Reclaimed Wood

I have come to realize that reclaimed wood has a special place in my heart. Some people find peace going for a walk with their dog and listening to nature. Others go grocery shopping and fill a cart of all the things they find most delicious, and then leave it behind because they don't really want to buy them. And then there is the relaxing type, who want a glass of wine and a hot bath (or sauna) and a magazine full of things they have a love-hate relationship with.

Ok confession, those are all things I love doing. Yikes, thanks for visiting crazy town with me.

But where I feel MOST at peace, is definitely while in the same room as reclaimed wood. Preferably it wouldn't be reclaimed yet, it would still be in the same barn it came from. Because that would mean I achieved one of my life long goals of living on a farm with a barn full of horses - standing in said barn built long ago, full of wood that is just to beautiful to give up.

But since I'm not there yet, I'm allowing my vision to be flexible, and doing what works for me right now. And that is reclaimed wood in my house. The house is slowly but surely coming along, and the other night we got to see the beams that went up. Wanna see?! Ok yes.

 So much detail! So many crevices for my eyes to get lost in! I can only imagine the stories this wood could tell. 

In addition to those beams - Mike and I went to a furniture show and found my new favorite furniture designer, Play-Haus Design. He uses all metal and wood from barns and factories in Ohio. If you live in the Cleveland area, you are a lucky dog.

Here's the sexy little number I went home with that night...and no I'm not talking about Mike.

It's going to look SO perfect in our house! Can you sense the theme yet? Next up is to get the painting finished and then the kitchen is going in...I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait. But really, I can't, so hurry up house. Please :).

believe in CLE

Something beautiful happened in Cleveland, Ohio on August 30th in 2013. The people of Cleveland came together as one and celebrated yoga at the one and only, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. People of all shapes and sizes, from the east side and the west side (amazing right?!), all decided to spend their Friday night breathing as one.

I am lucky enough to have an awesome job - I work for lululemon athletica. A fabulous company with a mission that is close to my heart. I couldn't imagine working for another company simply because of it's focus on the care of people - both in and out of the company. Plus I'm surrounded by inspiring people who I get to call my friends! #lucky. Some people rate their days on a scale from 1 to 5, I like to rate my days on a scale from made-their-day to changed-their-life.

On this particular Friday night, I'd like to think it was a changed-their-life kind of night. Inner Bliss Yoga Studios and lululemon athletica Eton-Chagrin came together to host a killer event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame called believe in CLE. About 1,400 yogis practiced together...sweating, holding hands, laughing, and dancing their way through a 90 minute class. I feel so lucky to have gotten to see it from ideation to completion, and have never loved my city (and my company) more!

Over 1,400 people showed up to participate in a 90 minute class led by Tammy Lyons from Inner Bliss Yoga Studios. They have a beautiful studio in Rocky River, Ohio and a wonderful team of teachers. And on their website, some of them are called bliss makers...I want to work there just for that title. Talk about resume material.

And, Chill Pop Shop showed up to cool off our guests while they waited for the practice to begin. They make the most delicious handmade popsicles. Blueberry basil was my favorite. Refreshing with just the right amount of sweet and tart. Then again, if you know me, anything with basil usually wins :). 

 Look at all of the other delicious flavors! I would have taken a picture of mine but I was so busy eating it that I forgot to snap a pic...whoops. They are a must if you are ever sweating your way through Cleveland.

 That's just one side of the lot...so many Clevelanders!

A team of assisters walked around during the practice, all from studios local to Cleveland. It's amazing when businesses can drop the competition aspect for a moment and come together as one for a higher purpose. Such a powerful message! It was a magical night, clearly I'm not over it yet.

We held hands...

 And we danced...

And we savasana-ed.

Never before have I had a job that enabled me to learn, thrive, develop, and connect with people more than this job. Every day I work at acting as the owner of a business, all while having the opportunity to hold great conversations that could maybe change their life - or at least make their day. That is my purpose in life, I am thriving every day... nothing feels better than that!

Oh,and in case you were still unsure, Cleveland is awesome :).

Questing for Coffee

It is one of my biggest dreams to have my own coffee shop one day. Actually, let's call it a goal, because you know what they say, "goals are dreams with deadlines". This is my destination and I will achieve it. My day is made through great conversation and a good cup o' joe (more accurately, 4 or 5 good cups o' joe), and what better way to live my life than giving back those simple yet powerful things that make me so happy? There is no other way, you're right :).

 Even my coffee cup knows how to live right!

There is just something so stimulating (no pun intended) about the process of my morning coffee routine.  This morning I'm using beans from one of my favorite local coffee shops - Rising Star Coffee Roasters. This is a bean from El Salvador, mmmmmm!

You can buy their amazing coffee in Cleveland, OH...maybe you'll see me there! They are so knowledgeable and it's such a cool space. Find out more here: Rising Star Coffee Roasters

First is the crinkle of the brown paper coffee bag as I retrieve it from the drawer, it's like I get to open a present every morning! But this is better, because this present releases the most amazing smell. In all of it's invisible glory, the smell wafts out of the bag as the beans tumble around, and they tantalize my senses and my mouth starts to water (or I'm drooling...either way, I'm excited).

There they are, in all of their glory! The biggest problem here is I'm almost out :/. Can you smell them?! Why hasn't smell - o - vision been invented yet?

Then it's time to grind the beans. Imagine a smell lightly tickling your nose, then times that by 100 (I suppose now the smell would be karate kicking your nose), and at this point there is no turning back for me. There could be a UFO landing in my back yard or a tiger laying on the couch, anything...but I'm not stopping until I have my hands wrapped around my coffee mug. From here I feel like a distance runner who can finally see the finish line, I just want my coffee! My coffee grounds go into my ceramic pour over to await their bath as my water reaches boiling.



And then I pour. I am still perfecting my pour, but I'm getting there! About 60-90 seconds later, my coffee and I become one.




This is the process that made me fall in love with coffee. I had a crush on coffee before, but I wasn't tapping into it's true abilities! Just like a misunderstood teenager, it needed the right setting and applicications to thrive. And now I want to share it with everyone! Not just the coffee, but the appreciation of life in general. I may be handing you coffee at my coffee shop (when it finally comes to fruition), but what I really want to give you is so much more. A cozy place to relax and feel at home, a place where you can share your adventures and let the simple pleasures of your day be the focus. And I will probably want to give you some kind of delicious morsel, because I happen to love cooking and baking as well.

And so it begins! My quest to learn and discover and fine tune all the little details that will make my dream a reality. So this blog will house my journeys, in whatever form they surface as, and my trials and tribulations as a girl chasing a dream. I'm guessing it's going to be a delicious journey, and that is more than ok with me.

If I was a quote...

Today I read a quote that hugged my heart and made my smile, smile. If I was a quote, it is probably on the top 10 list of what I would choose to be. What is it you ask? Here you go!

I'm the kind of girl who would rather be barefoot than anything else. There is something about walking around barefoot that makes me feel alive. Maybe it's the physical connection between body and earth, maybe it's just because I am a hippie born a little too late...either way, you will find me barefoot as much as possible. 

And the second half of the quote gives me just as many warm fuzzy feelings. It paints this picture of the universe as this ever-caring being, gently tossing my hair left and right - for the soul reason of reminding me that simplest things can create an unforgettable moment.

Sigh, I just love this quote. I love it enough to tattoo it on my body I think. Not that I will, but if I wanted a tattoo, this would probably be it. Thank you Kahlil Gibran for your brilliance!

First paddleboard of the season!

So I'd like to share a little tidbit about myself. I love working out. Exercising, moving, burning calories, getting stronger, building muscle...however you want to look at it works for me. If I'm sweating, I'm happy. Activity dates are, and always will be, the best. Well, that and food dates, but that's a whole other side of me.

Anyways, I recently committed to a goal that I am super excited about, and it is as follows - this summer, I will do all of my workouts outdoors, with the exception of yoga classes. The sun gets my going every morning, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than taking advantage of the summer weather.

Darwin plans on sleeping in this summer, what a bum.

Activities outside make me feel like the world is my gym and that I'm training for life. Doing stairs outside = winning the races I always play at the airport against other strangers taking the escalators. Trail running = the ability to chase down your dog when he takes off after a rabbit (oh Darwin, such a trouble maker). Jumping rope/plyometric workouts = never having to step away from a dance party because your calves are burning in your 4 inch heels . All frequent occurrences in my life, so I plan on being as ready as possible for them.

So this brings me to my first day after setting this goal. It started off rainy and gloomy at 6 am this morning, and I was afraid my workout date was going to skip out on me. We had planned to meet at 7 am on the beach for a little pre-breakfast sweat, but I almost rerouted home when I felt water droplets during my warm-up jog to the beach. The universe was working in our favor though, because as I headed down the hill, I saw my neighbor Denise coming down the stairs.

These are the stairs, oh man what a good workout they are.

After some jumping jacks, too many different kinds of push ups, some ab work, and some more push ups, the clouds parted and the sun beamed through.

And that is when I decided it was time to debut the paddle boards.

Off to visit the lighthouse!

The cool thing about the harbor is that it can be calm one minute, and ridiculously choppy the next. We sat down when it got too rough, mainly because falling in the 50 degree water wasn't part of the plan. As it gets warmer here, the water will follow suit...soon wetsuits won't be necessary and swimming can be part of the workout!

I like to face backwards and take pictures while trying to not drop my Ipod touch in the water...thank god I do yoga, hello balance!

Relaxing and enjoying the view as we cruised in.

Paddleboarding is an amazing core and arm workout, and I will take that over being stuck in a gym any day! Day one of working out outside was most definitely a success! 

What's your favorite outdoor activity?

Live, Swim, Drink.

If there is one thing that I love, it's a good quote. I couldn't think of a better one to kick off the weekend than this.

This could actually be my life mantra, what more do we need?

The weather is getting warmer, my tan is getting bronzer, beach volleyball season is underway...I couldn't be happier! It's the little things that do it for me, ya know? Nothing fancy, just the little pleasures in life :). 

Meet Darwin!

I suppose we can't really be friends without you knowing my favorite things in life, so it's time for you to meet Darwin.

Whoops, he was excited...too close.

There we go, isn't he awesome?! A pinch of Akita, a dollop of German Shepard, stir in some Canaan, and here is what happened! He's perfect. 

My boyfriend (Mike, perhaps you'll meet him later) and I rescued him from a local dog shelter and he has been king of the castle ever since. His favorite hobbies include: seat stealing (he has this thing for still-warm-with-body heat spots on the couch, which makes getting up for anything a bit of a game), checking every window to see if he can spot a moving object to intently watch, digging his way out of the fenced in back yard to hunt, and of course, long walks on the beach!

I am getting ready to move close to Fairport Harbor beach, the beach is thatta way.

Darwin was a stray for a long time and was in the shelter for around 8 months before we found him, but he has always been amazing with people. He will follow us around and make sure we are never alone in a room - so thoughtful. One of Darwin's best qualities is that he is the quietest of hunters. With the agility of a mountain goat and the stealth of a panther, he would spend all day hunting if we'd let him. I guess that's what being a stray teaches you! And yes, his name fits him perfectly, although it was only by coincidence. We didn't know he was the epitome of survival of the fittest until we saw his hunting techniques, how he rationed his food, and his expert hiding skills when there are thunderstorms.

Who me? King? Yep.

All I've ever wanted is someone to watch every sunset with me, and now I've found that someone! I think Mike would do that for me too, but Darwin's enthusiasm for going outside is unmatchable. Not too bad of a view either. 

Wondering what ocean this is? Surprise, it's Lake Erie! Mistake by the lake? I think not!

Darwin's worst quality is most definitely his deep hatred for cats. The kind where if he sees one outside, he will run to every window, stand straight up, and start whining and barking until he can no longer see it. When a cat is around, it's as though we aren't even there. He completely ignores our commands and if we shut the blinds he merely moves to the next window. Any suggestions?

See? What a window hog! I wouldn't want to take a plane ride with him, I'm the kind of person that has my face pressed to the window the whole time. Uh oh...it just dawned on me that I may be a window hog...

Anyways, now you've met Darwin. This is the first dog of my own (well I share him with Mike, but you know what I mean), so excuse me if I constantly include him. I feel like a mom with her first child, I just want everyone to know how amazing he is!

Goodnight Lake Erie, I will never stop loving you! Well, as long as you keep letting me pretend that you are an ocean...it makes me feel better.