July 3, 2011 I am at Whiskey Kitchen having dinner with a girlfriend. 10:30 comes around and I decided that I wanted to run my first 5k..the next day. I thought I may need to wrap things up if I was going to be running at 7:00 a.m so I ended my night and headed home. On my way home I called my life long friend,Jen. She is the friend, who lets just say, has let me talk her into pretty much everything and anything over the last 30 years. She answered the phone so that was all I needed. "Hey Jen, let's do the July 4th 5k in the morning."..and Jen replies, "O.K." Easy enough.

  When we arrived we were both a little nervous. We had not trained (obviously) and were rethinking our decision. Who cares, I thought. This is usually my motto. So off we go. We ran for the most part and finished the race in 35 minutes. We stayed to see who won. Some skinny girl won our age division but she wasn't much faster than we were. Now the competitiveness sets in..We both know that if we trained we could come back and win this local race next July. So at that moment the "RUN ONE A MONTH FOR A YEAR" goal was born. July 4th was our first and today's race will be our seventh. We have kept to our word but some things have evolved in this process. We now try to run on a Holiday ,like the one we did for Halloween. We decided to dress up as the Harlem Globetrotters. In my opinion one should dress up for any event; it makes it so much more fun. The next one was on Thanksgiving morning and then New Years Eve. Today we are running the Zoo run run at the Nashville Zoo.

 This is how this noramlly plays out..Jen is faster than me (her legs are longer:). She says she will stay with me but I always end up behind her. I don't mind this because it's a race and everyone should do their personal best. I have been training like a crazy person over the last few weeks, the race started later in day and I was feeling it(things are looking good). Jen stayed with me...or should I say..I stayed with Jen! And then we picked up the bff,Kel last month. She just wanted to walk last month and planned on doing the same today. She was a little under the weather but you would have never known..she was running like the wind. We ran our booties off. Jen finished at 33,I finished at 34 and Kel 35.

 It was a great day spent with great friends..It doesn't get any better than that!

~Jen



Until next time~
Jen

My top 5

  I have been very fortunate with my job and had the opportunity to see many things I otherwise would not have. If we went on vacation we were not staying at the Ritz..but let me tell you..once you do, it's hard to go back to the Marriott. I have traveled to over 8 countries in the last 7 years and  I have seen some amazing places. People often ask me, "Where was your favorite?" so I thought I would put together a list. These are my top 5 but in no particular order.

1. The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia (I am not sure if it's the men in knickers,that park my car,that I love, or the fact that they make smores every night by the camp fire.)
2. The Four Seasons Nevis, West Indies (there is no airport so you have to take a boat in from the neighboring island, St.Kitts. The customer service here is out of this world!)
3. Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina ( there are no street lamps, well..no lights period. When the darkness falls that is all she wrote. They want to keep it as natural as possible for the wildlife. People ride their bikes everywhere and it's probably one of the quietest places on earth).
4. The Ritz -Carlton ,Kapalua in Maui (It's Maui..enough said!)
5. One&Only Ocean Club,Bahamas (this place is$1,000- 10,000 a night for a suite. You get your own butler, who will run your bath and iron your clothes. I felt a little bad but let him do it any way.. Heck, why not!

Needless to say...these are some awesome perks to a very cool job.

 p.s. Before you hate me please read my next post..."All the airports I have slept in, there is no 8 hour work day, and being alone at a singles resort makes you look like you were left standing at the alter!"

The preacher or in prison

The preacher or in prison...that about sums it up.

 

 I am the girl who has trained for a marathon without missing a day and finished all 26.2 miles. I am also the girl who, on day three of her diet, will rummage through the cabinets at 3a.m. to find the one chocolate chip that I know got lose. I look for it like I need a 12 step program (true story).

 

I wish I loved eating my 1/2 cup of oatmeal with three egg whites but I am not..I want to go to Starbucks every morning and get a cream cheese danish with a large white mocha. I want to be naturally fit and never see cellulite. I would also like to have a tan..all year long. I am tired of shaving,waxing, hair, nails and makeup..it's a full time job just trying to look half way presentable. But here is the deal..I am 35. I want to be and feel my personal best so there has to be effort made. I want to be the most positive person anyone meets and if I have "muffin top" I am not as positive as I am when I don't..just saying. In life there are those who provoke change in others, make others reach for things they may not have thought they could. I hope that I am that person,even if it's just to my close friends and family. So..in the spirit of extreme..I have committed to the following challenges:

 

 

1. 5k in Jan

2. 5k in Feb

3. 5k in March

4. 1/2 Marathon in April

5. 5k in May

6. 90 day Beach body Challenge

7. Do 100 Push ups by the end of March ( girl style..this will be videoed and put on youtube).

 

I am doing a 5k every month for a year with my childhood friend, Jen.

Kellye,my bff, has got on board (Anna Kate is now 6 months so I get her back:)

Several of my other friends are setting new goals and checking stuff off their bucket list as well. Heather and Sandi will be doing their first 1/2 marathon with the rest of us. We are all getting cute shirts made for this event( photo ops and t-shirts are huge for me).

 

I am probably always going to be extreme..maybe one day I will find balance. But for today..I am going to do it all, be every where and do everything I can!

BUCKET LIST

   A new year always makes me think about my list. My bucket list is very superficial..The things listed have nothing to do with anything more than having fun or doing something I would not normally do. My life,my family,health and salvation are not listed here because they are not bucket list items..they are my life and most important items. I encourage you to live your life deliberately and have the best time along this journey..because life is short.                                                  

                                                         BUCKET LIST

1. VISIT ALL 7 CONTINENTS

2. SNORKEL IN THE GREAT BARRIER REEF IN AUSTRALIA

3, WALK ON THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

4. CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE IN BRAZIL

5. GO ON A SAFARI

6. GO TO PARIS AND SEE THE LOUVRE

7. SEE A RED WOOD TREE

8. VISIT ALL 50 STATES

9. SEE MT. RUSHMORE

10. ATTEND THE SUPER BOWL

11. ATTEND THE INDI 500

12. ATTEND A GAME IN THE WORLD SERIES

13. COMPLETE A TRIATHLON

14.SKYDIVE

15. SEE THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN

16. SPEND NEW YEARS EVE IN TIME SQUARE

17.OWN A PAIR OF CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTINS

18. OWN A LOUIS VUITTON

19.SEE THE NORHTERN LIGHTS

20. BE ON THE PRICES RIGHT AND GET TO SPIN THE WHEEL.

21. BE ON THE AMAZING RACE WITH CALVIN AND WIN!

22. GET A HOLE IN ONE (WITH WITNESSES)

23. HIT A PROFESSIONAL GOAL BEFORE I AM 40

24. SEE ITALY (RIDE IN A GONDOLA IN VENICE AND SEE ROME)

25. DRIVE ON THE AUTOBAHN

 

26.DUDE RANCH WITH KELLYE (A GOOD ONE)

 

27. SIT IN THE HOT SPRINGS IN ARKANSAS

 

28.RIDE IN A HELICOPTER

 

29. EAT SUSHI IN JAPAN

 

30. CLIMB A MOUNTIAN

Traveling Nail tech goes to Kiawah Island, SC

My cute little cottage in Kiawah

  When I first got the call that the Sasanqua spa needed training I was excited. It was January and I had not been on the road since November. I had not heard of the spa or the island it was located on, Kiawah. After I checked it out on google I realized I was in for a treat.I had no idea I was getting ready to see one of the prettiest places in the United States(#6 by Travel and Leisure mag) to be exact.
  I went out for dinner the first night I was there,Cassique. They frown on cell phones(FYI). As I was leaving I was shocked at how dark it was. No lights! The island only uses low lights to help maintain the natural habitat of the wild life. My first thought was that I was going to get mugged but then I remembered I had to go through two security gates to get there. As I was driving back to my cottage I came upon three deer. Later that night raccoons played on my deck. I didn't mind because I was sitting in front of the fireplace eating the snacks they had stocked in the fridge. Life at that moment was pretty close to perfect.
  The spa...Amazing is all I can say. Not only do they offer Shiatsu massage but you can hang out in the lounge in some of the coolest Murphy beds I have ever seen. I can't leave out the nail services. Shellac,Shellac,Shellac..that is why I was there. If you haven't heard about it or experienced it yet you must. A nail service that allows you to get a manicure but without the pain of drying and chipping.
  If you want to Kayak,fish,ride a bike or simply relax this is the place to be. I can't wait to go back. It is defantly the Low country at it's finest.

http://www.kiawahislandclub.com/Club/Scripts/Home/home.asp
http://www.cnd.com/Products/Color/shellac-hello.aspx

Meet the Harrisons

Here is my sweet family. Calvin and I were high school sweethearts and will be married for 17 years this fall. Wow..that sounds weird to me when I say it out loud. We were blessed with the sweetest child ever born on Sept 24,2001. Colton is our greatest accomplishment and we love being his parents. As far as what we do and who we are...Cal owns his own hardwood floor business. As for me..I am a traveling Nail tech. I have been in the industry for 17 years (I know..I started when I was 5:). I educate for CND (http://www.cnd.com/). Education has allowed me to travel the world and work with the industries best. I feel that I do what I was put here to do. Not nails per say but through that I get to help others reach their highest and best potential...that is what I love! I think this quote best sums it up..."To succeed you need to find something to hold on to,something to motivate you,something to inspire you~Tony Dorsett~"

Us...hanging out with Elvis!