random rambling...goals

it's the last day of march which means a quick little goal update. for the past 3 months (1/4 of the year) my biggest goal has been to try to get to bed by 12:00. i can't even believe how badly i'm doing with this goal. it's so bad that i'm giving up. i don't usually give up on goals, but i am this time. i know sleep is important, and i thought if i really tried hard to focus on it things would improve. the opposite has pretty much happened. my bedtime has gotten worse and worse. i need to find better balance in my life and hopefully a slightly earlier bedtime will naturally happen. i'll let you know how it goes. if you have any tips, i'm all ears.

speaking of goals, i have a big one coming up. i'm running the nashville marathon in less than a month. i've talked about running a lot including my full running story. this isn't my first marathon. i've done quite a few 20+ miles runs. sometimes you have good days, and sometimes you have bad days. my run on saturday was one of those bad days which is really unfortunate. this is the longest run before the marathon. we spent the first 2 hours running mostly uphill which nearly killed me. from then on it was hard really really hard. i run with a group which usually means i am not by myself. my running was so bad on saturday that i was by myself much of the time. it gave me a little time to think. i thought a lot about this big goal i have of completing a marathon. i thought about goals. sometimes we have goals that push us beyond our limits. some days are bad, and some are good. sometimes we want to just quit. i know i know. i am quitting my bedtime goal, but for the most part i stick with things. there is such a sense of accomplishment that comes with goals. i started out saturday morning way before the crack of dawn with a goal to run 20 miles. it was challenging, difficult, miserable, terrible, brutal, painful, etc. around mile 12 i said "these next 8 miles might kill me", and one of my wise running friends reminded me to take it one step at a time. in the end i accomplished what i set out to do. i stuck with it. even though it was hard, i was grateful to have a goal.
what goals are you working on? what do you do when you just want to give up?

on my mind

i had a different plan for today, but yesterday was an interesting day. i decided to save my original plan for next week sometime. i got a text from my sister first thing this morning asking about a girl we went to high school with. she has been battling pancreatic cancer for 4 years. i've seen a lot of posts to and about her on facebook the past week so i knew she must not be doing well. she passed away wednesday night. even though i haven't been in touch with her since high school, the news really hit me. this young, beautiful, happy, positive mother of a darling little boy is now gone. cancer is literally the worst. although the news of her passing really hit me, it was also so encouraging to read so many uplifting posts from friends and family. she was such an amazing person and touched so many lives. it makes me want to live my life so other people might say the same kinds of things about me. even though she's gone, i know she will continue to touch many lives. autism is on the rise. when i started working with children with autism in 2001, the rate of incidence was 1/200. yesterday the CDC released yet another increase in rate.   photo from autismspeaks.org
there is so much research happening right now, and there is still so much to learn. april is autism awareness month. there will be lots of autism talk around here in the next few weeks, but for now this new statistic is on my mind. in happier news...

if you're local, girl's night is tonight. if you didn't win the necklace giveaway, come pick up one of your own. the green brocade girls are so sweet. they are giving an extra 10% off to my readers with the code dreaming about someday. make sure to mention it at checkout for that extra 10% off.

arizona trip

ever since i escaped utah winter in arizona a few years ago i have been dying to go back. things kept coming up the past couple of years so i was so excited to make it happen again this year. my trip was completely full of fun. it was basically the tour de friends, and i loved it.
i spent the first couple of nights with crystal. i totally failed at taking a picture with her:(
new gilbert temple

katey and i went to the temple. the weather was so nice so we sat on the temple grounds to catch up after. it was the perfect way to start the day and the trip.

after the temple, i got to spend the afternoon with megan. we got lunch, played with her little boy, and talked and talked for hours.

i've been trying to get down there for spring training the past several years, but it never works out. it finally did this time! anne and i went to the angels vs royals game. the stadium was completely packed. i had no idea what a big deal spring training is.

the game was in the middle of the afternoon. i tried really hard to not complain about the weather because it was so nice to be out of winter, but it was really hot. even though we were basically melting, it was a really fun afternoon.

after the game, i met up with deidre to go to the opening of the new shine project offices. i've talked about the shine project before, and i absolutely love the company. they employee at risk youth to make bracelets and other jewelry, and they receive college scholarships. i love supporting them whenever possible so it was perfect timing. after being in the sun all afternoon, i looked pretty rough but oh well.

i spent the rest of the weekend with deidre hanging out by the pool and relaxing. we went to a really fun blogger event (more to come) on saturday night. i had such a great trip. it was so much fun seeing so many friends, and the weather was so amazing. as i'm sitting here typing this it's snowing, and i just want to go back to last weekend.

wear it wednesday...color

last week i talked about neutral, and today i'm talking a little more about color. as promised i have more of the pictures from the most amazingly colorful background that just so happened to be part matchy matchy with my already matchy matchy outfit. obviously this part isn't matchy matchy, but it is amazing

                                                                         photo credit bonnie

scarf/shoes similar sold out/cardi/shirt/pants not available

beauty must haves...dry shampoo

once upon a time i washed my hair every single day. i know i know that's crazy talk. i can't believe i have wasted so much of my life washing my hair. i finally saw the light and discovered dry shampoo. i love the stuff! i have brand hopped a little over the years and recently tried another brand. there are tons of brands and even more reviews. these are the 3 i have tried.

1. suave is hands down my favorite. it smells pretty good, and i can use it more days. i am pretty much a walking spokesperson for suave. i suggest it to any and every one that will listen. if you haven't tried it, go now! i've only tried the silver bottle, and i've heard it's the best.

2. my hair stylist loves kms and had me hooked for a while. it smells really good and adds good texture. before i knew anything else, i really loved kms. they make a great product. i think i like it more for the texture than the dry shampoo.

3. recently love lo posted about not your mother's and convinced me to try it. i use their beachy spray and leave in conditioner so i thought why not?!? i like it. the smell is probably my least favorite of the 3. it gives my hair some good texture, but there really is just nothing that can compare to suave. i like it enough i'll keep using it, but once it's gone i'll probably go back to suave.
and for all you dark hairs (like me) that think you can't use dry shampoo because it makes your hair white, here's a little tip. brush and blow dry the dry shampoo in. you won't even be able to tell.
do you use dry shampoo? what's your favorite.
***don't forget to enter the green brocade necklace giveaway

random rambling...announcements

i spent the past several days in sunny arizona. i am having warm weather withdrawals and can't wait for summer. i'll be back in a couple of days with a full rundown of my trip. until then, some fun things are coming up. there are still a few more days left to enter to win this necklace from the green brocade. enter rafflecopter below

i really hope you win, but if you don't and you're local, come to their next pop up shop

if you've been around for a while, you know i love 30x30 outfit challenges. kelly from modern camelot has another one coming up in april. basically pick 30 pieces of clothing and wear them for 30 days without repeating outfits. it is much easier than it sounds and a lot of fun. besides helping me realize i really do have plenty of clothes, i've made some of my best bloggy friends through 30x30. if you even think you might want to participate, let me know.

besides 30x30, there are a few fun linkups in the next couple of weeks

april 2...5 little confessions

april 9...WHAT WOULD YOU DO...with a dozen eggs

april 10...triple threat...style your spring scarves, write a post, and link up

a Rafflecopter giveaway

brush|whiten|go

***i got this product complimentary from influenster for testing. all opinions are my own***

i always feel like my teeth aren't as white as I want them to be, but whitening is expensive and sometimes painful. i've had success with whitening products in the past, but it makes my teeth so sensitive it's not always worth it. enter colgate...the optic white system is so easy. it literally lives up to the brush whiten go slogan. brush with the toothpaste. whiten with the pen on the end of the toothbrush. go about your day. the best part is my teeth aren't sensitive at all. it's really affordable too. win win!

taking pictures of your own teeth is possibly the worst thing ever. 

Friday Feature

AHOY!

I'm Rachael, the owner of a Nautical Inspired blog, LUMUHAND. Quite fluent in sass, I'm a late 20-something high school English Teacher who used to be a professional wedding/event planner in San Diego, and who-hopes-to-get-back-to-this-passion-in-the-near-future. I'm a former East Coast military brat (Go Navy! Beat Army!) living in Western KY. I'm definitely a foodie who loves DIY projects, group texting with my besties, anything nautical, traveling, Starbucks...the list is literally infinitesimal.

Anyways, Aubrey is off to Arizona and when she recently tweeted asking if anyone wanted to guest post, naturally, I invoked my best Katniss impression (I would be besties with J. Law #noshame) and was like, I volunteer as tribute.

So, here I am, taking over the helm of her blog to represent District pick-a-number-any-number, to introduce myself and to ask the question, what happiness look like to you? 

To me, right now...Happiness is..

1. An iced caramel white chocolate mocha with no ice and extra milk. You can get more drink this way! Bad for my crystallizing veins and thirsty fat cells, but thrifty for my wallet, right?

2. The sound of my sweet fur babies snoring; both the 24-toed, 17 lb. pussy cat, Tiptoe; and her foxy, Pomeranian sister Pippa, whom she tolerates, but I adore except when she greets my boyfriend by pooping on his living room carpet.. Oops..

3. A long, hot bubble bath 

Fact: This quote is actually painted on the ceiling above the tub in the Master Bath in the home I just impulsively bought and close on, on April 1st.

3.5. Philosophy's Pink Frosted Animal Cracker 3-in-1 (shampoo, body wash, bubble bath). It smells like the deliciously yummy treat, so you can get your fix sans calories. 

4. Murder She Wrote on Netflix, all 259 episodes. I remember watching the show as a youth at my Gramman and Grandad's house. I basically grew up with Angela Lansbury's sleuthing, I'll-catch-every-murderer-this-episode character, Jessica B. Fletcher...and apparently you learn in episode 4, that the "B" stands for Beatrice. The mystery of that middle initial is solved after 28 years.  

5. Spending time with my boy, exploring Memphis (we went to Graceland last weekend). In long distance relationships, you cherish the time that you actually get to physically spend together, in the same zip code versus digital dates, and I can't wait to see more new places with him.  

How adorable is my boy? He gifted me with these Chuck Taylors in February. It may be hard to read, but the inside of the shoes read: May these shoes take you great places...hopefully with me. #yesplease

What does happiness look like to you? 

 
 

wear it wednesday...dressing up a neutral

anyone who knows me knows I love color lots and lots of color, but I can appreciate a good neutral every once in a while. a good neutral can definitely stand on it's own, but a pop of color does wonders. not sure where to start? I've got you covered. 

start with a good neutral

this shoot was cold and windy and in an abandoned parking garage. my face basically says it all. plus taking outfit pics is no joke. look at all that crap in the corner. bless Bonnie for putting up with me.

not ready for color? add a neutral scarf.

accessories are totally my thing.

add a pop of color with a statement necklace. it's your lucky day. green brocade loves you all so much they are giving one of you this pretty spring statement necklace to dress up your neutral.

add a pop of color with shoes...one of my favorite ways to add color

add a little more color with a complimentary scarf

change it up with heels and a coordinating scarf.

i was a little obsessed with the random tumbleweed in the abandoned parking garage. sadly the wind made it really hard to use the tumbleweed how i wanted.

                               photo credit bonnie

do you love color or do you love neutral or a little of both? make sure to enter to win the spring necklace below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

beauty must haves...mascara

now that the bachelor is over for a few months, we need something to talk about on tuesdays. i talk all the time about being a brand snob especially when it comes to beauty products. let's talk about some of those products. yes???

i used this picture for my #fmsphotoaday picture the other day, and it caused quite the discussion. i know this is completely ridiculous and out of control, but i use 4 mascaras every.single.day. i love long beautiful eyelashes, and this is what it takes to get them.

MAC primer

MAC zoom lash

clinique high impact

mary kay lash love lengthening

use all 4 in that order. i have tried to drop one of two, but it never lasts. i always go back to this same combo. i have black eyelashes so i always buy the blackest black i can get.

i realize this is crazy! i use mascara well beyond the suggested time. i also have a few connections for makeup so i don't always pay full price.

i want to know your beauty secrets. what's your fave mascara?

random rambling...reset+fashion

                                                     photo credit bonnie

i went to lunch with a few bloggers in sugarhouse over the weekend. bonnie and i decided to take a few pictures after because we found the most amazing spot. i'll post more pictures another day, but we seriously love this place. besides a great spot, i also found the perfect white v neck. a few weeks ago, bonnie posted about the perfect v from wal-mart. i'm a brand snob about a lot of things, but clothes isn't always one of those things. i had good intentions to check it out until my fave v neck from target went on sale for $5. you better believe i bought 3. i'm all excited and prepped for summer now. so, if you're looking for the perfect v neck, head on over to wal-mart or target.

we had a mini retreat for work last week. we talked about getting the day going on either a positive or negative note. what are the things we can control to make the day go better? we discussed several possibilities. little things are big things to me. hearing my favorite songs, leaving the house on time, a funny morning show, a beautiful sunrise, and many others on my commute set the tone for the day. we talked about approaching each part of the day with a question. "what is my best chance for success?" what can i do to make this next event-coming into work, seeing a client, running errands, coming home the most successful possible? take a few minutes in that transition time to reset. i am guilty of not being 100% present. asking myself that question is really helping me have  more positive experiences and be more present.

what about you? what do you do to resest?