Keeping it Real: Onward and Upward

As you may have noticed Katie and I have been busy lately, and unfortunately that means that C&C has gone to the bottom of the priority list. While I would love to post everyday, I've come to terms with the fact that I (we) will write when we can and hopefully all of you, our readers, understand that.

I've had a lot of changes in my life the last month. We returned from our trip to Europe, I started a new consulting job, and the Mini Fashionista started full-time school. These are her "first day of school" photos from the last three years.  Can you believe what a difference a year makes?

So, like I said, I've had a lot of changes in my life in the last month. Probably the biggest change being my "retirement" from Barre3. During the last six months I've been dealing with a variety of injuries, including sciatica and a torn meniscus. I've spent a lot of time feeling conflicted and overwhelmed by the reality that my body is not standing up to the repetition of teaching and taking barre3 on a weekly basis. I think have been in denial about the overall state of my body for a while now. The bottom line is that it can't handle any high level of repetition, be that from barre3, cycling, cross country skiing, etc. (Melissa, if you're reading....I finally get it...as much as I hate to accept it).

I worry about the longevity of my body given all of my injuries at such a young age. I don’t want to do any permanent damage that would prevent me from living the athletic life that fuels my body and soul and really is at the core of my existence. So after some soul searching on my trip to Europe, I decided that I needed to focus on my own health and well being. It was a really hard decision, but it was the right one.

I team taught my last class a few weeks ago with my dear friend Bonney, who was the first person I reached out to about becoming an instructor 4 years ago. I was overwhelmed by the love and support shown by the other instructors and clients, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to end it. 

My dear friend Jennifer gave me this water bottle for my birthday not long after my last class, and it is probably one of my most favorite gifts ever.

 Izola Onward & Upward Insulated Water Bottle

Not only do I love a fun water bottle to encourage proper hydration, but the message seemed so timely and poignant (my friends know me well). 

Barre3 has influenced me and changed me more in the last 5 years than any other one single thing in my life. It has provided me with an incredible community of friends, some that have become like family. It has brought me more awareness about my own body and health than my undergraduate and masters degrees in physiology. It has offered me the opportunity to connect with and educate people about their bodies through my classes and online workouts. And above all else it has taught me the importance of honoring my body and striving for balance in everything that I do. So, it's time to do that, to practice what I teach. It's hard to walk away from something so powerful, but I know that Barre3 will be in my life in some capacity for many years to come. 

One of my favorite quotes is "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." 

It's easy to have regrets, but I know that great things are waiting for me....Onward & Upward. 

What I Wore

Remember that dress I blogged about from ASOS (post here)?

Well, I ended up getting it in black, and I wore it this weekend to the Junior League of Portland Holiday Charity Gala (I am on the Board of directors). At first I was concerned that the dress was a little too va-va-va-voom for the Junior League, but with some reassurance from fellow board members, I decided to go for it. 

I didn't get too many full length shots, so here are a few photos I took in my mirror before heading out. I have to say, this dress fits me perfectly, and I felt great wearing it. Despite being so low cut, it didn't feel revealing. I did make sure to use a lot of double-sided sticky tape to keep everything in place. 

Our first stop of the night was the barre3 holiday party.

My +1 and I were definitely over dressed, but it's better to be over dressed than under-dressed, right? Doesn't he look handsome?

And finally, we ended the night at Waverley Country Club for the Junior League of Portland holiday Gala. My fellow Board members brought out their holiday best, and apparently black and red was the theme of the night. Doesn't everyone look lovely?

Another win for ASOS! Now I just need another occasion to wear this dress. 

Legs For Days

As you may have seen on my birthday wish list, I am totally lusting after these Vimmia leggings.

As much as I love these leggings, I found another pair to take their place, and these have already found their home in my drawer. Last week when I was in Laguna Niguel at the barre3 there, I found these incredible Legs for Days Leggings from Beyond Yoga.

I'm pretty sure my husband thinks they are ridiculous, but I think they are crazy cool, and that's all that matters. I consider them an early birthday present to myself. I will be sure to post a photo when I wear them for the first time.

C&C on the Move

We have been on the move the last two weeks (thanks Katie for picking up the slack on the blog), first to the Oregon Coast, then to Sun Valley, and just as soon as we got home from SV, we got back on a plane (the next morning) for Southern California. My husband had a meeting in Laguna Niguel, which is conveniently where my cousins live, so we enjoyed 5 days of fun in the sun with family.

While my +1 was in meetings all morning, I spent some time (not enough of it) at the barre3 studio in Laguna Niguel. As a Master Trainer I taught two classes, took three classes, made new friends and even got to take class with my cousins. The barre3 Laguna Niguel studio has the most amazing energy. If you are in the area, go take a class and tell Jessica and Nicki I sent you. 

The rest of our time was spent outdoors and in the sun around our hotel, St. Regis Monarch Beach. The Mini better not get too comfortable with the life of luxury because it's back to reality now. 

One of the highlights of the trip was an incredible dinner at the restaurant Raya at the Ritz Carlton. My cousin, who is the Executive Chef at the Montage hotel, used to be the Executive Chef at the Ritz. He introduced us to his chef friend Steve who prepared the most amazing six course meal. We ate two kinds of ceviche, Iberico ham salad, lobster tacos and wild mushroom huarache, scallops and pork belly, halibut and Steak and finally Churros. The flavors were incredible, and it was one of the best meals I have had in a long time. I've been dreaming about that lobster taco ever since. 

And finally, since we were so close, we took the Mini Fashionista to Disneyland. 

Of course we couldn't leave without her choosing a souvenir. We allowed her to pick one thing....the $70 polyester (made in china) Elsa dress was her selection. I now have glitter all over my house, but she's obsessed with it. Sometimes you just have to "Let it Go". 

C&C on Genuine Joy

Happy Monday! I just got back from two weeks of vacation (recap tomorrow) and am playing catch up in my life, in my home and on the blog.

So, while I regroup, I thought I would share with you an interview I did with Hilary Phelps on her blog, Genuine Joy. 

I met Hilary last year when I taught the C&C class at barre3 in Georgetown. When she asked to interview me about my role at barre3 as an instructor, both in studio and online, I was happy to oblige. My interview is one piece of a three part series on barre3. 

Here is a quick exert. You can read the whole interview on Genuine Joy! 

Regan was the instructor for my very first barre3 class and is one half of the dynamic duo behind the blog Cardigans & Couture. I knew her twin sister, Katie, but it was the first time I had met Regan and I not only enjoyed the class, but welcomed her energy and passion she had towards teaching. As a swimmer, I'm not used to the fitness class setting, and I've taken a class or two where the teacher is a little too overzealous, so I'm often leery of group fitness. But Regan had the perfect balance between enthusiasm and motivation and I was hooked.  She and Katie are the reasons I went back for a second (and third) class and continue to take barre3 classes today.

And my favorite question from the interview:

What brings you Genuine Joy?

There are a lot of things in my life that bring me genuine joy. I feel lucky to have an incredible husband and daughter to share my life’s adventures with. My greatest moments of joy come when I am in the outdoors with my family- hiking, XC skiing, fly fishing or any of the other activities we enjoy doing together. Exercise is my medicine, my psychiatrist, and my meditation. I often joke that my religion is “seventh day recreationist”. My church is the mountains, the ocean and the lakes. Therein lies my Genuine Joy.

Thanks Hilary for featuring me on your blog. I can't wait to get back to DC so we can all go to barre3 together again! 

C & C on the Move in Nashville

A hot second after I returned home from my girls' weekend in New York I got on a plane down south to "Music City" to speak at a conference. I'd never been to Nashville before and while it was a quick overnight, I tried to make the most of my time. 

One of my oldest childhood friends (our dads grew up together in California) lives there with her family and it was so fun to see them. She and the kiddos made sure I was well fed with a stop first at Martin's BBQ. At Chloe's encouraging I had the "Notorious Red-Neck Taco," pulled pork BBQ on top of a cornbread hoe-cake (don't worry, I didn't know what one was either) with slaw and sauce. Everything about it was delicious. Then we stopped for ice cream at Jeni's - which started in Ohio in 2002 and has expanded around the country. Askinosie Dark Milk Chocolate and The Buckeye State, and a Lipitor (kidding), were the perfect end to the night. Ironically across the street from Jeni's was Leona, a darling clothing line owned by Lauren Leonard, a childhood friend of one of my colleagues. 

I was up and at em early the next day for a 6:00 class at barre3 Nashville. The barre3 community is so amazing and I was excited to meet studio owner Holly, who Regan knows from her time in Portland. It was just the wake up I needed to present later that morning. 

And while I didn't get to hear any music this trip, I did sneak in a quick visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame before I headed to the airport. From Don Williams' (a personal fav) hat and jacket to Elvis Presley's gold piano and car, it's a hot spot of country music memorabilia. 

I love me some country music and can't wait for my next visit. I think another girls' weekend might be in order.

Got Recipes?

Happy Monday! Katie here...

It's summer, and that means Mother Earth is in all her glory, delivering the most delicious ingredients for your eating pleasure. So where do you go for good recipes? Here are my three favorite sites, along with some recipes on my "to make" list.

Three Many Cooks

Regan and I met Pam and Maggie, two of the three many cooks, at Rancho La Puerta (aka Heaven on Earth) almost four years ago where Pam was the guest chef. Ever since, their blog has been a staple in my cooking regiment (I'm obsessed with their chicken noodle soup). Right now I'm dying to make this recipe for eggs baked in chickpea tomato sauce with baby spinach. 

Dishing Up the Dirt

I've shared recipes for smoothies, brunch, and dinner from Dishing Up the Dirt and if you haven't tried Andrea's dishes before, this is your chance. Not only does she have some mean cooking skills, she and her husband are farmers - growing most of their own ingredients. This beet pesto pizza with goat cheese would be perfect for a hot and humid summer evening. 

barre3

I know we probably sound like a broken record here, but barre3 is kind of the place to be - both for food and working out. I'm a regular on the barre3 iphone app for recipe ideas - especially during the week - quick and healthy is the name of the game. This summer gazpacho with grilled shrimp packs a veggie punch with the added bonus of protein. With the summer humidity in full effect here in D.C., this recipe is on my short list. 

What are your go-to recipe sites? Share the love with us on Twitter (@CardiCouture) or on our Facebook page! 

Keeping it Real

It is hard to believe that it has been 4 years since I left my job at Nike. Ironically, it has also been 10 years (nearly to the day) that I moved to Portland to work for Nike.

Here I was ten years ago, the summer I moved to Portland.

While sometimes it seems like yesterday, I feel so different than the person I was 10 years ago. Ten years ago I was single, fresh out of graduate school, "green" to the corporate world, and new to the city of Portland. And now here I am, ten years later, married with a dog and a child and a mortgage. My how the times have changed.

These last four years have brought about the biggest changes in my life, both personally and professionally. I left Nike and started my own business, I had a baby, I became a barre3 instructor, I took a leadership role in the Junior League of Portland....among countless other small milestones.

While it was four years ago that I moved on from my job with Nike, it has been really hard to let that part of my life go. You see, being hired by Nike was a fulfillment of a dream, a dream that I chased so voraciously that I even went to graduate school to be hired. Because I worked so hard to achieve my goal,  It was especially challenging to voluntarily walk away from that dream. The title came with a prestige that made me feel accomplished, whether deserved or not. It has taken me four years to finally release that identity and feel a sense of personal accomplishment and self-worth that is unrelated to my former employer.  While it is still an important part of my past, I no longer feel that it defines who I am or what my future holds.

Heidi O'Neill, the VP of Women's Training became a mentor and a friend during my years at Nike. She coached me through some very difficult professional hurdles and was a wonderful advocate. In one of our many meetings, she asked me two questions that stand out "what is your ideal job" and "where do you see yourself in 10 years?".

At the time, I didn't have a specific job title that I desired. My ideal job consisted of attributes: a supportive team of colleagues, a leader that I wanted to follow (i.e. a good boss), work/life balance, a job that challenged me,  a job that facilitated personal and professional growth, a job where I felt that I was making an impact, a job that excited me such that I wanted to get up every morning to go to work.

And the second question, "where do you see yourself in ten years?" Despite being a type A, plan for everything kind of girl, I was challenged by this question.

So, here I am ten years later and I can't help but ask, "is this where I envisioned myself ten years ago?"

The answer: "NO".

But, "Would I want to be anywhere else?" The answer, without question,  "NO!"

I am quite positive that ten years ago I would have never envisioned being a "stay at home mom", envisioned leaving Nike to start my own business or envisioned that I would be teaching in studio and online exercise classes.

That said, I could not have written a better plan for myself.

As for my ideal job, without even planning for it, I have achieved it. I have work/life balance. I have the luxury (albeit it's not luxurious) to "stay at home" with my daughter. I have a team of women that I work with and for at barre3 and through the Junior League of Portland that are incredible colleagues and leaders that inspire me and push me to grow and learn. I get up every morning, sometimes exhausted, and I enjoy my life. I want to go to "work". Don't get me wrong, it has its challenges, and sometimes I complain (which you have heard about in other keeping it real posts), but it is a good life, a really good life.

Maybe you are at a crossroad in your life, like I was four years ago. Maybe you are trying to make a change, to choose a different path and you are afraid to make the leap. If that is your situation, my advice to you is this:

Take chances
Embrace change
Be willing to accept an unplanned outcome and move forward from it
Seek happiness
Enjoy the ride and know that there will be some bumps in the road

If you can do all of those things, I am certain that 10 years from now you will look back and realize that it was all worth while, just like I have.

It's Your Lucky Monday

Who has the Monday doldrums...or as Dr. B calls it, a fun hangover? I do! I do! Well, we're going to try to give you a little pick-me-up. You know we're big fans of barre3 here at C & C (Regan is an instructor and I just love the workouts - maybe I'll teach one day when I've got more time). You may know that founder Sadie Lincoln recently came out with a new book, giving you all the barre3 secrets - from workouts to recipes!

I've got my copy on my bedside table and am thinking, despite already drinking the barre3 kool aid, that I'm going to take up the 8 week plan. I need some structure, and this is just the answer. To win, all you have to do is comment why you'd love a copy of Sadie's book and like us on Facebook. It's that easy! We'll announce the winner on Friday. 

And to get you excited, here's a 10-minute kitchen cardio workout with Sadie - I'll be doing this while I wait for dinner to cook tonight. 

C&C in the Kitchen

This week marked the beginning of the barre3 Spring Challenge, a month long commitment to barre3, exercise and to clean eating.  During this month long "detox" of sorts, I still need to satisfy my sweet tooth, so I thought I would share two recipes that I will be using during the month to curb my sugar cravings. 

These chocolate almond butter cups are to die for good. This month, I will most likely use cacao nibs in place of chocolate chips, but next month, it's back to chocolate. I use mini muffins cups for mine, which makes them much more of a "snack size" than a big dessert.

Granola and yogurt makes a great breakfast and a great snack to curb my sweet cravings. I use the barre3 DIY Granola recipe as my starting point, and add a few of my own favorite things. My granola always includes chia seeds, flax seed, almonds, walnuts and coconut....sometimes raisins and dates. My secret to incredible granola is cardamom. It gives it such yummy flavor and reminds me of my favorite pastry, the ocean roll, from Back Porch Bakery in Bend, OR.

And for a quick and easy treat that requires no cooking, I recently became addicted to these little mounds of goodness, Chocolate Snackaroons. They come in a number of flavors, but I haven't tried any of the other ones yet....yet being the key word! 

I actually want to try and make my own version of these. I have all the ingredients, and I would imagine they can't be too difficult. I will be sure to post the recipe when I come up with one! 

What are your favorite healthy treats? 

Five Things to Friday

For some reason this week has left me uninspired. Maybe it's because I spent the first few days of the week sick, or maybe it's because I am avoiding all retail sites in order to prevent me from making any online purchases.  I constantly have my husband's voice in my head

"Want what you have, and have what you need."

Damn him for being so practical...and so right. But it doesn't stop me from wanting those fabulous Isola sandals Katie blogged about yesterday! Man I want those sandals. Then again, there is always something I want. Say it again, "Want what you have, and have what you need."

Anyway, back to today's post, I'm calling it "Five Things to Friday". Nothing fancy about this post, just something for each day of my week (including today). Let me know your thoughts on this kind of post...maybe we will make it an ongoing series.

Monday- I forgot how much I like Ginger Ale. What's your go-to-beverage when you are sick?

Tuesday- During my "sick time" I caught up on Real Housewives of NYC. I am now determined to find out who makes the necklace in this photo. It's like Angela Caputi, but bigger. And bigger is always better! I promise to report back on its designer. This could take some digging.

Wednesday- Remember my post a few weeks back about imperfection. Well, here is just another example of my own imperfection. The Mini Fashionista and I baked a cake for my father-in-law's birthday. It was an epic fail. Delicious, but not so pretty!

Thursday- Thursday afternoon I baked up a batch of tasty homemade granola. I used this barre3 recipe. There is nothing better than homemade granola! Thow it in some milk or yogurt, add some fruit and you have a great breakfast or snack! Yum!

Friday- Tonight I will be attending the Grand Opening of a new barre3 studio here in Portland. This will be the 4th studio in Portland and another will be opening next year! Besides new studios in Portland, there are barre3 studios popping up all over the country.

Laguna Niguel, CA is opening April 14th and San Jose, CA is opening April 21st. Studios will also soon be opening in Tuscon and Scottsdale, AZ, Nashville, TN, Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC and so many others. You can check out all the studio locations here.

Happy Weekend!

C&C on the Move

This past weekend Katie and Dr. B came to visit us here in Portland. We hit up some of our favorite dining spots, Elephant's Delicatessen, Caffe Mingo, and Daily Cafe, did some damage at the Nike Employee store, took a barre3 class and spent a day adventuring to Mt. Hood and Hood River.

Here are a few photos from our MLK weekend adventures.

It was a beautiful, sunny and warm day at Mt. Hood.  We spent some time at Timberline Lodge and outside in the snow. Oregon is short on snow, but we still had fun.

Even The Muppet (a.k.a. our labradoodle Winston) got to come along!

After our stop at Mt. Hood we ventured to Hood River for some lunch and Beer. We had lunch at Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom and then the boys did some beer tasting at Pfriem Family Brewers. 

On Sunday Katie and I hit up the barre3 studio in the Pearl District and then followed it up with a coffee at Christopher David. 

I will leave you with some final thoughts from the Mini Fashionista. 

Let's Get Physical

I realize that we talk a lot about barre3 here on C&C…what can I say, I'm a barre3 believer! :) That said, I do participate in other forms of physical activity…yoga, weight lifting, pilates, roller skiing, cycling, hiking, walking…to name just a few…

Anyway, on saturday my friend Kiki invited me to join her at a new spin studio here in Portland called BurnCycle. I'm always up for trying out new fitness studios, so I was super excited about the invitation. 

BurnCycle is located in the Pearl district on 10th Street, between Lovejoy and Kearney and is an ultra cool space. I'm in LOVE with the light fixtures! 

I taught spinning after college and in graduate school, but I haven't spent much time on a spin bike since becoming a competitive cyclist. While I am definitely a purist when it comes to cycling, I appreciate a good workout, and this is definitely a kick butt workout! 

Our instructor Will had great energy and enthusiasm. He pretty much had me at "I spent my Friday night mixing music and watching Project Runway!" Sounds like my kind of Friday night! He lead us through 45 minutes of high cadence, high energy pedal strokes…mostly out of the saddle…while we rocked out to Run DMC, Macklemore and JayZ, among other artists. The class included some upper body work with 2 lb handheld weights that make it into a total body workout. The music is loud, the room is dark, the pace is fast and you will sweat! 

This is what a hot, sweaty mess looks like after 45 minutes of the Burn! 

So if you live in Portland and are looking to try a new, kick butt workout, you should definitely check out BurnCycle. Lucky for C&C readers, BurnCycle is offering you 15% off classes using the code ccburn15! 

Enjoy the ride! 

Let's Get Physical

For many, many years I was nearly 100% brand loyal to Nike. I left my job there over 3 years ago, and just in the last year I have started to branch out when it comes to my activewear apparel choices.

It takes a really great product for me to forgoe my loyalty to the swoosh, but I've found a company that has lured me in with their amazing pants...Beyond Yoga. I was first introduced to the brand at barre3 as the studio started carrying the Essential Gathered Legging.

First I bought a pair in navy....and then in this amazing neon orange color that I wore in my most recent barre3 video (check it out here). The studio also has them in grey too, but I figured a little self control was in order.

And just a few weeks ago I happened across these beauties...or should I say "brighties" on Gilt Group. They could be a total disaster, or they could be totally fabulous! For only $45 I couldn't pass them up!

Here are a few other styles that I would love to add to my workout wears!

Check out the whole collection on Beyond Yoga's website.