Sunday, January 30, 2011

It's Been Awhile

I haven't posted a quote in sometime. Today while perusing blogs I ran across one I couldn't refuse. Enjoy!


"you know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams"
~dr. seuss

Saturday, January 29, 2011

More...

Apparently, I have more bathroom pix to share...going through my iPhoto and there are more...had no idea. Enjoy!!!

Yes, I would love a chaise lounge chair in my bathroom to relax while drying off...some bubbly, don't mind if I do. The painting adds the right amount of color to this serene room.


I guess the next best thing to having an ocean view is adding the biggest seashell to your shower...

I'll take this view.


I think this concludes my master bathroom pix...

Friday, January 28, 2011

I Lied

One more blue pic...

visualvamp.blogspot.com

Another design blog I follow did a post on 'Mom Cave' rooms being the latest craze. Well, I'm no mom, and I can pretty much make my entire house about me, but guess what caught my eye. Naturally, I had to share. Blue is still making me happy. Another confession, I love colorful post-it notes...


Thursday, January 27, 2011

Relaxation

Master Bathroom pix only...I will not spring any peacock color designs in this post.



It's funny, I'm not a huge fan of wood yet, I've filed several wood type bathrooms in my pile of design things I like. Granted the above bathroom has a lot of key elements I want in my master bath some day- windows with tons of natural light, chandelier, glass shower & large tub. Why yes, I think I'll have a glass of wine with my bubble bath.






I couldn't resist this sparkly powder room. Sorry, the quality on this one is so poor.


Talk about some natural light...hello!!! Hope your neighbors like you.





Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Random Design

As luck would have it I ran across another peacock room and must share with all 3 of you.

Architectural Digest
Another confession...I really like blues & yellows together. Whoa, was I excited when I ran across this pic. Now I'm moving on...

I swear I can look at design all day long and seeing as work is a tad slow at the moment I've been doing just that, lookin' at design. Really all I'm going to do is post a bunch of pix. I've never known how to wrap my head around the love I have for master bathrooms, more than likely there will be several posts on this subject. Today I've found some that I like and then parts of the bathrooms I like.

Architectural Digest
I love a sit-down and relax vanity in the bathroom to get all dolled up for the day.


Elle Decor
I think chandeliers in the bathroom are magnificent. Notice when I love something I have the most elementary explanation...I love it, I just do!


Architectural Digest



Architectural Digest

While I'm not much of a traditionalist I do like the elegance of the above bathroom.



Elle Decor
I'll take this view to go with my chandelier.


I like the open shower in this bathroom.

And just for something a little more colorful I leave you with this...


Facial Love

I am always on a quest for the perfect facial mask that actually works, ya know shrink the ever expanding pores on my face, de-wrinkle if possible. I have spent countless dollars hunting for this miracle worker and have 1/4 used bottles littering my bathroom cabinets. The people that write the descriptions for said products are the best bull-shitters on the planet. I spend countless hours trying to figure out which one to buy. Get home all excited to use these bottles of gold only to be disappointed that nothing has changed. Sure my skin feels smoother for one day, but it looks the same.

Recently, an old friend mentioned a miracle clay at Whole Foods that cost a whopping $5.99. Naturally, I left work and went straight to WF to get this stuff...couldn't wait to get home and try it. All reviews talked about the pulsating feeling in your face and all kinds of fireworks coming from this special clay.

I'm not gonna lie this stuff rocks. It dries so tight I couldn't move my lips, which of course sent me into a fit of laughter, not recommended. Granted I can't say anything for sure yet. Directions say to use once a week so I'll follow this routine for a month then judge.




Here's a pic of what it looks like on one's face.



Sunday, January 23, 2011

Another Love

Not quite an obsession, at least not yet, but a definite love for Black Swan Yoga. After dealing with my stress fracture and my health hitting an all time low last year I knew it was time to get serious with my stretching routine or lack there of.

I finally bit the bullet sometime last spring and decided to go to some yoga classes. At the time I was working retail so for once in my life I could attend the wacky hours of a yoga class. They always seem to have classes starting at 9am, which made me think perhaps, this hippie habit is really for the trust fund babies (disclaimer- I have no problem w/ hippies or those with trust funds) just trying to get my stretch on, and yoga classes are offered at some odd ball times, alright getting back to my point. This whole post is about my new found love for yoga. I'll be honest I would only attend classes were the attendance was rather low. I was pretty sure I would topple at some point during a class causing a domino effect and taking a whole row of people down with me. If you've ever wondered about the lack of balance in my feet join me in a yoga class, I should be embarrassed.

The first class I ever attended was sweaty yoga. I'm not sure on the temp maybe 97/100 degrees. Plenty hot in my humble opinion. I walked in, first girl I spot is chillin' in a head stand, I almost about faced and sprinted out of the joint, but no, I prevailed into the back corner for a private spot. I had done no research on sweaty yoga, so really wasn't sure what to expect for my first class. Let's just say I was about to get schooled in some hot yoga fast. About the time we are on the ground on our backs and my naval is shoved upside my nose I realized I did NOT allow enough time for my lunch to be digested. However, if I was going to vomit and didn't want anyone to know this was the position to be in...lesson 1 learned.

Fast forward to lately. I wasn't religious about my yoga but was slowly getting into it. I could hardly do any of the challenge poses they mention in order to get in a deeper stretch...apparently, I was so stiff when starting out that that was challenge enough for me. However, lately I'm able to pull some stunts I didn't know possible. All I've wanted to do this whole post (assuming you aren't drooling on your keyboard yet) was brag about some positions I can bust out. That really doesn't sound good, but not meant to be perverted, I swear. My friend, Christine, is my good luck charm...whenever we go together I can push a little further and do an extra challenge I never thought possible. I was with her the first time I busted out the wheel. Oh my, my lower abdomen is some kinda tight. What's a wheel you ask? Ah, visuals, my fav.
Oh, this never hurt so good. I was stoked to finally be able to hold this position. I love it know when the instructor says towards the end of class if there is a pose you wish to hold in order to complete your practice now is the time. Oh, yeah baby, now I have one! The superstars do their headstand, showoffs!

Ok, 2 weeks ago, Christine and I attend another class. We're in January and to say the class is crowded is an understatement. We're so close it's about to become partner yoga. WOW! Resolouters are killin' my workouts. This class we're going through poses and the instructor, Tyler (my fav) is setting us up for a balancing act. He's leading us in and I've never held this pose before. All of a sudden I realize I'm in it, like holy shit! Check me out. NOW! I'm petrified to breathe to say anything, but I totally need to be noticed, much like a toddler when he goes #2 in the potty all by himself. One should be so proud.

And the crow pose looks like:
Needless to say I'm really diggin' the yoga classes at Black Swan. I think I've found the day that works best for me and slowly but surely, I'm going to unravel this mess of tight muscles I've created.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Current Obsession


More than likely the second I hit post this obsession will be old news to me and I will have moved on in my color world. This has been on my mind for quite sometime, but can't seem to get around to sharing such exciting news...party of 1 I'm sure! I am in LOVE, like take my breath away make my heart skip beats kinda love, with peacock blue...sometimes leaning towards turquoise in shade and sometimes leaning towards navy. I think I've always loved blue...growing up my parents foyer was a deep navy, and I loved the boldness of it. Being the visual person that I am I will show my love through the various pix I've found online.


http://www.sosmartalec.blogspot.com/
I love the simplicity and strength of the color in this living room, very soothing.


southernaccents.com
 I think the boldness of this library speaks for itself. Another obsession of mine is layers in a room...

And if you don't wanna paint a room you can always put in your wardrobe;-)



Now time for a new obsession!




Thursday, January 20, 2011

50 Years Ago Today

January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy delivered his Inaugural Address. Obviously, I wasn't around but the following quote from his address is something I think we all remember: "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

Saturday, January 15, 2011

More LOVE

"What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything."
~Author Unknown

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Aerial Dancing

One of my goals for 2011 is to build up my core strength and get my entire body back in shape...not just running shape the whole thing, arms, butt, mid-section you get my drift. I will say I have absolutely NO desire whatsoever to join a crossfit or boot camp class...great for those that enjoy them it's not my story and therefore, I will never achieve this entire body back in shape goal I'm after...Now, for some that know me, my biggest dream in life is to be a solid gold dancer. I know they cancelled the show way back when, but I've never lost hope to be one.

A gal I didn't know before tonight, but I've followed her blog for the past year posted about aerial dancing. I thought this is the ticket, just what I need to do to work on the whole body and it incorporates dancing...something I love. What is aerial dancing...let me give you some visuals.


Ok, I don't look anything like that at the moment, but I think in 12 weeks there is hope. I'm not gonna lie my lower abdomen already hurts. I don't know what I expected from a first class but I think we covered some ground tonight. I did imagine hanging upside down, which I got to do and it looked like this:

It's amazing how the silk can just hold you in place. We also climbed those things like monkeys...wow, have I got some strength building to do. Can't wait to see what we do on Thurs.

1/11/11- Jenny's Day/Year!!!

So, I think today's date is U-B-E-R cool...it's also my Lil Sis' b-day, DOUBLE cool. Naturally, she's unexcited to be having a b-day with a new number, but seriously, I think this date is the best...it's gonna be
her best year yet!!! I've also announced this super cool b-day date to my office;-) Good thing she lives in Dallas...It was also pointed out to me that you can really geek out with !/!!/!!. I'll add a pic this evening once I'm home!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JENNY JOHNSON FRANCES JJ, PENELOPE!!!

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Love

Photo by seis.bris.ac.uk
It's official my New Year New Word is going to be LOVE.
Not the typical sappy meaning of love, although I think falling in love is spectacular and it's part of the reason...
The word love makes me smile. It's a happy word no matter what. I want more of happy. Love makes me think of the sunshine, fresh flowers, it reminds me to be grateful, graceful and kind.




 
Photo from allbestwallpapers.com

  

Now I will admit I chose this word even before the          new year began...but as luck would have it my first  week into the new year was anything but love. So I had to spend the weekend adjusting my attitude  and now I'm putting it out there!



Graphic from kealajacobs.blogspot.com






So thank you Tolly for the idea of a word in place of resolutions.

Friday, January 07, 2011

6,996 gr/ms

That number may be the death of me...it's a cedar high and apparently, the highest count Austin has seen since 2004. I didn't live here at the time. In fact the first 2 years I lived here I didn't have an allergy to cedar. Then came my third year and I thought I had the flu...FOREVER! I started talking to people and everyone said the same thing...oh, when I first moved here cedar didn't bother me, then my 3rd year it hit. Well, same thing happened to me.

Today was brutal, words can't even begin to describe my discomfort. I will use picture descriptions to explain my day. 1st part of day spent in various meetings, here's what I looked like


I was that annoying gal that couldn't stop....however, this action got me out early. Feel free to try this the next time your stuck in an uneventful meeting.

I got an IM from a friend that wanted to meet in our cafe for lunch for maybe 20 minutes. I said sure but I must warn you my nose is totally stuffed and in order to eat I have to stop mid-chew and breathe. Eating with a stopped up nose makes me feel like a dog dying of thirst in the Austin summer heat. Here's me at lunch:


This look totally elevates my sex appeal, wouldn't you agree?

It has been a long day and I don't think my nose is tired of running yet. I will say it's good to be home where I can use my sinus squeeze bottle to help with the clogged parts. Is there a max number of times one squirt saline/hot water through their nose??? Usually, you use half the bottle per nostril...I'm using 2 full bottles per nostril. Not sure this is good for me. 

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Red Bows & Architecture

Oh, NYC, I love you so...The best decision I made this past fall was to defer the NYC marathon once again and go to New York for a vacation without a race. It was just what the doctor ordered, especially, since I just started a new job...of course you should go on vacay after 1 week of real world life.



I love the red bow wrapped around the Cartier building with the flags flying out front...great bold colors! Yes, I'd love a building for Christmas. Thanks!
More pix can be found here: www.flikr.com/kjsouthernbelle