Friday Fitness

Whenever I hear from someone that I've inspired them to try SoulCycle or spinning in general, it makes my day! I've had some readers leave comments about it but if your email address isn't attached to your handle, I'm not able to reply individually. I always try!

It's Friday! Friday means SoulCycle for me. The times and classes vary, but I always like to kickoff the weekend with a ride. It's the best way to start a period of relaxation, as backwards as that may sound.

I'm a big fan of Fitness Magazine. Some of you might remember that I bonded with their Beauty Director last month at the Look Good...Feel Better event at Saks. One of my favorite SoulCycle instructors, Charlee, is featured in the October issue of Fitness! You can catch her on pages 67-68. In fact, I often see Jenna, the fitness editor of Fitness Mag, in the front row of Charlee's class! (Right near Kelly Ripa!) 

I have such a girl crush on Charlee. She is such a bad-ass and so inspiring! She always pushes me to my limit. She encourages me during every ride, whether it's a shout-out on the mic or putting her hand on mine during a really tough sprint. It means so much to me that she sees potential in me that I don't always see in myself. I started taking her class right when she became an instructor and was still relatively unknown. I rode in her class before it was full. Now, she's so wildly popular that I have to fight for a bike! But it's always worth it. You can read more about her here.

Wishing you a wonderful, healthy and active weekend!

cabernet crush

My favorite fall color is this rich, lush wine hue. A few things I'm currently lusting after...

J. Crew Minnie pants in Cabernet / Butter London nail lacquer in Knees Up / Tory Burch suede Reva flats in Dark Plum / Coralia Leets single gold teardrop earrings in Cranberry / lululemon Sattva pullover in Bordeaux Drama

Wedding Wednesday: being a bridesmaid

The other day, someone told me I am "always a bridesmaid, never a bride". I wasn't upset or offended. I laughed! It's true.

I'm willing to bet there are a lot of gals out there who are current or soon-to-be maids of honor and bridesmaids. We need to stick together! I want to share some of the goodies and vendor info from this past weekend.

There are no words to convey quite how honored I am to be AEG's maid of honor. I'm also very fortunate to have a generous, thoughtful mother who offered to host her bridal shower.

I'm on a limited budget, so I had to be creative. For the shower, my mom handled the food and beverage. I was focused on the opening and closing details: the invitations and the party favors.

AEG and I both appreciate beautiful paper and so I searched high and low before settling on an invitation design. The invitations were absolutely adorable, but I wouldn't work with that particular vendor again. I ordered 25 invitations. I got the package a few days past the date I would have liked him, and there were 25 envelopes but only nine invitations. She accidentally left out the other 16 invitations (???). She overnighted the balance of the order, but the whole episode gave me awful anxiety. Woof.

I wanted cookie party favors, and after hearing a lot of good things about A Dozen Eggs, I decided to order from them. They were easy to work with, well-priced, and the cookies were absolutely delicious. This particular design has pink detailing on the website, but it was important to me to incorporate navy as it's the bridesmaid dress color and they were happy to make the switch. I will absolutely order from them again. For the quickest response, I suggest contacting them via email. I had a tough time getting through on the phone and they don't have e-commerce set up.

I wanted to do personalized purse goodies - lip balm and mints - as bachelorette party favors. (We instituted a No Male Genitalia Paraphernalia rule many moons ago.) I made custom lip balms via GCD Spa. I can't recommend them enough! They are so pleasant to work with and FAST. If you are in a time crunch, these are your gals! The lip balm is a really nice quality and the prices are great. This is the second time I've ordered from them and certainly not the last. They wrapped it up real cute too, as you can see.

Rather than order personalized mints, another bridesmaid and I decided to "make" our own. She is a graphic design maven and made labels to fit Altoids Smalls tins. They were perfect! If you order personalized mints online, the minimums are pretty high and I'm not sure how great the mints would taste. This method worked out really well for us.

All of these special touches really added to the weekend. I love that I can reach in my makeup bag and be reminded of the fun night we had by a lip balm or some mints.

My mom also ordered custom napkins that said "the soon to be... Mrs. _____" via The Stationary Studio and said they were great to work with. (The napkins were so stinkin' cute.)

If anyone wants to trade ideas or tips, leave a comment here or email me. I am personally loving this whole "always a bridesmaid" thing. File that one under things you never thought you'd hear me say!

I can't wait to see which of my friends gets engaged next! My money's on... well, she knows who she is. ;)

Namaste, Bluesday

Last night at Candlelight Yoga (8:30 at night - perfect way to unwind before bed) I instated a new rule for myself.

Set up my mat far away from the clock.

I used to practice in the back of studio, right near the clock, so that I always knew how close I was to being done. Moving to the front of the room has been so liberating. I'm always so concentrated on time, and to let go for an hour is a true luxury.

Last night I forgot about the minutes and concentrated on the movements. I had no clock to look at and I positioned myself in a way so that I couldn't really look around the room and compare myself to the other students. So in a way, the rule sort of perpetuated another rule, which is to stop paying so much attention to what everyone else is doing. I was amazed at how much better and smoother my practice was. I left the class feeling limber and lighter.

Lately my stress is eating me alive. Chomp chomp chomp. I spend so much time worrying about not sleeping enough that I am consistently getting less than seven hours. Why can't I just let go and fall asleep?

My first few years here, I was perpetually worried about running out of time. I took cabs everywhere because I was convinced that the subway would take too long. I was always rushing and exasperated and miserable. It wasn't until I was at least 25 that I was able to pinpoint that this bizarre fear was holding me back. I thought I'd really gotten past this phobia but recently it's crept up on me again and I'm figuring out how to fight it.

So much to work on. (I will not follow that sentence with "so little time"!)

One more rule: Don't ridicule your body for what it can't do. Celebrate it for what it can.

#AEGweekend

It was a gorgeous fall weekend in New York and I spent it celebrating my best friend, my partner in crime, my AEG! I have been planning her bridal shower and bachelorette party for what feels like a very long time and I can't believe it's over.

Look closely - my mom made the pearl vase! The invitation had a bow and pearls on it so I wanted to keep that theme a little bit. My mom collects antique wedding cake toppers so I pulled the one that looks most like our happy couple and surrounded it with pearls as well.

With our mommies.

Classic.

My dad is famous for his word searches. AEG requested one for her shower months ago. It was the only game we played and dear old Dad made it extra challenging! He even bought and wrapped the prizes - Minimergency Kits for the first three gals to finish the puzzle. He's such a gem! 

The dutiful groom showed up with a stunning bouquet and a big grin. Are they not the most gorgeous couple?!

Classic. I can't remember whether this was taken before or after the DJ played "Livin' on a Prayer", which was our chapter song, and all the Kappas were dancing, and I face-in-hands cried. Happy tears. It was just a really good moment.

The beautiful bride hailing a cab to Dorrian's. The only way to end our night!

The weekend was an absolute success... and I'm definitely going to do a separate post about the venders I worked with for the benefit of any other maids of honor/bridesmaids.

I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul

I've been thinking lately about how strange it is that so many of my girlfriends are, within the past few years, doing something I did long ago: moving in with a significant other.

Then again, I always have done things out of order.

I'm know I've mentioned somewhere on here before that I lived with my boyfriend senior year of college, but I've never actually went into detail about how the demise of it all was the driving force that brought me to NYC. Looking back, I have two main thoughts: How dumb I was. And thank God I did it.

I'm glad I can laugh about it now, because back then, I was a disaster. We broke up halfway into our lease and I was inconsolable. I would get in my car and drive and cry at every stoplight. I moved into the guest room but there was no true detachment. We shared a home. We had a dog together. He got a new girlfriend, though we were far from finished. He would tell me how much better I was, how much prettier and sexier... but that he couldn't bare to be alone and would rather be in a halfhearted relationship than single. We would lie in bed together and then I would get up and go back to my room. It was an absolute mind-youknowwhat. I think back to it all and shudder. I was "the other woman" and didn't even care.

The dog was a surprise from him to me, and we never bothered to train her. She was cute as hell but horribly behaved. Originally we agreed that she'd come to New York with me once we moved out of the shared apartment, but I ultimately decided that I wouldn't be able to give her the home she deserved and he ended up keeping her. There are no words to describe how ready I was to graduate and get the hell out of there, but saying goodbye to that dog was heart-wrenching, and I was pretty sure I'd never see her again. (I haven't.) My whole first year in New York, I had a recurring nightmare that she'd moved with me after all but I'd forgotten all about her and she'd come limping out from under my bed, not having been fed or bathed in weeks. I woke up in a sweat more times than I can count. I was racked with guilt, and it's a huge part of the reason that my first year here was so difficult.

I had no real plan after graduation, and nowhere to go but home. Which, despite my every best effort, was no longer Florida. Home is where the heart is, and my heart is with my parents and sister. So I booked a one way ticket to LaGuardia, got my diploma, and fled.

My ex and I kept in touch, and he asked me a number of times if we could try again. He said he'd come to New York. That we were meant to be. Turning down his offers killed me, but in my heart of hearts, I know too much had happened to ever go back. We managed to stay close and talked often for about a year after graduation, until we stopped talking completely. There's a lot more I could say, but out of respect for him I will leave it at that. I heard through the grapevine that he's married now and I wish him only the best. The end was so, so bad, but I don't want to lose sight of the fact that there was a lot of good before it.

In a lot of ways, that heartbreak is what led me here. I am so thankful we lived together and discovered that we weren't ready to spend the rest of our lives together. Who knows what would or could have happened if we hadn't made the adult decision to go our separate ways? In a year full of stupidity, it was the one smart thing we did. It forced me to do something I never thought I'd do: live in New York City.

The title of this post is from the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley, and it's one of my favorite lines of all time. Everyone makes mistakes and often they are what make our fate. Carrie Bradshaw once said that you have to let go of who you were to become who you will be. I spent a lot of time dwelling on and punishing myself for things that happened, but you can't enjoy the present or focus on the future if you're stuck in the past.

High prayer and heart's center

Last night, I got home later than expected due to bad weather and train delays. I had planned to go to 8:30 yoga but I also needed to eat dinner, and I hate doing downward dog on a full tummy. I ended up chowing down some sushi around 7:45 and it started to pour. It's only a few blocks away, but I hate rain. And I love making excuses to get out of yoga.

But then I reminded myself that I may regret skipping class, but I never regret going. And with that, I slipped into my Lulu, grabbed my mat bag, and thanked goodness that the rain had let up as I power walked to the studio.

All through class I thought to myself, "I'm so glad I came". And then towards the end, the instructor told us that we should strive for balance on the mat and try to let that balance permeate into life outside of the studio.

I've been struggling a whole lot with balance lately. I just can't seem to get it right. I'm not sleeping nearly enough, and I feel really pudgy and stagnant. I need to workout more. I need to write more. I need to figure out how to organize my day so that I'm not constantly feeling like there isn't enough time for anything. I need to stop making excuses to skip yoga because I'm too stressed out. HELLO?! That's what yoga is for! To de-stress.

I'm thinking back to my September goals and I'm cringing. Read two books? I haven't even finished one. Lululemon photo challenge? I gave up somewhere around Day 5. And I am mad at myself because I can't seem to stick to these seemingly small and simple tasks for one reason or another. Maybe I need to give myself a break. I spent the weekend fighting a bad cold and just haven't felt 100% recently.

I think for now all I can do is stay on top of my to do list, take lots of deep breaths, and keep going to yoga. I think the teacher is right. The practice makes me so aware of my self, my being, and my body. My down dog may be far from perfect, but I think the whole point is about accepting my imperfections. 

I'm working on it.

A preppy hypocrite

J. Crew is to my closet as my favorite ex-boyfriend is to me. A source of passion and fury, a symbol of broken loyalty. Will never quite have all of me, but has forever stolen a piece of my heart.

Except for the fact that I left the guy but I just can't quit J. Crew. The truth is that, in my mind, no one does it better. No other brand, store, or purveyor of clothes and accessories epitomizes classic, chic American style quite like J. Crew. At least for my life and style.

But it angers me, too. Like the time I applied to be a copywriter and wrote a 14-page edit test that probably took me a good six hours to complete and I NEVER EVEN HEARD BACK. Not even a "thanks but no thanks". And then while angrily shopping on their website a month or so later saw that THEY USED ONE OF MY PRODUCT NAMES. Not cool, M. Drex. Not cool at all.

But as long I'm paying the J. Crew credit card bill, I might as well keep on shopping. And dreaming...

Mmmm. Cabernet is the color of the season, and it's oh-so-delicious in this Peter Pan collar sweater. Classic Little Teds.

I absolutely cannot resist this cheeky French hen scarf. I think I need to bite the bullet next time I see it.

A question I ask myself daily is, "How many pairs of flats can a gal really own?" For me right now, the answer is 'no more', but if I would squeeze one more pair in, I'd likely pick the Classic patent ballet flats in Cinnamon. They are so appropriately and fabulously fall.

I really like the look of bright blues and rich browns paired together. I could wear the Lulu Frost for J.Crew resin and marcasite bracelet by itself, with my tortoise shell watch, or maybe even with a stack of gold bangles.

My heart beats for the Zigzag sequin dress. I know I've written about it before, but it still consumes my black and white dreams.

My love for fuchsia knows no bounds! I would so throw this Excursion quilted vest over the sequin dress.

... and then I'd put on these Opera earrings. For sure.

5773

Wishing you...

good fortune
apples + honey
an easy fast next week
health + happiness
more love than you know what to do with
all that is sweet.

Happy new year. Here's to the best one yet.

Happy four day weekend and almost new year!

It's Friday and I feel like this:

WOW! What a long, laborious week it has been. I'm so thrilled that a) it's Friday; b) it's a four day weekend and c) it's almost the Jewish new year! And I can get up on my soap box and profess how much I've changed and how it's going to be the best year ever. Because I so have. And it SO IS.

But for now, I relax! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and a happy early new year to my fellow JGIWCs and JBIWCs!

11 things you might not know about me

I do a really good Cookie Monster impression. Mostly just for Perri but she can vouch that it's awesome. We double over in giggles when I sing Call Me Maybe in his voice. Making my little sister laugh is one of my most favorite things on earth.

But I actually kind of dislike impressions and fake accents. Like, it's okay if my dad or Perri or AEG does it but most of the rest of the time they just make me cringe.

I made spaghetti bolognese from scratch for my boyfriend the summer after freshman year of college. It was my first true attempt at cooking. I worked so hard and it came out all wrong and I was SO upset. Ever since then I've been saving recipes but too afraid to actually make anything. Lately I've decided I'm going to try again. One of my missions for 2013 is to become a good cook!

I can fall asleep by my own command - but only on airplanes. I literally decide to nap and I'm out like a light. I wish this little trick worked in my bed!

I schedule my haircuts only a day or so before the appointment. Never far in advance. I've always thought this habit doesn't really match the rest of my personality (read: anal planner) but the rest of me is learning to let loose a bit, too.

I asked my dad for my Love bracelet after reading about it in one of the Gossip Girl books. I already knew what it was because my parents each had one, and the paragraph was actually rather insulting to Cartier, but something about Blair Waldorf dissing that piece of jewelry really made me want it. (Even though she's totally my favorite character.) I asked my dad if I could wear his since he'd deemed it "too girly" and had long before taken it off. I got it around my 21st birthday and Perri will get one for that milestone too. But the fact that mine was shaped to my father's wrist first really gives it a whole new meaning. And still every single time I glance at it, I'm overwhelmed.

I really, really want a bike. And an Ippolita necklace. Not necessarily in that order. #teddieight

Speaking of my birthday, it's my goal to be able to ride the instructor bike by the time it rolls around. God, I can't believe I just admitted that in a public forum, but at least now you can hold me accountable. I've got a solid four months to work on my skills.

Sometimes I dream of moving to the Carolinas. Unlikely, but it's nice to think about.

I make myself take a mental note of one thing I love about this city every single day. And despite what the prior paragraph might lead you to believe, I no longer fantasize about fleeing Manhattan the day I turn 30. Not to say that I won't again some day. But I really do like it here.

I'm truly the happiest I've ever been. But I think maybe you knew that already.

Teddi-seven is the least lonely number

Lately, there's at least one event or moment per day in which a little voice in my head whispers, "Psst. You're 27. You're still a joker."

Whether it's pulling a wedding invitation out of my mailbox. Buying a onesie at Baby Gap. Another bridal shower guest saying, "So, are YOU married?" because apparently it wasn't obvious that I was the only ringless girl at the table, let alone in the room. All of these things and more are reminders that I'm in my late twenties. I always like to say things like, "Y'all are married and I'm still just Teddi!" and I prefer to pretend that everyone else is growing up but the truth is that I am too. But what I'm learning is that you don't have to get engaged, hitched or pregnant to do so.

For such a long time, I felt like everyone else was running a race and I was sitting on the starting line. That was tough. I think any gal who's experienced it can attest that it's not the prettiest place to be. Feeling left behind and left out is really icky. There will always be people who look down on you because of the choices you have (or haven't) made. Why add one more to the list by looking down on yourself?

This year has been the best of my life. So much has happened. And I hope you'll read my newest Divine Caroline article, 25 is Not the Loneliest Number, if you haven't yet. I've been blessed a million times over the past eight plus months, but perhaps the greatest gift of all was finally realizing that only when you stop worrying about your future are you truly able to enjoy your present. And so I have been. Almost every single day. (Hey, I'm not perfect!)

And you know what? Engaged, married or pregnant... I think I'd still be a joker. Life is just more fun that way.

AEG's Florida bridal shower

Took a quick trip (48 hours to be exact) down south this weekend to celebrate AEG at her first bridal shower. My mom and I are hosting the other one in a little less than two weeks!

The decorations were just darling. Lots of pink and green!

Took a few silly pics while we were waiting for the bride-to-be to arrive. Can't believe one of us is PREGNANT!

The lemon cake balls (in the middle) were to die for! AEG and her mom are cake ball PROS.

Three generations of loveliness. I adore these ladies so much.

Grammy asked me to make a toast. I get very anxious when I have to speak off the cuff (I've been writing my maid of honor speech for years) but I will say it all came straight from the heart!

Married, pregnant, engaged, and Teddi! The four best friends that anyone could have. Can't believe we graduated over five years ago. How time flies.

Great weekend. Cannot wait for the next shower and of course, THE BACHELORETTE! Woohoo!

Good guests

My dad once told me that one of the rules he was raised with was to "never show up empty-handed". Prior to a party or a Shabbat dinner, he would pick oranges from the trees in his front yard, and Nana would wrap them up pretty. She taught him that even though they didn't have much money, it was the principal and the thought that counted.

A girlfriend recently asked me for advice on hostess gifts. I'm not sure there are any rights and wrongs on this topic, just lots of different thoughts. Personally, when I go to someone's home for a party I like to bring a gift with me. When I stay in someone's home, I usually opt to send something after I've departed.

When I stayed with J and A in LA a few weeks ago, I decided to pick and send a gift once I'd returned to New York. I wanted to get a feel for their tastes and lifestyle first. Originally I'd thought about sending flowers or an Edible Arrangement and ultimately decided against both. I wanted to do something a bit different that I knew they'd truly appreciate. J mentioned that A is very picky about his produce and I know that like me, they both love treats. I sent them a Harry & David tower. I happen to think their fruit is the best, and their sweets are delicious as well. No one has ever sent me one but I am always so excited when my parents get one in the mail - their pears are the sweetest! I sent a hand written thank you note separately and I think the hosts were absolutely thrilled. I was really happy to do that for them; they made me feel so welcome in their home and I wanted to show how thankful I was for their hospitality.

For a party, I like a candle or soap or a bottle of wine. I think anything in the home section of Anthropologie is a safe bet. I've never met someone who didn't like that store. (That candle smells incredible - perfect for fall.)

It is my personal belief that anyone welcoming you into their home, whether for a few hours or a few days, constitutes a token of your affection. I do get that not everyone is able to give a gift, but I don't think there are any excuses for skipping a note. A stamp costs less than fifty cents, and you can get a box of thank you notes for just a few dollars. Unfortunately I haven't been able to host many parties, but every single guest at my housewarming party last summer did bring a lovely hostess gift. And I look forward to throwing many a shindig in my next (far more spacious) home!

What are your thoughts on hostess gifts? Do you keep them stocked or do you buy each for and by the occasion?

Wedding Wednesday: CRJ bachelorette weekend!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day Weekend! Mine was spent celebrating my oldest friend, CRJ. My mother hosted a beautiful bridal shower for her and we continued the party through the night and all the next day!

Blanche Devereaux said it best: Don't paint the peacock. My parents' home is VERY specifically decorated, and so we decided to keep the party paraphernalia to a minimum. My mom collects old-fashioned wedding cake toppers and incorporated those along with candles into this centerpiece. There was also a reoccurring theme of the Robert Indiana "LOVE".

My mom made custom labels for the baby prosecco. She's a super talented, super creative designer. (I got the straws!)

This photo is really more to showcase the decor in my parents' home. Fun, right? We still have AEG's shower to throw... I don't want to give too much away here!

Princess P and I rocked bright florals one last time this summer.

The beautiful bride and I. Best friends since kindergarten!

Dinner on Saturday night was at Blue Hill. One of the other bridesmaid was generous enough to treat all of us. One of the best meals I've had in recent memory!

My favorite course: an oat smoked pasta.

About 11 glasses of wine in. Can't believe she's getting married!

We trekked to Long Island the next day for a wine tasting. This is the only photo we took. It was a gorgeous day.

Hope you enjoyed your celebration, C! See you soon for the big day!

Hooray for lucky bunnies!

I hope everyone said a big ole RABBIT RABBIT on the 1st!

August was not my favorite, but I just KNOW that September is going to rock.

Here are my goals. Perhaps my biggest was already written here for me - to BE OPEN.

What are yours?