Dear World,

Let's play a little game...

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:19:24 -0500

… where I spend the next three months being as frugal as possible. While I’m doing just fine (and just recently got a promotion) I am not thrilled with where my finances are these days. Between moving and all the traveling I’ve been doing my bank account has been hit pretty hard.

Soooo I’m going to pretty much operate like I’m broke for the duration of the summer. That means very little eating out, only buying drink specials, no clothing purchases, and no real splurges. I’ve already made purchases for a lot of fun things this summer like tickets to Lolla and Ravinia plus, due to my very generous uncle, my summer trip to Vermont is taken care of. I’m going to be marathon training which means I shouldn’t be drinking a ton which will help with the budget, too.

I’m sure I’ll flesh out more of a plan as time goes on but real life friends and family- I need your help finding fun free things to do (and don’t tempt me to do expensive things!!). We’ll see how it goes. :)

While a lot of things about the world really piss me off, the majority of it makes me really, really happy.

Wed, 30 May 2012 23:02:00 -0500

Last week I went on a leadership trip through work that changed the way I think about a lot of things. After spending a week in Memphis and the Mississippi Delta talking to Civil Rights leaders about the progress that has been made and the damage still done to their communities in regard to racism I can’t help but be pissed off.

In Indianola, MS there are two high schools- Gentry HS, the public school, and the Indianola Academy- a private school. Gentry is under-performing, under-resourced, and under-staffed and serves the African American population in town. The academy churns out college grads and serves the white population. Black students don’t want to go to the academy because they don’t feel welcome and white parents don’t want to send their kids to Gentry because of long held beliefs and habits. One of the community leaders we met with told us about business owners who will finance their employee’s kids educations at the academy to ensure white students stay together.

But then I think about what I saw at the Civil Rights museum in Memphis and the stories I was told by these courageous leaders and I can’t help but be hopeful. We have a long way to go as a nation to really reach equality but we really have come a long way. Personally, I don’t spend nearly enough time in my personal life discussing and challenging ideas about race and class. The long standing effects of racism, both blatant and institutionalized, is at the heart of the work I do every day but I don’t push the people around me to challenge their beliefs nearly enough. And that is going to change.

Then there is the flip side of all of these feelings- the amazingly diverse group I went camping with this weekend. The passion and drive I see in my colleagues every day. The amazing relationships and experiences I’ve had a chance to build and share over the past few weeks. There is so much good happening in the world I don’t want to let myself get consumed by the things that frustrate and anger me.

Finding the balance between being fired up about the things you want to change while loving and appreciating the world as a whole is challenging but worth it and necessary.

Rihanna is my new body inspiration- whenever I want to sit at...

Wed, 30 May 2012 13:25:58 -0500

Rihanna is my new body inspiration- whenever I want to sit at home and eat cookies and peanut butter instead of going for a run or yoga I’m just going to look at this picture to remind myself of what I’m working towards.

I mean dang, right??

Really digging this band right now…

Wed, 30 May 2012 13:24:15 -0500

Really digging this band right now…

People really matter.

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:27:49 -0500

I have spent very little time alone over the past few weeks. I spent a weekend in Indianapolis sardined into a hotel room with four other people for the mini marathon, a week in the Mississippi Delta with bonding with and telling secrets to fourteen new friends while hearing the intimate stories of inspiring leaders I now call role models. I went camping with my sister, brother in law and friend at a farm that felt a bit more like a commune and spent the last bit of Memorial Day weekend at home talking, walking, and drinking wine with my mom, dad, Grandpa and dog.

I moved into a new apartment that has already hosted a family dinner and had quite a few guests. I have had tipsy nights out on the town with friends and have flirted with quite a few boys. I’ve rekindled an old friendship that means the world to me and can happily call a slew of who were once acquaintances close friends. I said goodbye to a man who watched me grow up almost as closely as my own father and grieved with my first best friend.

The past few weeks have shown me how much people really matter to me- all of the adventures, accomplishments, stories, new apartments, dates- they wouldn’t matter at all if I didn’t have people I love to share them with. I have a tendency to get wrapped up in the details of my life- working long hours, chasing crazy goals, hopping on planes to who knows where- but it’s the people that matter the most.

I’ve have a ridiculous number of people in my life who care about me and hold an important place in my life. I haven’t always been the best about making sure they know it (and making sure we stay in each other’s lives even when distance gets in the way) but moving forward I want to make sure that the important people in my life know just how much they matter to me.

The last few weeks have been a small part insanity and a huge part awesome. Ever since I got back...

Mon, 28 May 2012 22:22:47 -0500

The last few weeks have been a small part insanity and a huge part awesome. Ever since I got back from Guatemala my life has been this weird mishmash of time moving at this crazy fast speed balanced with feeling totally centered and confident in where I’m at and what I’m doing. It’s a weird balance but it’s somehow been working for me- I’ve been so zen since my yoga retreat that I didn’t even realize how tired and zapped I was until I was driving back from Indiana after picking up my dog this morning.

I was going to give a recap of all the places I’ve been and experiences I’ve had over the past month but that doesn’t quite feel right. Instead I’m going to share some of the things floating around my head that seem really important right now- they’re a culmination of a bunch of experiences and tell the story of what’s been happening with me as well as anything!

Over the next day or so I’ll share some of these things and will hopefully throw some of the awesome experiences I’ve been blessed to have out into the world to be shared!

Phillip Phillips, Home I know I’m a little late to this...

Mon, 28 May 2012 21:57:09 -0500

Phillip Phillips, Home

I know I’m a little late to this party but this song (and this dude) is amazing! It’s a little bit Mumford and Sons, a little bit Edward Sharpe, and a whole lot of awesome.

Also, I know I’ve already said this, but after all of my adventures over the past few weeks it is SO good to be home. :)

"Be careful going in search of adventure - it’s ridiculously easy to find."

Sun, 27 May 2012 17:49:42 -0500

“Be careful going in search of adventure - it’s ridiculously easy to find.”

- - William Least Heat-Moon

Truer words have never been spoken, my friends. The last few weeks have been filled with adventures of every kind and I’m so excited to share them all with you once I take a moment to catch my breath. :)

Apartment is painted… now if only my house could pack...

Sun, 13 May 2012 20:34:52 -0500

Apartment is painted… now if only my house could pack itself!

Alright folks… here are my living room colors. The orange...

Sun, 13 May 2012 10:12:26 -0500

Alright folks… here are my living room colors. The orange is my sofa, I have a green arm chair and pillows, I’m painting the majority of my walls the gray color, and am painting an accent wall the eggplant-ish color.

Thoughts?

The beat of this song really captures how I feel about life...

Mon, 07 May 2012 20:26:00 -0500

The beat of this song really captures how I feel about life right now- ridiculously happy and giddy. (Let’s just pretend like the lyrics were that happy, too!)

So many fun adventures and so much time with friends to look forward to… loving life. :)

(song via perspectiveisalovelyhandtohold)

Saw ‘The Avengers’ tonight. It doesn’t get...

Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:44 -0500

Saw ‘The Avengers’ tonight. It doesn’t get much better than these two gentlemen sharing screen time.

I ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon today (third year in a...

Sat, 05 May 2012 16:03:00 -0500

I ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon today (third year in a row)! Here I am with my sister and friends Erin and Alysha.

Official Time: 2.31.44… without a bathroom break it would’ve been right around 2.20. This finish was right around last year’s time but considering the heat I’m pretty happy with it!

Dear Baby: Unbridled Joy & Light.

Fri, 04 May 2012 02:15:39 -0500

Dear Baby: Unbridled Joy & Light.:

dearbaby:

Photo: Sharing her ice cream drips with our dog Bailey on a hot afternoon.

Watching my daughter interact with the world has made me hyper aware to just how much we are affected and molded by our interactions with others. Everly is at the age where everyone is a friend. She…

Something about this post… do yourself the favor and click through.

My new apartment! I know, I know- pretty average. But 1)...

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:57:00 -0500

Living Room

Itty bitty kitchen!

View from the bedroom

Bathroom

Pretty bathroom tile!

My new apartment! I know, I know- pretty average. But 1) it’s all mine, and 2) when I’m done moving in it will be far from average. :)

Summer Fun

Wed, 02 May 2012 11:42:00 -0500

Happening for sure:

May 4-6: Indianapolis for the Indy Mini Marathon
May 20-25: Memphis/Mississippi Delta for a work “leadership journey” (seriously… that’s what it’s called!)
May 26-27: Memorial Day Camping in Wisconsin with Brady and Kev (at our CSA farm)
June 10: Iron and Wine at Ravinia
July 12-16: Vermont for a family reunion
August 4th: Lollapalooza with some of my favorite people

Might be happening:

June 21-24: Telluride Bluegrass Fest with my friend Erin and her family
August 10-12: Outside Lands and San Francisco with Jazzy Jazz
TBD: Visit to LA to visit my dear friend Max

And the rest of my summer weekends are fiercely guarded so I have plenty of time to go to the beach, drink on patios, brunch it up, and enjoy my new apartment.

Socialism: You have 2 cows and you give one to your neighbour.

Wed, 02 May 2012 08:23:51 -0500

Socialism: You have 2 cows and you give one to your neighbour.
Communism: You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and gives you some milk.
Fascism: You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and sells you some milk.
Nazism: You have 2 cows; the Government takes both and shoots you.
Bureaucratism: You have 2 cows; the Government takes both, shoots one, milks the other and throws the milk away..
Traditional Capitalism: You have 2 cows. You sell one and buy a bull. You herd multiplies, and the economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.
An American Corporation: You have 2 cows. You sell one, and force the other to produce the milk of four cows. Later, you hire a consultant to analyse why the cow dropped dead.
A French Corporation: You have 2 cows. You go on strike because you want three cows.
Japanese Corporation: You have 2 cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called Cowkimon and market them Worldwide.
An Italian Corporation: You have 2 cows, but you don't know where they are. You break for lunch.
A Swiss Corporation: You have 5000 cows. None of which belong to you. You charge others for storing them.
Chinese Corporation: You have 2 cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim full employment, high bovine productivity, and arrest the newsman who reported the numbers.
An Iraqi Corporation: Everyone thinks you have lots of cows. You tell them that you have none. No one believes you and they bomb your arse. You still have no cows, but at least now you are part of a Democracy.......
Counter Culture: 'Wow, dig it, like there's these 2 cows, man, grazing in the hemp field. You gotta have some of this milk!'
Surrealism: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
Fatalist: You have 2 doomed cows...
A West-Country Corporation: You have 2 cows. That one on the left is kinda cute.
A Brazilian Corporation: You have 2 cows. You pay taxes for 6 cows. You have to sell one cow in order to pay the taxes. Your remaining cow gets sick and dies while waiting for availability in the public vet hospital.
Rick Santorum: You have 2 cows, and they better not be gay, non-white, female, or immigrants.

श्रद्धा

Tue, 01 May 2012 10:01:06 -0500

I haven’t written much about my great love for and...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:30:10 -0500

I haven’t written much about my great love for and obsession with the TV show ‘Smash’ but this number about took it over the edge…

Seriously, what’s not to love?? The more you watch it the better it gets. :)

“How Will I Know”, Glee Cast Version More than a...

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:52:26 -0500

“How Will I Know”, Glee Cast Version

More than a little obsessed. :)