Mine is a washed denim, dark grey version.

I love the detail.

The chains sometimes tangle but they’re easy to unravel. The chains do not get stuck on clothing or snag your hair.

This is a lightweight bag that still has room for all my “stuff”.

(pic courtesy of shopbop.com)

(pic courtesy of LaGarconne.com)

Oh, and for the record, we know someone whose last name is Wang and has a cat named “Harry”. So yes, all different types of Wang!

Will try and round up more than the three traveling pics that I acquired since last week’s post. “Just-Jared” seems to have the most current pics of late.

Fashionably late, eh?

Draw a bath and put in 1/2C - 1C of ^ that stuff- Baking Soda plus as much Sea Salt as you have on hand.

This is fabulously clarifying and good for you!

Remember when baking soda boxes even depicted a cartoon image of a woman taking a bath and advising us to add the stuff?!

Now, if you don’t have the salt, Epsom Salt will do but the REAL thing is (always) better!

• Remember: People react from their own “stuff”. Don’t take it personally. You are not the “star” in their show
• Double BONUS! RT @DrOz Food news: Black rice has more cancer-fighting antioxidants than blueberries + it’s cheaper.
• Salud! RT @DaveZinczenko CHEERS! A daily glass of wine can stop you from putting on fat, esp around your belly. Experts credit resveratrol.
• *~* Today I will do my best in all things but practice non-attachment to the outcome. Easier said than done? “Said” is the 1st step!
• Great sandwich fillings (or 4 a salad): lettuce + sprouts + carrots + beets + jicama + avocado + olive oil + sea salt
• Meditation*~* Bc your mind is like a cellphone & will lose JUICE if not plugged in to the SOURCE
• Your phone won’t work if you don’t. Neither will YOU. You know you need to take care of your phone, take care of U too!
• Chronic Pain patients reduced their MD visits by 36% when they added meditation to their treatment plans, acc to a 1991 study

In my life, I’ve been no stranger to the 2 hour workout. I’ve also been familiar with the twice-a-day workout, the on-vacation-or-business hotel-gym workout, the unlimited-monthly-might-as-well-take-2-back-to-back aerobic class workout, and the get-up-at-4 a.m. so-I-can-get-a-workout-in-before-school/work workout.

All in the name of health.

I’ve bailed on friends, family & other experiences more times than I can count.

I’ve spent a lot of TIME justifying this routine for my health. YEARS & YEARS.

“For the kick of endorphins.”

Let’s face it, to also knock away at those last 5lbs. But even when I’ve lost those 5lbs (usually not through a by product of excessively working out), I still worked out!

When you’re used to (and PREFER) doing intensive yoga, intensive spinning, intensive EVERYTHING…your body never gets a chance to take it all in. Or heal. And where else is there to go (if you’re not progressing a sport, that is)?! THREE hour workouts? That’s ridiculous.

There were times that I used to workout because I was “bad” (cookies, cake, bread, drinking) the night before. But you cannot out-exercise a bad diet. And in thinking that you can, you set up yourself for a dangerous game of eventually “it’s never enough.”

I screwed up my metabolism that way. My basal temperature is so low now that if I read 98.6 on the thermometer, I have a fever.

I also used to think that meditation was a waste of time. That I needed to do “workout” style yoga. It’s no secret I fell into doing Asthanga yoga when I became a serious practitioner. Mysore, anybody?

What I realize now…THANKFULLY!…and what some of my yogi friends still don’t…is that everything really is a balance. If you throw yourself out of balance, you may not realize it at first and hell (!) it might even work for you in the beginning, but it ALL catches up to you. Learn that now or learn it later. I guess I was one of those that needed to touch the frying pan before I learned.

This summer I cut back. I had to. Work interfered. Then yoga teacher training interfered.

Like any change, I was uncomfortable for the first week or 2. I still did, what one would classify as, a “workout”. But not my norm.

I didn’t gain weight.

In fact, I lost a little. Can’t be all muscle tone b/c I’m eating the same (very well, I might add) and people are saying my arms look more defined, etc.

I think I’m just finally “getting it”. My mind and my body are catching up with each other and I no longer think I have to beat one, or both, up to get some thing.

Fit Off the Mat:

Fall is officially coming at us! Even though in SoCal we’ve only recently felt like it’s been summer, there’s no denying it. School’s started. The Halloween decorations are out in the stores. Time to plan for things like: feathers, chunky knits, faux fur, different pant silhouettes, pearls, cocktail rings, statement necklaces, and gem tones like green and purple.

Come this season, I’ll still rock the cargo’s, sequins, leopard prints, military and bring back the shearling!

This is the first time FNO (Fashion Night Out) on Sept 10th will be held in other cities besides NYC.

Fit On the Mat:

This weekend I’ll be indulging (yes, indulging) in a weekend-long meditation retreat. They’ll feed us, water us, teach us, enlighten us…all for free. This will be a BIG detachment lesson for moi! No end of the month duties like bills or household chores. The “fam” is generously allowing me to do this.

One thing I’ve noticed this week in assisting at the weekly yoga class, is how many people do NOT attend/pay attention/bring awareness to their feet! As in position, activation, etc… There is no knowledge of what the feet are doing or should be doing in 90% of the yogi students.

 Ironically, the feet being the things that GROUND us and allow us to mobilize and stabilize.

Activate your feet! All the way through the toes.

During mat poses, try to keep your feet/ankles straight. For example, in “up dog” the feet should be straight, toes pointed back, and the feet should not “sickle” in.

Not only will this make you a better yogi and less prone to injury, but it’ll strengthen your little, instrinsic foot muscles. And will align your FOCUS so your mind’s not wandering.

For Nourishment:

Here is my garden loot!

Off the Tweetdeck:

coming soon!! This week’s good stuff

 Top: Elizabeth & James (tied in the back instead of hanging), Pants: some random pair of cargos, Shoes: Tory Burch’s take on the moc, Accessories: leather cuff from defunct store in Newport, purse was my Prada PVC tote

My back-to-school or as I like to consider, the real (fashion) new year resolution is to take more outfit pictures and be more considerate as to my styling options.

Slow travel week…

Fab. “C.N.D.W.” **

Fab -even though I hate those sheer leggings

 Fab. And the outfit on her is nice too. Haha…I’m a funny chick.

** Can Never Do Wrong

(sources: Just-jared, perezhilton, fabsugar)

Happy, Safe Travels,

   <3 The Fit Chick

Voting for only 2-3 more days. If you vote, lemme know so I can give you a shout out. And I’m interested to know what YOU think of these pieces (i.e. wearable? fantasy?)

What’s Your Passion for Fashion? Challenge - Round 1 Sponsored by Neiman Marcus

Literally.

- I will step on you.

In real life, they’re even more major.

May I present my (Azzedine) Alaia’s:

This IS a picture from work this week. Yes, I actually wore them all day!

“The Fitting Room” outfit pics to come, I promise.

So…how the above shoes came about is:
I went to try on the Venus Loubs (<-link to pic).

Not unlike the Click Clacks from last fall, I could NOT walk like…a HUMAN in these shoes! Fail.

They didn’t scratch or hurt me but when I took them off to try another pair, my SA friend noticed that there was blood ALL OVER MY FOOT.

I got my shoe period in a pair of $1800 shoes.

Does this happen to other people?!!

The damage was not severe (to the shoe at all) but I slinked away with some Loubs instead.

Sad.

Until…(when the shoe gods close one door, another one opens) several nights later when I attended the Neiman Marcus Trend Event and the Alaia’s presented themselves to me.

So as my FB posted about me, I “really do bleed for fashion”!

But strangely chicks, that wasn’t the weirdest thing that happened this week, fashion-related.

It was, hands down, finding a F*&#ing scorpion (alive) in my closet.

• Grill Avocados! Split the avocados, remove the center seed and place each half directly down on the grill.
• Grill Fresh Green Beans! Using a mesh basket is best (for obvious reasons). Grill these guys on a lower setting so they don’t char before getting carmelized and yummy

* This week’s salad postings: 

• Finely chopped: ‘cress + cilantro + kale + pumpkin seeds + (soaked ‘n sprouted) mung beans + avocado + sea salt
• Salad Thrs is/was chopped up: ‘cress + cilantro + kale + sunflower seeds + avocado + carrots + flax oil + sea salt
• chopped ‘cress/cilantro/kale + corn + red/green peppers + avocado + almonds + barley + carrots + sea salt + olive oil

 * Sprouting your beans:

Mung beans are traditionally made into a ‘dahl’ which involves cooking them until soft (& mushy). But you can actually eat these little nutritional powerhouses after soaking them and without having to cook them. (You may not see them, but the little green things ARE in the pic above).

• Rinse your beans.
• Soak them for 10-12 hours.
• Rinse the beans again. Put them in a colander with paper towels underneath. Change out the papertowels and bundle up the beans. Put them (with the towel bundle) into a covered pot and store them in a warm, dry place for the next day.
• When you check them, they should be sprouted and definately soft.
• Rinse them again and use them in salads, for snacking, cook them up as in your regular dahl, or store them in an airtight container for use within the next few days.

* This week’s shake postings:

• shake o’ the day: Aloe vera juice + vanilla org. almond milk + lime + banana + ginger root + flax+ spinach + @TraderJoeslist frzn cherry mix

Yup. Only one. Wasn’t at home much to make shakes/smoothies and well, there is no portable blender. I’m in awe of people that blend before they go but honestly, this stuff usually separates and gets nasty. Plus, it’s best to drink your enzyme freshness sooner rather than later.

* National Yoga Week (or Month…) is coming up in a few weeks. Check out THIS LINK for studios in your area that might be participating with FREEEEE classes!