Love Not Lipo ... Live a Little, Love a Lot

I remember the day my parents bought this beautiful Stickley armoire entertainment center for her living room.  She told me at the time it was eventually going to be moved upstairs and used as a closet.  If you knew my mom, you would know that once that decision was made, there was nothing that could derail her from that path.

So when the movers came to bring the piece upstairs, and they determined the stairway was too shallow to accommodate the armoire, she was very disappointed, and I felt sad for her.  When she called me a couple days later, she said she they had talked about it, and decided that Todd and I should have the armoire.  I encouraged her to consider keeping it downstairs, or try to sell it, but true to her nature, her mind was made up.  I was overwhelmed with emotion, and filled with gratitude.  It is the most beautiful and special piece either Todd or I have ever owned, and as the mover put it, “it will outlive all of us.”  Considering the contents that go in it, Todd took particular interest in this piece of furniture. 

It is my hope that now that all my major home projects, and most of my Christmas shopping is over, I will get back to more consistency in my blogging.  I always notice a difference in my emotional well-being when I have not been taking the time to journal my life to this amazing blogging community! 

It was an overwhelming process….

But all the hard work was ultimately totally worth it.  I worked on painting throughout the course of last week.  I would get up at 5:30, workout, go to work, come home and work some more, with clients in between, I was living in total chaos.  In fact I accomplished many of my fitness goals, but not all of the strength training.  I am hopeful about this coming week!  By Friday, all of the painting was finally complete! But I couldn’t get started yet because my parents still needed more help, so Todd and Jake and I went back to Troy to have a little birthday party for Jakey, and assist with their home improvements!  (the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, you know.)

Then I woke up early, 6am Saturday to do my decorating.  Pure joy with my new “Newburyport Blue” canvas. 

I saw these pears at TJ Maxx, a huge container of ornaments for $19.99, and I knew they would be perfect.  I cut the strings off most of them and displayed them on the mantle, and hung all the tiny ones on the Christmas tree. 

I am absolutely exhausted, but totally gratified.

The good news is, I have been totally plugged in creatively, physically, socially, spiritually, and organizationally.  The bad news is that all that structure and activity has left me very little time to Blog about it.  It’s actually not really bad news, as much as it’s “ironic news.”  I conceptualized and kicked off Love Not Lipo for the purpose of inspiring me to live a full and rewarding life.  It has definitely done that, but now what about the blog??
 
There were possibly multiple compelling stories to be told of my adventures over the last few days.  However once a day or two elapses the news is already dated, and I’m on to the next thing.  So how about a quick recap? 
 
I met my commitment and completed Week 1 of strength training and I’m actually well on my way to a much more diverse fitness program.  I think I had been feeling a little bored now that the race is over, and this seems like a good opportunity to try and switch some routines up.  I tend to get a little scared about switching routines up (I am an embarrassingly habituated creature) but I’m just trying to push through that feeling and embrace the possibility present in change.  I have reintroduced strength training, interval training, the elliptical, treadmill running during the week, and outdoor running on the weekend.  I would love to incorporate yoga again, but I just don’t think I’m there yet.  My current schedule looks something like this:
 
Sunday: 5 mile run outdoors
Monday: 1 hour interval circuit training
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 1 hour elliptical machine, ½ hour Back and Biceps
Thursday: ½ hour treadmill run, ½ hour elliptical machine
Friday: Shoulders, Chest, Triceps, Legs, 1 hour total, (cardio rest)
Saturday: 5 mile run outdoors
 

Saturday I followed through with my commitment to spend some more time with my friends.  I met the lovely Gabrielle (my  favorite “talk psychology/talk design” friend) for lunch at 4 seasons, frozen yogurt at Plum Dandy.(I had Harvest Muffin and Euro Tart, she had Euro Tart and Ginger Lemon Sorbet) and a little bit of Christmas shopping at Gap Kids. 

Her daughter Paige is 2, and far more fun to shop for than Jake and Danny.  I seriously need to have a baby girl.   (Hi Todd? Are you reading this?)

Girl stuff is just cuter

 
I raced back to the house and met up with Todd so we could go down to Troy and help my mom and Phil move some furniture around the house.  My mom was not impressed when she noticed my black patent leather platform heals and hot pink silk blouse. 
 
“I thought you were here to help me Clairey!!” 
“I thought Todd was gonna help you.”
“Take your shoes off.”

you know you love 'em

She brought me a giant white button down shirt to put on over my clothes to keep them clean.  I was swimming in it.  This shirt used to belong to me, and it used to fit, and I had one of those moments quietly shuddering to myself remembering a past I want to forget.  She and I looked at each other and started giggling. 
 
We helped for an hour, then rushed off to “Sushi Thai at the Park” to meet one of our favorite couples for dinner.  Unbelievable Thai food and Sushi with friends who are really more like family.  Priceless.
 
Yesterday I was going from the minute I woke up.  Mocha mint coffee with Original Silk Soymilk (the best), and almond butter and banana smeared on “Wrap Itz” Whole Grain Tortilla (also the best) started my day off.  Then I ran 3.6 miles to Curtis Lumber and back to order more paint to finish up the dining room. 

remodeling chaos. wait till you see the finished product!!

I thought I would be able to finish the job that day, and had it not been interwoven with cooking all the meals for the week, and four loads of laundry, perhaps I would have.  It was not much of a day of rest, but I’m not complaining because I did more playing than usual on Saturday. 
 
Last coat on the trim of dining room tonight….just in time for Christmas decorating.  I’m so excited!! :)

We have been in our house a year, and I am very excited to say I am finally beginning some of my long overdue home

"My Inspiration" (Photo Credit: Pottery Barn)

 improvement projects.  Today I scrape wall paper (while simultaneously trying to prepare week 3 Ultrametabolism detox food for the week) to work towards materializing my inspiration from this photo.  I am waiting to hear back from George Laing on some prints I would like to order from him, and my Tuscany print, and ‘Haybales in a Field’ print are on the way.  I am keeping this brief so I can go work on prepping my walls for this gorgeous cadet blue that will be going up on them soon!