Raige Creations

Source - Pinterest Go, ask, step. Sometimes we need a reminder, if we are feeling stuck or stagnant, to just do it. Sometimes it is that simple, even if it does take a great effort. It will get you results. I needed this reminder, as I have stopped working out, been really lazy, and now feel stagnant. I will be starting a new job Monday, which I am actually very excited about, even if a bit worried about the huge job description and big responsibility.  I worked my whole life really, for just this type of position (GO), I applied (ASK), and I was offered the job (STEP). Now, after weeks of waiting and being most definitely lazy, back to work I go. For me, I have decided this also means back to working out, back to blogging, back to not being lazy. A good reminder, just to GO, ASK, STEP.

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...

Which do you tend to do? Me? Well, if you read this blog at all, you will be able to guess. I would say I tend to do BOTH, but I do tend to procrastinate in getting things crossed off the list.  If you aren't sure what I am talking about, you may want to click here for how I am always running late , click  here for the times I am losing track of the days , and click  here for what to do if you waste an entire morning (I have done that a few times you see.....). Specifically, procrastination is something that plagues me regularly. I do tend to complain about it, too. If you need proof, click here for one complaint in October , and I actually did two posts in November, here for blaming writer's block , and here for vowing to give up this talent of procrastination I seem to possess.  It's not that I don't try! I DO have lists , plans, I have good intentions!  In fact, just this week, I made a list, and planned what day I would...

I have been off my game lately. Or should I say on a different game? I don't know. After the Jingle Bell Run , I stopped running. After two months of blogging every day, I all but stopped blogging. I didn't even blog about the actual RACE I ran for goodness sake. After applying strenuously for new jobs listed on the online sites, I stopped applying.  (Until today, that is.) So what HAVE I been doing? I  HAVE  been cooking more (mostly).  I even made pancakes for a breakfast yesterday, and we all sat down as a family and ate breakfast, well brunch really it was noon, TOGETHER! We never do that.... And Kung-Pow Chicken and Lasagna, two days in a row! I  HAVE  been spending time with the family.  The kids all home on break, Assasin's Creed IV for Christmas (Pirates! We all love pirates and this game is kinda fun to watch, with all the pillaging and plundering and shark fishing and all....) Then there was The Walking Dead Marathon. I am...

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...

Tell us what you have learned so far from daily blogging. The NaBloPoMo prompt from Friday. Always a day late with the prompts, but here is some of what I have learned. I learned daily bloggin is damn hard.  I learned it means forcing myself to write even when I don't want to.  I learned that some days it is okay to just blog about the mood of the day, and other days it really helps to have prompts . I learned it keeps me from proofing and changing my posts 10 gazillion times before I post it.  I learned it makes me re-write entire posts. I learned the delete key is easy to hold down. I learned sometimes it is okay to share that thing I wasn't sure I should share. I learned it is okay to not include a picture with every post. (Even though I feel I MUST...ADD PICTURE....with this ten-second-attention-span world we live in.) I learned some days I am writing just for myself. I learned some days I am writing for other people, and those are the da...

photo courtesy of Draculina on FB I am truly blessed, even though times have been rough. I can still smile, laugh a lot, and I never stop dreaming.  This powerful song is perhaps the best way to start a Monday.  Dream On.  link here for background of song , and link here for lyrics , both good reads. Does it sometimes take a great song or a great saying to get you going on a Monday? 

Clarity Through the Mist photo courtesy of Raige Creations This is the beautiful scene as I was running on Monday. The fog was drifting over the water so brilliantly, it was a great distraction from the run. I was on a route that I don't often use, around Lake Louise.  I ended up going farther than usual, mainly because I had to go around the loop more than 3 times to get my usual 3 miles. Then I had to get back to where I head home, so I logged 3.38 miles. Almost all of it a run. The day started out pretty good.  Hard to believe how the day changed , but it is a lesson in enjoyment of the moment , because moments change, moods change, and if I didn't have that good morning I can't even image how truly bad the day would have turned out . I was glad to see this picture today. It reminded me of the beauty right outside my door. It reminded me that I will see clarity at some point, I will find my way. Even if I can't see it exactly, once I get settled after...

Second full day at home, doing home things, and I love it! I am much more relaxed today, in leggings and a big-ass old stained sweatshirt, and my fuzzy socks .  It is amazing what 2 days in a row off can do. For one, I got back to running. I took 2 days off this week, and could run more today than the last workout. Plus, I still have 5 days working out for the week.  Rest is good! Still 5 days on the calendar for the week! photo courtesy of Raige Creations (This is what I want my calendar to look like most of the time, between 4 and 5 workouts, walking or running, each week.) Believe it or not, this run today WAS relaxing for me today. There was no rushing, nothing plaguing my mind that I had to get done today (except for dinner, which I thankfully already have planned as Chicken and Noodles! recipe here ). Oh, and getting a blog in today for NaBloWriMo , still keeping with that goal of making writing more a part of my life. Today, my run could be as fast ...

It's here. October 15th. Half way through the month. Been so in incredibly busy, worn myself out almost every day trying to finish up business at our downtown location and figure out our next steps. Somehow, I still have managed to get some running and walking in. Plus, helping me achieve my NaBloWriMo goals, it gives me great motivations for writing. Looking at the summary of the month, I can hardly believe it.  31.31 miles. 6.55 total hours. 2,966 calories! So, I guess it was okay that I ate some cupcakes (even though they didn't turn out like I planned ), treated myself with some ice cream with chocolate syrup and walnuts, ate pizza (too much), and attacked those sour cream and onion chips.  Imagine if I had eaten a little better! I believe I can start thinking I will break that plateau, well I did break it but the wrong way, I gained weight, and maybe lose a little weight. Tentative Scale Calibration photo courtesy of Raige Creations It does...

Anticipating the Start Jingle Bell Run 2012 photo courtesy of Raige Creations To see how few days are left makes me a little nervous.  Well, a lot nervous.  Silly, I know, but since yesterday was a mostly walk type run, I am nervous about trying to run the entire race.  There are hills.  THAT I remember from last year .  Hill suck. Even if I do have to walk for a bit.  Just as long as I finish. Right? Just Finish, Right? Me Finishing the Jingle Bell Run 2012 photo courtesy of  Raige Creations Please visit my donation page and see if you can give a little for a good cause. If you can spare even a little, and can relate to the pain of Arthritis, or know someone who suffers, know this goes to help. Plus, that little donation helps me too. I suddenly become accountable for more that just me.  It will make the finish much sweeter. I am heading out  now  for my run  today, with my heavy sweatpants on.  It is...

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...

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'...

Sometimes the clouds give us peace and clarity.  A cloud happened to pass right through us while we were at the summit of Craggy Pinnacle the other day . The quiet peace at the top of a mountain with the clouds all around is a moment where I found peace, and clarity.  You are quite encased, enclosed, just you and your head. The other clutter is not there, you are free to find out where you really are, and where you really want to be. It is often a moment that passes far too fast.  Don't ever worry of being accused of having your head in the clouds - it is an experience we all should enjoy as much as possible.  After all, Thoreau was onto something. The atmosphere below the clouds is not always paradise ~ the clouds can offer us insight we can achieve no other way.  Have you ever enjoyed your head in the clouds?

My daughter is so sweet and thoughtful. When back to school shopping she insisted on buying me a journal. Out of the blue! She brought me over to the journal section in the book store and asked which one I liked. I thought she was getting one for herself. "Well you have to pick honey, it's up to you" , I said.  She said, "No I want you to pick!"   " Why?" I asked.  "Well, I want to get one for you" , she said.  I was confused. " Uh, why?"   Why did I need a journal???  She said, " For you to write in. You want to start writing, Mom, so this will help you.  It will help you write, you can put quotes in there too, and get your ideas down." I mumble...and say "But I write on the computer" ....and she rolls her eyes. She continues, with a hint of disappointment  "I thought sometimes I could write quotes in there too, and you can bring this with you anywhere, and it's pretty isn't it?"   ...

It was time.  I was ready.  Time for change, time for a more focused direction, and I am ready to introduce... Not a different direction really. It is one I have been going for a while now.  As I was growing my other businesses, I was wishing more and more that I could write, share my motivations and insights that I have learned along the way.  Well, the time has come, and my opportunities are changing to allow me to give a more serious effort to writing, blogging, and creating in many different ways.  So I have focused this blog, and my facebook and google pages, to be the Thoughts of Raige; views of life, motivation, and creation. Basically what I have been doing all along, I just didn't realize that the look of my blog had been outdated for quite some time. I will still be selling my creations, as Raige Creations (on Artfire and Zibbet , plus Vintage Rage on Zibbet ), sharing my motivations, getting through life's highs and lows...

Here I am, trying again to get back to working out.  To say the least, my workouts have been sporadic. I try, I get out for one walk, then don't again for a week, then two walks with a little running, then nothing.  But I am trying again. Since it is the beginning of a new month, I am trying to keep track, and be more consistent.  Here are my recent workouts. It looks a little scant, there in the line graph. And yes, the previous workout was 2 weeks prior.  But here I am, now with 2 workouts in one week, and now that I am sharing, well if I don't keep at it you all will notice. Plus, today I ran for almost 2 songs, and walked the rest. A little bit more each time.  Whether you like it or not, I am making myself accountable, and will be sharing with you, my new (perhaps unwilling) workout buddies. I will record, share, and hope to make some progress this time. I am trying again. After all, the true failure is not trying.  Plus, seeing ...

This great reminder helped me get out of bed yesterday. A wonderful quote from my hubby, knowing I was grumpy and overwhelmed with life, as has been the Modus Operandi these days.  I was having a difficult time finding the motivation to get up and start yet another day of stress, worry, uncertainty, and  chores. Who wants to get out of bed for that? But he wisely reminded me we have a goal, we have something to look forward to. And we are one day closer to getting there. Some days, he knows just the right thing to say.

Sounds like the title of a story, and very well could be. But today, it is simply the caption of the photo I found the while going through my computer pictures. It was taken from far away, as Red Tailed Hawks are rather skittish around us humans. I honestly didn't even notice the squirrel when I was taking the picture.  The Hawk and the Squirrel This photo was taken right in our yard, this view is from the kitchen window.  I often get lost on pictures. I enjoy reminiscing, I wonder why the time goes by so fast when I see pictures of the kids past birthdays, and wonder WHY I took some pictures..... I am not sure why I took this picture.....  and then  congratulate myself on some great shots!  The Praying Mantis in a Jar 1. (great shot 1) The Praying Mantis in a Jar 2. (great shot 2) I should have been working, updating spreadsheets, but instead I got lost on photos. It is a nice vacation from the present sometimes. It is a nice thought of t...

I have on our message board on the fridge Thankful Thursday, to remind us we need to be thankful. Sometimes, when we remind ourselves that there is so much to be thankful for, the stresses and difficult times are just a little easier to get through. But we also need to realize when we are hanging on to something that is holding us back, we need to let it go. So let go of the stresses, uncertainty, the things that keep us stagnant. It is no fun to be dragged, that is not the way to move forward. Do you have something that you are hanging on to? Will you be able to move forward if you let it go?