Weekend Warrior

This weekend I (re)learned 6 very important things...

1. I love spinning.

2. I love Yoga.

3. I suck at Yoga.

4. I love to run. 

5. I love to run in the rain. 

6. I am going to be sooooo sore when I wake up tomorrow!

I was finally able to strap on my band new shoes and rock out a couple of spin classes :) I have been spinning with he same instructor for a while now but man did he turn up the intensity this weekend! I love it when those who inspire me get inspired! 

Next up was a super cool event hosted by a clothing store that I stalk.  Our local Lululemon hosted Glow Yo... I'd never heard of it either but think night club, glow sticks, a DJ and three kick-booty Yoga gurus and you've got Glow Yo! I apologize that the pictures aren't great but bad lighting and a super old iPhone (think first generation, yeah I know) do not make for awesome photos! 

The coolest part were the teams from AcroYoga Boston...

After 90 minutes of sweating my butt off I realized that I am so not flexy or bendy but it was so fun, even though I total suck at yoga I really had a great time.  I've tried yoga in the past but schedules and life kept getting in the way but I might be compelled to swap a bootcamp or spin class for yoga.  We shall see. 

My weekend was completed with a 5k for a great cause (no pictures of the run because I was busy, well, running!).  This is the 4th year in a row I have run this race and I love to see it getting better and bigger every year.  This year the sponsors and swag bags were awesome!  It was misting out when the race started and eventually there was a very short down pour.  I haven't run in about a month and didn't realize how much I missed it.  My time was in the crapper as I am nursing a nagging little ankle issue but I loved it and I loved it even more when the rain came down! 

I stood up halfway through writing this post and man oh man did my body let me know what it thought of all of my out of the ordinary exploits from the last 2 days.  I will absolutely be paying for all of this tomorrow!

Hope your weekend was wonderful!

Leah :)

It's the Little Things...

So that long weekend that I so enjoyed seems so, so very far behind me.  For such a short week at the cubicle cage the stress has been incredible.  The more I am faced with it the more I realize that I just don't handle stress very well.  I am in no way shape or form that person that can run around saying I live on and for stress, pressure does not make me more efficient.  Fortunately I have lots of projects waiting for me at home to distract me from all the stress that lives in my 8-5 work world.  

One of my most important projects is the wedding gift I am stitching for my brother and his soon to be wife.  They are getting married in about 3 weeks and I still have a lit of little stitches to go but I love how soothing the work is.  What's even better is now that summer is officially here I can sit and stitch on my back deck and peek at all the flowers and herbs in bloom :)

Stitches and blooms are my favorite stress relievers, what are yours?

Thanks for stopping by and smelling the roses ;)

Leah 

A Day to Remember

"Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It’s a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery [Arlington National Cemetery] and others. It’s a day to be with the family and remember."

A field of flags on The Boson Common

"We must always remember that peace is a fragile thing that needs constant vigilance. We owe them [Veterans] a promise to look at the world with a steady gaze and, perhaps, a resigned toughness, knowing that we have adversaries in the world and challenges and the only way to meet them and maintain the peace is by staying strong.

That, of course, is the lesson of this century, a lesson learned in the Sudetenland, in Poland, in Hungary, in Czechoslovakia, in Cambodia. If we really care about peace, we must stay strong. If we really care about peace, we must, through our strength, demonstrate our unwillingness to accept an ending of the peace. We must be strong enough to create peace where it does not exist and strong enough to protect it where it does. That’s the lesson of this century and, I think, of this day. And that’s all I wanted to say. The rest of my contribution is to leave this great place to its peace, a peace it has earned.

Thank all of you, and God bless you, and have a day full of memories."

~President Ronald Reagan, Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Day 1986~

As I enjoy my 3-day weekend a short walk through the Boston Common early Sunday morning made me remember the reasons why I don't have to be at work today.  To all those who have served, who currently serve, who will serve in the future and especially to those who have made the greatest sacrifice and proved that freedom isn't free I thank you.

~ Leah   

Happy Weekend!

Three day weekends are pretty rare for me so I am super excited about this one.  Amazingly enough I have no plans at all, nothing, zip, nada!! Thats even rarer, weekends have been so busy lately they almost don't feel like weekends.  I am very excited because I get all weekend to work on my many WIPs and just hang out. 

The weekend started off pretty awesome... New Kids On the Block on the spin track, new cycling shoes bought on sale and my order of washi tape arrived.  

What's better than that?!?!

Thanks for swinging through :)

Leah 

Celebration Sunday

Sunday is my favorite day of the week for so many reasons but every now and then my lazy Sunday goes haywire. Today was one of them! 

It started early and consisted of baking, wrapping, packing, traveling and most importantly family. I was able to put some of my newly tested recipes to work in order to celebrate with my brother and his fiancé at their wedding shower. Fortunately we had lots of sunshine, great food and lots of company to complete the day. 

Even though I like a quiet Sunday today was an excellent day.

Hope your Sunday was wonderful!

Leah :)

Confessions of a Crafter...

Ok, I will admit it! I am a bad block of the monther :(

Here is my track record…

January – Total rockstar! My blocks were done and posted with 2 weeks left to spare. Boom goes the dynamite!

February – Both blocks finished on time but due to poor fabric choices I only like one of them. Ugg!

March – Well…. I printed the pattern!

April – Um yeah, you get the idea…

May – Hahahaha! I have no idea why I am still typing.

So I need to get my booty back on track with these blocks. I would love to be all caught up by the end of May, but let’s face it I currently have about 11 Works in Progress not counting these quilt blocks. 

 Am I doomed to be forever unfinished?

Does anyone else have this mental defect? Why is it I love to start things, work on them but never really finish them? I mean, I own the patterns and the supplies it’s not like I can’t make another one once I finish the first!  I look around my work room and see all of these lovely things in the midst of being finished, I know exactly where I will hang them or who they will be given to when done but I just can’t bring myself to stitch that final stitch or snap the back on the frame.  The worst part is I keep looking for new projects; I have shelves full of books with tabs and stickies marking my next craftventure.  I am certifiable!

For the love of all things crafty let me just finish one!

Thanks for stopping in!

:) Leah

Mother's Day Sunday

Happy Mother's Day!

This year I wanted to do something fun for my mom so I decided to play on the fact that I have a tattoo she doesn't approve of.  I always tell her I'm gong to get another one and she thoroughly disapproves.  I have been dropping hints that I was going to get one just for her and for Mother's day I did just that... with a little help from Jenny Hart and the Sublime Stitching Craft Pad!

A tattoo fit for a Mom!

I gathered up some supplies I had lying around, making sure to use bright springy colors and of course a little purple and got to work.  I traced the design on to a gold card I had using some carbon paper.  

I used a basic backstitch for the whole thing other than a few little bits here and there.  Man oh man stitching through card stock is a little more difficult than I thought says the girl who snapped two needles in the process .  Even so I am happy with my brand new tattoo!

My mom taught me just about everything I know about just about every kind of craft out there so I am grateful for her every day.  Today also happens to be my parents' 33rd wedding anniversary! Later today we will be meeting up with my grandmother and some of my aunts to have Mother's Day tea and cake.  

Now thats what I call a good Sunday! I hope you 

all enjoy yours!

Thanks for stopping by!

Leah :)