'Cause Today It Just Goes With The Fashion {Aerosmith}

I find myself in a bit of a conundrum. Have you been seeing the runways for Spring 2012? They are engulfed in pink. All shades of it. From stilettos to pants, handbags to scarves, tanks to tees. Pink has always been one of those few things in life that makes me cringe. It's so girly, and baby-ish -- though I do totally understand it on a baby girl. See the connection? But on grown women it is just sometimes way too much. Too "I'm trying hard to regain my youth", too "Women stay home and do the dishes while men go out into the world and work". It's just not me. Never has been. Maybe never will?

Or maybe I can embrace it a bit and choose my own kind of pink. Say, dusty rose rather than bubble gum. Maybe a thulian pink over magenta.

Basically what I'm trying to say is what I've seen on the runways are not my cup of tea. I highly doubt I will take part in much of the pink trend this Spring. It's just not my thing. Like these pieces, nice, but too much pink! They even love that middle skirt so much they put it up twice. Sheesh.

I must say, the two dresses featured on the right, I'd wear both of those in a heart beat. In gray, blue, black, even an olive green, white, anything other than pink!

If you're the fashionista-type, and you like keeping up with the trends, but are not digging the pink either, here are a few alternatives. These are all things that I would not even think twice about owning. Actually, I'd be happy with my selection.

All of these items can be found on Amazon.com

lululemon.com

Victoria's Secret -- The Original

Now these are some pinks that I can live with. Anything exercise inspired and I'm on it. I've always loved the PINK line from VS too. So many options and it's actually not all pink. That's the way to do it.

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Five Days Left

I'm stealing this from Ashley at Run With Me who stole it from Life & Times of Alison & Justin. I think it's a nice way to start this week's blogging adventure. It's only five days until the new year, so why not take a look at what's currently awesome to me. This time next year I'm sure these answers will be very different!

Currently...

Current Book:

I just finished the 3rd installment in the Hunger Games Trilogy last night. Mockingjay! It didn't take me long to get through these three books. Between two jobs (even if neither are full time it's still two jobs!), working out, and spending time with Matt and Lucy, I can honestly say it only took about three days for each book. It's worth it. Put it on your Kindle.

Current Playlist:

I have approximately 10 songs on my iTunes. They're all Christmas. No wonder, it's Christmas time, right? So how about my YouTube playlist.

• David Nail - Let it Rain
• David Nail - Memphis
• Keith Urban - Long Hot Summer
• Billy Currington - That's How Country Boys Roll
• Brantley Gilbert - Country Must Be Country Wide
• Keith Urban - Without You (our wedding song!)
• Easton Corbin - A Little More Country Than That
• and so on and so forth .... Can you tell I like country?

Current Color:

I hardly ever paint my nails. A few weeks ago was the first time I've ever purchased nail polish for myself. Ever. In my life. No joke. If I had to pick something though, for the sake of it:

Current Drink:

Just water, and lots of it.

Current Food:

Salmon and risotto. That's what we had for dinner tonight. It was delish. I'm not a huge meat fan these days. A bite here and there and I'm good to go. However, I could still eat a butt-load of fish. So good.

Current Favorite Show:

This one is easy. I've been all over this since my cousin, Shelley, told me I needed to give it a try. It gets an A+ from me. Even a lot of the other couples here in Asiago are hooked.

Current Needs:

Cushioned socks for running. The too-thin ones I'm rocking these days are killing my tootsies. I'm feeling these Lululemon Ultimate Padded Run Sock.

Current Triumph:

It hasn't happened yet, but it will. My goal for the end of 2011 was to hit 250 miles. For my first year of being a "runner" of sorts I'm pretty happy about this. I'm at 238 and I have four days. I'm doing it.

Current Bane of My Existence:

This dry winter air. It's stuffing my nose, scratching my throat, and making me feel super under the weather lately. It also totally sucks because I have gotten bronchitis every January for the last three years and I'm not looking forward to being sick for another month.

Current Celebrity Crush:

Gerard Butler

Current #1 Blessing:

Matt. He's the best, really. He cooks, does the dishes (I HATE DISHES), plays with our wonderful kitten Lucy, laughs hysterically at Modern Family even though he watches every episode 20 times, is still rocking his Movember mustache, cuddles even after three years, surprises me with an owl statue that says "Our Family" for Christmas because he knows I've been loving owls lately and he "thought it would be perfect for our first Christmas together as a real family."

Current Indulgence:

Oh, Heavens me. Toffifee. A delicious little treat with a hazelnut in the middle of caramel, nougat and a tiny bit of chocolate. I allow myself one a day. They're the size of quarter and about a half inch thick. I brought back a pack of 80 from Slovenia and I'm down to five. Matt has eaten more than I originally said he could have. Now I'm wishing I hid them from him completely!

Current Outfit:

Guelph University hoodie and Yamamay gray sweatpants. Oh, and a ballerina bun. I'm not taking a picture for this. No one wants to see it.

Current Excitement:

Some of our friends will be here on Friday! They are only staying in our neck of the woods for two nights but that includes New Year's Eve and that's something to be excited about!

Current Mood:

I'm yesterday.

Current Favorite Holiday Decoration:

Candles that smell deliciously holiday-like. Cinnamon, vanilla, pumpkin, gingerbread. I love them all.

Current #1 Item On My Wish List:

To be able to go to France with the team. There has been a little hiccup in the plan to go to Paris, then Rouen to watch the Continental Cup. Sad face.

Current New Year's Resolution:

To double my mileage ran from this year. That means my Daily Mile total should equal 500 by December 31 next year.

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I Need Rain Gear

I found this running plan from Women's Health and I was going to do it. Sort of. I was going to at least do it to an extent. I would probably end up running further/longer, not do their "Tone Zone" or "Rock Solid Abs" work out but my own versions of the same ideas, and let's be honest, possibly take one additional day off than they offer here. Oh yeah, and throw in a lot more yoga! But basically use this as a guideline for doing something while I can still run outside.

Except that running outside requires decent weather, or adequate gear to run when the conditions aren't ideal. It has yet to snow (It's crazy, I know! We should have feet of snow by now. We do live in a ski town.). Snow is not the only thing that keeps you from getting outside and enjoying a run or a few other extra curricular activities though. This darn rain is not cool either!

I need something to keep me warm in the 40˚ weather and be water resistant without being overwhelming or constraining. A.K.A. I need a rain/run jacket. My pick: Lulu lemon (of course). The Run:Hustle Jacket in black at $148. It's even got the usual soft cuff with thumb holes to keep your hands warm but not too hot - because that really is an issue while you run in cooler weather.

I love the idea of running in a tight when it's raining too. You don't want to hit a puddle and have the bottoms of your sweatpants soaked, or have water splashing up onto your leg underneath the pant. Plus the fabrics are usually much better for movement in tights even if they are wet. I really like the Danskin Opalescence Running Tight because of the reflective accents. Usually it's a bit darker in the rain so it's good to make sure you're able to be seen. (Maybe I should rethink my coloring on the previously mentioned jacket?)

And of course I'm a big fan of Saucony running shoes since I bought my first pair of Kinvara 2s. They're great for someone like me with a high arch but may not be as awesome for others. If you're looking to run further distances I highly recommend checking out the brand. Make sure you grab a shoe a half size larger so your toes aren't jammed into the front - which runs the risk of losing a toenail - go for something lightweight, and read the style guide. If you like the look of Saucony too, use their Shoe Advisor to determine the best model for you.

As far as running in the rain I haven't found any shoes that are overly water-resistant. Everyone recommends having two pairs that are comfortable for everyday use and switching them out so you're not putting on wet shoes day after day. Since I already love my Kinvara 2s, in blue, so much I figured I might as well grab another pair in another color. How about bright pink?

If only running in the rain was more like this:

and less like this:

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{Ho Ho Ho}liday Party

Last night was our team's Christmas party. There were close to 200 people in attendance from (obviously) players and their significant others, coaches, management and staff, sponsors, and a select few fans who are consistently showing amazing support to this team. Along with the abundance of people there was plenty of food. We live in Italy! There's a reason this place is known for its cuisine.

A five course meal (sort of) consisting of an array of appetizers, potato ravioli with sausage, duck with raddichio, a cake-type dessert and coffee. Notice that's four things of food, and then coffee. Coffee is its own course here. They're so proud of it. Part of the reason they won't let Starbucks in. {Major bummer.}

It was delicious and not at all overwhelming. Our first course wasn't served until around 9:30 and we weren't finished until just before midnight. We celebrated one of the guy's birthday with some cake and candles and got to hang out with all of our new friends!

We spent the rest of the night out at one of the local watering holes where we consumed a few more cokes and then Matt and I were treated to one of the girls taking our picture for our "Christmas card". We actually don't send out Christmas cards. Never have. It's just not something we do. I love receiving them. Don't get me wrong, they're great. But we're not all for doing it ourselves. Maybe when we have babies?

With Christmas fast approaching I can't help but keep looking at things that I would want for a gift. I already have my present (see here) but I'm a girl and that means I'm addicted to online shopping. Or maybe those don't come hand-in-hand, but they do in this house.

Right now I am loving head bands of the winter sort. Check out a few of my favorites and wrap up those little ears and stay warm this season!

For those brisk winter runs you take, lulu lemon's Lucky Luon headband is awesome at only $12.

Love the button detail on this. Plus, if you can knit, I'm sure this would be a fun project on a blistery winter day.

The feather pins on these are beautiful. Basically you could throw your favorite pin on the side and have a unique little piece.

And who wouldn't love to pair these guys with super warm mittens? It's called bundling up. And I'm a fan.

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I'm Thinking Ahead ...

... to all the things I want need for when I go back to Italy in just over one month.

It's going to be ridiculously cold where I'm going. I'll probably fall into a snow bank at least once. Okay, eight times is my maximum this time around.

Side story: Two years ago in Italy we made our way to the slide park in town. Here we would fit our bums into the center of a tire, hook ourselves to a pulley system, and ride on up the hill to where we would eventually be pushed right back down while maneuvering our way through the man-made track. {It's like riding a winding water slide at the water park. Get it now? Great.} So after having a fabulous time with everyone there I decided to take a picture of all of us. Unfortunately for me I was wearing my Uggs. Uggs don't have traction people.  Five seconds later I was flying ass over tea kettle, feet going in every direction, BAM! Head smacking the icy ground beneath me. My camera? Rotto. Broken. FACK! Needless to say I ended up buying myself some wonderful Sorel winter boots and that never happened again. Well, that same scenario never happened again.

I digress ... While everyone else is still thinking of the dog days of summer, I'm looking forward to the wonderful amounts of new clothing I'm going to supply myself with before I cross the pond and into the blistering cold. Here are my favorites:

$34.99 from ModCloth

The Pam Breeze-ly Top from ModCloth. This green beauty has completely caught my eye. Problem? It's SOLD OUT! I threw my name and email on their list to Notify Me on Restock. I want, I want, I want.

$129.95 at Nordstrom

Heels are not exactly practical in snowy, icy conditions. Flat, stylish, leather boots are a must. I saw these BP. Ginger boots at Nordstrom the other day. They have a more worn-in look and are a little more brown (rather than orange-y) in person. Matt had just bought himself a new Blackberry the same day and I was trying to steal his attention away from that to check these boots out. Maybe I should have tried to tell the random girl next to me. She would have shared my excitement.

$59.95 from H&M

Love this vest from H&M. On their newly remodeled site you can dress their models up in your favorite pieces. This baby goes with just about anything. Love.

$68 CAD from lululemon

I'm loving lululemon these days. Everything they make is remarkable. Since I've started running a lot more lately I'm finding I need clothes (and shoes) that are truly made for runners. Your body changes quickly, you develop muscles you never had, things rub together (gross, sorry), and you start noticing all these things because your clothes are just not working out anymore. Blisters, calluses, chaffing, sweating; they all get to you. So, if I'm going to keep up my running in the cold weather, I need some long sleeves. The Run:Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve looks amazing. I may not love this models face but I love this shirt.

$114.97 at Dicks Sporting Goods

This may not be my color of choice but Burton for sure gets my vote for snowboarding gear. Why? Because it's the only one you always hear about. No, sorry, that's not exactly the right way to choose. The guy who taught me how to snowboard was sponsored by Burton so that's why it gets my vote. I learned to snowboard last time we were in Italy. I had never even tried it before. I never learned how to snow ski either. It was my first attempt and I fell in love. Season pass for me this year for sure! With a season pass comes gear. Pants, check. Coat, Burton. Board? Boots? I'll have to sweet talk Matty!

What are your current favorite things??

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Tip Top

I'm on this kick right now. I know I've mentioned my lulu lemon jacket before, but it's seriously that awesome. I'm ordering more. I just am. Clothes like these make me want to work-out more. They're comfortable, hot, exciting, and they move with you so well. So, if this is the case, why would you not want to move around in them?

Every once in awhile Matt says something along the lines of "How does it feel to be marrying a professional athlete? I'm in tip top shape. Look at my bod. I'm a specimen." {Okay, I may have exaggerated a bit. But only a bit. If you knew Matt, you would know that this could be completely true.} So today we hit up the gym. I'm embarrassed to say that I have been ridiculously slacking since coming home. I have a 10k in just over a month. I need to get my butt in gear. Do you know what really gets my butt in gear? These babies.

I am dying to get my tush into these. It's the Boogie Short people. And this is what my bum will look like in them. Well, sort of. After a nice little warm-up on the stair climber, two miles on the tread, lunges, squats and ab work, I think I'm getting there. I feel great about working out today. It's been long overdo. I'm getting back in gear. I promise.

I, Erin, pledge to get my @$$ back in the game.

A workout will happen at least 4 days a week.

Training for my 10k will be a top priority.

Eating good food is must and I'm all over it.

The planner is back on the table. Emails are checked and sent all day long. lulu lemon is ordered (with a little HP4K embroidery). The gym and I are reacquainted. Food is in the fridge. Life is back on track. Now if only lulu lemon would send me this beauty, I would be complete.

I love you Savasana Wrap.

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