I wish I could tell you how great the spectators were, how much fun I had, how wonderful it felt to finish my first half marathon. But, Ive gotta be honest:  it wasn’t as euphoric or as easy as I’d expected it to be. All of my long runs during training were surprisingly easy, so I had hoped my race would be relatively easy and enjoyable, as well.

It so was not.

I worked hard to train and created a routine for long runs – peanut butter GU, water, and Joy the Baker podcasts. I thought I knew what to expect. I thought I could handle it.

It was much, much different than my training runs. I didn’t account for was how crowded the race would be – 31 THOUSAND people were racing, which meant I also expended a lot of energy running around walkers – a lot of people walked, which is great, but usually walkers are behind runners. I’m not sure if people were in a different corral than they should have been, or just decided to walk since it was so hot, but that was tiring – weaving in and out of throngs of walkers for most of the race.

And it was about 30 degrees warmer than my training runs, with direct sunlight for most of the course. There were also more inclines than I had planned for.  Running uphill with the sun beating down on me was awful, to be honest. The combination of humidity, heat, and sun meant I was incredibly nauseous and couldn’t eat my energy gel, which meant I felt worse and incredibly sluggish.

I gritted my teeth and kept running up the hills, around the walkers, sweat pouring down my face. I was determined not to walk. While most of the other runners stopped to walk at the water stations, I ran through the middle, drinking from the water bottle in my hand. I never walked on training runs, so I knew I could complete the race without walking. I knew when I walked once, I would lose momentum. I think you can see where this is going – I walked a few times. I could make excuses (heat! nausea! going to die or vomit!), but ultimately, I’m just bummed that I didn’t run without stopping.

Instead of crossing the finish line feeling a rush of triumph and elation, I felt a bit guilty and a smidgen disappointed. My pace was full minute slower than any of my long runs. I feel like I should just be happy I finished, but instead I’m disappointed with myself for not being able to do what I know I’m capable of doing. I’m frustrated that it was so hot and bummed that I didn’t love the race as much as I expected to.

This is real talk. I wish I could be more positive or feel-good about my experience, but I’m still feeling pretty surprised by how hard it was.

I’m still hoping do it again. I might do it in a smaller race, in a flatter course, in a cooler climate. I need to prove to myself that I can do it. That I can do it well. That I can rock the socks off a 13.1 mile run.

. . . . . . . .

Just a heads up, it’ll be a little quiet around here for a while.

I am taking a social media break for the month of May. I’m deactivating my Facebook and Twitter accounts and not blogging.

Why? Space is good. Quiet is good. Being present is good.

Plus, I have a ton of deadlines in May and I’m in over my head in a lot of ways, work-wise. I’m hoping to spend this month catching up on work.

And hanging out with this sweet face:

As always, feel free to email. See you in June!

I am a runner.

I started running 10 years ago as a junior in high school.

(Well, I ran track my freshman year, but that was so awful I don’t even want to talk about it.)

My junior year, I decided to try using the treadmill in the basement of our apartment in Malaysia. When I discovered that Friends episodes played every night at 7 pm, I had a reason to run. I could escape endless hours of Lizzie McGuire that my younger siblings subjected me to and watch Friends. I relished my alone time on the treadmill. I blasted the air conditioning and the television and learned how to run.

I was amazed at what my body could do.

In college, I started running outside and loved it. I ran my first race my sophomore year of college – a 5K in Honolulu. I am by no means a racer, simply a girl who likes how running gets me outside and active.

Exactly five years ago, I wrote about why I loved running:

“Running isn’t about competition or goals for me. I run when I want to and don’t when I don’t. I might improve a little now and then, but overall, I’m not a fast runner, I don’t run everyday, and I can’t run forever. But no one knows, no one judges me, it’s MY thing. And that’s what I love. I hope I’ll be able to do it forever.”

Today, I am flying down to Nashville and running a half marathon tomorrow morning.

I ran all winter long to keep in shape – running in the snow, the freezing cold, my hands frozen. I ran ten miles in the rain last weekend. I ran three miles in snow so thick I couldn’t see half a block ahead of me.

I didn’t do any hardcore training – just gradually increased my milage on the long runs and ran twice a week – but I still learned so much. And not just about hydrating on long runs and energy gels. I learned about myself. I had time to myself.

Training for a race is sort of like a metaphor for life – it shows you how important goals are, it shows you how much you are capable of, it shows you the power of dedication.

I’ve never run 13.1 miles, but I know I can do it. I will do it.

That is what training has taught me: Just because I haven’t done something before doesn’t mean I’m not capable of doing it now.

And a certain pair of cuties and a giant coffee are instructed to meet me at the finish line. That will help.

Here we go!

. . . . . . .

PS: Doni has details about a very exciting deal going on involving Little Leaf-designed custom blog headers. It’s limited! It’s ridiculously affordable! It’s awesome! Check it out.

Three weeks ago, I packed up most of my clothes and carefully picked 33 items to wear.

I felt nervous, excited, and a bit crazy all at once.

How’s it going?

[The Results]

When I was a sophomore in college, I packed two suitcases and left my dorm room for the paradise of Hawaii. For four months, I lived without access to a car and with just the items in my suitcases. It was a transformative time in my life in many ways big (I became a vegetarian and my relationship with Mike blossomed from a afar) and small (I ran my first road race and went skydiving), and I think it was in large part because I was living with less. Less clutter, both physically and mentally.

It’s no surprise, then, that this little project has been a breath of fresh air for me.

- My room is cleaner - It’s easier to put things away when there’s less of it that piles up. I used to have several days worth of discarded clothes next to my bed, but with less clothes in my closet, I notice if something is missing. Everything has a its own space. And I can’t really afford to lose a cardigan in a pile next to my bed if I only have two cardigans.

- I do less laundry, and therefore, put away less laundry (my least favorite chore). I’m not sure how this happened – but I noticed that we were doing just two loads of laundry a week instead of three loads of laundry a week. It’s a weird, magical side-effect of having less.

- I sleep in later and mornings are less hectic. It’s sort of pathetic how much of my morning agonizing over my outfit for the day caused. Fewer choices really is more freeing. The absence of morning stress over getting dressed is probably my favorite effect of this experiment.

- It’s not been difficult. As excited as I was about taking on this drastic (to me) experiment, I worried that it’d be difficult or tedious. So far, not so much tedious as freeing. I am free to think about things other than what I’m going to wear. (And I am far from a clothes horse, so it surprised me to realize how much time and energy I was wasting on the simple act of getting dressed).

 ”By simplifying clothes…you offer freedom from choice and overload, while still allowing for the slow and sure development of personal expression.” – Simplicity Parenting, Kim John Payne

[The Outfits FAIL]

I am terrible at taking photos of myself, even with a tripod. Even with a remote.

First, my husband photobombed a blurry photo:

Then, my son did:

Then, Gabe got all dramatic about how he doesn’t have enough clothes to even wear a shirt:

Well, friends, I think you’ll agree I’m totally the next fashion blogger.

Pigeon-toed poses, here we come!

This month, we’re chatting about careers. I’m always curious about how people came to decide their career – so I was all nosy-like and asked these lovely ladies!

Deanna | Soul Like a Spider

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

If you could do anything now, what would you do?

Deanna Ogle is a writer and web designer from the greater Detroit area where she works at a small software firm. A few of her favorite things are carnations, hair dye, peanut butter, and bluegrass. When she is not working she can usually be found curled up with her husband watching movies. She is published in the anthology “The Age of Conversation 2: Why Don’t They Get It?” by Gavin Heaton and Drew McLellan and has had articles featured in Provoketive Magazine.

Find Deanna: Blog | Twitter

Becky | Love Everyday Life

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

If you could do anything now, what would you do?

I’m Becky – a sometimes feisty redhead with a love for books, food, and the perfect shade of nail polish. I’d rather take pictures than buy souvenirs, I get anxious when I don’t have a recipe to follow, and I don’t think I have the words to describe my love for handmade. I’ve known my husband since first grade (don’t worry we haven’t been married since then), and living with simplicity and intention inspires me. I’m a firm believer in finding joy in life’s little moments.

Elizabeth | The Buerglers

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

 I am Elizabeth. He’s Eric. She’s Evie. Together we’re The Buerglers. These are our tales. We love all things from our hometown of Atlanta especially, The Braves, Delta, and Chick-fil-a.  When we’re not working you can find us hiking, biking, home brewing, Jeep riding, cooking organic, baking cookies, cloth diapering or watching documentaries.

Find Elizabeth : Blog | Twitter

Becky | What Bex Loves

Tell me about how you got into your line of work.

What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

If you could do anything now, what would you do?

If money weren’t an issue, I would love to be a public defender.  I have been working in corporate law for 11 years and at this point would have to take about a 60% pay cut to make that job switch.  Plus, I have also built up a reputation and tenure at my company, so starting over would be a bit scary too!  It is always in the back of my mind though…

Hey there! I’m Bex. My tag line reads “wife. daughter. sister. aunt. godmother. friend. worker bee. law student. makeup addict. world traveler. lover of wine and tequila, although not together,” and all of these many hats I wear have led me to discover SO many things out there to love. From beauty products, to books, to movies, to gifts, to experiences, to travel destinations to…well…maybe something I haven’t even discovered yet! My theory is that there is enough negativity out there on the interwebs, so you’ll only read about things I LOVE on “What Bex Loves.”

Find Becky: Blog | Twitter

Erin | Reinventing Erin

What is a guilty pleasure you love too much to give up?

What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?

If you could do anything now, what would you do?

I would love to teach creative writing at a college or university in my area. I’d also love to be a published author who never got writer’s block. Oh yeah, I’d also like to travel alot and take many naps!

Erin is a happy, grateful, occasionally cranky young lady who prefers experiences over presents. She’s a graduate student studying creative writing and loves the #5, lowercase letters, alligators and ice cream.

Find Erin: Blog | Twitter | 101 in 1001 Blog

I like yogurt, but I don’t like the amount of extra ingredients in most store-bought yogurt. And I don’t like the waste. And I like saving money.

I’ve made my own yogurt off and on now for a few years, but more lately since Gabe is a huge fan of yogurt. Huge. Plus, it makes an easy take-to-work snack.

Before I got my EuroCuisine Yogurt Maker for my birthday three years ago, I’d read about making yogurt, but figured it’d be a lot of work.

Not so. In fact, it’s super, stupidly easy.

In case you’ve thought about getting a yogurt maker, but were similarly worried that it’d go to waste because it’s such a pain to use – check it out:

Super easy, right?

I usually eat it with a little squeeze of agave or maple syrup and a sprinkle of toasted wheat germ. (But I didn’t want to show you the wheat germ because Mike says it looks like sawdust and, okay, it does, which isn’t pretty. But it tastes so good.) You can also make it flavored  - but I a) am lazy and b) sometimes use it in place of sour cream with tacos. Versatility, y’all!

(Oh, goodness, why do I continue to try to pull ‘y’all’ off? It just isn’t me.)

Also, if you’ve made yogurt without a yogurt machine you are super awesome (and should probably tell us how in the comments). I tried that once and failed. I need handholding when it comes to dairy products.

Next up, cheese…?

And not just because I’m making money – goodness knows it’s still not much – but because I’m making (part of) a living doing something I love. Do you know how wonderful that feels? It feels like I’m doing this.

That whole long story I told you about how I got here (how I’m getting here, really)?  Passion is key. It makes all the late nights and early mornings and frantic nap time work sessions worth it.

The craziest thing is I’ve started telling people, “I design websites,” in addition to telling them what my day job is. I’m not sure why this feels like such a big deal, why this feels like it’s making me legit somehow, but it does.

I am a little excited about this. Can you tell?

Anyway! Here is what I’ve been working on in the last two months since I last chatted about design things.

Cleveland Food Goddess // WordPress Design

I secretly want to be a food blogger, so I loved getting to work with another fabulous Cleveland blogger on her fun and bright design. I stalked her to find out that Mexican food was her favorite, and included the chile in the header. Reshae was all, “Hey! I’m Latina!” And I’m like, “Hey! I stalked you!”  Good sleuthing skills come in handy.

Charlwood Photography // WordPress Design

Dana Blinder // Blogger Design

Dana is a awesome runner-writer girl (those things can be hyphenated). I layered a photo of a map I took with a brushstroke and some retro font to giver her the vintage-inspired blog design she wanted.

Twenty Four Zen Granola // WordPress Design

Your Super Awesome Life // WordPress Design

Ali in Reality // WordPress Design

Drop by Drop // Blogger Design

Thank You Cards

Sarah just got married (YAY SARAH!) and wanted thank you cards for her shower and wedding that reflected their colors and the ‘Great Gatsby-ish’ theme (HOW AWESOME, right?).

Indeed Realty // Logo Design, Yard Signs, and Business Cards

I love, love, love working with local companies. And I love the idea of making realty yard signs more pretty, as well. This was a fun project and I learned all sorts of new things from it.

I

Little Leaf  // WordPress Design

Oh, hey, that’s me! I changed my front page and added a slideshow. 

/ / / / / /

I’m currently working with a self-proclaimed gypsy, several beloved bloggers, an author, and more! I really love the diversity of my clients and projects. If you think you might be a good fit, I’d love to chat. Check out my site here.

The Before Inventory:

12 dresses, 6 sweatshirts and fleeces, 8 pairs of dress pants, 4 pairs jeans (including capris and shorts), 1 pair of jeggings, 25 pairs of socks, 6 pairs of tights and leggings, 5 skirts, 17 short-sleeved and sleeveless tops, 6 cardigans, 8 long-sleeved and sweaters, 15 pairs of shoes, 11 necklaces, and 10 pairs of earrings.

[134 total items]

The 33-Item Wardrobe

Three long sleeved shirts, six short sleeved shirts, and two cardigans.

Two dresses, a pair of jeans,  a pair of cropped plaid-ish dress pans,  a pair of khakis, a pair of jean capris, and a pair of slim black pants.

Three scarves, two belts, two necklaces, a pair of earrings (not pictured).

Two pairs of flats, a pair of sandals, and a pair of Toms (to be traded for Tevas when it’s warmer).

How I Went from 134 Items to 33 Items in my Wardrobe:

I had four things in mind when choosing my items to keep:

- I had to love it.

- It had to fit well.

- It had to be versatile.

- It had to be comfortable.

A few notes on my wardrobe:

It’s flexible. I will trade out anything that I decide doesn’t fit well, isn’t versatile enough, gets stained or ripped, or otherwise needs to be ousted.

I am not a fashionista. I realized in doing this that 90% of my favorite clothes are from Gap or Target. A combo of well-made and inexpensive is how I make it work.

I had to let go of some ideas about myself. Having fancy clothes doesn’t mean I wear them. I don’t like to wear my pretty heels or uncomfortable clothes, so I don’t and they end up just cluttering my closet. Packing away my heels meant I got to pack away the pants-that-require-heels. It’s much more freeing to admit that I like wearing shoes that are comfortable.

Let’s talk work clothes. Since I work at a school, I dress up, but not as much as when I worked in an office. I never get to wear jeans to work, but I also don’t wear blazers. I wear the same shirts on the weekend and during the week, just with jeans on the weekend. If you have to wear terribly dressy clothes and don’t want to wear them on the weekend, I’d suggest upping the number to 50-items if that would make you more apt to try it! I belieeeeeeve in you.

It is addictive. Even though running clothes and pajamas don’t count, I still pared down those items. I was sort of addicted to seeing the empty space in my dresser. But I didn’t stop there. Nope, Gabe’s closet was next. And Mike gave in and is also doing the challenge. I’m warning you: addictive. 

Next week, I’ll tell you how it’s going and maybe even show you some of my outfits. But remember, I already told you, I’m not a fashionista.

I could tell how you how much fun I had on Easter. I could tell you about how my little sister asked my dad (who’s dated exactly one woman) for dating advice. I could tell you how we all sat around and decided which of our cousins would survive the Hunger Games. I could tell you how I ate the best cheesecake I’ve ever had in my entire life (think: Mama’s Little Bakery – it was eat-it-off-the-floor worthy). I could tell you about how there were 14 little boys ages one-to-eight. Instead, I’ll show you so some pictures:

(My dad overhears us talking about how long we pushed during labor and goes, “Oh yeah? I had FIVE KIDS and pushed zero minutes! So there.”)

I spent the rest of the evening updating our budget (which I’d been neglecting for six weeks…eek) and watched Psych with Mike. Funny crime shows are the best.

My weekend also involved new running shoes and running eight entire miles for the first time. More on that later.

Hope your weekend was long and filled with family, as well! Or at least chocolate.

Not many showers, just lots of flowers this month. :) I’ll take it!

Your Gorgeous Wall O’ Goals // Yes and Yes // I am totally going to do this – especially since I have a new work area!

Why I Argue in Front of my Kids (Sometimes) // Shaun Groves (on Simple Mom) // A super interesting read on learning about healthy conflict resolution. 

Keep Holding His Hand // She Likes Purple // Once again, Jennie makes me all weepy. 

The Joy of Quiet // New York Times // Perfect precursor to my social media and blogging break next month and the book I’m currently reading.

IRL  scroll down for the poem // Simple Mom // I know, right? Two Simple Mom links. But they’re both written by different writers, so it’s not crazy. 

Happy Easter weekend! I’m lucky enough to get a five-day weekend out of it AND see my sisters!