Mallory's Gettin Her Groove Back.

Do you hear that tap-tap-tapping of a keyboard? What is that, you ask? It's me! I'm back!

First of all, I would like to apologize for my unannounced leave of absence. I have been busy, working a bunch, running a bunch, laughing and eating and sleeping and cuddling a bunch. I feel like I've lost 6 hours of the normal day. My days now consist of 18 hours, and I have 24 hours of things to do.

Second of all, picture a raisin. But not just any raisin, the grossest, most shriveled little former grape in the box. The one you don't eat. The one you feed to your dog, because you don't think it will be yummy. That is how I've felt. My creativity, my computer time, my drive has all gone to my work. Don't get me wrong, I love love love my job, and that is why it's okay. But I have decided I need my creative outlet again. Even if I am a blogger for a living. I need this blog too.

And I think you might need it too, even if you're not willing to admit it.

We're going to start slow, and ease our way in. The pool is too cold to jump right in. So no home post, no wedding post, no big news post today. Just a list. A list of what I've been diggin. These are a few of my favorite things, kind of thing. So - lo and behold - this is my life these last few weeks.

1. Gilmore Girls. Love it again. Always have. Logan is my virtual boyfriend.

2. Running Shoes. With all tha'ts going down in China town lately, running is my BFF.

3. Pinterest. Do you Pin? It's awesome. Check it out.

4. Winter. I forgot how hot summer is. And how hard it is to wear sweaters.

5. Navy & White. Hey, I'm nothing if not predictable.

So I'm back, today is Wednesday, and my hair is still brown. I'm having fish and rice for dinner, I love my iPhone, and I miss Michigan this week. But I'm coming out of my creativity funk. I'm funkless.

Missed you.


pictures via DVD Set Shop, Pinterest, TinyWhiteDaisies

And Something With Mittens...

For some people, raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens work. Others may be happier with chocolate chip cookies and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Others still may need diamonds and rubies. And while I wouldn't say no to those whiskers on kittens, or a good chocolate chip cookie, today we will talk about a few of my favorite things.

And when I say favorite things, I really just mean things I can't live without. Things I use every day. Everyday items you will find scattered around my house. We all have em. Those things we can't live without. These are mine (in no specific order):

Tennis shoes. There is not a day that goes by where these puppies don't get out of the closet and go for a little ride. Don't believe me? Smell them. I go through running shoes quicker than the average bear, but when you're a runner, that is just the price you pay (literally) if you don't want to end up at the physical therapists office. So therefore, I take good care of these girls.

How does one live without ChapStick brand medicated light blue chapstick? The answer is, one doesn't. Perhaps your flavor of choice is different, but admit it, you use it. A world without chapstick is no world at all. I think Einstein said that.

Hair pins are a girls best friend. Especially when that girl got a really bad hair cut in OCTOBER. And it still is trying to grow back out. I'm not kidding. One day I'll share the butchering that happened on my head. One day I may also be brave enough to get my hair cut again. But until that day, I continue to keep hair pins in my pockets, my desk, my bathroom, my purse, my kitchen, and my husbands pockets (he just doesn't know it).

I will be honest, I hate cell phones. Now, one might ask, why then, Mallory, do you have an iPhone? The answer is this: while I hate cell phones, I love my iPhone. When you work from home, and like to go to the gym, an iPhone can be a lifesaver. It's a camera, access to email, a direct link to the internet, a GPS, and it tells me the temperature. And I can watch Sarah's House on it. How much better can you get?

Good old H20. This girl drinks a lot of it. I have water next to me at all times. In bed. At my desk. On a stationary bike at the gym. With me in front of the tv. I really don't drink much but water. And when you drink that much water, it's handy to have a reusable glass/cup/bottle with a lid. Believe me, the lid is the most important part. I have many that I switch between.

Have you ever heard of WoodWick candles? They are amazing. They sound like a little fireplace crackling away, and they smell amazing. The wick is made of wood, so it makes the soothing sound of a crackling fire. I have these guys all over my house. Office, bedroom, entryway, living room. I love them.

Aside from the obvious (husband, cat, dog, bed, food, and gym) these are a few of my favorite, every day, ordinary things. Things I have all over my house. Things that follow me room to room. One day I will do a post on my favorite things that I don't own. That will be fun. But for now, I'd like to just let you in to the mundane. You're seeing straight into my everyday with this post. Your welcome.

What are your favorite things?

05:01:56

26.2 is the loneliest number. Or it could be, if I stuck to my usual thinking.

You see, to me, running is a solitary effort. It's time for me to have a nice long chat... with me. I've never been one to socialize and jog, to joke and run. I like running because it is my time to zone out. To daydream. To think things through. It's my time for me.

I have a wonderful husband who understands this. He runs with me for part of a run, and then lets me finish with myself. It's not that I don't want him there. It's not that I don't need him there. It's just that running is solitary. Not lonely, solitary.

I have spent hours upon hours training for the Detroit Free Press Marathon. To be quite honest with myself, I've spent hours upon hours upon hours training for the Colorado Marathon, the Denver Marathon, and the Freep Marathon. Unfortunately, injuries held me back from the other two. The determination was there. It was crazy. I was crazy. Crazy enough to run 26.2 miles in downtown Detroit and Windsor, Canada.

I spent a lot of time with myself, learning about me, during the long training regime. I said goodbye to beautiful Fort Collins, and hello to Enid, and more specifically, Vance AFB during my runs. I discovered myself during this time. I realized what was important, and what was not. I realized what dreams I have, and which ones I don't. I realized running is more fun when you don't "have" to do it.

But I stuck with it. Sheer crazyness determination. And it got me to that finish line.

With a little help.

While running may be a solitary effort, marathoning is a team event. I learned how much a screaming crowd helps. (And I also learned how hard 3 miles can be after losing that screaming crowd...I hate you am not a fan of you Lafayette Street.) I came to love the shout of "Looking good First Timer!" I discovered the thrill of high five-ing a stranger's hand, midrun. I learned to read signs which are jumping up and down.

But most importantly, I learned what it means to have a great running partner. The last 13 miles were slow. I didn't talk much. I didn't think much. But just knowing I had the man who gave me the passion to run running along side me made it that much easier.

My dad ran the second half of the marathon with me. He was there for me, for encouragement when it got rough, for entertainment when it got boring, for photography when it got exciting. It blew me out of the water how important it was for me to have that in the end. To have a running partner. To have built in encouragement. I don't think he knows how much it meant to me to have those 3 hours with him. It's the best thing he has ever given me.

I do want to make sure that I thank my other "Marathon Partners." I want to especially thank my J for being so encouraging and understanding throughout the training. I crossed the finish line with his dog tags on, so he was there with me the whole time. I need to thank my sister for bookend-ing the race with me. I need to thank my cousin and dear friend who ran the half and stayed until the very end to cheer me on. Thank you to my mom, who cheered louder than them all when I crossed that finish line. Thank you to my MIL and SIL who made sure to be there at the end. Thank you to my aunt, for getting me water when I needed it, and cheering her head off when I was close. Thank you to all the friends and family who were thinking about me that day, your support means so much to me. And finally, thank you to my dog, for logging so many miles with your mom.

Oh and thank you to Jill Asiala and Anastasia Smith for all these pictures. And TSC Graphics. Did I just win an Emmy?