My fitness story

I said I wanted to write more about my life (outside of design). I just hope its worth reading!!

Where to start....I have struggled with my body image ever since I can remember. I was never overweight based on the BMI chart but because I am so short petite it showed whenever I gained even a pound or two. I used to play tennis in high school which kept me active and I attempted to work out in college when I bought the gym "classes" pass but that tapered off after I moved off campus. At the time I thought I was "fat" and now I look back at those pictures and wish I looked like that again. I guess its all about perspective.

I know I gained the "freshman 15" and never really tried very hard to take it back off. It seemed as though I gained weight every year through college. VT actually has a very active, fit campus but I was so tempted by all of the amazing food and with all of the late nights I wasn't really doing my body good. It was a downhill spiral until finally I looked in the mirror and decided I DID NOT like what I was seeing. All of a sudden I was very uncomfortable in my clothes and especially a swim suit. I'm sure there were times when the number on the scale dropped but as a whole I had to buy larger clothes every few seasons.

After graduating, getting married, moving to Richmond and getting settled in, my friend Laura invited myself and some of my church friends to take a Zumba class that was super cheap on Groupon. I was so excited because it was my favorite class at VT and everywhere I has looked at in Richmond was so expensive. So what did I have to lose? Well, Laura and I consistently went and when the Groupon ran out we had a big decision to make. The price was going to go wayyy up so we decided to look elsewhere. It turned out we found another deal for an unlimited gym membership. We gave that a shot and I immediately knew that was it. Once that 3-month offer ran out we both chose to become members!

Meanwhile, I found out about the Tone it Up Bikini Series challenge through social media. I invited some friends to do it with me and Gabby and Veronica stepped up to the plate. This challenge was very daunting because not only were we supposed to workout twice a day but we had to record all of our meals. So each night we would email each other with our workouts and food. BUT THIS WORKED because I didn't want to tell them that I drank a coke and ate a brownie and sat on the couch watching tv! NO! I wanted to be proud of what I did. And we were able to share advice and stories. We were also encouraged to take before pictures (which I have) and measurements. And I was amazed when I started losing inches and pounds. However, this was just too much to keep up with and we were unable to consistently continue after the challenge ended.


The following winter was hard because I felt like I lost a lot of my progress. My pants were fitting tighter and I just felt bad. I felt bloated and tired and had no confidence. I was just hiding under all my layers.

This year I decided to give the Bikini Series another try and really commit myself to sticking with it. I took the plunge and bought the nutrition plan. This time I lost 8lbs and numerous inches and have kept it off. Now eating healthy and working out is part of my weekly routine. I've gone 5 months without coke. Of course I still indulge and maybe more than I should but I know that my motivating friends will keep me in check.

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Plus Karena and Katrina are fabulous trainers and I love the tone it up community. Its like one big girl party :) The workout videos are fun and there are a lot to choose from so that keeps it interesting. They are always posting new content and it's FREE! But how do I stay motivated when I get in a slump?

(livelifehappy.com)

-encouragement (from my husband, family, friends and co-workers.)

-accountability (I have a fitness instagram account. I post my check-ins there and connect with other tone it up girls to help keep them accountable)

-the gear (I got those awesome teal Asics and Tone it Up yoga mat *pictured at top* last Christmas so of course I want to put those to good use)

So here are my favorite workouts
-Cardio: Zumba!!! ALWAYS (and my new favorites are Pound and Hitty Bitty Bikini)
-Arms: Bikini Arms Routine by TIU
-Abs: The Best Ab Routine by TIU
-Booty and Thighs: Malibooty workout by TIU
-Stretching/Flexibility :Yoga

and my next journey??? The Fit for Fall Challenge!!! Who wants to do it with me??

(toneitup.com)

Blogtember- Catching Up!!

I am behind on the Blogtember topics so I am going to try and catch up in the next few days. Some posts I will lump together. Ready, set, go:

Monday, September 9: Take this short personality test and respond to your results. (at the end, find the detailed profile of your personality account - click "click to view" under "You" and "self awareness and personal growth." You can even google your type and find more info on it!)

Famous People that are ENFJ's:

-Abraham Lincoln
-Diane Sawyer
-Oprah Winfrey
-Ronald Reagan

-Martin Luther King Jr.

I know there is a lot to read below but I thought it was interesting to find out more about myself. Some things I definitely agree with and some I am not sure fit me, but just read what you feel like.

"ENFJs often find themselves in occupations that require good interpersonal skills to establish productive collaboration as well as to establish or maintain effective work process. ENFJs one of the most “universal” personality types and they build successful careers in a broad range of organizations and occupations. There are many ENFJs found among mid- and high-rank management roles. Sales, various social services, counseling, teaching, healthcare, community care as well as legal and paralegal services are just some of the examples of favourable occupations for ENFJs."- source

"Popular hobbies for the ENFJ include organizing social events, reading, the arts, museums, storytelling, listening to music, writing, and gourmet cooking." - source

All of this information came directly from http://www.personalitypage.com/ENFJ.html

"ENFJ's tend to be more reserved about exposing themselves than other extraverted types. Although they may have strongly-felt beliefs, they're likely to refrain from expressing them if doing so would interfere with bringing out the best in others. Because their strongest interest lies in being a catalyst of change in other people, they're likely to interact with others on their own level, in a chameleon-like manner, rather than as individuals."

"Which is not to say that the ENFJ does not have opinions. ENFJs have definite values and opinions which they're able to express clearly and succinctly. These beliefs will be expressed as long as they're not too personal. ENFJ is in many ways expressive and open, but is more focused on being responsive and supportive of others. When faced with a conflict between a strongly-held value and serving another person's need, they are highly likely to value the other person's needs."

"People love ENFJs. They are fun to be with, and truly understand and love people. They are typically very straight-forward and honest. Usually ENFJs exude a lot of self-confidence, and have a great amount of ability to do many different things. They are generally bright, full of potential, energetic and fast-paced. They are usually good at anything which captures their interest."

"ENFJs like for things to be well-organized, and will work hard at maintaining structure and resolving ambiguity. They have a tendency to be fussy, especially with their home environments."

"In general, ENFJs are charming, warm, gracious, creative and diverse individuals with richly developed insights into what makes other people tick. This special ability to see growth potential in others combined with a genuine drive to help people makes the ENFJ a truly valued individual. As giving and caring as the ENFJ is, they need to remember to value their own needs as well as the needs of others."

What is your personality type? Do you share the same one as me?

My Blog Turns 1

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG!!

I should make a teal cake to celebrate, right??

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Today my blog is officially one year old!!! I have been slacking lately in this department but I have been so overwhelmed and excited about having Artie. I have a lot more good things in store for you if I can stop long enough to write them.

In honor of Designer in Teal turning one, I am going to share my top 5 reasons why I LOVE blogging!

1) The friendships- I have "met" so many amazing women through blogging and some I've even gotten to meet in real life! I even consider one of them one of my best friends. Veronica and I are planning our vacation together for next year. I can't wait to finally meet this amazing girl!

2) The creativity- Blogging makes me push my limits to find new design inspiration. Every time I create a design board, I want a fresh and exciting design that is unique so you will want to keep coming back. And I love when I have a "client" as it gives me some practice for work. Not only that, but learning how to design my own blog has taught me more about graphic design.

3) The motivation- Because I want to have awesome things to share with you, blogging makes me want to go out and DIY something or try a new recipe instead of sitting on my couch all day. (oh and take more pictures...even though I still fail at that one)

4) The journaling- This space allows me to look back to any date and see how my life has changed. It also allows my family and friends to keep up with me.

5) The love- It seriously makes my day every time I get a comment from one of you. I read EVERY single one and it overwhelms me how sweet you are and how much you care so thank you!


I hope that you have decided to stick around my little piece of the internet even though I have been absent. I appreciate each one of you sooo much. Get ready because I will be catching up soon :)

If you are new around here, check out my about me page and my most popular posts!

• Teal Chevron Curtains
• My Country Chic Wedding
• Mood Board Home Office
• Living Room Reveal
• Sara's Mood Board

I also have some bloggers to thank for helping me get to where I am now...love you ladies
{Sara, Kalyn, Veronica, Beth, Marquis, Kaitlyn, Lauren, Jackie, Darby, Logan, Tanika}

Meet Artie!

If you have wondering why I have been absent, its because we got a dog...finally!! Gilligan fell through and we were really upset but now I know its because we were meant to have Artie!! We adopted him last Wednesday and we couldn't be more excited!!

We believe he is a dachshund and beagle mix. They weren't sure of his exact age but they estimated him to be about a year old. So, we will celebrate his birthday on the day we got him: July 10th!

Enough talk...I'm sure you just want to see pictures, right? Most of them are from my phone...sorry!

Artie's 1st Bath!!

After his bath...he loves that pineapple!

Sweet baby!

Sleeping in his bed

Playing with his gator he picked out at Petco

Sleeping with his gator

We love you Artie :)

I have to take him for his 1st vet visit tomorrow...wish me luck!

Will share his adoption story and more about him very soon!!

My Spring and Summer

I know we are WAY into Spring but I still wanted to share this with you! I always need to have some goals written down so I will actually get things done :) Some are related to the seasons, some aren't.

I am also thinking about doing a 101 in 1001 list! We shall see....

Coming soon: 

• A recipe for Peach Frozen Yogurt
• May Design Collaboration
• My Birthday Wishlist

You may have missed: 

• Bedroom Reveal
• Home is Where Your Mom Is
• Jackie's Inspiration

What is on your bucket list this Spring/Summer??

Spring

• get beach (ok probably just the pool) body ready
• sign up for Zumba or Step? (see above)
• do some "spring cleaning" (basically donate some stuff/clothes)
• volunteer
• re-pot some plants
• go camping (and make smores)
• start some traditions with the husband
• go to the Farmer's Market
• join a small group at church
• run a 5k

Summer

• be in 2 awesome weddings
• celebrate our 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
• celebrate my 23rd birthday
• go to a lot of the RVA festivals
• country concerts (enough said)
• make homemade ice cream
• use the grill more often
• have a successful blogger meet-up (working on this)
• make some new friends in the area
• go to a drive-in movie theater
• go star-gazing

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Scripture Sunday {4}

Did you guess what May's topic is going to be??

Well if you didn't.....its COMMITMENT!

I really enjoyed diving into the scriptures last month and sharing Gods love for us with you. Now I want to talk about how important it is to commit yourself to Him. I am definitely not perfect and very guilty of putting myself and my needs first. We often think we should follow our own plans and goals and they may not be what God has in store for us. In talking about commitment, we must also focus on trust. If we fully trust God, it will be easier to commit to living our lives through him.

Here are 5 steps we can take to commit to God:

1. Pray and ask God what his plans are for you
2. Read and study the bible
3. Go to church 
4. Share your faith with others
5. Surround yourself with people strong in their faith

These are in no way definite steps you have to take. These are just guidelines to help take you in the right direction.

Do you have a topic idea for June? I would love to hear it!

New Look..

Did you notice something different about visiting my blog this time?? I decided it was time for a unique, new look. My lovely friend Sara gave me some great suggestions on design/layout and so I built up the courage to just dive right into Photoshop and try it myself. 

I wanted a brighter, cleaner look. And I definitely think it is more "ME" I knew I had to incorporate teal, some sparkle, navy, chevron and the citron was the perfect balance. The new about me section is much easier to read and the text area is much wider allowing for bigger pictures!! I was joking with my friend Veronica about having my own blog design business, but who knows with some practice ;)

My new button I am going to add to my sponsor page soon!

What do you think? Did you notice the color scheme is from the Office Mood Board I posted last week? 

Hope all of you readers had a wonderful weekend...we visited our parents this weekend and it was very relaxing! Now I can't wait to watch the Walking Dead tonight! If you think I am crazy for this, I would highly recommend giving it a chance first! Haha and if you do watch the show, you should take this funny quiz! Any guesses on which character I was??

I also just finished reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. I am waiting to get the second book Insurgent from the Nook library. If you liked the Hunger Games, I would definitely recommend this book.

Get excited for what's coming to the "new" blog this week:

Bedroom Mood Board- linking up with Design Your Dwelling

Design Dilemmas- rug options and new accessories

and possibly another Wedding Wednesday or The Newlywed Game link-up!

Mood Board: Home Office

One of my favorite parts of design is coming up with a "mood" or inspiration board for the client. This helps them to visualize the space and the options are unlimited! Well sometimes I like to make these for myself as well. Check out this post for more inspiration on Home Offices!

I am always really excited when I find other Interior Design blogs but what is more exciting is a link-up for designers. Beth from Design Your Dwelling is starting a link-up for mood boards and so I am joining in! 

This mood board is what I would LOVE my future home office to look like. I love blues and greens and these to me are the perfect shades. I think the citron gives it some warmth as well. Would you want your office to look like this? What do you think are essentials to a home office?

5x7 Ombre Art Print- Etsy Shop Retro Menagerie {here}

Green Seeded Glass Table Lamp- Lamps Plus {here}

Ikat Zig-Zag Accent Pillow- Etsy Shop Palace or Hut {here}

Expedit Shelving Unit- Ikea {here}

X Base Nickel Desk- Shop Ten 25 {here}

Threshold Turquoise Wicker Basket- Tartget {here}

Cream Desk Chair- Target {here}

Ironwork Trellis Dhurrie Rug- Shades of Light {here}

Other Mood Boards/Design Inspired posts to check out:

• Dining Room
• Autumn
• Get this Look
• Get this Look 2

If you would like a mood board for you space, let me know and we can work something out for you...and who knows it could end up on the blog!

A few other things:

1) I signed up for a Bigs and Littles blogging network. I was paired up with Sara @ You and Me are We. Go check out her blog asap :) Learned so much from her already.

2) I'm going to be experimenting with my blog design so I apologize if the site is temporarily down. Also, if you know of an affordable custom design, PLEASE send it my way!

3) I set up Passionfruit ads! My sidebar was getting pretty messy, but so far I really like it! So check out my new Sponsor tab. Currently all of my ads are free so if you have a similar blog style I would love to have you!

Linking up with:

http://designyourdwelling.blogspot.com/2013/02/mood-board-link-party-week-1.html

A few exciting things

I just have a few things I want to share with you. 

1) I just created a facebook page for Designer in Teal! So for all of you who read my blog through facebook, be sure and like the page so you can receive all updates.

2) I have 76 followers now!! I am so grateful for each of you that click over to my page every day, week, month or whenever you visit. Who knows...maybe when I reach 100 there will be a little giveaway in store.

3) I have also been doing some small things to the blog lately. I signed up for Bloglovin so follow me if you have an account! I 've gotten into button swapping as well so be sure to check out all of the lovely new ladies on my sidebar.

4) My survey is still open and will stay open so pretty please with sugar on top...go take that {here} If you are having problems with it, let me know so I can work out the kinks. 

5) This blog is growing...check it out :) You guys are the BEST!

Top posts:

1) Teal Chevron Curtains

2) More DIYing

3) Color and Lots of It

4) Mood Board: Dining Room

5) Wedding Wednesday

Top Traffic Sources:

1) Google

2) Young House Love website

3) Facebook

Some New Stats:

Over 300 comments/ over 12,000 page views total / 86 posts (including this one)/ 76 followers GFC / over 3,000 page views per month/ over 100 page views a day

Hope you are having a fabulous week!

    Just for fun!

Goals update

If you haven't taken my blog survey yet, PLEASE do so {here}. It only takes a minute...Don't make me beg!

Help my blog friend!

I received an email a few weeks ago from Kaity asking for my help. Here is her story.

I moved to Richmond in 2001. Just 6 months later - when I was 23 - I was diagnosed with Stage IIB Hodgkins Lymphoma. I had no idea how lucky my move here was, because the VCU Massey Cancer Center is here, and I was able to be successfully treated with IV chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Shortly thereafter, I began running in the Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K as part of the Massey Challenge. I wanted to say thank you to the researchers, physicians, and staff who saved my life. Then in 2010, my doctors discovered that I also carry the BRCA1 gene mutation - the breast and ovarian cancer gene. This is particularly concerning for my team at Massey because my history of cancer was in my chest and abdomen. They recommended that I undergo a double mastectomy and hysterectomy. I have opted not to - largely because of the faith I have in the research they are doing and I know that they will have amazing treatments - if not a cure - by the time I need them.

So why am I sharing this with you? Because I want to help Kaity find a cure, reach her goal and continue to be cancer-free! Her goal is to raise $25,151 before April 13th!
Check out Kaity's blog {here}

If you want to KNOW MORE, check out this Times Dispatch article on Kaity!

If you want to DONATE, go here: http://supportevents.vcu.edu/site/TR/Events/MasseyChallenge2013?sid=1041&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=1140

If you want to JOIN the Massey Challenge, go here: http://supportevents.vcu.edu/site/TR/Events/MasseyChallenge2013?fr_id=1140&pg=entry

Until we find a cure,

13 in 2013

I am setting 13 goals for 2013 and I hope that you readers will help me keep up with them. This is one of my favorite reasons for having a blog: I can document my goals, memories and thoughts. I hope that when we ring in 2014 I can look back and be proud of what I have accomplished.

1. Eat healthier
2. Exercise once more
3. Read 12 books (1 per month-gotta start small)
4. Try more new recipes
5. Make and order our wedding album
6. Be a better friend
7. Travel more
8. Be more active at church
9. Get more organized and get rid of clutter
10. Do more DIY projects 
11. Blog more efficiently
12. Do more for others
13. Budget wisely

P.S. Already had my first workout of the year yesterday :) 

What are your goals/resolutions for this year/month/week? Are any of these included on your list?

Images found on Pinterest

And here is the big hair reveal!!

What do you think?

Please don't judge...I am not a fashion blogger :)

Christmas present from the hubby!

Gold sparkly nails for the new year!