chimesblog

… and I’m not talking public relations.

I’m talking personal record.

I made myself get out of bed this morning bright and early (5:30) and get out and run (6:30 — takes me an hour to fuel/hydrate/wake up).

I go out not expecting to do much, but I figure if I can do 3ish miles or a half hour, that’s pretty good for early in the morning. I totally don’t expect a PR.

I only went 2.83 miles today (I turned around 5 blocks earlier than I normally do for the sake of time), but apparently I set a new mile PR on nikeplus.  It’s not my actual PR because I’ve ran miles in faster times than this, but they just weren’t recorded on nikeplus.  I started using nikeplus when I was distance training for the marathon last year … so my times are pretty slow.

Anywho … here’s today’s run:

Here’s my PR’s from nikeplus:

My PR for a 10K is actually more like 50-something (could be 48-something if I keep my “fast” running trend up and can make it back up to 10K … someday).  My mile PR is more like 6:15 or something. Probably could go faster than that, but I’m afraid to push myself. Never tried running just ONE mile either … except when I was coming off an injury, and there was no speedwork then.

Anyway, I’ve got time to make a real breakfast this morning, so I’m going to go do that now.

I’ve got a TON of stuff I have to do this weekend! It’s crazy, but I’m staying in and getting it done!

1. I’ve got a couple of paying freelance projects so I’m going to blow their minds and try to get a chunk of work done on them this weekend (one of them that’s not due until Sept. I’m pretty sure I can actually finish today).Kim’s friend, Lisa Inman, and I are working together to update her website. She likes her current one, but she doesn’t like that she can’t do the updates (or atleast that’s what I’ve gotten from her so far).  She’s supposed to send me the original artwork today so I can work from those files since she likes the current design of her site.

   I’ve got an order for some customized wedding rehearsal dinner invites based on the sunflower invites I listed the other day.  It’s going to be a whole package: invites, envelopes, mailing labels, table place cards and tags for favors. I’ve got the invites and labels done. I need to pick an envelope and order it. I am designing the place cards and tags today.

2. I’ve got an awesome album cover project I’ve been working on since February that I need to throw together a press kit before the end of the weekend.  I’ve been working with The Half Hearts — who will actually be coming to Des Moines on August 19 if anybody’s interested — on their album art for their very first album.  My friend Kim did the painting that’s the basis of the album cover.  The album’s finished mastering and they’re planning to send a press kit August 1, so I’ve got to get a few things together for them to print.  That’s the first thing I’m doing when I’m done blogging here (important things first, right? hehe).
3. I’ve got an order for 2 custom tattoo mugs for my co-worker, Tory.  She’s the one I did the cute sunflower wedding shower invites for the other day. I don’t think she needs them right away, but I told her I’d do them this weekend, so I best stick to that.
4. I’ve got some dishes I started working on last weekend that I need to finish and bake. It’s a set of 8 — 4 bowls and 4 plates. I’d like to get that done today. I only have 2 more bowls left to paint, so that shouldn’t be a problem.
5. I need to paint a set of 16 dishes before Market Day next weekend.  I’m doing an entire set with the tattoo theme. I haven’t completely decided what’s going where…but I’m thinking mainly swallows and flowers on these dishes.  I might pick up a few more colors of paint before I get started on these.  It’s kind of a time-consuming project though, so I might not try to push it for before Market Day.
6. Speaking of Market Day … I need to blog about my deals that I’ll be doing — including a special deal if you advertise or blog about me somewhere.  Details to come!
7. I’m doing a Michael Jackson Craft Swap. Yes. For real. Go ahead and groan.  Unfortunately, I got paired with somebody in Australia, so that limits what I can make because of the price of shipping. I had some really cool things planned before we got partners, but I can’t afford to ship there and I’d rather spend money on the things to swap than on shipping.  I’m completely lost for ideas, which is not good.  I was originally going to make a 16-piece dinner set with silhouettes, but, not shipping that to Aussie for price and fear it will break.  Anyway, I’ll be brainstorming this weekend and purchasing supplies. I have until 8 PM to figure it out since Hobby Lobby closes at 8 and isn’t open tomorrow. I guess I can go to Michael’s but I like Hobby Lobby.
8. And … I have a few backburner projects that if I have time I’ll get done this weekend.  I was hoping to make a bunch of fast t-shirt bags to sell for $1-$2 at Market Day since it’s a BYOB sort of deal. A few people were upset last time that I didn’t have bags, but it’s like Farmer’s Market…bring your own bag.

I’ll probably put my string quilt away. I’m getting sick of looking at it and I know I’ll just end up working on that instead of these projects that need to get done.

Anyway, wish me luck.  I also need to run sometime today, so hopefully the weather cooperates. I had a bad week for working out and I ate terribly the last 2 weeks…so I’m definitely feeling like BLAH right now.

AND … I’m off!

Time for another giveaway!

This is the 3rd one I’ve done, and I’m loving it!  I gave away a Birdies Plate and a Mermaid Bag.

Up for grabs this time is a Manifesto Poster from Lululemon Athletica in blue.  I acquired this from my co-worker when she left last week to embark an a new life adventure, and I don’t have any room for it in my cube!  It’s a really cool design, and it’s got a lot of great pieces of inspirational text.

Here’s a picture of the poster:

To participate, just leave a comment (of any sort) on this post.  I’ll use random.org to pick a winner on July 15.

Good luck!

I recently marked down a LOT of items on my etsy shop for an Independence Day Sale.  I decided to extend the sale into a summer sale.

As always, shipping to Des Moines and Ames is free.  Just contact me before buying so I can adjust the shipping price and arrange a drop-off/pickup.

Here are the items I’ve got on sale:

Wonderland by MoMo Charm Lap Quilt

Regular price: $150
Sale Price: $100
1 Available

Lotsa Hearts Handbag

Regular price: $18
Sale Price: $10
1 Available

White Fiestaware Musical Flowers Cup and Saucer

Regular price: $15
Sale Price: $10
1 set Available

Birdies and Coffee Cup

Regular price: $8
Sale Price: $5
5 Available

Vintage Flower Fiesta Bowl (turf green or gold)

Regular price: $10
Sale Price: $7
2 Available (one green, one gold)

Tea Time with Gram Cup and Saucer Set

Regular price: $15
Sale Price: $10
1 Set Available

Birdies and Coffee on Vintage Lime Green Pyrex Cup and Saucer

Regular price: $15
Sale Price: $10
2 Sets Available

Custom Etsy Banner and Avatar

Regular price: $15
Sale Price: $10
5 custom designs Available (below are examples of banners I’ve done)

You can e-mail me at calee@chimesdesign.com or PM me on twitter (@chimes) OR convo me on etsy if you’ve got questions, concerns or special requests.

ALSO — heads up!  I’ll be doing Market Day in Des Moines on July 25th and will be having a special that day ONLY at Market Day.  All dishes will be buy one, get one half off.  I may be cooking up some more specials, and even a raffle or giveaway… STAY TUNED!

yay for those of you that aren’t big MJ fans (which includes, as I’m finding out, a LOT more of you than I thought).

So I was so wrapped up with being upset about MJ *still* the other day when I ran that I totally didn’t blog about my awesome run.  Yeah, I’ll go ahead and say that I was running for him, in my mind, because it kept me going.  I used to listen to some of his stuff when I ran, but recently only have listened to heavy stuff when running. I can’t believe I could switch at the drop of a hat like that (in this case, the drop of a glittered black fedora hat).

Anyway, due to the fact I was running with purpose and that my mind was definitely elsewhere AND the fact that it was 20° cooler and not deathly humid out, I was able to complete my 45 minutes of running without stopping.  Well — obviously I had to stop at intersections, but I don’t count that because that’s a life-or-death kind of situation. Not stopping=getting plowed by a vehicle.

So this is my longest non-stop run since physical therapy!

Also — I set out to do a JOG…not a run. I had Mexican for lunch (which is a terrible idea for someone with stomach issues, I know), so there was a fiesta going on in my tummy.  I decided I should just risk it and go because it was so nice outside. Lo and behold, I didn’t have any issues. Crazy, right? Yeah. I know.

Oh and nikeplus.com has a new look/layout/functionality.  Not a fan just yet.  We’ll see if it grows on me.  OH and apparently I’m “chimes1″ on nikeplus now … WTF??? I’m THE chimes.

oooh I’m sooo excited!  I had a fabulous run yesterday and I procrastinated enough to make it outside *just* as the sun finally poked out of the clouds.  

I ran for 35 minutes, sticking with my plan of increasing my time by 5 minutes a week until I get up to a respectable distance (ie. 7 miles or so) then going by increasing miles instead and adding a day of shorter speedwork with intervals. Right now I’m running 2-3 days a week and crosstraining on the other 2-4 days of the week. 

Overall, taking the break from running has really helped me improve. I’ve stepped back and thought more about things I didn’t before like form and speed. I’ve realized the importance of crosstraining, stretching and strength training firsthand—rather than just reading an expert opinion on these matters and ignoring it.

Anyway, I think I’m going to bounce back in a good way if I continue to be strategic about running rather than just plugging away countless miles.  I’ve been paying more attention to my body’s signals lately. If I hurt somewhere — more than just a regular soreness — I take care to rest or pay extra attention to that when stretching or strength training.

Anyway, here’s yesterday’s awesome run.

I’m kind of excited to see the under 8 min/mi speed at the end. I don’t fully realize my potential. I’ve been running the same speed for so many years that it’s inherent like breathing or a heartbeat. I keep starting all my runs at that pace but realize I can go faster as I get warmed up. Maybe I should jog a 3-5 minute warm up, stretch, then turn on my nike+ for the real run portion?  Or is that being too competitive/anal? I don’t know. I’ve never really run competitively, but I might start once I get back in the game for good (as in more than 4 miles and 2-3 days a week). 

Also — I reset my resolutions on nikeplus.com to realistic goals now that I’m honestly recovering/recuperating (you know..only 7-8 months after the initial injury). This month: 20 miles. I’m only 7 miles short. I can definitely make it.  

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged about running, which is kind of weird because I’d been making pretty decent progress in the last week or so.

Basically, I’ve been on an “add .5 mi to what you ran last week” program for about a month — so I should be on 2.5  miles this week. However, I was going on “add 5 minutes to what you ran last week” instead since I assumed I’d be going at a 10-minute/mi pace — SO not the case.  

And, since I’m a total math genius, I decided that last week’s +5 minutes = 30 minutes because obviously 20+5=30.  Right?  

So I think Thursday I ran 30 minutes which totaled about 3 miles.  I thought, well, my leg’s cool, so I guess I’ll go with 30 this week (even though I realized my error by this point). 

Sunday I chilled out all day until the rain was eminent. I HAVE to wait until the last possible minute — it’s my forté.  So it looks as if the sky is going to dump a week’s worth of vengeance on Des Moines around 6 or so, which is when I decided to lace up and head out. 

It was a great run.  Great temperature…great mood… lots of people out…and of course: good tunes.  I’ve been digging “Are You Dead Yet?” by Children of Bodom lately since workouts are harder now that I’m not in marathon-running shape.  It’s a good mantra for me I guess.  

I managed to make it most of the way through the  30 minutes and at the end I almost hit a 7-minute mile pace for a while, but I called it quits a bit early and was .02 mi short of a 5K.  

Almost a 5K? Now that’s a respectable distance.  I feel like I’m back in the game…well, almost. 5K doesn’t cut it for me. In my old world, anything under a 10K didn’t count as running to me. Ahhh…. crazy.

I remembered why I started this blog — RUNNING.  This blog was to keep track of my runs to help me hold myself accountable for marathon training. Here I am…without having blogged about running for a while. It’s weird. Back in March when I had to quit, it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, but now, I’m somewhat indifferent, and it’s sad.  It’s sad that something that I was so passionate about can just fizzle up and go away like that.

It’s getting late and I really need to get to bed (I feel like Doogie Houser, MD for whatever reason tonight… ah, NPH).

Here’s Sunday’s run in all it’s all-over-the-board-pace glory.

And just because I am currently listening/watching this and since NPH is my hero..

I’m new to quilting, but for whatever reason, I’ve decided I must learn how to paper piece…now.

It started last weekend when I was looking for a pattern for this block in the Amy Butler quilt that Adria gave me with blocks from her lap quilt swap on craftster.org:

Sooo … after stalking my way through the entire lap quilt post, I found out that it was somebody’s original design. Boo.

So I started googling “X quilt blocks” and came across a post on crazy mom quilts about string quilts… and eventually a few tutorials. Apparently an easy way to paper piece is by using freezer paper — and I happen to have a huge roll of that in my craft supplies from last year’s t-shirt stenciling stint (seen here, here and here).

Now, I’m kind of obsessed.  So, as an excuse to experiment, I’ve decided to enter FatQuarterShop.com’s Jolly Jabber Block Lottery with a few blocks I create using this method.  The only catch is I have to use fabric purchased from FQS…which should be fine since I’ve got some Hello Betty leftover from a Jelly Roll I bought and a Honey Bun that Adria had sent me.

Anyway, here are some gratuitous pictures of string quilts I collected from various places on the interwebs…which make me more excited about doing this!

I’ll be sure to post my progress… I might not get to it for a while — this is a busy week!

I’ve recently participated in a bunch of random comments-on-blogs giveaways and thought, hey, why can’t I do that?

Sooo.. since I’m feeling generous.. I’m going to offer up the opportunity for you to win one of my fun ceramics!

The ceramics that are up for grabs are:

Brighten your morning teacup

1930s Ballerina Cup/Saucer with Lace

HOW TO ENTER

Just comment on this post with:

1. Your name/internet moniker
2. your e-mail/preferred method of contact
3. your website/blog (I want to see what you do!)
4. Which piece you’d like to win (or if you have another favorite, please specify — I might be feeling extra generous!)
   
5. … and a random fact about you … so all of these entries are fun to read!

I’ll use random.org’s number generator to pick a winner! Winner will be chosen on June 8th (next Monday), so any comment until then that has the 5 pieces of info will be considered.

Yeah. I’m at work. I’m waiting for a rather large file to save…so sue me. I don’t have much else to work on today, so I’m taking a 5-minute blogging break.

AND GO!

I realized today that I haven’t updated about my running injury lately (new blog followers: I ran a marathon last year, hurt myself, but continued to run a ridiculous amount for months following — just finished physical therapy in May).

My hip is doing a lot better, but it probably could be even better if I spent as much time stretching/strength training as I should … truth be told, those activities don’t burn many calories, so unfortunately, they’re always going to be last on my list.  I’ve been doing a lot better at them though — 20 mins a day devoted to stretching… that’s kind of a lot.

I still have an issue with pain when driving or sitting for an extended period of time. I’ve modified a lot of my daily activities to be done standing up … but am I supposed to go through life never sitting?  I’m really just avoiding the issue rather than making it better.  I don’t know. I’m probably always going to have problems.  I wish it would just go away, but really, it hasn’t even been a year since the injury really flared up … so being able to run 2 miles at this point without pain is a lot to ask.

speaking of  — I’m up to 2 miles again — or 20 minutes, which is more like 2.25ish.  That’s nothing compared to the numbers I was pulling daily last year at this time (7-10 on weekdays and 12-15 on weekends) … but that’s okay. progress is progress. I’ll never run another marathon (it’s kind of a pain in the ass… really?  yeah.), but I hope to do a half marathon again AND kick up my speed a lot.

Anyway, my 5 minutes is definitely up.  That’s all for now!