Motivation | theclothesmakethegirl

Jul 13, 2012 Posted by Mel

Glass Is Half Full (Strength Friday)

In my quest for lean superhero-ness, I’m following the Wendler 5/3/1 strength training program. Twice a week, Dave and I are hitting the craptastic gym in our Converse to lift heavy and crank through a mini-metcon. My glass is half full. Something happened in my attitude in the last 24 hours. Maybe it was my follow-up visit to Dr. Sebring. Maybe it was the fact that when I put on my favorite... read more

Jul 11, 2012 Posted by Mel

Thoughts From The Trail

Warning: A great night’s sleep plus an invigorating run/walk around the lake has been known to inspire a contemplative mood. Here are two thoughts I worked over this morning while I shuffled my feet in the gravel. They might be kinda squishy and groovy; sue me. 1. Butterflies Into Caterpillars [photo] This story has been very helpful to me in the past, and I remembered it when I saw a butterfly... read more

Jun 14, 2012 Posted by Mel

This Just In (Again): Never Quit

I was going to share this video with you in my Rants & Raves this weekend, but I liked it so much, I decided to cough it up now. The soundtrack is a little over the time, and the pacing is drawn out for maximum heart-string tugging, but dang it! It worked. I was genuinely moved and inspired by this story. Although I strive to curb my whining, and I actively work on managing my negative feeling about... read more

Jun 11, 2012 Posted by Mel

Running Revelations

This morning, I hit the Town Lake Trail for an hour of deep breathing and talking to myself. It was wholly rejuvenating, and when I came home, I sautéed up a Hot Plate of collard greens, sweet potatoes, and chicken breast. While I ate, I scribbled in my journal: “Got the snakes out of my brain.” In no particular order, here are my… Running Revelations The “Just Enough”... read more

May 23, 2012 Posted by Mel

Walking Your Path

Our kundalini instructor Robin gave us a prompt for a visualization in class last week, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot ever since. She had us close our eyes and visualize a path. There were no specifics other than that at first: just visualize a path. I immediately thought of the hiking trail in Tennessee Valley, in Marin County, California. This is what the trail looks like as you start your... read more

May 21, 2012 Posted by Mel

Strength Monday 05/21/12 (w/ Bonus Bathing Suits)

In my quest for lean superhero-ness, I’m following the Wendler 5/3/1 strength training program. Twice a week, Dave and I are hitting the craptastic gym in our Converse to lift heavy and crank through a mini-metcon. Hello, summer. Dave and I are going on a yoga retreat next week in Tulum, Mexico… seven days of sand, surf, sun, and Satnam. (More on that later this week.) When we went to Costa... read more

May 18, 2012 Posted by Mel

Summer Training Plan (+ Strength Friday – 05/18/12)

In my quest for lean superhero-ness, I’m following the Wendler 5/3/1 strength training program. Twice a week, Dave and I are hitting the craptastic gym in our Converse to lift heavy and crank through a mini-metcon. I need a revamp. I’ve been consistently throwing around the heavy barbells twice a week since January, and I love what it’s doing for my confidence and my frame. True,... read more

May 17, 2012 Posted by Mel

Strength Wednesday – 05/17/12 (w/ Bonus Resistance)

In my quest for lean superhero-ness, I’m following the Wendler 5/3/1 strength training program. Twice a week, Dave and I are hitting the craptastic gym in our Converse to lift heavy and crank through a mini-metcon. Well, that was unpleasant. Sometimes, I just don’t want to. I look at the barbell, and I know it’s going to be heavy, and I just don’t want to pick it up. Yesterday was... read more

Apr 25, 2012 Posted by Mel

Taxidermy, Red Dresses, Laughter: Jenny Lawson

I’ve been sitting here for a good thirty minutes trying to find a way to describe to you the awesomeness that is Jenny Lawson — a.k.a., The Bloggess — author of the book Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. If I tell you about how funny she is — so funny that her posts move me beyond laughter to that really embarrassing snorting thing that happens sometimes — I might potentially minimize... read more

Mar 28, 2012 Posted by Mel

I Love My Body

A few weeks ago, I promised you a post that would get real about where I am with my body image right now. This is that post. As I mentioned on Monday, I’m in a state of confusion about what to do regarding my somewhat uncooperative body. Over the last two years, I’ve slowly gained weight — and during the last two months, it’s accelerated to the point that I’m getting a little... read more

Mar 5, 2012 Posted by Mel

The Gifts of Imperfection: Q&A #3

UPDATE: Here are links to the first two discussions of The Gifts of Imperfection: Discussion #1 Discussion #2 Welcome to the third virtual meeting of our book club to discuss The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown! (If you don’t know what’s going on around here, read this post and visit Brené’s web site.) The discussion in the comments of Q&A #1 and Q&A #2 are brilliant.... read more

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Reading right now...

The Redbreast: A Harry Hole Novel
I'm about two-thirds of the way through this detective thriller, and I'm hooked. It's set in modern Norway with flashbacks to WWII (catnip for me!) and features a somewhat grim hero that engenders empathy. I can't help pulling for the guy as I watch him struggle with his case and his life. The cast of characters is a realistic but motley crew, and it reminds me of other favorites set in cold, snowy climes: the Millenium Trilogy and Smila's Sense of Snow.
Recently finished...

The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million
I picked up this book after reading an interview with Lee Child (author of the Jack Reacher thrillers). He referred to The Lost as "the book of the century" and since I devour as much as I can about the Holocaust to try to make sense of it all, I decided I needed to read it immediately. Part memoir, part detective tale, this book was thoroughly engrossing. It's intelligent, annoying, moving, frustrating, and ultimately, rewarding and beautifully written. It challenged me in ways I didn't expect, and I was sad when it was finished.