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Lifestyle Diet

Not to be confused with a diet-diet, this one is for the lifestyle as a whole, and desperately needed in casa String.

After reading through some old posts the other day, I couldn't help but notice the frequency of "I'm sick" or "I have a headache" or "I'm overwhelmed" type posts. I don't want to be the Whiny Blogger That Couldn't, but rather, the Strong Blogger that's Healthy - or something of that nature.

So, I'm slowly integrating this n' that into my lifestyle to turn it around, lift it up, and tone it down a bit. I'm growing to realize, that there are somethings that effect my health, that I just cant change. Like all the travel. Can't change that, I will always be "on the road" so to say. But what I can change, is the approach I take. Doing my best to eat healthy + always packing those gym shoes when on a trip will make things more bearable.

This week I've added two solid routines, involving food + exercise. Starting with the basics, here...

• Each Sunday I'll print out my gym's class schedule and map out which classes I'll attend, or what I will do each day to get some exercise. A contract with myself, if you will.
• On the same calendar, I've added the meal schedule for the week.The eating-out, junk-food extravaganza has got to stop, people. It's killing my waistline! Stop tempting me with all those delectable desserts you feature on your blogs, really, help a sista out.
• CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) - Erin is brilliant. After her "we need to eat locally" post yesterday - it dawned on me that folks in rural areas aren't the only ones that can do this! I too (despite the fact that I live in a city) can have fresh, in season, local fruits and veggies practically delivered to my door! And you can too, check it out. I can't wait for the first delivery.

So, I'm wondering....

• What do YOU do to stay healthy?
• Do you have any favorite meals that you cook or tricks that you use to keep yourself on track?

Tomorrow, I'll post an easy + healthy recipe with a bit of a Pakistani twist from my mother in law.

Organizing {again}

Have you heard of the saying "the cobblers kids have no shoes"? Well I had a really low moment the other day involving "the seamstress has a crappy wallet".

It consisted of a trip to the ice-cream shop with my parents. I ordered the obligatory "Gold Metal Ribbon"...my parents with their shared sundaes (this has been their routine since I can remember, creatures of habit, I think. It's a lovely habit I must say).

When the cashier began ringing up the tab, I quickly grabbed my "wallet" and jumped up to treat. Not something they let me do, usually, so I was trying my best to be quick. My sugar-induced euphoria quickly imploded when the 16-year-old cashier scoffed, laughed and coughed "nice wallet", in her best I'm-so-cute-I-can't-stand-it teeny-bopper voice.

Offended? Sure. But let's be honest, people, the girl's got a point. It's not exactly lady-like to traipse about the city with my goods all crammed into a zip-lock bag, now is it? I'm not quite skilled enough to make my own wallet, and thank goodness for that, because I never would have found this little beauty on Etsy, if I was. Goodness gracious, I love this wallet.

It's made with the highest crafted precision, using the loveliest of vintage heavy-weight fabric, and contains just the perfect amount of pockets, including a zippered pouch for chapstick. Woot woot for the perfect wallet/clutch + another awesome Esty seller - thanks Dogwood Lane!

Midnight Fabric Shopping

I disappeared for a bit, didn't I? And without any notice, shame on me. Sometimes that needs to happen, doesn't it? Setting aside the tools we use to document + reflect on our lives - to actually live.

And live I did. This past week was an absolute flurry of happy activity - none of which were creative related. But just a generally good time connecting with friends, soaking up the sun in the South Bay and wiping myself out. Which is the states of affairs for me right now. I'm back at home, reflecting + relaxing.

And my favorite part of returning home? Besides reuniting with the hubs, well, going through the mail of course!

Confessions of an Exaggerator

Confession - I exaggerated. I usually do a bit - but I think it's pretty obvious when I do. I realized that I went a bit over board after all the concerned emails I received from this latest earthquake. When I said "violent tossing" I really meant "strong swaying". There really was nothing violent about it. "Violent" was the 6.2 quake I was in a few years back in Tokyo. Seven floors up, laying next to a large window. That was scary. The one the other day, was not. I'm just an exaggerating baby is all. My apologies for that + thanks for the concern. I hope I'm not crying wolf....

The photo above is my new favorite photo of my sis taken on Friday - during my last meal before the hubs returned. We ended out the week with a bang - dinner consisting of Frijts + Beer. A nice square meal indeed. He's home. I'm happy. And the weekend is being spent visiting with my 'rents...a simple relaxing weekend in the sun. So so nice. I'm really soaking it up while completely ignoring the fact that I have to leave for another week. I promise not to be so whiney next week. Well, so blatantly whiney anyway.

A warm, happy weekend to you.

4.2 Earthquake at 4:42am

Just when I thought I made it though the week scott free....it's Friday...he's finally coming home today....I had to be woken with the violent tossing about of my room. Another earthquake - this one, about 4.2 on the Richter scale. Not strong enough to cause the kinda damage shown in the above photo. To the street anyway. I sure would say that if a seismic measurement or photograph could be taken of my rattled nerves - it would look much the same.

It sucks to be alone in the house when stuff like this happens.

Time to take a quick inventory of the dishes....and go back to bed. Fingers crossed that the little ones that usually come pitter-pattering through the house after big mama, will step lightly in her wake.

Hot Pockets + Beer

Well, apparently I'm not the only one that eats like crap, makes a mess + watches trashy TV when there's no one around to guide me to be a better person. I can't tell you how happy that makes me feel. Last night was a little more soul feeding. The evening involved a delectable dinner with the sis...a trip to my beloved sale section of Anthropologie (yes, "my beloved" - it's as familiar to me as my living room)...and ended with...you guessed it - another sleep-over, a bottle of wine + 'sumore trashy TV. Really, though, what's better then that?

But I didn't pop in today to go on and on again about my self-destructive behavior. I need a little help, and wondered if you could lend a hand.

I'm working on a custom order for a long-term-blog-friend (identity to be released when I get a photo of her dear little future-babe - ETA: September). This custom order is especially fun for me, partly because she has great style (I can see that through her knitting + fabric suggestions), and partly because she's given me a lot of creative freedom.

So, I'm wondering - what do you think of these fabric choices?

Outside of the bag:

Inside (a nice surprise - especially for a sweet baby girl - not that we're trying to genderize the poor babe!):

Want to be a part of the creative process? I'll blog it here. Maybe it would be fun for the little babe to someday see the journey of how her diaper bag was made. Or maybe that's just something we all think is fun. Seriously though, it's what this whole handmade movement is all about, isn't it? A re-connection to the people that lovingly take the time to make the things we use. We can't get that shoppin' at Walmart, now can we?

Totes + Hip Hop

I made a mental list of the things I can do that are a little more difficult when the hubs is hanging about the house distractin' me. The first three items on the list were related to eating (as most lists in the house are). Meal time is a big deal around these parts. Partly because we love food so much and partly because we're never organized enough to have food in the house and there's the sad sad state of affairs involving our inferior cooking skills.

 

Meal time usually involves an annoyingly drawn out negotiation of where to eat. How 'bout Thai? No, too greasy. How 'bout Mexican? No, we were just at my mom's house. How 'bout sandwiches? To which he almost always replies: "you know I like my dinners warm". Well there you go. Guess what I've been eating for dinner the past few days? Yes, sandwiches. And breakfast for dinner. Or like last night, strawberries and tea. And then some crackers. And cereal. So if there is one silver lining I can point to during the dark days of my husband's temporary absence, it's the freedom to eat like total crap.

My mom once told me that if she didn't have kids she would eat salsa and chips for dinner every night. I think I understand where she's coming from now. Although, I would add a margarita to that balanced meal. You, know, for the fruit vitamins.

The other thing is getting lost in sewing projects while blaring my most treasured hip-hop music. Common + Q-Tip were on last night. The melodies were turned up full blast and accompanied with a little off-tone back-up vocals by yours truly. Thoroughly annoying entertaining for my neighbors, I'm just sure of it.

But look what came of it. A nice little neat pile of crisp linen + denim + canvas shopping totes. I'm experimenting a bit with a new look and some applique. I love the way they turned out and I'm hoping that I don't stash these away for myself before they're whisked away from the shop. It's so interesting to see the patterns in style in print + pattern throughout time when working with some of these vintage fabrics.

When in Doubt - Play with Color

Yesterday was my first full day of health (with the exception of the sharp pain that kept me up from 1am-2am last night). It was also the first of the three days that I get to myself this month to do whatever I want (or need) to do. It was also the beginning of the only week I will have in my house this month. I wanted it to be filled with productive work, the kind that makes the mind strong and soul calm. Cleaning...cooking...organizing...crafting.

Almost none of that actually happened (with the exception of the last one). Instead I sat around feeling guilty for not being motivated to do any of it. And sad that the one week at home this month was also the one week the hubs would be away. Egh, hate that feeling.

Things really started looking up when I finally decided to throw up my hands and indulge in the feeling. I didn't want to "regret" my non-productive Saturday, so I did what any child of the 80's would and turned on Dirty Dancing for a day filled with mindless craft + periodic naps.

The day ended with lots of fabric tags (in the boutique now) and an Entourage + Flight of the Conchords sleep-over with my sis. My sister has many many talents - but her best skill? Cheering up her big-baby of a big-sister.

 

"Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy"

Have you ever heard that song? Neither had I until I managed to make my way up to the Calgary Stampede this week where I heard that song about 392 times in less then 48 hours. Despite the short visit, as much craziness as you can think of happened and Canada pretty much knocked me on my butt. So much so that I had to cut my trip short and return home early. This mostly due to a violent bought of God-Only-Know's-What involving me becoming "that girl" on the plane - grossing everyone out. I'm trying my best not to go into the details - feel lucky today that your not one of my sisters, because I would be on the phone with you right now breaking out all the disgusting details. I do that, I don't know why.

I'm so.so.so happy to be home. The trip home was the longest short trip home I've ever had and every time I turned around, my patience was tested. Right down the very last minute when I was picking up my luggage and there were about 40,000 mis-behavin' children in the luggage carousel area of SFO. Screaming, kicking and ramming their carts into my ankles. I'm ashamed to say that I had a minor melt down involving "words" with a 12 year old and a evil stare down contest with his mother. Right after that, my phone died so I couldn't find my husband. Karma? Most likely. The world has a way of balancing things out.

At any rate, it took until about this here minute to recover and I'm finally moving about my house freely instead of shouting from the back room "babe, can you make me 'sumore chicken broth?". The man is a saint.

The weekend turned for the better after a baseball game with the hubs and then a surprise at my doorstep from Megan. And if you don't know who Megan is, go on over and introduce yourself. The photo doesn't do it justice, but she sent me a generous package full of soapy goodies from her shop. Body + face soap, foot balm (which I need after wearing cowboy boots for 48 hours straight!), a scrubby exfoliating thingy + the coolest soap dish ever (already displayed in my bathroom, thank you very much). This stuff smells soooo good, and is that healthy luxurious kind of stuff you could probably eat if you were really hungry and couldn't find an apple. Thank you, Megan!

Before I forget! Thank you so so much...for all your kind congratulatory wishes and messages from my anniversary. The hubby was just as touched. Ya'll are just too sweet.

::Hello::Goodbye::

Popping in to say hello! We're back from Key West. I have lots of thoughts to share on Key West, The South (in general) and the feelings of vacation, etc... but guess what? I'm leaving again. I'm heading off to Calgary in a few hours and will be back Friday. I'll do my best to pop in before then, but who knows where that wild town will take me in the next couple of days.

One of the things I love the most about vacation is coming back. Namely the rhythm of getting back into the swing of things, looking at my life and daily routines with a fresh perspective. The process of sealing up the box of vacation memories as I shuffle about the house with tan skin, flip flops still caked in sand, toes still painted in tropical colors. I'm hopeful that my vacation resolutions (I always come back with a few) will stick. They're almost always the same no matter where I go....eat healthier, get more sleep, exercise...you know how it is. And I suppose that's what vacation is all about, right? Renewal. Rejuvenation.

I wish I wasn't leaving today, but I am. I want more then anything to just settle back into the house and indulge in that back-from-vacation feeling, catch up with your blogs...and emails....and flickr photos.

All that (along with a little shop update) will have to wait, though for this weekend.

I'll be sure to pop in this week with photos of this wild Canadian city of Calgary...