Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #20

"A picture of your night"

Left to Right: Jodi, Nick, Jonathan, Me, Travis

The pumpkin carving party I hosted last night was a success!  7 friends came over and we spent about 4 hours carving pumpkins, laughing, watching movies, eating pumpkin whoopie pies, drinking hot apple cider, sampling different Halloween-themed sodas, baking pumpkin seeds, and just overall enjoying each other's company.

It was really enjoyable for me to watch everybody having such a good time.  I'm not normally one who hosts, but I'm slowly warming to the task, as so far each time has been great fun!

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #19

"A picture of something you're excited about"

There are several things right now that are making me excited.  How fun!  I think life is most happy when you have something to be excited for!  :)

I finally scheduled somebody to come tune my piano!  I've had this piano for 2.5 years, as it was given to me by my old condo neighbors when I bought my new place.  I've played it many times, but ended up not being able to stand how out of tune it was.  Plus, it had some sticky keys that needed fixing.  I'm so excited to be able to sit down and play again!  Time to re-awaken that side of my brain. Yay!

My friend Renae is flying in from Seattle in 2 weeks so we can go see Beck together in NYC!  I've wanted to see Beck in concert for years, so I'm super excited to get to go, especially with somebody who is equally as excited to see him.  After our weekend trip to NYC, we'll head down to a beach in NC to spend the rest of the week.  Ahhh, the beach.  How I love it!

My friend and former Team Z-mate, Sarah, is going to race the 70.3 Beach to Battleship course in October. My other friends and former Z-mates Nikki & Michael and I decided that we would drive down to NC to cheer her on.  Then, as we got to talking, we decided to also participate!  So we are registered to race the 70.3 course as a relay team; "Two and a Half Ironmen" (Nikki and Michael completed a Full Ironman last year and I completed a Half).  Nikki will swim 1.2 miles, I will bike 56 miles and Michael will run 13.1 miles.  It'll be a game of "pass the baby", as Nikki and Michael welcomed baby Isla to their lives in March.  We're going to spend a week at a beach house down there after the race.  I'm so excited to hang out with my good friends, race, and enjoy the beach together!  More beach!  YAY!

I applied and got accepted to attend George Mason University!  This is equally terrifying as it is exciting.  Haha.  I'm going to pursue a BS in Health, Fitness, Recreation with a concentration in Kinesiology.  I got accepted to start Fall Semester, which is next month!!  I'm not ready to start that soon, as I need to get financial aid in order, talk to an adviser about what credits have transferred over from my Associates, etc.  So hopefully I can defer until Spring semester, in which case I'll start in January!  Crazy!  Scary!  Exciting!!

You know the doctors who came up with Proactive?  Well, they now have this new line of Multi-Med, Anti-Aging products that they've developed.  They started off selling in high-end department stores like Nordstrom and Macy's and did really well.  However, they found that the reason why they were doing so well was not because of the stores they were in, but because of word-of-mouth.  Because of this, they made a business decision to pull out of retail and offer their products through direct selling.  Each year since that decision, they've tripled their sales.  I'm super excited to say that I am now an Independent Consultant for Rodan + Fields!  This is a company that I can get behind.  They have an incredible reputation already due to the success of Proactive, and have only built on to that to create something bigger and better.  I'm learning more about the products and business and am really looking forward to spreading the word!  This lines up perfectly with my background in aesthetics and my desire to help others feel their best, whether it be through physical fitness, nutritional eating, or their skin.  My brain is getting expanded in many different ways and it is really just exhilarating for me.  To line up this little side business with what I will be studying in school just seems perfect.  The other positive side effect I'm hoping for is that any money I earn through this venture will go towards paying for my tuition.

Visit my site at mleblakemore.myrandf.com and use the Solutions Tool to find out what regimen would work best for you and your skin!  :)

In a nutshell, things in life right now are moving forward in a way that makes me feel hopeful, excited and eager for the future.  It feels so great.  YAY!

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #18

"A picture of something you wish you were better at"

Specifically, Self-Motivation.  I do really great when I have to do something for somebody else.  I don't like to let people down, so I make sure I do whatever it is that I need to for them.  But when it comes to doing things for myself?  I fail a lot.  It's so easy to be lazy!  So easy to just stick with what is comfortable.  But I'm most happy when I'm not lazy and when I get out of my comfort zone.  It's exhilarating and exciting.  So why can't I just make myself do it?  It's certainly something I wish I were better at.  This applies to several different areas in my life:

Exercise

I actually enjoy exercising.  So it baffles me that I lack such self-motivation to do it!  I do really great when I'm on a team or I have a personal trainer.  Because I know there are other people who expect me to do it and are counting on me to show up.  I wish I could afford to stay on my triathlon team.  Man.  They were great motivators.  I got my workout and my social desires filled in one spot.  Every day.  It also helps motivate me when I have a specific race to train for.  Which hasn't happened very much this year due to my knee problems.  Bottom line, I do best exercising when somebody ELSE is holding me accountable.  Workout Buddy, anyone?

Chores

Geez, it feels so good to have a clean, organized house!  So why do I have such a hard time keeping it that way?  I'm not a terribly messy person, but it's so easy for clutter to accumulate and then become overwhelming.  I've actually already tried to bust this cycle up by creating a huge chore chart for myself.  I've been made fun of for it, but it keeps me organized and forces me to do those things that I really don't want to do: like washing out the kitchen garbage or wiping down the shelves in the fridge or cleaning out old food from the cupboards or cleaning the oven.  Some weeks I'm better than others, but at least I look at it every day and guilt-trip myself in to doing something.  :)

Grocery Shopping

I LOATHE grocery shopping.  Hate, hate, hate it.  I hate trying to figure out what I'm going to want to eat in the future and then spending a whole freakin ton of money on something that will disappear in the next day, week or month.  And I get really angry when something has gone bad before I've had a chance to consume it.  I always wait until my fridge and cupboards are completely empty before I go to the grocery store.  And then it's this huge overwhelming task.  I really should go every week.  I should make a menu and cook meals that I can freeze and re-heat.  This would really help with my desire to eat more healthy foods, too.  It's SO EASY to be fat and lazy.  But horribly disappointing.

School

I've never had a desire to go back to school.  Once I moved out to VA and got a job, I thought that was it.  I earned my AAS and then certificates from phlebotomy and esthetics.  Now I just work and earn money.  Not having a Bachelor's degree hasn't held me back in my career.  But eventually over the years, the thought of school actually crossed my mind.  It's interesting living out here.  Meeting new people consists of a resume review instead of a "what are your interests?"  I would feel embarrassed every time I was asked what my alma mater was or where I went for my undergrad - implying that not only should I have an undergrad degree, but also a graduate degree.  But even this constant feeling of inadequacy didn't start that motivation fire in me to do something about it.  I just didn't care THAT much.  However, because of constant encouragement from my friend Michelle I started really giving it a thought over this past year.  And now from the more recent encouragement from my parents and other friends, I'm finally doing something about it.  I've been motivated to go back to school.  To study something that I'm actually interested in learning.  I've applied to George Mason University and hope to get a BS in Health, Fitness, and Recreation Resources with a focus in Kinesiology.  This will take forever since I will still be working full-time.  But I really hope that I will be motivated by my studies and to stretch my brain a bit.  .

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #17

"A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day"

Kate Middleton

I'd like to spend the day wandering through all the places that are off-limits to the regular public, meet all the royals, get briefed on all the charities she's involved with, go through her closet (I love the dress she's wearing in the above photo!), go for a ride with Harry in his helicopter, and be privy to all the behind-the-scenes activities that go on (does she get her hair and make-up done every day?  Does she have a personal trainer?  Does she fix any of her own meals?).  

Also, do we get to switch bodies?  Because............  Yeah.............

(except she's pregnant right now and I don't want to be pregnant).

I'm sure Kate would just LOVE a day in the life of me.  Enjoy the office, Kate!  Pay some bills with your money while you're me, would ya?  Cheers.

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #16

"A picture of the house you grew up in"

Merced, CA

This is the picture of my childhood home as seen on Google Maps Street View today.  I lived in this house until I was 12 years old.  It didn't have that stupid arch thing and it wasn't overgrown with bushes.  It was an awesome home.  This house holds many vibrant and happy memories: 

• Playing catch with siblings by throwing the ball from the front yard over the house into the backyard
• Playing basketball in the driveway
• Playing capture the flag in the front yard
• Climbing the fence and getting splinters in my palms when dropping to the ground
• Picking peaches off our tree in the backyard and getting itchy all over from the fuzz, and sticky all over from the dripping juice when eating them
• Enjoying peaches all year round, as my mom spent a few weeks every summer bottling the gargantuan bounty of peaches our tree produced
• Swinging and climbing on our swing set
• Playing ping pong on the back porch
• Having my mom rock me to sleep in front of that picture window
• Lying on the couch and being confused when the picture window started rattling, the ground started shaking and then rolling, then running in to the family room where everyone else was watching tv waiting for the world series to start and being told I was feeling this earthquake
• Running through the sprinkler
• Riding my bike through the neighborhood
• Roller skating and holding on to a rope tied to the back of a sibling's bike seat while they pedaled and pulled
• Splashing in the overflowed gutters when it rained really hard
• Running on the hot sidewalk to the neighbor's house to go swimming in their pool
• Going on walks as a family
• Lying out on a blanket in the backyard while watching a meteor shower
• Sitting on the cross bar of my older brother's bike while he rode it around to collect money from people on his paper route
• Walking to the end of our street and watching people catch "crawdaddies" in the little canal
• Playing kickball with neighbor friends
• Monkeying up the walls in the hallway
• Playing hide & go seek in the house with all the lights out at night
• Choosing one of the many board game we had in the game cupboard and playing as a family
• 4th of July fireworks on our street with brownies and homemade ice cream, joined by our family friends, the Darringtons
• Helping my older siblings in the dark, early mornings fold and rubberband newspapers for their morning paper route
• Playing "circus" out back by walking on an empty 50 gallon water storage barrel around the backyard
• Soccer

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #15

"A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently"

Last year I spent a lot of money.  And this year I'm forced to deal with it.  I sort of ignored and was naive about my budget last year and instead focused on my triathlon team, training, and races.  Then I took a trip to Germany in the Fall.  2013 has so far been financially stressful.  My mortgage and health insurance payment has gone up this year.  My paycheck is now less than it was last year because of taxes.  Due to my job situation, there hasn't been an opportunity to request a raise in the last 5 years.  Simply put, my bills are higher and I'm making less money.  Not a great situation.  So I'm working on being a better manager of my money.  It means saying no to a lot of things I'd like to do.  It means cutting back on things that I didn't used to have to worry about.  I love being a home-owner, but sometimes it is extremely stressful.  Not having a money cushion is stressful.  I've wanted to go back to school and take some classes, but the certificate I wanted to pursue isn't covered under financial aid and I can't afford it out of pocket.  Kind of knocks the wind out of my sail.

But I'm working on taking care of it.  It is a slow process and will take a long time to complete.  A mind-numbing test of my patience.

But it's the turtle that still wins the race, right?  As always, I'm working toward simply crossing that finish line!

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #14

"A picture of your favorite band or artist"

Beck

I have trouble with these "favorite" challenges.  I have lots of bands and artists that I like.  But I suppose I'll choose Beck as my favorite right now since I've consciously enjoyed his music for the past 10 years or so.  I get to finally see him in concert this August, which I am MORE than excited about!!

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #13

"A picture of the last movie you saw in theaters"

IMAX 3D.  It was funny.  It was action.  It was solid.  It was good.

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #12

"A picture of yourself and a family member."

Blakemore Family Feb 2, 2013

How about a picture of myself with all of my family members?  This is a picture of us at my Grandma Blakemore's funeral.  I love every one of them.  Looking at their faces just fills my heart and makes it ache at the same time.  I miss being with them.  I love my family so much.

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #11

"A picture of your day"

Here are some pictures of the most random and awesome Tuesday I've had in a long time.  All were taken on Tuesday, April 23rd 2013.

Me and my cousin David with the Liberty Bell; Philadelphia, PA

Me, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall

My feet are just slightly smaller

David being Rocky

We ran up these steps twice - just to make sure we got the full experience

Here I am sucking on this woman's big toe

Love was in the air

Next stop: NYC to see the "Naked Cowboy"!

His face was not as attractive as his body

Grand Central Station

The Bull that goes on in the NYSE

This is the "Survivor Tree".  It was planted  at the world trade center complex  in the 1970s.  In Oct 2001, during the clean up of the resulting wreckage of the Sept 11 terrorist attack, it was discovered in the rubble, extracted, nursed back to health, then replanted on site in Dec of 2010.

Richard, David, me at one of the WTC Memorial Pools

Lady Liberty as viewed from Battery Park

Times Square fun

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #10

"A picture that makes you laugh"

Portrait Museum - Washington, DC - March, 2009

My sisters and I had a great sister's weekend in DC right before Tami moved to Germany.  We visited many of the museums, including the portrait museum, which gets a little strange on the upper levels.  We came across this art, and had a good time making fun of and taking pictures with this ugly looking lady eating her lunch.  We laughed so hard we were crying.  We cracked ourselves up!  This picture always makes me smile and laugh and remember what a good time we had.  :)

Here's some other images:

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #9

"A picture of something you love"

Bocas Del Toro, Panama - May, 2009

READING.  I love to read.  And I love to read even more when I'm on a beach. 

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #8
"A Picture of your Pet"

Petey & Paulie, before their death

I've only had this fish tank for 3 months.  It was a Christmas gift from my brother-in-law, Steve.  It sits on my desk in my home office, where I work 2 days a week.  I was really excited to get some fish!  In January, I went to the fish store and bought some tiny, pretty cool-looking fish.  I excitedly brought them home, let them bob in their bag in the water for an hour, then dumped them in to their new home.  I left for 6 hours, then returned home to check on the little guys.  Sad news.  I updated my FB:

I waited a week, then decided to attempt to keep some different fish alive.  This time I only got 2 fish, and they seemed pretty happy!  Until I changed some of their water out.  Then Paulie started acting a little crazy.  He'd purposefully swim-dart himself in to Petey over and over again.  Or he'd just sit there in one spot and flutter his little fins super fast.  It was strange.  Then it was time to change out some more water (I only did this once a month, and only 25% of the water).  The next day, doom.  Again, I documented the sad news on my FB page:

I don't think I'm cut out to be a pet-owner...

Picture of the Day

Photo Challenge #7

"A picture of the cast from your favorite show"

I don't know if I can choose one specific show that I absolutely love over any other.  So let's see if we can narrow this down by genre..  :)

Thriller:

DEXTER

Sitcom:

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT

Animated:

ARCHER

Science Fiction:

FIREFLY

Romantic Comedy:

SEX AND THE CITY

Drama:

DOWNTON ABBEY

And a new possible favorite show of mine (just starting to work my way through the first season now)...

Political Drama:

THE WEST WING