"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased." Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Good instincts tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out.” – Michael Burke
One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation. – Arthur Ashe
“The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision.” – Lao-tzu
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
So much heat! Luckily, I was up early & volunteering as a massage guinea pig. Oh how I love my career path! Since then, I’ve been staring at a computer screen most of the day. Memory on my laptop (and – this just in – on my blog too – eep!) have been running severely low limits. I’ve been moving files all day (hence the title) to make more room. I’m not sure what to do about my blog yet, so I’ve had to delete some very early photos. I’ve got them saved though, so not to worry!
It’s so hot, the home schooling moms have resorted to actual home schooling rather than “field trips.” – Tweeted by @FakeJDGreear
In duality love comes and goes; in unity there is only love. – Deepak Chopra
“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” – Mark Twain
Ok, sun is leaving now. Bye sun. ::waves goodbye:: – Tweeted by @Kokyubbq
“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
Thank you, Pinterest! Dinner was a great success! I found 2 amazing recipes, went grocery shopping, made & enjoyed them in the same night. First up was a nectarine pizza with basil and balsamic. I tweaked the recipe a bit, but it was still delicious! I used peaches, spinach, parmesean, & light balsamic vinaigrette. And for dessert, I made lemon brownies – sounds strange, but tastes great! I went light on the lemon it called for because I didn’t want it to taste too bitter. It worked well!
I also had time this afternoon to pamper myself a little – mani/pedi. First time I’ve gone solo – major accomplishment! I enjoy spending time alone, but going out and doing things alone is something I’ve only been experimenting with for a few years. (Sounds like a long time, but I don’t really have that much free time – like, at all.) It takes a little shove from my pushy over-the-shoulder angel, but once I’m out exploring, I’m good to go. Very content & making friends everywhere. I don’t know what was going on with me, but I was in a very red, white, & blue mood – navy & white striped dress along with my red nail color. Pair that with the same color combo of the Cracker Barrel game we have at home & that is what a snapshot of my afternoon was. I think I’m just ready for the 4th of July!
“Most of us are just about as happy as we make up our minds to be.” – Abraham Lincoln
The theme of your daily practice is how you are each day. Feel into every part of you & realize who you are. – Tara Stiles
“I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” – Thomas Edison
What can I say? I love to take pictures of my eyes. The first picture I took on my first digital camera was of my eyes. I don’t feel I’m lacking self-confidence there. : ) I remember (I think it was on America’s Next Top Model) hearing the phrase, “Smile with your eyes.” I’ve also heard that if someone doesn’t have “laugh lines” around their eyes when they are laughing/smiling, then they are faking a laugh/smile. Pretty neat that orbicularis oculi (muscle around your eye – sorry, habit of being in the medical field)!
“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The title was inspired by the song of this morning (which turned into the song of the day) – The Hairbrush song
After singing the song a few times, I took J&R to Barnes & Noble. Love that place! I surprisingly didn’t buy anything this trip. I’m making sure I stick to my goal of finishing The Great Gatsby before I read any new novel.
I’m still reading Yoga Cures and Capturing Life Through (Better) Photography. I love them both! Such helpful and relatable resources. Not to mention their respective authors (Tara Stiles & Tamara Lackey) are pretty awesome women.
“Trusting our intuition often saves us from disaster.” – Anne Wilson Schaef
A trailer my brother shared with me for an upcoming animated film – love the concept!
‘Twas a day full of bike riding, playing in the park, & pampering feet! The latter referring to the reflexology event my energy class participated in. We offered 30 minute treatments for the night students & staff – a 10 minute Epsom salt foot soak followed by a 15 minute reflexology treatment for the feet. It was a great success & so much fun!
I am thankful for: Epsom salt foot soaks. And the word “ambiance”.
B.
I found Santa, Mrs. Claus, reindeer, & a very appropriate plate – COMN2TWN
That might sound boring, but I think the boring stuff is the stuff I remember the most. –Russell (Up)
“If you have zest and enthusiasm you attract zest and enthusiasm. Life does give back in kind.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“Don’t be afraid to go out on a limb. That’s where the fruit is.” – H. Jackson Browne
“Think and wonder, wonder and think.” – Dr. Seuss
“Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.” – Norman Vincent Peale
“To write well, express yourself like the common people, but think like a wise man.” – Aristotle
Goodbye? Oh, no, please. Can’t we go back to page one and do it all over again? –Pooh
“Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances.” – Author Unknown
Sunday was full of typing. Homework. More typing. Basically catching up with my life. : ) I managed to get a picture of my reflection in a door knob & my free lip balm, courtesy of Durham Bulls & Burt’s Bees! It was so totally awesome! They had the biggest box of Burt’s Bees lip balm ever!
I also “favorited” a lot of quotes on Twitter. : )
Durham Bulls game memorable quote from the small child beside us:
“Hey, I got a ball! I got it from Jesus.”
“Sprinted up 3 flights of stairs only to beat the guy on the elevator. Something’s wrong with this picture… #iworkout ;)”
– Meredith
Durham Farmer’s Market:
M & I visited the market this morning! We had such a great time. Even bought flowers for ourselves (her idea)! There were so many great vendors out. I finally made a purchase from Monuts Donuts! I’ve been stalking their trike for a while now, but always arrive just after the last sale. Ha! I won this time, peeps. I bought one dozen vegan donuts (half blackberry mojito, half whiskey lemon glazed) and bought an earl grey chocolate donut to go. They were amazing! If you’re in the Triangle, you should stalk them too!
After we toured the Farmer’s Market, we strolled the short distance to Daisy Cakes. I’ve been wanting to visit this little gem for a while as well. It was well worth the wait! M & I both got iced coffee and Greek yogurt parfaits. They were so yummy! I got a (free!) cupcake to go. Thanks guys! It was delicious!!
When we were leaving the market, I noticed a sign for Yoga in the Park, which made a great deal of sense having seen a rather large group of people gathered up on a hill practicing yoga behind the market. It was great to see! I’m still pretty chicken to try a class & make a fool of myself, but I’d really like to give it a shot.
Smoothie-turned-juice:
As I mentioned yesterday, I found a great smoothie recipe, but discovered my blender was broken. I left the fruit frozen until I was taught how to put together and use the juicer today. It turned out great!
Durham Bulls Game:
After spending a few hours apart to complete other tasks, M & I reconvened for the Bulls game. Front row seats, right next to the dugout! You have to admit, that’s pretty cool! On our way to the game, we picked up Noodles & Co. and proceeded to scarf it down in the parking garage. I literally mean scarf it down. It was serious business people.
Once in the game, there was dancing, a few little league teams that joined us in the empty seats, and quite a few hilarious moments from them. It was a great game! And a fun night! M & I stopped for photo opps all day, but I think the most fun was had after the game, walking back to the car. We sat in a “No Parking Zone”. Oops!
My proudest moment all day: figuring out the name of this song. I’ve been obsessed with it recently! Owl City + Carly Rae Jepsen song – Good Time.
“Don’t go through life, grow through life.” – Eric Butterworth
“Every wisp of experience that comes our way is registered in the brain & body. Cultivating joy & compassion will enhance well being. ”
– Deepak Chopra
“All that spirits desire, spirits attain.” – Khalil Gibran
“thank you for all the incredible support u have shown us .it’s been a honor to share these amazing +wonderful stories with u all.”
– Amanda x
The last quote is from the masterful mind behind The Conversationon Lifetime. It is an incredible show & I urge you to check it out! The first season wrapped last night, but I have high hopes for many more following!
From my memo to myself about what to title this post (yes, that really happened), it seems that “I promise” was the common phrase between M & me last Friday. I also wrote something about Tarzan, so I think we watched it that day. I love that movie!
My dad’s shirt from This Shirt Helps finally arrived! He liked it! I didn’t get a chance to explain how the whole process worked, but the company allows you to choose wear the donation part of your purchase goes – there are different causes your purchase supports. I chose (for him) the education of a child. I thought it would mean the most to him.
I found a recipe for a smoothie on pinterest! (Shocking!) I loved it! I had it every morning this week. Next week, I think I’m going to try it with a twist – instead of papaya, I’m going to use mango. And might I just warn you, be careful to use the exact amount of ginger that is called for. Someone (me) might have used a lot more than what was called for & suffered a bit from it. I also discovered that the blender was actually faulty. I wasn’t aware of this for approximately 40 minutes – the time it took me to prep everything for the smoothie. I learned to use our juicer instead the next day! Another drink I tried tonight? Skinnygirl cocktails – specifically White Cranberry Cosmo. I heard of the brand a while ago, but did a little research last week and decided to try one. It was pretty nice! But it’s definitely going to last me a long long time.
I pulled a large stack of books for my 10 year old neighbor (well, the neighbor’s granddaughter). It was pretty neat to see all the books I’ve kept over the years. I’m such a nerd, but I love it! I wouldn’t change a thing about all the time I spent wandering in someone else’s shoes. The characters were my escape, my companions, my teachers, my friends.
I am thankful for: my education.
B.
One of the awesome shot glasses I got for my 21st! Thanks, N!
..That I haven’t left you! I’ve hit a few roadblocks this week & have been unable to update the blog. You know, laptop was “in the shop”, my computer ran out of memory so I’ve been in the process of making use of my fancy external hard drive, finals & projects for school all hit this week. I appreciate you all continuing to check in with me & will be back soon! I’ve got lots of pictures & stories to share.
Here’s a silly song I was singing all morning that has invaded my mind again [enjoy!]:
girlmeetscamera 