CURRENTLY ...

Currently ...

I am loving tea roses- they come in the prettiest of colors and for half the price of regular roses.

April showers are in full swing but I like to think they just remind us to be super grateful for the sunny ones.

Daffodils are blooming and Easter is just around the corner- this time of year makes me really nostalgic for childhood days playing outdoors.

 I am dreaming up a new, bigger, bolder website ... it scares me and thrills me at the same time! The process has been slow and who knows when it will launch but I am enjoying the process.

We are working on major spring cleaning- we have gutted our spare room and are working on piecing it back together ... with a lot less pieces. Purging is so gratifying.

The most fun projects at hand in our apartment? Painting two 'pop' walls and one is going to be black- I am so exited! And we are clearing a big white wall for all my yoga photos- no more shuffling furniture around to clear space, huzzah! 

I am trying to figure out how to have a minimal wardrobe. This has never been a goal of mine in the past and I have to admit I am intrigued by it. Again, purging is gratifying!

I found myself at the used bookstore again. I found three good reads to share with you all later this week. Its becoming a hobby really.

Reading up on Ayervedic medicine- have any of you out there experienced this practice? I have a few chronic issues that Western medicine has failed to help and am intrigued by this more natural but effective approach- I'd love to hear your experience if you have!

My love affair with sweet potatoes is out of control.  I love them so :) Incorporating them into almost every meal.

Considering doing a 21 day Raw food challenge via Kristina on FullyRaw. Obviously I have made this unofficially the season of challenges!

Wondering what you would like to see more of or are curious about with this here blog? Direction of posts and content has been rather sporadic lately- so I'd love to know what you love to read!

Happy Monday ♥

GLACIER V. WAVE

Over the years I have found that I am a chronic sufferer of the 'Whats Next Syndrome'. It has proven to be both a blessing and a curse. I am a person who likes change, sitting in one place for too long makes me antsy. Whether its a physical place or a mental state my natural disposition is to evolve. The issue is I don't always know what to evolve towards. I have also found over the years that this can be a rather emotionally painful conundrum when the answers are coming more slowly that the desire wants.

When I look at these pictures I can't help but think ... who is this? who is posting these photos of super food smoothies, bendy yoga poses and Pilate's challenges on my blog?! A mere 8 months ago I had not done a back bend in years, 12 months ago I never thought I could give up dairy let alone cheese! 10 months ago I was posting personal style photos and crafts, 7 months ago I started a healing journey that I had no idea how it was going to work. 14 months ago I had a melt down about the seemingly directionless state of my life.

And there is today.  I am happier. I am stronger. I am more bendy. I am healthier. I have a brighter look on life. Thankfully this space has grown with me- my life has expanded to welcome new experiences and as I keep working towards my 2014 goal of living more fearlessly I know there are more uncharted territories to be discovered this year. But lately the issue hasn't been the lack excitement of starting something new or the willingness to let go. Its been that I don't know what to do. Which direction do I take? Whats my next big adventure? How do I know?

In 2014 I have already joined an instagram yoga challenge, a 30 day Pilate's challenge, faced my aversion to blenders and started playing with super food smoothies, tried a handful of new foods, changed the pace of this blog, and am gratitude journaling daily. I have fearlessly faced my inner issues and failure, inadequacy, and insecurity, though a daily battle, I am facing them. So whats the next conquest? Where do I leap, how do I grow more?

Everyone's life journey is so different. They go at different paces, different directions, develop different perceptions. To find your own voice can be scary in itself, let alone find it among a billion other people. You can follow others for only so long before you realize your legs are strong enough to carry you on your own- they have a spring in them ready to launch into the unknown.

Today I don't know what is next. I know I am ready for bigger things, face something a little larger, get a little more out of my comfort zone. Acknowledging I am ready for a challenge is a solid first step- it grounds me. The answer may or may not be simple- maybe I am meant be more like a glacier and slowly change through life and not so much like a wave crashing from one thing to the next.

These are just some open ended questions that have been swimming in my brain the last few days- growing pains are a bummer but they in fact lead to much greater things. Patience and humbleness are key to waiting for answers.

But in the meantime, if you are waiting for answers like I am here are some super easy recipes for you to try/change/make your own- the foods are pictured above! This is pretty typical fare for my days off and are easy, quick, and delicious!

Super Smoothie
1 Banana
1 cup Coconut milk
1 cup Blueberries (or any berry on hand, really)
2 tbs Hemp seeds
1 scoop Amazing Grass Superfood powder (any flavor)

Fruits n' Greens Salad
2 cups mixed greens (pictured is kale, spinach, romaine)
1 cucumber, cut
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1 kiwi, sliced
2 tsp Hemp Seed
2 tsp Chia Seed
2 tbs Non Dairy Ranch (because its soooo good)

Happy Weekend, friends ♥

THE STATE OF JANAE

Over the last few months the traffic on this little blog has grown in ways I didn't expect- when I started here on Fair and Square I set out with no expectations or numbers in mind and took the mentality of 'what will be will be'. Never-the-less its been fun to see that number climb of visitors and I am grateful for anyone who just checks this space out or continues to come back! Its fun and encouraging, so thank you!

As humans we are ever evolving and I feel like I have been evolving at a very quick rate over the last year, so much so I can barely keep up! And if I can barely keep up with myself, how can I expect you to keep up too?! So here is a little State of Janae, get you up to speed on where I stand on a lot of the endeavors I have mentioned here in the past.

Mind: Kind of Mind and Soul combined- the mastery of positive thinking, meditation, and visualization has pretty much consumed me as of late. I never realized how negative I was being with myself and outwardly to the world. I am working on reversing years of complacent/negative thinking. Its been an exciting journey so far! I shared some of my most recent reads earlier this week and a few of those books are about this topic. I feel happier, lighter, more positive in general and can't tell enough people about how these books and practices are changing me daily into a better version of me!

Body: Back over the summer of '13 I set out on a Vegan food journey. It was ... rough. But also rewarding. I did it for about 6 months which was a trial period I had set for myself. I started pretty rigid and loosened up towards December. At this point in time I am decidedly vegetarian and pseudo-vegan. If I can order something without cheese or dairy I will, I avoid blatant animal bi-products but if my mom bakes cookies with egg in them I enjoy in moderation and call it a day. So you won't see recipes or meals here oozing with cheese, but I might indulge in a donut from time to time. Currently I am reading up on Raw diets and Macrobiotics so those might get sprinkled in here as well. I started Yoga in November and have worked on making it a mostly daily practice. I aim for 6 days a week and LOVE it like no other work out regime before. Making progress slowly but surely is super rewarding to me. I still love fashion, and style is important to me. I have slowed down to one outfit post a week and have a list of handmade, US made, and locally made brands to share with you all over the coming months as I try to be more of a conscious dresser!

Soul: Spirituality has been a touchy topic for me through most of my 20's and I am just now coming to grips with it in my own way. I don't go too in-depth with religion in this space but I am working on melding the faith I grew up with my interest in other religions. I read a lot on the topic and share books here from time to time. I think Spirituality is a very personal journey and is different for everyone. So if I post about my personal journey, its just that. Not preachy, not judgmental. Just sharing.

So that is it. My current status in a nutshell. I could blog everyday about my changing thoughts and feelings about topics- but that would be a lot of paragraphs of me trying to make sense of everything. Probably not that interesting of reading material. In the future I am going to try regular posts on revelations/changes as I create more concise thoughts!

So thank you again for stopping by and reading- happy Friday! ♥

CURRENTLY ...

Making : progress on manifesting positive thinking every single day
Cooking : a homemade vegetable soup tomorrow ... my first one ever!
Drinking : water water water
Reading : Buddhism: Plain and Simple by Steve Hagen
Wanting : a hot cocoa with mini marshmallows
Looking: forward to the Christmas packages I am picking up tomorrow
Playing: mellow jams on the iPod
Wasting: time by not making my visual board a priority
Wishing: all of winter felt as magical as December
Enjoying: a huge flux of creativity
Waiting: for the snow storm to blow in tonight
Liking: That Nico's These Days just started playing ...
Wondering: How I went most of my life not knowing Nico
Loving: cold nights cozied inside with my two favorite beings.
Hoping: everyone has a warm place to be tonight
Marveling: at all of the talented people and their gorgeous crafts on Pinterest
Needing: A coat that actually keeps me warm and doesn't just look good
Wearing: leggings, my favorite gray tee, and the coziest sweater I own ... and pink fuzzy slippers! (obvi)
Noticing: how much stronger my body feels after only one month of committed yoga and toning
Knowing: I will sleep in late tomorrow and not feel bad about it for one second
Thinking: a cup of hot tea sounds amazing
Bookmarking: new books to download, not surprising they are all nutrition, yoga, and spiritual based at the moment!
Opening: my mind to new ways of celebrating this Christmas season
Feeling: Grateful- grateful for having so much, not needing much else, and knowing that tomorrow I can be even better than I was today.

We are in fact bracing ourselves for the first winter 'storm' of the season. I quote it because, well, its usually a hit or miss situation around here if we actually get the predicted weather. Either way, I am happy to stay home tomorrow- instead of worrying about driving through snow to work I can worry about more important things like which tea to make, how long to stay snuggled in bed with a sleepy Stella and finally getting my visualization board completed. And getting those Christmas packages I mentioned above- those are definitely important! ♥

CURRENTLY ...

My poor husband- such a patient photographer. Sometimes it just takes a lot to get a decent photo ;)

Currently I am ...

Joyous! ... my baby sister (who is 19, btw, not an actual baby) is home safe and sound from Military training and I am happy happy happy! We have a date at the nail salon and lunch planned for later this week- its good to have her near again. 

Reading ... Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers by Thich Nhat Hanh. I mentioned this last week in a post and I am still working my way through it. Having been raised in the Church of God community but lately feeling moved by Buddhism, this book as been really good for helping me build bridges within my beliefs. I highly recommend. 

Practicing ... Positive thinking and Yoga. N and I have been doing Positive Thinking for a week now and I am seeing results! Its not easy but I can tell that it is going to be very rewarding. I also started getting back into yoga again- its been an off and on again love affair but I am feeling committed again to practicing everyday. I want to learn some of those harder poses I always thought were out of reach! (Hello Side Crow Pose)

Planning ... my annual list of goals. Every year on my birthday I unveil  a glorious list of things I want to accomplish in the coming year. This past year I managed to complete maybe half of my goal list- I found halfway through the year that a lot of my goals no longer interested me! So this year I am working on a fail proof list that won't cause boredom!

Watching ... Once Upon a Time. Nate and I are watching seasons 1 & 2 on Netflix now and I luuurve them! Its hard to not just binge watch them.  

Stressing ... about Thanksgiving! Remember how I said I volunteered to host my families Thanksgiving dinner at our place? Yea well, that's like in two weeks people, and I can't even get together what side dishes I want to make. Plus I need more place settings, glasses, decorations ... the list goes on. I am thinking a glass of wine will be necessary after this feast!  

Wishing ... I had a piece of gum.  

Working on ... getting our endless amount of photos in order. My iPhoto was bursting with THOUSANDS of unprinted/ half forgotten photos and I have gone through every last one of them. I divided them between 2 files, one to simply back up and one to print. I have gathered materials to start placing them in albums, purchased boxes for those photos that are printed but don't really need to be in an album and then I looked through my stacks of photo albums I already had and realized I just have too many photos. It actually gave me a minor panic attack the other day. They just keep multiplying! 

Waiting on ... some really awesome leggings to come in the mail. They are so awesome I can't even explain them to you, you will just have to wait for the photos. It will be worth the wait. 

Feeling ... uninspired. It might be the cold, it might be that its dark at 5 pm, whatever it is, my burst of inspiration has turned into me wanting to wrap myself in multiple blankets on the couch with hot tea and begin full hibernation mode! Maybe its time to invest in a snuggie so I can glitter the crap out of my apartment for the holidays and still keep warm?!

Observing ... the cutest mother/daughter date happening at the table next to me. I find these interactions really hard not to watch. 

 

Thankful ... for all the Veterans who have served our country. I know everyone says it on days like today but I know I was super happy when my sister came home from training this weekend, I can't even imagine what it would feel like to see a loved one who had been on active duty! That kind of sacrifice isn't something I was wired with, so I am glad that someone is!

Just a few things I am currently feeling/thinking/wanting this Monday ♥

CURRENTLY

Always a blur unless you're tempting her with a treat or she is two breathes away from sleep

Currently ...

At my wits end about: Poor Stella Bean has epic fleas (at least to us they seem epic) She is itchy and pathetic and we have done just about everything we possibly could without waging chemical warfare on our home and her. A little peeved these nasty bugs have consumed so much of my time lately! 

Anticipating: My new job! This week is going by way too slow- and its only Monday! I did get to celebrate with my co-workers today, and I realized I will really miss the neurotic mish-mosh of people who work in the retail industry ♥

Addicted to: Food Blogs!! I just discovered the magic of the Food Matters site- I could get lost for hours. I am pretty sure if I never mentioned another thing about health, nutrition, or the affects of poor eating habits on our society again Nate wouldn't miss it for a minute ;) 

Intrigued by: I just took the Jung Typology test (more on that later!) but I was dumbfounded by how dead on it described me. Any other ISFJ's out there??

On my DIY list: Cloth Napkins- I'm thinking of festive ones for the holidays, a fun way to add more print to your kitchen/dining room. Plus, I haven't done a DIY in awhile.

Checked off my To-Do's: FINALLY completed our gallery wall. I know, like a year behind everyone else on Pinterest but hey, at least it is done! It makes our hallway seem so artsy and pretentious (j/k ... sort of)

On my iCal: This Friday is my last day at my current job, N and I are going to a concert for one of our favorite bands, and this weekend is the Cincinnati Comic Expo ... which, well, I will divulge your curiosity on that one later! 

Not missing: Facebook on my phone- I find myself looking up much more important things like the ABCs of the Friends sitcom and cute puppy photos on Buzzfeed.

Reading: What to Eat by Marion Nestle. It is really interesting but I am having a hard time getting through it after just finishing The Conscious Kitchen by Alexandra Zissu. It's a lot of factual/commit to memory type reading and can be quite exhausting. Still, a good read!

Mentally Thanking: Bonnie from the Life of Bon for inspiring a Currently post- maybe a fun one to add to the repertoire?

Happy Monday all!