Author: twomeatballsgetfit

Two Meatballs: I Could NOT Be More Pinterested!!!!

August 27, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,hgtv, hi kelly, home makeover, i am so frickin excited, pinterest, treat yo selftwomeatballsgetfit View all 4 comments

Did you see what I did there!? #clevergirl #thatoneisforyoukristina Me and Jenny have been on super opposite schedules lately and it has been hard to get together, but don’t worry we are working out with sweet Sandy tomorrow and cooking segments will make a sexy return very soon! In the meantime, whats a gal to do with herself while trying to relax more in her off time!? Ummm, spend countless hours watching HGTV while simultaneously pinteresting my life away.

You guys, honestly nothing makes me happier!!!!! #worstangle #noupshots I get in my little nook on the couch and start a pinning away. You know Jenny and I love an obsession and as she has been day dreaming of Kylie Jenner’s style, I’ve been drooling over new home ideas. Mom and dad took me to 100,000 open houses when I was a kid, which I loved #babyvoyeur and there was no shortage of Martha Stewart magazines littering the house. I have been obsessed with real estate and interior design from the word go…so creative! Over the years I have made many changes to my home, putting in hardwoods downstairs, getting my ceilings smoothed, 1,000 paint jobs, lots of new furniture, appliances, frequent bedroom facelifts and no shortage of revolving art installations! I have no shortage of ideas of what I want to change now. I’m in a real pink and gold phase of my life and I’m itching to give my house a pick me up. Here are all of my current home dreams:

It is time for this carpet to go!!!

Before:

And here is what I want!

The living room is pretty great, I spend most of my time in here and it makes me so happy, it is the most me room in the house besides the shocking pink bathroom. But, you know I love pink so I’m thinking just some paint, reupholstered chairs and swap put some accent colors in here! And don’t worry, I didn’t clean up AT ALL for the befores…makes for better afters!

Before:

This is the direction I want to go!

So pretty right and I like to think, a grown up pink! Now onto my cluster eff of a laundry “room”…i hate this dumb space. This is a super minor facelift. I just need to completely clean it out and switch up how I store thinks, maybe a cute backsplash type thing!

Before:

Look at this beauty!

And this sad pantry!

Before:

This is my literal fantasy!

In the kitchen I replaced all the appliances last year, now I just want some subway tile, new countertops, paint, paint cabinets and some light fixtures!

Before:

This is what I love!

The dining room I want to do a dark navy blue with a different table with mixed seating.

Before:

I want to give my sad little office a facelift! This is all cosmetic!

Before:

I love all of these sooo much!

This last pic really got me going! I love everything about it.

Then my third bedroom is real sad right now. I donated my childhood single bed to Wyatt since he had outgrown his bunk beds…so I’m thinking Closet!!!

Before:

Wouldn’t these be everything!?

My bedroom is pretty much my dream, I just want to ditch the dark navy(this is the navy I’m thinking for my bedroom!) and get some lighter neutrals in there.

Before:

Look how luscious!

My closet just needs refiguring!

Before:

This organization is appealing!

My bathroom is the bane of my existence and where the mold was found…time for tile! Also, this tiny space is already cut into two with a big stupid, useless wall. My dream is to personally tear that shit down, myself! See the wall, doesn’t it make you so mad!

Before:

These are everything:

I am so obsessed with penny tile! And I love these gold accents.

The middle bathroom just needs to be modernized!

Before:

and lookey here!

A little shelving above the loo would be everything! These are all my dreams! I just get so excited every time I look at these beautiful images and they feel so right and homey to me!!! So what now?! Well, I’ve been pretty financially responsible. My credit score is 816. I bought a house at 22 and I’ve taken full advantage of my retirement funds. I could use a little tightening of my day to day budget, but it would be worth it to really love my home even more than I already do. For my health and for my happiness, I need to make my home more of a safe haven and sanctuary. I’ve worked hard and it has paid off…

Hahahaha, I love my boss! Now it’s time to do something! I’m not going to do anything crazy, I don’t want to price myself out of my own neighborhood, but I’m thinking of starting with the most health beneficial items on my list. Bye bye carpet, hello tile in bathrooms, my kitchen (since I’ll be in there cooking all the time ;)) and then some cosmetic stuff! My next move is to make an appointment with a contractor and get some quotes. I could not be more excited right now. I literally can’t wait to give y’all an update. Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you on pinterest! Xoxoxoxoxo

Two Meatballs: having my cake and eating too!

August 26, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,twomeatballsgetfit One comment

hellllloo hello hello. It’s Jenny today!!!What a crazy ride this whole journey has been. A year ago I thought I had mastered weight loss. Hahaha…rich! Im just trying to manage my life these days. And maintain a healthy lifestyle while doing it. Finding the balance will always be the challenge. I can be so emotional and passionate, and that can sometimes sway my better judgment. Sara’s post yesterday about finding peace was really inspiring. I would love to visualize all my goals and tackle them head on. As well as face some of the hardships, and peacefully close those doors. It’s hard. And sometimes full of tears. But I’m trying to embrace my feelings as I am feeling them. I had a total cry fest Monday evening, just thinking about the people I have lost and loved. As I was feeling this way I tried to explore every thought I was having, and just kind of talk it all out in my head. As I was falling asleep I felt really good. And slept 8 hrs uninterrupted!! Was I truly peacefully sleeping?!? I think so! And with that I started a healthy day!!!

Paleo pancakes, requested by London.

Simple works well for me, as well as yummy!

London and I ran around the playground for hours! I was a sweaty mess. Way to hot outside. We came home and slammed waters and had lunch.

again very simple…. Scrambled eggs and avocado. Protein and good fats!!!

time for play doh!! Play doh is the most fun. Who dosent like that stuff? So London and I had a cupcake party!!

Adorable!!!! I make the cupcakes and she is an expert sprinkle decorator. A great thing we got going here. And just when I start craving a mid day sweet treat, we decided to make a healthy treat instead. Strawberry coconut pie! It is crust less and contains mashed up strawberries, a cup of coconut cream, and yes I let London go crazy with the sprinkles. Finding the balance..right?

And then made my favorite dinner! Zoodles!!

Did mentioned I changed my hair!!!

Kylie got to me!!! Great day with my little nugget. Learning new things all the time together!!! London is asleep and now I’m going to try this semi paleo strawberry coconut pie!! Can’t wait to workout with Sandra and Sara soon!!! Love you guys! Thanks for all of the support!

Two Meatballs: Om My Gah Yogaaaaaays!

August 25, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,AIP, Bath and Beyond, Bed, Beginners yoga series, bliss body yoga, cooking at home, elimination diet, food allergies, hi kelly, isn't the title hilarious!?!, limited options, Pure Barre North Raleigh, smoothies, Sun Salutations, target, Trader Joe's, whole foods, workout friendstwomeatballsgetfit View all 7 comments

Well hello everyone!!! This is your pal Sara and I have to say, I am feeling better than I have in a really long time. I’m eating healthy and moving my body again. My mind feels calmer. I feel present and inside of my own body instead of my own head. I feel powerful and calm and excited to moved forward with all the things I’m learning in therapy and all my other endeavors! In the spirit of change and new beginnings, this weekend started my Yoga Beginners Series at Bliss Body Yoga…you’re not even going to believe this!!! I loooooooooooooooooved it. It was everything. What an enlightening experience. I had such a calm feeling driving there. Not many things make me nervous, but doing new group exercise things are usually a nail biter for me. But the night before I fell right to sleep, woke up on time, got dressed, had a green tea and headed out. My drive there was so peaceful, windows down and I wasn’t nervous…like at all!!!! I pulled up, walked in and was greeted by our instructor, Nancy, the cutest cutie. This place is gorgeous.

A tiny voice in my head said , pick a spot in the back. But I’m a front row girl, so I shook that thought away and sat front and center next to my new friend Jo!

By the time 11:15 rolled around, the room was comfortably full. Nancy welcomed us, introduced herself and told us a little about her. Then we went around the room and said our name, what our previous yoga experience was and what we would like to gain from class. It was so nice to feel a sense of community before we got started and by the end of intros it was clear that everyone was kind of on the same page…wanting to learn the basics so as not to feel so lost, gain strength, flexibility and relief from our stressful lives. We started with Savasana or corpse pose, which lets you focus on breathing. It was like a peaceful nap. Then we slowly progressed into a series called Surya Namaskar or Sun Salutation which included table to cat to cow to childs pose. We went over lots of body posture points and ways to modify as your body gets used to the stretch. Then we went over how to distribute weight in your hands and feet for downward dog!

Then we walked to the front of our mat and did a very powerful stance. Hinged at the waist, into downward dog, then into a plank to cobra to downward dog I think, then back to standing and hands to heart. It was a lot of information but it felt nice and I loved the repetition of it. To finish up we did Savasana one more time and she came by and misted a lovely smelling mixture over us. Before you knew it an hour and fifteen minutes had flown by. I ran into one of Kelsey and Alleys clients before we left…such a small world!!! I have to say, I absolutely loved this. I love Nancy, I loved Bliss Body Yoga, I loved our group and most of all I loved the way I felt when I left. I don’t know if I’ve ever been this relaxed after exercising.

I just cannot wait to go back!!! Thanks Nancy!!!! Xoxo It even made me confident enough to go back to Pure Barre. I woke up Sunday morning and found myself in Jenny’s cousins class, Ariel!!! And it was serious. I was welcomed back literally with open arms. You really get to know people in this intimate setting! My pal Brooke was there and then some PB friends, Camille and Karen.

Ariel is the living sweetest, but once that mic went on, it was business time…my butttttttttt!!! It aches in the best way. This weekend I also went home and health shopping…

I got a tea kettle for my new tea obsession, some mason jars for juicing, a better knife, meat thermometer, some dish towels, yoga blocks, a pill caddy to keep all of my elimination diet supplements organized!!!! I had a Bed, Bath and Beyond gift card from my lovely client who moved to Ireland, Mary and I finally joyfully spent it! Thanks Mary!

Since I’ve started the elimination food plan to see if I have food allergies, I’ve already noticed that I have sensitivities to cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Nothing major, but it was for sure harder to breathe after i ate them! Imagine how great I’m going to feel getting rid of the things that make me feel bad!?!? It feels so nice to be cooking again and in charge of my nutrition. I’m not sure how I get so far from center but now that I’m feeling a little better, it actually is fun to meal plan, grocery shop and cook. I’m trying to think of just two days at a time, so I don’t over plan and get stressed out. Also, it leaves room for creativity and what I’m actually craving…which lately is MUSHROOMS!!! Lately I can’t get enough!

I love knowing that I have healthy things in my house to nourish and heal my body. There are so few things i can eat on this list and brown rice and quinoa are two of the items, so I have embraced the grain for the next 30 days. This weekend I made a mushroom, onion, garlic, leek gravy with oregano pan roasted chicken and tossed the whole thing with brown rice.

I also roasted zucchini, squash and onions and added it to the mix. It was so good and satisfying! I also experimented with some smoothies. I cant eat bananas which is a smoothie staple for me! So I mixed spinach, unsweetened coconut milk, blueberries, mango, pineapple and fresh squeezed lime juice….um delish! I also made a PBJish type smoothie with spinach, unsweetened coconut milk, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and cashew butter. Jenny tried it and said it was bland!!! It so funny when you are so restricted how different things taste…I thought it was decadent! Haha. You guyyyyyyys. I Feel so flipping good!!!! I’ve have learned so much about myself. I tend to put all my happiness eggs in to my health basket. I’m trying to change that so it isn’t so devastating when I don’t feel well. So now I’m just focusing on positivity and celebrating when I feel great. Thanks to all of you and if you aren’t doing yoga or have some form of peaceful meditation in your life, I can’t say enough wonderful things about it!!! Love you all like woah! Namaste. Ps: Y’all, this is our 302nd post!!! It has been so crazy lately I missed the 300th, but what a ride this has been. We are so grateful to every single person who reads our story. Xo time a milly.

Two Meatballs: Aller-GEEEEEZ!!!!

August 20, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,allergies, bliss body yoga, cooking with your bestie, fleet feet, healthier home healthier you, hi kelly, life lessons, mold, plants are your allies, positive mind great day, sugar elimination diettwomeatballsgetfit View all 2 comments

Sara here!!! (Don’t worry, it’s both of us later on in the post!!!) About 5 years ago I went and had an allergy test. The kind where they prick your skin and then you look like a sheet of those candy dots all day!?! It was fascinating and only mildly uncomfortable. If you don’t know me yet…I love trying something new even if it hurts or is gross or tastes terrible or ends up being the living worst idea, I live for the experience and the knowledge! This was no different. It turns out that I am allergic to mold, dust, grass and most trees!!! This made so much sense!!! My Apple grandparents lived in Little Washington near the Pamlico Sound and this town is riddled with mold!!! Its basically sea level so there is no avoiding it and literally every time I would go there I as a kid wanted to itch my nose clear off my face. It was always a sick trigger which sucked bc it was also the funnest place ON EARTH! Anyways with this new found info, I was told I should try immuno-thearpy where they shoot you up with small doses of what you are allergic to in the hopes that you will build up a tolerance. With where I was in my life then and with my long hours at work, I just couldn’t/didn’t want to make it work. Instead, I started taking Allegra daily and during high allergy/season change season, I had a nasal spray and two inhalers #areyousoturnedon!? which worked for awhile. Well, it has popped up again and my mold allergy seems to be the root of my breathing issues! First let me say, it is a relief to have a new avenue to go down. Nothing that I took for my lungs was really working and it turns out my lungs were just the loudest byproduct of my intolerance to mold! And with the upcoming season change, I need to be ready!!! I want to change my relationship with mother nature as I love her so much.

So whats a gal to do you ask!?! Well, step one: make my house a safe haven! Since I don’t want to move to New Mexico, the second best thing I can do is have a very clean and healthy home environment. This makes so much sense!!! So, I had a specialist come in and check the house for mold and there was some! It was in my bathroom and it isn’t a ton! Removal and repainting scheduled. Check! Next I will have someone come in and check all the duct work, my hvac system and install a whole house dehumidifier and air purifier. Also, I need to take out the carpets upstairs and swap to hardwood (home remodel…hgtv here I come!) and lastly, get some house plants as they are amazing and natural air filters! I’m am pleased to introduce you to the newest members of the Beard clan:

This tall drink of water is Bill Murray and he lives in my den. The second triangle shaped cutie is Gilda Radner #roseanneroseannadanna and she lives in my bedroom and lastly, this lanky leafy love is Jane Curtain and she resides in the kitchen! These are my 3 most used rooms in the house! Feeling better already. Now Step 2: Food. I don’t think it is any secret that I have not been eating well for months now and I am fully aware that it is not helping my cause. Bad food makes me feel bad and the weight that I have gained is only exhausting me more. When you know what it feels like to feel good, moving in the opposite direction feels so much worse. #whenyouknowbetteryoudobetter Thinking about planning a meal, grocery shopping, cooking…it just seemed so exhausting and out of the question for awhile! But my holistic chiropractor suggested that I go on a sugar elimination plan to achieve two things; one to rid my body of candida and two to see if I have any food allergies! Spoiler alert, I’ve been on it one day and I can already tell cinnamon and cayenne pepper make it hard for me to breathe! I love learning!!! Jenny is going to join me! We decided to go out with a bang and enjoyed a lovely sushi date together before the cooking segment!

Tasu has hands down the best Merry Role of life! Then we got deep on the ride home and talked about the concept of focusing our time and energy into being more loving and kind to ourselves. Then Jenny started writing yesterdays amazing post and I started cooking from our very restrictive list of new acceptable foods. We can basically eat, chicken, turkey, cold water fish, most veggies (no tomatoes, potatoes, corn…etc) most fruits (no strawberries, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, etc) and then olive oil, coconut oil, unsweetened almond or coconut milk, no dairy, no eggs, it is a very interesting list! But the guidelines are helpful since all hell has broken loose. We can also have quinoa which is a fun change and brown rice. So on the menu is a Quinoa Breakfast Bake in the crock pot and baked chicken and roasted veggies!!! It actually feels great to be back in the kitchen and making healthy things to put in our bodies!

We always have fun together!

But we were a little rusty!!! It always comes back quickly though!

As I was peeling the apple, I thought about my Apples!

It felt like a really positive way to connect and spend a thoughtful mental moment together. They would want me to be healthy and to feel good and you know what they say…an Apple a day…#loveyouguys #missyalleveryday #appleofmyeye

My house smelled so good. The breakfast porridge as I kept calling it cooked all night and waking up to apples and nutmeg simmering was heaven. We had a date in my car this morning and enjoyed a hearty oatmeal like thing with more texture. It was a little bland, more salt next time!

We are so cute! Later I had the baked chicken which was crazy good and the roasted veggies which are always a hit for lunch! For dinner I’m going to make a spinach and blueberry smoothie! I feel so great!!!! Step 3: Move ya body body! Exercise has been the hardest thing. I miss it. I kept wanting to go back to Sandra. But even Pure Barre was wearing me slam out. So, our good buddy Theresa who taught us how to juice, is going to start beginners yoga with me this Saturday!!! I could not be more excited. This feels like a nice, low impact, spiritual way to get my body moving and get some energy out without draining all of mine. I love a new beginning! #yinandyang

It is an 8 week series where they take you through all the poses and it sounds like exactly what the doctor ordered. I love love loved yoga with Lila so I know this will be a hit!

Yay for new friends and new adventures. I feel so much more grounded and positive and present. I also feel really relieved to be doing something again. I was told that i can’t worry about losing weight until I heal myself and these three things seem like a great way to get started. Thank you for not losing hope in us. We have both had moments of doubt, but we both know from the bottom of our hearts that we will stay true to our journey, no matter the path and no matter the time. Who knew you’d find out so much about yourself and the world by taking your clothes off, putting your weight on a chalkboard and putting it out for the world to see. I now want to be healthy on so many more levels than the number on my scale. I’m really looking forward to feeling better and finding some healthier outlets…cant wait to share it all. Sending all my love and deep cleansing breathes of relief your way. Xoxo

Also, our great friend Lauren at Fleet Feet wanted to pass along an awesome opportunity to get healthy in a group and to learn how to get moving and reach that 1st mile. Here is the info.

Two Meatballs: To thine own self be true….

August 19, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,twomeatballsgetfit One comment

This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day!!!

Hey its Jenny. As of lately, I have been really searching for my happy place. And the happy place that is all my own. Even when things are not “perfect” or fit in the little box I deme “appropriate”. I want to be loyal to my own best interests. when I sit back and really listen to my inner diaolge…..its not cuuuuutte.

Love that quote. Whats your inner dialogue saying???? Its full of limitations! Which is so ironic because I most often identitify myself with not being able to “tie this girl down”. Which is completely opposite to my actual life. I have really planted myself. And my roots are deep. So now it is time to be kind to myself and have courage. I love being reunited with passion. I can slip into a passion depression. ” I don’t know” “I don’t care” “whatever you want”………ummmmmm yuck! When my internal fire is lit, I am on cloud 9. My creative wheels start turning..and then bulldozer everything!! Sara said, when your are not passionate about anything, of course it is hard to make decisions!!!! That really stayed with me, because i also think of myself has indecisive. Is it because I am lacking passion in my life right now? I m not sure, but I love to get excited about things. And I am super excited about my job!! Sara showed you yesterday the amazing wella educator we had come to our salon, Nicole Obert!! She really showed me some new things, Which is exactly what I am needing in my creative world. I had a color correction today that was…….fun?!?! Rarely you hear stylist describe a color correction has fun. But I went into with a whole new bag of tricks. And it was exactly what i needed. Something creative and thoughtful. Executing an idea is incredible theraputic to me!

Before……. after

So fun!!! I am so tied down to this job!!! Makes me happy!! Sara and I are planning an education weekend in New York, this Novemeber. It would be incredible and sara and I have not taking a class together in Forevvvvver!!!! So this would be great! We did get to spend time together this weekend celebrating our Friend and Co worker Nikki!!! She’s having a baby!!!!

The cutest mama i know!!! Can not wait to meet her sweet bunny soon! she had the best shower, full of games made by sara!

This was London’s first baby shower and I think she loved it. Nikki was very kind and let London help open the presents. Which is a three year olds dream!

Love watching her grown!!!

And then We all rallied together for these cute shots!

And then I got to go home and have some quality time with my very own love bug!!

feeling happy tonight!! 🙂

Two Meatballs: It’s a Hair Sherbet Kind of Day!!!

August 18, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,#nodhair, can't stop won't stop, dreamsicle hair, hair painting, hairdresser love, hi kelly, inspiration, Mod Cloth, never stop learning, new bff's, new look new you, Nicole Obert, pastel hair, pregnant with creativity, razor cutting, samuel cole salon, Wella, Wella Education, Wella Magmatwomeatballsgetfit View all 4 comments

Hiiiiiiiii guyyyyyys!!!! With all of the changes going on in my life, I have learned that I have very little control! And slowly but surely, I am finding pleasant peace with that. Right now the only thing I really felt like I have a modicum of say in is my look! Which is for sure the funnest thing to be in charge of!!! #thebrandcalledyou I have overhauled my hair, makeup, clothing(if you haven’t shopped at Mod Cloth drop everything and buy everything) and glasses to project more of how I feel and who I am even if I’m not feeling back to my normal self which is…sunny, bright and a mermaid.

I am a My Little Pony and all my dreams have come true! #peach #modcloth

Now that I’ve taken the plunge, it’s even more exciting to figure out what is next!

The possibilities seem endless and I’m super open to voting!!!! Lately I’ve also been dreaming a lot and most of my dreams have involved me being in various stages of pregnancy! Eeeeek #scawwwwwy So my good buddy Robyn googled it (the most trusted source for all of my most pressing matters) and as it turns out, dreaming of pregnancy means that you are craving creativity!!! Well aren’t I the luckiest of girls…because every single day of my life is an opportunity to be creative! I’m literally surrounded by the most inspiring people!!!

I’ve had so many great opportunities to take it as far as I wanted and to learn incredible things from the coolest people in my 13 year career at Samuel Cole!

I love it all, the pretty, the ugly, the editorial, the drunk socialite!!! Sometimes you take for granted how amazing your career and life are. And with my split schedule between hairdressing and mentoring, I sometimes get so into cheerleading that I forget how cool my life on the floor is. So a stroll down memory amazing opportunity lane is always a blessing.

So, today was the perfect day to meet a new bestie/hair soul mate and learn more of exactly what I’m obsessed with right now!!!

We had the absolute pleasure of having Nicole Obert in the salon. Jenny and I love class so much, we are front row girls for sure and what an awesome view we got today!!! #earlybirdgetsthebestviewofgenius

Nicole is a Wella baby, she is Tabitha Coffey’s hairdresser, she has worked alongside Vaughn, Arrojo and so many other heavy hitters in our industry as well as placing 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Wella Trend Vision. But you may recognize her from Season 2 of Shear Genius…only the greatest show to come out of Bravo….ever. Besides all of that, she is the cutest, most beautiful and super talented stylist and educator. I love her energy and right away she had you hooked. I mean look how adorable!

I had the pleasure of introducing her and we had a lively bunch today!

Nicole brought to our salon today the things that have been inspiring her! We learned a beautiful, layerey razor cut that is life changing, a bad ass shave undercut that is everything

and we also learned a lot about Wella’s revamped Magma which is used to create this!!!

You had me at watermelon and sherbet!!! Her consultations were on point and collaborative which you know i love, her demos were amazing and I walked away with a hundred take aways!!!!

Her hair painting was flawless

and she was adamant that we all participate which is so exciting in a presentation only class!

Every hairdresser just wants to get their hands in hair!!!

And look at these finished products!!!

I am feeling soooooooooo pumped and engaged and ready to create even more beautiful hair!!! Thank you so much Nicole, you were an absolute pink dream (did you see what I did there?!) Lets be friends forever!!! Can’t wait to have you back in the salon. To my clients, friends and family…get into the salon and lets play!!! If you aren’t ready to join my mermaid movement, I’m telling you that razor cut with the face framing is everything! Xoxo, come play with us!!!

Two Meatballs: It Takes a Village!

August 13, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,Aspire Group, good looks, group activities, hi kelly, innovative fitness training, kelly last night was so fun i love every second of hanging out with you #mynewcomfort, MAC, my favorite providers, North Hills Internal Mediciane, pure barre, samuel cole salon, self care, strong teams build strong women, Structural wisdom, team team team, terri urban, these are a few of my favorite things, Verve Holistic Healthtwomeatballsgetfit View all 3 comments

You guys, I love a team. Everything about it appeals to me; the collaboration, learning to work with and respect others who approach things differently than you, being inspired by others talents, learning new things, having a project and working together towards a shared goal, getting to know people better and getting to know myself better in the process and how the entire process brings you closer together if everyone is open! I am a true extrovert and I get my energy refilled by being with others. I’m getting inspired just talking about it. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

So I basically ended up in the most amazing career, at the best salon with the best opportunity for me to help craft a position as the director of mentoring. It is such a collaborative job. I work with stylist to help them achieve all of their work dreams, while being coached and constantly learning from my own mentor! I get to cheerlead for an awesome group of talented stylists. #patonthebackkickinthebutt We get to tackle obstacles together, celebrate the victories, laugh, cry, get promoted, overcome adversity and we both learn so much in the process. I want for my team to feel lifted up and supported when they leave my “office”. I am beyond grateful to have found my calling at 19 and to still love my career at 32. #thankskristina There will always be room for me to learn, grow, serve others and change for the better and I can’t get enough of that. I also feel like I get to share this team/cheerleader mentality with the education team at the salon and even my clients. #solucky My relationship with my clients has become so much more than hairdresser/client. We know each other so intimately. I want for my clients to come in and feel fully taken care of on every level and I want them to be thoroughly entertained. No matter their mood when they come in I want them to leave feeling loved, feeling better and looking fabulous. We work together to achieve the most beautiful look that makes them feel amazing! But on a deeper level, we really connect. I love being there for my clients through the good and the not so good, all of life big events and I feel like they are there for me too. I have a care takers soul and a giving, teaching heart and I love this group of amazing people I get to be surrounded with everyday. Talk about grateful.

My client Lisa whom I adore posed this question to me today…Soooooo, who do you go to when you want to feel better?! What a great question Lisa! #xoxo #gingerandmaryanne #impersonationsinging #imjayz If you read the blog regularly, you know that I seek out my bosses Jack and Joelles advice/counseling/free hugs/bangs counseling on the reg! I also go to my family and friends when in need. But she meant who do I seek out professionally…duh!? So, I’m so excited to share the incredible team of people who make me feel better and make me feel like a client!

First, I see a woman named Terri for structural integration and energy healing. This lady is the love of my life. We are so different but kindred spirits on every level. I trust her and look forward to every single torturous/enlightening/uplifting/discovery driven session because I know she will make me feel better in every way possible (mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually). She does so much more than move my connective tissue back where it’s supposed to be! www.structuralwisdom.com I would highly recommend her if you are open to all that life has to teach you.

Terri also moonlights at my next health mecca…Verve Holistic Health. She referred me to the owner, Lauren Scott who is hands down the most passionate holistic health care provider. She is a chiropractor by trade, but she has taught me more about nutrition and living a healthy life all around than anyone else I’ve encountered. She knows her shit. She can look at me and say, titled pelvis and, damned if I don’t have a tilted pelvis! I love her next level care.

Terri also referred me to Hedy at Verve Holistic Health. I love that my people all live in the same space! I just saw Hedy for the first time this week. She gave me an incredibly in depth consultation and looked deeply into every aspect of my health. We worked specifically on my lungs with acupuncture and cupping. All three of these women indulge all of my curiosity, they all answer my questions and explore deeper with me and I love the idea of moving into a more holistic path for my health and wellness!

I can’t say enough about these wonderful women. This is a deeper connection than just looking at my chart and working on me. www.raleighholistic.com

When I do need a physical or a good ol’ doctors visit, I see my beloved client Heidi Doyle at North Hills Internal Medicine. She is lovely. She also indulges all of my questions and I feel like she really works with me and makes things personal. I love you Heidi!

(919) 855 8911

When my feelings hurt worse than my body, I see my therapist! You guys, this woman is so positive. I think it is so important to click with any provider. I’m looking for high end client experience everywhere I go and I just love Christine! She is so positive. The perspective that she gives me is so mind blowing because of its simplicity. I feel more balanced and accepting of life and myself when I leave her. I wish that I could sit in her lap while she listened to me, but I understand that other people have space issues! Hahahah. Also, she has an adult coloring book in her waiting room…make your appointment like yesterday. I believe every single person should have someone that is impartial in their lives to listen to them. Very rarely do we get to talk about ourselves in a safe environment and have someone truly listen to us. It is cathartic as hell.

http://www.aspiregroupnc.com

You know our friend and trainer, Sandra well! She has helped us feel so great and helped us learn how to move our bodies and feel so powerful. I know so much more about healthy exercising now than i ever did, plus she is so fun and funny and really motivating! Being with her is a gift and anyone who helps you build a strong body is def an allay!

http://www.innovativefitnesstraining.com

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know I’m obsessed with Pure Barre. I needed a lower impact alternative to high intensity interval training and Pure Barre is the living funnest. Also, as you know, I love a team. And this team of women is wonderful and encouraging and fun and funny and just the best! The bumping’ music is a total bonus! Love my new family!

(919) 846 7090

Feeling well is so important and this is my bad ass group of women who make me feel unstoppable! But sometimes a girl just wants to look amazing, which in turn makes you feel amazing! So when I want to feel more beautiful than I could ever imagine, I go see Krystal Lehman at MAC in Crabtree Valley Mall! She is an artist and a genius and I trust her implicitly. And she has a higher level of service, not only can she make me look beautiful when I come in, she took the time to teach me how to make myself feel as good everyday! She has taught me so much about makeup and application. I literally cannot say enough things about this woman. I love her and consider her a lovely friend of 10 plus years!

(919) 789 8757

Let me just say again, I work with the most talented group of people! I am happy when I leave anyones chair and just excited to feel like a client for a minute. Lately I have been on a hair color adventure. No time like the present and lately I have wanted nothing more than to be a mermaid! So my first thought was my teammate and love, Cara Harrison. She first took me platinum and now pinky purple.

I trust her. Her talent speaks for itself. And we’ve known each other since high school, so i love the history we have together! I literally couldn’t love my hair more, and who has ever looked so natural as a pink head!? #dreamsdocometrue #dear7yearoldsarayou’relifeisnowcomplete She is an incredibly well rounded stylist. I do hair for a living and have for the past 13 years and she still teaches me knew things all the time, especially when it comes to different products for my angry but fine hair. She excels at everything; cut, color, style, editorial, education, leadership…you name it, she’s got it!

(919) 845 0098

I love getting my nails done and I love spending time with my baby boo, sweet Lee! She works right next door at Bella Nail Spa and I know every 2 weeks I will get a chance to sit calmly and be a client. It’s creative, I love picking out my color and what I love the most is that Lee will tell me if she thinks its ugly and then suggest one that I inevitably love 1 million times more. She is fast, efficient and so friendly. I love her, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy seeing her so often. I love supporting our little group of businesses as well! #shoplocalwinkyface

I used to have a picture of Lee but I can’t for the life of me find it! Call her, go see her!

(919) 846 8286

And finally, I just started going to Good Looks two doors down from us. I needed an eye exam and I love convenience. I was pleasantly surprised that I love this place since it is so convenient! I ended up getting glasses that were perfect for me thanks to the amazing Larry Pyle! I don’t even wear glasses, I am a contact lover! But this gentleman went above and beyond and his honesty was lovely. He helped me see that the glasses that I loved were the right shape but that the color totally washed me out. He showed me how another pair brought down my face. So finally we ended on the living most perfect pair of glasses that my face has ever seen!

I’m such a child I had to come back over to the salon and show my bestie, and she is so fun she had to try them on. #matchmadeinheaven

The entire team was amazing and I highly recommend that you visit our neighbor!

(919) 977 0303

Hope this was helpful and obvi I think you should see everyone on this list immediately! All of these people make me feel great! We love you all! Xoxox

Two Meatballs: Ohhh, I Have Those Voices Too!

August 12, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,being sick doesn't make me a bad person, changing it up, flexible boundaries, hi kelly, joelle you are my lobster, living with grace, permission to accept life, positivity, sara just listen to yourself, stop putting yourself downtwomeatballsgetfit View all 11 comments

Sara here! I wrote a post last year called Two Meatballs: These Voices in My Head and it is one of the posts that I feel so passionately about. If you haven’t read it, well obvi you should winky face, but it’s about the dialogue in our heads. The way we talk to ourselves, pick apart our bodies, destroy our own self esteems. I think women, and I’m sure plenty of men really tear themselves apart and I want so desperately to change that. To quote Beyonce, “And you can say what you want, I’m the shit. I want everyone to feel like this!!!”

#flawless #preachbey

And the general tone of the post was, you would never say those things to your friends, why would you ever say that to yourself!?! So, lately with my health issues I have learned a lot about myself and how that post directly and unexpectedly applies to me. I wrote that post with the tone of feel sexy, feel confident, love yourself first!!! Which I genuinely feel every single day.

#unicornhair #mylitttlepony #marieantoinettemermaid

So I never really thought it applied to me. But it has been brought to my attention lately that I really need to change the way I talk to myself relating to my health. How did I discover this!? After another weekend lost due to a violent allergic reaction to my new miracle drug for my lungs, I hit a spiritual rock bottom. Also, when the same message keeps popping up from all the people whose opinions you truly trust, it has to be a sign. When I am sick, I compound my illness with overwhelming guilt. I feel like I should be able to just suck it up and do what needs to get done; whether it be work, working out, cooking, reaching a deadline, attaining a goal, plans I’ve made that I don’t want to cancel. I set high expectations and I can be incredibly black and white. I don’t like when a plan gets derailed and I, unlike my gps, have a very difficult time rerouting and not beating myself up. My health has been in a state of distress for the last 7 months on and off but mostly on; full of unknowns and no guarantees! And instead of being kind to myself (one of the things I actually have control over) and taking care of myself I have worked myself into a shame, guilt cycle that is completely self imposed and quite destructive. I’ve set unrealistic expectations of what is possible, reasonable or acceptable. I am so hard on myself, I have a bootcamp mentality and I can be very militant with my goals. I think during my formidable years I subconsciously decided to quiet what I perceived as weaker emotions and created a louder/stronger exterior to overcompensate for my fragile health. #fakeittilyoumakeit

But what would happen if I chose to listen to my own genius words and I was a little more gentle with myself, a little more positive, a little more understanding, hell…a little more realistic!? What if I accepted myself for who I am and gently worked on the things that need work? What would change if I didn’t have expectations? What if I had goals, then made a plan, then allowed room for life to happen? What if I had flexible boundaries with myself instead of hard and fast brick walls? And I can answer all of these questions. It would take all of the unnecessary pressure off! And you know what else it would do!? It will definitely make me feel better emotionally, but it will even contributed to my physical well being. To quote Carrie Bradshaw, I could’t help but wonder…I was already sick, but was I making myself feel even worse with my own harsh thoughts?! Hell yes! Oh the epiphanies! Oh the freedom, oh the weight lifted, oh the permission to heal. These habits need to be worked on, It won’t change overnight. I never viewed this type of self talk as negative, bc after all I still felt good about myself. I was still confident. But talk about poisoning your own well!??!?!?!?! So here is what I have learned and am going to actively modify!

Right now it’s not about losing weight, It is about healing my body and getting myself well enough to reengage!
This doesn’t have to be or feel like a battle. I can think of it as a pleasant experience! I’m going to change my war time mentality!
This is no longer just my weight loss journey, it is my path to wellness; emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. #joelleyouareagenius #youbasicallyinspiredthisentirepost #iloveyou
I’m still going to the Grand Canyon*, my car just broke down and I keep trying to get back in my broken down car. #insertbrickwallbangheadrepeat
My down time needs to be more calming and zen. Even my exercise needs to be low impact right now.
Being sick does not make me a bad person. (I actually just started crying as I typed this because I don’t know if I’ve ever been kind enough to say that to myself and it was really comforting) (Positive talk is already working..genius!)
Crying doesn’t make me weak. I can have all the feelings. Feelings are just one of the spokes on my very large passion wheel.
Things could always be worse and I have so many things to be grateful for. I am so grateful everyday.
I have an amazing life. I think I finally really understand the bump in the road now. This is temporary and I will find people to help me improve my situation and quality of life while helping myself.
I have such an incredibly supportive and comforting, helpful, ride or die blanket of family and friends. I’m going to start treating me like they treat me.
I am a sensitive person on every level, in a way that I never really understood or wanted to accept before. Now I understand that my sensitivity is part of my understanding of others and my strength!
I’m going to try switch up my interpretation of the following phrases “Are you better?” “Are you feeling better” “How are you feeling today?” I attach so much personal expectation to each of those phrases. Instead, I’m going to reframe it in the terms of “How is today?” It takes the pressure off of me and my unknown end result. Today can be great or today can be not my favorite. So much more positive!
This isn’t going to be fixed overnight, Now is the time to learn to be patient with myself!
I have so much love in my heart for myself and all of you!

Thank you for letting me rant and share my life lesson. It always feels better to be truthful and I feel so much better when I discover something and then share it immediately! It is so cathartic. So just know if you are struggling to make yourself a priority or you need the strength to give yourself permission to accept your current situation and handle it with love and grace, please know you are not alone my sweet bunny. We all deserve our own love, patience and kindness. I am right there with you soaking up as much knowledge as I can on this beautiful scenic route to the Grand Canyon*. Sending you all my positivity and sunshine. Xoxo

*We had a life coach come in to the salon and she said what if you drove 4 straight days to the Grand Canyon and one mile outside of your destination, what if there was a giant boulder in your path? Would you turn around and just head home!? This really resonated with me. Noooooo, you would go around it, over it, under it if you had to but it would be ridiculous to turn around when you are so close. So whenever I struggle, I just think, I’m still headed to the GC, I just may need to find a new route…boulder be damned!

Two Meatballs: Find Your Sexy!!

August 11, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,twomeatballsgetfit View all 3 comments

hello! Jenny here!!!

Things are going just fine, hope you are doing well!!!! Am I still paleo!??? Not exactly. I have been adding things into my diet left and right. I have coffee every day, usually, and preferably with half and half. Some meals have been so amazing! Like breakfast. I love a breakfast full of protein, fruits and veggies. My fav…..scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and red onions!!!

To some this meal my be odd, especially to start the day, but it reminds me of one of my favorite breakfast foods…bagels and lox!! Yum. But after breakfast I fall victim to hunger pains that I feel the need to feed immediately. Which leads to not always the best choices. Interestingly enough, the worse I eat, I am reminded I need to workout!! Thank god, working out has not fallen off. So I want to make sure I am always being active, it is kind of like my insurance right now. I don’t want to gain back anymore!!! So I’m taking londiekins, and my butt for an up hill walk!

Dance break!

And I thnk it is a total struggle getting in my car to go to the gym, and putting on the tank, tight pants, funny colored shoes.

But once I am there, usually about 5 mins into my warm up run, Kanye West blaring in my ears…..I find my sexy place!!!! I feel strong and powerful. I am so focused on my breathing and rhythm, I get lost in the moment…….which leads me to my obsession with Kylie Jenner!!!

My obsession is strong. I feel like I’m in high school again. I spent my down time this weekend, watching Kylie Jenner makeup tutorials!!!! I also studied all of her before and after photos… It is amazing!!

My my obsession is judgment free! her body is insane and more then anything, she has found her sexy!!

And yes, as of yesterday..haha, she is only 18!!!

That buuuttttttttt! wtf!!

What motivates me the most is being strong.

And powerful thighs!!

So im taking my obsession to the gym, and channeling my Kylie!!!!

Kissy lips are every where!!!!!

feeling super sexy after my 2 mile run!!!

And ready to do some weights!!!!!! Again kissy lips seem to be the key to everything!

i feel amazing. Worked out hard today. And this is truly when I feel my sexiest. #loveyoukylie. So as long as I know that to be true, I will continue to go to the gym. Which is great, becuase working out is kind of a forever thing anyway !!! ha, love you guys! Muaaahhh #givingintotheducklips

Two Meatballs: Health yeah!

August 6, 2015health, fitness, beauty, motivation, plus size, make up, hair, hairstylist, oribe, bumble and bumble, MAC Cosmetics, comedy, Paleo, besties, best friends, meatballs, exercise, life change, lifestyles,balance, calm down dummy, hi kelly, no more steroids!, raleigh pulmonary and allergytwomeatballsgetfit View all 4 comments

This has been so surreal having pneumonia (the third time in a year and a half)….AGAIN! It felt like this!

This time around, the thought of another round of steroids and another 25 pound weight gain #ughimsofatagain and another 6 week recovery period sent me to straight into the arms of my adorable and wonderful new therapist! I realized that I needed help coping with the crushing weight (pun intended) of being sick again. In counseling, she helped me come to terms with my situation.

After talking it through she helped me see that it wasn’t that crazy that I had pneumonia again. I spent a good deal of my childhood hooked up to my Nebulizer and riddled with chronic bronchitis. Every time I got super active outside, the season changed, if I was around dust or mold, or I had any type of infection, it lead to bronchitis. This was frustrating as a kid because they tell you you need bed rest, and you really do with any kind of lung thing, but then they put you on a bunch of steroids that give you sooooooooooo much energy. I really resented being sick and incapable. As I got older, I just accepted it in a passive way. I took whatever medicine they gave me without question and just fixed the problems as they arose. But I never really looked deeper. I just thought, I’m kind of sickly and it has always been like this. Then I just ignored it completely and partied my way through my 20’s and early 30’s which brings me to today. When I get sick now, there is nothing to suppress it. I just want to feel better. I take the shots, I take the rounds of steroids, I take the nose spray, the narcotic cough syrup, the albuterol inhaler that makes me a total physical and emotional wreck. Everything has a steroid in it and the antibiotics wreck havoc on my body. But I have no other thoughts than getting through this exhaustion. I am incapable of being my happy, shiny self. Jenny called me a curmudgeon and its true. Existing takes all of my energy. Working out is off the table. Showering and working become all the activity I can handle. I actually ended up in the hospital this time. The doctors are always threatening to send me there if I don’t rest and after 11 hours of sleep one night I woke up Lindsay Lohan exhausted. It was scary. I felt like I had take 12 Tylenol PM’s and it was 9am. I could;t physically talk and work at the same time. Jenny took me, what an amazing friend she is! We went to Wake Med North and ended up in the waiting room for 3 hours! I felt so tired and unable to get an oxygen. They gave me an EKG just to make sure bc my chest was so tight!

I started getting really tickled on this last picture but I can’t remember why!? We finally got called back at midnight!

They gave me an IV and I tried to get comfy!

At 1 I begged Jenny to go home, she was so sweet to hang out with me! Thank you Jenny, love you so much!

As she was leaving we noticed a massive hole in the butt of her dress, we were dying!

I had to bustle it with a clothespin! Then they did blood work, X-rays and gave me 2 breathing treatments. I was really dehydrated and I wasn’t heeding the bed rest warning. They put me on more steroids and told me to stay the course with my meds and to get in the damn bed. They discharged me at 5am and I went home and slept for hours. But I was still so tired. The breathing treatments made me feel so much better physically though. I stayed put on my couch for the rest of the weekend and asked for help! My parents, sister and Jenny brought food and dvd’s and coloring books and hung out calmly and quietly. I started meditating and trying to really find the meaning of balance. And about a week later, I finally felt better. Six weeks had finally passed. Now what?!

So my therapist suggested the idea of accepting my current situation. My boss introduced the idea of accepting that I was doing everything that I could conceivably do to get better! Both of these things really helped! I also finally got a plan together, I called for a referral to a Pulmonary specialist! I love feeling like I am actively doing something. I’m not sure why I avoided this for so long. So, this past Friday was my appointment and I was nervous to hear what they had to say but pumped to find somebody that wanted to work with me to figure out the future. I can play a bigger role in this, accept that something is wrong and be more proactive!

They took me back promptly at my appointment time and a nurse walked me through several breathing tests. Then I met with another nurse who took my oxygen absorption levels and other stats and history. Then the specialist came in and we talked for a long time. Can I just say, I love her. Ultimately she decided that I have probably had undiagnosed asthma my entire life. That the chronic bronchitis and habitual pneumonia were more than likely an aggravated side affect of not treating my daily allergy induced asthma and get this you guys, I passed all of my breathing tests, above average! All this time I thought I had these wimpy, weak little lungs but I have the lungs of a champion! All I’m missing is the right daily medication and some precautions I can take on my own. She also told me I need to lose weight #umduh #readmyblogboo and that my job is not ideal. But she really explained everything to me and came up with an action plan that I’m pumped about. She started me on a daily pill that helps with allergies and asthma. Then she told me to use my inhaler twice daily and more if I need it. she also switched my nasal spray to a non steroid and took me off my inhaled steroid as well. She said I didn’t need them! I’m also supposed to avoid aerosols at all costs, get an air purifier, get some house plants, and try and exercise mostly indoors especially during the big season changes because I’m allergic to grass and trees! Ahhhhhhh!!!! She told me to try this for 8 weeks and if I don’t feel significantly better then we will try blood work for more extensive allergy testing, possible immunotherapy and possibly a sleep study! I feel like I have a plan and a new outlook on life. And at every turn, I find myself being confronted with the same concepts. Find balance, not such high highs and low lows of energy. Keep my energy on a lower playing field so that I can build up my reserves. Don’t cannon ball into the middle of the ocean…wade in from the shore. Be more in tuned with my body and its needs! Listen to it, head its warnings. And sometimes you have to accept your situation as is and don’t pile on with unhelpful things like guilt and shame! I honestly feel like I just got a new lease on life. I feel like I am actively helping myself stay more healthy and if I needed motivation to want to continue to lose weight and get healthy, this is certainly it! I celebrated with Jenny by returning to see Sandra after a long break! She was so great about letting us ease back in! It was exhausting but I brought my inhaler and gasp, listened to my body!

It felt so good to feel back in a routine and to move our bodies!

We love you Sandra, thanks for being patient with us!

I also finally made it back to Pure Barre. Honestly that is how I know I’ve really changed! I desperately wanted to be exercising again. I wanted to see my friends and hang out and feel good again!

I love this little community and all the support they have given us! Everything about this past 6 weeks has been a challenge but it has lead me to some amazing people and caused me to dig deeper in every way and I feel like I have come out on top. I feel like I am really about to spring board off and explode into this next phase…calmy of course! Winky face. I love all of you and can’t wait to see what new lessons are around the corner. Health mother fucking yeah!

Two Meatballs Get Fit

We had so much fun getting fat together. Now we're going to have even more fun getting fit!

Author: twomeatballsgetfit

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Two Meatballs: Aller-GEEEEEZ!!!!

Two Meatballs: To thine own self be true….

Two Meatballs: It’s a Hair Sherbet Kind of Day!!!

Two Meatballs: Ohhh, I Have Those Voices Too!

Two Meatballs: Find Your Sexy!!

Two Meatballs: Health yeah!