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Imodium

| cheriarmour

First, a big preemptive congrats to all my friends and running family that are running Boston on Monday.  It is so exciting to see everyone’s posts, and I hope that one day I will work hard enough to be there, enjoying the expo, and exploring the expo.  I’m so inspired by my friends who are there, and heading that way now.

Onto the gross stuff

I know this is literally so gross, but I have to talk about this.

The runner’s trots.

Trots refers to the thing that happens when you run long distance, your stomach starts killing.

I did some reading up on it, and there’s an actual reason for it.  So evidently, when you’re running your body focuses on sending blood to other areas of your area, so your digestive system gets neglected, meaning that halfway digested and undigested food gets shot through before it’s supposed to, which attributes to the cramps, the stomach pain, and in extreme times, the pit stops that have to be made during the runs.

Between that and my gastritis, my stomach has been really sensitive, and I’ve had to be really careful about putting things into it.  That includes gels, and things even in the week leading up to a race.

So, before Rock ‘n’ USA, I was really considering playing with Imodium, because of the experiences I’ve had, and I didn’t really do it because I hadn’t tried it throughout my training.  So around miles 9 of the race, I was hit with some pretty gnarly cramps, and pushed through to the end, but I really wasn’t feeling great in the stomach department after the race.

So for Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh, I paid really really great attention to what I ate in the week leading up, and the evening before, I took a full dosage of this stuff after sending Austin on a hunt for the pill version the night before…

Image via Amazon
Image via Amazon

And despite my concerns about using something like this (was I blocking my body from its natural functioning, would it stop me up, so to speak,) it was great. There were never a moment during the race that I was concerned about my stomach, and it really really helped my shift my focus from my normally-upset stomach to actually tearing up some of the hills.

So, what do you think? For my folks with upset stomachs, would you consider swigging a little bit of Imodium?

What I did yesterday :)

| cheriarmour

I am far from a fashion blogger – my most fashionable/expensive items of clothing involve some extremely pricey items, like so pricey I don’t feel like it’s appropriate to share with you, but I am doing something really fun next week, and I get to be a little fashionable.

So next week, I’m participating in a fashion show for the Peachy Keen Boutique in Cary, and I want on Friday afternoon after work for a fitting.  Now these are not any of the guaranteed outfits for the show, but here are a few things that I got to try on at the fitting.  (Also I got a compliment on my arms.  What!???  Best day ever!) 

photo 1Please excuse the fact that the mirror makes me look short when I’m literally like 5’8″, but here was a cool little dress that made me feel like Tinkerbell!

photo 2This top was swishy, and I liked it.

photo 3

This outfit was my favorite because I could actually wear it to work  The top was SO comfy and was probably, out of all the clothes, the one that fit my style the most.  I don’t know how I would describe my style but this is it.  Good jeans, see through top, and a pair of cute flats.

photo 4-1This one was cool too.  The top was really really really comfy, and I’m trying to figure out how I would style it to wear it in real life.  I love the top, but I might skip the tights and just go for a form-fitting mini dress underneath.  Or a swimsuit!

Which one is your favorite?  What did you do on Friday night?

I’m not sure I ever knew this about myself…

| cheriarmour

But it’s really cool to keep learning things about myself, year after year.  And one things I’ve learned since we’ve gotten engaged, and I’ve really gotten into this process, is that I love crafting and being creative, and my stuff doesn’t look half bad!

I made this….

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photo (27)I put these together….

photo (26)Made these and sent these out….

photoAnd I spent about two hours in the antique store yesterday, catching more and more chills as I sifted through a box of brooches.

I kinda knew I was creative, but doing this stuff for my wedding has opened up this joyful side of me, that I didn’t know that I had.  I was happy before, don’t get me wrong, but I am happy happy  now.

So what else am I doing, from a crafty standpoint?

  • I need to shop for more stuff for the bouquets, and continue putting them together.  That means I need more bouquet holders, to purchase the brooches after the antique lady, Laura, gets a chance to price them all, and continue acquiring more personal touches for each of my girls.
  • I have got to address and stamp these save-the-dates by the end of this weekend.  A little bit each day, right?
  • I spoke with the Whole Foods in Greensboro, and instead of Peonies, which are a premium flower, I am going with Garden Roses for my centerpieces – which I am planning to do myself 🙂
  • I decided I’m making candles for the favors.

So all of that said, I need some help!

Do you or someone you know have any of the following items?

  • Buttons?
  • Mason Jars?  Varying sizes will do for centerpieces, candles, and decorations.  I will PayPal you shipping for it, I am SO serious!
  • I actually think that’s it…

Any help for putting together our wedding from folks who have done it before? 

Here’s What! What three things are you obsessed with?

| cheriarmour

If you’re new here, I do this every Friday, and here’s last Friday’s so you can kinda get the gist of what we do around here.

So let’s get started!

1.  MY SAVE THE DATES ARE ALL DONE.  Now, by all done, I mean they’re all printed up, and I still need to address them and stick them with stamps, but I am a step closer to getting things accomplished.  And it feels awesome.  I would absolutely show you them, but I want them to be something of a surprise to the folks who I’m sending them to.  But if you’re really curious, email me or comment, and I will definitely send you a little preview.

tumblr_m1q2ohNazt1qfsv0eo1_500

 

2.  Something really terrible has happened to me.  I have been waking up early to work out.  And I sort of love it.  Mainly because my body is looking really sexual, and I have been lifting more weights and stuff.  I’m not sure if it’s making me any faster or anything, but my little abs are coming in!

rebecca-black-friday-10

 

3.  Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh.  And this one isn’t a funny ha-ha obsession, but I really loved the race for a few reasons.  The course was hilly, and the race was no-doubt, really challenging, but it was a challenge in the best way.  Even though it was hilly, and I worked really hard, I smiled for most of the race, and it was so arresting to see so many folks out spectating.  The tunnel leading to the finish was incredible.  That roar?  I won’t forget that.

But, all of that said, two men died at the race on Sunday, and I’m still feeling really confused about that.  I feel so deeply for the families of the men, and it makes me want to make sure that I get my check-ups every year.  Can a doctor catch everything?  Certainly not.  But I want a doctor to be able to tell me if I’m not healthy enough for the level of racing that I will be doing.  And I thank these men for helping me remember to take care of myself.

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Scenes from the race.

So what three things are you obsessed with on this Friday?

Is the craft store dead?

| cheriarmour

I discussed this with a few friends this week, but since I decided that I’m taking on a lot of the crafting, painting, glueing, and marrying for my wedding, I’ve spent a good bit of time, and a little bit of money at craft stores.

The past two weeks I’ve hit up some weird little scrap exchange in the area, a JoAnn’s Fabrics in North Raleigh and one in Cary, and a Michaels in Cary, and all of the experiences have been similarly discouraging.

The experience goes a little something like this. I walk into the craft store, and look around for a second before I realize I’m completely lost and I don’t know where anything is.  I contemplate asking one of the old women walking around where the section is for the buttons, for the wedding stuff, and for the ribbon, but they all look pretty busy.

Okay, find someone who can help.  So I look for someone in a smock by wandering for a few minutes before I decide that I’m wasting time by aimlessly wandering, and I head to the register, where I wait for the associate to finish up before I ask where the buttons are, for starters.

“They’re on 18B”

I think to myself, where is 18b.  What is an 18b?  I look at the associate sort of desperately, and I spread my hands out, and ask, “So is that…like 18b, where would you say I should head to find that?”

The associate points, almost wordlessly, and I start to count aisles as I try to navigate the Wal-Mart of crafting.  I repeat this at every big box craft store I go to, until, horribly upset two Saturdays ago, I almost dissolve into tears.  Austin could immediately tell that something was wrong.

What happened to customer service?

I work in retail, so I get it.  You don’t always feel like helping some idiot, but guess what, sometimes YOU are the idiot.  So you treat customers the way you’d like to be treated.  When a customer asks where something is, you don’t point, you don’t ignore them, and you certainly don’t huff and puff like you’ve got better things to be doing.  And yes, I’m talking about you, rude lady at the Michael’s in Cary who couldn’t be bothered to tell me where the floral wire was without rolling your eyes.

Collector’s Corner of NC

So yesterday, totally frustrated, and not completely willing to buy everything online without getting to hold/touch it first, I went to Collector’s Corner in Wendell, NC, where a friend had sent me in order to collect buttons, brooches, and little doodads for my button bouquets.  And not only was it small, the owner/operator, Laura Wagner was actually nice to me, accommodating, and pulled out a bag of buttons, and boxes and boxes of brooches for the bouquets.

photoHere were some of my finds.  Laura is pricing them for me, and additionally, with each paycheck, I will be down at her place to give her business, and to collect little bottles, suitcases, vintages razors and other odds and ends for the wedding.  Michaels, JoAnns, and other crappy big box stores be damned, I found a place where they actually would love to have my business for our wedding.   (Also check this place out, because it’s the tits!)

 

 

Racin’ Up in Vegas

| cheriarmour

tumblr_lyvu7d1kIp1qzbagvo1_500See how I did that?

Play on words? Wakin’ Up in Vegas, Katy Perry’s second big single/my next big race?

Okay, let me clear up the confusion.

So, in addition to wearing Bondi Bands, as a blogger, I applied to be part of their Ragnar Team in Vegas, which means I was only responsible for airfare.  I was chosen for one of their teams, and will be running with 5 other girls on one of their Ultra teams over a two-day, 200-mile period, and I cannot be any more thrilled.

The best part?

After I told Austin that I was planning on embarking on this ridiculous endeavor with 5 new friends (and then blogging about it), we decided to take a mini-moon to Vegas in November, and then plan our “real” honeymoon for late in 2015.  Now fun question for today!

I’m thinking Bora Bora or Hawaii.  Where should we honeymoon?

The no-reply blogger.

| cheriarmour

I got this on Twitter the other day.

No Reply

 

You’re a no-reply blogger.

I didn’t even know what it meant!  So my first instinct was to fall on the ground and ask for forgiveness for “not replying” to something.  I’m very literal.  But when I replied to her comment and Googled it, I found it what it means.

Bloggers pay attention! 

If you’re a non-blogger too, and every thinking about blogging, this is kind of a good thing to know anyways.  So when I Googled it, I stumbled upon this article by the super-sweet Susannah, who, with her blog, guided me through what exactly was going on.

So when I created my Gmail, it was May of 2009, and the contact info attached to this Gmail was my Elon.edu address, which, unfortunately, we were not permitted to keep.  This meant that when I created my blog, almost four years later, when I commented on Blogger-hosted blogs, (which is a Google thing), it would respond to them using an old, no longer functioning email address.  So when bloggers would try to reply to me, they would get a no-reply message!

Thank GOD that she let me know, god only knows how many comments I’d made that they couldn’t reply to.  So, bloggers and writers!  CHECK to make sure that when you’re commenting on blogs, you’re taking the necessary steps to make sure that you’re not a “no reply” blogger.  Any questions?  Put them below!

Wedding Wednesday!

| cheriarmour

This is the coolest Wedding Wednesday ever, and I will tell you why.  I AM GOING TO TELL YOU WHY!  UGH I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE TYPE IN ALL CAPS, BUT I’M REALLY REALLY SORRY, THAT’S THE LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT THAT’S GOING ON.

Okay, so I was planning for my Wedding Wednesday (hashtag Wedding Wednesday on the Twitter) posts to continue maybe only through my wedding, which is in August.  Well we get to continue these posts cause guess what?

20140412_111714 unnamedMy little sister is engaged, and I could not be more happy for her!

More posts!  More wedding stuff!  more helping her figure out the stuff that I need!  And guess what wedding nerds?  That means more posts for you! (Provided she doesn’t elope).  I’m not making any guarantees though.

Drama

I don’t think that I’m a major bridezilla, but something happened today that was no one’s fault, but I felt myself melting down a little bit.  Ladies, do everything you need to do early cause I promise you, this will happen.  But yesterday, when I called to check on the save-the-dates, a mistake had been made (not on the part of the paper shop), and the pre-invites were not ready.  And I almost burst into tears.  I don’t know why exactly, but I’d planned to have this finished weeks ago.  Why this?!

I talked to my mom, and one of my bridesmaids, and they both assured me it was fine, and that we had plenty of time.  Okay.  But it still really freaked me out.

Anyone else run into planning issues?  Also!  My sister is engaged!

 

Zyrtec.

| cheriarmour

Remember when I told you that Zyrtec was one of my weekly obsessions? I wasn’t lying, on Friday, after spending a miserable Thursday at work. I was not kidding at all.

Toward the end of the day, when my throat was feeling extra horrible, I wanted to kick a hole in the wall, but I resisted the urge. Barely.

So, on Friday morning, when I woke up feeling like less of a monster, and more like Cheri, I did the natural thing. I tweeted @Zyrtec to tell them that their product was really fly, and was surprised to see how responsive they were!

Screen Shot 2014-04-12 at 12.26.35 AMI followed them…

Screen Shot 2014-04-12 at 12.20.34 AMAnd I called them.

They were really great. They wanted to collect some info from me about my age, my usage of Zyrtec, and then they popped a few coupons in the mail for me.

If you didn’t know it already, it’s true.  I am still obsessed with Zyrtec, and they rock. And they didn’t pay me to say this, even though I would be totally down with it if they did decided to throw me some bennies and free product to talk about their miracle drug.