I’m excited to have my guest post featured on Glitter & Ganache today, a blog by my lovely friend Tabitha, who couldn’t be any cuter. She wanted me to spotlight local gifts as part of a fun gift guide running all week long on her blog, so check it out! I posted lots of love for Art Star Philly, which is a great spot for handmade gifts for family and friends. Be sure to read my friend Dana’s guest post too, she even gave my Etsy shop some love in her gift guide!
Tags: gift guide, Glitter and Ganache, guest blogging, holidays
Posted in guest blogger
When the always adorable Ali became accepted as a Weddingbee (French Bull Dog, to be specific), I was ecstatic. Mainly because anyone who is a friend of French bull dogs is instantly a friend of mine. I find her wedding posts to be painfully cute, so I was thrilled when I first came across her blog, His Birdie’s Nest. I hope you enjoy her post on Jazzercise, which is a subject I can’t say I was very knowledgeable about until she enlightened me!
Without further ado, here is everything you’ve ever wanted to know (c’mon, admit you’re curious) about Jazzercise:
Hi everyone! First I want to thank the lovely Shannon for letting me guest post on her blog. I’ve had a blogger crush on Shannon since she was Miss Candy Corn on Weddingbee, so I’m a little beside myself appearing on her blog.
When I asked Shannon what I should talk about – design, food, eating or my newest obsession (Jazzercise), she said I could blog about whatever I wanted. Through some not-so-subtle hints, I gathered she wanted me to talk about Jazzercise.
For those of you who have absolutely no clue what Jazzercise is, it’s basically dance aerobics. For those of you who know, you may be thinking, “Ali, um, didn’t that die in the 80′s?” Because, that is what I thought when a friend told me about it a few years ago. My mom used to Jazzercise! I have the VHS tape to prove it! My sister and I used to Jazzercise along with her in our little leotards in the living room! I just had visions of legwarmers and headbands.
Fast forward a couple years, I’ve joined a gym, acquired a personal trainer and decided I need to get into shape. Not so much to lose weight (which I need(ed) to do), but mostly to be healthier. You know, not get winded running up the stairs, stuff like that. The gym and trainer worked, I lost weight, toned my muscles and felt much healthier…but then I went on my honeymoon, moved in with Hubs and lost motivation to go to the gym. About 6 months later *hangs head in shame* I went back to the gym, but just found it boring. I’ve never been one to stay on a treadmill for very long (I have a short attention span), and now all of my gym friends had quit, moved or started coming at different times. Then my personal trainer went on a 3 month leave of absence and I lost all motivation.
At the same time, my buddy Jane started Jazzercise classes in our area and loved it. I’d always wanted to take an aerobics class, but I was always afraid of not knowing the steps or being able to keep up with the crazy gym girls. I decided to give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised. I could totally keep up with the class, but it wasn’t too easy that I didn’t feel like I wasn’t getting a workout. I also didn’t feel foolish for not knowing all the steps.
Sharon, my instructor in San Clemente, is awesome. She knows everyone’s name and encourages you individually throughout the class. I have also been to several classes of a couple of other instructors. While each has their own style, they all do a wonderful job of keeping you motivated without feeling out of shape if you’re unable to keep up.
Now, I am obsessed with going to Jazzercise. I quit the gym, guys! I’m in better shape than when I had a personal trainer and, no offense to her, I’m having more fun. My legs and arms are toned and I have a lot of extra energy.
Just in case you don’t believe me that Jazzercise is super cool, Cheryl Burke, from Dancing with the Stars, endorses Jazzercise. Plus, Beyonce totally ripped of the moves from my Mom’s VHS tape for her “Single Ladies” video. Check it out:
Anywhoodle, thanks for reading about my Jazzercise obsession and if any of you want to check it out in your area, you can look it up here. For most instructors, the first class is free!
Have any of you found an exercise routine that doesn’t bore you?
Tags: guest blogger, Jazzercise, weddingbee
Posted in guest blogger
I’d like to take a moment to introduce my friend Susan of Shoestrings and Daydreams. Susan and I met at our wacky magazine job a few years ago, where she was my Gilmore Girls companion and lunch break buddy. Our work relationship grew into a friendship that can’t easily be described. When together, we are often heard speaking in terrible Southern accents for no reason and flailing at our love for Project Runway and all things HomeGoods. Needless to say, I am excited to have her on board for a guest post and hope you enjoy her discussion about relationships and the language of love.
As a side note, do you guys have your own strange vocabulary with your significant other? Made-up words like “schloops” and “schmelnick” make it into my daily conversations with Pete, so I was just curious if there are others out there who can make sense out of each other’s nonsense.
The Language of Love
When we’re alone, my husband and I speak in a secret code. If we were, say, secret agents or spies and the FBI were to drop a wire on us, the agent listening would probably deduce that the two of us are completely, totally, unforgivably nuts. Then he’d call a translator, who would conclude that our code is so un-translatable that we must be the most brilliant people on earth. Or that the two of us are completely, totally, unforgivably nuts.
Decoding relationship language is much trickier than decoding guy language.
Example: Guy Language
Husband: You look good.
Translation: “I truly admire your ability to pull off those jeans with that top. And your shoes? Just stunning. You are the sexiest, most beautiful woman alive and I thank God for every moment I get to spend in your presence.”
Relationship language, on the other hand, is much more nuanced. It’s rife with inside jokes and secret meanings. It comes from knowing someone on a deeper level. It’s not handed down from relationship to relationship, the way guy language is developed and cultivated from boy to boy (usually in high school when guys somehow seem to lose the ability to use adjectives other than good, nice, or fine). Relationship language can take years to develop, with new words, phrases and meanings added over time. In most cases, a relationship’s language can only be translated by those in the relationship.
The language my husband and I have developed is evolutionary, and most recently has depended (sadly) on what we like to watch on TV (our relationship is fraught with ‘that’s what she said.’ It’s probably why our friends don’t come around anymore. Um. That’s what she said). Take, for example, our recent obsession with the HBO series The Wire. We’re seriously addicted – a DVD arrives in the mail from Netflix and we will watch three to four straight hours of television. Our marathon is immediately followed by the two of us speaking like Baltimore drug dealers for the next two days.
Example: Preparing Dinner
Husband (holds up head of lettuce): You feel me?
Translation: “My darling wife, would you like me to prepare a fresh garden salad with toasted almonds and Mediterranean-herb feta cheese?”
Wife: Word.
Translation: “That would be lovely. Would you mind adding dried cranberries and a hint of balsamic vinaigrette?”
Husband: Mos def.
Translation: “Gladly. I will also be sure to uncork that Bordeaux so it can breathe before we sit down for another marathon of The Wire.”
This conversation may not be considered by relationship therapists as real communication. There aren’t many verbs, and we’re not in deep discussion about our hopes, dreams, and feelings. But in my mind, it exemplifies our ability to understand one another. Our language these past few weeks represents this phase in our marriage — the phase where we’re newlyweds and grad students too busy and/or exhausted to go out to the movies or dancing on a Friday night, so instead we opt to stay in with Netflix and pizza. I’m not sure that once we finish the series that this slightly un-PC banter will continue to be a part of our relationship language, but I think that as our marriage continues, as we start doing things like buying houses and having kids, we’ll come up with new vernacular that highlights that particular phase in our relationship.
After all, there’s lots more coming. (That’s what she said.)
Tags: guest blogger
Posted in guest blogger
Starting today I will be sharing a weekly guest blogger post, exploring all sorts of fun topics. I’d like to thank my good friend Kelly for volunteering to be my very first guest blogging guinea pig. I heart her big time. Feel free to apply to be a guest blogger by commenting or shooting me an e-mail!
Hiya, I’m Kelly of Blush!nk and I happen to post random stuff on my blog Glamour This. Shannon and I became e-friends when we were blogging about our weddings over at Weddingbee (way back) – Secretly I wanted to be her friend. Her cute, funny personality and sense of humour is what I loved about her… so ya, I found a way and we became friends. I am beyond excited to guest blog for Shannon.
I love drawing, painting… plain old sketching. It’s something I had to do lots of when I was in design school and I loved every minute of it. The liberty to draw anything that inspires you is somewhat inspiring (pun intended). But unfortunately my sketchbooks are stored away in my office and aren’t being used any longer. I miss drawing… you have no idea. I wish I would take the time to whip out my pencils and just draw. When I saw this : The Sketchbook Project I got all excited. A great way to get back into sketching… and with a purpose (no stored away sketchbooks that will never be seen)
“Thousands of sketchbooks will be exhibited at galleries and museums as they make their way on tour across the country. After the tour, all sketchbooks will enter into the permanent collection of The Brooklyn Art Library, where they will be barcoded and available for the public to view. Anyone – from anywhere in the world – can be a part of the project. To participate and have us send you a sketchbook that will go on tour, start by choosing a theme to the right.”
Do you like sketching? If so, what motivates you to take the pencil and paper and just… draw? And… will you participate in The Sketchbook Project?
Tags: blush!nk, drawing, guest blogger, kelly, sketching, weddingbee
Posted in guest blogger
