Long time no blog!

Hi Friends! It's been a while since I've sat down and blogged, but I've got so many things to update about that I thought I'd just to a quick recap to get up-to-date...so here it goes, Jenn's life in bullet points:

• If you follow me on twitter, you've probably already seen me mention this, but my Etsy store is back up and running...and it's in full swing! I've started making non-slip headbands similar to those you find at running stores, race expos, and the interwebs for $15-18. I'm charging $10 each or $25 for a set of three. All proceeds benefit my Girls on the Run SoleMates fundraising campaign. If you check it out and don't see a pattern you're looking for, shoot me a message! I'm in the process of making a bunch more.
• Chocolate pasta sucks. I bought some at Soulard Market last Friday with plans to make it as a dessert for Easter dinner. I told my mom about it and she immediately thought I was crazy and requested that I do a test run. Well...she was right it.was.awful! I boiled the noodles, chilled them, tossed them with whipped cream and strawberries and topped it with chocolate sauce. Sounds great, right?? WRONG! After tweeting that this was an epic fail Lauren told me her boyfriend has made chocolate pasta as a savory dish with butter and parm...I may try that with the rest of the noodles (if I'm not too traumatized to try them again).
• Speaking of the fabulous Lauren...I AM GOING TO CALIFORNIA to visit her in September to visit her!!!!! We were originally planning a long-ish weekend, then she mentioned that she was road-tripping to Vegas the week I was planning on leaving. This lead to me popping into my boss's office and asking if I can take 12 days off (well, 12 days total, not 12 work days) and she said YES!!! So...LA and Vegas in less than 5 months?? Time to get my ass in shape!
• If you're in St. Louis and you haven't been to Sanctuaria yet, you need to go. NOW! I'd be lying if I said I remember a lot about last Friday, but what I do remember is amazingly yummy drinks (with pretty flowers), a cool crowd, and a very hip vibe. I can't wait to go back.
• If you have a second check out the Girls Guide to the Galaxy's StL 2011 Sexiest CyberGeek contest. They posted it last night, and I've found some cool new local people to follow! I'd love to opportunity to meet all of the other nominees sometime soon.
• Our Ragnar Chicago team is finally coming together! After having a full team of 12 set late last year, the team kind of fell apart this spring. Work, school, and babies caused some girls to have to drop, but we're now back up to a team of 11 and we already have 2 out of the 3 volunteers that we need. We are still looking for one female runner and 1 volunteer in or near Madison or Chicago...if you know of someone PLEASE let me know!

Ok..I think that's enough for now. I promise I'm really going to try to be better about updating. I've got way to many races and new shoes to tell you about to not blog.

Happy Almost-Thursday!!!

Back to the basics

It's been a while since I've posted about shoes, so I decided to share a couple of pairs that arrived yesterday. If you follow me on Twitter, you've probably heard me talking about Sole Society. It's a new shoe club that just launced this year. I didn't hear about SS until last month and signed up right away. I ended up ordering two pairs of summer heels, the Anouk and Analisa.

Here's what SS has to say about the Anouks: This fashion forward yet timeless platform is a fun, sexy addition to your shoe collection. With peep-toe, cutouts and a Tstrap, it's equally sleek and fierce.

• Heel Height: 5 1/2"


• Platform Height: 1 1/4"


• Runs true to size


• Material: Microsuede

Anouk in coral

I ordered them in coral and am in love. They're so cute and comfortable that I've decided to order the blue as well!

Isn't the blue pretty, too??

Next up is Analisa:

Take your look to the next level with these gorgeous ruffle heels. The adjustable ankle strap provides a secure fit while the stiletto adds femininity and glamour.

• Heel Height: 4 3/4"


• Platform Height: 1"


• Runs true to size


• Material: Satin

L.O.V.E.

Analisa may not be the most practical shoe ever, but 4" heel, platform, ruffles AND pink meant that I had to have them. Their not as comfortable as Anouk, but they're certainly not uncomfortable and I think they'll look super cute with dark jeans and a white top.

Have you guys found any cute new shoes lately?

And the winners are... (plus tutu instructions)

Thanks to everyone for the super sweet comments about Rock n Roll Dallas - Barbie from barbie runs for fun and Jacob (aka @Wirelessjake on twitter) are the lucky winners of theHoneyMilk! I'll be putting both of you in contact with them very shortly. For everyone that didn't win and would like to try HoneyMilk, here's a coupon code I found online for you - SMP63032 - using this code will save you 33% on your entire order of Athletes HoneyMilk (up to 6 cases of each flavor per order), plus the shipping is ALWAYS on them!

Miss Alayna sporting her halloween tutu and her PunkRockRacing tee!

Also - I owe Fran overdue instructions on how to make tutus so here it goes:

You'll need:

2 spools of 6" tulle (I like to use more than one color - so get one of each)

Spool of grosgrain ribbon, preferably something about an inch thick

Scissors

I start by cutting the tulle into strips approx. 24" long (this will give you a tutu that's about 12" long). I find it easier to go ahead and cut off of the tulle at one time, but feel free to just cut it as you go. Then I tie the ribbon around the back of a chair making sure that it's tied tightly enough that it isn't going to move too much. Then all you do is fold the tulle in half and tie a slip knot around the ribbon, making sure the knot is at the bottom of the ribbon. If you don't want to use slip knots, you can simply make a double knot - easy peasy! If you're using multiple colors, just alternate the tulle as you go and continue that pattern until it's long enough. When it's the length you need simply cut the ribbon, allowing enough room to tie a bow, and you're all done!

This is how I've made all of mine - if you're wanting to use elastic instead of ribbon, here's a great tutorial from Plumtickled - just remember she's showing you how to make them for a kiddo, so you'll want to make sure you get the proper waist measurement.

I hope all of that makes sense - if anyone wants to make a tutu and doesn't understand anything I just said, shoot me an email and I'll do my best to help.

Hope y'all had an awesome Monday!