Closet Talks & Crunchy Toes

Here's an interesting fact. Putting clothes together into outfits sometimes wigs me out.

Sometimes I wander into my closet and bump into shoes and belts and forgotten skirts (I don't do well with skirts) and I draw a blank. 

Sometimes I feel like outfits purposefully hide from me.

I'm no moron... I know what's up. 

Anyway, the dilemma reached the point of being ridiculous a few weeks ago so I decided to do something I should have done a long time ago.

I pulled out every shirt, skirt, jean and ballet flat I own. I then proceeded to mix, match, pair, reevaluate and take picture after picture after picture of the outfits I pieced together in a full length mirror. I then loaded all of those pictures into a file on my computer, so I have somewhere to turn when I walk into my closet and feel like I'm looking into a black abyss. 

Doing this has helped me so much. It took a good 4 hours all said and done, but if you take into consideration the amount of time wasted floundering around in your closet for something that might "work" it is well worth the investment.

I just finished doing this with my sister a few days ago and it was a really fun way to spend an afternoon - good company and multiple opinions on whether stuff is cute or not always helpful.

Also, Pinterest. Definitely Pinterest. 

It helps to look up stuff that you already have in your closet instead of just pinning fantasy items, lots of nifty ideas. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Totally shifting gears here...

I buy tennis shoes new, it's not a rule of mine necessarily...it just seems like if you're planning on using them you deserve to own a brand new pair of tennis shoes, call it motivation to earn 'em.

That being said, I have had years, and years and years of bad tennis shoes experiences. Crunched toes, smooshed feet, blisters and the ever present obvious fact that tennis shoes just aren't that cute. Also I operate about like a two year old when it comes to keeping shoes clean. White tennis shoes just don't work well for me, at all. 

So I found these. Ignore the fact that they look sort of huge...I have substantially large feet. Anyway, white tennis shoe problem? Solved. Crunched toes? Not anymore. Blisters? Not happening. 

Unfortunately new shoes don't fix the fact that I'm a crummy runner. They did however, serve as a great catalyst for a bonding experience for Brad and I. He apparently didn't realize until yesterday after prolonged periods of time spent staring at my twiggy little ankles that they are severely pronated, bless him. He loves me anyway. 

I like this aspect too...

Not bad, huh? 

xoxo,

Rae 

  

Hot Yoga

Don't run away. 

I can't say my first impression of the phrase left me feeling entirely comfortable either. 

My aunt called me the other day and asked if I was up for a spur of the moment hot yoga class. Once she explained that what I was signing up for was yoga in a sauna, I was in.  

Because what better place is there to do vinyasas for an hour and fifteen minutes? 

So off I went to practice wrapping my legs around my neck while maintaining a relaxed disposition. 

Here are the things I learned at yoga class:

1. My routine sleeping position happens to double as a position in yoga. Therefore, I do yoga for hours on end. Obviously that means I'm super fit. 

2. Yoga works better with either a buzz cut or a ponytail. This short hair + sauna + downward facing dog does not equal yoga-chic. It equals hot mess. 

3.  A continuation of point #2...full length mirrors in a yoga classroom? Seeing my hair was enough to throw off my "stillness within" and that coupled with how red my face was made balance postures difficult. 

In light of my yoga experience, I decided to share a slightly embarrassing motivation I've started to use for exercising and clean eating. 

I get a dollar for every day I eat clean and stick to my exercise regime, I'm basically like one of Pavlov's dogs.

I'd be lying though, if I said that slowly filling up that mason jar with a dollar a day didn't fuel my desire to stick with what I started - and isn't that one of the hardest things to maintain? 

The initial get-up and go isn't what is so difficult for me, it's the stick to it  aspect that gets me every single time. 

So, yes. I plop down into my yoga-esque sleeping position and stick a $1.00 in the tip jar that lives on my nightstand every single night except for once a week when I have a cheat meal, and then I think about all the groovy crafts and pieces of furniture and art projects and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, and chocolate milkshakes, and super-size french fries those dollars will buy. 

Just kidding. 

I actually start thinking about skinny jeans which reminds me of those pajama jeans they were selling on TV last year which then makes me think of elastic waist bands which promptly puts me to sleep.  

_________________________________________________________________________________

Shift of focus...

I have a surprise. It's my new favorite toy. 

It still works without a hitch and it cost me under $10.00

Here's a peek...

It's a vintage radio cabinet and it is absolutely awesome. It also weighs half a ton which makes me wonder if I may be smuggling around stolen bricks for someone instead of two massive speakers built into a cabinet.

More to come on that later... 

Lastly - I'm tying up the loose ends on my wing-back chair redo part two and will have it up and running early next week. 

xoxo,

Rachael