Gardening in High Heels

cultivate a beautiful life

Five goals for May

Ah, a fresh new day and a fresh new month.  So many possibilities.  So many goals just waiting to be made…and completely forgotten halfway through the month til eventually you decide…better just wait until another fresh start new month comes along.

Just me?

Anyway, today is the first day of Blogger, May I with Katy and Meghan.  In case you missed it yesterday, we’re blogging every day this month and we hope you’ll join with us.  And not get sick of hearing from us every.damn.day.

Today is Introduce Yourself.  Since last week, I pretty much just wrote about myself all week and I don’t want to subject you to that too much, I’m going to introduce you to myself through my five goals this month.

(And in case you’re wondering – I’m Angelica, I write, manage social media marketing, love craft beer, can’t live without chocolate, bake when I’m upset, am an accidental gardener, and can quote the entire SATC series.  Many accomplishments, for sure.)

Five goals for May #BloggerMayI

Write a blog post every day

Didn’t see this coming, did ya?  I’ve done this before a long time ago and they weren’t the best quality things around.  I hope I can hit quality and quantity this time around.  I’m so thrilled Katy asked me to join in the fun and help her lead the charge.  And I can’t wait to dig in and really get going with this challenge.

Complete the Pittsburgh Half Marathon

I may be am cheating here.  I know I’m going to complete the marathon.  But people write things on their to-do lists that are already to-done just so they can cross something off, so I can do that here, right?

(Take a look at a few things I’ve written recently with some running tips!)

Get my garden in

I knew I wouldn’t really start to work in the yard until after the marathon, but I can’t put it off any longer.  There probably won’t be many more frosts in Pittsburgh; I’m thinking mid-May will be the good time to get everything in the ground.

I’ll definitely be planting the staples – tomatoes, peppers, green beans, zucchini, peas, eggplant, herbs – but I also want to add some marigolds in to keep critters out.  I never have, but I’m interested in seeing if it’ll do anything to alleviate the groundhog/bunny problem.

Put my office together

I have things thrown in my office because I quite literally have no where to put them.  I don’t have any office furniture in that room, so the supplies I’ve moved into my house are just sitting there.  It’s driving me nuts!  I have to get it off the floor and put away somewhere and have a functional space for my computer, sewing machine, scrapbook supplies, Post-Its, etc.

Stay on top of emails, invoicing, scheduling social updates

Pretty much just the little flotsam and jetsam that accumulates in life.  When things get busy, the first things to go to the wayside are posting on Twitter, replying to emails, cutting coupons.  Doing dishes.  At least I don’t have a problem remembering to grocery shop and eat!

Introduce yourself and link up!  What are your goals for the month?

Half marathon prep

As I mentioned last week, I’m running in my fifth half marathon on May 3rd.  It’s definitely an intimidating undertaking, especially if you have no idea what you’re doing.  The first half marathon I ran was in Williamsport, PA, and it was a benefit for ovarian cancer.  I prepared as best as I knew how, aka: I ran a lot.

And then race day came.  Now, I don’t know if many of you have visited Williamsport or any area in PA, but it’s all basically just one big hill.  I was feeling great going down, but the back half was all up.  And it sucked.  I walked most of the back end because I couldn’t run up a hill for 6 miles straight.

The first time I did the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, I took my aunt’s bib because she hurt herself in training.  It was in February and the race was in May.  I again did the best I could, but it was still hard because I didn’t know what I was stepping in to and vastly different than in Williamsport.  It almost felt like my first half marathon again.

Five things I wish I knew before I ran in my first half marathon. #gameonPGH #running

So, in my best effort to impart the wisdom I wish I had known, I give you five things I wish I would have known before I ran my first half marathon.

1. Your toe nails will probably abandon you.

I wasn’t ready for this one.  I got blisters under my nails and it damaged the nail bed.  And there went a few toe nails.  Yep, it’s gross, but at least it doesn’t hurt.

The best advice I have for you is to find shoes that don’t rub and are held securely to your foot.  I like this post to help identify different ties for your shoes based on your shoe woe.  Socks also make a big difference.  I like good ol’ Hanes socks.

2. Take the solar blanket.

I didn’t do this after my first run in Pittsburgh because I didn’t have this option in Williamsport so I didn’t know how necessary it was.  It felt like I was almost in shock after the run.  This really helped the next time to gently regulate my temperature.

3. You will probably shit yourself.

It ain’t fun to talk about, but let’s get real here.  I don’t know why or how to prevent this (although I did take some Immodium before the run last year, which made a difference).

I didn’t even know this happened until my mom asked me in hushed tones, “So…did you…crap your pants?”

I didn’t, but I realllllllly had to go soon after stopping.  So just be prepared for that.

4. Eat the gummy worms.

Another point from the Pittsburgh half that I didn’t know the first time.  Around mile 8, they hand out gummy worms.  Take the gummy worms (or power bars or gel or whatever).  It really helps to give you a boost.

5. Have someone waiting for you at the finish.

It’s nice to have people cheering along the course, but it’s really nice to have someone you know waiting for you.  Or running right beside you like Jonathan and I did last year.

Either way, it really helps motivate you when you have someone waiting for you at the end to congratulate you and be amazed that you ran that far.

Bonus!

Bring another change of clothes.  I needed to get out of the cold, sweaty clothes I was in.  Bring a change of pants, shirt, and socks.  It feels so great to get out of your running shoes, trust me.

A woman I worked with told me this one: drink water the first half, then switch to Gatorade.  Your body really doesn’t need a boost of electrolytes after 3 miles, but it sure could use some water.

Another woman I worked with shared this with me: hills are easy for short people to climb.  Our little legs don’t have to lift up as high to clear the road as you tall people.  It makes me feel good going uphill, even if it’s a placebo effect.

Have you run a marathon (or a half or even a 5k)?  What are you best tips?

Easy lamp DIY makeover in five steps

In case you haven’t heard, I’ve been doing a lot of cleaning.  Most of that means taking things that are no longer working and getting rid of them.  But I have a bad disease of saying, “I can make something with this!” and hanging on to things for ages.

For example: I thought I was going to do some awesome project with empty beer and wine bottles.  So I started to save them.  Now it’s a habit and I’m like, “Woo, I have a six pack….of empty bottles…”  Maybe I can sell them on Etsy to people with more follow-through.

Anyway, when I saw these lamps, I saw DIY project written all over them.  For $10, I have all new lamps.  How did I do it?  Simple: spray paint.  Next to Mod Podge, it’s my favorite craft supply.

Super simple lamp makeover using spray paint. New lamps in under an hour for about $10!

Let me tell you how I took these lamps from beat up and dated to shiny and new.

Step 1: Decide you can make something out of this.

Spray paint is my friend.  I love spray paint.  I took a can of spray paint to old, beat down chairs and they now look decent enough to be used in my dining room.  But that’s beside the point.

Super simple lamp makeover using spray paint. New lamps in under an hour for about $10! Spray paint updates anything and it's virtually mistake-proof!

These lamps were in my Grammy’s apartment (I believe) and somehow ended up in my father’s basement.  They were used for a while and eventually replaced.  They still worked, so we didn’t get rid of them.

And they still work years later!  I’d love to redo the wiring, but that’s another DIY for another day.

Step 2: Decide what you want them to look like.

I was going for a mercury glass effect thanks to the brilliant mind of Jonathan.  I went to my second favorite craft place (JoAnn Fabrics) and found silver spray paint and spray paint that makes a webbing effect.

Dude, it comes out just like Spiderman.  I felt so cool.

Spray paint is the best thing when DIY-ing. I love Rustoleum because it covers everything and lasts for ages (or until you spray paint again)!

Spray paint is the best thing when DIYing. I love Rustoleum because it covers everything and lasts for ages (or until you spray paint again)!

Step 3: Take it to the paint!

Be sure to tape off all parts that shouldn’t get painted (wires, the top bulb receiver thingy).  I don’t care how careful you think you’ll be, you will get paint all over.  I’m a pretty good DIY-er, but my best talent is making a mess.

 

I did two coats of silver and a coat of the black webbing.  I’m slightly disappointed the black didn’t show up better with the webbing paint, but the ridges make it difficult to see.

I almost stopped at painting them just plain silver.  It looks so sleek, but it also kind of looks like a soup can.  I have a hodge-podge of furniture right now, but collection-center chic isn’t what I’m going for.  So I added the webbing paint on top to try to give it some texture, dimension, and those little crackles in the mercury glass.

Super simple lamp makeover using spray paint. New lamps in under an hour for about $10! Spray paint updates anything and it's virtually mistake-proof!

Super simple lamp makeover using spray paint. New lamps in under an hour for about $10! Spray paint updates anything and it's virtually mistake-proof!Step 4: Have painters’ remorse.

I checked Instagram and got a comment from a friend saying that she’d buy these from me if the wooden part was painted gold and the base stayed the same.  And I got painters’ remorse.  That would have looked awesome.  I was seriously upset I didn’t do that.

But then I remembered the white ceramic part is old and pretty beat up.  Instagram just made them look pretty and white.

Plus, I can always paint over them again if I want to.

Step 5: Find somewhere to put them and revel in your DIY powers.

These guys hung out in my garage for a week because I wasn’t sure if I was going to add another layer of webbing, either black or gold.  I still could.  But once you decide, Okay, that’s enough paint, now you need to figure out where to put them.

Super simple lamp makeover using spray paint. New lamps in under an hour for about $10!

The lamp shades that were also found in the basement are a little tooooo tall, but hey, they’re free.  And the lamp base itself is pretty big, so I guess it balances out.

These are going to hang out in my bedroom and my living room until I have my office in order because I originally had the intention of using them as lighting in my office.

Super simple lamp makeover using spray paint. New lamps in under an hour for about $10! Spray paint updates anything and it's virtually mistake-proof!

There you have it.  Five steps to a DIY lamp (or anything) makeover.  I cannot tell you how much I love taking something old that someone would say isn’t worth keeping and turning it into something shiny and new and pretty again.

Have you done any projects recently?  What did you DIY?

Hausfrau book review and giveaway

There are so many questions I have after reading Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum.  I’ll try not to give any spoilers here, but I seriously read the last sentence and was like, “Is that all?!?  What happens next?!”

I’m not going to lie, it took me a while to get into the action of the novel.  I didn’t dislike Anna, but I didn’t like her either; that made for some pretty bland action at first.  Basically, Anna is this exhausted, complacent, lonely hausfrau (who never confirms that she is lonely/bored/etc) and enters affairs…because she can pretty much.  Again, we never know why.  I love that we don’t.  Some things in life aren’t explained and just happen.

The more I read this, though, the more intrigued I became.  How is Anna going to disengage herself from these lives of lies?  What will her husband do?  How will she get found out?  Will she get found out or will she extract herself no harm, no foul?

It was sort of like reading about a train wreck.

Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum is beautifully written and has crazy amounts of intrigue. Review and giveaway!

There were more than five things that stood out to me as I was reading this that really made me wonder.  (I tried not to do this, but there is a spoiler and it’s noted as such.)

The Bruno Scale

When Bruno is around more, Anna acts out less.  The more attention she gets from him, the less she needs it from other people.  That’s a pretty basic observation, but I do think it’s worth mentioning.  His presence in the present can’t undo the past, so there must be some retribution for Anna’s actions (and oh is there ever).

But he’s trying!  You see him trying!

I actually like his character.  He appears to be the only one who is active.  It’s true, Anna is doing the cheating, and she’s probably doing it because he’s passive towards her, but when we see him interact with other characters, he’s always active whereas Anna closes herself off.

Mary

Oh lordy, I do not like Mary.  Everything would have been fine if she just kept her mouth shut.  Trust me, I’m not rooting for Anna here, but I’m definitely rooting for Mary to mind her own damn business.

She’s the catalyst for both good and bad.  She brings Bruno back to Anna, but she also really, really breaks Bruno and Anna apart.

There is a lot to say about her character, which is interesting because she only appears for part of the book.  She sets a lot of things into motion.  She’s almost like Anna’s affairs themselves: provides something to feel good about for the moment but ultimately is a downfall for Anna.

Maybe I’m reading this at a basic level, and every book needs a villain, and I’m just inserting Mary into that slot where it wasn’t the intention.  Help me out here, anyone else see that in her character?  Perhaps foil is a more appropriate term.

Anna’s birthday

Here’s another thing that Mary screwed up!  [Spoiler alert] She planned a birthday party for Anna when Anna expressly said not to do anything.  Mary and Tim / Anna and Bruno had a fantastic day together with their kids.  You see a hint of humanity in Bruno and a switch slowly turning for Anna.  I almost thought this was the pivotal moment moment for them.

And then Mary doing Mary got in they way.  Lady, if someone says “I don’t want a party,” you don’t force them to have a party, especially when they’re as standoffish as Anna.  And have so many different lives.

What happens when Bruno finds out?

This is kind of a big question that drove me to keep reading.  So, Anna is cheating, this we know.  What we don’t know is what will happen when Bruno finds out.  I can tell you – it’s good.  And all Mary’s fault!  Well, okay, Mary didn’t force Anna to cheat.  But she started it!

I wrote this one down as I was reading and it seriously bugged me.  Like I mentioned, this question drove me to keep reading.  If Bruno is one of the most active characters, what action will he take when he finds out he’s been cuckolded?  We never see him get scary-angry, but his power and authority is definitely conveyed.

Fire…what?

What does the fire symbolize?  Playing with fire, I guess, but where does it come from?  It happens when Anna meets Stephen and carries throughout, but it only appears at certain times.  I guess it’s play with fire, but maybe it’s also destruction and may be renewal (like a phoenix).  Pay attention when you’re reading this for the fire references and tell me what you think they mean/where they come from.

I’m almost leaning towards destruction, but 90% off the book is destruction and there aren’t that many references to fire.  Perhaps it is referring to Stephen and his particular involvement in the novel.

Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum is beautifully written and has crazy amounts of intrigue.

[line]

So, have I piqued your interest in Hausfrau?  Good!  The book is already out (released on a lucky day, March 17th) and one of my readers can win a copy of the book thanks to Penguin Random House and 20SB!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What have you been reading lately?

[disclaim]I was provided a copy of Hausfrau to read and review and another to give away bu Penguin Random House and 20SB.  These are my honest opinions about the book.[/disclaim]

Five things you don’t know about me from reading my blog

There are things I don’t share with the internet – actually, there are a lot of things I don’t share with the internet.  Sure, I’ve talked about recent struggles, terrible jobs, and lots of makeup.  So it may come to a total and complete shock to you when I say that for the most part, I try not to divulge suuuuper personal things online.

I don’t want to be superficial, and I am real with you guys, but I have family members reading and I know current/future employers will be checking in on me (my profession is digital marketing, I know how our minds work).Five things you don't know about me from reading by blog (thing one: I hate selfies).

 

But today we’re breaking that down.  Are you ready for some stories you’ve never heard about me? Thing one: I hate the term “selfie” and how I can no longer document cute outfit days for fear of being a “girl who takes selfies.”

I broke a backboard

I always tend to lead off with this one, but it really should be a closer.  I was in the indoor color guard when I was in middle and high school.  This was during the marching band off season, so we practiced (as indicated by the name) inside.  In a gym.  Where someone didn’t raise the hoops before we started.

I was attempting a saber toss and instead of coming down neatly into my hands, it arced, hit the plexiglass, and shattered it.  I should remove the “wanna-be” because I am a badass just from that.

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was little

Maybe you did know this one.  I’ve wanted to be a writer for ages.  If I could sit in a little coffee shop and write all day, I would.  I sound like a loner, don’t I?  I promise, I like people…sometimes.

I took a journaling class at a community college with my mom when I was younger.  The instructor was skeptical about having me in the class, but my mom insisted.  It’s a good thing she did.

There is seriously nothing better than creating something beautiful with my words.  If I could write something that moves people to comment and share their thoughts on it, that’s fantastic.  If I can make a difference for businesses with my words, that’s powerful stuff.  Words are organic and spontaneous – they can hurt or help on a very deep level that something physical simply cannot do.  I love words.

I was an intern for Yelp in Pittsburgh

If you followed SyntaxxErrorrr on Twitter, you probably knew this one, too.  Man, I need to revisit what “unknown” means.

It was a fantastic opportunity and it pained me to leave when I found a full time job.  I worked with an amazing woman, met amazing people, and got to promote amazing small businesses in Pittsburgh (three things that are like professional crack to me).

What I really liked about Yelp is that I got to work from these great local businesses that I was helping to bring awareness to.  It was so relaxed which allowed me to do some of my best creative work.

It also was the first time that I really experienced event marketing and it was a blast!  I got to collaborate with these great Pittsburgh businesses, pitch ideas, and see them come to life. That my friends, was so cool!

I used to go to Gettysburg every summer

My mom would drag me there for years when I was in school.  I say drag because now history is kind of cool and it’s been a while so I wouldn’t mind to see what has changed, but it used to get a little repetitive when it was every summer.

We even went for the 147th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.  We couldn’t make it

My argument of “It’s been here for 150 years, it’ll be here for 150 more, can I be excused this summer please?” didn’t really hold water.

I graduated from college in 3.5 years

And I earned two degrees.  I graduated in less time with twice the degrees than most people.  When I was a junior and picking my classes, I realized that I could bump my English minor up to a second major and still be done early.  At that time I was already on track to graduate in 3.5 years.

Even though I’m proud of my accomplishments, it did mean sacrificing some social time.  I did make sure I had plenty of time to relax, but I didn’t go out and spend lots of my time at bars and parties.  And I went to one of the biggest party schools in America.  Part of my feels like I missed out, but another part of me is okay with how I spent my time (and parent’s money).

Bonus round:

I’m pretty dorky – I have a favorite punctuation mark and a second favorite punctuation mark.  Depending on the day, it’s either a semi-colon or an ampersand (they switch back and forth).  I’m also a total goofball if the moment is right, especially around Jonathan.  If you don’t believe me, come see me after I’ve had a beer.

So..what don’t I know about you?

Let’s Play

           

People Really Dug These

We Belong in the Garden Together