by Joey | Oct 8, 2014 | Throwback
Flat-Out Celeste Jessica Park.
This is the third book in the Flat-Out series. If you haven’t read Flat-Out Love or Flat-Out Matt, get on it. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this one because in the previous novels, Celeste is a very interesting (read: unique and different) character. But this was amazing. The moment I finished, I immediately wanted to read it over again. This book explores how one with social anxiety communicates and connects with others. It was very well done, which I’ve come to expect from Jessica Park, and it it was just so darn heart warming.
After I’m Gone Laura Lippman.
This was a book that was pretty hyped in blogland. It’s the story of a man who disappears and leaves behind a wife, a girlfriend and three daughters. I’ve mentioned this book before here. While it had potential, it wasn’t my favorite. There was a good bit of storyline that just didn’t seem necessary.
Change of Heart Jodi Picoult
This book is about a woman who has experienced more loss than one person ever should as she fights for her daughter’s life. She’s faced with unimaginable decisions. I was hooked immediately, and every time I thought I knew how this would all go, I was wrong. Couldn’t put it down.
Vanishing Acts Jodi Picoult
This book is about trying to find the right in the wrong, and how our lives and our memories might not be what we think they are. The storyline was completely intriguing, but once again I was lost in a sea of unnecessary side story lines. Still worth a read, though!
by Joey | Oct 7, 2014 | Throwback
My Running Essentials:
- Runtastic App. This tracks my distance, duration of exercise, calories burned and my pace. It’s a free app, and I love it!
- Running shoes. You all remember how I ended up in a boot for
several seven weeks? Yeah. That was because I thought the rules didn’t apply to me. Since then, I’ve been loving my Brooks Ravenna 5s! They’re crazy comfortable and very light!
- Fitbit Flex. This is not necessary by any means. But I love it. On the days I’m feeling lazy (read: considering skipping my run) this little bugger encourages me to get out there. I love the social network part of it that encourages friendly competition with my buddies. You can also track your diet, water intake, sleep and more!
- Music. I actually prefer spotify over pandora (less commercials, in my opinion) but I toggle between both depending on my mood. I also usually listen to some sort of Sara Bareilles Radio station, but sometimes I switch it up and jam to today’s hits station. I tend to switch to the hits near the end of a run when I’m losing steam and need some higher energy!
I never thought I’d be this girl. But I really wanted to be. So I made it happen. I can thank the c25k program for that. I was the least athletic person I knew before I started with that program, so if I could become a runner, so can you. Promise.
There’s plenty that I love about running. I love how I feel. I love that now my body looks fit and strong (instead of weak and sick). I love the time with myself. While I’m generally alone through out my day, this is time that I dedicate to doing something for me. I love being out among the campus and people. I feel way more connected to my surroundings now that I started running. I also love the dose of fresh air. This couch potato would sometimes go DAYS without ever really spending any time outside.
I started running to keep track of my writing goals. And it worked. But I kept running because of how it made me feel.
by Joey | Oct 6, 2014 | beauty, Loves, Real Life
>>A turkey sandwich with romain lettuce, mayo, salt & pepper. I didn’t even miss the cheese.
>> Campbell was weird, once again. I heard all sorts of commotion. I found him in the bathtub basically swimming. It was empty.
>> There was a bird in the tree just outside that window. He flipped the freak out.
>> Another Bikini So Teeny dupe! Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in Hard Bitten
>> I was already in my pajamas on Friday night when I decided I needed dessert. Yeah. I put real clothes back on and drove all the way to dollar general for sweets. Clearly, I’m doing really well on the whole “eating clean” thing.
>> I spent Friday night curled up on the couch with that snuggle butt devouring episode after episode of Drop Dead Diva. I’m not even a little sorry.
>> Mani of the weekend: Sally Hansen Triple Shine in Wavy Blue
>> After I spent the entire day in the kitchen on Saturday watching the Campbell game (we won!) and prepping all of J’s food for the week, I went into downtown Raleigh for the Bluegrass festival with these lovely ladies and some of their men! It was so necessary.
>> I found that funny on Sunday morning…and while I wish I could say I felt like death from partying too hard the night before, I simply woke up with the sickness upon me. But I do remember those kinds of mornings from college. Oh, college…
I spent Sunday trying to get my life back on course. Everything has just sort of…spiraled out of my control and I feel a little bit like my head is under water. Hoping to get life back in gear this week!
by Joey | Oct 3, 2014 | Throwback
OPI overexposed in south beach Color Club harp on it
Another
DIY gel mani: photos taken on day 3
I have a different sort of “favorite” for you today. Last year feels like it was just yesterday. But yesterday, I ran 3 miles. And I felt great.
The nip in the air reminded me of it all. I wonder how many falls have to pass before I no longer make the correlation. Or is it like a scent? Will the bright sun and slight nip always remind me of it all.
Don’t know what I’m talking about? Oh.
Here. That right there is a post I wrote exactly a year ago yesterday. Scary stuff, huh? Yeah. If you don’t care to run over and read that post and want the sparks notes version: I was
sick last fall. Really sick. In the grand scheme of life it was only a few months. But while it was happening? It felt like it would never end. I felt like I’d never feel normal again. And I was terrified of what they’d tell me every time the phone rang with the results of yet another test.
I thought about it all yesterday while I was running. I remembered the day I was out with my family but kept complaining about my abdomen. I remembered collapsing on the kitchen floor in pain, thus starting the whole saga. I thought about the ultrasound I had sure they’d tell me my gall bladder needed to come out. And then I remembered how my breath caught in my throat when instead, they found what they thought were cyst but instead turned out to be tumors on my liver. I remembered the day I got the call…they couldn’t say for sure that the tumors were benign. I thought about my husband rushing home and just breaking down into him. I remembered leaving the doctor’s office without the answers I so desperately needed and feeling so completely helpless. I remembered how I felt when my doctor finally shrugged his shoulders at me and referred me to Duke.
I remembered dancing out of the surgeon’s office when he finally agreed to operate.
And then the alarm went off.
I’d completed my 5k run.
I slowed to a walk and shook the memories from my mind.
So my favorite today?
Yesterday, I was running.
And I feel great.
by Joey | Oct 2, 2014 | Throwback
>> Limiting dairy. I’m like a broken record, I know. I thought it would be impossible. Cheese! Ice cream! Pizza! How could I cut that out? But you know what? In my regular daily life, the only real dairy I ate consistently was cheese, milk in my cereal, and my french vanilla coffee mate creamer. I quit cereal. I quit adding cheese to my sandwiches. And I switched my coffee mate creamer for non-dairy, lactose and soy free almond milk. I’m not eliminating dairy completely…the fact that I had a mcflurry for dinner the other night proves that point, but just making those changes to my daily life have changed everything for me! My stomach is so much more reliable, less bloated, and much happier!
>> Writing is…hard. Half the battle for me, I know, is showing up daily. But actually pounding out words? Sheesh. Some days it’s like pulling teeth. I know that’s usually how first drafts go, but I miss the fun part. Huh. I didn’t realize how much I prefer rewrites to writing! It’s hard for me to turn the “perfectionist” side of my brain off. The only point of a first draft is to get the words down. Why is that so hard sometimes!!
>> I’ve been staying up entirely too late. I know it’s mostly because I want to see J when he finally gets home, but I think I need to just let that go and go to sleep!
>> Along the same lines, I need to get back into my old schedule. I think another reason I’ve been staying up so late is because I find that I’m still working at 6 or 7 because hey, my husband isn’t here anyway, might as well keep on keeping on. But then I can’t turn my brain off, so I need to unwind with a show or a book. And the next thing I know, it’s after midnight.
>> I was looking through the Harlow & Sage instagram account the other night and sharing different videos/pictures with J. Now he’s convinced himself that we’re getting a puppy. We’re not getting a puppy.
>> October is jam packed for us. September flew right on by, so I just know that in a blink of an eye October will be behind us. How does that even happen?
