Running Is Harder Than It Looks

When you were a kid did you ever jump off of something - anything from a bed to a barn - thinking you could fly? In those first few seconds you believe you've pulled it off and then gravity inevitably kicks in. Of course you did. We all did.

Well, that's what running is like for me.

I start out of my driveway, and in that first minute I feel unstoppable. I have on my unnecessarily cute running clothes, my work-out playlist is cranked up, I'm taking in the view and - most importantly - someone else is watching my kid for a bit. Then my lungs speak up to remind me I have asthma and that this free-as-a-bird feeling is about to come to an end.

So despite the almost-instant letdown I keep telling myself that I love running and I am determined to make it love me back. In an effort to facilitate that romance I downloaded one of the many "Couch to 5K" apps to help whip my butt into shape. Even though the running app requires my phone I've been trolling craigslist for a cheap ipod shuffle because I hate having to hold my phone while I run. First world problem, I know.

Bunting Storage

Hey! Do you remember the bunting my gal pals and I made for my baby shower? Of course you do. Well it stayed hung up in my living room for quite some time but I finally took it down when I got all snazzy with my mantle over New Year's. For those of you keeping track that's about 18 months. Real classy.

Anyhoo, once the bunting was down I wanted to keep it for future use but didn't fold to crease it. So I wrapped it around a rinsed-out soda bottle and held it in place with thumb tacks. Genius, right?

OK, maybe not genius, but it is a cheap and clever solution.

Bedroom

I recently had a little money fall into my lap and we're juuust financially stable enough that my hubs reluctantly agreed to let me spend most of it on spiffing up our bedroom. You never have and never will see the 'before' of my bedroom because it was beyond embarrassing. The new-ish bed we still like, but everything else was terrible. I still like the vintage vanity but it doesn't really fit in the room - plus the hubby never really liked it - so it's finally on its way out. Our other 2 pieces of furniture I've never pretended to like - my childhood dresser (light wood, country chic) and his childhood dresser (dark wood, super traditional) don't match our aesthetic, the bed, or each other so they both have to go. I also learned the hard way that I don't like white bedding. Between the cat hair and body oils (gross!) it never looks clean enough so I'm replacing it, too. Throw in some new artwork and a pillow or two and I had made some major progress.

I was too busy/lazy to document the process as I went along so I'll do one big post once everything is in place. In the mean time I will tease you with this snapshot of the mini-gallery wall I put together over the (new) dresser. I'm in love.