Blog Like Crazy is the monthlong challenge to post new content to your blog every day in November. Javacia of See Jane Write introduced us to it years ago.
Every year I say I’m going to do it. Every year I start out strong. Every year I peter out and never finish. UNTIL THIS YEAR! I DID IT!!!! Now, I didn’t do it gracefully and I probably didn’t do it correctly. But I did it. I posted 30 new posts for November. Some days I had to post it the next day so you got a twofer or a threefer (today!) because I missed my deadline or missed a day without knowing it, but I DID IT! WAHOOOO!!! I found the trick; don’t tell anyone you’re doing it. lol. This is the first year I didn’t declare I was doing it – I just did it for myself to see if I could actually do it. And I did. Sort of. lol.
Today I was going back through the posts, making sure I had all 30 (sans yesterday and today’s which I was working on) and realized I missed November 6 somehow. So I just wrote one for November 6th and posted it. Better late than never and we’re still in November so it’s still part of Blog Like Crazy! 🙂 I hope it still counts as part of Blog Like Crazy and I’m still considered a completer.
I hope to do it again next year and put more planning into it to have much better content. I am thankful for my wonderful friends and the wonderful readers who joined me for the ride this month. It was a blast and I hope you stick around to see what else lands here the rest of this year and next!
I’ll be sharing out Javacia’s post on everyone who completed the challenge later because they are always rock stars and have the best blogs! I love reading and sharing the fellow Janes’ content. Happy November and congrats to all who finished this challenge and NaNoWriMo!
My friend, Javacia, recently had her birthday party at SOL Dance Experience. I’ve written about SOL before and I enjoy it every time I go, but this time was even better than usual.
If you aren’t sure what SOL is, I’ll give a brief recap: it’s the most amazing dance party you’ve ever been to and you’re the best dancer there. SOL is a dance experience like none other where women gather in a room, turn the lights down low (off!), turn the music up high (loud!), and dance like no one is watching (because no one is!). There are small “fireflies” on the floor to help you stay in the same place in the room so you all don’t dance into each other. SOL is also one of the presenting sponsors of the next Birmingham Dance Walk on 3/20 so we’re total fangirls of this place!
Since it was a private birthday party, Javacia was able to ask for all her favorite songs. Laura, the creator of SOL, then took her list and created a great dance track for the evening from it. From Beyonce to Missy Elliott to Drake and lots more in between, fifteen of Javacia’s gals gathered around her, dancing, clapping, and singing to the music. When “In Da Club” came on, we all spontaneously (yet perfectly in sync) sang, “Go, shawty, it’s your birthday, we gonna party like it’s your birthday, we gonna sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday….” at the top of our lungs to her. It was PERFECT! On the last song of the night Laura presented Javacia with a glow-in-the-dark birthday crown and we circled around her and celebrated all the love and light and strength that she is.
I go to SOL as much as I can and each time it’s a new experience, full of women, bonding, yelling, and cardio. But this was different. We were all there for Javacia and the energy was palpable. I have never danced so hard at SOL (and I learned even more about Javacia’s awesome musical taste and met some of her other amazing friends). It was the perfect dance party and we all left exclaiming how much fun it was and trying to figure out whose birthday was next so we could do it again soon.
Now the best part: thanks to Laura and SOL Dance Experience I am giving one lucky reader the chance to win your own private dance club for a night! You and 15 of your closest friends will experience your own dance party with myself and Laura, picking out your perfect playlist before the event, celebrating anything you want to! Maybe you just finished a 5k, half marathon or marathon. Maybe you passed that extremely hard exam. Maybe you recently had a huge win at work. Maybe it’s your birthday! Whatever the reason, come celebrate with your own private dance party. You can enter below in the Rafflecopter box and a winner will be chosen on March 14th*. If you’ve never experienced SOL this is a great way to test drive it and share the experience with some of your favorite ladies. I promise you will be talking about how much fun it was once the lights come up.
*This prize is valued at $150. This prize is good for one 1-hour SOL session for yourself and 15 of your friends, led by Laura Gaines of SOL Dance Experience. The winner will coordinate with Laura on the date and location and then we’ll help you create an event invitation to share with your friends and DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!
I first met Christina (aka PinkLuxPL) a few months ago through Javacia Bowser at a See Jane Write* event. She immediately caught my eye with her stylish outfit and picture perfect makeup. I was mesmerized and I wanted to be her. Just look at the picture above; I rest my case.
I knew I wanted to learn more about her and, more importantly, from her. How did she put that fabulous outfit together? How did she achieve makeup perfection? I didn’t have to wait long. After talking to her over email and then in person a few times, I scheduled her to do a makeup workshop for Birmingham Girls Club. As a preview, I went to her house before the workshop to learn more about her technique and let her do a test-run on my face since I was going to be the model at the workshop. The run through was amazing and I knew instantly that I needed to be a participant in the workshop (and not the model) so I could watch from the audience and write these tips down.
I’ve since been to a few of Christina’s events and I learn new tricks and money-saving tips each time. My top three takeaways from her are the instant facelift (I have had TONS of compliments on my skin since integrating this into my makeup application), how to apply concealer and highlighter for best results and to contour, and lots of money saving tips on where to get good makeup for a lot cheaper than Sephora – including top notch brushes – and ways to save money at home during my beauty routine. Being 40, I thought I knew most everything I needed to know about makeup. I’ve been wearing it since I was a teenager and have mastered a lot of of the tips, but I had no idea how much more there was and how much better I feel about my appearance just from a few new tricks from Christina. The saying is true…you can teach an old dog new tricks. 😉
Christina offers group classes and makeup sessions, as well as one-on-one wardrobe/styling and or makeup sessions. Visit her web site at pinkluxpl.blogspot.com to get all the details. I highly recommend her. You will look (and feel) 10 years younger. And no, this isn’t a paid or sponsored post – the girl just made a believer out of me.
THIS JUST IN FROM CHRISTINA: Cyber Monday discount: Book today and get 40% OFF SERVICES! This includes bridal and prom makeup appointments, as well as wardrobe makeover and online sessions. Tired of not knowing how to apply your makeup or finding yourself with a closet full of clothes but still don’t know what to wear!? Or maybe you want to learn how to create a look and build the perfect wardrobe for your body? These sessions are for YOU! Booking for 2016 is available! Only a few spots left for December 2015. Email pink.lux.pl@gmail.com TODAY to get this deal.
* Learn more about See Jane Write here. Javacia, founder of SJW and MEGA SUPER WOMAN, is offering a deeply discounted special on her one-on-one coaching sessions – $50 for 1 hour (normally $125!!). Click here to submit your payment and then email her at javacia@seejanewritebham.com to schedule your session. It ends tonight so hurry!
Better late than never. Javacia, of See Jane Write, recently posted the 30 things she loves right now and invited us to do the same. So here I go:
1. Flash Tatts 2. Erin Condren goodies 3. Helping 4. This Michael Kors wallet I can’t afford. 5. JSON 6. Star gazer lilies 7. Woman (Oh, Mama) by Joy Williams 8. My tribe 9. Kat Von D Tattoo Brow 10. Getting money back when I shop 11. Learning the systems and people at my new job 12. Dancing in the dark 13. Sleep 14. Listening to cicadas 15. Torrid dresses 16. Summer storms 17. Therapy 18. Growing confidence, in myself and others 19. Happiness 20. My new #TechTuesdays on the blog 21. Sidewalk Film Festival 22. My new bongos 23. Contra dancing 24. Working on the revamp of my blog in my spare time 25. Beach trip anticipation – VACATION! 26. Lemon drops 27. Watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix 28. My Spotify playlists 29. Dressing up 30. Taco truck
The title pretty much sums it up so that’s all there is to this post.
KIDDING! But that is what basically happened last night during the Foam Glow 5k at Talladega Superspeedway. Check me out trying to tell myself beforehand that I dance a few times a week (for fitness) and swim, so I can handle a measly 3.26 miles with no problem. HA!
I didn’t tell anyone about registering or going to the 5k in case I chickened out or, quite honestly, didn’t finish. I have amazing friends who run 5ks just for fun like Jennifer and Javacia and then other friends like Tanya and Mia who are beasts running marathons and ultra trail courses. They’re crazy, but inspiring. So, I kept my 5k a secret because I didn’t think it would be a big deal. Boy, was I wrong!
I have plantar fasciitis in my right foot so knew going in that it would be difficult; it’s what derailed me on last December’s Mustache Dache and I didn’t finish. But my heel felt ok (not great, but bearable), and I wanted to give it a try. I mainly went to glow in the dark (who wouldn’t???), but knew the exercise would be great for me. My husband did it with me and I am so thankful for that. I started off ok, slowly jogging for a bit at the beginning and then transitioning into a walk soon after.
The course was on the outside of the race track itself, going around the entire oval, and I never thought it would end. Every time I covered a distance, there was more stretched out in front of me. Then the thoughts started coming: “I could have sworn they said there would be a water stop 1/2 way?” “Surely we’ve gone over halfway and they just forgot it.” People around me were starting to murmur about a water stop. I stopped to rest and stretch my lower back which was tightening into a knot. Breathe, stretch, breathe. Ok, let’s go!
Two minutes later, ouch. I need to stop again. In my head: “WHERE IS THE WATER? WILL THIS NEVER END? Where are we? Why is it so hot?” Keep in mind, we had brought water with us so I wasn’t thirsty – just looking for that benchmark. Ok, let’s get up and keep going!
Wait, I need to stop again. Head: “WHERE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY, IS THE WATER STOP? DID WE MISS IT? I think they forgot it. Surely we’re at least 2/3 of the way done by now.” I quit. I can’t do this anymore. I’m done. Here come the tears. “Are you ok?” from passersby as I sit on the grass and try to blend in the darkness. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you” while trying to hide my face and tears behind the giant Powerade Zero bottle. Safety truck guy comes over, “Are you ok?” Yes, I’m ok. “The ambulance is right down there and will be here shortly if you just want to wait on that.” Hubby: “We can wait for it if you want.” Bless him! Thank you for understanding and offering. No, I got this. Give me a second. Ok, let’s go!
Tears streaming down my face as I walk, limping, legs are jello and arms are shaking. “WHY IS THERE MORE FOAM? TAKE YOUR FOAM AND SHOVE IT UP Y….WHERE IS THE WATER STATION??” Another stop. Another cry. Another wipe of the tears and we’re off. I did that quite a few times before…..
LOOK! LAND HO! WATER! “Do you want water?” asks hubby. No I don’t want water! I just wanted to see the stupid thing! Wait, what? You mean we have ONLY GONE HALFWAY? Another stop on the side, more tears because I quit. I’m done. I can’t do anymore. I’m only halfway? I hate this. No more. “There’s an ambulance over there, let’s just make it there and you can ride back,” says hubby. Thinking about it. Debating in my head. Resting. Breathing. Trying to get my heart rate down to a non-newborn level. No, keep going. “Ok, let’s go,” (much less enthusiastic).
The rest of the “race” was a blur with people flying by on my left and right, cracks in the asphalt to watch for in the dark, music wafting here and there from somewhere, hubby constantly checking on me and stopping with me every few minutes because I “just can’t go anymore.” I think there were probably 2 more hours of that – I have no idea. Time and space were foreign to me by then. I was drenched, overheated, beet red, shaking limbs and body, couldn’t get enough oxygen in no matter how hard I tried, and my heart rate was off the charts. (I’m sure all of that is exaggerated somewhat, but the beet red face is completely true – picture at the bottom.)
I see spotlights. I hear music. It looks like a party, but I could be hallucinating in this pitch black desert. Headlights. People are leaving the track. Good riddance! You talk too much for those of us trying to keep our lungs in our chest. And the smoking DURING the race that I inhaled as you went by? I wanted to kill you.
The trucks are coming up behind us. The ambulance is passing us. OH MY GAWWW, I’M LAST! I DON’T WANNA BE LAST! But I’m doing it. I think I can make it. SO WHAT IF I’M LAST? I DID IT! Well not yet, but I’m going to try. Rounding the last turn, come around to the party, people are still walking between the cones. WHY ARE WE STILL WALKING? WILL THIS NEVER END? OMG, WHERE IS THE FREAKIN’ FINISH LINE? “Right there, honey. See it?” Oh, where all the lights are flashing and people are taking selfies. Ok. I can do that. A….few….more…..steps. BOOM. The earth shakes as I pass out. On the ground. And I wasn’t last (not that it matters, but seriously that was a secret goal of mine).
I have to give hubby MAJOR kudos for going with me, talking me through it, putting up with my tears, letting me hang off his back and shoulder when I could barely walk, and being there for anything and everything I needed. Thank you, baby!
I’m doing the Mustache Dache in December with a group. I’ll start properly training now so maybe I won’t cry as much during that race. 🙂 The point of the story, kids: Find someone who will let you hang on to them during a 5k and don’t ever let go!
Oh yay! I’m so excited!
I love foam!
Foam blasters shooting it everywhere
BEFORE: Oh look! We’re so excited! Let’s take a cute selfie to show the world how excited we are!
AFTER: I hate the world.
AFTER AFTER: I’m going to live at Talladega now, honey. I can’t ever get up again. Go on, save yourself.
Fine, I’ll get up so you can get a picture at the Finish line to prove we did it. 🙂
