Copycat

I love reading fashion magazines.

When I was young and before I was married my new magazine would come in the mail and I would declare to anyone around that I didn't want to be bothered for the rest of the evening. I would enjoy sitting down, marking the pages and making a list of the new trends I wanted to try.

Current day I'll settle for reading a magazine for 22 minutes, which is exactly the length of an episode of something on the Disney channel. And now I turn over the pages thinking I'll get back to looking at it at some point. All of this has resulted in pile of magazines a mile high and stack of ripped out photos laying in a heap.

I've always wanted to make a "fashion board." The idea being that I would take all of the ripped out pictures and pin them to a cork board and hang it somewhere in my closet. I suppose like a real life Pinterest board. I would use it as a quick reference to change things up, or just to get a new idea of something to wear. Sometimes I will purchase a trendy item and then I forget how the magazine suggests to wear it.

Alas, the cork board is laying on the floor and the pictures are still in a heap.

Who else thinks sometimes it's just hard to put our good intentions into action?

Thus this project was born!

It's that time of year when the weather in Kansas fluctuates, sometimes severly, and it's hard to know what to put on. I'm usually bored with my winter wardrobe and want to go out shopping for spring things. But I've also had several items hanging in my closet all winter long that I've never worn. So I decided to get out that stack of magazines and 1. Rip out all of the pictures I wanted to keep and 2. THROW AWAY the magazines.

I went through the pictures and picked out 5 outfits that I thought I could re-create with things that were already in my closet. I then took a picture of the original outfit in the magazine and a picture of how I copied it.

Here's what I came up with!

 

One of the best parts of this project was that I ended up wearing several things that I never wear! It also took the guess work out of picking something out in the morning.

When I was telling a friend what I was up to she said, I wouldn't have any of those things you are wearing in my closet! I explained to her that if we were both reading the same magazine, we would rip out different pictures. When I rip pictures out I choose things that I already own or maybe something I'd like to purchase. Just because you don't own a metallic skirt (or something else sort of out of the ordinary) doesn't mean you can't find a picture of a fantastic outfit that combines classic pieces that appear in most closets.

While picking 5 pictures a week isn't practical for every day life, a couple of times since I did this project I've dug through the stack and found a new picture just to change things up. Or flip through all those pictures you have pinned on Pinterest and actually give copying an outfit a try!

And someday I'll get the cork board off the floor and the pictures up on it. Someday.

Green Eyed Girl

It's March! Spring is coming...St. Patrick's Day is around the corner....and I'm running extra miles while training for the half marathon so that means more Shamrock Shakes from McDonald's for me!

 

It's also time to shake up the wardrobe a bit. I've been anxious to get a few new pieces, yet it's still cold enough that I feel like I should be wearing my winter clothes one last time before I have to put them away for the season. I've been working on a different project to freshen up the pieces I already own...they'll be another post about that coming soon.

 

On to this weeks new addiction! One of the many things I love about Sephora is that each year they team up with Pantone to create a line of products based on the Pantone color of the year. I first discovered this last summer after ripping a whole bunch of pictures of tangerine make up out of magazines. I headed to Sephora, armed with my pictures, only to walk in and find a beautiful display filled with every tangerine product you could imagine. Basically making my picture ripping a whole waste of time. So, this week I headed over there excited to see what they had this year in the Pantone color for 2013...Emerald Green.

 

As usual, they were just a little too helpful at Sephora and I ended up leaving with more than I intended on purchasing. The woman who helped me and I came up with the following products to give me lots of options depending on how intensely I want to add green to my make up routine.

 

Here's what I got!

 





 

 

Left: Emerald Green Mascara. I like to think of this as my throw back product to the days when I used to wear 99 cent Wet and Wild Colored Mascara when I was about 16 years old. Oh the memories. Top: Urban Decay eyeshadow primer. You've heard my rant on primers before. I think they are a joke, and I just continue to be proven wrong. Remember the Dior Eyelash Primer? Yep, amazing. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this primer not only makes your shadow stay on longer, but it intensifies the color. Best part? You only use a teeny tiny amount. Middle: Sephora eyeshadow. There were three choices at the store, which would flatter the fairest to the darkest skin tones. Bottom: Sephora Eyeliner. I purchased one of these sticks last year in turquoise and loved it. So easy to apply.

 

The combinations are endless! From just a touch of green in the crease of your eyelid, to a full on green, smokey, ring around the eye, I'm excited to add this spring trend to my collection.

 

 

Here's some other green things I'm loving...

 

Essie Absolutely Shore Polish. I love this pale mint green. I'm picky about my green nail polish just because I think the wrong green can look so gross, for lack of a better descriptive word. I love the brightness of this color and the soft hue of the green.

 



 

I dug these fun pieces out of my closet!

 

Emerald green top from Ann Taylor, Clutch from Coach and Shoes from Seychelles (www.seychellesfootwear.com)



I'll be adding green to my wardrobe in many different ways. Some days in a subtle way and sometimes with more of a bang! With all the options there are so many easy ways to add just a hint of green to your daily style!



Fearful or Fearless?

When the new year starts I enjoy hearing people’s new year’s resolutions. Since I’m usually juggling about a hundred projects, I love hearing what people are up to. I don’t necessarily make a new year’s resolution myself. Although one year I did resolve to unsubscribe from all of the junk mail I get in my email inbox every day. I do highly recommend that. While it’s completely annoying at the time, the end result is great.

Anyways! The past couple of years most of my goals (resolutions) for the year have revolved around exercise. After I completed my first half marathon in 2011 I kept coming up with new things that I wanted to try and so far it’s been easy to come up with a new exercise related goal. I try to spend time during at least one run at the very beginning of the new year where I let my mind wander to not only praise myself for how far I’ve come in the last year but to set my sights on something new.  

This week I started reading My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir by Noelle Hancock. In short, after losing her job Noelle is lost in life until she sees a quote in a coffee shop that inspires her.

“Do one thing every day that scares you” - Eleanor Roosevelt

This begins a one year journey where Noelle works to confront her fears.

In thinking about the new year and my personal goals, this spoke to me. The idea of fear and how it’s impacted my life. But another part of the book also put things into perspective.

Noelle shares....
“When I was little I was always trying new things.”
“While not always a success - dodgeball, I remember, being a particularly low point - I still tried. We didn’t have a choice. Back then we had teachers and parents making sure we challenged ourselves. Then I became an adult. The luxury of being an adult is you no longer have to do things that make you uncomfortable.”

I found this interesting and incredibly true. (especially because the dodgeball part also applies to me)

Who in your life is going to make you do things that are uncomfortable?

When I started running I trained using the Couch to 5K program. I remember the first time I had to run a continuous 2 miles on the treadmill. I came in to work and declared I wasn’t going to do it. I was too scared. It was so long ago now that I don’t remember how I convinced myself to actually do it. But I do remember the amazing feeling of accomplishment I was left with. That started something. Thinking back there were more times. My first race. My first 10 mile run. My first bike ride/transition to run while training for the triathlon. Different obstacle. Same fear of the unknown.

Clients, friends, family are asking me all the time, why do you what you do? For example, why would you run 13 miles? What gives you the desire to ride a bike for an hour and then get off and immediately go for a run? Are you crazy?!

Then it occurred to me. I am addicted to overcoming fear. I’ve been exposed to the incredible feeling that comes along with conquering something you are afraid of. And it’s addicting.

I’ve told others you can never replace the incredible feeling when you finish your first race. On my journey I’ve completed three half marathons, run 19 miles of a full marathon, completed a sprint length triathlon and achieved my goal of running a half marathon in under two hours. Each race has been different and none of them have been perfect. But my heart will always hold a special place for the times I completed my first half marathon and triathlon. That feeling.....overcoming fear, excitement, pride. After each of these races I’m ridiculously proud of myself, my fear has been completely replaced, and it’s a feeling I never want to quit having.

I’m thinking Eleanor has it right.

While I still haven’t completely set my goals for this year, I have a few things that are on the list for sure. I’m going to do another sprint triathlon this Sunday. I’ve got my running buddies all lined up so we can start training for the spring half marathon and I plan to do another half in the fall. I’ve already met so many milestones and I’m in such a happy place as far as a workout routine. I’ve decided I want a break from trying to “beat” my previous time and pushing myself really hard.

I’ve decided this year I’m going to try to enjoy each moment. I’m going to enjoy my running friends who keep me motivated along the way. I’m going to enjoy (and continue to appreciate) my loving husband who is supportive of me and my “crazy” adventures. And I’m going to enjoy my sweet little boy who gets bigger by the second and I can’t believe is going to be 4 in just a few short weeks!

Whatever your goal is for this year, your resolution or “crazy” idea, I hope it becomes yours. And like the times I have overcome a fear, that achievement finds a special place in your heart. My wish for you is that you won’t be scared and that you’ll enjoy the journey along the way. I’ve learned for myself that amazing things can be accomplished if you can put fear aside.