we say we aren't competitive...

October 4, 2011 Whitney Saxon

But on a recent trip to Denver to meet the wonderful, beautiful Diego (of whom I took no pictures. which is sad and lame), Courtney and I engaged in a little lawn mowing competition. We raced to see who could get their half done the fastest and I'd say the videos are better than any description I could offer...

I had so much fun with Courtney and Ashley (and Crosby, Griffin and Diego) and I was rilly sad to leave them, because they're wonderful and fun and the bestest.

no more tarzan

October 3, 2011 Whitney Saxon

Now that it's October (rabbit, rabbit) I am prepared to admit that summer is over. And, with the change of season comes a change in lifestyle as well. Since May, I can count on (less than) one hand how many nights I've spent at home. Not to say I've been weeknight partying, I'm too old for this now that I'm in Club 25, but I've just packed my nights with activities - dinner with friends, new workout classes, committees, sporting events, dates, outings, etc. And last week, it hit me that I can no longer sustain this. I'm deadso. And so, I'm vowing to slow it down this month.

You see, I have always had somewhat of an addiction to busyness. As Shauna Niequist puts it, "I love days when you're always leaving something early to arrive just a touch late at the next place, like pearls on a string or Tarzan swinging on vines, feet never touching the ground."

This is how I've felt my entire life, but it's safe to say that over the course of the last few months, I've overdone it just a bit. So as October begins, I'm making it my goal to sleep more than six hours each night and abstain from making plans at least one, but preferably two, nights each week. I'm confident these two baby steps will help me get things back under control, so that cleaning out my purse and mailing a letter don't become activities that sit on my to do list for weeks.

As my mom reminded me last week when I had a teeny tiny meltdown because I couldn't find time to get Ashley a baby gift and pack between yoga and meeting friends for sushi, balance is the key to life. And just because I've let things get slightly off balance does not mean I've failed (which was what I asked her during my super rational breakdown) but it does mean it's time to reeavalute just, exactly, what is essential to maintain.

So, in November, I'll be sure to report back on how this trial month goes. If all goes according to plan, I'll return as a super-rested, happy-as-a-clam-girl.

Happy unbusying!

image via

the beauties

September 28, 2011 Whitney Saxon

Six months ago, when I told people I was from Indiana, they said something along the lines of: Oh! I love Peyton Manning!

Now, they typically give me the eek face, where they make their mouths into a slit, suck in air, and say: Looks like it's going to be a rough season for the Colts, eh?

It's a stark contrast to the good old days.

However, on Sunday, I went to a dinner party and one of the people I met said: Indiana! Everyone in Indiana is beautiful. I used to date someone from Indiana, and when I would visit, I would look around and think, everyone here is so attractive.

It made my heart very happy. Because I agree, everyone I know in Indiana is very beautiful. Inside and out.

image via

making my dreams come true

September 27, 2011 Whitney Saxon

There are two rilly great things about living far away from the people you love: (1) when they visit you and (2) when you visit them. This weekend I embraced the latter with a trip to Chicago to see my beautiful fraynds.

The weekend started true to form, when I arrived at Midway and Sara and Katie were waiting at O'Hare. Fortunately, Kelley, Jamie and Maggie came to my rescue right away. I just had to jump on the orange line for a few stops, which really only added magnificence and culture to my trip.

We made it to our 10 pm dinner reservations by 10.40 and shut the sushi restaurant down. We followed it with an amazing night downtown and it felt truly wonderful (and a little chilly) to be back in the Midwest.

Saturday, Sara, Kates and I magically enjoyed a day of free everything. Coffee in hand, we set off to Whole Foods for an afternoon of food and wine samples, but along the way came across a cupcake shop anniversary party, with complimentary food and beer, and free wine flights and snacks at World Market. Do these things happen in Atlanta and I miss them, or do people just drink for free all day in Chicago because they don't have to drive anywhere?

Once we arrived at Whole Foods, we also somehow scored free sunglasses. People were really just throwing things at us.

We also spent the day telling everyone, for no apparent reason, that I was vegan, which was awkward when we went to get coffee Saturday evening (for the second time) and the barista quickly offered me soy milk, which I kindly declined and bee-lined for regular milk. I like to think it made us more mysterious. Or something.

Saturday night, we met Maggie, Jamie, Kelley and Smully out for a night in Lincoln Park, and followed it up with a wonderful brunch at John's Place, which is where Sara works on the weekends. She didn't get to be our waitress, but we smiled at her a lot.

I truly, 100 percent, could not have asked for a more wonderful weekend. By Sunday night I was super tired, but laid in bed, wide awake, recapping the weekend over and over. It left me asking myself, why, exactly, I live hundreds of miles away from these fine people, but I keep telling myself that it's all worth it for these magical weekends together. This sort of vegan, nonstop, free stuff lifestyle can't be sustainable all the time, right?

PS: I'm drinking chocolate milk right now. Already reverted back to my animal disrespecting ways.