Another 5K Kinda Day

In July, Mr. Goodlaff and I participated in our second 5k race, and this one was a doozy!  It wasn't your typical 5k.  There were hills and ramps, and oh yeah, this:

That would be the view of the warning track at Safeco Field (home of our Seattle Mariners!) from the outfield entrance.  The race was the inaugural Safeco Refuse to Abuse 5k, benefiting the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and we decided to do it because it benefited a great cause, and it was such a unique experience.  The race took place mostly in and around Safeco field, starting by the parking garage, lapping the outside of the stadium, heading inside the field, winding up and around all levels, back down to the ground level, underneath the field past the clubhouses, and finally exiting out the outfield entrance for half a lap around the field on the warning track.

We actually ran part of this one, and ultimately we shaved a few minutes off of our previous 5k time.  It would have been more, but we hit the field, passed the Mariners dugout, and well, we stopped for a few photos...

I think the field attendant may have let us sit on the bench, but we didn't want to push it. Plus, we had a race to finish!  I can tell you, there isn't any better feeling in the world than crossing that finish line after running on a ball field belonging to a Major League Baseball team.  It felt very Field of Dreams, but was probably a little bit more Rookie of the Year (please tell me that someone else remembers this movie?). Seriously, I felt like I could have run another 5k at that point--that's how incredibly thrilling it was.

We finished, and after a little harassment from the security guard about Mr. Goodlaff's traitorous running gear choice (you wear a 49ers sweatshirt in a park that's about 3 feet from where the Seahawks play, you get a little bit of flack), we got a final post-race sweaty picture:

We exited the field through the bullpen (!!!), and upon exiting, were given circus animal cookies, a banana, a bottle of water, and chapstick. Plus, we got jewelry:



Any event that ends with me getting a medal is fine by me. 

Mr. Goodlaff and I decided that we really liked the 5k format.  Short, achievable, but still leaving lots of room for improvement.  Our ultimate goal is to be able to run a 5k in under a half an hour, which seems pretty doable, and requires much less training than, say, a half marathon (more on that later).

Have you run any fun 5k's?

ABC's

My niece and nephew have birthdays within just a few weeks of each other, and each birthday and holiday gives me the chance to get crafty.  In this case, I saw a great online tutorial for magnetic fabric alphabet letters and knew it would be perfect for growing, learning kids.  It was also a great opportunity to work through the massive stash of fabric that I own  (I have a thing for fat quarters--leave me alone).

I used this fantastic tutorial from  Chez Beeper Bebe to create this:

Ta da!  All twenty six letters of the alphabet (plus one extra G so my nephew can spell his name).  I even made a bag for them to keep track of all or most of the magnets when they're not in use.

It's a great (educational but still fun) gift, so we addressed it to all three kids.  I really love how it came out, especially the variety of colors, patterns, and fabrics. 

Hopefully they will use these for years to come!

Shabby Chic Ruffle Wreath

About a month ago, I decided our front door decor needed a bit of sprucing up.  And by "sprucing up," I mean a complete overhaul.  Out with the Spring hydrangea wreath, in with something new. 

I combed through all my wreath inspiration on Pinterest, rummaged through all my crafty odds and ends, and came up with this:

I took some leftover muslin fabric that I had sitting around, cut it into strips and ruffled it (tutorial here).  Raffia, unpainted wooden stars, a paper rose, feathers, white organza, and a little bit of metal coil later and I had myself a wreath. Yes, I actually did have all of that laying around.

Funny story: the white rose was a decoration on one of our wedding presents.  I saved it because I thought I could use it someday-- smart move, if I do say so myself.  I used tulle (leftover from alterations to my wedding dress--seeing a trend here?) to hang the wreath, and I love how it all turned out.

I'm not quite sure what to call it, so I'm going with shabby chic ruffle wreath. It's a little bit country, but a little bit classy too. Organza and raffia in the same wreath my be considered a sacrilege, but I say it works. Plus, it looks nice against the charcoal color of our front door.

I still love seeing it when I come home.  It's a nice little bit of serenity before opening the door to our house full of chaos!