Raige Creations

Another Monday, another week of what the heck will happen this week? source And we are just floating around waiting for the next WFT moment. I say, it is time to enjoy some Modest Mouse then and we can all float on together. Alright, already, we'll all float on, alright Don't worry, even if things end up a bit too heavy We'll all float on Alright, already I kind of love that the video has the band in a little puppet show, moving around with magnets. Being controlled by someone. Read into that what you will, I sure we could draw some real life parallels. And then there are the sheep. All singing along, as we float along. Perhaps another real life parallel can be found here. But I won't be drawing or finding any parallels today, it is Monday after all. Asked about the song in an interview with The A.V. Club , Isaac Brock , the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band, said that he consciously intended to write something that felt more po...

An 80's flashback to start the week. A  quintessential 1980s song in a quintessential 1980s film . This was requested by my hubby, who must be feeling a bit nostalgic. Or a bit sentimental. Either way, this is always a great song to chill to, it sets the mood immediately, and makes us just ease in and enjoy. So settle in, enjoy the memories, the proufound lessons learned from the movie, and sing along. (scroll down for the lyrics) Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole saturday in detention for whatever it is we did wrong, but we think you're crazy for making us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out, is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a basketcase, a princess, and a criminal. Does that answer your question? Sincerely yours, The Breakfast Club. Won't you come see about me? I...

Of course. The first day of my vacation, I get in the car to make it to the early morning cross fit class, and turn on the windshield wipers to get the dew off - NOTHING. I should have been preparing for this, I know. Last week the noise started. A loud, tired whirring when the wipers were on. But did I prepare? Nope. Who ever fixes anything on a car unless it completely stops working? Especially a 20 year old car. I am left with the question - worth fixing the wiper motor to sell or just unload as is? We have been talking about selling this one for a slighty less crappy piece of crap. Tough call. The part locally is twice as much as is should be. We don't have all the tools to follow the instructions on the You Tube videos I have spent the morning pouring over. But who would pay good money for a car that immediately needs repairs? That is the problem with old cars. I am just not sure I want to spend time on my vacation to muck around with this. Perhaps just order the ...

Sunrise 4-29-16 Apparently I only needed 6 hours of sleep last night. I was up at 4:30am. But, make the most of every situation, right? So when it started getting light, I popped out and put my feet in the cool sand, snapped a pic, and have high hopes this Friday, and weekend, are as spectacular as the view this morning.  At the same time, I know I will be getting tired, and know that when I am tired, the grumps set in. I may just want to hide this afternoon, kinda like this wee little froggie I caught in the banana plant.  Wee Little Froggie  Hiding Sunrises and hiding froggies.....could either be a great story of beauty and nature, or a tale of impending doom. It will be interesting to see how this Friday unfolds.

I so thought I would feel better this morning. I was so wrong. The alarm went off at 6am (I forgot to turn off the alarm after we got the call that school was cancelled for today ) and I felt like my head was about to explode. I felt completely terrible! Thank goodness I could turn it off and try to get more sleep. I grabbed the end of the toilet paper roll ( we are out of tissues .....) from the floor and began the cough, wipe nose, cough, blow nose sequence, all the while cursing the world. Two hours later, I woke up again feeling slightly better, but only better enough to get to the kitchen, start the coffee and take some medicine.  The coffee was good, and the medicine seemed to be helping because I managed to check all my emails and finish a feature blog and do some other promoting. I even managed to sweep the kitchen, tend to the birds, and take the meat out of the freezer for dinner. BUT, with each passing minute, I felt worse, and it seems grumpier and grumpi...

source: Pinterest At 7am this morning, the rain pouring down, this was my entire attitude.  I know I started out yesterday a bit crazy , but I eventually got it together and went to town to take care of a few things.  I actually got a lot accomplished! Today, I decided it would be a leggings and big baggy sweatshirt kind of day. I had a lot to do, but didn't have to go anywhere. So I decided to slum it a bit. (I didn't even wash my hair!) Well, here it is, almost 2pm, and I haven't crossed anything off my list! YES, I even made a list!! So I decide to at least get a blog done. And as you can tell, I was not really motivated to write, but I just decided to get it done, and that would be one thing off the list. Not the best attitude going into it.  This is one of many days I have had like this lately. Sorry, but I have to ask.... "What is wrong with me?"   I have had far too many days where nothing gets crossed off the list! I have several of those d...

source: Thoughts of Raige Some days, the days when I wake up less than chipper, when I haven't yet found my positive thinking and hope or a good day, I am thankful for the views from my kitchen. Out past the tree line, there is a mountain I can see most days. There are lots of trees and nature is evident all around us. It almost feels like we are out in the country, away from noise and developments and crowding.  But in reality, a main road is on the other side of the house, we can hear traffic. We are down the street from several housing developments, and we hear dogs barking day and night. Our closest neighbor is pretty close actually.  We are within walking distance to Main St, a small village street with restaurants and shops and even a local mechanic's garage.  Though we still have plans for our dream house, our perfect place, the means to do only what we love, this is good enough for now. For this is all we can do right now. We can only dream of a better...

The perfect way to start a new year!   I heard this song on the radio yesterday, as we were moving things into our new booth at the Antique Tobacco Barn here in Asheville. It was a long road there, one we worked hard for and waited for, and it finally came.   It is an awesome place to wander (77,000 sq.ft.), there are lots of vendors there, and loads of really cool stuff.    And now we, Blue Rage of Asheville , are a part of it.  Awesome.  Lots of work, yes, but it has already paid off!  I couldn't be happier, things are finally falling into place. So, the best day of my life?  Maybe not the best of my entire life, but certainly the best lately.  It was around this time too that I made a commitment to myself. I vowed to remove everything that brings negativity to my life, and concentrate on only the positive and things that make me happy and feel good. My one and only resolution, but one that I think will make a h...

I know there are a gazillion websites and blogs that talk about the greatness of running. I read them too. But since I have started running again, after my 3 month break, I have learned some valuable  life lessons . Each lesson is great for running, but can be translated into every-day life as well. I will be sharing these life lessons with you while training for the  Jingle Bell Run , which I am participating in on December 7th. ( Donate HERE ). Today, I must stress the importance of keeping your form. The Proper Form. I actually researched this online, because I knew felt so awkward running. I noticed as I ran by the furniture store downtown, which has full windows across the entire block, that I looked goofy and that I made it look awkward so I set to find out how to run better. There are loads of pictures , articles , videos , etc. I recommend reading and looking at some of these, as I did.  What I am telling you here is a condensed version showing how they a...

source: Pinterest I am working on having less. I need to have less, because all that we have is stressing me out ! Less furniture ~ it is too hard to move and we know we will be moving sometime in the future even though we don't know when. Less papers ~ they are heavy, both physically and mentally. My mother hoarded papers, I am so afraid of doing that. Less Kitch ~ I vow to keep only the most meaningful and beautiful. This is hard to purge, because we are collectors of the unique and interesting, and so have cool old bottles, tiny sculptures, beautiful scrimshaw, hand painted eggs and feathers, great vintage lamps (yes, we have been hoarding lamps of all things). Each thing is great, has meaning and a special place in our hearts. These are the tough things to let go of. Less blankets ~ seriously we have so many! But I feel like I can use them as batting in quilts, so I hang on. But maybe it's time to let a few go. Less Kitchen things I never use ~ will I ever make 2...

Yesterday, This is how my day went. Started with this. source: iMapMyRun Wearing this. source: Raige Creations It was awesome! Then I managed to finally do some of this. source And I felt like this. source Then this happened. source: Pinterest I wanted to say this. source: Sawdust City I was a little like this. source: Bforbel.com And started getting like this. source: Etsy Then I was like this. source: Pinterest I didn't even answer the phone anymore. source: Pinterest I just ended the day like this. source: Skreened Have you ever had a day like that?

I know there are a gazillion websites and blogs that talk about the greatness of running. I read them too. But since I have started running again, after my 3 month break, I have learned some valuable life lessons . Each lesson is great for running, but can be translated into every-day life as well. I will be sharing these life lessons with you while training for the Jingle Bell Run , which I am participating in on December 7th. ( Donate HERE ). Today, I must stress the importance of good running shoes. The Shoes. I know, I know, everyone talks about the shoes. And here I am  again  stressing  their importance. But let me explain. When I started back running, 2 1/2 months ago, my running shoes were already old . I justified keeping them because I had taken a 3 month break, and thought I could get some more pounding out of them.  I am not sure when it started, but I really noticed my legs hurt. They hurt when I ran, after I ran, and most of the rest of the ...

Yesterday I just couldn't find a song I related to. Well, I did while running, but couldn't remember what those songs were by the time I was done. So instead I randomly searched for inspiration. I spent a long time looking for a song. Somehow, Born Slippy got on my 'suggestions'. I forgot how much I liked this song! And wouldn't this be great for a running playlist? YES! I just hope I am not on my way to a new tension headache..... Why Born Slippy ? The title of the song comes from a greyhound the band bet on and won . Then the 'suggested list' showed Iggy Pop , Lust For Life . (If you hadn't noticed the Trainspotting theme, yes these are on the soundtrack . Great movie !)  Well, that's like hypnotizing chickens.  ( My new favorite lyric.) Nothing is better than Iggy's endless energy, never a shirt, dancing around like a crazy person. I might add this to my running playlist too..... If these songs don't get your day going,...

Day 4 of NaBloWriMo, and although I missed one day so far, I am still going on the premise that the day is FANTASTIC. To get me through my runs, these beautiful flowers certainly help. They make me smile every time. photo courtesy of Raige Creations . With the pile of things that I have had to do this week, and I am not done yet, I am finding it rushed to get a blog post in. I tell myself this will get easier, as long as I keep writing.  As I get through each day of this tough week, I remind myself that one door is closing, and this will lead to another opening. I have to remind myself there will be excitement with a new direction, there are fantastic opportunities with this new beginning.  As long as I can get through the difficult things. The tying up of the loose ends. There are so many loose ends..... There will be more time with family, less stress, and life will be fantastic!  It is the only thing that gets me through the tough tasks. If I don't atta...

As I gained consciousness this morning, I was wrangling the tasks to do today in my head.  It is going to be a full, busy day, dealing with lots of people. That alone is enough to make me feel I have to prepare, not to mention the errands I have to run as well. Each on their own is draining, together, almost too much. I almost wrote on the fridge board Terrible Tuesday . But not wanting to spread negativity to the kids, I wrote this: Wishful thinking perhaps. At least some great art was in view. Sculpture done by my daughter. photo courtesy Raige Creations . Determined to make the best of this day, I got right down to folding laundry (yest at 7am), as I had put that off for far too long. Then it hit me. October 1st. I lost a little of the positivity I had mustered. Where had the time gone? How did it get to be October already?! Then I remembered NaBloWriMo , on top of everything else. NaBloWriMo = National Blog Writing Month. A blog post a day for the whole month...

Move Along ~ great advice for a Monday morning! photo courtesy of Lyrics Pond We all have times that we need this extra push. The reminder to move along. This video is fun to watch with a cup of coffee too. I love the expressions on the lead singer 's face through each scenario. A great little ditty by the All American Rejects to get us all moving. photo courtesy of Fanpop Perhaps it's a good thing when this is the song in your head at 7am. on a Monday. Especially after working all weekend, and the weeks ahead are already full of loads to do. It sure does get you moving, and gives a positive vibe to the day.  This comes at a time when big changes are ahead for me. I am moving along myself, changes at my downtown shop are afoot, and this reminder is perfect to get me through. photo courtesy of Shirtoid When we find it hard to continue, we just have to move along, be strong, and make it through. Better things are sure to be ahead. All you'...

Remember ~ you are. 

I Try. I try to be fashionable usually, be cool and roll with the punches, but what comes out is mostly soccer mom, middle age comfort clothes. Today, when hubby complained that it is a 'Macy Gray Day', (because he is freezing cold - story below) and I have a short sleeve shirt on with no jacket, I sometimes have to roll my eyes and silently mumble to myself. (By the way, it was in 65 degrees out when he said this. That is cold to him, a Caribbean Guy stuck in the middle of the US.)   At least it brings back a great memory of why we call cool days Macy Gray Days.  Macy Gray in a rockin' jacket. Why do we call it Macy Gray Days?  Because of this rocking funky cool jacket Macy Gray is wearing in this picture.  Sounds crazy, so here is the story. When we lived in the Caribbean, we once made a trip to Miami in January. We didn't bring any cold weather clothes, after all we were going to be in Miami where it is usually in the neighborhood of 80 degrees fahren...