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.

I can be friendly and outgoing. I sometimes thoroughly enjoy conversations with strangers. Sometimes I keep my head down and try to avoid any conversations with strangers at all. I have even been known to be frowning in the grocery store to avoid someone saying something to me. Other women seem to regularly strike up conversations with me in the grocery store...I think the place I live is just filled with friendly people, or do other people regularly strike up conversations with strangers about what is on the shelves in the grocery store? Or it could be that they are interpreting me talking to myself as me trying to strike up conversation with them. That could be it. But many a conversation has happened, about beans, ground lamb, chips, produce the most. from brooklybackroom.com buy here Another time, we actually had someone ask my hubby if he was Mormon in a home improvment store. We were chatting about gardening and garden lights, and she was very nice, but you could t...

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...

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...

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?

NaBloPoMo Prompt. If you had to switch your first name, what name would you choose and why? source I was never one of those children who wanted to change their name. My brother and sister had that phase. I remember the year they made Christmas stocking with their desired names on them, and were permitted to use them! Me? I was satisfied with my own name: Rebecca.  My father lovingly teased me when he called my Rebecca from Sunnybrook Farms .  At even more playful times, he would call me Beckerooni. My friends simply shortened it to Roo , as we had Pooh and Tigger Too in the group.  All this I was quite comfortable with, never thinking of a name I would rather be called. Hubby took to calling me Beck, which was once mis-heard by one who called my Beth from then on. I never corrected him.  Then, last year, people kept calling me Rachel . Even right after introductions, saying 'Well it was nice to meet you Rachel' to which I immediately corrected t...

NaBloPoMo Prompt . If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? This prompt had me really stuck.  You see, I find quotes about things I want to remind myself, but to change myself? Aren't I perfect the way I am? source I started working on this prompt Tuesday. I know there are things I would change. The difficult question was ~ did you want to hear about my weight or body parts I wish were different? I am sure the answer to that is NO. And truthfully, I really can't change those things, and finally after 4 decades, I am actually pretty OK with how I look now. (except for the grey, and I DO change that every 4-6 weeks) Tuesday came and went. Didn't write this post. source Wednesday came. Okay NOW I was going to finish this post. After all, this was the prompt for Nov. 6th. Wednesday was Nov. 6th! Right on schedule. I sat most of the day trying to figure out what I would change.  Oh, I would change the money situation, but wouldn...

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...

Well, if you want to sing out, sing out And if you want to be free, be free 'Cause there's a million things to be You know that there are And if you want to live high, live high And if you want to live low, live low 'Cause there's a million ways to go You know that there are Chorus: You can do what you want The opportunity's on And if you find a new way You can do it today You can make it all true And you can make it undo you see ah ah ah its easy ah ah ah You only need to know Well if you want to say yes, say yes And if you want to say no, say no 'Cause there's a million ways to go You know that there are And if you want to be me, be me And if you want to be you, be you 'Cause there's a million things to do You know that there are Chorus Well, if you want to sing out, sing out And if you want to be free, be free 'Cause there's a million things to be You know that there are You know that there are You k...

I LOVE roller coasters.  Well, perhaps I should say I used to love roller coasters. I haven't actually been on a real one in years. I loved the excitement, the expectations of that giddy feeling in your stomach, then the thrill of the motion. A wild ride, a few minutes of actual real fun. Then the ride slows to a halt, you find you legs and step off onto solid ground and venture off to find the next bit of fun.  This was what amusement park rides normally are like for me, well except for the ones that spin in two different directions and then around and around. THOSE make me feel like if I don't get off RIGHT NOW I am going to get so sick and perhaps die. I downright panic that I can't get off, and that makes it even worse, because the ride still no doubt has several, very long drawn out minutes left. No wonder people associate life with roller coasters. We can find our timeline of life events (not to use FB lingo, but what other way is there to say it?) filled...

All of a sudden, people think my name is Rachel. Never before have I been called Rachel, until about a week ago. Then, day after day, I have been greeted as Rachel, people ask if Rachel is there when I answer the phone at the shop, even 5 minutes after introducing myself as Rebecca, I hear 'Nice to meet you Rachel'. Well people, That's Not My Name. If I were to change my name, it wouldn't be Rachel. Not sure what it would be....probably something poetic and unusual, since when naming our own children, we leaned towards names that were not so common.  What would it be? Something people would REMEMBER. Or, come to think of it, I often don't remember REALLY unusual names, especially ones I can't pronounce.  Maybe I should just give in. Call me Rachel then. Rachel Raige.  (even tho that is NOT my last name - I do wish people would stop writing check with that as my last name too) No, just kidding. That's not my name!

Wow. I did it. I ran non-stop today. No middle of the trail walk because I was so out of breath, no "I'll just walk for a little bit then run again" . I did my normal walk down the long driveway and up the first hill ~ this is my everyday warm up.  Then I ran. I did not slow to a walk at the road with the hill, I went straight, to the second school.  Then I turned and went down that road, and back up that hill, all at a run .  I dealt with others walking ~ meaning I had to reel LadyJ in and keep her from trying to greet each person as we passed. All at a run . This is not really an easy task when running, as she always seems to try to run right in front of me, tripping me. OR runs behind me tangling us up in the leash.  Then there was the other runner with his dog. He must have the same problems because he quickly got off the sidewalk and into the road so we could run past each other not too close, as both dogs seemed to want to get near each other. This mea...

A Name. W hat's in a name?    Sometimes a whole lot, sometimes absolutely nothing.  Looking for some inspiration from my 2 kids while taking them to school yesterday (missed bus), the car ahead of me had a license plate with BCK in it. This reminded me of my name - Beck. Most of you know me as Rebecca, but really this is a more recent preference of mine. I spent my whole life being Becky or Beck. (Sometime  Bekkage, Beckarooni, Roo, and even  Beth-a misunderstanding of Beck ). Not Rebecca. But here - and now - I am Rebecca.    The radio kept me thinking about names by playing 2 different songs with women's names on the ride - Allison , and MaryAnn (well, the song is Tree By the River ). And then there is the famous Peggy Sue or Delilah . There is a song Beth, and even one for my sis, Sandra Dee (except she is Sandra J, close enough), and my other sister Suzie Q , (tho she is simply Susie).    Names. Shakespeare really got it right: A...

I am so honored! I have actually been saying the word 'Lovely' quite a bit lately, so when I was awarded this 'One Lovely Blog Award' I was thrilled. It was, well, lovely! Thanks to Sunfire , and her quite lovely blog The Dragon's Breath , I have been told I have one lovely blog myself. The rules of the blog include thanking the person who passed it to you, sharing their link and the award image, listing 7 things about yourself, then nominating up to 15 other bloggers who deserve the award. The 7 things about me, that isn't so tough. For starters, -first, I am a proud mother of three wonderful children. -Second, I am happily married to my best friend, and -third, we are about to celebrate our (gasp) 19th anniversary. -Fourth, I just opened my own shop, called Blue Rage of Asheville, where I am happy to share my passions and interested with anyone who comes in. -Fifth thing about me is I am happy to feature locally produced and handmade creations r...

Makes Me Wanna Stay. Don't It?  Source:   piccsy.com   via   Rebecca   on   Pinterest Yes, I arranged to have 2 days off in a row this week, Tuesday and Wednesday. I spent the latter part of Monday at work, sick. And I spent my day off yesterday sick, of course. You are only sick on your days off. I didn't even get my walk/run in. I didn't get my Music Monday done. I didn't cook. I didn't even get dressed until 3:30pm.  I have to say it was great to just sit and rest ALL DAY long. I really didn't feel like doing anything else, and that I knew I had another whole day where I didn't HAVE to get in by 11am and open and be stuck at the shop all day, well it just makes me wanna stay and waste some more time. Wasting time Let the hours roll by Doing nothing for the fun Little taste of the good life Whether right or wrong Makes us want to stay stay stay stay for awhile This song reminds me of our time in the Caribbean - t...

Source: iwastesomuchtime.com via Karen on Pinterest What day is it? Lately, whatever day I think it is changes throughout the day. I am not sure what day of the week it is most of the time, and date of the month? Forget it.  Yesterday, I greeted the chimney repair guys with -  "OH is it the 18th already?"   - suddenly remembering they set the repair date weeks ago, but wait, weren't they coming the 19th? Oh yes, it was the 19th! Then later in the afternoon, while discussing an item that was going to be shipped on Friday that we had to package, I said,  "but it is going to be picked up tomorrow!"   Well, it was Thursday, right? NO, it was Wednesday . Oh yes, that is why I had blogger open with a blank page waiting for Walking on Wednesday .  I think Pooh is right.  - Today is my favorite day -  Even if I don't know what day it is. Mostly, it doesn't matter the name of the day, or the number of the day. It ma...

It isn't every day you can say 'I'm on top of the world' and literally be a mile high, completely feeling like you ARE on top of the world. We got to last Saturday. View from Craggy Pinnacle The kids were on Spring Break last week, and I wanted us to do something fun, something cheap if not free, and special. Since we can't take a trip for vacation (see cheap mentioned above) due to limited funds, and my oldest having to work several days of the week, it had to be local. Luckily, we happen to live in a mountain range that offers hikes and views that are incredible. We went for a hike last fall and that was such a wonderful day everyone was willing to hike again, but this time wanted to try a different hike.  We decided to pick an easy hike close to home. Craggy Gardens.   It is almost like going on vacation, but is only 9 miles from our house. Tunnels through the Rhododendron's The trail was said to be an 'easy' one, and only 1.4 miles, a...