life lately
[enjoying this || first tailgate of the season – WPS!]
[celebrating this || cheers + beers for 30 years. hbd stephen!]
[arranging this || beautiful flowers with a beautiful team]
MINI DALLAS GETAWAY
[dinner at an incredible steakhouse (Nick and Sam’s) with the best dessert:
salted caramel creme brûlée]
[the reason for the trip – queen bey + jay-z! SUCH an amazing concert!]
xo xo
“I have finished.”
“In running, it doesn’t matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, ‘I have finished.‘ There is a lot of satisfaction in that.”
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder
This morning, I pushed myself. I pushed myself to get out of bed. I pushed myself to put on my running shoes. I pushed myself to have a positive attitude about the 2 miles ahead of me. I pushed myself to cross the finish line.
And it felt remarkable.
I wouldn’t consider myself athletic or a runner, but I did it. I challenged myself in a way I haven’t in a long time.
I wasn’t prepared for the run. Husband and I were running consistently for a few months, but stopped the past few weeks. Then I remembered we’d already signed up for the ALS Run in Downtown Bentonville. I literally had dreams all night that I was the last person crossing the finish line and it was humiliating.
Good news – I wasn’t the last, not even close, but even if I had been, it would have been okay. As I was running this morning, I just kept telling myself I can do it. I can push myself harder than I think I can. I let my body take over instead of my mind telling me I couldn’t do it anymore, and I realized how amazing it felt just to be running, regardless of where I was in the pack.
As I’m basking in my satisfaction of doing something I was so fearful of, I have a few thank you’s –
Thank you to my husband for constantly pushing me on our morning runs and giving me the positive reinforcement I need.
Thank you to my mother for encouraging our running and signing up with us, and most importantly staying by my side during the run this morning as we pushed along together.
And finally, thank you to Queen Bey for getting me across the finish line with her flawless songs.
xo xo
favorites, round 3.
Things I love that I want to share with you, so you can love them too.
1. Beyonce – Queen Bey did it again. This album is phenomenal. I can’t stop listening to it, and I have a new favorite song every day. Current favorites: Partition, XO and Drunk in Love.
2. Chapstick Hydration Lock – I got this new chapstick in my birchbox a few months ago. (Another one of my favorite things.) I’m already a huge chapstick person, but this has just fueled my obsession. It’s so soft and creamy and vanilla-y. It’s amazing.
3. Macarons – I’d had macarons once before and wasn’t a fan. Then, my friend Mollie starting making them and they are out of this world. She might start selling them soon, in which case you can definitely expect a blog post about it so you can buy some!
4. Leopard Scarf from Nordstrom – This scarf has probably been my one favorite wardrobe piece for fall and winter. It’s cute and trendy and leopard is always versatile. Infinity scarves in general are my current fave!
5. Moscow Mule – This drink is amaaazing. Who would have known I’d like Ginger Beer?? It also doesn’t hurt that it’s served in an adorable copper mug. #love
6. Candy Crush – The first step is admitting you have a problem … I’m addicted to Candy Crush! It seems so ridiculous, but it’s so fun. (Until you get stuck on a level for weeks.)
xo xo
You might also enjoy: favorites., favorites, round 2.
Pop Candy {Destiny’s Child Reunion, Blue Ivy’s First Birthday, Kimye Baby Bump}
I wrote my first Pop Candy post this summer {Pre-Weekend Pop Candy} sharing the latest pop culture and entertainment news I’ve been enjoying lately. So I thought it was time to re-visit. What IS going on in the world of celebs these days??
Destiny’s Child to release new song Nuclear + new album with past recordings, oh my GOSH how exciting. This song better live up to some oldies like Survivor and Bootylicious. But wait, there’s more – HOT off the press: Destiny’s Child will reunite at Super Bowl halftime. This is almost as exciting as the Spice Girls reunion at the Olympics. {Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams}
Speaking of Beyonce, her little one turned 1 year old a few days ago! How cute is this pic with daddy and Blue Ivy?! Fun fact: Jay-Z rents a luxurious basement suite at the Barclays Center for $1 million/year so they can watch the Brooklyn Nets without worrying about little Blue. {Jay-Z, Blue Ivy Carter}
Oscar nominations were announced yesterday, and I’m THRILLED to report Quvenzhane Wallis as the youngest Oscar nominee ever! The 9-year-old was nominated for Best Actress in Beasts of a Southern Wild, as I predicted in my post {Top 10 Movies of 2012} a few weeks ago … {Quvenzhane Wallis}
Speaking of youngins, thank GOODNESS T-Swift is over this 18-year-old punk. Supposedly she’s already in the recording studio writing about it. Funny tweet I saw for a song name: “You’re Just Not My Style.” {Taylor Swift, Harry Styles}
Okay, okay, I know this is fairly old news, but honestly I’m still fascinated/intrigued by it for whatever reason. And these photos were just released of the pair in Paris where you can actually see Kim’s baby bump for the first time. {Kim Kardashian, Kanye West}
xo xo
m.davis xoxo 