The Color Purple

I go through these random phases in life where I become strictly opposed to certain (mostly fashion-related) things. To name a few: lace, flats, spaghetti straps, anything pink, Hello Kitty, horizontal stripes, denim skirts, and yes, the color purple.

Personally, I think it has something to do with a desire to stray from the crowd and be my own person. When pink was the "in" color, I loathed it. I stayed as far away as I could and opposed Elle Woods' line of "whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed". The PINK collection from Victoria's Secret began running rampant, which made me falter momentarily because I adore VS and didn't know how to handle it. If I shopped the PINK collection, I bought whatever I could in any other color.

Then one day, something shifted. The color pink began having more of a 'rock star' feel vs the 'little girl' feel and I purchased a waffle knit... it was all downhill from there.

I still will not say I "love" pink. Red has been my favorite color for years and Pink is simply Red's baby sister. Sure, she's grown up a little and has more of an attitude, but Red and I have a history.

Once my opposition to pink faded (nice), my crusade against the color purple began. Purple is the step-sister to Pink so it only made sense... not to mention, EVERYONE was in love with purple at this point and I felt a strong urge to continue my stance against colors with a red base.

I have no idea where I got these notions from. Having a background in fashion, it seems almost racist to oppose any color of the rainbow.

One day, while I was shopping, I found a dress I liked but alas, the only color left in my size was this eggplant purple. Against my better judgement, I took it to the fitting room, in an attempt to battle my color demons, put it on my body.

I liked it. I liked what it did with my hair & skin & eye color. I liked the way the dress looked on my body. I couldn't believe I'd been so opposed to something that now seemed so right. I bought my first purple dress and didn't look back.

Since then, I've been a bridesmaid in purple and can even be found today with purple toe & finger nails (I'm even wearing purple glitter) after a work retreat.

I've also since adopted a new attitude with colors: I can't be so judgmental - especially when it comes to all things fashion - because any color can work on any person with the right attitude and accessories.

Unless we're talking burnt orange. Gross.

Rock Steady

As long as I can remember, I have hated running.

I hated doing laps at volleyball practice. I HATED doing suicides in the gym. I loathed running a mile for the Presidential fitness test. I joined track in Jr high to spend more time with my friends & boyfriend and ended up assigned the distance events since I wasn't a sprinter and I definitely couldn't hurdle.

I always sucked it up, got it done, and finished last. I didn't really care either.

As an adult, I have friends who run. I could never understand people who CHOOSE to run - who pay MONEY to run - and who train tirelessly to travel places like Boston or Chicago to do a marathon. Why on earth would this appeal to anyone??

A couple years ago, my mom was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. Since we lived under the same roof, I agreed to do the diet with her (it's always easier with a partner!) and we started losing weight. The dietician also told her she needed to introduce regular exercise into her regimen so we started walking. Eventually, we started biking too.

I loved the way it made me feel. I especially enjoyed the way it made me look. Mom was losing too and feeling better about herself. She was getting her blood sugar under control and I was fitting into clothes I hadn't worn in quite a while. It was great.

Months & pounds later, I met Calvin. The attraction was instant and I decided I was going to be his girlfriend.

A few dates in, he started telling me about his plans for a ski trip at the end of February. Told me they still had space for a few people and if I was interested, I could tag along. As a bit of a safety net, I got my sister involved and we planned to meet in Houston, drive to Fort Worth, and head on our way to Colorado with a group of new friends. 

"By the way," he mentioned, "a bunch of us are running the Cowtown 10K the morning before we leave if you want to join us." Of course I wanted to RUN with him!

Yikes.

My sister, one of those crazy runner types, was absolutely in so if I didn't do it, I'd be the girl who didn't run. Since I wasn't about to let THAT happen, I started running.

That was late January of 2009. I started slow, checking the mileage in my truck to see what the distances in our neighborhood were before running from my house. I'd gotten an iPod that year from my sister so I bought the armband and a pair of Adidas running shoes at Academy. I would walk for a song, and then run for a song. Walk for a song, run for 2 songs. Before I knew what was happening, I could run almost 4 miles without stopping to walk, which was great for me but not for a 10K.

On the day of the race, I nearly froze but I absolutely finished. Crossing my first finish line was such an adrenalin rush! I was proud of myself for finishing the race (even though I had to stop and walk a couple times) and I was excited to share my first race experience with my sister (and new boyfriend).

A few months later, our friends from Snyder were coming to Ft Worth to do the Zoo Run. Again, Calvin asked if I wanted to do it (it was only a 5K this time!) and of course, I said yes. I'm a team player! I even got my boss, Xio involved. She lived in Dallas and I knew she was a runner... 

From that moment on, it started to become a little something. Even though I didn't do many races in 2009, I decided to keep running and I even joined a gym.

In 2010, I got the job with Our Father's Children and moved to Ft Worth (hooray!). I had my membership with 24Hr Fitness and lived in a cute little neighborhood with Emily. A perfect neighborhood for running! I'd only been in town a few weeks before I ran the Dublin Dr Pepper 4K with some of my Ft Worth runner friends.

Later in the year (because let's face it - it's stinkin' hot in the summer in Texas!), Katie and I ran the Delaney Vineyard 5K together. 

A month later, I ran the Park Glen Turkey Trot.

That was the day I made a commitment to myself for a better lifestyle: I was going to run. Running is free, it shapes the body in ways a gym simply can't, and it gives me a chance to leave the house, clear my head, and get some fresh air. Not to mention, Texas is the state to become a runner since you can do it year-round!

I quit my gym membership for 2011 and decided that money would be better spent on entry fees. I was going to do 12 in '11 - one race a month, varying in distance, location, and cause. My plan was to work up to a half marathon and I'm proud to say, I ran that race on Thanksgiving Day.

Keith is a good runner friend. He did the Chicago marathon and is great for high-fives when he hits the turn-around and crosses my path at 20 minutes behind him.

In 2011, I had so much support from great friends everywhere, cheering me on, commenting on photos, giving me advice, and sending me links for races, it pushed me to keep going and meet this great goal. I lost 15lbs I managed to keep off and built confidence in my abilities for other things.

In addition, I inspired some great things. Emily decided to quit her membership with 24hr AND quit seeing her trainer to start running. I gave her tips on how I got going and she was off! It didn't take her long to sign up for her first 5K (which was the same day as my first 15K) and I couldn't be more proud.

*we both placed 4th in our age group!

When I started getting serious about running, my sister sent me a RoadID. I thought it was a little silly at first but with my penchant for night running, my solidarity, and my choice to run with an iPod vs my phone, it made sense.

After moving to Ft Worth, I needed to update the info on my RoadID and when I got on the website, I saw I had the option of having a 'motivational' line printed. I chose the words "rock steady" because one thing I learned in all my running was to keep a steady pace - if I started too strong, I'd throw my pace and quickly become miserable. If I ran the race for ME instead of running against all the other participants, I knew I could find my stride, keep it strong, and finish steady (with hopes of beating my own time).

For Christmas this year, Calvin ordered a new RoadID for me, complete with my new last name and the letters "HUSB" by his name and number. While he was placing the order, he asked what I wanted the inspiration line to read. I told him to pick something he felt fitted and surprise me.

On Christmas morning, I found a new style of ID and a tag with the verse 1 Corinthians 9:24. I looked it up:

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize"

I love this verse for a number of reasons:

1. The literal translation: run to win.

2. The biblical translation: self-discipline. 

3. The following verse: "...they do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever."

Running has changed me. It's changed me physically & emotionally, it's changed my outlook on self-discipline, on diet, and on life. It's molded relationships, it's strengthened friendships, and it's created a lifestyle I want not only for me, but for my family and friends.

Emily and I are doing 12 in '12. While we're not doing the same races each month, we are running. We're running to be fit. We're running to be strong. We're running for the t-shirts (and to justify the cupcakes!). And in 2012, I'll run my first marathon.

Although I doubt I'll ever be one of those "26.2" sticker people :)

How to be Daring

Today is Calvin's & my "2 Month-A-versary". While initially, some of you will consider this lame since 2 months in isn't really something to brag about, I choose to celebrate monthly for the first year of anything.

While nothing BIG is planned, I still recognized it verbally when the clock struck midnight last night. Calvin reminded me it really wasn't 'legal' until tonight but it doesn't matter. He was cute enough to recognize our "123 A-versary" (our wedding date is 12.3 so on 1.23 he gave me a rose and a really sweet card).

Two paragraphs in & I promise I realize how nauseating I'm being. Sorry. I'll press on.

Back at my bridal shower in October, I received an unexpected gift from my mom: the movie Fireproof and a copy of The Love Dare (this particular version is a year-long daily devotional for couples). I read Fireproof last year, so I was familiar with the premise of TLD but interested to see how they span a 40-day dare over a year for couples to do together.

Calvin and I committed to start the book after the 1st of the year. To date (it's Feb 3), we're on day 26. In our defense, there have been nights spent apart and others where I'm asleep way before he comes to bed. Also... I'm proud of us for getting this far. We're doing it and even in only 26 days, we're growing.

This book gives us some daily insight, a nibble of scripture, and either discussion provoking questions or a dare (or prayer) for the week. For example: this week's dare is to demonstrate patience by saying nothing negative to your spouse (it's better to hold your tongue than say something you'll regret). So far, so good. At the end of each lesson, we pray together.

In my life, over the last few years especially, I've witnessed the power of prayer. I had NO IDEA how that would translate in my marriage but let me just tell you, it is changing us SO much for the better and quickly. Seriously. If you don't pray daily with your partner, you should start.

Anyway... This devo has inspired me in the month of February to take things a step further. With Valentine's Day approaching and our honeymoon on the horizon, I wanted to do something special since I have the ability to love on my husband in a more daily capacity.

While I realize we're still very much in the 'honeymoon phase', I feel my actions this month go above & beyond anything I would do for him regularly. What you need to keep in mind is we've dated for over 3 years at this point. Yes, technically, we're still newlyweds, but there's not really anything NEW about our relationship (except the whole 'same name' & 'same address' deal).

My personal dare: To find ways to make Calvin feel loved in the 14 days leading up to Valentine's Day. Today is Day 3 and from what I can conclude, he hasn't quite caught on yet but that's also kind of the point. I wanted to do little things each day - different from things I already do - for him to experience that kind of gooey Feb 14 mush longer than just one day.

Here's what I've been up to:

On Wednesday, I tucked a pink note into his lunchbox he would later find (and instead of discarding, he brought it back to me in said lunchbox). On Thursday, I wrapped the blue sticky note around a single serve bottle of Red Diamond sweet tea - something else he would find in his lunch. The sticky note came home in the lunchbox too. I'm going to make M&M cookies (his favorite) to take with us to Lubbock this weekend... I'll wrap one up for him that he'll get tomorrow while we're at the hotel; the rest will go with us to a BBQ we're attending. Today he'll return home to find a pillow I made:

Pinterest inspired; I took some of the lyrics of our song/first dance and made a pillow for them to go on. Seems fitting on something of an anniversary... He has loved this song for years - he's actually the one who introduced me to it so it's not just some sappy love song I picked.

Here's the thing: so far, this project is costing me very little. I had the paper and the stuffing for the pillow. Sweet tea? Less than $.80. Fabric for the pillow? $.75 for half a yard at WalMart. The paint pen cost a little over $3 and the bag of M&M's were $2.68. Other things Calvin will find over the remaining 11 days:

Homemade Honeybee bookmarks. Also Pinterest inspired. I bought the Honeybee stamp (Martha Stewart collection) on a clearance rack at Ross for $3.99 with a store credit I had a couple months ago. On Pinterest, they used the free paint sample strips in pinks & reds & stamped them with hearts to give as Valentine gifts. I chose grays and yellows for Honeybee reasons but anyone who knows us knows I've called Calvin my Honeybee since the beginning. Currently we use our photographer's business cards as bookmarks (they have some of our engagement photos on them - we're absolute narcissists) and I think these will make good replacements. Cost to make them? Free. Since I already had the stamp...

Something else he'll find:

This man's boxer collection has grown leaps & bounds in the time he's known me. I love underwear. People who are close to me always get underwear as gifts and know I love something comfy from Victoria's Secret any day of the week. When Calvin and I first started dating, his boxers were solid colors, plaids, stripes, and checks. He now owns hearts, lobsters, citrus fruits, beer mugs, shamrocks, fish bones, and an ongoing assortment of fun underwear. I am a HUGE advocate of fun underwear. My favorite place to shop for his shorts is Old Navy - I recently bought these on sale 2 for $11.50 (normally $8.50 apiece) and am holding on to the second pair (turquoise with little red crabs on them) for his birthday next month. Again... purchased with a store credit I had. No money left my wallet.

Note: Please don't think I'm cheap - especially when it comes to Calvin. We're newlyweds on a budget and darn it, if I can save a few bucks, I'm gonna do it. Not to mention, we have an expensive trip coming up, his birthday is next month, and if I'm going to commit to 14 little Valentines, they're going to be budget-friendly. I digress.

To keep myself organized, I made a list of what I'm doing for him each day. I have to be careful in my planning because food is always SUCH an easy give but Calvin reserves sweets for the weekends only and sweets are the easiest thing to find in February! This is why I've had to get creative with paper goods and pillows... Anyway, later today I'll venture to Dunkin Donuts. This month, they're making heart-shaped sprinkle donuts (one of Calvin's all-time FAVORITE sweets) that I will bring home, tuck in a Ziploc, and present to him on Sunday morning while we're in Lubbock. If you'll remember, tomorrow's goodie is the M&M cookie and since we're also out of town next weekend, my little list has required quite a bit of planning.

Other things on the list: a framed wedding photo for his office (something we just discussed a few nights ago), a Valentine card, the boxer shorts, SweetTarts, a heart-shaped lunch (I got heart cookie-cutters for $1.47 at WalMart to cut the shape out and imprint smaller hearts in the bread of his sandwich one day next week), mini cheesecakes (a recipe I got from Nabisco Nilla Wafter FB page), ending our two weeks on Feb 14 at Across the Pond (formerly The Original Joe's on 26) for dinner. Across the Pond is where we had our rehearsal dinner.

The full dare I've given myself is to love this man deeply. I don't ever - EVER - want a day to go by where he doubts or questions the way I feel about him and our marriage. Sure, this 14 day deal is short-term and early in our marriage, but he'll remember it. And I know I'm setting the bar high for myself by doing this, but I won't treat our marriage like something I'll have all the time in the world for - God has plans for us on this earth and I can't plan on the next 50 years. God might bless us with that but if something were to happen tomorrow, I'll know I loved him as best I could today.

Happy Valentine's Month :)