Me old bones...

Okay I am LOVING my yoga certification classes BUT my body is still screaming every week from doing 3-5 hours of a yoga practice 3 days a week. I guess since the sore muscles hurt in the good way AND I am feeling muscles I've never felt AND I'm getting super toned... it's all okey doke.
I took my first test on Saturday. It was over the Sanskrit language and sequencing. I got the highest grade in the class... a 98! Yipeeeee! The only one I missed was the only one I didn't answer because I didn't know it. I am pretty freaking super jazzed about this.
Coming soon to a studio near you... Yogi Neill

Lordy Lordy... or Holy Shit!

Well who knew.... I made it to age 40!

I don't think I look it, act it, and I certainly don't feel it!

I was given the most amazing surprise party last weekend. Thank you so much to Julian and everyone else involved. He did a fantastic job of pulling it off and bringing together the most important people in my life. He continues to amaze me every single day. I'm a lucky, lucky girl.

Thanks also to those of you who couldn't make it but sent your well wishes.

I had 5 people fly in from Dallas for this event! Imagine my surprise when I not only heard, "SURPRISE!" from the back of Morseland, but even more so when I saw the screaming blond hair of my mother as I went up the stairs! Yup, mom & dad flew in for the event. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised. Brian, Wayne, & Nolie also came in... so we had the full Neill/Foose party crew!

Oh yeah... and who knew I would ever dance with my mother? See, miracles can happen!

I just ran across a saying that really made me think... "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"... mmmm...food for thought. I'll have to get back to you on that one... maybe 29? Maybe 59 after the after party we had! That's okay, if Nolie Foose can hang until 3:00am at 72 years old, then I will be just fine.

Control Freaks

I've been talking lately to friends of mine about how sometimes feeling out of control can be a very empowering feeling... especially after the fact. During, however, you tend to feel like you want to choke someone or curl up into a ball in the floor and bawl your head off.

In hind site, I think that moving from Dallas made me understand myself and who I am by about 1000%. Even more so was going through quite a bout of depression. I never really got the definition of what depressed really was until I was deep in it. It's like that person who calls into work with a migraine... someone who doesn't get migraines thinks, "good Lord, take a Tylenol and come to work"... the ones who get migraines think, "oh no, poor thing, I feel for you... do you need any good drugs?". It's empathizing through association. If you haven't been there then chances are you really don't get it.

I've been depressed, I get it. The funny thing is, as shitty as it was going through it, it was probably one of the best, most informative things that could have ever happened to me. I honestly think I'm a better person because of it... how crazy is that?

Everyone wants some sort of control whether at home, work, or internally. Control the house, control the kids, control your boss, control your employees, control the finances, control your spending, control your bad habits, my hair needs extra control, mission control, etc...
Isn't being out of control much more liberating and how you learn the most about yourself?

I thought this was a great article to pass along.

Yoga Journal - Yoga Philosophy - Break Away

You're kidding me....

I'm so not ready for this...
My heater came on today....

Namaste... or ZZZZZZ

I started school last week. For those of you who didn't know, I am going to school to get certified as a Yoga Instructor.
I've been interested in doing this for some time, but stopped looking into it seriously when I realized that no studios/programs/schools worked around work schedules.
I stumbled upon this totally by mistake. Long story short, this program is 2 nights a week and Saturdays for 13 weeks.
Today was the first day reality hit and I thought, "Holy shit, I'm working full time and taking 15 hours of school, no wonder I'm tired". Not to mention that each class is 3-4 hours of poses straight through. Not in a steady flow, but being held for some time while we breakdown the makeup of each pose. Needless to say, my body is screaming at me.
The way I look at it, it's 13 weeks out of my life (11 after tomorrow's class!) and it's going to pay off big time in the long run. This will totally be worth it.
Until then, I must go get some rest... and figure out when the hell I'm going to do things like laundry!

Vintage Fun!

I found this little gem at the Randolph Street Market a few weekends ago. Not only was it a steal but it works and makes those pieces of crap that are sold today look like hunks o' junk! Solid metal, super quiet, and mixes up to like 100 mph!

Not a bad break for $20...

I guess it's time to break out my apron & get to whippin'...

No time like the present...

Wow, Labor Day hit and the temperature dropped. I guess we can blame good old Gustav for that one. Or is it the fact that I live in Chicago? I can't refresh my memory enough to last year to remember how quickly summer ended but at this moment... it's too soon.

One thing I did remember from last year was my winter panic mode. I began buying and planning about this time for my bundle-up package. I think I may have actually had my coat by late August!

Well, knowing how quickly things can hit, I must admit...I'm a sucker again this year. Last years snow boots (made by Totes I must add) had a blow out after a very successful and harsh winter. At least the locals tell me it was rough. I just thought that was how it was supposed to be so I wasn't really all that shocked.

So, I bucked up and bought my snow boots this week. I am the consummate sale shopper (except in the case of the bad ass shoes posted a few weeks ago) and know there are plenty of good deals out there. I got a GREAT pair of Sorel snow boots, brand new, for $40. I must say, I'm super jazzed... and my feet will be super dry. Now I'm just waiting for my local Walgreens to put out the bins of winter gear so that just like last year I can stumble in to get an RX filled and come out with a great pair of Thinsulate gloves for $8.99. Those too railed right through the winter up until the bitter end when the webs between the fingers also started to have a blow out.

I'll even be nice again and share a great web site: www.sierratradingpost.com This is where I got the AMAZING deal on my boots and if I remember correctly, where I got the AMAZING deal on my North Face jacket last year. It's all overstocks and discontinued styles that go from 30-50% off MSRP. My boots were 50% off.

...and once again, the knitting needles are starting to fly... but for me only. I'll be damned if I'm making ONE Christmas gift this year!

The Parent Trap

Well finally my parents made it to Chicago! After almost one year of not seeing them, here they are. We have had a really great time thus far. Not too much family dysfunction and we've seen a few great bits of the city. Friday we hit Millennium Park and the Art Institute. Saturday was Wicker Park, and I feel that today may be close to home, possibly with a quiet trip to Half Price Books.

I tend to forget sometimes that these two are pushing 70. They've never looked their age and they still don't now. They just move a little slower than I do and than I remember.

We're all here a very short time so enjoy who you have while you have them!

The never-ending socks

After taking waaaaay waaaay too long to finish these socks, they are COMPLETE! I almost hit a record as I bought this yarn last September at the Renegade Craft Fair and it's coming up again in about 3 weeks.

I have to say, they were pretty enjoyable and mellow to work on. Totally in stockinette stitch on number 3 needles. The yarn is hand dyed by a girl who lives in the north east (Mass. I think?). For those of you who are knitters, check out the web site, Traveling Rhinos .

I am working on a super cute kitchy thing as we speak which shouldn't take too much longer. I'll keep that one under wraps until completion!

Okay, on the topic of yarn... I went to a yarn swap at my SNB group a few weeks ago & came home with much more yarn than I went with. Kind of defeats the purpose of going right? Now I have "3 bags full" of yarn"! Sigh... my fingers will only move so fast.

THEN, Loopy Yarns had a moving sale and I made myself go and ended up spending about 50 bones on guess what... more yarn!
My name is Kristen and I am a yarn addict... I guess it's better than blow right?

MIA

FINALLY! So sorry I've been gone a few weeks from blogging. I've been busy and I was out of town for a week. On that note... check out the girl on the high seas... (Fabulous dress purchased from ModeMerr.com)

I'm back in full swing getting ready for my parents to come visit. They will be here for 4 days next weekend. Once again I say... FINALLY! This is their inaugural visit to Chicago, therefore I'm doing my best to plan out some fun and keep them away from the ghetto! Actually, the diversity of Chicago and my neighborhood is going to be quite the shock I think. Lets see, do I take them on the gangster tour? the murder tour? the prohibition and sex tour? (These are all real tours you know!)

Actually I think the biggest obstacle will be accommodating their luggage. They tend to travel like they are going on the Titanic... steamer trunks and all.