I love this artist...

I've been admiring Matt Muirhead's work at Yabba Pot and Evergreen Cafe lately. Evergreen is featuring three typewriter pieces that are four times larger and much more involved than the image above (see more here...). I am crazy about them. CRAZY. I want all three to be hanging next to each other on the wall next to my desk right now. For now, I'll have to settle for a smaller, but just as lovable version, which I picked up yesterday afternoon at The Art Under Ground Studio on The Avenue in Hampden. I feel joyful everytime I look at it, which is why I plan to take this concept and finally get a tattoo.

56,364 words, a lot of post-its, and a surprise!

Finally, my husband and I cleaned out our cluttered and neglected office. Its probably only 90 square feet of space...and we share it. Last Saturday we rolled up our sleeves and got rid of eight garbage bags filled with paper. We also rearranged the desks, brought another bookshelf into the room and voila! It feels like a Zen Monastery compared to its former state. I couldn't have been happier working from home this week.

A lot of things have shifted recently. I was on a really regimented schedule over the past couple months and I needed a change. I've just let go recently. Instead of going to the gym everyday I've been taking long walks at night with Steve. Instead of reading novels, I've been reading blogs late at night and jumping between five different books that cover a wide range of topics. I've pulled way back on my writing, which has given me perspective and now I'm ready to dive back in with fresh eyes and a clear(er) head.

I'm almost to the "end" of the first draft of my novel. Last weekend, I was becoming overwhelmed trying to keep the plot straight in my head. Plus I couldn't see the conclusion clearly. I've learned a lot from Kris and Brian (my rockin' bosses at CSL), especially when it comes to the creative process. I remembered a picture they had shown me of a dry erase board covered in post-it notes, which they had used to organize one of their largest projects. This seemed like a perfect solution to plotting the progression of my story.

For a few hours on Saturday and Sunday, my husband and I sat in our kitchen and thought through the entire book. He knows the story pretty much as well as I do, since I've bounced almost every idea off him, he has read every page, and he has some kick ass ideas of his own. I don't think I would have gotten this far without him to talk through it with me.

Anyway, what you see above is what we came up with. I moved it next to my desk for easy reference and I'm trying to copy it all down before I leave for Woodstock on Sunday. I'm a little more calm about my progress. I'll get there. Slowly but surely.

Another wonderful surprise last week was an unexpected gift from Steve. Last summer, Steve and I took a trip to Bar Harbor, ME. We stopped at a musical instrument shop one day and I picked up a viola for the first time in ten years. I was instantly inspired to start viola lessons again and I found an amazing teacher in Baltimore when I returned home. I was also lucky enough to borrow my teacher's viola (it could make anyone sound good, its gorgeous, I want it!). I took lessons in the fall and winter, but ended up quitting when fitting in practices became more stressful than enjoyable. Ever since, I've said that I regretted quitting. Before ending the lessons, Steve and I recorded a song together for his band, The Freeminer Birds...

A few weeks ago I decided to renovate my vision board and a picture of a viola ended up in the upper right corner. I didn't know how I would pay for lessons, if my teacher was still available, or how I would fit the lessons and practicing in my schedule. I just knew that the instrument still resonated with me and I wanted it in my life. A couple days ago, Steve called me up and told me he had contacted my viola teacher. She was happy to take me as a student and could lend me her viola again. She also said not to stress about practicing and that we would do the best we could with the time that I have. I was speechless. My first lesson is Sunday and I couldn't be more excited to start playing again. Again, I am humbled by the power of the universe (and my incredibly thoughtful husband). Thank you!

I'm also very excited to be doing a little blogging at Crazysexylife.com. I've been behind the scenes since we launched the site and now I'm posting a blog every now and then. Our blog posse is flourishing and packed with trailblazing change-makers. I am so grateful to be a part of this inspiring group of people. I have to pinch myself sometimes. Is this really part of my job?

I love nights like tonight. I'm sitting at my computer, which faces a window overlooking our backyard. Its a cool night and I don't have any obligations. I can catch up on my favorite blogs, my novel, listen to music (right now its Tegan & Sara, So Jealous), and update my own neglected blog. My husband is happily recording music in the basement. The second Freeminer Birds album comes out soon!

Time to push past 56,356 words...

49,079 Words...

Blogging about my word count is keeping me motivated. I know, I know, word count doesn't matter, but those silly numbers make me excited for some reason. I'm currently in the fourth week of The Artist's Way, which is still fantastic. I've stayed faithful to my morning pages. This experience is also unearthing some things that have been bothering me, which I was conveniently ignoring.

For one thing, I've just stopped caring about my cluttered, dirty house. I brush it off, saying "I don't have time" or "Who cares? We're not going to live here for much longer anyway..." But its gone way too far. I would estimate that we don't need 50% of the stuff in our house. 25% is probably garbage (not literally, but it could be thrown out) and 25% I'm sure we could donate. It's time to devise a plan. One corner at a time. Although I'm not there half the time, it doesn't mean that the house doesn't need some TLC. The basement scares me the most, *shudder*...

Anyway, that's all for now. 49,079 words complete!

41,000 words

Its been a long time since I've posted here. Many wonderful things happening. Crazy Sexy Life is busting at the seams and I am loving the beautiful journey we are on, which has me traveling between Baltimore and Woodstock every other week.

Here is a list of things that make me very happy right now...


1. I'm reading The Artist's Way by Julie Cameron. After finishing a 10-week creative writing course, I've started Cameron's ten-week program. I LOVE it. Especially the three daily morning pages and the weekly artist date. This week I visited the lovely psychic Aurora at breathe books for my artist date. As soon as my eyes pop open I'm giddy about my morning pages. The book and its exercises are opening up many creative doorways.

2. I've written 41,000 words in first draft of my novel. I have a 3 pages per day goal for the next two months. Hopefully that will bring me to the end of the story so that I can begin the first round of revisions.

3. I just finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and I'm back to Looking for Alaska by John Green. I took a hiatus from LFA so that I could read Outlander, which I loved by the way.

4. I've started working with a trainer (every other week). Over the past six months I've been going to the gym without a lot to show for it. I'm usually more successful if I'm accountable to someone or something, so here it goes. I'm very excited to see some results over the next couple months (finally!).

That's all for now. Another week in Baltimore and then its back to Woodstock! Time to write my 3 pages for the day...

Dorky Book Lust

I am obsessed with reading more than ever. As a kid, I thought it was silly to read books that were written for kids my own age. I tried to read Shakespeare, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and even Dostoevsky. Of course, I was bored, confused, and thought that reading for fun sucked. Now that I am way beyond the age of young adult literature, I've started reading it. My descent into this genre began with the Twilight series.

From Christmas until about two weeks ago, I read the entire Sookie Stackhouse series, thats eight books of Louisianna-Vampire-Love-Mystery mania. Although this series isn't YA, it may as well be, except for some of the adult content... Now that Sookie is on hold until May, I've started three other books and I can't decide which to focus on.

First, I started Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, which was a little slow in the beginning. Plus, it was big change from the fast-paced, fun reading I had been doing. The descriptions of Scottish countryside were putting me to sleep, but now that I'm a hundred pages in, I love it! There is something to be said about building a story...

A few days after beginning Outlander, my good friend (who also loved the Twilight series and is an avid reader of all genres) gave me Looking for Alaska by John Green. I started reading it that night and was instantly drawn in, especially by his amazing sense of humor. He reminds me of David Sedaris, one of the only authors that actually makes me laugh out loud.

A few days ago, I saw an advertisement for the Twilight DVD and like a putty in their hands I went to Amazon immediately and ordered it. Of course, I couldn't pass up ordering Host by Stephanie Meyers as well. I'd like to add that this would be on the shelves in the big people part of the bookstore, thank you very much. As soon as it arrived, I cracked it open. Its very different from the Twilight series and I look forward to seeing how she has evolved as an author.

I've stayed true to writing my three pages or more each night and tomorrow I'll receive feedback from my writing teacher, who I love! We had our first discussion last weekend and it was encouraging and helpful. Looking forward to her ripping apart last week's submission.

I've also been very faithful to the gym:) Why not? I catch up on my reading and I can't work there or be on my computer. I look forward to my techno detox everyday.

Only a few more days in Baltimore and then its back to Woodstock for a week. I'll be spending a little time in NYC too! My brain is fried. Over and Out.

Back to Charm City Tomorrow

I can't believe I'm getting back in the car and driving to Baltimore tomorrow night. This week has flown by. CSL.com is bursting with new trailblazing peeps and I'm so excited for their blogs to arrive! Here is where I've spent most of my week. KC encouraged me to start a vision board on my bulletin board (top left) and surprised me with a little plant friend this week. For some reason Mr. Plant always lifts his leaves up toward the lamp late at night. I've become quite attached to him this week. I've never had luck with plants, but it looks like I'm doing ok with this little guy. I'm sure he'll be in good hands while I'm in Charm City for the next ten days:)

I finished!

Finally, I finished the seventh Sookie Stackhouse novel, while on the treadmill at the tiny Woodstock gym this evening. I was pleasantly surprised by From Dead to Worse. The past two were losing me a little, but this one captured my attention again. I'm happy to report that I've stuck to my 3 pages/day commitment! I want to keep writing, but its time to start the Outlander series, which I now consider research as well as entertainment.

Goodnight!

Back in Woodstock...Armed With My Mixes

My hubby pulled through and made me two mixes this weekend. Here is the play list for Mix #1:

1. Climbing To The Moon by The Eels
2. Detlef Schrempf by Band of Horses
3. Ramblin' Woman by Cat Power
4. Absentminded Melody by Joel Plaskett
5. The Dress Looks Nice On You by Sufjan Stevens
6. Challengers by The New Pornographers
7. The Funeral by Band Of Horses
8. The Park by Feist
9. 3 Speed by The Eels
10. A Stranger's Car by Rickie Lee Jones
11. (Some Song by Billy Bragg)
12. Torn and Frayed by The Rolling Stones
13. Lost Girls by Till and the Wall
14. Traveler's Song by The Fruit Bats
15. Toys by The Epoxies

They were wonderful companions on my rainy drive to Woodstock. I had did a lot of brainstorming during the 5 1/2 hour journey. These songs create the right mood. My imagination functions much better with good music as fuel. I'm a little tired at the moment, so you'll have to excuse my writing tonight.

We had a delightful day. Hubs and I met with some peeps at The Great Sage, which I've blogged about many times. It's vegan heaven. I enjoyed some chili, brown rice, and cornbread:) I dedicated a lot of time to my writing project this weekend and I am happy to report that I sent my first submission to my long-distance writing teacher today. I know that the numbers of words don't matter, but I was proud to have 4,419 words to show for my work this week. We'll see what she thinks.

I'm so close to being done with the Sookie Stackhouse series! Maybe tonight's the night that I say goodbye to Sookie (at least until the next book is released in May). I'm off to jot down the ideas that popped into my head during the drive. Until next time!

Sugar Induced Writing Frenzy

My poor husband had a rough presentation experience at work today, so we went to One World Cafe to unwind and enjoy some vegan chow. Afterward, we picked up a pint of Purely Decadent's Mocha Almond Fudge Swirl (Non-Dairy!) and headed home. We were going to see Watchmen at the Senator Theater, but we were too beat to go out again. The ice cream was phenomenal (my hubs loved it too) and no, I did not finish the whole pint (there is at least a quarter left). I have done that once with a pint of PD's Pomegranate Chip and I'm not proud of it.

I felt so awake after my bowl of ice cream (with raw cacao sprinkled on top) that I launched into an internet browsing/creative writing binge that's lasted three hours. I'm finally starting to feel tired. Our cat, Sweet Pea, is snoring in the chair next to me. Sometimes I can hear her from our office upstairs during the day. I never knew a cat could snore that loudly.

Unfortunately, I always work better late at night. You know that you won't get interrupted and no one is looking over your shoulder or expecting you to do something. Its 100% your time.

On another note, its been another successful week at the gym. Five days straight. I plan on continuing this trend as long as possible. The amount of vegan goodies that I've been eating pretty much negate any exercise I've been doing, but there are many benefits other than losing a lot of weight (at least I'm not gaining a whole lot). I officially hate my scale. I hate other people's scales too, especially the doctor's scale.

I juiced today too! I haven't been doing very well with that this week. Sometimes if I get away from the habit (like when I go to Rochester and don't have a juicer) its difficult to get back into it. Anyway, I'm back on the horse now and thats what matters. Now I'm really tired.

Goodnight.

My Latest Challenge...Three Pages A Day

After reading through some of my past blogs last night, I picked up on a pattern. I love creating challenges. They don't usually turn out as I planned, but I think they've all taught me something. My newest challenge is to write three pages of my creative writing project each day. Last night I was typing in bed, almost falling asleep, but dammit, I did it!

I think it would be fun to share my frustrations, triumphs, and lessons here as I progress with this project. While at the gym this morning, I read a few chapters of Bird by Bird. No other book on writing has struck a chord with me like this one. If there was one book I could recommend to any aspiring writer, it would be Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird. Not many writers can make me laugh out loud or cry. It happens very rarely. Whenever it does happen I am inspired to create the same magic on paper. I couldn't help letting out a giggle here and there while on the elliptical today.

Allie Larkin's short story, Bathtub Mary, made me cry. I feel very lucky to be able to pick her brain on occasion. David Sedaris always makes me laugh out loud (especially while listening to his readings). I love self-deprecating humor. Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels have made me blush many times (I'm almost done with the last book and its much better than the past couple, I was starting to lose faith in Charlaine). And of course Stephanie Meyers made me feel like I was falling desperately in love all over again.

I Heart Americana

As always, my husband has a lot to do with my latest music obsession. He has always been plugged into music in a way that does not come naturally to me. I don't know where he finds it, but every week there its something new playing in the house or car. He also has the annoying ability to memorize the lyrics to every song he hears (I, on the other hand, am always singing the wrong words and have to be corrected, which is always all too embarrassing).

For the past 12 years, he has been making me mixes. At first of course, these were on cassette tapes. He would decorate the tape jackets with odd characters and give each mix a funny name, like "Songs to Eat Mac Salad By" or "Blah Blah Blah Blah" (I hate Mac Salad by the way, but it is a Rochester, NY favorite). Making mixes is an art to him. He's like John Cusack's character, Rob in High Fidelity (except Steve is getting his Ph D. in microbiology and isn't commitment phobic).

I've given him a new mix assignment: Create a mix CD (more like CDs I hope) that will be the soundtrack for my novel. I've committed to writing three pages a night now that I've finished a rough outline of the plot (and a 5 generation family tree in excel). Yes, I'm type A when it comes to writing. Anyway, my husband has been the poor victim who has listened to me work through the details of the plot for this new project. He also has his own brilliant ideas and I have stolen nearly every one.
For the past year we have been listening to Americana nonstop: Brandi Carlisle, Allison Kraus, Neko Case, Gillian Welch, A. A. Bondy and countless others have graced our CD player. In addition, Steve writes and plays for the Freeminer Birds, which has an Americana vibe. His guitar would never touch the ground if he could help it (see above), therefore I listen to the evolution of his songs as they unravel in our living room.

Recently, I spent most of the drive from Baltimore to Woodstock trying to memorize the lyrics to "One More Dollar" by Gillian Welch. If I could have anyone's singing voice, it would be hers. I almost drove off the road a few times trying to read the lyrics from the CD book. When I listen to these artists I am transported into the world (or mood) I want to create in my novel. I want to put in my earphones, tune out my surroundings (except the beautiful harmonies of my Americana songbirds) and write.

I'll post the tracklist here once he is done with the first CD. Hopefully, this weekend. Tomorrow is Steve's first committee meeting for his thesis project, so I'll given him some slack (until tomorrow night that is).

Its the little things that count...

I feel very happy at the moment for a few reasons...
...I'm preparing for my sister-in-law's baby shower this weekend in Rochester and I am so excited to be a hosting it with one of my best friends. It is so amazing that a baby is coming into our family.
...Today is the ninth day in a row that I've been to the gym:) Its changing from a chore to something that I really look forward to (plus, my pants fit better).
...I sampled Purely Decadent's Coconut Milk, Vegan, Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream and it was FANTASTIC! My husband was amazed that it was dairy-free. Thanks for the recommendation, The Urban Housewife!
...I have fallen in love with the creative writing project that I am working on. There is something that fills me up when I can get lost in my writing. Its so exciting to have that in my life again. My poor hubby has to hear me work through all of my ideas. He is such a good sport about it (that's another reason that I'm so happy today)!
...I've started the last Charlaine Harris book, From Dead to Worse (her next book in the series comes out this summer). I can't wait to start my next series (Outlander by Diana Gabaldon!
ps- If you love all things vegan (especially the sweets!), check out The Urban Housewife. I love her blog! Her flickr photos kick ass too:)

Honesty Award (Better Late Than Never!)

Allie from Incidents and Accidents honored me with the Honesty Award (thanks Al!). I should have done this weeks ago, but better late than never...

The honorees are to:

A) first list 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!
B) pass the award on to 4 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

1) I have always dreamed of being a published author. I want to write a series of books that transport people to another world and feel like a best friend.

2) I am obsessed with love stories (books, movies, tv). Some of my favorites include: Anne and Gilbert in Anne of Green Gables, Jim and Pam on The Office, Edward and Bella in Twilight, Andrew and Sam in Garden State, Sookie and Bill in Dead Until Dark, and Angela and Jordan in My So-Called Life.

3) I genuinely love my job and feel blessed because I don't think a lot of people can say that.

4) I believe that we manifest the course of our life and that anything is possible if you truly believe it to be so.

5) My husband and I met when we were 14 and I knew when I met him that he would be my best friend and my true love (and he still is!).

6) I've been blessed with the best in-laws imaginable and I hope that I can create a life for my children that provides the love, support, and joy they have give their family (and now me).

7) My life was guided by fear until a few years ago. A big turning point was skydiving with a group of grad school colleagues. Suddenly I changed from the girl who would have watched from the ground to the woman that jumped out of the plane first.

8) I recently became a huge fan of vampire novel series.

9) I hate small talk, big crowds, and loud noises.

10) My friends are my family.

I am passing this award along to...
girlandcoconut

My Cleansing Adventure

Well, last week I made it for three days on just vegetable juice and then a couple more with some smoothies thrown in (plus a colonic!). It felt fantastic, especially because I didn't care about food. Food didn't have control of my mind. I also realized that I was afraid to transition back into eating. I knew that I was visiting a friend from college and Valentine's Day was approaching. Both events included dinners at restaurants. I definitely fell off the wagon once again, but I'm realizing that its ok to fall off as long as I don't fall down the rabbit hole.

I've gotten back into creative writing lately and it feels fantastic! I'm so inspired by the fun stories I've been reading. Speaking of which, I'm almost done with "All Together Dead" by Charlaine Harris. Once I've finished this series (one more book to go!), I'll start the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. It may sound ambitious, but my dream is to write a series:)


I've been loyal to the gym for the past seven days! It feels great and I think its finally paying off. 30 minutes each day switching between cardio and weights. Sometimes I play squash with my hubs too:) Next weekend is my sister-in-law's baby shower. I can't believe that we're going to have a new baby in our family. Its so exciting!

My three day fast!

I feel clear, calm, and rested. Peaceful even. On Monday I juiced three times (30 oz. the first two times, 15 oz. the last time). My first two juices were a combo of romaine or spinach with cucumber, lemon or ginger, and pear or apple. I ended the day with a tomato, cucumber, garlic, basil, and sea salt juice (which I ate like a soup). On Tuesday and Wednesday I started the day with a pear juice in addition to the three other juices (so yummy!). My juice hero, Kris Carr, guided me on the fast and gave me to salt tip. Sea salt is super important during a fast, keeping our blood pressure at a healthy level and balancing our electrolytes. Read about Kris' fast here.

This morning, I went to the colon hydrotherapy. It made a WORLD of difference. For the past couple days I've been feeling low energy and a little blue. After the colonic I felt mentally clear, upbeat, and focused. I still feel fantastic. I juiced all day and made a smoothie for dinner (spinach, banana, and cacao). I plan to have another smoothie in the morning and then juice all day. I may end up going out for dinner tomorrow night, I plan to stay raw and just have veggies.

The question I've been mulling over lately is, whats next?

Juice Feasting!

Here goes nothing...Monday-Friday I will be juice feasting.

Crazy Sexy Life is LIVE!

Check out our new website...

Starting Fresh

The biggest news of the day (or decade) is of course the inauguration of our 44th President OBAMA! We took a break from work mid-day to watch the inauguration and I had chills the whole time. What an exciting time to be alive. If 4,000 people could reduce crime in Washington, DC in 1993 through group meditation, think about the effect of millions of people vibrating with hope at the same time and in the same place. What effect will this have across the country?

Now to more trivial matters, like vampire novels and working out at the gym. I'm on to the fifth Sookie Stackhouse novel: Dead as a Doornail. I've stayed true to my exercise commitment (although I have yet to see any results...). Last night, I met with a trainer to get me on track with the circuit and I'm feeling the effects of my early morning workout already. Tomorrow is a cardio day. Much more boring, but at least Sookie will keep me company.

A nice woman at the gym was reading a book from the Twilight series and I had to let her know I was part of the fanclub. She recommended the Outlander series, which looks to be right up my alley. I'm sick of pretending that I have high brow taste in literature. Sure, I love the classics, but a girl just wants to have fun, you know? Anyway, I will be purchasing The Outlander as soon as I've said goodbye to Sookie. I'm building quite a library.

Tomorrow is our office fasting day:) We'll drink juice until dinner and then have a raw meal! Its nice to hit the reset button.

Back in the Saddle

Its been another successful week so far and I feel great! I'm in Woodstock for this week and the next, so I have one of my favorite vegan friends to help me stay motivated! We made a deal last night to ban sugar (no chocolate!), cut down the vino to a glass (or two) a week, be loyal juicers until lunch, and fast until dinner on Wednesdays. Today was a fasting day. Check out KC's blog about the day. It isn't tough if you have someone doing it with you...I know from experience that its more difficult on your own, but you can do it! Plus, its nice to have someone to share the juice making/juicer cleaning duty with.

I've also been going to the gym every morning. It feels fantastic! I am going to kick it up a notch once I meet with a trainer on Monday. One thing I definitly need to do more is STRETCH! Wasn't I a yoga teacher at one point...?

I'm reading the forth book in Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series: Dead to the World. I love it. I am so happy that I've rediscovered how fun and relaxing a good book can be:) I still have three more to read after this and then I'm going to read Stephanie Meyer's newest novel, The Host.

Check out the Freeminer Birds website for some updates! They have two more shows coming up and the new album, Fill the Shelter, will be out soon!

Squash (the sport), and more yummy vegan living:)

I didn't make it to the gym this morning, but I did some yoga, juiced, and just had a delicious lunch! My salad included: romaine, carrot, hemp seeds, avocado, olives, and an olive oil/braggs dressing (thanks KC!). I also had a Southwest Sunshine Burger (vegan and soy-free!) in a sprouted grain tortilla with some salsa. Yum! Tonight will be another big salad with some goodies. My hubby and I made some vegan fajitas last night. He added seitan to the mix of garlic, onions, salsa, red peppers, and beans, but I left the seitan out (something about that stuff is just too "meaty"). I love that its a great substitute for him though!

Tonight we're going to head to the gym for some squash. I haven't beat him yet, but I'm close...wish me luck!

ps- Check out the Twilight chatter going on at Kris' blog! Its a hoot:)

Staying on Track...lots of greens, lots of exercise (and lots of reading)!

So far, so good this week. I've been filling my diet with big, beautiful salads, juicing every morning, staying raw until lunch (which is mostly raw anyway), staying away from sugar (even chocolate!), and waking up early every morning to go to the gym! It was rough this morning, but I still made myself get out of bed. Its always great once I get there, but its so tempting to stay in my warm bed (especially with my husband snoozing next to me).

I'm on the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and it is keeping me quite entertained. Its light and fun and takes my mind off whatever I need to let go. I find reading to be one of the best stress relievers. I have trouble relaxing because I like to be busy, so reading lets me tune out, but still be "doing" something. Sitting around watching tv too much makes me feel lazy and depressed. I always used to force myself to read something that would be "good" for me, but now I realize that its fun to read things that are just plain entertaining. I'm sure its good for my brain regardless of whether its William Faulkner or Charlaine Harris.

Time to juice!! Right now I am enjoying a cucumber, romaine, pear combination:)

ps-I've been listening to a rough cut of the Freeminer Bird's next album and its SO good! I'm trying to book more shows for them in Rochester (NY), so if you know of a venue, drop me a line:)

My Singing Debut!

Well, I did it. I got up in front of a crowd of strangers and sang a song with The Freeminer Birds. I was scared as hell, but it felt great to do it despite the fear. The show was at Potential Life Studios and we had a great crowd! They played with Gregory Paul, an amazing soloist. Hopefully there will be many more shows over the next couple months in Rochester. I don't have a picture of me up on stage, but here are a few from the rest of the show (I doubled as photographer...its not my strong suit).

Em on Keyboards/Neil on Drums

Steve on Guitar

Guy on Guitar/Tony on Bass/Steve on Guitars and Vocals

Abundance Market: Rochester Food Co-op!

I just visited Abundance Market in Rochester, NY this evening. I can't say that I like it as much as Lori's Natural Foods, but it is still a fantastic natural foods store. Plus, its a co-op! I used to think that only members could shop at co-ops, but this isn't the case. I picked up some veggies for my juice, some Sunshine Burgers, and some dark VEGAN chocolate (I still haven't given up the fantasy of chocolate in moderation). Yum! Abundance also offers yoga! I'm back in the 100% vegan saddle again and it feels damn good:)

ps-I'm practicing with the Freeminer Birds tonight! The more I sing with them, the more confident I feel. Tomorrow night will be a breeze, right?

ps-Here is a new guilty pleasure...for some reason the small individually packaged goodies help me pace myself

Happy New Year!

I did it! Chocolate-free for almost 48 hours!

I started yesterday morning with yoga, a shower, and a green juice. In the afternoon I enjoyed a big, beautiful salad with a Sunshine Vegan Burger and avocado. Dinner consisted of another yummy salad and Amy's Vegan pizza. I dabbled in some vegan granola to curb my chocolate cravings. All in all, I'm pleased. Today has been pretty similar. I felt 100% better waking up this morning without a sugar hangover. I felt peaceful. I can't completely change my diet overnight, but I'm learning that slow and steady works pretty damn well.

Some guilty pleasures that I've enjoyed lately include...

Watching the entire season of Freaks and Geeks (it is AMAZING).

Reading the entire vampire love series by Stephanie Meyers.

Starting the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

Singing in my husband's band, the Freeminer Birds! I love that I'm challenging myself to do something that I never thought I would have the courage to do.

This is going to be an amazing year filled with challenges and new experiences!