figuring out 40

04.30.12

hello last day of April. You won't hear any "it's going by so fast!" from me - I'm anxious to put these difficult days behind me. 

hello to the chance to have a better week. Last week was marked by a week-long pity party. It was one hell of an event. Think pony rides, clown cars, cupcakes, and wine (without the pony rides & clown cars). 

hello to Miss Hope coming home for the summer on Wednesday. 

hello to starting volume 2 of Project Life. Really excited to start this new album - it feels like I'm starting the project all over again.

hello to warmer temps by the end of the week (in contrast to the snow that we had on Friday).

hello to planning on spending quality time with my OLW this week. Shift is ever-present for me, but I need to "do the work" again.

what are you saying hello to today? 

(hello monday is a lisa leonard inspired practice)

hello monday : 04.16.12

hello newly painted kitchen - much brighter/lighter feel. Can't wait to hang some colorful prints on the walls.

hello project life weeks 13 & 14 done this weekend. Feels good to get a bit "caught up." Austin & I were chatting while I was working on the spreads, and I told him that I was getting stressed about being behind. He said "Mom, it's supposed to be fun. Don't let it become a job." How did that kid get to be so smart?

hello well-timed newsletter from Ali Edwards. Are you getting her 52 Creative Lifts emails? If not, you should be. 

hello taking back the reigns of my healthcare. As you know, I"ve been on this roller coaster of hip & back pain and treatment. I've been doing as I'm told, and things are improving that much - so I'm going to demand different care. 

hello NYC later this week. 

hello swirling ideas & thoughts. Monkey mind, but in a more productive sort of way. 

hello two & 1/2 weeks until Hope is home for the summer. What? That means that she'll be a junior in college. Did you notice that my heart just stopped beating?

what are you saying hello to today? 

(hello monday is a lisa leonard inspired practice)

 

hello monday.

Hello to editing vacation pics & finding that 95% of the photos of my brother are him being goofy.

Hello to throwing a project life insert in the recycling bin this am - reminding myself that i can do whatever i want - no rules.

Hello to Columbus later this week.

Hello to Easter Monday - a company holiday for us. Woo hooo! 

Hello to wheatberries & kale & whole wheat pasta being welcomed back to the dinner table. 

Hello to feeling discouraged, trying to believe that it's okay to begin again, and reminding myself that I know what to do.

Hello to registering for The Color Run with the kids & Becky. Ridiculously excited.

Hello to those 3 little words - your order shipped.

What are you saying hello to today? 

(hello monday is a lisa leonard inspired practice)

hello monday & grasping for gratitude.

I am not in a hello Monday mood. My day has not started off well, and I've spent most of the morning battling a sick headache. Blech. In an attempt to shift my mood, I'm trying to focus on gratitude for what is left of my morning. Breathing in gratitude, and breathing out stress...

*I am grateful for a kind physical therapist.

*I am grateful for friends who will patiently listen to my woes.

*I am grateful for green tea.

*I am grateful for pretty daffodils at my desk.

*I am grateful for creative opportunities.

*I am grateful for an assistant account manager who is simply wonderful (Em, if you're reading this...you seriously rock.)

*I am grateful for the chance to begin again. (and again, and again, and again.)

 

3.19.12

 

 

hello lumbar transforaminal - I am grateful that I was able to get in so quickly (an appt miraculously opened up on friday...think someone read the blog?)

hello crazy warm temps. I heart you. 

hello catching up on creative projects. 

hello Soul Centered by Sarah McLean. I attempted to meditate through the epidural today. The nurse even commented that it didn't seem like anything phased me. 

hello Learning to Breathe: My Yearlong Quest to Bring Calm to My Life by Priscilla Warner. HIGHLY recommend.

hello new washi tape. I'm typically late to a trend, but I'm loyal when I get there.

hello Hunger Games date on Friday with 2 girlfriends - we even bought tshirts!

Hope you said hello to lots of goodness this Monday.

(hello Monday is a Lisa Leonard inspired practice)

hello (stupid, yucky) monday.

This was not my favorite day. I'm not gonna lie...I don't want to say hello to anything else today. I really just want to say good-bye or good night or hang it in your ear. (that is the one swear that I remember my Dad saying when I was little...although I'm probably remembering it wrong, b/c what in the world would that mean??)

Y'know how, when you're digging in the sand on the beach, every time you create a bigger hole, more water floods into it? That's how my day felt. No moving forward or backward, just standing in one place digging a hole. 

It's funny, really, b/c I took the time to sit in meditation for 10 minutes this morning. TEN WHOLE MINUTES. That's a long time when you're on your first cup of coffee. It feels like the first few days of a cleanse. Not pretty. Meditation has a way of clearing out the gunk, just like detox. I put myself in time-out this afternoon. Skipped a meeting b/c I knew that I wasn't in the right frame of mind. It's going to be ugly for a few days...but that's how I know it's working. 

So. Hello & goodbye to this Monday...and just for good measure? Hang it in your ear.

 

hello monday.

hello Mom - Happy Birthday!! 

hello Montreal - so excited to meet Melanie & then gather up Hope for 8 days at home.

hello laundry - i'm fairly sure that Austin owns more clothes than i do.

hello commitment - knowing what to do is one thing. doing it is another. just do it.

hello lists - keeping me one step away from insanity.

hello back pain - really over you. please go away. 

what are you saying hello to today?

(hello monday is a lisa leonard inspired practice)

 

hello monday.

hello coconut oil. I've always been a fan, but my usage goes in spurts. I was psyched to try this suggestion from the Nourished Life. loooove.

hello quiet but busy weekend - never feel like I get enough done!

hello over-due new headshot (thanks for being my photographer, Austin)

hello wanting to fast-forward past tomorrow's (nauseating) "holiday" - apologies to those who are fans. I'm not.

hello to seeing "your package has shipped" in my inbox - happy mail on the way!

hello to Ohio later this week.  

 

hello monday.

hello to more pretty tulips (and bright sunshine).

hello to committing to going to the gym this week. 

hello to pinterest inspired valentine's cards (b/c friends deserve valentine's, too)

hello to lots of green smoothies this week. craving. 

hello to a new printer to play with & tell you about. 

hello to morning glory muffins w/irish butter. 

hello to meal planning (again. i've been slacking.) : ravioli w/brown butter & sage; quinoa cakes w/salads; paninis w/sweet fries; pear & walnut risotto

(hello monday is a lisa leonard inspired practice)

hello monday.

(imagine that there's a Hello Monday graphic of some sort here. putting that on my to-do list.)

hello to a list that feels overwhelming. trying to just write it all down & move through it.

hello to a new Starbucks Gold Card that will be used at lunch today.

hello to a busy blogging week - lots of stuff to share.

hello to wishing that I was at CHA this week (and it's been a looong time since I've felt that way!)

hello to SMASH, the TV show - watched the pilot online & loved it.

hello to 2 weeks w/o travel. yay!

what are you saying hello to today?

(hello monday is a lisa leonard inspired practice)