Springtime for Change

So much has happened since we last spoke.

I applied for a job… a dream job…

I got an interview.

Then a whole lot of silence.

Three weeks have past…

I think it’s safe to say I didn’t get the gig.

I made plans to purchase my mom’s used Toyota Echo for a reasonable amount of nickles and dimes. So once I have a full physical done on “Miss Blue”, I’ll be mobile with my first car…

How did I make it this long?

I got news that my living situation was going to need to change (it’s all good though… happy reasons) and therefore I went on the apartment hunt. With my second set of eyes/responsible-budget-conscious-gonna-be-spending-a-lot-of-time-at-my-new-digs partner, we found me a fantastic 1 bedroom apartment in my current neighbourhood within my budget that I’ll be officially moving into for June 1st (unofficially, the weekend before).

Hence, my current obsession with Pinterest and all things used furniture/small space decor.

Fortunately my family and friends have been overwhelmingly generous and I almost have the entire apartment furnished already.

But I’m not stopping there. For those of you out there in the world who know me well, I am not satisfied to simply acquire furniture and allow it to remain in it’s inherited state.

This blogger is a closet home decor/furniture refurbishing junkie.

Hand me some sandpaper, primer, and a paintbrush and I will be going to town on this furniture.

Oh, but it doesn’t stop there. 

I’ve been blessed with crafty family too and a healthy dose of DIY confidence.

Curtains, cushions, upholstered headboard…

It’s like crack to me.

Stay tuned for some out of this world before and afters.

So while I may still be on the job search for August, I’m moving in the right direction towards adulthood and independence.

Here are some of the ideas I’ve come across for DIY inspiration:

canvasidea

dresserlivingroom

paintedchairs

upholsteredheadboard

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Shake it Like a Polaroid Picture

Okay, so you’re not supposed to shake a Polaroid to make it develop faster.

We all did it anyway…

But wait!

You can’t buy Polaroid anymore.

Many of you reading this right now may never have even seen, let alone EXPERIENCED a Polaroid camera.

Please don’t tell me that you don’t know what I’m referring to…

I’m getting old. Next you’ll tell me that you don’t know what Duck Hunt is.

But I digress.

This post has nothing to do with age or technology…

Unless of course to count taking a dance class to work on core strength to combat age, genetics, and a general predisposition to a squishy midsection…

I went to my second Egyptian Belly-dance class last night at Serpentine Studios in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Armed with my brand spanking new, handmade in Egypt, coin belt/skirt that was chosen for me by a charming Middle Eastern Man at Beads R Us on Quinpool Road, a desire to firm up my core, and an hour to kill every Monday evening for the next 6 weeks… I rocked it.

So in case you didn’t know… or in case you just thought Belly-dancing was for Middle Eastern themed restaurants and big wig business execs to ogle at…

Belly-dancing is HARD.

Which is precisely why I decided to take it.

Isolating your hips and stomach takes a great deal of concentration and energy. Keeping your arms up and relaxed looking is going to sculpt me some kick-ass shoulders.

The confidence and flirtatiousness of the whole experience is great so far.

Plus I get to shimmy my hips around like nobody’s business.

Watch out Shakira… here I come!

serpentine1

 

serpentine2

Let’s Burn Some Stuff

I’m no pyromaniac, but I can light a camp fire. I usually don’t even need any lighter fluid!

I have been known to burn myself on occasion though.

There is a rule when I’m cooking… and those who know me best know that when there is a hot baking sheet, frying pan, or casserole dish on the stove, an oven mitt or dish cloth must be placed on top.

One trip to the emergency room was enough.

But I remain fascinated by fire. I love to watch it glow (safely contained). I love candles and roasting marshmallows.

I am convinced I will own a house with a fireplace.

So when the opportunity to light some fireworks for the first time with friends came up last night…. my inner pyro-phile was a wee bit excited.

fireworks

Not Waiting For The Other Shoe To Drop

Reblogged from Defining Wonderland:

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Have you ever had a time in your life that everything was just coming up roses?  A span of time that makes you want to buy a lottery ticket because you are sure you’ll win since everything else in your world is going according to plan?  Did that every scare the crap out of you?  If everything is going so right, something must inevitably crash and burn right before your very eyes to bring you back to the harsh, cruel light of reality. 

Read more… 562 more words

I'm reblogging this from my friend, the lovely Jessica at Defining Wonderland, because she sums up the feeling I've been having with regard to my own blissful state. Trust the good feelings.

I Missed My Own Anniversary

Birthday Cupcake With Lit Candle

Not So Skinny Genes is 1 year old… 

And I missed it.

I guess that’s a testament to how much my life has changed in the last year.

I love Not So Skinny Genes more than ever, and I love you all for your devoted readership…

But I think we can all agree that both myself and Not So Skinny Genes has undergone a transformation since I first got Back in the Saddle one year ago.

I promise I will be doing a retrospective of the last year in the very near future. And stay tuned for some new posts and updates on life according to L on the horizon as well.

Thank you again for making this year exponentially more enjoyable and for helping me get out of my writing rut.

xoxo

L

The Old Six String

I’ve been carting around my guitar for the last 14 years with the well meaning intention of eventually learning how to play it.

A gift from my father when I was in junior high, I started learning how to play by way of Guitar for Dummies many years ago.

BOOK-GuitarForDummies

I could rock a mean Kumbaya.

Then I was asked by a boy I liked if he could borrow my guitar in high school.

Fast forward a year later… My Dummies book was missing, but the guitar was re-stringed and I inherited a strap.

Not a bad compromise.

Life got busy. YouTube wasn’t around yet and learning guitar just seemed like a daunting task.

But how was I going to become a serious country singer if I couldn’t play guitar?

I kid.

But seriously though… I knew eventually the timing would be right and I would learn how to play.

As it would happen, someone is willing (and excited) to teach me to play. They are excited to hear about my sore fingers and baby calluses. They smile when I get the chord right.

I’ve picked the first song I am going to learn.

Four chords with the same progression throughout.

Easy peasy.

My guitar “tutor” is so happy I’m setting this goal that they are going to learn the song too so we can play it together.

I’ll keep you posted on my progress… Maybe even a little video once I get good.

I Can’t Tell You, But Trust Me.

I have recently noticed that the more exciting things I have going on in my life, the more likely it is that I won’t be able to tell you about them.

I love to share with you the fun little events… the parties… the meals I cook…etc.

But I cannot be a completely open book.

I learned the hard way in the past that while I may be excited about something and have a overwhelming need to share that joy with the masses… i.e. you  (consider this blog my own personal mountain top from which I scream), I also need to respect the boundaries of others and the importance of personal relationships.

I have also learned in the last month that sometimes moments of joy and happiness are all the more joyous and happy when only  shared between two people.

Inside jokes…

Special moments…

I may be a little behind with blogging right now, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t still love and appreciate you. It just means that my mind is consumed with the one thing I cannot share with you and I hope you can accept that.

holding hands

Broadway Baby!

NYC

It’s happening. I’m finally going to go to New York City (as an adult).  I’m going see a Broadway show. I’m going to walk through Central Park… and I’m going to do it all in three days in July with my sister!

A while ago I approached Becky with the idea of planning a “sisters trip” together. You see, we’ve never gone on a trip together just the two of us.  A weekend camping trip on Prince Edward Island to see Taylor Swift at the Cavendish Country Music Festival, while fun, was technically not just the two of us since Becky was 5 months pregnant with my nephew Owen.

When I asked her about it, she regretfully told me that the likelihood of a sisters trip would be slim to none since she’s a mom and a wife and the money to travel without her family is just not there.

I wasn’t satisfied with that answer.

I had to make it happen.

I concocted a plan.

Now if you knew me really well you would know that I love collecting Airmiles. I use my Airmiles MasterCard for everything. I redeem double miles when I get groceries and I take surveys to earn even more miles. I paid for my flight to Washington DC a couple years ago for my good friend Rosario’s wedding.

Why not do it again.

Now I realized that this time the pressure would be on. I needed to first inform my sister that we were indeed taking this trip… and that there were to be no excuses because the amount of money we would need to fork over in the end would be minimal if anything at all.

I put the plan into motion and she was on board… but a little skeptical.

I make things happen.

So armed with an extra Airmiles card for Becky to start swiping on her own, some very generous donations of miles and hotel credits from our loving parents and her very supportive husband, and a slew of great money making ideas, we were off (and running).

Collecting pennies and spare change has added up to $100.00 already…

Collecting and returning refundable bottles…

Flea markets…

Etc.

The hotel is booked… tickets to Newsies are bought… and the flights will be taken care of shortly.

 

Re-Organizing Your Goals

I’ve been doing pretty well on my mission to set and achieve my goals this year.

Most notably, my goal to live a happier and healthier life.

I’ve successfully made fitness a regular feature of my day and life.

I’ve been working out on average 5 days a week. I love it. It feels good.

Even the pain.

But there is pain.

And it’s not all good pain.

I may have overdone it by running too much too soon.

I had the goal of running 10K in May for the Bluenose Marathon in an hour. 13 minutes faster than my time from 3 years ago when I was not nearly as fit as I am now.

Have I mentioned that I’m injury-prone?

So I’ve been dealing with a strained soleous.

Now I have a strained hip and glute.

Now that’s a pain in the ass…

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

I’m not sure if the 10K is going to be possible now since I’ve had to modify my training significantly to avoid further strain.

But I’m not giving up hope yet.

It's good to have goals

It’s good to have goals