April 29, 2009

Bootcamp starts in 4 days


Spring is here, i'm done with class and it's time to turn over a new leaf and get back into the groove of being healthy.
I joined Sparkpeople a few months back and today I got an e-mail about their bootcamp program. It's free to do and just requires your own motivation and willpower to complete. The program starts May 3rd and continues for 4 weeks. The program utilizes:

*A 7-Day Workout Program. daily workout videos that take less than 10 minutes to complete! Do just ONE video each day
*Five 30-minute cardio sessions each week. You pick the cardio and the intensity!
*Daily bonus challenges and tips. Each day, we’ll post a bonus challenge that will help you achieve your goals.
*Weekly SparkMails for motivation and ideas for the upcoming week.

The program doesn't include diet restrictions, and I don't plan to restrict myself and cut out certain foods. However, I do plan to pay attention to portion sizes and make healthier decisions. I think that the farmers market will become very handy in the coming months. :)
I'm really excited to start on sunday this weekend and hopefully this fairly intense month of fitness and exercise will help jumpstart my butt into gear and I will continue, with a little less grueling, program once the month is complete.

April 28, 2009

Inspiration and occasional belly laughs

In the past few months of living in the blogging universe, I feel like I have gotten such an education that I never would have received otherwise. I get to treat myself daily to an orgy of amazing photographers, beautifully styled foodie blogs, gorgeous clothing, uplifting stories and feel good sites.


One of my favorite blogs is of course The Brightside Project! I’ve talked about this one before but I think it’s just such an amazing site. It’s uplifting to go and read other people’s stories, although I do roll my eyes from time to time at people who are like, “I was beaten and abused as a child! Please give me this bracelet so it can heal my wounds!!!’ Ok, that may not be word for word…but still…people get a little ridiculous.


I am also in love with Pacing the Panic Room. The guy who writes this blog is just so dang entertaining in his writing style! He also has the prettiest photo series that I have seen in quite some time. He does a photo each week documenting his wife’s pregnancy. The photos and messages attached are enough to melt the heart and truly inspired.


A third great blog I have found is Simple Lovely. This blog is beautiful. From the color choices, down the topics of conversation. The woman who writes Simple Lovely is named Joslyn. She writes with a passion, and recently completed a month in which she dubbed, “The spending hiatus”. She spent an entire month only buying necessities and not wasting on frivolities. She would report each week on things she had bought and at the end of the month splurged on some beautiful, yet practical, bikes. She has truly inspired me that I don’t need little things and I should instead focus on the larger picture. I have caught way back on my spending, and amazingly I am watching my credit card debt melt away as I make payments toward freedom and the future. I may not be buying a bike this month, but I will be spending money on a home and a fuzzball soon enough. I think those 2 items will more than make up for me not buying the newest shade of nail polish or cosmopolitan magazine.


I fight the urge to pack-up and move to Paris when reading little brown pen. The blog of an American writer living in Paris. Her photographs and stories paint such a beautiful image to the mystery and cobble-stoned streets of one of the most romantic cities in the world! Her son is adorable to boot and she has quite a knack for photographing images that tell a real story and remind me how much beauty there is in an unexpected place…even in a waffle.


My final favorite of the day is Bliss A lovely site with an assortment of eye candy. She does a feature each week called “I heart Monday.” where she shows you the beautiful items she has coveted for the last week. I have found some beautiful etsy artists, as well as amazing clothing and décor through her weekly loves list.

All of these writers update frequently, and each of their posts are filled with imagery, joy and touching reminders about life. They help me get through the dreary days and remind me that there is always something bigger and better out there to discover and enjoy.

Puppies and property

So as you all know, Spencer and I are looking at houses. We have about 8 to look at tomorrow after work and I really hope we find a good one soon! The reason you ask?
...Well last night I recieved an e-mail from one of the Sprits breeders I have been communicating with and a litter of puppies is expected on, or around, May 10th! I am of course on the waiting list for one of these beautiful dogs. The mom and dad are both champions, and the mother was actually the first German Spitz on record to be born, and bred, in the United States!



This is the mommy. She's a beautiful lady named Dream. (there's more to the name, but it's a kennel name so it gets long) I love how smiley she is in this photo!



...and this is the daddy! When he was a cute little puffball of a puppy of course.


I am just so excited! The puppies will be able to come home around mid-July so if we move by then, and if I get one (I'm 5th on the waiting list) we may have a new little puffball of our own!!!!!

April 27, 2009

I'm Part Nerd!



I am officially a "part nerd". haha. Spencer and I went to a notary friday afternoon to claim domestic partnership so I can go under his insurance. I didn't really think anything of it until I signed my name on the dotted line. It wasn't necassarily romantic, but Spencer looked over at me with a cute little goofy grin and I realized what a special moment it was for us. It feels amazing to me that we care that much about each other and it's one more step down the road of our life together. ah, I feel like such a giddy schoolgirl! :)

Other than that Spencer and I are in the process of looking at houses. We want to find a home for ourselves and start growing our family

... in the canine sense... haha.

We're going to get a puppy after we move! We're looking at places around my work. Which will be nice because i'll be able to run home over my lunch period to take care of the new little bundle of joy. :) We would like to find a nice fixer-upper in a good neighborhood. Slowly work at it and make it beautiful. Then when we have to move we should be able to get some cash out of it! I still can't believe how lucky I am to have someone like Spencer. I can't wait to live everyday with him. I think it's only going to get better from here on out... especially if we can have bbq's with cheesie burgers and doggie play dates with Lola and Wilbur!!!!!


P.S. - That's Wilbur. :)

April 20, 2009

Make me smile.



I've decided that I love seeing new exciting photographs, and when I don't have one my blog just feels imcomplete. Today I share with you a photo from a year ago. It's my mom and Tim on a hot air balloon ride. I went to take some pictures of them before they took off on their lovely adventure, and I was pretty jelous to watch them take off into the skies for such a romantic ride!
Spring is finally arriving, and it felt truly amazing to sit in the apartment this weekend and just relax and re-charge with the fresh breeze breathing life back into our home. Spencer was off on sunday and we spent a lovely afternoon visiting some very nice...and some not so nice... homes. Who in the world thinks they can charge a fortune for a home with a big crack running the length of the living room wall I have no idea...but aparantly there are a lot of them!
After our excursion we visited Sarah and Zach and Sarah and I went on a grocery store run. I got some beautiful onions that I can't wait to cook-up and simmer! Spencer also got to spend some time with his new baby....his baby being his new scooter. He looked so cute as he grinned ear to ear and rode up to sarah and I, proud of all of the work he has done to make it run "almost" like new.
This is going to be a really crazy week. I have a 20 page paper to write, and I have 7 separate photo shoots this week here at work. I'm excited though because some of them will be outside and I can enjoy the beautiful spring weather that is slowly creeping into the metro area! Now, lets hope my allergies stay at bay!

April 17, 2009

Vote for us!!!


Spencer and I's apartment was choosen as a "tiny" contender in Apartment Therapy's Small is Cool competition!
Please go vote for us and tell all of your friends!!!!!!

VOTE FOR US!!!

April 15, 2009

I caved....i'm twittering....


My name is shecantdecide .... yeah.... i'm pretty indecisive....

Tonight...

Tonight I hung out with some great friends. The kind of friends who you don't have to scream it from the rooftops or see everyday. The kind of friends who you can not see for years and then one day call them up and it seems like yesterday. I had so much fun and amazing conversations. I missed them and i'm glad we still have our whole lives ahead of us! :)

April 13, 2009

Our Home

Today I entered Apartment Therapy's Small is Cool Competition. Last year we made it onto the site and I had only lived there for 3 months! Hopefully this year we'll do even better!

This is our living room. Spencer painted that all by himself!


...another living room view


This is where we cook.


This is where we go to the bathroom. The little guy staring at you while you pee is named Stinky. (He sometimes freaks people out and we often find him with a towel thrown over his eyes)


This is where we sleep...hmmm I could go for that right about now....zzzzzz.......zz.

April 9, 2009

The Brightside Project

Yes, i've said it before and I am saying it again. Get over to the Brightside Project ASAP!


The Brightside Project

The Brightside Project is an amazing site designed to spread a little sunshine. Local artists are featured and you can enter to win a new special treasure every single day! It's the best blog out there as far as i'm concerned and the first thing I check every single morning!

April 8, 2009

The great loft adventure...part I....

I am in love! Yeah, I know it's no shock to anyone that I am in love...however, this time i'm not talking about Spencer, but rather the loft that Spencer and I toured yesterday. It's absolutely beautiful! Very safe secure building down in the rivermarket. Dogs allowed. Friendly staff. Workout facilities. Hot tub, Sauna. It's great! Bonus, we can paint the walls any color we want, we can hang things on the wall, mount our tv, AND they allow dogs! Here are some photos....



This is the hallway you walk into when you open the front door. (and Spencer!)



This is the living room. It is actually really big and open in person.



The Kitchen. MUCH bigger than our kitchen now. I love that it has a counter top and we could slide a few barstools in for seating.



The bedroom. It's so big and there are double closets!



The Insanely huge bathroom! I told spencer we could put a couch in here...he said to stop toying with his emotions... haha



Last but not least...the laundry room... yes. a laundry ROOM in an apartment! How great is that!?