headbands

Headbands of Hope Photoshoot

| cheriarmour

Hi!  Did you miss me?

I needed a few days off, and I think summer is a good time to do that.  Things at work have definitely picked up, especially since I’m working on finishing up the August schedule.  I’ve started to find a really good balance, and I’m not teaching as much as I was, just once or twice a week, and as needed.

A little over a year ago, when I got my job, I was a little skeptical when Matt, my boss, encouraged me to drop my Saturday class.  I didn’t understand why that would be necessary, or why it might be necessary for me to pare down, but he was right, and it sort of feels good to delegate some of my weekly classes.  And when I actually do teach, it feels more therapeutic than exhausting.

But anyhoo…

So yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing another photoshoot with Jess Ekstrom, the founder of Headbands of Hope.  Headbands of Hope is a really incredible organization that Jess started when she was in undergrad at NC State.  I’ve mentioned them on the blog before, but if you’re not familiar with the company, for every headband purchased, a headband is given to a child with cancer, and $1 is donated to cancer research.  Jess and I met while we were working at URec at State, and I guess she thinks I’m cool enough to do their shoots, so I’ve been involved with a few projects of hers.

So for the shoot, we had help from Carolyn Scott of Carolyn Scott photography, a really cool photographer here in Raleigh who has a real unique, dusky quality to all of her photos.  Here’s a little sneak peek of some of the photos.

10984254_10152809893881618_6405920082755475735_n 11061943_10152809894071618_8949467571049953388_n 11215132_10152809893866618_6433688604044872748_n 11750632_10152809894016618_1550647951309143588_nThe shoot followed a bridal theme, so Caroline, of Vestique, played our bride, and provided the rompers for us, which I absolutely loved.  They were so comfortable, and had that awesome flutter sleeve that added an element of drama to the look.  I almost thought for a second that a romper could have been fun for my girls, but they would have absolutely killed me, right?

It was a great, amazing way to kick off the rest of the week, and when I saw the pics, I was so happy they’re going to convey how bomb HoH is.

What are your plans for the weekend?

 

 

Sweat Hope 5k

| cheriarmour

I have a very very special place in my heart for the 5k.  I think a lot of times, that runners, especially those of us who have a few marathons under our belts, tend to look down on the 5k.

Why would you put a 5k sticker on your car?  What’s hard about a 5k?  You’re proud of 3 miles?

But that’s not fair is it?  Because we all started somewhere, even if we’re running ultras right now.  And a 5k is exactly where I started.  The 5k was my gateway, when I knew that I could do some amazing things.  And I love to sign up for a 5k now and then to assess exactly where I am, and to reminisce about a time when I couldn’t even imagine running 3.1.  5 kilometers is an amazing distance.  And guess what?  Just because you’ve run a few marathons doesn’t mean that there isn’t a day that picking up your legs to run 3.1 doesn’t hurt like hell.  Cause it happened to me last week.

That said, I have something cool for you guys.

HoHThis is Jessica Ekstrom, founder of Headbands of Hope, a really cool organization that has caught FIRE she she started it while she was a college student a few years ago.  For every headband/hat/buff purchased from her site, Jess donates one to a little girl being treated with cancer, and $1 is donated to cancer research.  It’s so cool, and I feel so lucky that I’ve known Jess with time to see her extraordinary business grow and grow and grow.

Seriously – here she is repping the company on the Today Show.

Here’s where you, and my love of 5ks comes in.

The Sweat Hope 5k is popping off on September 27th in Raleigh, NC, and I will be running it.  On September 27th, you’ve got a chance to run this race, meet the founder of a great org, and save on your registration!

For $5 off registration to the Sweat Hope 5k, use code overactiveblogger here, and come out to run, enjoy some amazing food from local vendors, and ring in the inaugural Sweat Hope 5k!