Packed with a punch

The week was short and sweet but jam-packed full o' goodness.

Numero uno: it is officially summer, y'all... wahooooo!

We Heart It

Okay, maybe not technically until June 21st, but whatevs... June 1st rolls around and it is officially summer in my mind.

Numero dos: Ballet Club is LIVE! Those of us dancers who stay in the FoCo over the summer get together to do ballet and other dance, yanno so we stay in shape and prevent losing all the fierce technique we fought so hard for during the year, [obviously] dubbing it Ballet Club. This year I want to get t-shirts made... Anyone know of any cheapo tee-design websites?? And P.S., you don't use it, you lose it. I am out. of. shape. yo. Well hello there, dance muscles.

Numero tres: SYTYCD! I rarely watch TV but this one I arrange my schedule around, if possible. As cheesy as it may sound, the show completely inspires me... many of those dancers are uh-maaaazing. And truth? It was Season 4 that inspired me to march my little patooty to the CSU Dance Department and sign up. Can't wait for the Vegas call-back show next week.

Numero quatro: Cardio Kickboxing and Strength. This is the group fitness class I teach on Friday mornings. I channel my inner Billy Blanks and do my best to do him proud. My bf (yes, there is a bf on scene... see #5 below) is such a trooper and attends my classes. Um, coolest bf ever! I love teaching... no matter how groggy or not in the mood I am when I roll out of bed on Fridays, after class I am bouncing off the walls and the effects last all day. Every Friday so far = best mood ever.

Numero cinco: Boyfriend. Hmm, whaddya want to know?? We officially started hanging out in February, Valentine's Day to be exact... I know, I know, barf right? But it was not an official Valentine's date - it was very spontaneous and unplanned and involved a romantic dinner of Five Guys burgers. But he's awesome. Really and truly. I mean, the guy attends my fitness class, and that's just the tip o' the iceberg. Something HUGELY awesome about him is the nonstop laughter. We are so dorky and silly together and we make each other almost-pee-our-pants laugh. MUY importante, mis amigos. So now that I've let the cat out of the bag, maybe you'll hear more about him from time to time... stay tuned!

That is all. I will leave you with a video that the bf, whom will be known as Homeboy from here on out, posted on my FB wall last night. He says it makes him think of me. He often comments on my seemingly boundless energy. I guess he's right, but I never really thought about it: I don't stop moving. Enjoy!

Happy weekend, lovelies!

xoxo
J

I'm a junkie... but it could be worse

I definitely took up residence in Funkytown earlier this week. An exceptionally snarky visit by Aunt Flo plus relentless gloomy, rainy weather did not a happy Jessi make. I know the exact solution to shaking my grumpypants, but when I feel like crap and the weather is dark grey and soaking wet - for days on end, ahem - well, all I want to do is park it on the couch with some B&J's Dulce Delish!

Mmmm, craaaack...

Not a good combo when you have your first cardio kickboxing class to plan. Or accomplish any of the other 37 things to get done by Friday. Yanno.

But then a li'l 30-minute core conditioning lunch-hour class broke the spell! It was all I needed to remember that I'm a ninja who can't be kept down. Two lessons learned here:

#1. A quick sweat sesh is kryptonite to Unmotivation. Life bombards us with a gajillion reasons not to go for that run/bike ride/hit the gym/pop in that Jillian video/dance around the house like the next So You Think You Can Dance candidate (yes, this counts... and yes I do this). And the Excuse Monster is Unmotivation's bestie, so beware. Even 20 minutes of anything that gets the blood moving will roundhouse kick those two square in the family jewels... so in the words of my fave brand, JUST DO IT.

My M.O.

#2. I'm an endorphin junkie. But really, I already knew this.

And to bring this mood turnaround full circle, imagine my surprise when I apprehensively peeked out my curtains this morning and saw blue sky and SUN - I think I audibly squealed. So yeah, I guess I'm a UV/vitamin D junkie, too. Ah well, there are worse addictions I suppose.

And speaking of SYTYCD... t-minus 6 days y'all... BOOM.

Happy Friday loveys!

xoxo
J

Wind in my sails

So I started writing this post yesterday (Wednesday) when the wind truly was heinous... now it's calmed down to a gentle spring breeze. Nonetheless, here's my rant on Wyoming's wind invasion and how I'm really just jonesin' for summer and a new bikini...

I'm not sure what's going on here in NoCo (northern Colorado), but Wyoming has invaded... if you're not from 'round these parts, that translates to chilly hurricane-gale winds. Don't even bother doing your hair. Glancing outside, it's all sunny and blues skies, making you think "yay, spring!" but upon stepping outside you immediately regret not grabbing a fleece... YUCK. It's May - I don't want to wear boots and sweaters and scarves anymore, y'all. And if any of you know me even a smidgen, you know I'm a summer girl to the core. So, I'm going to channel the SoCal sunshine some of you lovelies whom I blog-stalk (Maegan, Lizzy, Mrs. Swede, to name a few...) have been making me green with envy about, and put together one of those fun summer fashion wish lists... yanno, for when the real summer weather shows up.

I've decided that my 4-year old bikini needs an upgrade. It's holding up quite well for being a boutique Target purchase many moons ago. I do love it - it's a classic triangle li'l number, chocolate brown with real seashells sewn onto it and it would fit perfectly with the tribal theme that is all the rage right now - but I've decided to switch gears and go with one of my all-time fave classic styles: nautical!

I'm dreaming of navy blues stripes, anchor prints and top-siders as my pool uniform this summer. Here are some internet finds inspiring my hunt for the perfect ensemble...

Ahoy there Roxy!

The price is right on these Payless pretties. Espadrilles are my fave summer sandal of. all. time.

I'm having a helluva time finding a nautical/sailor-inspired bikini. I just spent that last couple of hours perusing the interwebs and am quite frustrated. How do you fashion blogging gals do this?? Oy, not my forte. I'm not a endurance shopper in real life (I crap out after a couple hours, typically crabby and ready for food), and I guess the same goes for the 'webs, too. But! I did find this, which is PERFECT...

Nautica

... except... *le sigh*... there are a couple dilemmas. Numero uno, it's $64 for just the top. Um, not exactly in my budget. Numero dos, the smallest top size they have is an 8. Uhhh, yeah, my tiny ta-tas are not quite an 8. Sooo... a little help?? If any of you online shopping mavericks could point me to some sites with bikinis similar to the one above with a lower price tag, I would be eternally grateful!! I'll bake you cookies. And maybe send you a present ;)

23 days 'til the pools open here in NoCo!!

xoxo
J

Comin' up for air

Dance concerts done. Work slowing down. Aaaaaaand, breathe....

Hello my lovelies! It feels good to have a moment of down time to pop in and say hello... What kind of April shenanigans have you all been up to? Are you all recovering from your Easter candy comas? ;) My April was quite epic. And by epic I mean FULL...

Knocked out three dance concerts...

Spent 3 days in Denver for a work conference...

Traded the tights for a pencil skirt...

Drove an hour back to Fort Collins in the middle of the work conference to audition for CSU Tour Dance Company for next year... made company member and one of the Assistants to the Director :)

Taking a playground break during our 2009 Aspen tour :)

Volunteered with some of the dance crew to help clean up the FoC0 community...

Not the clearest pic... but what a good day!

Auditioned and interviewed for a Group Fitness Instructor position at the CSU Rec Center... and just got the job offer call about ten minutes ago!

Hosted Easter dinner for the fam. I decided to start a new Easter dinner tradition by preparing salmon. I'm definitely not one to follow tradition for the sake of tradition and ham is schmeh as far as I'm concerned... 'Cause the fishes are delicious...

And now I'm regrouping to tackle the next items on the to-do list... finish my taxes (hellooooo extension)! Study for my ACE certification exam! Spring clean the shiz outta my house! Tune up my bike! Spring is here and summer is a-comin' baby... SO excited about this!

Now to do a little blog-stalking to catch up on all of your shenanigans...

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

Behind in life

I take 2 steps forward and 5 back...

I am so behind in so many areas of life, ugh. I'm behind with rent and bills. I'm behind in pursuing my dream career (starting dance at 27 with no previous technical dance training is not easy, yo). I'm behind in building my Avon business... so many great ideas to get that rockin', so little time to execute them... I'm waaaaay behind in studying for my ACE Group Fitness certification exam. I feel behind in the love/relationship department. I most definitely do not get enough sleep. And I'm obviously hella behind in making an appearance here on zee blog. [*sigh*]

Oh life.

Mama's tired.

But of course I keep pressing on, because that's what I do. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, somewhere up ahead. I focus on small things that bring me joy, to keep trucking along...

Like daylight savings time! All the whiners are really grating my nerves... "I'm tired, I lost an hour of sleep, it's dark when I get up in the mornings"... dude, it's LIGHT OUT past 6pm, which is glorious... spring is fast approaching, which means the sheer happiness that is summer is not too far behind... the weather is warming up... you don't have to don your winter coat atop 5 layers to attempt to stay warm... no scraping ice off the windows of your car in the mornings... the birds are chirping and it smells like spring - ya know, that earthy, grassy smell?? mmmm.... please stop complaining. You have zero sympathy from me.

My chubby, happy, adorable, precious nephew. The last time I posted pics of him, it was the day of his birth. Here are a couple recent snapshots...

Lucky kid, he gets to do this a lot

Um, yeah. My nephew is the cutest baby on the planet. My apologies to the other babies of the world. And please note the AC/DC onesie. Kid's stylin'.

And speaking of behind on sleep, it is past midnight and I do have to wake up at 6:30, so I should probably think about getting ready for bed... Auntie Jessi is going to make like Forrester and pass out... Nighty nite loves!

xoxo
J

Sabali

Sabali. Patience.

Patience is the toughest virtue for me to master. When I want something, really want something... I'm not talking about the instant gratification types of coveting, like wanting a Chipotle burrito for lunch or wishing all the traffic lights would be green as I hustle across town to my next obligation... waiting patiently for it is so. damn. hard. Especially if I feel it's something I'm meant to do or be. I feel it physically, like my soul is being squeezed... at times I have crumbled to the floor in tears yearning for things that have yet to enter my life (which sounds so pathetic now that I'm actually writing that out loud, ugh), things I want so badly to be my life.

Then, just as I am on the brink of yet another tearful breakdown, someone or something crosses my path, reminding me to look at my feet. Be present in the moment where I am standing right now. For where you are right now prepares you for where you want to go. And where I am standing right now is exactly where I am supposed to be... right now.

I have big dreams that I'm working to make reality and there are big changes coming over the horizon... I'm both excited and scared (which further excites me!), but I often have to remind myself to breathe and not to get so caught up in dreaming and hoping for what's ahead that I'm neglecting what I can work on now to prepare me for when those dreams and changes arrive at my feet.

I recently created a playlist on my iPod entitled "Sabali". Naturally it's getting a bunch of play time right now. One of the songs on constant replay inspired the title of this post. It's not an actual video, but it's one to just listen to anyhow...

xoxo
J

Grumpy to be grumpy

Twas a rough week. I won't go into details, but my heart was definitely pulled through the ringer and I am tired. Oh life. The fact that we're in the middle of cold, gray, ugly winter doesn't help... I try really hard to stay positive, but who am I kidding? I really hate winter. I'm cold all the time. It's grey and ugly. All I can think about are 90-degree days, sundresses and my bike. The blues are right on my doorstep, threatening to break down the door. It's the hardest time of the year for me. Once New Years is over, I'd be more than happy to skip right to April.

I've been fighting all week to stubbornly focus on the silver linings in my life. For one thing, it's not my nature to wear grumpy pants. They're too tight and itchy. I get so much joy from just living, most of time. Also, my life is blessed beyond all kinds of ridicularity and I know this. I feel so guilty when I get the blues because I know there are people in this world that have it much, much worse than I do. I have my health, I have my family nearby, I have an amazing circle of friends, my job is steady, I don't fear for my life whenever I walk out my front door (I have friends from places in the world where said safety is non-existent), I get to do what I love, I get to have crazy adventures with said friends doing things that I love... it makes me grumpy to be so grumpy, argh!

So! The silver linings!

Seeing my dance friends. We get serious separation anxiety during breaks. The initial greetings to each other after a time apart is a bit embarrassing... for others. You'd think we were separated by years and oceans... nope, just a few weeks.

Encouraging text messages from friends.

Reading and journaling next to a fire place.

My physical therapist. She's a miracle worker.

Kicking my own booty at the gym. And the dance studio.

Temps in the 40s yesterday and today. Such a welcome break from the bitter cold.

Dance projects! Oh, the dance projects I have coming up!! Nothing centers me more than immersing myself in my art/work/calling.

Making and executing plans to overhaul some areas of my life this year. Exciting!!

That's all I can think of right now. I know there were more, but that's a good running list so far. The fact that today is Friday doesn't hurt a bit, either. Here's to the weekend and more silver linings!

xoxo

J

Nice to meet you

Welcome 2011, it's a pleasure to meet you! I have been looking forward to your arrival.

Not that I didn't enjoy 2010's company or time. We had our good times and we had our rough patches, but what relationship doesn't? It's time to wish each other well and wave good-bye as we embark down different roads.

I know we just met and barely know each other, 2011, but something tells me that you're different. I sense currents of change and transition in your energy. I sense something big... or maybe a collective of smaller things that will add up to big. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm projecting. But a flicker of spark deep down tells me otherwise. We shall see. We are only on Day 1 of this relationship, after all, and we don't want to rush into anything.

we heart it

See you tomorrow then?

xoxo
J

Goodnight moon...

Do you remember this bedtime story from childhood?


It was one of my favorites... but then again, I loved (and still love) so many books.

I was going to try to crank out a legit post tonight, but I am so so tired and instead, I must crash into bed. So...

Goodnight room
goodnight moon
.....
goodnight stars, goodnight air
goodnight noises everywhere.

We heart it

Sweet dreams!

xoxo
J