Initial Test.....Enter If You Dare

http://hundredpushups.com

Just kidding...it is a great program for people of all levels to get down to business on their push ups.  I did the initial test tonight and was able to eek out 12 push ups.  I would suggest that you are warmed up when you do the initial test and the days you do the program.  Do some cardio and get the blood flowing for at least 10-15 minutes.  I am saying this because it helps get you loose and warm but not only that it gets you focused and mentally pumped.  December 1st baby..watch out.

http://hundredpushups.com

P.S.  I am super happy that  I was able to get some of my twitter friends to join me doing this.

First of the Month- Pushup Challenge

December 1st is almost here and typically I try to set goals on the first of each month.  It is more just an easy way to remember when I started more than anything else and I don't necessarily feel the need to wait until the first of the year for anything.  So for this December I have decided to revisit getting my body to cooperate with me in doing push ups.  Notice I said revisit because I have tried this before and was noticing results but I got side tracked and that was pretty much the end of that.

Here is the website of the challenge.  Hopefully once you take a look you will decide to do this with me.

http://www.hundredpushups.com.  

The program has you do an initial test to see what your baseline is.  You then follow a week by week plan based on that number and do a certain number of push ups each set for 3 days each week.  I did not get past week 3 the last time around but that was me not the program.  

The first time I did this I managed to get up to about 20 consecutive push ups...it was a good while ago.  I was amazed because I was not in the best of shape but the gradual increase in push ups really allowed me to see results relatively quickly.  Push ups have always been one of those things that I just absolutely suck at.  For whatever reason I always felt that I would never be able to do a good set of push ups.  This program was getting me there which is why I am going back to it.

I would love some buddies to do this with so if you are in let me know.  I will be posting results, probably at the end of each week.  The site also links you to a site called Push Ups Logger to track your progress.  I went ahead and signed up for it.  Hopefully in 6 weeks I will be able to do my 100 push ups.  Wish me luck!!

My Skimpy Nail Polish Collection

Just as I did with the Konad, I wanted to take a quick shot of my nail polish collection.  I have never collected polish, more like just picking up a bottle here and there when I feel like it.  That amounts to maybe 1-3 new bottles a year.  I have a feeling that is about to change so I wanted to snap a picture of my nail polish collection in its infancy.  These are all for the most part drugstore brands barring a few.  I will say there are already additions on the way since I took advantage of the Zoya GreenFriday special.  So instantly there are 9 additional polishes I am adding.  Actually, maybe some will be Christmas gifts.

Let's see from left to right there is N.Y.C., Rimmel, Sally Hanson, Sally Hanson(3 little bottles), Sally Girl, Sinful Colors, Sephora by OPI, Rush, Revlon, fluorescent yellow(I can't remember the brand), Bon Bons, Bath and Bodyworks.  So as you can see mostly drugstore but I am looking to pick up some China Glaze colors that are really pretty.  My favorite out of all of these is the blue/green Sephora by OPI.  It is called Mermaid to order and it is a gorgeous collection.  Looking at a picture like this also helps me assess what I should add to my collection.  Notice I did not say need because I already have more than I need.  I am thinking some more oranges, reds, purples, blues, silvers, uh oh, did I just say all of those colors.  Hmm...well I guess we will reassess the collection next year and see what is what.

Konad..What I Have So Far

Since I am awake and bored I thought I would take a quick shot of the beginnings of my Konad collection.  KONAD ITEMS.  My Konad collection started in November 2009.  Pictured here are the products from two orders I placed that month.  The plates are the M3, M57, and M65.  The special polishes are the red and white, I'll call them minis, that come in the prepackaged kits.  I don't think they sell this size outside of the kit but I could be wrong.  Then there is the black special polish, pink special polish, and silver Princess special polish.  I have yet to determine what distinguishes the Princess polishes apart from the standard special polishes but I have been told that there is more of a shimmer factor with the Princess special polishes.  Also pictured are a stamp, scrapers, and a dual ended stamp.  I thought it would be nice to have two stamps so that my daughter and I could do this together instead of one person having to wait for the other to finish.  Also the smaller end of the dual ended stamper would be easier for the tiny nails on my toes.  Assuming the relationship between myself and Konad goes well, I am wondering what my collection will look like come November 2010.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Konad...Take 1

It's official..I have entered into the realm of trying to master the Konad Nail Stamping. Thanks to the lovely ladies I tweet with my eyes have been opened to yet another thing to become obsessive about. My fingernails. Don't get me wrong, I have nail polish and would paint my nails when I go out sometimes but for the most part I sported "naked" nails. If not bare then I would opt for some type of clear or Revlon Sheer Nude which is very pale. After hearing the ladies tweet and seeing some of the designs I thought I should check it out.

Between Twitter, The Purse Forum, YouTube, and various nail blogs I was sold. My daughter likes to paint her nails and tries putting little designs on them so I thought this would be the perfect Christmas gift for her. I was much too excited to wait until Christmas to give it to her though so the day the package came it was in her hands. I got her the kit that comes with 1 plate(m3), 1 stamper and scraper, and 2 special polishes(red and white).  I also ordered another plate(m57) and black special polish. 

She said thanks and we looked at some videos but between school and activities it would be another week almost two before we actually got to take the time to do it. Between the purchase and today my nails have been bare for a grand total of 2 days. I have really enjoyed having them painted and it does make a difference overall..at least to me.

Honestly I was getting so frustrated that we didn't have time to try it yet and I did not want to use her kit before her I placed a second order of some special polishes, another plate, and the stamp and scraper. I figured that way we could do our nails together and don't have to wait for the other person to be done. My rationale at least. But lo and behold we finally set a time and stuck to it so here are a few pics from our first (of many I hope) go at the Konad Nail Stamping.

I rarely used base coat because my nails typically had lighter colors on them I opted to use a base coat since my nails seemed a little stained after using a dark color for the last two times I painted my nails.  I used the Revlon Base Coat that I picked up at Walgreens. I don't have too much to say about it since this was the first time I have used it and really don't have enough base coat experience to compare it to anything.

After going through all of my nail polishes and throwing away the yucky ones that were all dried up we both contemplated what color we would be painting our nails. We both ended up picking the color I had on last which is Sephora by OPI Mermaid to Order.  

We finally moved on to the fun part.  The actual stamping of our nails.  Using the plate M3 and the Konad Special Polish in White my daughter opted to put a few hearts on some of her nails.  I thought she would have gone all out and had designs on every nail but she said she just wanted it on a few nails.  It took us a little bit of figuring out exactly how much special polish to goop on and boy does it dry quick on those little designs.  I gooped and scraped while she stamped.  She was happy with how it turned out so of course I was happy that she was happy.

Then it was my turn.  She gooped and scraped so I could stamp my nails.  I went with black stars on the M3 plate.  A few of the stars did not turn out so well and I think it is because there was dried polish from the previous stamping still on the plate.  With smaller thinner images make sure the image plate is clean from the previous stamping or your images won't be as sharp.  You can see some of the stars aren't that great.  We'll get the hang of it though.

Thoughts of Love

When someone loves you, you should feel it. You should know it and never have to second guess or question it. Love has to do with actions not words. Merely saying "I Love You" really does not mean anything. They are just words that anyone can utter and have no meaning behind them.

So what actions do you consider to be a showing of love. This is where people often get a little confused. Does someone buying you the one item you desired most mean they love you? Not necessarily, it really depends on the motive behind them buying it. Does marrying you mean a person loves you? Not necessarily, it may just mean they wanted to get married by a certain time and they find you compatible and can deal you for the long haul.

When a person loves you it is genuine and pure. When a person takes the time to know you to the core that is generally a true indicator of love. When that person is so attentive to you that even when you don't see the fall coming they are there to catch you. When part of their happiness is based on your happiness. When giving is more important than receiving.

Love is such a basic concept yet is probably one of the hardest things for people to do in its correct form. When you evaluate who you love is it really love? When you evaluate who you think loves you is it really love?

Let's Get This Show On The Road!!!

The beginning of a blog is an exciting thing. With mixed emotions of what I am getting into it is like an unplanned road trip. I know I am going somewhere but not exactly sure where and not a clue of what to bring. This type of situation puts one in a difficult yet exciting position. All I can do is bring what I have and whatever I need I will pick up along the way. You may choose to take the whole ride with me or meet me at certain stops but I will get to a destination that is yet to be determined. Beware. I tend to get lost a lot and may even go in circles from time to time. The beauty of it is that is all necessary to get to my destination.