Changes + Yes, I'm still here!

Sorry it has been so long between posts.  A lot has been happening including some great visits and celebrations with my family.

Other big news, is that I have a new job.  I took a position with a company that will allow me to live/work close to home.  I'll miss my current colleagues but know we will keep in touch.  Today was my last day, tomorrow is my first day.  Definitely bittersweet, but I am excited for the next big thing.  I am settling in to "life off the road".  There have definitely been some laughs as I have "adjusted".

Today I enjoyed a birthday gift given to me by my sister.  It was great to spend some time at the spa here in Charleston, SC and to get my hair done.  I really love the new look!  It's super natural which works for me.  For all the years I spent in college trying to change my hair color, I've learned to love it.

Running has been going great!  I recently completed a 7 mile run.  I also had to buy a new pair of Asics Kayanos (19s) after leaving my 17 or 18s on a plane.  I was bummed to lose my shoes- but what can you do?  Next time I'll be more careful!

Well, I'm going to call it a night.  Best love from the SC.  Please expect more updates soon!!  Also, sorry no pics tonight.  Having trouble pulling up my gmail.

Disney + 10K

~*~ Interrupting this regularly scheduled blog post to give a shout out to my Mom- just because she's an amazing woman that always makes me smile - Mom, you're the best - thanks for giving me peace of mind & a smile on my face :-) Dad, you're awesome too!~*~

 

On to another awesome lady,  let me start by saying - every girl should have a BFF as awesome as mine!  I'm beyond blessed to have Cait in my life. She's beautiful on the inside & out and an incredible person. Cait, you're amazing!

 

 

                                                   

 

So this last weekend in Disney World pretty much super exceeded all expectations of the best girls' weekend ever.  If my expectations were comparable to a Unicorn - this weekend was a Unicorn flying through cotton candy clouds, twirling sparklers.  All at once.  With Robert Pattinson riding his back.  It was THAT awesome. 

 

The weekend took us through the Magic Kingdom for a Halloween celebration (hence the Pirate costumes), to MGM, and also to Epcot.  My favorite highlights:

 

* Mojitos at Bongos - so good!  And grabbing the recipe for Cait's Mom (who I also love), we each remembered three ingredients and left w/the best drink combo ever!

 

* Fireworks at the Magic Kingdom

 

* Rock and Roll Rollercoaster - hard to tell we are having fun here.... :-)

   

* Riding this water slide!!

 



* Epcot

* Captain EO

 

Other amazing rides and adventures - Soar'n, Tower of Terror, the troll ride in Norway (lol), list goes on.  I did not want the weekend to end.  Of course, being that we have already planned our next 2 vacations, we couldn't be too sad!  Can't wait for next time :-)

In other news, I ran my first 10K since breaking my foot last night.  It went so well!!  Thanks for everyone's support + love along the way.

How are all of you doing?  XO Madeleine

First 5K and Quick Update

What is it they say about best intentions?  I have been so hungry to sit and write a blog post – but just now am getting to it.  There were probably too many nights lately where I have been working late.  But the weekend is almost here and I sleep best after a good day's work anyway. :)

This week took me to New England, where I enjoyed sunsets like this....

Now that I've reached the 5K goal - no way will I let it go.  Somewhere between miles 1.5 and 2, my legs make like cog wheels.  They know what to do and I get in the zone.  Then it’s about getting myself to stop!  3.1 miles, easy.

Last weekend I ran in my first official 5K race following my broken foot injury.  The race was for the heroes of 9/11 and it was an incredibly moving event. 

So excited last weekend, to celebrate with my best friend's family as they welcomed their beautiful little one!  This weekend I'm enjoying time with my other best friend... SO EXCITED!  Feeling like a kid the night before Christmas....so much more to come!  Life is good :-)

 

Cruising + 5k Complete

Hope everyone's enjoying the long weekend!  It's been a good while between posts but I had a great reason - was CRUISING in Mexico!

The cruise to Mexico was amazing.  We took the Carnival Elation.  Granted, Carnival hasn't been having the *best* luck lately at sailing the seas - but I've gotta say it was a great time.

The first stop on the trip was Progresso.  Seen below, the water was beautiful but the city itself was pretty run-down.  The port at Progresso has not been open too long.  Hopefully, the city's economy will improve as the tourism industry grows.

Cozumel was amazing!  We took a great excursion to go snorkeling and to a private beach.  We also had a great time enjoying the port area. Here's a picture of Cozumel from the ship's deck, where we gave a lookout for stragglers!

 

In both cities, the souvenir shopping was great!! It was fun to think about the people back home and I was wishing I had more room in my luggage...

 

All in all, it was a great time with these peeps... Can't wait for the next one.

Thanks to my M&D for taking care of things while I was away.  It was a wonderful vaca!

In other big news - I finished workout #24 (gulp) today and completed my 5K training. 

Yesterday, I tried doing some outdoor running.  There's an amazing trail that I've found which is closeby - you don't notice the heat (as much) in the shade of the trees.

 

While running, I see lots of squirrels, birds, and even a bunny rabbit.  However, my favorite site, is when I see other runners.  We share a mutual understanding!  My favorite part of the trail, is when it passes by this beautiful lake.

 

After last night's run, I returned again this morning and completed running a 5K at 33:26.  This was faster than I expected (had assumed I would finish in 35 minutes) but not as good as my PR which is 28:39 (set in 2010).  I am watching what I eat so I can increase my speed.  I'm also planning on continuing to run every other day - because as they say, "practice makes perfect".

 

Funny/ridiculous story.  I finished the 5K around 11:45.  I ran 2 miles out, turned around, and ran a mile (+.1) back.  Figured from there, I'd jog for a few minutes and then walk to the car.

 

So I started walking.... And walking... And walking...

 

Finally, GPS showed me that I was about 25 minutes in the wrong direction.  Well, after walking for 50 minutes in 95 degree heat (following the 3+ mile run) - 2 sweet older ladies asked me if I wanted a ride back!  I thanked them, said I was OK, and laughed... Lol. I must have looked like such an athlete for them to stop and offer me the car ride.  ;-)

 

Hope everyone is having a great week - thanks for reading & thanks for the comments! Post your blog links so I can follow you too. :-)

Second Chances

This is a quick post tonight - but I hope it finds everyone doing well!  I want to write about second chances.  I've been thinking about that a lot this week.  On Tuesday night I went to the gym, hopped on the treadmill, and approximately 1.5 minutes into my run said "forget it, I'll be back later".  And you know what - 2.5 hours later - I was back and rocked through the workout no problem.

Second chances!  The last week or so has found me doing some shopping and enjoying Charleston.  Looking forward to time with the big guy tonight.  Hope that everyone is doing well - and remember - give yourselves some second chances :-)

Ooh la la pictures courtesy of the Gap :)

Madeleine

 

Farmer's Market Saturday & Paleo Nuggets

Hope everyone's doing well - it's been a busy week and I'm continuing to enjoy the 5K training. Today I visited Charleston's Farmer's Market.  While the view was lovely, the Market itself was...

 



Dissapointing?  When I arrived I was kind of bummed that there weren't more, I don't know, farmers? In fact, I'd estimate that 70% of the stands were either hot food (i.e. burgers, gyros, etc.) to eat on the spot or items to buy.  Granted, most of the items for purchase were hand made or crafted - but it still wasn't the farmer-like environment I had anticipated. 

I did find a great stand where I picked-up some broccoli, sweet potatoes, and blueberries.  I thought it was very sweet that they added in a jalapeno.  What I loved most about the stand I visited was that they accepted cash and WIC.

My favorite non-food find, were these paintings.  The one with the three sisters was definitely the winner, but I love this Charleston one too.  I haven't seen paintings like this, where the artist intentionally "paints outside the lines" onto the matting and frame.  I love that.

 

 

This morning I also visited one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie.  Look closely and you'll see some chairs - one of my sister's name's all over them. A little spray paint and I could take care of the other one.  Granted, they probably cost.. $$$$  But so cute.

Winner winner chicken dinner of this week -- literally -- has been my BFF Caitlin's paleo chicken nuggets and sweet potato fries.  Pictures below, I am in heaven.  SO GOOD!!! Visit her blog for the recipe - I prepared both exactly as she suggested in the recipe and they came out amazing.  Enjoy!

Tomorrow morning I'm going for a beach run with my friend from high school!! Oh so excited to see her and catch up. Hope that you all are doing wonderful!  Have a great weekend.

XO Madeleine


 

Great Weekend + Up Band!

First - thanks for everyone's kind words on Facebook about my bad run- I really appreciated it and it helped me get back on my feet! Not gonna lie - Thursday, Friday of last week was rough. My Mom came by on Saturday with some words of encouragement in the driveway - and let me just say - it made all the difference (thanks Mom!).

 

After Wednesday's run sparked some allergies, I had been treating it with a mix of Allegra and Benadryl.  But on Saturday, I just took a non-drowsy Claritin before I ran.  Since then, I haven't needed any allergy medication.

Saturday's run was great.  It was identical to Wednesday's intervals and I completed ALL running segments at a 10 minute mile/6 MPH pace (woohoo!).  It was one of those runs where I felt like a bunch of industrial cogs all in motion - everything was perfect - I love runs like that.

I went for another run on Sunday and this time I walked 5, ran 2, walked 2, ran 3, walked 3, ran 3, walked 3, ran 2, walked 2 and cooled down with a 5 minute walk.  I kept a 10 minute mile pace for my runs (yay!) - but I will say that it didn't feel as "easy" as Saturday's. 

BEST SURPRISE OF THE WEEKEND!!  My parents got me an Up Band - I absolutely love it.  I can tell you first hand, this is the coolest thing ever and it has really upped my game.

Here are some pics highlighting my favorite features - I really love how easy it is to set-up, the sleep monitor, and the summary screen. 

I definitely pushed myself today to get to 100% with the steps.  At first I wasn't sure about the food part- but the more I use it the more I like it.  Much less restrictive than Weight Watchers.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  What apps do you use to stay fit?

Best love! Madeleine

P.S. Sending out some birthday love :-) xoxo

Tonight's Bad Run

I guess if all my posts were positive, I'd have no credibility.  Tonight I went to the gym and had a terrible run.  For the last several weeks, I've been working my way back up to running a 5K. 

Part of the reason tonight was bad, I took most of last week off.

Another reason, I'm carrying more weight than I'd like (working on that one).

But today was brutal.  The workout itself should have been simple, which made it all the more frustrating.  Walk 5 minutes, run 1.5 min, walk 2.5 min, run 2.5 min, walk 2.5 min, run 2.5 min, walk 2.5 min, run 1.5 min, walk 1.5 min, walk 5 minutes. 

I got through the workout but was majorly dissapointed in the 2nd to last running segment when I dropped from a 10 minute mile (6 MPH) to an 11 minute mile to a 12 minute mile.  I have been really trying to maintain a 10 minute running pace through this training. Per usual, I ran at 1% incline but switched to no incline for the cool down walk.

Here's a forced smile at the end of the work out... Pardon my sweatiness. :) (OK I just smiled!)

 

To add insult to no injuries (just injured ego) - apparently I still pushed myself too hard because when I got back I couldn't stop sneezing.  It's this - which happens whenever I overdo it. Can't believe "overdoing it" was 8 minutes of start/stop running.  Nowhere to go but up I hope!

So many people I know and love have overcome so much more than a bad running night- I definitely find strength in their accomplishments and know I can do better.

Anyhow, there's my grumpy post for the evening.  I'm anxious to get back to my PR-best (pictured below).  Looking for this picture tonight, I found a lot of old recipe posts from my old running blog.  I think it's time to make some nutritional changes if I want to get back into shape!

Your tired friend,
Madeleine

 

finding balance

Balance means something different to everyone.  This weekend- I found balance in completing all of the "I've gotta get this done" items on my list.

The weekend started with my usual Saturday errands.  I'm all about rituals.  I love getting up early on Saturdays, grabbing some Starbucks, hitting Target, and then going to the grocery store.  This weekend was no exception. :-)

 

Best find of the day was this adorable table.  Of course, I did not buy it since I have no room for it. But someday when I have a bigger yard, this mushroom trio will need to make an appearance.  So cute...  Looks like it came right out of a Smurfs cartoon.

 

When I finished my errands, it was time to get to work!! This weekend I focused on finishing several "long-term" projects including some quilts.  I was really happy with how all of the projects came out and can't wait for everyone to receive them.

Here is what they looked like all packaged up!  I had been holding on to this ribbon and I just loved how they added some fun to the packaging.  I hope everyone likes them!

The big guy, Camden, was such a great helper...

I called this post finding balance - because just like a bear stuffing his face before a long winter, I really packed a lot into this weekend.  With travel and some upcoming vacation plans- my larger "work on at home" activities needed to be completed.  I'm excited to take on some smaller projects next weekend.  More on that soon.

Finally, I finished the weekend with a trip to the gym.  Let's just say the treadmill punished me. 

 

Tonight my flight was delayed due to weather.  Hopefully I'll manage to get a good night's sleep.  Usually I sleep like a rock, but not on travel days.  Sleep before an early morning flight : Madeleine :: Kryptonite : Super Man.  Anyone else out there have this problem?

 

Wishing you all a wonderful week.  Thanks for reading!

Mike Polk Jr. - Great Comedy

There’s something about Cleveland that brings out the accent in me.  Suddenly, I’m talking fast and waving my hands.  Yelling about “the Decision" and 271. 

And then there’s this one.  Mike Polk Jr.

 Image Source: https://evbdn.eventbrite.com/s3-s3/eventlogos/18977229/mikepolk.jpg

His videos are hilarious.  I’m especially a fan of him as Greg on the “Man in the Box series”.  And this is another classic:

This weekend, Mike performs at the Just for Laughs Comedy Show in Montreal.   If you’re in Canada – check him out.  If you’re in Cleveland – check him out. 

This guy’s the real deal folks – I think he’s going to be our generation’s Seinfeld....

---

Speaking of things I enjoy, special thanks to Kelle Hampton at Enjoying the Small Things for her post this week on Instagram about these adorable Maileg cigar boxes.

So fun when houses have hidden little treasures - maybe someday if I clear some space!  Gotta believe that Camden would enjoy a mouse in the house.

 

It was a busy but fulfilling week – hope everyone is having a great *almost* Friday!

Madeleine

what dreams may come

What dreams may come... For the last several months, I've had the same recurring dream.  In this dream - there are 3 secret rooms in my house that I have not yet "decorated" or really used.  For anyone that knows me, you know how impossible that seems.

 

 

Maybe it's the 2,000 airplane rides.  Maybe it's the nights in the hotels.  Or maybe it's that crazy childhood fascination (that bridged it's way into adult fascination) with doll houses. But EVERY corner of my home is decorated.

 

 

My Barbie Dream House.  2 Bedrooms/2 Bathrooms of Madeleine-perfection.  Brick exterior, black shutters, one floor, wheel chair ramps and extra big doors so that every guest is comfortable.  I designed and planned every inch of my home.  I snuck-in as it was being built.  I'm blessed to have 2 housekeepers who love the house like I do making it so it's always company ready.

 

 

While I'm not home often, my home is my sanctuary.  How can you not smile when you walk into this? 



 

 



 Or snuggle up on the couch at night and enjoy lighting and a warm foot warmer, like this?

 

And that moment.  The one when you look at the shared water color that your Granny painted for you and your sister, and wonder if she ever thought it would someday hang in one of your kitchens? 

And then there's that stubborn tear, the one from 2004, the one you have learned to wipe away and smile at.  Because a good tear can be the price we pay for great love. 

But oh the smile that quickly follows... Thinking of the family and friends/family (my friends - they are my family) - that I am so very blessed with. 

Bright yellow kitchen?  I'll take it.

Or when you take in a sunset with this one, who is pretty sure this house is for him.

 

 

And now my dream - what do these empty rooms mean? My home is perfect for me already! 

 

But I know in my heart what it means..  For so long I've looked to other blogs for inspiration, have half-heartedly tried my own, but now I'm ready to jump-in with both feet. 

 

This is the forgotten space, my space, where I can share my life.  Decorating and maintaining it how I please-  I'm so happy to launch my little corner of the Internet.

 

 

Thanks for visiting my "extension of home".  I'm excited to share what I'm up to in Charleston, SC and to learn from you.  Best love - Madeleine

 

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day to all my lovies on the interwebs!   Thanks to some paper cut-outs from Wal-Mart and self-adhesive felt in the 'craft drawers' - I whipped up some cute valentines for my niece, nephews, and favorite little friends in no time. When I finished those, chocolate chip cookies.  The big guy loved having me home :-)  Have a great week!

Madeleine