Pretty Girls Rock Dresses Challenge

Here is a challenge that I found on one of the blogs that I regularly follow (Erica B.'s D.I.Y. Style - she's a rock star when it comes to sewing!). I personally don't think that I own enough dresses to pull this off (which is kind of sad, actually), but I love the idea behind it. Casual has become the standard, and I know I feel so much better/more confident/more professional in a dress and heels. While I'm nearly always in a dress for church or special events like the theatre, it sure wouldn't hurt to bring more of that polish into my everyday life.

Anyway, it just got me thinking so I thought I'd share this with any of you who stumble onto this post!

Here are the rules:

Challenge will start
Tuesday, March 1, 2011.

Mission:
1. We will rock dresses and heels like our mothers & grandmothers at least THREE (3) times a week.
2. We will reject the impulse to throw on jeans, jogging suits (even the cute kind), & dress slacks.
3. Exchange our revelations and thoughts throughout this challenge.
4. Invite a Friend(s), Take Pics, & HAVE FUN.
5. Everyone is WELCOMED to participate.
6. Exceptions: Flattering Dress Suits with nice accessories are allowed.
7. If you have a blog share it with your followers.

Let's bring back:
*GLAMOUR. *GRACE. *CHARM. *FEMININTY. *PRISSYness (is that a word?) and most of all BEAUTY.

Pretty Girls Rock Dresses Spring/Summer 20-11 Challenge.

Traveling...In My Dreams

Have you ever reached a point where you feel like you need a new dream? Or, in my case, it's a re-prioritization of dreams. I'm 30 and single, with only a house to tie me down...and while this isn't at all where I thought I'd be by now, the trip has been interesting and educational and in all honesty, the things I have to complain about are pretty small in the grand scheme of things.

But regardless of that, I need something new to focus on - something that will take my mind away from those things that aren't and put them on the things that might be. And it seems that the thing that fits me best is travel. It's something I've always dreamed of doing at much more regular intervals than I am, and to places much further abroad. The trip to Europe was almost two years ago - I can't believe it's been that long! - and in my opinion, it's time to start planning another trip.

People always ask,"Where would you go next?" and I can always tell them in vague terms: Ireland, London, France, Switzerland, Italy. But beyond that, I can't really expound...what do I want to do there? What region/neighborhood would I most want to stay in? Which cultural activities would I most want to explore? Some answers to these questions are no-brainers: visit the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, le Musee d'Orsey, the theatre, the ballet, the Coliseum, the Leaning Tower, some of the gardens. Oh yeah...and I'd drink a ridiculous amount of wine and eat fantastic food the whole time. But there's so much I don't know yet.

And that's where this post comes from.

It occurs to me that I can plan a trip and it doesn't have to mean that I'm going in 6 months. I can learn about all the regions in France and decide which ones are of the most interest to me...I have time to realize that I would love to visit Lake Como in Italy and see if the modern impressionistic picture in my living room even begins to capture the real place. And what's funny is that in beginning the exploration, I find myself pulled into learning more and more about the general southern part of Europe as a whole.

This all started out as an exploration of France, because I used to speak enough of the language that I think I could recover a fair amount and go spend a couple weeks practicing in the actual country. I enjoy art and it's always been a dream to visit the Louvre. And of course, France is known for their wine. But what about the Cote d'Azure? Or Provence? Or Bordeaux? Or the French countryside in general?

There's so much to consider! I think the next step is to buy a guidebook - I was looking at the Frommer's France 2011 today, and I think I could read it like a novel. It's got background and history on the country as a whole, then breaks up and explores each of the various regions. It's close to 1,000 pages and while I know some things get outdated, it seems to be the kind of book you could use for multiple trips (should I be so lucky)!

But then, as I'm daydreaming about a trip to France on the phone with my brother (younger bro, natch - who went with Band of America at age 17 to something like 10 countries in 17 days), he reminded me of how much he liked Switzerland...and of course, that's on the list too.

And then I went looking for info on Lake Como, because I dream about visiting the locale in my dang picture all the time...it makes me happy just to look at it, the town dipping right down to the water with the towering mountains in the background. And the more I read about Lake Como, the more I think that's where my focus should be for this imaginary trip. It's so...me. The activities are mostly based in being outdoors and active - you can go horseback riding, take sailing lessons, windsurf, water ski, and most interesting to me, hike up into the mountains where you can look down onto the lake and its surrounding towns. Can you imagine that view??? I could hike different routes for a week straight, and spend my off-time shopping and being beach-bound. That, to me, sounds pretty close to heaven!!


So of course, that lead to me wondering how far the lake was to Tuscany (Florence specifically - 4 hours) or to Milan (1.75 hrs) or to Nice, France (5 hrs) - because why not catch some French Riviera in the 2nd week of my trip?

I figure slowly I'll start building a spreadsheet focusing on what my ideal trip would look like, taking into consideration costs and the unfortunate exchange rate. And while it may take me a while to save enough to make it happen, why shouldn't I know exactly what I want to do when the dollars and a (possible) travel buddy become available??

It's funny, it doesn't have to be real yet for me to enjoy the research and the planning...it just has to have the possibility of being real to keep me content. And as they say, anything is possible!

Girls Nights Are...

This is just a short post, more fun and random than anything else!

I've had guys question girls nights, not understand them, not understand why we would want to exclude them. That is because girls nights are:

• Therapy - often, although not always, for guy problems
• Venting sessions - these differ from Therapy because no one wants a solution, it's a moment where she just wants to be heard
• A Safe Haven - I'll admit, you can have this w/your guy friends. But it's different. There's something great about getting together with your closest girl friends and just being yourself, warts and all
• Sanity Saving - like when you walk in the door and the first words out are, "can I get you a glass of wine?"
• Brainstorming Sessions - about anything and everything that needs to be addressed!
  

Short blog post, definitely. But I've got a girls night tonight that I'm pretty excited about, so I thought I's just share all the reasons why!

Support and Acceptance

Ok, I realize that the title here is maybe a little misleading. But...I'll explain where it comes from. First, let me build the background by saying that I'm jumping head first into a new business venture - I've started working with Arbonne, and so far I love it. There's so much to learn and there are tons of trainings, but I'm incredibly grateful that I haven't been dumped into a business and left to figure it all out on my own.

Part of my reason for moving in this direction is because I am at a point in my world where I really needed to try something completely new, to expand my boundaries, and to build some new skills that in some ways, scare me to death. I think it's healthy to push yourself from time to time in ways that maybe aren't the most comfortable but have the potential for great payoff. In this case, while of course I hope my business stays financially viable, the best payoff for me is the opportunity to meet new people through the presentations and get to talk to them about their lives.

Already, I've been fortunate to find that I really click with my sponsor - I think we have similar outlooks on the world, and it's always a gift to meet someone like that. Plus, working with one of my longtime friends is a major added bonus - we're learning together, and I trust her implicitly so it makes attempting to overcome some of the personal challenges a little less daunting.

In this process, I have been pleasantly surprised at how supportive those closest to me have been. Now, let me say that it's NOT the case that my doubt was based on previous experience...everyone's always wonderful, so why would I expect anything else? But as with any new thing, it's a learn-through-experience kind of deal. And I've been blown away by the people who have come to my launch parties, purchased items (and I've gotta say, the products do pretty much rock :)), or even just sent simple notes of encouragement and well wishes. It's been eye-opening to see how strong my network really is, and how blessed I am!

So...now to get to the explanation for the title. I have a friend's wife who is also starting out in direct sales with a different company. If her launch had been on a weekend, it's likely that I would have gone down just to support her...but it was a weekday and in the morning, so I couldn't make it. I sent a note expressing my excitement for both of us, suggesting we compare notes sometime, wishing her luck, and letting her know if she had a catalogue to let me know and I'd take a look at her products.

I have learned in the week leading up to getting her invitation how important and welcome that simple offer can be.

I got a note back saying that we should compare notes, and telling me in a fair amount of detail why she thinks her company is better than mine. At the end of the note, she deigned to offer to look at what my company might have that her company didn't.

Really?

Clearly, I'm a little irritated by the return message. I completely understand that some things don't come across well in an email...but was it really necessary to tell me why she thinks her company is better and to offer so little positive in response? I've got to admit, I'm incredibly hesitant now to even look at what she's selling - I'm sure the products are fine, but I don't need to be torn down in order to build someone else up.

In my world, it seems to me that the amazing support that people can offer also has to know how to be accepted on the other side. Sometimes that's not an easy thing - I'm terribly independent and get that - but at the very least, acknowledge the offer with grace.

So I guess to sum it up...all I'm saying is that to me, when people volunteer their time or their money or even something like a thought that they turn into a note in order to build me up, it's like my personal small miracle in that moment and means the world. And really, it's a shame for those people who have trouble purely accepting that offer...because they're missing out on an incredibly powerful experience.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's hard to believe that we're back into the holidays - I think I just don't believe it since it really hasn't snowed much this year. I, for one, definitely tie the colder weather to the holiday season...which is really weird, since in Colorado it's as likely to be 65 on Thanksgiving Day as it is to be 32.

So then, what is there to be thankful this year, since that's what this day is all about? I can say that it has been a roller coaster of a year, with extreme ups and downs...but the basic things I'm thankful for stay the same through all of it.

1. My family - My brother and SIL make so many days better just by being so fun and still so laid back. Plus they are so awesome about helping to build my relationship with my nephew. My nephew could brighten anyone's day - he's changing so much, and has wrapped his Auntie right around his finger (being told to get off a table by his dad, so he wraps his arms around my neck to give me a hug - seriously, who's going to remove a kid who's giving you a hug??) My parents, who are just as involved as we need them to be and are always willing to offer a hand when we ask. Oh, and I would be in remiss to not mention my very talkative cat!

2. My friends - So many of these people are basically extended family. They are the ones that support all my crazy ideas with love and sensitivity, are there when I need to vent/talk through things, remind me that I do actually have something to offer when I'm feeling spectacularly unspecial, and would be there at a moments notice. I've been blessed with so many AMAZING people in my life, who all bring something unique to my world...how in the world can you not be thankful for that??

3. My job - While things are slowly getting better 'out there', there are still people who are having a tough time making ends meet. I am fortunate to be working in the field that I have chosen, and it helps to support my crazy love of travel!

4. My health - I've been able to do some amazing things this year and am so grateful that my body continues to take the abuse :) A 1/2 Marathon, a 14er, a fair amount of country and swing dancing...hopefully more of all for 2011!

I'm sure that there are other things, but just writing these things down is an excellent reminder to me that there are always silver linings, even if I can't see them in the moment.

I hope you're having a wonderful Thanksgiving, and cheers to the upcoming holiday season!

I'm Back!

It has been months and months since I posted to my blog, and this time it's not for lack of things to talk about! Really, I jumped off onto a traveling binge right after my last post. Since the beginning of May I've been:

• Portland, Oregon for a wine tasting trip with three of my favorite ladies
• Southern Indiana for my Grandpa's 85th birthday
• Most of July I was holding still (if you don't count camping within the state)
• August I ran a 1/2 marathon
• September I went to Hawaii with one of my besties
• October I went to Maine with my dad to visit my other Grandad

So, as you can see, it's not been a slow six months! But...shame on me for not writing about all of these adventures. Because really, they were ALL adventures. Maybe now that I'm headed back to technologically solvent (yep, that's right, I finally replaced my 7 year old computer) I can circle back and tell the stories that I've collected!

Tonight I spontaneously ran into some friends at the mall and we decided to make an evening of it by getting dinner and catching up. Can I just say how much I love random run-ins like that? Anyway, there was a lot of talk of blogging and it inspired me to start catching up on my own project. I've got a few ideas about posts to add here, and they won't all tie to travelling...but I can't wait to put them out there!!

The Game of Constant Catch-up

The title of this blog is pretty much how I feel about my ability to keep the blog up to date! I've had all kinds of thoughts rolling around in my head for possible posts, now I just need to sit down and write them. Which means another possible flurry of activity before I go MIA for another month.

First, the coolest project ever:
The New York Times has a photography blog called Lens. They were behind the idea of appointing a time (15:00 UTC = Universal Coordinated Time) when anyone who was interested, anywhere in the world, would take a picture of what they were doing and submit it. That way, they could build a collage of literally a single set of moments from around the world.

The date for this project was Sunday, May 2nd and here in Denver the time for photo taking was 9am. I had actually thought ahead for this project and decided that at 9am I would be hiking up at Red Rocks - what better place to capture a Sunday morning in the Rocky Mountains? See - obviously this project captured my heart, because it takes a lot to get me out of bed at 7:30a on a weekend! It was a Colorado spring day in its truest form, with a combination of sunlight and the tiniest hint of snowflakes...but I was bundled up and eventually the sun did decide to play nice.

Anyway, my success with participation was unfortunately limited because my ancient computer decided it was not going to let me access, edit or email the photo (there were a series of computer crashes, a ridiculous amount of time, and a WHOLE lot of swearing before I came to the realization that it was futile), and I had made the mistake of taking it off my camera when I put it onto the computer. But, all the same, I know I was out there with thousands of other photographers at the same time doing exactly what they were doing in that moment. And what a cool experience, just knowing that!

Everyone should take some time and check out the end result - it will require a lot of time to look at everything, but even just clicking around will give you an idea of all the different things happening at 9am MST two Sundays ago!

Here's the link: A Moment In Time (NYT: Lens)

Two important things came out of this experience: (A) I am going to buy a new computer that will run programs from this decade and (B) I would love love LOVE to really start pursuing a new camera and a photo blog. Time will tell, and obviously the new computer is the key (I can't justify a nice camera until I have the technology to support it), but I get so excited about the possibility of sharing my photos - the good, the bad, and the ugly - that it might be closing in on the point that I have to find a way to make it happen!