a cold, or a seizure.  Despite how hard it is, how hard it has to be, she is so grateful for the little gifts her daughter gives her every single day, the gifts she’s given their whole family.  Honestly, it’s so inspiring because it’s very easy to get caught up in what you think are the “worst problems ever”—which are usually whatever problems you happen to be dealing with at the moment. Most of us get wrapped in our world and go down the rabbit hole of "how bad could this get?" "why me?" and "this isn't fair!"  

I know personally I’ve allowed myself to wallow in how difficult my teens are at times, how “unfair” it is that everyone, literally EVERYone, seems to have an easier time at it.  It’s ridiculous, and self-indulgent of me to think this way even for a minute.  I have two healthy teens, who yes, are trouble with a capital T, but they are healthy, and generally happy, and I theoretically get to hug and kiss them every day (although they mostly don’t let me.) I'm incredibly lucky.

So here’s my reminder to myself.  Be grateful for the problems you have, they could be worse.  Find gratitude in whatever circumstances you find yourself in right this moment because there are always things to be grateful for.  

John leaves for two weeks tomorrow (some work, some play.). I start my solo parenting marathon and I’m in full prep mode.   I’ll miss him of course, a lot, that goes without saying.  Having him gone have parts that are hard, and parts of it that are easier honestly.   I end up having a lot of free time somehow, especially in the evenings, and I can plow thru projects that I need to do. It gets tiring having no back up for driving the kids around and activities etc., but there is also no one to coordinate with, and that also can be easier.  

What I do know is that I plan on pampering myself these next two weeks.  I plan on getting a facial, maybe a massage….throw in a pedicure, and definitely some retail therapy.  We are getting all kinds of new things in this week (Velvet, Margaret O’Leary and more), and I feel like the timing of cool new stuff, during a period that I definitely DESERVE to treat myself, well, that’s kismet for sure.

Hope everyone tackles the week with gusto, I have high hopes!

Signed, ME {lv}

Horse Speak

So a little over a year ago, I got a horse, remember that? Along with my new horse named Zinc came an obsession - I thought I was obsessed before, but the last year has taught me a lot, I've been pushed so far out of my comfort zone and done things I never even came close to thinking I could do, but one of the many things I've learned is that I wasn't nearly as obsessed as I am now. ;)

 

All of that to say, my horse has a chiropractor that visits regularly. I know, I know. Hold your judgements in...its a lot to process. haha. Horses are truly athletes - its so crazy the stuff they do while running thru the pasture, and the stuff I make him do when we're working together. It only makes sense that they would need an adjustment here and there, right? I mean, I lift a "heavy" box and then fall asleep on the couch in an awkward position, and I call my chiropractor the next day. It only seems right that I do the same for my horse. And, if you've never seen a horse have an adjustment, it is SO cool. Absolutely fascinating the things they can do and the knowledge they have.

 

ANYWAYS, my horse chiropractor visited Zinc this week and the chiropractor was telling me stories about crazy things he's seen in his career and we started talking about animal communicators and equine communicators. Again, I know its out there - people are usually very hot or cold about this sort of thing - but we're already talking about chiropractic care for horses, so I feel like we're halfway there. ;)  He was telling me about this one barn he was out working on a horse at, and in the stall next to his patient, there was another horse and owner that had an appointment with an equine communicator at the same time. She was expressing that her horse was totally fine, and then the next day a complete terror. She had worked with her for a while trying to work thru whatever the issue was, but nothing was working. The horse communicator did her thing, and then said, that her horse had seen something happen outside of her stall one night that completely traumatized her (the horse). The woman asked if she know what it was, and the communicator asked if her husband and her had sex in the barn outside of the stall. She said yes!!! Apparently, it was too much for the horse to handle, and completely traumatized her.

 

The communicator gave some tips on how to work thru the issue - but how crazy is that?!? I mean, all of it!! I'm not entirely sure of my stance on the whole thing, but you can't just take a stab in the dark on something like that. You could ask if the food or environment has changed...you can throw things like that out, and something is going to stick, but you can't just throw that out (sex in the barn) and then be right!! I have so many questions, most of which I don't want answers to (like who are those über passionate people who got wild in the horse stable--which might happen in the movies but in real life??)  Believe in it or not, this is an actual story observed first hand, so I guess I can't argue with that.

 

I'll just leave you with that for now, and hopefully you had a good laugh or at least a smile if nothing else.

 

Signed, ME {AT}

Just. because you can....

This post will be short and sweet (lucky you).  My yoga inspiration today was when the teacher said, "just because you can, doesn't mean you should."  For some reason that really resonated with me.  We don't have to do everything, just because we CAN do everything.  The other focus she had was on making sure that we asked ourselves during that hour on our mat, "what do YOU need?"  Which is an important reminder because if I'm not on the mat, it's pretty darn hard for me to remember to ask myself what I need.  Mostly because everyone else is clamoring for their needs so loudly I can't even hear myself think.  Note to self, ask me what I need.

I'm in love with the Satya tree of life prayer box....you can pop it open and put in a teeny tiny keepsake, or a tiny piece of paper with a word.  It's pretty awesome, and I love how rich the 24k gold plate looks!

See, I told you, short and sweet.  OH...lastly, I will note that based on the beauty deserted island entries, I'm going to try Vintner's Daughter Serum which I've heard is amazing and you all confirmed that yesterday!  Today's question (how long is your morning routine for real?) confuses me.  Does it mean morning routine when I want to look good, or just on a normal day?  Because on a normal day my routine includes a swipe of toner, moisturizer and 3 minute makeup while at stoplights on the morning drop offs.  However, if I wanted to look good every day, I think my routine could easily be a solid 30 minutes, more if I paid attention to anything below my neck.  So curious how much time the average person spends?  Side note, I did just read that the granddaughter of Estée Lauder (who is a theater actress of some kind) spends an hour in the morning getting ready, and she really looks like she spent an hour (i.e. she looks perfect.) Who has an hour though?  FYI, I read that on the Violet Grey blog which I'm a little hooked on.

Happy Thursday.

Signed, ME {lv}

Aggra Things, Scarves & Deserted Island Beauty

If I were being shipped off to a deserted island, and could only bring ONE beauty product, I would for sure, 100%, bring my Augustinus Bader moisturizer.  I love this stuff, LOVE.  John’s going to Europe in a week and I’ve already bugged him 100 times about trying to find the cream over there in hopes I can stock up on it for cheaper than the pricey tag we’ve got to pay here for this German import.  I can’t wait to hear what everyone else’s favorites are!

I did one thing on my “aggra” list today….as in “aggravating stuff list”.  I’ve needed to call my health insurance for months, MONTHS about some allergy testing I did back in September that the insurance denied coverage for.  I’ve been dreading calling because I was just sure I would get in some big fight with them about some tiny small print that they were trying to hang their hat on in order to not pay the bill.  I was pissed off before I even called.  Turns out though, after waiting on hold for 20 minutes, that the insurance company had just forgotten to attach the referral to the bill so they had to send it back to claims and it would all be fine.  So all this time it's been on my aggra list and it turned out to be no big deal at all.   Felt SO good to cross something off this dreaded list of things I did NOT want to do. 

We got in a new line today, Chevy & Lex, and they are the most cheery, darling scarves ever. The company is located just north of us in Washington, and the entire focus is on finding treasures while they are traveling to cool places like India.  Born entirely out of their love of trolling awesome markets in cool countries (which is by the way, one of my absolute favorite things to do.). These make me excited for the sun to come back out, for daffodils and Spring Break.

We put “hooky day” on our gratitude list today because Gia stayed home today, in a self-proclaimed mental health day.  I think she was worn out from wishing a snow day into fruition (which never happened), and when she realized there was no way it was going to snow, she was so crestfallen that she sent me a long list of reasons why she needed a hooky day.  I caved, because I usually do, AND because she’s so dedicated 98% of the time to the things she “has to do”.  We can’t be dedicated ALL the time right?  Everyone needs to give themselves a hooky pass sometimes!

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Signed, ME {lv}

Winter Roots

I had a great yoga class with my guru this morning.  I just love this teacher, he’s amazing and every time I take one of his packed classes (I'm not the only follower) I get so much out of it.  If he decides to open an Ashram somewhere I’m packing up my things.

Anyway, his message today was about Winter, the season and what it brings to our bodies and mind.  His point was that we can get lost in the excitement of the “new” year, and all the things that we need to pledge to DO, and all the ACTIONS we need to take to make those things happen.  The competing pull though, is the season itself, which speaks to our heart and body to be quiet, withdraw energy in order to nurture and strength the deep roots—to contemplate and listen.  The short darker days, the colder temps, all signaling the body to retreat, to rest and restore.  Now I know what you are thinking, “what?  I’m suppose to wait until spring to burst forth with all my awesome new year’s resolutions, ideas and efforts?”  NO….he’s not suggesting that you’ve got to be dormant until spring, BUT he’s suggesting that we listen to the pull of the season and use this time to contemplate, and restore, so that we have the energy we actually need to go the places we want to go.  That’s a pretty good message right?

I’m taking it to heart, and taking this week to be more contemplative about my efforts, and do more nurturing things for myself.  Feed my roots, so that I have strength because I do have big plans for this year, and they are going to take a LOT of energy.

So even though it’s Monday, and many of us feel this need to jump out of the “week gate” with ferocity, I hope we can also simultaneously carve out something nurturing for ourselves today.  Whether it’s a special warm drink that you love, a 20 minute cat nap at your desk, a moment to meditate, or just 5 deep conscious breaths in and out. 

Linda Trent jewelry arrived today, and it’ll be here for a hot minute and then gone again I’m sure.  It’s so pretty, easy to wear (and lightweight which I love).  The heart earrings are going to be perfect for Valentine’s day gifts, and even though that “seems” like a long time from now, we all know we’ll blink and we’ll be buying candy hearts.

I know I talk about my life changing favorite book EVER, “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, but I’ll talk about it again since SLEEP is going to be my nurturing thing today.  No, I’m not going to sleep during the middle of the day (although that sounds lovely actually), but I am going to organize my entire day around the objective of going to sleep by 10 p.m.  This is a strategic decision that has to be made early in the day OR it’ll be 9 p.m. and I’ll still have 3 hours left of work to do and my “goal” goes out the window.  Sleep is the best thing for you EVER!!

 

Signed, ME {lv}

Get Your Vibe On, Hypochondriacs & Friday

I know I have trashed talked my youngest daughter’s intolerance for pain, Ava’s wimpy nature when it comes to illness, and Romeo’s phobias, but nothing really compares to John’s hypochondria. Yes, I realize I’m no professional, but I feel like my years and years of therapy (and I mean YEARS), at least gives me an honorary degree in arm chair psychology.  He’s never been diagnosed but seriously somewhere in his medical charts there have got to be concerns noted.

He just thinks he’s dying of one ailment or another on occasion—and almost all of these ailments are random, extreme, and rare things.  The latest series of physical issues started with his broken rib from a ridiculously pedestrian fall down the stairs, and then it managed to flow inexplicably, into a deep vein thrombosis in his calf – otherwise known as a blood clot.  Due to his rib injury he had to change up his routine (no running, rowing or weights), so he did a spin class.  He left a class and his calf hurt a LOT.  Four days later, it still hurt a LOT apparently and despite really have no other symptoms (maybe shortness of breath he said, but I'm guessing this was more of a mild panic attack vs. blood clot related), he was convinced he was going to throw a clot any minute.  

So all this is only to explain a good chunk of my day. Listening to his blood clot concerns, watching him ice his calf, then listening to him call the advice nurse, who after hearing all these weird symptoms told him to go straight to the ER (she might have just assumed any psychological issues could be dealt with there too.) What happened in the end?  He went to the ER, they didn’t actually laugh IN his face, but I’m sure they did after he left.  They didn’t even scan him, they just gave him a prescription for ibuprofen and told him he wasn’t dying but most likely had a sports injury from the spin class he took.  He’s currently working out at the gym as I type this….with the fear of dying behind him, he’s back to concentrating on his fitness.

I’m just happy I survived this week, I think it’s been a TOUGH week all around, and I’m tired and ready for Friday.  I dealt with a lot of OTHER people’s issues this week, and I’m feeling pretty done with it.  As I type this, Gia and her friend are in the kitchen playing Norris Nuts on the speakers (loudly) —and if you’ve never heard Norris Nuts…well, you are one lucky lady.  They just made some diabetic inducing dessert that involved a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough with oreos on top, and then a brownie mix poured over the whole thing. I didn’t have the energy to dissuade this endeavor, I just have to hope it has so much sugar in it that it seizes up their jaws the second they put it in their mouths and they don’t end up eating any.

On a happier note, these new Vibe necklaces are ADORABLE.  I think we all need to pick our purpose in honor of the new year and add something pretty to our necks.   I need the smoky quartz which “is a protective and grounding stone that gently neutralizes negative vibrations.  Smoky quartz disperses fear, lifts depression and negativity while bringing emotional calmness and relieving stress and anxiety.”  Sounds good to me, I can use that.  Not only that, but I feel like it's the perfect time to do something nice for oneself!

Happy Friday!!

Signed, ME {lv}

Relaxing, Red Velvet, Wrist Ready & Peacock Pretty

You know what I realized today?  It’s possible to go thru the day without ever really relaxing your body fully.  This is true EVEN if you go to yoga.  I took a morning class and was laying on my back for the beginning of class.  It usually starts out like that and quickly moves into your standard warm up flow. The teacher tried harder than normal to center everyone on the mat, and I realized that even though I was laying there, and I seemed pretty relaxed it wasn’t until I REALLY concentrated on melting into the floor that I realized that I had been holding a lot of tension in my shoulders, upper back and neck.  When I let that go there was this immediate softening and it felt like a big sigh of a relief, BUT I also realized that usually I get to that stage only at the END of class in shivasana if I’m lucky, but usually not at ANY other time.  That's in part because I'm anticipating the next move, so even if I'm trying to be mellow in the beginning of class, my body knows it's about to move.  I probably don’t really get fully relaxed until I pass out at night from total fatigue which is more like a narcoleptic experience than a conscious relaxation process. I don’t know what that all means, just that I find it interesting that it’s so hard to fully relax my body and that it might be good to do it more often—at least for a few minutes here and there.  Maybe that would help my stress levels?

It’s mid-week….already. I am currently obsessed with two things. First, these new Swahili bracelets. I love them, I want to wear at least two at all times.  They are just super cute on, ,and I like them stacked and contrasting.  I’ve got a thing for bracelets, I love them piled up, and while I totally acknowledge it might drive other people batty, I love the soft sound they make when they hit against each other.  I’m big on my wrist candy.

The second thing I’m obsessed with is my new hair machine (it's called a Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer & Volumizer Hot Air Brush.)  It’s like a brush, curling iron and flat iron all got together and had a baby. You use it on your hair when it’s wet, and sort of “brush out” your hair while simultaneously drying it, and the barrel is ceramic so it gets nice and hot and smooths everything out.  It’s better than flat ironing because it’s not stick straight and has body to it.  All I know is that it’s the best $40 I’ve spent on anything hair related in forever. I actually bought it for Lucia for Christmas after reading about it on a blog, borrowed it a couple of times and then became a convert.  There you go, obsession #2

I also made a red velvet cake today, for Ava’s birthday, and I have no idea if tasted ok since I can't eat gluten, BUT it looked pretty.  I love making cakes, it’s a little bit therapeutic.  Mostly, I just like frosting cakes...coloring the frosting, designing it, making the flowers.  Today wasn't a masterpiece (my buttercream was a little too soft to hold flowers well), but the homemade cherry filling was pretty good--that was my twist to the traditional red velvet.  Always go to have a twist.

Lastly, I will just say that the new Prairie Underground Mid-Hedgerow hoodie in peacock is a really, REALLY good color.  It just makes me happy to look at it.  It reminds me one the classic Prairie Underground Cloak hoodie that I bought in this color about a gazillion years ago and I wore it to death.   I actually like this style sweatshirt better, it's a little more mellow, easier to wear I think than the cloak style--plus the length is better.  This might be the excuse I need to buy myself a new sweatshirt.

Signed, ME {lv} 

Bittersweet, Don’t Forget, & Things To Come

I have two conflicting feelings as we go into the first “non-holiday week” of January.  Kids are going back to school, and part of me is really sad that our break is over, that the “lounge-y-ness” of the holiday break is over.  The grind of the week with all the lunch making and activities starts and I'll be living in my car most of the day.  On the other hand, I’m also a little excited to get back into a proper routine, which couldn’t really happen until the kids were back into school.  Their sleep routine has been all messed up, there has been a video game blitz that might have actually done retinal damage to their eyes, they are snacking all day long (I’ve been grocery shopping constantly and I still hear “there’s nothing to eat”—I just can’t keep up.). For their own good they need to get back to school so they don’t get sucked into the vortex of laziness permanently. 

The first morning is going to be rough though, real rough.  It doesn’t help that at 7:30 a.m. when I’ve been waking up (that’s a full two hours later than normal for me), it STILL looks like nighttime outside.  We are in deep winter mode.  Hope everyone survives their Monday, it might not be that easy.

Also, simply because I’m in birthday mode (‘ve got three birthdays to contend with before the 15^th), here’s a shout out to remember January birthdays NOW.  January babies get the shaft basically—blame that on holiday fatigue.  Get your calendars out right now and figure out how you are going to make your January friends feel special (need an idea?  I just took a super cute Maika makeup bag (or the brand new Julie Mollo bags are A-dorable and fun), filled it with masks from new Kocostar, threw a jade face roller in there….voila, perfect January pick me up).

New Prairie Underground arrives today, and then my favorite inspirational pillow of all time.  Stay tuned....

Signed, ME {lv}

Non-Attachment, Self-Care, Bullet Journals & P50 1970

My first act of self-care for 2020 was, no surprise, taking a yoga class.  The offering/message for the class was the topic of non-attachment.   The idea that you can have goals and resolutions, but at the end of the day you have to come to terms with the idea that we have control over some things, and not other things.  So you release yourself from the result or end goal, and concentrate on what you can control/do day to day and you hope the process carries you where you want to go, knowing there are things you simply can’t control in life.

Personally I find myself obsessing about all kinds of things I KNOW I don’t have control over, and worrying about them excessively.  That’s definitely on my list of things to try and let go in 2020.  It’s especially easy to do when you are raising teens because they do so much that you can't control.  You stress that they won’t study hard enough, you stress that even if they do it won’t be good enough.  You worry that they won’t make the right decision when it’s important, or that what they think is the right decision really isn’t the best decision.  For me the only way I can prevent combusting into a stress ball is to realize that I only have control over one piece of the puzzle, I will make my piece as good as I can, but they have to fit the other pieces into place and they might end up fitting (or not) but that is true no matter how much worrying I do.  We all want everything to be perfect—and if not perfect—just really, really good.  They might be sometimes, and likely won’t a lot of the time.  Non attachment for me is allowing that to be true, while still doing every last thing I can possibly do (within my control) to make my end game possible.

So with my yoga self-care behind me, I’m getting organized with the start of the new year.  Putting away the last of the Christmas/holiday stuff (always a long, dreaded process).  I’m doing a little “winter organizing” of things, regrouping after last two frantic months.  My closet is a mess, I’ve got a lot of little things that I’ve put off (going to the dry cleaner, hand washing certain clothes, ordering more sport clothes detergent…all those little naggy things that are seemingly unimportant but when you pile them all up they drive you crazy). 

I’ve got my new bullet journal ready for action (I love this one)
 and it seems like a good time to start making lists to check off.  This time the list has all those things that I NEED on it vs. whatever else needed for the holidays.  I really think the top resolution any of us can have for 2020 is to dedicate yourself to the best self-care you can give yourself.  Good healthy food, exercise, things or rituals that feed your soul.  We have to take care of ourselves because without that foundational self-love there simply isn’t the same quality of strength, energy, and creativity to turn around and give to the world and those you love in the world.  So start getting organized and make that list of what you need for YOU.

I made a list and then checked off "re-order P50 1970", which is one of my top coveted products that I can't live without.  I start getting nervous when there is only a 1/3 of a bottle left.  

I also ordered one of the new YaY re-usable bags in a cool lace print because I'm doubling my effort to actually use re-usable bags more.  I am chronically forgetting them, but noticed my husband John always has his and he's really good at leaving it in his driver's side door pocket.  I'll notice the bag sitting on the step next to the front door in the house because he'll use it, and then set it right by the door so he puts it back into his car the next time he goes out.  I'm not sure what my problem is, but in the past I can't seem to get the habit going to consistently use them.  I would like to remove the annoyance of the clerk asking if I have my own bags and having to say no

Happy first day of January 2020!

Signed, ME {lv}