I want…

| cheriarmour

This list is one of those things that’s both running and non-running related.  It’s one of those lists that I may be able to get to some of it this year, and maybe some of it not.  But it’s that list that if the stars all aligned, the money was just a-flowing, this is what I’d want.  And maybe, with the proper planning, I can make this all happen.

  • These boots.

Minnetonka 3

I had a pair, and I wore a hole through them.  I really really miss them, and I would like to get another pair.  One of these paychecks….

  • These tights to go with my Minnetonka Fringed Boots.

Winter Leggings

  • These wedding bands.  (I will probably be in possession of these August 23, 2014).
photo (9)
Two rose gold eternity bands. One on the top, one on the bottom. How pretty!!!
  • A Starbucks gift card with an unlimited balance. I would get a decaf latte with skin and two Splenda once every few days.
  • To go horseback riding.  I realized today that I have not been on a horse since 2010, and I’d love to go for a trail ride.
  • To run this.

Nike

 

There are a few things standing between me and this want.  One, the lottery.  I haven’t entered (it’s not open yet), it’s 26.2 miles in hilly San Fran, and tickets to San Fran ain’t cheap!

  • To have a full-time job as a fitness blogger.  Then a book.   Then a line of cocktails like Bethenny Frankely had.  Oh my god my heart just went a-flutter thinking of it.  Can you imagine?
  • This computer to blog from

overview_gallery_overview

  • A nice camera for the blog so I’m not relying on my phone for your photos.
  • For the rooms in my apartment to be painted.  I need to recruit Austin for this undertaking.
  • A dog.  A dog a dog a dog!!!  Austin says no, but I’m working on it.
  • Jackie Warner’s abs/friendship.

work-out2

 

And that’s about it for now.

What’s on your wishlist?  

If you were thinking natural girls don’t need maintenance, think again.

| cheriarmour

When I made the transition to natural hair, I was probably about 17-years-old.  I had been traumatized by repeated trips to the salon, where, in an effort to tame my naps, the stylist would pour chemicals on my head and allow them to sit until my hair would lie in fear of the chemicals.

Safe, right?

Eventually, the chemicals took their toll and my hair was not looking too well off by middle school.

Then, I graduated to having my hair braided all the time.  Which was fine, except the place where we went in Charlotte would pull our hair so violently, I ended up in her bathroom in tears once.  And I was too scared to ever tell her that my head usually hurt for two days after the box braids were put in.  Plus it smelled weird there.

So finally, at the tender age of 16 or 17, I got fed up with it, and I somehow decided that I was going to wear my hair in dreadlocks.  My mom gave me a really hard time about it – locs were not yet super mainstream, and she associated the style with marijuana use and dirt.

But I was really persistent, and wore my hair in a short style, and nearly 10 years later, here I am!

If any of you are thinking of going natural, and you feel moved to do it, DO IT!

Locs fit my lifestyle.  Most people assume I’m from California, largely due to my demeanor and the fact that I sound like Hilary Banks when I talk , and the locs fit the Cali lifestyle.  I’m also semi-crunchy, and I work out a ton.  But just because the locs fit my lifestyle doesn’t mean that they’re not work.

photo 1 (2)

After weeks of running and working out and washing, my hair was in a state.  I didn’t have a ton of time, so I made an appointment with someone local to maintain my locs, but she abruptly canceled on me.  My mane couldn’t wait.  It was begging for maintenance.  And the fact that she abruptly canceled on me made me a little leery.  I don’t normally let anyone touch my hair, and I’m not letting someone touch my hair who doesn’t show up for her appointments.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and it was time for John Frieda’s Smoothing Shampoo + Conditioner.  I’d read reviews, and black women had said some good things about the way it had left their hair feeling.  (Normally I go for Giovanni, but I needed heavy-duty artillery for this mess).

photo 4 (2)

Post-shower + wash, the hair was already looking better, and felt a lot softer.

photo 5

 

And I set to the task of twisting with a few clips, since my growth was so soft and not really wanting to stay, with this.

51fz89Vs6GL._SY355_

 

 

Which leaves the hair feeling light and soft.  And there’s no smell really, which is good, cause I hate smelly hair stuff.

photo 1 (3)

 

Work those clips honey!

photo 3 (1)…And ta-dahhhhh!  Here is the finished product.

photo 2 (3)Soft, manageable, looking much better, and cheaper than getting it done!

Are any of you guys thinking about going natural?  Why or why not?  

 

 

Can I take a second to give @Amazon a shoutout?

| cheriarmour

This is gonna be a quick one, but I wanted to write on this before I forgot.

I have had many an experience with Amazon customer service and all of them have been wonderful.  And before you accuse me of being shady, I am declaring right here, right now, that this is my own opinion, and they are not paying me to say this.  Even though if they did, that would be awesome because I’m getting married and I keep ordering all this wedding stuff off Amazon.

But I digress.

Today, at the public library, I found this awesome book called Vintage Wedding Style, and once I got to flipping through it, I found a few pages that I would like to dog ear for my own nuptials coming up here in about 6 or 7 months.  So I decided it was worth it, and that I’d order the book on Amazon.  And for anyone who follows getting married, check this out, there are some awesome DIY ideas in here, including one for crepe paper flowers that I’m not skilled enough to try, but I’d love to see how yours turns out!

Vintage Wedding Style

I found it, ordered it, and then was forced to order two more nail polishes.  Not my fault.  But they were beckoning me.

Well, I went back to review my order, only to discover that I had had the items shipped to an apartment I hadn’t lived in for years.  And in a panic, I called Amazon, who resolved the issue literally within 5 minutes without any annoyance or hesitation from the guy on the other end.  The guy actual acted like it was his pleasure to be helping me, incompetent fool, out with her mistake.

So for best customer service of the day, Amazon.com totally gets my vote, and for as much wedding stuff as possible, I will be purchasing from them.  Thanks Amazon!  You guys made this neurotic bride’s day!

I think I’m done being mad at Lululemon now.

| cheriarmour

I walked into Lululemon yesterday for the first time since this gem, in which the CEO and co-founder of Lululemon, a high-end specialty retail store that caters to mainly young women, yogis and runners, implied that ::ahem:: some women’s bodies were not made for his yoga pants.  Read:  the founder just called us too fat to wear his pants.

I mean, I don’t pay nearly $100 for your pants for you to insult me and call me fat.  Plus I get all my running and yoga apparel for the most part from Fleet Feet, so it wasn’t a huge deal to quit paying Lululemon visits.

But yesterday, I decided I was over being mad at Lulu, especially since they put the gag on the co-founder, and now, former CEO, and stopped in to see what was going on.  I made a few observations, that I adored!  For one, the girls who work there are adorable, which I forgot.  I don’t ever remember being that cute when I was working retail, so color me jealous!

Yin

These sweatpants which felt like heaven.  

And I decided I need a gym bag.  I real one.  I’m tired of shoving my planner next to sweaty tights and sweaty pairs of underwear – it’s time (now that I’ve been working out consistently for like 4 years), that I graduate to a real gym bag with real pockets for the dirty clothes and pockets for my phone and for my sneaks and stuff.

So the iPhone went into selfie mode, and I took a selfie with my two favorite by the most glorious full-length mirror the store had to offer.

gym bag

So the real question here is is…

Are you still mad at Lululemon?  Why or why not?

Which gym bag do I get out of the two pictured above?

I think it’s important…

| cheriarmour

To note those little things that make you happy.  They can be stupid as all get out, but they’re not stupid if they’re important to you right?  And here it is, my list of little things that have made me incredibly blissful as of the past few days.

  1. This song, called the “Story of my Life” by One Direction.  It kind of sounds like Phillip Phillips, and I’m not shy to admit that it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  I told you guys earlier that I’d added that song to my running playlist, so you know it’s serious.
  2. These two Redboxes I got, Behind the Candelabara and the One Direction Movie.  I watched them on nights when I was doing a kind-of “Cheri” night, and it’s so nice to lay around and watch movies that you can dance and sing along to.
  3. This cat.
  4. photo
  5. This ring I found on Etsy the other day and I can’t find anywhere else.  And if anyone feels inclined to buy this for me, I would love it.  I’d ask Austin, but he recently bought me another ring – I think there must be some sort of statute on how long I have to wait before I ask him for more of my finds.
  6. photo
  7. Clean workout clothes.  None of which I have right now.  I need to throw a load in, but I’m busy chatting it up with you all!  But I did make a New Years Resolution to be a better housekeeper, right?  ::sigh:: Being a grown-up without a housekeeper totally blows.
  8. This brown microsuade blanket I bought when I was in college on clearance from Target.  As cold as it’s been, I’ve pulled that thing out of the guest bedroom, and I love waking up with the under-blank temp between 75-80 degrees.  Caliente!
  9. And finally, this trashy television that I’ve DVRed.  I’m a sommelier of fine tasty reality television, mainly anything that Andy Cohen has touched, but I really don’t have a whole lot of time to watch it during the week.  Laying on the bed with the cat, with Austin puttering around while I catch up on all the bad telly I’ve missed during the week makes me so insanely blissful.

So what’s making you happy this week?  

Happy Monday!

| cheriarmour

Total brain dump for you all today.  

The weekend was really good, but once again, I left it feeling like I didn’t get anything that I wanted to done, in part because all day Saturday, after I finished teaching class, I was laid up with a headache, so I ended up sleeping most of the day.  

Ah well, I will just have to put in a little extra work this week to make sure house gets cleaned/dinner gets made/workout gets worked etc etc. 

So anyhoo, a few items of brain dumpage. 

photo 1

This hair.  Obviously, I’ve been rockin the locs for a long time, but these, these are a feat of majesty and wonderment.  I’m not sure if my hair could take the color, because I work out too much and that already stresses my hair, but I can definitely work to grow it out a few more inches and crunch/curl them so they look all wild and cool like this.  I love.  

 

Tphoto 2

I was back in the store yesterday, and trying on all the shoes.  Still waiting to try on the Brooks Trascend (the new mushy model Brooks is releasing), but for yesterday, I went with the New Balance Minimus Road 10, a Minimalist shoe.  One of these days, we can talk all about minimalist running, but today is not that day.   All I can say is that these shoes are really cute, and I wish my right achilles would allow me to even consider running in this shoe, cause the colors are cute.  

photo 3

I had to drop my little boy, Martin off to get his neuter today, and I was a total wreck.  The doctor said he did really well, but they said he still had a few fleas (GAH) and conjunctivitis in his right eye.  Poop.  So they send him home with a few medications. 

photo 4

 

And by the time I got to him, he was so out of it.  But, even in his medicated state, he was really really loving, and kept nuzzling my hand.  

photo 5

 

He was back to his normal self the following morning, and had managed to break his collar within moments of us purchasing it for him.  Gah what the heck.  

And that is it for today’s brain dump. 

How was your weekend?  Did you do anything fun?

This week’s fit challenge! No alcohol!

| cheriarmour

I just wasn’t feeling it anymore last week.  I had two glasses of some cheap red wine at a social thingie, and woke up the next morning with the headache from hell.

You guys know I love my beer, so it was a tough decision.
You guys know I love my beer, so it was a tough decision.

It really shouldn’t have been enough to make me feel so sick, but the entire next day, I had the nastiest feeling, and I was just done.  And for a slightly indefinite period, I decided that I was off the sauce.

I mean, it’s truly not the worst thing in the world to happen to my diet.  Alcohol leads to drunkness, bloating, and poor life decisions, so I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on a whole lot, and I swear that my tummy is looking a little more muscular as of the last few days.

I’m no doctor, so don’t be an idiot about this, but if you’ve been toying with the idea of taking a little break from the Devil’s urine, (I kid, I kid), consider taking a little hiatus.  

I’m not sure how long I’m gonna go, but I’m feeling pretty good, more clearheaded, and I’ve been substituting beer or wine for some club soda or sparkling water with a little lime, and usually nobody asks any questions.  

Of course, two people have already asked if I’m expecting (I’m not), but other than that, it’s been relatively pain-free!

How will you challenge yourself this week? 

What are you listening to?

| cheriarmour

I have a very visceral reaction to music.  The first time I ever heard Waka Waka by Shakira, I welled up and got all teary.  I think I was also going through a breakup and  I also get like hyper-emotional when I work out, so it may just be that but whatevs.

The other day, I was riding to dinner with the husband-to-be and one of those cheesy countdowns of the top 5 songs was on.  I typically only listen to the Beyoncé CD in my car, most specifically Yoncé/Partition, but I decided that Queen Bey could use a break.

I heard this song.

photo

And I kind of started feeling weepy.  I make no bones about the fact that I am 25 shit 26 years old, and a full-fledged Directioner (Zayn is the best, and the movie was hilarious and fantastic).

This song was immediately added to my running playlist, no questions asked.

Now here’s my question for you.

What song have you recently added to your running/workout playlist? 

The first time I ever had my heart broken.

| cheriarmour

This isn’t exactly what you think.

But here’s why I had it on my mind.

Wednesday night, it was still too cold to run outside, and I got the bright idea to head to the Y, where they had a track where I could try a track workout that I’d been eyeing from the girls at ToneitUp.

Track

Oh.

Just kill me.  15 times around was a mile?  I started with a few time around to warm up, about 5 minutes, and then launched into my interval workout.

Cupid's Cardio

 

The fun part of the interval, was that part of the way through, this guy decided he wanted to try to keep up with me.  I totally kick his butt.  It’s fun to do that, I’m sorry to admit.  In total, I spent about an hour on a track that took 15 times around to make a mile.   And I’m feeling it!  I am so so sore.

But was I was making my way around this teeny tiny track, I started to think about track, and the first time I ever had my heart broken.

When I was in 7th or 8th grade at Crestdale Middle School, I decided I wanted to join the track team.  My dear dad woke up early with me every morning, and took me out to a freezing cold outdoor track around the corner from the house at the Siskey Y, and trained me.  At tryouts, which lasted for 2 or 3 days, I had my events, and I was spanking the sprints.  But the coaches decided to try me at the 800 (two laps around the Olympic track), and that’s when things fell apart.

This is so embarrassing, and I can honestly say I’ve never told this story out loud to this day.

I knew nothing of endurance, or conserving energy for the second lap, so I shot out front like a cannonball when the gun went off.  But as we rounded the curve for the second lap, I was exhausted, and went from scorching the rest of the team to coming in dead last, gasping in the freezing cold.  It was mortifying, and I’m sure the coaches laughed themselves home.

The next day, I was cut from the team.  I was heartbroken.  But it was a great lesson cause I’ve been rejected from like a million other things in life, and it really won’t kill you, as bad as it feels at the time.

But suck it suckas cause I run marathons now.  And that’s really all I have to say about that.