Move Beautifully

Every day is an adventure

11.04.13

Near + Far // La La Lovely

I always love to discover new places and hear about people’s favorite adventures – and I thought it would be fun to share those discoveries with you! So each month, I’ll feature a different blogging friend of mine they’ll share with us their two favorites, near + far.

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Today on near + far, I’m so happy to be hosting one of my very favorites, both in real life and in the blogging world, Trina from La La Lovely. I knew + loved this girl and her beautiful family way before blogging actually – and fun fact, her husband was the officiant for our wedding. Trina was one of the major inspirations behind me starting my own blog – I love the way she takes simple or everyday things and turns them into something beautiful with her thoughtful commentary and serene images, even in the midst of mess. Isn’t that what we all strive for? Beauty in the midst of life’s crazy? I could go on and on about this one, so I’ll just let Trina take over and share with us her favorites, near + far:

What is your favorite haunt close to home?

Downtown Chicago

While this might seem general, I’m just always happy when I can spend time downtown Chicago. I don’t live very close to the city but I am close enough to make a day of it. And, when I can, I love nothing more than to spend time in the city. Walking, shopping, observing, going to museums, exploring and, of course, eating. I’ve been to many cities and still find Chicago to be my favorite!

What is your favorite far-away find?

The South Downs – Worthing, England

I love England. I loved it before I ever traveled there. My very first visit I stayed in a town called Worthing and this last trip I took, this past spring, I stayed with a dear friend in Worthing, again, and we visited the South Downs. It’s a range of chalk hills that stretch through several coastal counties in the Southeast of England. Rolling hills, lush greens and stunning views of the sea in the distance was pretty breathtaking. I can imagine spending more time there exploring and just taking in all of the natural beauty and history.

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Find Trina elsewhere: blog / twitter / instagram / facebook

Photo 1 (Chicago) © Annabelle Mintz, Photo 2 (South Downs) © Trina McNeilly. Graphic by Annabelle Mintz.

11.01.13

Soulvember

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Last year at this time, I was frantically embarking on one of the craziest challenges I’ve done to date – National Novel Writing Month, a project of writing 50,000 words in 30 days. That’s an average of 1,667 words a day, in case you were curious. I made the decision (with great turmoil) to forgo the challenge this year – although it was a fantastic rush, there are a bunch of other projects with loose ends right now that need my attention. So, since I’m hopelessly addicted to challenges and I work best under pressure, I am going to make my own challenge for the next thirty days, and call it Soulvember.

Soulvember is a cleanse of sorts, and also a hustle, as I’m attempting to tie up a bunch of those loose end projects before the end of the year, as well as pushing myself creatively to a high degree. I think finishing these projects will be a big relief and will free up a lot of mental and creative space for new ideas and new projects. I’m one of those people that gets stuck in “idea phase” for the longest time, just spinning my wheels. So this month is about getting those ideas out of my head, getting creative traction and making something with/of them. Produce, produce, produce! Which is really the goal of NaNoWriMo anyway, to produce and create like crazy – then worry about the polishing later. So I’m just redirecting my NaNo energies in a different direction this year – the several hours a day I would have spent writing my 1,667 words will be spent this year on these goals:

1. Morning Private Victories (Jess Lively does a great job of explaining this habit)

2. Finish the website updates that are in the works for Evergreen Lane.

3. Be caught up on all current classwork by the end of 2013 (I sign up for online class after online class and I need to just DO THE WORK! I think I have maybe 4 Skillshare classes and a few others).

4. Record some original music (and maybe play it for someone other than my cat).

5. Pick out dining chairs and lamps for the apartment.

6. Plan out and start writing Evergreen Lane newsletter content for a 2014 launch.

7. Rough draft that e-book idea.

8. Post two videos on the blog this month.

9. Try out a few of those new blog post ideas that have been sitting in my drafts folder forever.

10. Do another 30×30 clothing challenge (no shopping!) – read more about one of my previous challenges here.

11. Create blog content out of last year’s NaNoWriMo.

12. Design + order Christmas cards.

I’m hoping that posting my intentions will create the motivation I need to get my butt moving on these things that are hanging out, taking up space in the back of my head. I might not get them all done (in fact, I probably won’t), and that’s ok. But there’s few things I like more than crossing things off lists, and even if I only cross 4 or 5 off of this list of the 12, that’s more than I have crossed off today! I already know it’s gonna feel so good.

So, are there some ideas or to-do list items that are important but not urgent that have been taking up your mental space for too long? Want to join me on a little Soulvember cleanse and knock them out at last via a little extra hustle? I’d love to hear about your own tips and tricks for getting ideas out into the world!

10.31.13

Video // An Ode to Octobers

Here we are! On the last day of October, an ode to one of my favorite months. See this post in photos here. The colors have been phenomenal this year (probably to make up for the most lackluster of all springs ever) and I have a feeling I’m going to be playing this video several times to cheer myself up over the next few months of darkness, aka winter, aka daylight savings nonsense. At least I have a window in my office now, so I’ll be able to see the sun, even though it’ll only be up while I’m working!

Dear October, and your glory days of autumn, you were over way too fast.

P.S. Would you guys be interested in seeing more travel-inspired videos? This one was so much fun to make, I’m thinking of trying to include video on the blog more regularly!

P.P.S. Want to work with me on some unique video content for your own blog or business? Visit me over at Evergreen Lane.

10.29.13

Everyday Adventure // Aspen Drives in Colorado

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One of my absolute favorite things to do here in Colorado in the fall is take drives into the mountains to see the changing aspens. Driving through Colorado is beautiful any time of year (though perhaps more challenging in winter or spring) but there is something about seeing all the mountainsides dotted with yellow and orange. We still have plenty of color down here in Denver, but the peak season up in the mountains was back in early October. And I’m just going to put it out there so that I have to actually get it done: I will have that video I took edited and on the blog this week. Before October is over! Until then, here’s a sneak peek in photo form:

We took one of the most popular drives, down 67 from Florissant to Cripple Creek, and it was pretty crowded – but if you have a 4WD vehicle, try to escape down onto some of the dirt roads that branch off of 67. We were able to escape the crowds, and it was amazing how quiet and peaceful it was down in the valley. If I ever lived in the middle of nowhere, this would be the place. On a related note: there are tons of homes for sale down there – anyone have a bunch of expendable income and want to buy us a mountain getaway?

P.S. That sweater is from Urban Outfitters and is my go-to this fall – super cozy and just as awesome as it looks.

So great, right? Wait until you see the video, I am super excited about how the footage came out. Aspens are one of my favorite trees (everyone has favorite trees, right?) because of how they play so nice with the wind. There is nothing quite as peaceful as the sound of a breeze through a grove of aspens, nor as lovely. It’s like they sparkle.

If you need some more doses of fall color (because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), check out these posts from my scenic aspen drives last year: An Ode to Fall in Colorado / Fall Drive to Breckenridge / Fall Hike at Wilkerson Pass / Fall Drive to Cripple Creek

10.24.13

Happiness + Dignity

It’s funny how sometimes we’re so caught up in our own insecurities that we lost the perspective of how fortunate and blessed we really are. I know that’s true of myself. I am awash in opportunities and options, and yet I sometimes think (falsely) that nothing is going my way. But earlier this week, I was reminded by my great friend Trina of a great cause – to provide women with opportunities and options and, most importantly, dignity and self-worth. It’s called fashionABLE and they work with women of Ethiopia to create beautiful scarves and leather goods – providing them with the same awesome feelings that I’ve experienced over the past few months of doing something I’m proud of with my life and creating sustainable business for them. I love this video:

Beautiful, right? I am totally inspired by companies that make a difference while making beautiful things. It inspires me to think bigger about my life and my opportunities and the positive changes I could create in the lives of those around me – or even on the other side of the world. There are many days I find myself staring at the closet, wondering what to put on – but I must admit that things like dignity and honor and respect are often taken for granted – they don’t even cross my mind. So many women in the world dream of opportunities that will clothe them with honor and self-respect – and fashionABLE opens a door for them. Companies like fashionABLE remind me not to take things for granted, and to be thankful for every good thing.

This week, fashionABLE is celebrating their 3rd birthday, and in honor of that milestone, they’re giving 30% off for 3 days! I am a scarf person – they are my favorite part of cooler weather, and I love these brightly colored beauties. The sale goes through Friday, so head on over and check it out – maybe do some early Christmas shopping or buy yourself a little gift (I think another scarf is making its way into my collection).

This is not a sponsored post, I just love this beautiful cause. And scarves.

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