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attached to people, not things

I might have to start crediting my friend Michele for my whole life. (Kidding Mom and all my other amazing peeps, just trying to be funny here!) Michele is constantly sending news clips, tips, articles, blog posts, links- you name it, attached with “worth the read” or “read this!” notes. They are always on point with where my head is and what I’m interested in. Did I mention she introduces me to fabulous people too, and throws a damn good party? This woman is giving me a run for my money.

(I have to side note here that I’m just pinching myself at this point in life. I’m 38 and I’m surrounded by SO MANY incredible gal pals, near and far, who are just ridiculously badass and so good to me I can’t even believe it. I never thought girls could be this easy, fun, and no bs. My tribe rules! I LOVE YOU, LADIES!)

Anyway, this just popped in from Michele. She knows me well. A couple of my favorite lines:

~ “The best way to remember is to “DO.”

~ “Figure out the 10-15 things you want in your bag before you die tomorrow.”

~ “This is the problem with self-help books. They seem to be written by someone on a pedestal giving advice without having any blemishes.”

…but the best in this above article is his last question and answer.

Thanks for the read Michele! And all of them, always. And! To all I’m so lucky enough to have in my ultimate girl tribe, like 80 year-old Grazia:

Grazia Walker & Diane Peacock

…yes EIGHTY with that hot pink hair and fashion sense! – thank you for continuing to help me feel young and energized, so I can keep kicking all those doors to laughter and joy wiiiiiiiiiide open.

#NeverWaitForPermission #Freedom #FindYourTribe

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gettin’ hitched

I went to a lot of weddings this year. My sister recently teased me, “Mom and I think you’ve been to more weddings than anyone else we know!”

Probably true. I love weddings. I love, love. I am a love geek.

So yes, I love weddings, and I’m a huge, huge schmoopy (thanks, Goette!) love geek, but I’ve never wanted my own big wedding. Read this piece from today’s Charlotte Agenda about getting married at the courthouse. Yeah! Perfection. Katie & Nick are my kind of peeps with their simple but sweet wedding plan and execution.

In 2015 as invites to weddings kept coming into my mailbox, I was thrilled for 2016 travel; Napa, Tahoe, Aspen, Charlotte…hello awesome celebration spots! Lucky me to have amazing friends living in fabulous places. I had a blast. If you catch me on a good day I might share details about the 6 hours straight I spent on the dance floor after Aspen nuptials wearing my animal print stilettos every second thankyouverymuch. (Thanks, Ronnie!) Lets just say I’m still giggling from that one. Misbehaving is sometimes fun, much deserved, and completely necessary.

Some people like big parties, some like small. I like a dance party. However you like to plan and do your party, do it. I will be there every time. Celebrating love and knowing there is plenty out there is all that matters:

Surprises

You might see me at a courthouse soon, at a fountain in Madrid, or just on another dance floor. Life certainly does take turns we don’t expect.

Here’s to love in every shape/color/size/place. Cheers my friends!

Blue martini

(Of course It’s a blue martini!)

#OnlyTheBeginning #LessStuffMoreLoveHappyLife #Celebration

*Have you scrolled to the bottom of my web page and signed up to get these blog posts in your email inbox yet? Please do! Feel the love:)

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tiny me up, scotty!

Thanks to Charlotte Agenda for this little (get it, little?!:) nugget of info. today about tiny houses for rent around my neck of the woods.

When I lived in Wilmington in 2009, I rented a brand spanking newly finished tiny house, (before anyone called them tiny houses) in the back yard of a sweet young couple who had a brick ranch and a cute 2 year old son. My tiny house was actually a converted shed and I only paid $525/month. The hubby, Zack had done all the work himself, complete with chalkboard wall in kitchen, pullout drawer dishwasher, modern rectangular bathroom sink, loft bed, high ceilings, and skylight. It was AWESOME.

I sure wish I still had that place!

This is where minimalists like me have an occasional DOH! moment:

I just looked for a few photos I took of my fab mini space to share with you here, and sure enough found that I have deleted them in one of my 7 million photo purging fiestas over the years. You will just have to envision the scene of my bike parked right outside white-trimmed french doors on the patio leading into my beach happy home that was light blue. I did find this summer of 2009 ocean shot of my feet during that time:

Beach Feet 2009

Ahhh…

What can you do to simplify your space so you’re able to live more?

#LessStuffMoreFreedomHappyLife #Simplicity #GetTinyLiveBig

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don’t forget your pads

I’ve followed Mark Manson for a while now. Today’s post cracks me up. Read it here.

Basically what he is saying (what we all know but try to deny), is that life’s just one big shit show. This is not a bad thing, it simply means the circus, the roller coaster, that whirling dervish is there and always will be- even when we try to make sense of things. Every single one of us humans is messed up. If you are over the age of 5 and reading this, you’ve been through something (if not a lot), and likely have more baggage than a holiday weekend at JFK.

Thanks for joining the club with me and all of our other homies!

What we do, what we practice, every single day to protect and/or heal our beautifully battered and bruised smiling selves is what makes all the difference in the world.

I say wake up in the morning, (picture you’re a kid here playing imaginary dress up) strap on your football pads and helmet, and run out in the world ready to get it, see it, be it, do it. Remember where you came from, knock some stuff around, get a little knocked around, be a little sore after the clock runs out at the end of the day, but know you have tried your best to make some kind of sense, and some kind of fun out of all the madness in this crazy awesome life.

Yep.

How’s that for a shot (of tequila?) in your arm for Cinco De Mayo?

Cheers!

#DontStopGetItGetIt ##Effort #WhenInDoubtNikeItOut

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don’t lose your mojo!

12 months is a little much- I mean, I think you can work faster than that (although if you can’t, you should call me and I will work faster for you), but this article is a decent one to check out if you’re stepping in lightly to get yourself all organized up this year.

This is one short life my friends! Let’s all get rid of what we don’t need (ahem- this includes living breathing things as well as not so living things if you catch my drift:), and only keep the good stuff, the best stuff, and the stuff we love around.

Today is the day. What are you waiting for?

#LessStuffMoreFreedomHappyLife #LiveSimpleDoMore #AlwaysKeepYourMojo

 

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shutting up and being grateful

I ran across this today. A good read. I’d like to hang out with the author, Mark.

On my soap box, especially lately, I’ve preached the word practice a lot, and still don’t understand why yoga seems to have stolen that word from everything else in the world. Why don’t we think about practicing every aspect of our lives, not just yoga, or sports in general? Shouldn’t we be practicing everyday, to be a good sister, daughter, friend, employee, neighbor, or just a good, fun, productive & generous human who’s nice and friendly just to be nice and friendly?

I just walked into Starbucks to hunker down for an afternoon of work and was greeted extra cheerily by a very overweight, nerdy, scruffy, awkward-looking barista guy. This particular Starbucks is in the center of the city and never fail, is always 110% filled with the most strapping looking fit businessmen you could imagine. (Occasionally these groups of men are sprinkled with an equally gorgeous high-heeled business woman or two.) It looks like the J.Crew or Abercrombie & Fitch catalogs exploded in here and the people on the pages came alive. So here’s this barista guy with the biggest smile in a scene of go go go perfectly coiffed, seriously focused executives, who aren’t smiling- throwing in his cheery personality, clearly practicing to genuinely enjoy his work and not be intimidated by this otherwise potentially intimidating scene.

As it becomes my turn to order:

Him: “Hey hey hey! How are you today?!” (in the cutest, upbeat tone)

Me: “Im great- thank you, that was the nicest greeting! Thank you!”

Him: “Why, you’re welcome- what can I get for ya?”

I order, he asks for my name, I tell him Diane, he thinks I says Diana and I roll with it.

Him: “That’s Wonder Woman’s Name! Spin around!”

To his surprise, I spin around.

We both laugh.

Me: “If only I could spin around like that and fix all the problems in the world!”

We laugh again, and agree “yeah…”

I thank him, turn to walk away, and he exclaims- “Have a great day, Wonder Woman!”

So totally adorable.

By a landslide, this very overweight, nerdy, scruffy, awkward barista guy is the most attractive, impressive, magnetic man, in this otherwise model-looking crowd I’m among right now.

In the article above, the author writes “I’m the last one to pretend everything is unicorns and rainbows.” I’m with him on that. It’s often hard to see the forest through the trees, and even harder to be grateful during sad times. It’s not easy to shut up (at least it hasn’t been in the past for me), It’s not easy to keep thinking your minutes will add up to something when you’ve felt like you’re getting nowhere fast. It’s not easy to say goodbye, It’s not easy to feel alone/lost/stuck – most things are not easy, but we all must push and motivate to practice each day, being grateful for the tiny beautiful things.

Let’s practice together!

Right at this moment I’m grateful for the luncheon I just went to with delicious food, the new people I met and connected with. I’m grateful for the notes, check-ins, and congratulations during the past few days from friends & family about a big event I had yesterday. I’m grateful to be able to work from anywhere and do what I love. I’m grateful for the huge challenges I’ve faced during the past 6 months and the lessons I’ve learned. I’m grateful for the few late hours I spent with a good friend last night scrubbing, vacuuming, and sweeping out the last bits of her apartment for a move, as we both exhaustedly and filthily stuffed our faces with a pizza-on-paper-towel party, and laughed about the chaos. I’m grateful that I could still laugh at myself, and this crazy life, as I sweat my butt off in my little car, looking like The Clampetts yesterday while talking to my little brother and almost getting pulled over by the police:

Moving…again

I’m even grateful for the wrinkles around my eyes in this photo. They mean I have smiled a lot:) Mostly today, which kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month- I’m incredibly grateful to have called Kaitlin McLellan not only a tried and true friend, but a very best one, and for many, many years.

Lucky, lucky me. So, so, very grateful.

Enjoy it now, and be grateful my readers- this life, this amazing, nutty life…is far to short not to.

Thank you, Mr. Barista, for making me spin around and bringing extra sunshine to me on a day I’ve been missing my dear friend. I won’t forget it.

#AlwaysLearning #AlwaysAdventuring #AlwaysGrateful

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get unstuck

Feeling like you have a 96,000 pound boulder super glued to your chest, stinks. Having too much “stuff” is debilitating, whether that”stuff” is physical, financial, or internal. How do you tame the beasts of “stuff” that are in the way of your happiness?

Here are 9 great options to try. I’m a big fan of actually clearing out/downsizing/cleaning out your living and working spaces as well so you’re able to function at full capacity. Those are big ones. Clutter of any kind creates major unnecessary suffocation and stress, and keeps your freedom at bey.

Feeling trapped is a total bummer. Freedom is sweet. Oh sweet, sweet, freedom:

Find Freedom

*(I took this photo at a 4th of July parade. What a cute kid. What a great outfit.

Clear out some mental, financial, and physical real estate, and remember- you are in control of this life. You can do it!

#FindYourFreedom #GetUnstuck #TodayIsTheDay

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go solo

Love articles like this and couldn’t agree more. Want to find your inner badass? Just go. Go alone, and don’t wait for anyone. You’ll surprise yourself.

BLR Honda Sponsored trip

Here’s an article I contributed to a few years ago. I wrote about jumping out of your cozy comfort zones, too:) Even Vanilla Ice said I’m on a roll and It’s time to go solo.

Where do you go alone?

#LifeOfATraveler #SoloTravel #LifeOnTheBlueLollipopRoad

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i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again; ILOVERMONT!

These cutesy articles about various states and kinds of people that live in them always crack me up. This one about my home state of Vermont, is pretty spot on. Numbers 4, 6 ,9, 11, and 14 describe me best/are my favorites. Boy do I miss those grinders from the Bennington Pizza House with that crispy, cold shredded iceberg lettuce that I would never otherwise eat.

Oh my beautiful little Green Mountain State and all the things that come with it! (Except the cold and snow- note my carefully planned visits always revolve around warm weather months.)

VT Border

Organic Rocks

IMG_8146

Green Mountain Farm

IMG_5708

What do you love about your home state?

#ILOVERMONT #GreenMountains #FreshAirKid

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