March 29, 2016

Loving Lately: March Madness



  • Anchor's Aweigh (it's spelled that way I promise) with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra dancing and singing to make us swoon.
  • Spring weather with tulips all around.
  • Periscope app ~ love having conversations with people around the world and getting to sit under the teachings of some of the greats! If you'd like to join me on Periscope, my username is @CatherineDenton.
  • Strawberry shortcake
  • Car resurrection ~ the mechanic came to our house because he remembered one thing he needed to try and now my car is RUNNING again!
  • OU being in the final four, simply because I'm an Oklahoman.





March 26, 2016

Snapchat Roundup: Route 66



For Spring Break we took a road trip highlighting interesting spots along Route 66. My husband loves planning this stuff and is crazy-good at finding deals and out-of-the-way treasures. We spray-painted cars at Cadillac Ranch, drooled through endless art galleries in Santa Fe, locked ourselves in an old timey one-cell jail, stuffed ourselves at Lucille's and The Big Texas Steakhouse, marveled at a mysterious staircase that baffles architects, photographed gorgeous snow-capped mountains and rested in fun places along the way like the Blue Swallow ~ cutest hotel I've ever seen!

It was a much needed get-away and a fun adventure, but I'm happy to be back home now!

What have you been up to this week?

If you'd like to follow me on snapchat, you can find me @dentoncatherine! 

Hope you have a great Saturday!


March 24, 2016

The 10X Rule


"Does anyone benefit when you can't get your art sold or that great book published or that great idea that will improve everything across?"

Let's talk about The 10X Rule. WOW, this book, oh my word! Grant Cardone kicked me right off my booty into action! I don't know if I've had any book jolt me so completely. I've had lots of books inspire me, encourage me, motivate me and lead me; but The 10X Rule literally got me off my chair.


If you feel stuck or like there is nothing you can do to change your situation then please read this book! Ten to one you will change your tune. This is not a feel good book. He minces no words; he tells it like it is TO YOUR FACE!

"One of the greatest turning points in my life occurred when I stopped casually waiting for success and instead started to approach it as a duty, obligation and responsibility." 

One of the things that impacted me the most about this book was how he showed that not pursuing success is unethical. I strive to be an ethical person so this hit me square in the face. He said, "I even suggest that failing to insist upon abundant amounts of success is somewhat unethical. To the degree that electing to do our personal best each and every day is ethical, then failing to do so is a violation of ethics." 

That woke me up and had me leaning forward in my chair. 

"Treating success as an option is one of the major reasons why more people don't create it for themselves-- and why most people don't even get close to living up to their full potential."

I'll be honest, I never looked at success as being necessary or even my duty. That may sound crazy to some of you but I have been seriously entrenched in the "maybe it'll happen" or "I'm fine without it" camp. I didn't understand the enourmous action that comes behind success. I feel like I've just woken from a dream into a reality where there is no room for excuses, blaming or victim mentality and only time for massive action!  I'll leave you with one last quote:

"If you don't consider it your duty to live up to your potential, then you simply won't."






March 23, 2016

Same Outfit Every Day?


Would you be willing to wear the same outfit every day?

Some of the most forward thinkers of our time have done it and are doing it; President Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Alice Gregory, and Matilda Kahl. They've taken one stressful decision out of the their morning routine by wearing the same outfit every day. They do this to keep from wasting precious decision-making energy on items that don't matter and save their best thinking for ones that do.

I have long loved this idea and have partially adopted it by creating a "uniform" of clothes so to speak. Jeans, top, cardigan, flats. That's my uniform almost daily. But it's still not as extreme as wearing the same outfit every day because currently mine changes a little each time through pattern/color of tops; color of jeans; and type of shoe.

At the beginning of the year I toyed with reducing my 20+ wardrobe down to ten and seeing if I could do a year with ten pieces. The prospect excited me because the thrill of reducing gives me a freedom high. Yet each time I try to reduce my wardrobe to ten, I struggle with choosing the pieces. 

So if successful women like Alice, and Matilda, are wearing the same thing every day; I'm tempted to do the same. Taking even those last few decisions away and adopting a uniform of exactly one outfit every day.

It would be simple, chic and comfortable and I'd never have to decide again. 

The minimalist side of me jumps at the chance, but the artist side of me hesitates. Then I read somewhere about an artist who felt she could focus her creative energy on her art much easier when she wasn't exerting creativity in her clothes. That quieted my inner protest and has ignited a fire of curiosity. Would it increase creativity?

Wearing the same thing every day seems more simple to me than going the route of ten items. Less constricting if you will, which I know sounds completely opposite.

I'm thinking of trying it as an experiment, maybe a year, to see how it would feel to wear the same outfit in all seasons. And if I love it, then I'd be set. If I hated it, then I'd be done. I'd like to do a 365 project and take a photo every day to document the process and share how I'm feeling.

What do you think? Would you be interested in seeing that? Or do you think I'm crazy?


March 22, 2016

Loving Lately



  • How my husband can entice our kids to help push a dead car down the road and make it fun.



  • Meghan Trainer's new song, "No!" (Sorry, I just do!) as well as the soulful one from Francis called, "Don't Worry About Me" which makes me cry every time.



  • When family trips make us laugh till we can't breath and also reveal stuff for us to work through.



  • How beautiful solitude can be. (Have I mentioned how much I love quiet?)



  • Big salads created in bulk so something yummy waits in the fridge.



  • Spellbinding books that I'm only a fourth of the way into.



  • Remembering once again that I am responsible for creating the life I want.


What are you loving lately?






March 21, 2016

Coral Jeans ~ 5 Ways






Coral jeans are my favorite! They add a flair of color and yet act as a neutral. They're perfect for Fall but also fun for Spring when everything is thawing and flowers start to bloom. Coral jeans are versatile and playful all rolled into one.

Do you have a favorite pair of colored jeans or do you prefer neutrals?




March 11, 2016

Depriving Yourself ~ Emotional Eating


I've been viewing healthy people as deprived.

I know that sounds crazy but this realization hit me one morning. The thought flitted across my mind absently as I put on make-up and I grabbed it out of the flow. 

"What is this? Healthy people are deprived? Why do I think that?" 

These are the answers that came back to me as I pushed in: They are depriving themselves of sweets and fun. They starve themselves just to be thin; they endure pain just to have muscles. 

I stood there shocked. This is how I've seen it?! This is how I view healthy people? And I've assumed I'm not deprived because I can eat whatever I want and don't put myself through pain? (The craziness did not escape my notice) The truth came tumbling after.

I AM THE ONE WHO IS DEPRIVED!!! 

I am deprived of hiking without huffing; I'm deprived of intimacy because I feel self-conscious about my body; I am deprived of wearing cute clothes because nothing fits; I am deprived of swimming and feeling confident in a swimsuit. I am the one who is deprived of energy; of vibrant, hydrated skin; of a sexy body. I am deprived of all these things.

The only thing I'm not deprived of is eating sweets, fast food, and junk. 

I've equated the fun, happy parts of life with food and the unhappy parts with health. But couldn't I have fun with health? Could it be that giving up junk, would offer so much more?

I could be fit and healthy to help others. I could wear the clothes I love because I love them and not because they hide my belly. I could feel freer to exercise and dance and run and swim and play! I could feel empowered to do things I'm afraid to pursue.

I no longer want to chase something that's costing me so much. 

Bad habits are hard to change and I know it will literally be a moment by moment choice; but I want to change it. So I've put cards up all over my house and in my purse to help me fight temptation. 

If you struggle with me, if you've bought into a wrong perspective, or if you're fighting to overcome your issues on food and emotional eating; I hope this post encourages you.

I'll leave you with what my cards say:

Stop depriving yourself of a full life!



Are you, like me, depriving yourself?



March 9, 2016

One Morning Ritual Can Change the World


Coffee is one of my unnecessary necessities!

I'm an avid coffee drinker. I love the smell, the taste, the way it partners with breakfast and sweets. I wake up to one cup in the morning and sometimes a few more throughout the day. I loooove coffee!

Recently I was shocked to find out my coffee purchases might be hurting families across the globe who don't get fair wages for their hard work. (Don't worry, I'm NOT going to suggest you go without coffee; please keep reading!) The coffee companies in America have continued to receive a hefty profit for their goods as the coffee boom of the 90's continues. But unfortunately, coffee farmers are not seeing that profit. Instead, their profits have significantly dropped

What?

I know, it doesn't make sense. Unfortunately the big coffee companies are pocketing the money and keeping coffee farmers in poverty. Coffee growers are often locked into a contract by their government, so they can't just escape the struggle. Because of the lack of profit, they can't afford to send their children to school (it costs in other countries), they've gone hungry and had little to wear. Out of desperation to survive, they sometimes resort to growing drugs or traveling as illegal immigrants to other countries to find work and keep their families alive.

After reading and researching this topic, I found one simple thing I could do to help.

I can make certain the coffee I buy gives fair wages to farmers by looking for a "Fair Trade Certified" emblem on the products. Below is a photo of the symbol:


Make sure it's all three words because any marketing strategy can slap "fair trade" on their products. Simply choosing to buy fair trade coffee might not seem like much, but I suppose if we all insisted on fair wages, it would add up to something huge. From now on, my family will only buy Fair Trade Certified coffee. While I know it's a small action, I'd like to think we are changing the world one family at a time.

Will you join me? 

Let's help others by making sure they get paid fairly for their work! You can find fair trade certified coffee now in most grocery stores and at places like Target. But if your grocery store doesn't offer it, please request it! Grocery stores are always interested in what their consumers are buying and the higher the need the more we help! If all else fails, you can buy it online.

If you'd like to read more, here is a guide to buying ethical coffee.


March 7, 2016

Visual Interest Tops

The most versatile tops can work well with others or go alone.

I love a top that adds interest under a jacket or cardigan but also has the ability to stand alone. The best tops for this are muted ones with eye-appealing textural fabric or fascinating cuts. Understated simple elements add pizzazz to every outfit without taking the spotlight off it's subject ~ YOU!

Which one of these tops would fit seamlessly in your closet?


March 2, 2016

Five March Goals


Remember when I set monthly goals? 

I thought it'd be fun to try it again for March! I like setting goals that help me move forward as well as fun goals to add a little spice to my life and help me "stop and smell the roses".

Here are my five March goals:

1. Write something every day.

2. Decide what I actually use in my kitchen and get rid of the rest!

3. Learn a new yoga pose.

4. Read When Breath Becomes Air and The Art of Memoir.

5. Try something new or go on an adventure!


What would you like to do this month?