Hi there.

Coronado Beach sunset

Well, howdy. It's been a hot minute.

I've missed this. I miss the writing, the community, and getting on my soapbox from time to time (ha!). As spring slowly thaws out Pittsburgh, my writing muscles are thawing out, too.

I have things I want to share with you. Adventures I'm having, projects I'm starting, dreams I'm scheming, challenges I'm facing. The desire to share has been brewing for weeks now, but I had to work out some kinks in my head. Sometimes I get too wrapped up analyzing this and that, worrying that my ramblings are of little to no interest to anyone. I know my fellow writers can relate... I also know that we throw in the towel at some point and jump right in anyway!

So, here I am. Feeling a little rusty. Feeling a little shy.

Here's a sneak preview of what I'll probably chit-chat about in the coming weeks:

* I'm teaching weekly fitness classes to seniors at a local senior facility. They're a kick in the pants!

* I finally went swing dancing after living in Pittsburgh for a year and a half. A year and a half too long, yo.

* I visited San Diego last month. Love.

* I registered for Zumba training and certification at long last.

* Rheumatoid arthritis is no joke. Two years post-diagnosis, I have much to rant about.

I think that's a good start.

It's nice to be back.

xoxo

7 out of 31

Well. #31Days has come and gone and I logged seven days out of the 31.

This is not a stellar percentage, I know.

After only a week in, I knew that blogging everyday was not in the cards. Despite every good intention, I just couldn't do it. Well, I chose not to.

You see, I quickly realized that I had to make a choice. The way my days have been structured between an insane month at work, commuting, getting myself to the gym, spending QT with the hubs, cooking/eating dinner, trying to maintain some level of order to the apartment, AND trying to blog each and every night after all of the above... Something had to give.

I hated letting it go. I hated that I had made such grand plans and bold statements--let me tell you all about America's best homegrown dance, the Lindy Hop!--only to jump ship so early on. I hated that I felt like a failure and the lamest blogger on the block. I was embarrassed and felt guilty for standing you all up. And that is why I was suddenly MIA without a trace. With each passing day sans posting, I got more and more discouraged, and the guilt dug deeper and deeper.

I am sorry for standing y'all up.

{I realize how utterly crazy an apology may sound over something like a blog, but seriously, promising something and not following through is not cool.}

That said, can I say that I've finally realized and accepted that this season in my life is more about going and doing and making and connecting than sitting and writing on the reg. Giving myself permission to be and do sans guilt is pretty amazeballs.

Not to say that I don't have anything to say on le blog.

Not to say that I don't want to share all about the Lindy Hop, as I outlined here.

Not to say that I don't have things to discuss about my latest adventures and projects.

I do. And I will. Just on a timetable that better jives with where I'm at right now. I hope you can dig it, amigos.

I'll be checking in... 

 xoxo

J

Life Lately + a Birthday!

Hello hello!

Well. That break did me good, real good. It allowed much needed space and time to fill the well back up. Weary is not a place from which to create.

Nothing like a little link up, a la the lovely Blair over at Wild and Precious, to inspire a post-break post to fill you in on life lately...

Mind
As indicated a month ago, I've been striving to find and hit the refresh button. It was a little elusive, but I'm figuring things out with a little help from my friends. I picked up an ebook written and published by the wise Jessi and Hayley, appropriately called Refresh. It was a 55-page gem and just what I needed to take the first baby steps to re-establishing balance. Basically, it reminded me that employing even small things can make a huge difference, and putting the right priorities first in the schedule makes me less spazzy overall: daily quiet time; daily exercise; cooking and eating whole food; reading a book; painting my nails. It's daily/weekly battle, but I will win.

A big kid in the kids' garden at Phipps Conservatory

Spirit
I created and launched a new blog! It's basically a journal logging my daily Bible reading and subsequent thoughts. If you're into that kind of thing (even if you're not but you're curious what this is all about), check it out: www.thevirtualvine.net. It's still a work in progress, just like my life, but I'm proud of this little baby.

Beautiful logo designed by Canvas & Slate

Body
I'm a few days out from finishing a 10-day fitness challenge hosted by Considering You and created by Bobby over at Your Whole Fitness. Following a bout of lingering pain and inflammation in my left shoulder this spring, I took a step back from certain activities so it could heal... but I also got a bit, ahem, lazy, and then out of shape. Enter the challenge, which included a plethora of burpees and pushups. Burpees are the devil, yo, but so awesome at the same time. I will get my guns and my ninja status back.

Pinterest

Another side effect to the challenge: I've been tossing around the idea of teaching dance and fitness once again. I miss it! A huge obstacle holding me back, however, is feeling very unqualified to stand up in front of a class. How can I ask students to hold a plank or do tendus en croix if I'm not able to do them well myself? A teacher should be on her game and then some. I've been unsure where to start because the task just felt so big. It still feels big, but the fitness challenge definitely gave me that important initial shove over the starting hump. Starting is always the hardest part.

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Oh! This is little blog is officially 5! Time flies when having too much fun... Happy Birthday, Better Late than Never!

Your turn... I miss you! What's been up in your life lately?

 xoxo

J

A new year, a new chapter

Happy New Year, everyone!!

I've spent a lot of thinking, journaling and list-making over the last few weeks about where I want to take this little blog in this next year. It wasn't easy. You see, a few months ago I started to panic. I started to panic that my blog was just a boring ol' blog. I was playing the keeping up with the Jones' game. My blog doesn't have sponsors! There are no ads! I've never done a giveaway! My design is terrible! Major companies or industry people are not contacting me! I have less than 100 followers! I'm not making any money! Omg, I'm such a failure!!

I know. I can be such a spaz. Don't worry, I've had a couple of important epiphanies since then - this is my journey and what I put into it is what I get out of it - and all is right with the world again.

We are about to embark on a new chapter friends! This new direction can be summed up in three words: Dialogue. Inspiration. Focus.

Dialogue

I want Better late than never to be a place for conversation and idea sharing. I want to hang out and kick it with y'all. That's why a blog exists, is it not? Us bloggers are not writing to hear ourselves talk, are we??  It's about YOU, my readers, my audience. Which leads me to the next area...

Inspiration

I genuinely want to inspire you! Whether I'm writing about fitness, sharing my Hungry Dancer recipes or discussing my latest dance adventures, I want you to feel, to believe, that you can go out and DO, too. That's how Better late than never came to be... I followed my heart and began a dance career in my late twenties. You can do something just as crazy and unconventional, too! Trust me, you can.

Focus

And how am I going to accomplish all of this? Through focus. I've been talking about doing this for months, but I think I've finally figured out my game plan. What this means on my end is following a schedule, working on my design and layout, figuring out some basic (keyword here is basic) technical stuff, and seeking help with the technical stuff that is beyond basic (which is a lot). What this means for you is (hopefully) informative posts, a pretty blog to look at and read, and a place where you enjoy spending a little part of your day. Sound like a deal?

I am SO excited about this new journey we're embarking on! Yes, we. Vamos, amigos!

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Let's get this party started right here and now... What do you hope to see here in the coming year? What kinds of topics would  you like me to cover? Do you have questions you've been itching to ask? It doesn't have to be dance or fitness related, so ask away!

xoxo

J

New blog in town!

It's rough around the edges. It needs work. But it's hot off the presses - my new blog!

This, my friends, is my latest project! I've been planning this in my head for months. I knew that as soon as I arrived in Pitt I wanted a separate place to dish on my adventures in the Steel City. Since I was born and raised in Colorado and have never lived anywhere else, setting up shop from the ground up is completely new to me. New city, new blog to record it all. You know when you get a new notebook or sketchpad, the buzz of excitement you feel when you open it and imagine all that you will fill the page with? This new blog gives me the same buzz!

(Pinterest)

Friends, I'd like you to meet walking the {Steel} city. I'd be honored if you went over to say hello!

Cheers for a blank new page!

 xoxo

J

Phase I

I'm finally, finally, making some changes around here, as you might have noticed. I'm editing and rearranging and trying to figure out how to get my blog to look exactly as I envision it in my head. Easier said than done, sheesh. I'm definitely a less is more kind of gal, but it is definitely lacking some pizzazz by way of graphics. For now, I'm limited to using the Blogger templates because I'm not as tech savvy as I'd like to be in the designing-and-spiffing-up-my-own-blog department. So here we are, Blog Refresh Phase I.

In other news...

Hubby and I are officially in our new digs! I love our little apartment. More details coming later this week.

Also to come... In addition to the aesthetic changes around here, content is changing a bit as well. This is to coincide with my recent new life adventures, as well as a new little project, which I will unveil tomorrow (so excited!). I'm narrowing the focus of le blog to matters related to dance, fitness, food and health, with random musings on life mixed in from time to time.

So, what do you think about my changes thus far? Yay or nay? Thoughts and suggestions welcome!

 xoxo

J

Sicky time means couch time

The little cold that decided to show up earlier this week blew up into one nasty, congested mess. No surprise... between two jobs, class, and the height of performing time for the semester, I most definitely do not get enough sleep. I think my body finally had enough and gave in to the cold, forcing me to bed, ha!

Cutest tissue box ever! (we heart it)

Not that feeling like crud is ever fun, I have enjoyed the excuse to park it on the couch and catch up on Food Network shows, movie reruns (Pretty Woman will never get old), and, oh yeah, sleep! And now that I'm starting to feel human again, I can stand to look at the computer without my eyeballs feeling like they're going to pop out of my head... which means blog catch-up time!

Sitting by a pool some place warm would heal my cold right quick! (we heart it)

A box of tissues and cup of tea by my side, Food Network in the background and your blogs all cued up... I think my Saturday is set!

What are your weekend plans, my lovelies??

xoxo
J

Miss you

I miss this thing called blogging. Pictures are fun, and being a visual person myself, I love it when people post pics on their blogs, but I know that for myself, my picture-posting is a bit of laziness on my part. More pictures mean less writing. Tons goes on in my life on the reg - never a dull moment, EVER - but for awhile there I just felt like it was too much work to get it down on e-paper... or that no one would find it interesting, as it was the same stuff, different day/week/month... you know? Anyone else go through this??

However, the blogging bug must have sneaked up and bit me recently when I wasn't looking, because I have been seriously jonesin' to write again lately. Maybe I was in a bit of a dry spell? Maybe I still am, and this is just a mirage in the desert, but the words are appearing on the page, so...

I also miss the heck out of all your blogs, what's going on in your lives, all your pretty pictures ;) It's weird, but while I've not met the majority of people whom I follow here in Blog Land (and probably never will), I find myself wondering what's going on with you all and the details of your lives... What?? Yes. I miss you. Again, anyone else go through this?

Okay, I'll stop waxing sentimental. But I do miss being 'round these parts! And I sure hope that the writing ideas bubbling up inside me aren't mini-mirages but a legit oasis.

We heart it

Happy last week of 2010!

xoxo
J

Just checking in...

Man, I am a bad, bad blogger... I read other people's blogs daily, and if my regulars don't post daily, I get impatient waiting for their next installment. I'm such a blogging hypocrite! (Okay, so this makes it seem like I'm bonafide spazzing out about this, but really, I'm just being dramatic in true Jessi fashion).

It's not like I don't have anything to say or talk about. Blog-worthy things happen everyday in my li'l dance world... classes, rehearsals, choreography, projects, professors who are really starting to tick me off. But for some reason, I just don't sit down at my computer and write it down. Isn't this blog supposed to be a chronicle of my adventures as a dance major??

Well, it's NaBloPoMo, a.k.a. National Blog Posting Month. While November is almost half over and I've missed 12 days worth of posting, I will join up in the spirit of my blog - better late than never!

Here's to my attempt to post something everyday for the rest of the month! Wheeeeeeeee!