Design Inspiration

I've been considering a blog redesign, and I'm thinking some fun lavender and turquoise will be the main colors. I read on a wise designer's blog that making a board on Pinterest to help with the blog design is a good first step. Well, heck, I'm ADDICTED to Pinterest, so obviously I'm going to be doing that. As soon as I read that, I was off to the red P for some inspiration...

The icy tones of these colors are incredible, and are the jumping off point for the new design

 

As a girl who's in love with all things retro, this font just grabs me

 

 



There is so much I love about this picture, the selective pops of color, the patterns, the clean lines.

My design board doesn't have a lot on it right now, but I'm keeping my eyes out. I would definitely like to keep the design clean, but colorful, and fun. That can be a hard balance, and I might end up paying someone to design it for me, we'll see. I'm a photographer, not a designer, and every time I attempt something like this, I'm reminded of that fact! :)

Have you enlisted a professional to make over your blog? Please leave your recommendations in the comments!

5 Tips for Mud Runs



Psst! Don't forget to book your session for your Fall Discount!



On September 8th, I ran the Warrior Dash with my good friend Lisa. We trained together for the last two months or so, walking and jogging 2-4 miles three times a week. This was my second mud run/obstacle course, and between the two, I learned several things that it would seem no one ever tells you. They tell you to prepare for hills - this is very true. You should be able to climb or clambor over and under things reasonably well - they tell you this too. What they don't tell you?

 

• Preparation is key. Don't bother with makeup, get all hair pinned or tied back so it doesn't get in your face, wear longer, tight pants to protect your legs and lady or man bits. Rocks in the crack isn't as sexy and fun as it sounds - trust me.

• Attitude is everything - you think you can't do it? You probably can't...your brain listens to that evil voice. Tell yourself "I got this!" over and over...especially when you don't think you do. That cramp in your side? Raise your arm in the air and slow down slightly, making sure to breathe - your body can take it! Don't get prissy during the race - dive in, just not head first! Mud is sexy - work it!

Look out, here we come!

• When everyone is face down in the mud pit, and someone exclaims "I lost my shoe!"...listen to that person. You can't "swim" in mud...keep as much of you out of it as possible, and you'll get through the pit faster than the smartypants that think they need to dive in to get through. It is NOT easier that way. If you lose a shoe, call it a badge of honor along with your scrapes and bruises...and proudly proclaim that you donated to the next wave of runners. Who knows - someone might lose their shoe and gain yours!

That's me in blue. Please notice mine is one of the only heads you can see here - there were at least 30 people in that mud pit with me...and maybe 5 stayed upright.

Forget the people who try to tell you you're not muddy enough at the end. You just endured mass suicide with hundreds of others...screw 'em if they think mud is the indicator of your toughness. Other racers told me this - seriously! We just finished the freaking WARRIOR DASH, who cares what I look like?!

• You are only competing with yourself. Seriously. If you're having trouble with an obstacle, others will step up to help - pay it forward when you can. We helped each other along the course more than once, and it makes the race that much more fun when strangers band together for each other! In my first mud race, I finished in approximately 80 minutes. Considering it was a 5k, I was a bit disappointed, but there were HUGE hills that I wasn't prepared for. In the Warrior Dash, I was better prepared, but still slower than I'd like:

Blogger is being fussy - if you can't read that, I finished in just under an hour, with an average pace of 18 mins per mile. Considering that pace includes wading through clay mud, a chest deep lake, and other crazy obstacles, I think that's pretty dang good!

• Have fun the whole way, despite yourself. There are long stretches where people around you will start whining, which can be contagious. "I can't feel my legs!" "My shoe is still in the mud pit!" Wah wah wah. Suck it up dolly, you knew what you were signing up for - they don't hide the crazy involved in these races. You know you like it - so HAVE FUN! Especially when you see a camera, ham it up big time. Trust me, the cheesier you feel, the better the end picture. Exhibit A:

So, even if you don't consider yourself a "runner", if you like the idea of being a bit crazy and a lot dirty for a few hours - go for it!! A good 80% of the people who started the race with me walked the entire route. There's no shame in going slower! Obstacle races/mud runs are a ton of fun, a ton of dirt, a lot of crazy, and worth every step. It is SO satisfying to finish, regardless of your time, and you can't stop smiling and telling everyone who will listen about what you just did.

I wore my Warrior Dash medal and t-shirt the rest of the day after the race. No one asked me about it, sadly.

I'm Having A Sale!

If you're in the Portland, OR area, take advantage of the gorgeous fall sunshine and have fun family pictures taken! Please visit my Portfolio for booking information.

Bloggy Mini-Rant

Dear fellow bloggers,

I love reading your blogs! I really do! I love commenting on them too, sharing my experience in the trials or joys you're sharing with all of us. Unfortunately, I run into snags many times, trying to comment on your blog and show you some love.

Many, many bloggers whose posts I find interesting have settings enabled that prevent me from leaving a comment. Having to sign into Wordpress, or another service, in order to leave a comment, instead of a name and website, means I won't be leaving comments.

Perhaps that's just super picky of me. I know a Wordpress account is free. I actually have a WP account...but I don't remember the password, and I'd rather not link to the dead blogs that hang out there. I understand spam can be, and is, a problem...but with a simple capatcha add-on, you can weed out the bots and still let rockstars people like me comment.


Please, check your settings and let us mortals, who are a little too lazy to figure out the mess that is Wordpress, leave you some comment love on those awesome posts you're putting out!

Love,

Quinoa For You, Quinoa For Me

I don't cook often, and when I do, it's selfish cooking. Last night was just such an endeavor - quinoa for my lunches!!

Quinoa salad!

This is light, refreshing, with delicious texture and quite filling. All I did was cook an entire box of quinoa in chicken stock for about 15 minutes. I chopped some tomatoes and cucumber to toss in when I'm ready to eat it, and set aside some Parmesan cheese to top it. Then I got out my skillet and "wilted" some spinach in water and butter. I cooked about 2 cups of spinach, which cooks down into a very small amount, just enough for two days' worth of salad.

Here at work I warmed up the quinoa with a sprinkle of Parmesan for about 30 seconds, then tossed in the cucumber, tomato and spinach. It's delicious, the cucumber gives it a great crunch, and aside from the chicken stock, it's a "clean" meal. I just need to find a recipe to make my own clean chicken stock, and this is a perfect meal.

If you're not familiar with quinoa, it's small grain that packs in the protein, similar to beans. Combined with veggies, you have a great meal that gets all the things you need into your belly!

BONUS - my ridiculously picky 9 year old LOVES this. I will be sharing it with her after school today.