and the adventure begins...

Welcome to September! I'm way excited for fall to be here.  I love the fall clothing, fall colors, fall foods. I. Love. Fall!

Today marks Day 1 of a 30 day journey of well-manicured hands.  I decided to begin this journey with a week of clear polish.  Mainly because I ordered some super cute OPI nail polishes a little late in the game and they won't arrive until later this week.  However, even with clear polish, my hands look 100 times better!  I already feel thismuchmore put together.  And have I mentioned how pretty my fingers look?!

As I said earlier, I ordered some new OPI products that I am excited to try out.  One that I'm specifically excited about is OPI's Chip Skip.  I'm hoping it will hold the polish on my nails longer than the usual 2 days post-polish.  Plus I ordered 2 cute fall colors to sport throughout the month, a new top-coat, and Drip Dry which is supposed to speed up the drying/setting time of the polish!  Holler!

30 days of well-manicured hands

i rarely take the time to give myself a manicure. my toes, however, are almost always painted. beginning September 1st, i am going to practice 30 days of well-manicured hands.  for the next 30 days, my fingernails will be gorgeously painted.  no chips. no cracks. no super long nails. just beautifully manicured hands with beautifully polished fingernails.  thanks to my friend Heather's blog, i've been inspired to keep my hands looking polished and beautiful.  check out her blog Stylishmint.  i think you'll be inspired too!!

30 Days of Excellence

i recently read an article (unfortunately i can't remember where) that was rather inspiring.  it talked about ways to be happier and healthier. one of the suggestions is to practice 30 days of excellence.  the idea is that you pick something to stick to for 30 days (i.e. no TV; eating at home instead of restaurants) and then feel better about yourself when you've reached the 30 days to find that you can stick to something life-changing and positive for 30 days. sounds easy, huh?

well, i guess we'll see.  i'm going to start this fun exercise on September 1st. each month i will have a new goal and will track that goal throughout the month.  you should do the same.  besides, what fun is it if i go at this project alone?

here's to a happier and healthier you and me, 30 days at a time.  cheers!

how i spent my weekend

with Captain Jack Sparrow!  see!! i'm a pirate, he's a pirate.  it's meant to be.

my friends, hubby, and i escaped to duluth mn on lake superior this weekend for the tall ships festival. we saw some amazingly cool ships! so beautiful!  here are some of the pics:

The Bounty from the Pirates of the Caribbean Movie

the whole fleet

the hubs & i

my new addiction

it's no secret that i tend to jump on the bandwagon a little late.  okay, more than a little late.  i jump on when everyone else is jumping off.  i'm just that cool.  seriously.  however, this time, i think i jumped on at a great time!  i have a new (healthy) obsession.  and it's yoga.

yes, i know.  i'm aware that i'm a little late on the yoga bandwagon.  i'm not the first person, nor the last, to sing it's yogi praises.  if you haven't taken a yoga class or completed a yoga video, you are missing. out. big time.

i've recently started taking yoga on my lunch breaks at my local gym. it's an amazing break in my day. first, it gets my daily workout in midday, which i adore! and it gets me out of the office for an hour, which i adore even more!  but lets talk about the physical reward for a moment, shall we? i've never experienced an exercise that tones so quickly! 3 classes into my yoga practice and i feel stronger and more flexible and leaner than ever before. and i definitely notice a difference in the mirror!  hello lean arms! goodbye extra-wavey-back-of-the-arms-thing.

not only do i feel even more in shape, but my mind has never been so clear.  maybe it's the hour of meditation and dedication, maybe it's the speech of unity and loving one another at the end, maybe i'm just a hippie... since i've been practicing yoga, i feel more in-tune with my own body, my own emotions, and everyone i encounter.  i find i have a little more patience after each yoga practice.  i find i have a little more tolerance after each yoga practice.  and a lot more respect.  respect for my mind, body, and others.  it's a total cleansing experience.  slowly, it's creeping into other aspects of my life.  and i am embracing it whole-heartedly!

happy yoga-ing! Namaste.

you know you're getting older when...

i'm feeling listy again.  so here's another for ya. feel free to add some in the comments!

top ten things that make me feel old

1. wearing earplugs to a concert/show.
2. going to a show and standing in the back because i want to hear the music and not be pushed around by the testosterone-fueled adolescents.
3. feeling excited about my veggies and herbs growing. "its exciting watching them grow!"
4. going to bed at 10pm... on a friday.
5. being irritated by loud bass coming out of the young punk's car next to me
6. saying things like "young punk"
7. saying things like "kids these days have no respect or sense of responsibility!"
8. seeing on facebook that all my old high school lady-friends are now preggers. at the same time.
9. seeing those preggers friends on facebook and thinking "good for them!" instead of "she's way too young for a baby!"
10. hearing my coworker, who is the same age as my younger sister, using acronyms that i have no idea what they mean. in every other sentence. fml.

INSANE hip hop choreography

i'm addicted to SYTYCD (so you think you can dance).  it's one of my favorite shows out there. and this hip hop piece is the reason i watch the show. alex is a trained ballet dancer, NOT a hip hop dancer.  twitch is a hip hop dancer. a very very very talented hip hop dancer. watch what ensues below. it's incredible!