Half-Marathon Training...Again! Week 1

So, this past Spring (April 29, 2012 to be exact), I ran my first half-marathon.  I trained hard for months to work up to it, and I actually accomplished the goal.  It was the OKC Memorial half and I finished in 2 hours and 16 minutes.  I was so proud of myself because never in a million years did I think that I'd actually run a half-marathon.  

After the run, I promptly feel out of the habit of running, and I let myself get out of shape...again.  So here I am, contemplating doing another half-marathon.  Only this time it will be different.  This time I'm going to run it with my sister, and I'm excited.  We each recently started our own training regimens.  She in Oklahoma, and I in Germany.  

Here's what I have so far.  Last week I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill 3 times at 2 miles each:

Day 1: 2.21 miles

Day 2: 2.23 miles

Day 3: 2.23 miles 

So there it is, my first week back at it.  Working slowly back up to it, that way I don't burn myself out.  I will keep you guys updated!

Here's a photo of the shirt I want to wear for the run:

And a picture of some cute owls for good measure:

Revlon Charmed and British accents

Hi guys!  Today I was roaming around our PX (military's version of a general store) and I came across this beautiful color.  I'm a fan of orange because I am a fan of Oklahoma State (GO POKES), however, I don't usually wear it on my nails.  Today, though, I ran across this color and I knew I had to have it.  

It is called Charmed and it's a Revlon Top Speed polish.  

Here's a macro shot of the bottle:

It's your basic citrusy-orange color, but it has a golden shimmer hidden in it that makes it look like burning embers.  I'm so in love with this color.  It's really nice, especially since it's been so cold and dreary outside.  It reminds me of the Sun on my nails, even when it's not in the sky.

Here's the swatch of it on my nails.  Doesn't it look like my nails are on fire.  You just sang a little bit of "This Girl is on Fire", by Alicia Keys, didn't you?  :)

Moving on, so since I live in Germany, we don't get regular cable TV.  We have an Apple TV and a Roku box to watch TV on, and we have subscriptions to Netflix and Hulu.  Well, recently, I ran out of things to watch and I came across a Hulu Exclusive Series called The Only Way is Essex.  It is basically Britian's version of the Hills, and I love it.  I'm a bit of an Anglophile anyway, and I'm a sucker for cheesy reality shows such as this, so needless to say, I'm HOOKED.  The only downside is that now I read and think in a British accent.  Not kidding.  Have you seen this show, and do you love it like I do?

I'm a Maven!

Ok, so, for those of you that don't know what a Maven is, it means that I am now a subscriber to Julep.com.  If you know me you know that I am kind of a nail polish enthusiast...err...addict.  For about a year now, I've wanted to sign up for this program where you pay $20 a month, and they send you a box with two full size nail polishes and a little something extra.  The polishes you get are determined by the style profile you get when you take their quick style profile quiz.  Each month the nice people at Julep send Mavens an email detailing what will be included the boxes for each style profile, and you get to choose which one you wish to receive.  In addition, you get 20% off while shopping in the Julep store, and you can earn rewards points, or Joules, when you refer a friend.  If you want to sign up, here's my referral link:  http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/100335/.

Ok so now on to my review!  

My style profile said I was Boho Glam, and here's what I received in my box:

 From top to bottom: Essential Cuticle oil, Michelle, and Toni.  The pots of glitter were my extras for the month.

 I also go the option to add on up to three items for a drastically discounted price  I chose a glass nail file (my preference for nail file HANDS DOWN, Brit and Brandt.  They also sent me a sample of The Best Pedi Creme Ever!  

 This is Brit.  It's a matte gunmetal color.  I love the finish of this polish, but I have to tell it you it was kind of a nightmarish event applying it.  It was thin and runny, and it had the tendency to streak and leave bald patches while applying.  I would suggest that you let each coat dry completely before applying the next.  This is three coats of Brit.

 This is Brandt.  When I purchased Brandt I was under the impression that it was black, and I was in the market for a new black creme.  Boy was I wrong, this is the most beautiful deep charcoal grey leaning blue that I have ever seen in my life.  The formula was a little runny, but if you're careful you can get full opacity in 2 coats.  This is 3 thin coats without a top coat.

 This is Toni.  I have an affinity for this polish because it shares the name of one of my mom.  I also have an affinity for this dusty violet shade.  The formula was about the same as Brandt, but it wasn't too much of a hassle to apply.  This is 3 coats without a top coat.

 This is Michelle.  I love this color.  It is a deep navy crelly.  It's squishy like a jelly but opaque like a creme.  I love it.  Again the formula was the same as the others.  But again, not too much of a hassle to apply if you use thin coats.  This is 3 coats again without a top coat.

So I've been wanting to try this type of glitter mani for a while now, I just haven't gone out and gotten any glitter pots.  When I received these beauties from Julep, I had to give it a try.  It's super duper easy.  Just follow the directions as it says.  1. Apply 2 coats of polish. 2.  Sprinkle glitter over wet nail.  I used an extra eyeshadow brush that I had lying around to apply it to the polish, then I used a fan brush to brush off the excess glitter.  3. Let completely dry.  Then apply top coat.  Here's how it went:

This is Michelle with my glitter accent nail!

Overall, I'm very excited to see what's in store the next two months.  I might have to extend my subscription!

On another note, this Michelle/glitter accent mani is the one that I'm going to be wearing on my first night out with my husband in AGES.  We got a babysitter and we are going downtown to live it up with some of our friends!  

New year, new me...we shall see.

It's been a while...like a yearish, since I've attempted a blog.  A year later, I still want to be a blogger.  So, I'm giving it another college try.
Originally, I wanted to be a nail blogger, but I'm really not consistent enough at anything to only blog about one thing.  So I've decided that this blog is going to be dedicated to my crazy randomness.  Admittedly, I am far from perfect.  After reading most other blogs I'm left feeling inadequate, unorganized, crazy and like I couldn't possibly have anything of substance to contribute to this sea of blogs.  So, I've decided that I'll turn what I see as weaknesses into strengths.  This year is going to be a year of growth, and I'm going to document it along the way in the hopes of keeping myself motivated, and maybe inspiring someone else along the way, or at least helping them to feel just a little less crazy.
Some topics to look forward to:

• My mission to get back into shape.  Since I last blogged, I trained for and ran a half marathon, and then promptly quit running.  Follow my journey back into the runners' world.

• Random nail of the day posts

• Organizing my messy life

• Moving my family from our German lifestyle, and getting integrated by into the US.  Not sure when it will happen, as the Army doesn't like to get too ahead of itself, but it will be this year.

• Attempted Pinterest pins

• And whatever slice of crazy I decide to serve along the way.