scout's honor

it may be due to my current love of all things sailing (or husbands who are learning to sail wink wink)

 but how cute is this print by scout's honor co.? 

all of their prints, cards, and gift tags are adorable! classic and simple.

below are 2 of my other favorites from their current collection.

hope your week is going well so far. i've been up since 6 AM EST this morning! i went to a body sculpting class at 6:30 AM, took townes on a long walk, and now i'm on a plane headed to denver for work. i'm sure i'll sleep well tonight!
xo
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summertime, and the living is easy

so sad that this weekend is over! it had the perfect mix of productivity, good company, outdoor activities, and down time. j + i had a lunch date at our way cafe and it was incredible! imagine all your favorite southern food and all the veggies are vegetarian! fellow vegetarians can appreciate this, because it is so rare that veggies don't have a huge piece of back fat soaking in them! i definitely didn't need to eat the spicy cornbread, but i loved it (and the small salad i ate at dinner because of it later).

on saturday, we worked in the yard (it's coming together slowly but surely) and then cleaned the house. i went to zumba and got the sweetest call out in class and some really great advice (thanks jamie). i even met a sweet girl that also got certified last week! our niece, natalie, came over to spend the night and we all went to dinner for some yummy burritos. we read books together (including one of my favorites, "the butter battle book."

yesterday, we all laid around together and watched the olympics for a while. we went on a long walk and played in the creek then headed to the neighborhood pool! we beat the crowd and got plenty of diving board time to ourselves. natalie got to spend time with the neighbor's little girl playing with kittens and barbies (dream play date for a 7 year old girl). j + i ended the night with a sushi dinner and watching gymnastics.

happy monday y'all!
♥

own it and bring it!

yesterday was a super exciting day for me!

after months of waiting, it was finally time to get certified to teach Zumba!

the class was taught by eric santana who was one of the original 13 instructors taught by the founder of Zumba. his energy was great and he taught everyone so much about the basics.

the day was loooooong (from 9 am - 6 pm) and we spent a lot of the time dancing. it was exhausting (required multiple changing of clothes), informative, and so much fun.

i met some great ladies from all over the southeast and got all the tools to start being able to teach!

now i just have to choreograph some routines and then practice, practice, practice.

it's unbelievable to go from feeling like am unhealthy and out-of-shape person, to loving fitness and even becoming an instructor (soon enough)! hopefully the inspiration and fun that my awesome instructor, jamie, puts into every single class will be how people see my class. if someone new goes to a class and doesn't love it, it could turn them away from Zumba forever so i want to be a teacher that helps each person have fun and get in shape!

i'll keep you guys posted on when i start teaching. in the meantime, i'd love some guinea pigs!

hope you all have a fun weekend!

lots of love!

xo

color obsession: coral/ peach

i once read something that said that coral/ peach was the most flattering color for people with dark hair and olive skin. i'm not sure if it's true but i've been giving that theory a run for it's money! 

maybe it's the summer but i cannot get enough of this color lately (see here)! i have recently bought a blazer, dress, and tank top all in this color so i really need to slow down on my color obsession!

what's your favorite color to wear right now?

xo

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summer bucket list

a few years ago we painted our kitchen backsplash with magnetic + chalkboard paint. there's a small area right by our sink and back door that is perfect for a little inspiration. 

right now i am loving the 2012 summer bucket list from whole living! it's so bright and colorful and it's filled with lots of fun summertime activities! every time i pass this spot in our kitchen, it makes me smile.

here are my top picks for summer from their bucket list:

Prep all your meals without using a stove or oven for a day.

Take in a music festival.

Run through a meadow.

Find a strapless bra that fits.

Be the first one at a farmer's market and score all the best heirloom tomatoes.

Take more pictures.

Reread your favorite novel.

Get caught in the rain - and like it, dance in it, even.

Take a road trip.

Get the room with the view.

Go for a natural high. (adrenalin rush)

Smell like salt water all day.

Move the dinner table outside.

Build a campfire.

Grow something green.

Make a great picnic basket.

Hike to the summit of a mountain.

Stargaze.

Eat all the plums, peaches, cherries, and watermelon that you possibly can.

Watch a sunrise and sunset.

Play hooky from work and sit in a park, stroll through your favorite neighborhood, or sneak into a movie theater to see the most shameless blockbuster of the year. 

which of these activities is top of your summer bucket list?

xo 

weight loss: 7 month check in

i wanted to take some time to share a bit about my recent weigh loss journey.
2011 was definitely a year of apathy for me - which is hard to admit since apathy is one of the absolute worst personality traits in my opinion. when it came to my health and weight, i was completely apathetic.
i ate french fries whenever i wanted and could easily tear through a whole pint of haagen-dazs rocky road.
i shouldn't have been surprised when my weight hit an all time high around the holidays. the worst part was recognizing what i was doing, but not wanting to do anything to change my ways.

finally a few days before the new year, i decided to make a change. it had to be my decision and i knew i needed to implement some small goals to make the long journey ahead seem less daunting. i started my 30 day challenge to get myself more active. along with the month goals, i started weight watchers online. weight watchers always has deals to get you to join (i.e., joining fee waived with purchase of 3 months) so i took the opportunity to join and i haven't looked back!

for those of you considering joining weight watchers online - do it! they have so many wonderful resources and their mobile app makes logging your food and progress so easy. plus, with weight loss, your diet/ eating habits accounts for 90%. it doesn't matter how much exercise you do if you eat cake afterwards!

with weight watchers, you get a daily allowance of points (based on your current weight), a set value of extra weekly points (to allow you some room for error), and you can earn more points based on your activity levels! plus, raw fruits and veggies have zero points which is great when you want a healthy and tasty snack.
as you log your food, it automatically calculates your remaining points!

one of my favorite features of weight watchers online is their daily health checks! this helps ensure that you meet your suggested/ required servings of water, calcium/ dairy, fruits/ veggies, multivitamin, healthy oils, and activity. it's nice to have this feature to help keep yourself accountable on such important needs for your body!

so far, i am down 36 pounds since i started in late december/ early january! 

as far as exercise goes, i've been very successful in maintaining physical activity, because i've found some things that i love! i walk my dog every day (minimum of 30 minutes), but i also go to the gym 3-4 times a week minimum. my favorites have been cardio funk and zumba! i'm still trying to incorporate some strength training, running, and restorative classes (like pilates and yoga) into my routine. it's a great feeling to actually love being active and to not be afraid of your body holding you back from doing things you enjoy.

7 months down, a lifetime to go (and i couldn't be happier)! i have some exciting news for later this week!

if you have any questions at all, feel free to email me njlehrer@gmail.com!
♥

"a year from now you may wish you had started today" - karen lamb

summer mix

happy friday!
after a long week filled with a broken AC unit, a sore body from too much exercise, and 3 nights of j being gone. i am ready for some r + r! i've got a baby shower for a dear friend (can't wait to meet baby girl audrey)! j + i are hanging out with his family on sunday for some grilling out + pool time.

one of my favorite parts of summer is driving around, windows down, with the music turned up!
NPR posted this article that has the top summer hits from 1962 - 2012. the writer notes that "the sound of popular music has changed the most, as the top summer hits go from surf rock in the early 1960s through British then American rock-n-roll, disco, power ballads, R&B, boy bands, and hip hop." interesting, huh?

i have to admit that my favorite genres include surf rock, rock-n-roll, and [older] hip hop!
below are some of my favorite summer hits. check out the full list here!

2011: Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass"
2009: Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"
2006: Shakira, "Hips Don't Lie"
2005: Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"
2003: Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy In Love"
1998: Brandy & Monica, "The Boy Is Mine"
1997: Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Ma$e, "Mo Money Mo Problems"
1995: TLC, "Waterfalls"
1994: Ace of Base, "Don't Turn Around"
1994: All-4-One, "I Swear"
1994: Lisa Loeb, "Stay"
1993: Tag Team, "Whoomp! (There It Is)"
1992: Sir Mix-A-Lot, "Baby Got Back"
1990: New Kids on the Block, "Step By Step"
1986: Madonna, "Papa Don't Preach"
1984: Prince & The Revolution, "When Doves Cry"
1983: The Police, "Every Breath You Take"
1977: Fleetwood Mac, "Dreams"
1972: Bill Withers, "Lean On Me"
1972: Sammy Davis, Jr., "The Candy Man"
1969: The Beatles, "Get Back"
1968: Simon & Garfunkel, "Mrs. Robinson"
1967: The Doors, "Light My Fire"
1965: The Byrds, "Mr. Tambourine Man"
1965: The Beatles, "Help!"
1964: The Animals, "House of the Rising Sun"
1963: Lesley Gore, "It's My Party"
1962: Neil Sedaka, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"

have a wonderful weekend!
xo

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featured etsy seller: timberps

isn't this pillow insanely awesome?
i may be biased due to my undying love for beards, but i think it'd be a cute addition to any household!
  i've always been a huge fan of the etsy seller, timberps (i featured one of their t-shirts here) and i am excited to see them branch away from t-shirts and add pillows to their assortment. however, still do love their t-shirt designs!

enjoy! xo

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fitness + fashion

check out some of my favorite workout items!
 i love the bright colors and the shoes are so comfortable (i love asics)! make sure to invest in quality sports bras and shorts, because if you aren't comfortable then you won't workout as hard or long.

when i first started working out, i would just grab over-sized t-shirts, baggy shorts, and a sports bra; however, now i like to make sure that i feel good in my workout attire, because it helps keep me motivated!

helpful tip: i have found that the best places to buy workout clothes (that are quality, but don't break the bank) are marshall's and tj maxx. my local marshall's always has the best selection with top brands and styles.

what are your workout must-haves?

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body over mind

amen.

although i've been feeling very strong and fulfilled lately, there is always that little voice in the back of my mind. there are days where it tries to break me down with doubt, temptation, and fear. 

after 6 months, i've hit a small plateau in my weight loss. despite staying active and continuing to watch what i eat, i can feel my mind urging my body to stop and give in. i feel great in my skin, but my mind wants me to feel otherwise. i'm going to stick it out and i know that this too shall pass!

do you ever feel your mind bullying your body? i'd love to hear how you keep the bullying at bay.

♥

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art flat

i am so excited! in less than a month, we will be in germany! for the first part of our trip, we have rented a flat in berlin through airbnb.com. it's a super cool website where you can rent rooms or full apartments/ houses for vacations through the private owners. we will be staying in the mitte district of berlin in a flat located near the berlin wall memorial. i love that the flat will give us some privacy and a chance to shop the local markets and cook in for some of our meals. we got a great deal and are paying close to what it would have cost to stay in a hostel with shared bathrooms!

i love the white walls and natural light. i think this will be the perfect place to retreat after long days spent exploring the city!

after we head to jocketa/ saxony (the german countryside) for the wedding, we'll come back to berlin for one night before catching our flight home. the hotel we have booked for the last night in germany is awesome (i'll share more about it later)!

now we just have to finalize all of the stuff we want to see while in berlin! good times!

♥

peace + quiet

after all of the hustle and bustle of the last few weeks, i am looking forward to some down time this weekend. outside of a [very] belated birthday celebration with j's grandparents on sunday, i have no plans
(j will be at a sailing lesson on saturday).
i am thrilled to have some time to relax with a book, catching up on the most recent whole living magazine, zumba, long walks with my sweet townes, dinner dates with j, and pilates class.

"there is always music amongst the trees in the garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it"
-minnie aumonier
♥

happy weekend dears!

love is love, and there will never be too much

today i am feeling incredibly moved by this letter from fiona apple to one of her fan's regarding his participation in his school's gay-straight alliance.

if only the whole world could just refuse to let hate overcome love, what a wonderful world that would be.
♥♥♥

Hello Bill,

I got your letter a few days ago, but this is the first chance I've had to sit down and write (it's my day off)

Of course, I'd love to help — sign me up. As far as a few sentences go, here's what I've got — I hope it's OK:

It's hard to conjure up some new profound way of commenting on this issue — I'm so tired of it being an issue at all, and I suppose I'm lucky, because I see the truth so clearly. All I know is I want my friends to be good people, and when my friends fall in love, I want them to fall in love with other good people. How can you go wrong with two people in love? If a Good boy loves a good girl, good. If a good boy loves another good boy, good. And if a good girl loves the goodness in good boys and good girls, then all you have is more goodness, and goodness has nothing to do with sexual orientation. A person who loves is a righteous person, and if someone has the ability and desire to show love to another — to someone willing to receive it, then for goodness' sake, let them do it. Hate has no place in the equation; there is no function for it to perform. Love is love, and there will never be too much.

Fiona Apple

P.S. Right on for doing this, Bill

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pyramid pattern

last week, my sweet husband bought me some great earrings for my birthday. i have loved wearing them so much that i wanted to share them with you! 

these pyramid studs from betsy + iya are about the size of a quarter and they look great with so many different styles! if you wanted to stick with the pyramid scheme, this outfit would be perfect!

pyramid

do you have any accessories that you can't stop wearing lately?
xo

bangle beauties

truth be told, a girl can never have too many bangle bracelets. i love these bracelets from voz clothing and art on etsy. i love all of the colors and designs on their custom bangle bracelets and they even are inspiring me to try my hand at some DIY bangles. the coral and peach colors are perfect for summer!

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freedom of speech

i am a HUGE bill hicks fan (this may very well be an understatement).
i definitely had this weird phase in college, where i was convinced i was in love with him even!
you can read more about my unrequited love here.

i am also a fan of the letters of note website (check out one of my favorite letters), so when i stumbled upon this letter written by bill hicks to a priest who had been offended by bill hick's "revelations" recorded stand up act, i couldn't have been more excited to share with you all (i have previously read this letter in book, love all the people)!

hope you enjoy this letter and if you don't know who bill hicks is, do yourself a favor and change that!
xo

8 June 1993

Dear Sir,

After reading your letter expressing your concerns regarding my special 'Revelations', I felt duty-bound to respond to you myself in hopes of clarifying my position on the points you brought up, and perhaps enlighten you as to who I really am.

Where I come from — America — there exists this wacky concept called 'freedom of speech', which many people feel is one of the paramount achievements in mankind's mental development. I myself am a strong supporter of the 'Right of freedom of speech', as I'm sure most people would be if they truly understood the concept. 'Freedom of speech' means you support the right of people to say exactly those ideas which you do not agree with. (Otherwise, you don't believe in 'freedom of speech', but rather only those ideas which you believe to be acceptably stated.) Seeing as how there are so many different beliefs in the world, and as it would be virtually impossible for all of us to agree on any onebelief, you may begin to realize just how important an idea like 'freedom of speech' really is. The idea basically states 'while I don't agree or care for what you are saying, I do support your right to say it, for herein lies true freedom'.

You say you found my material 'offensive' and 'blasphemous'. I find it interesting that you feel your beliefs are denigrated or threatened when I'd be willing to bet you've never received a single letter complaining about your beliefs, or asking why they are allowed to be. (If you have received such a letter, it definitely did not come from me.) Furthermore, I imagine a quick perusal of an average week of television programming would reveal many more shows of a religious nature, than one of my shows — which are called 'specials' by virtue of the fact that they are very rarely on.

All I'm doing in 'Revelations' is giving my point of view in my language based on my experiences — much the same way religious broadcasters might organize their programs. While I've found many of the religious shows I've viewed over the years not to be to my liking, or in line with my own beliefs, I've never considered it my place to exert any greater type of censorship than changing the channel, or better yet — turning off the TV completely.

Now, for the part of your letter I found most disturbing.

In support of your position of outrage, you posit the hypothetical scenario regarding the possibly 'angry' reaction of Muslims to material they might find similarly offensive. Here is my question to you: Are you tacitly condoning the violent terrorism of a handful of thugs to whom the idea of 'freedom of speech' and tolerance is perhaps as foreign as Christ's message itself? If you are somehow implying that their intolerance to contrary beliefs is justifiable, admirable, or perhaps even preferable to one of acceptance and forgiveness, then I wonder what your true beliefs really are.

If you had watched my entire show, you would have noticed in my summation of my beliefs the fervent plea to the governments of the world to spend less money on the machinery of war, and more on feeding, clothing, and educating the poor and needy of the world ... A not-so-unchristian sentiment at that!

Ultimately, the message in my material is a call for understanding rather than ignorance, peace rather than war, forgiveness rather than condemnation, and love rather than fear. While this message may have understandably been lost on your ears (due to my presentation), I assure you the thousands of people I played to in my tours of the United Kingdom got it.

I hope I helped answer some of your questions. Also, I hope you consider this an invitation to keep open the lines of communication. Please feel free to contact me personally with comments, thoughts, or questions, if you so choose. If not, I invite you to enjoy my two upcoming specials entitled 'Mohammed the TWIT' and 'Buddha, you fat PIG'. (JOKE)

Sincerely,

Bill Hicks

the best is yet to come

what an incredible weekend! the love that i felt was unbelievable and i am thanking my lucky stars for having such amazing people in my life!

on friday night, i knew j had surprise plans for me and i honestly had no clue on what the night would consist of. we headed to a late dinner and pulled in to soul vegetarian (my favorite!) and i couldn't believe when i saw a table full of my closest friends! i was completely surprised. to top it off, one of our best friends happened to be in town for an extra night (due to a flight misunderstanding) and he showed up for the birthday evening. such a great surprise indeed! 

we spent the rest of the night getting ice cream at morelli's (hellooooo salted caramel) and then went to noni's to dance. it was a bit crowded and the crowd wasn't that great, but we had a fun time regardless. i'm so lucky!

on sunday, j threw me [another] belated birthday party with a 40 foot inflatable slip n slide! we had such a blast. lots of great food, friends, water balloons, and stunt challenges. it was well worth the money for the rental and the ruined grass! i definitely recommend a slip n slide for any summer party. i would also recommend having a great group of close friends to share it with!

28 is going to be the best year yet! thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate - you all are the bee's knees!

xo

"what a grand thing, to be loved! what a grander thing still, to love!" - victor hugo

fantastic fourth

our 4th of july was wonderful! we had a few bumps in the road, but overall we had a blast.

since j was sick on my birthday, he wanted to celebrate on the 4th since we had the day off. we tried going to lunch, but everywhere was closed! we eventually ended up (after driving all over the city) at mellow mushroom and then we went and saw your sister's sister at midtown art cinema. the movie was incredible and felt so real and sincere. i felt like i knew the characters and they were friends i have. if you haven't seen it, please do!

then some of our closest friends came over for a last minute cookout. we managed to pull together a very great meal filled with tons of roasted veggies, corn, and then yummy berries and kiwi for dessert. it was such great company and laughs, but unfortunately the dogs were not happy at all about the loud fireworks. poor townes confined himself to a hallway and was shaking all evening.

i also got pink eye which was a buzzkill! i've been confined the last few days while on meds but after today i'm no longer contagious!

i'm so excited for this weekend! j surprised me with an awesome event for sunday and i absolutely can't wait! i'll share more next week!

hope you have a peaceful weekend!

xo

knock on wood

we recently had our whole house painted. the paint was peeling and we needed a lot of caulking done. 

it's so nice to have a crisp coat of paint on the house - definitely worth the investment!

the red door makes me so happy. maybe one day we'll go with an even more bold color!

i am loving the aqua and orange doors. so fun!

doors

happy 4th of july!

happy 4th of july!

today we're doing a belated birthday celebration - so hopefully we'll be outside and enjoying the day off.

it's always so nice to have the whole country celebrating your birthday!

hope you and yours enjoy this independence day. may your day be filled with swimming holes, watermelon, sparklers, and loved ones.

"freedom is nothing but a chance to be better" - albert camus

♥

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featured artist: bianca green

maybe it's the bright summer days, but lately i cannot get enough of color! i love these mixed media prints by bianca green. the different patterns and colors really make these prints so magnificent!

it's always wonderful when art just makes you want to smile.

the diamonds below would make incredible window decals! the colors + the sunshine would be so perfect!

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to germany or bust!

j + i are heading to germany next month! some friends of ours are getting married in the countryside (jocketa) so we're flying to berlin for a few days before attending the wedding. we're so excited to be traveling to europe again and spending time with our dear friends.

my sweetest friend lily bought me the pocket guide to berlin book for my birthday so i've been trying to nail down where we want to visit during our trip. so far, we're looking at the street art tour, holocaust memorial, the largest park (tiergarten), and the east side gallery. 

have you ever been to berlin? 

i'd love to get your suggestions on must-do adventures!

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birthday + weekend recap

well - it's official! i'm 28 years old!

going into the weekend, poor j got strep throat and with the weather being 106 degrees (!!!), i knew we'd be limited on celebrating. on saturday, i went to my parents' house to swim since it was the only way to be outside. i also went and got a mani/ pedi to treat myself. i felt so bad that j was stuck in bed all weekend, but at least he's on antibiotics so he should be better in no time.

on sunday, my actual birthday, i took a nice long early morning walk with townes and then went to body sculpting class at the Y. it feels great to go to a class like that where you can really challenge yourself and feel your body's strength.

sunday night, j managed to muster up enough energy to come with me and my family for my birthday dinner. we ate down the street at melton's app + tap so we wouldn't have to go far. food was great and then we headed back to our house. my family was very generous and got me some great gifts!

after my family left, j gave me my birthday gifts. j is such a great gift giver and i am so lucky. i got some new asics (in bright coral and yellow - love!), a kilm pillow cover, awesome bracelet, rings, 2 books, and some stenciled paintings that j painted for me. ♥♥♥

i've got a mexican dinner date with my best friend tomorrow, j's taking me out on wednesday to celebrate officially, thursday we're celebrating with my in-laws, and then there's a secret plan for sunday! i'm not usually one to prolong birthdays into birthday weeks, but i'll take it!

p.s. thank you to everyone who took the time out to wish me a happy birthday yesterday! my heart is so full!

how was your weekend? what'd you do to stay cool? 

♥