All posts by hannahviolin

I am a violinist. I also enjoy running, working out, reading, and hanging with my friends and cat.
Cat, Random thoughts

Back to Work

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It occurred to me this afternoon that maybe I’ve had the flu this whole time.  I wanted to practice this afternoon, but after about ten minutes of struggling, I realized I was UTTERLY EXHAUSTED and was missing shifts and really the whole exercise was pointless.  So I listened to some recordings instead and lay on the couch and rested up for my Tuesday afternoon teaching.

I asked Chris if he thought I was just turning into a cat and he told me that despite how much he knows I want that, it was highly unlikely.

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Nonetheless.  I’m trying to convince myself that one week of not practicing is not going to entirely derail several previous great weeks of practicing, so this is just a minor setback.  Flu or not flu, this was a nasty bit of something, and I’ve still got a bad cough.  I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll have a bit more energy…or failing that, Thursday!  It will be fine. 

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This is one of those blog posts where I just had a few things I wanted to say so I’m supplementing with cat pictures. 

Have you guys seen Homeland?  We’ve been watching it on-demand.  We’re on the second season and it’s really good!  I recommend you check it out if you haven’t seen it.  Very well done and thought provoking, and I really like the haircut of the character played by Claire Danes.  I think maybe I need more layers in my haircut next time?

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My last haircut…what do you guys think?

Not the blonde—or should I do that too?  It’d be very St. Louis 😉

Okay, really, not the blonde, but some more layers?  My hair feels boring all of a sudden.  This is how I think–we were watching some really intense scenes from Homeland and then I turned to Chris and said, Hey honey, how do you think I’d look with her haircut? 

My husband thinks I’m a crazy person.  I’m pretty sure of that.  He also said, sure, why not?

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Red pants, purple shoes? I wanted to wear purple shoes and I thought I saw somewhere that red and purple matched.  I think I need a “fashion” page on the blog, don’t I?

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We had some crazy “spring” storms today!  I was happy to make it home from work safely tonight.  There was a lot of rain and water on the ground, and various tornado watches and warnings all afternoon and evening.  I guess it’s supposed to be cold again tomorrow.  What a crazy winter we’ve had!

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Giveaways, Product Reviews

Nature’s Sleep Slipper Review and Giveaway

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Recently I was sent a pair of Nature’s Sleep slippers to try out and share with you guys.  I tend to spend a lot of my leisure time under a throw blanket so often I don’t bother with slippers, but I am not one to turn up my nose at a free pair of slippers.  Plus since I’ve been spending a lot of time at home with the flu or a bad cold…having a nice new pair of slippers has been pretty great!

I was sent the Open Toe Slippers with Memory Foam.

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From the company’s website: “Open Toe Memory Foam Slippers – Take a walk in the clouds and slip your feet into these open-toe terry slippers. The visco-elastic memory foam in the bottom of the sole contours and cradles your foot for luxurious comfort and support with each and every step. The warm, soft terry fabric ensures your feet stay cozy all year round.”

I asked my husband, Chris if they looked like “old lady slippers” and he said that really, all slippers are old people slippers…so that’s a yes, but it’s okay because they are house slippers.  They are comfortable and soft, and feel nice on my bare feet and with socks.  The terry cloth fabric feels great and the foam padding is very comfortable to walk on, not that I do a whole lot of walking around the house!  The sole is a rubbery and non skid so you don’t feel like you’ll slip on hardwood or tile floors.

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The only thing I don’t love about the slippers is the color.  It’s sort of a pale pink, and it’s not really ME.  But that won’t be enough to keep me from wearing them, because they aren’t supposed to be a fashion statement, they are supposed to be comfortable!

You can get 50 percent off with the code BEARS50, which is good for anything on the Nature’s Sleep site and will not expire!  In addition to slippers the site offers mattresses, pillows, pet beds and more.

Their mission is “to provide everybody the opportunity to enjoy a better night’s sleep at affordable prices, while maintaining a concern for our environment. We understand that sleeping is a key ingredient to a productive life and that the proper memory foam mattress and pillow is essential. All our products are designed to deliver to you the rest, relaxation and rejuvenation that you and your body need and deserve. ”  I agree that sleep is very important!

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In addition to the 50 percent off with the code BEARS50, good for anything on the Nature’s Sleep site the company has offered to give a pair of slippers to one of you!  They are requiring you “like” their facebook and enter a contest for your mandatory entry—anyway, it’s all on the Rafflecopter Widger here.  Good luck!  The contests runs for awhile too, so you’ll have plenty of time to entry.  US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note:  I was given a free product or compensated to provide  my opinion on this product. Nonetheless all opinions are my own and I did not have to provide a positive review.

Random thoughts

Miscellaneous Mondays Again

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Hello readers!

As you most likely know, I’ve been dealing with a really bad cold over the past few days.  I’m trying not to absolutely stress out over what I’m behind on–particularly in terms of violin practice for a certain audition I am (still?) planning to take…every time I’ve tried to practice it has felt like playing underwater, or worse…and it’s not just the audition I have coming up—this weekend is full of Chamber Project St Louis rehearsals AND Winter Opera St Louis rehearsals!  I definitely didn’t have a bit of crying jag about this last night.  I do find that allowing oneself to get upset and then to mentally work through it can be helpful, don’t you?

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Hopefully this will pass…and I will be back on schedule and back on track, both in terms of practice, teaching (I haven’t seen some students in a couple weeks and I miss them!), and of course working out and MARATHON TRAINING.  Running hasn’t happened since the race last weekend…but I’ll get back on track.  I’m far more stressed out about violin practice than anything else at this point.  Oh, and there’s the small fact that during a particularly violent coughing fit yesterday I sort of hurt my shoulder…let’s just all smile and whistle, shall we?  EVERYTHING WILL EITHER BE OKAY OR IT’LL BE OKAY IN THE END.

If you are by chance behind on my blog I have three posts from the past week you should check out.  One is a review and giveaway of a pain relief cream and a vitamin type thing (which hasn’t seemed to help me at all, but might help you!).  Then I wrote a fun post talking about Leslie’s wedding and showing off some great pictures of her and her wedding.  And of course the recap of the half marathon I ran last weekend, the Rock and Roll Arizona Race.

Another recommended read for you is the blog my youngest sister Carrie is writing about her group, Chartreuse, and their current tour of Norway. 

They ran a kickstarter to fund their project, and as one of their donors (and as a sister) I am eagerly following their progress.  They have been very well received and are learning so much while having a wonderful time.  I am often so impressed with what my siblings have accomplished in their lives  and struggle with feeling like my life is uninspired in comparison!  (We mustn’t compare ourselves to others though, should we, particularly our own siblings?)  Needless to say I am proud of Carrie, and particularly enjoyed this part of her blog:

Tonight we are planning to go out to a jazz club called Victoria’s, where there is a free concert by some of the jazz students (jazz here being a very loose term; what do you even call any of it now? they’ll be improvising music. That is what musicians do. They just play music).

I love that!  MUSICIANS PLAY MUSIC. 

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Oh, and don’t use the hashtag “feet” on instagram, for fun, unless you want things to get weird.  I was being silly because I finally painted my toenails to cover up the nasty black nails and put it on instagram…I did not think that through.  Lesson learned. 

Random thoughts

Leslie and Peter’s Wedding: A Fall Wedding in Phoenix, Arizona

My sister Leslie and her husband Peter got married on October 21, 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona.  Their ceremony was at the Japanese Friendship Garden and their reception was at the Clarendon Hotel, both in downtown Phoenix.  I wanted to put together a summary post, mainly for my own fun and for Leslie, but I thought perhaps if anyone reading this is getting married in the Phoenix/Scottsdale/Tempe area it could be helpful!  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Leslie used a lot of items from Etsy.com.  As most brides these days know, Etsy is a huge resource for unique, personalized, and handmade items.  Sometimes I listed the shop she used, other times I didn’t…sorry about the inconsistency.

Most of the photographs are from Jacquie from St Anne Photography,  with a few from other sources (including our good friend Loren who is very talented!)

I apologize for the long post, but I couldn’t help but show off my sister’s wedding and how gorgeous she looks in the photos!

Invitations and Save-The-Dates:

Leslie got her invitations from a variety of sources. 

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The Save the Dates were folded by Leslie—she had quite a few DIY touches for her wedding.  She is quite talented at calligraphy and origami.  She hand wrote all the addresses for the Save the Dates and the Invitations, and did quite a bit of origami, both for these and for some wedding decorations.

Leslie-Frey-Invitation

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The invitations and rsvp cards were two sided—these pictures show both sides of each.  They were on glossy paper and looked really neat!

Invitations from Sweet Heart Shout Out.

The Night Before:

Rehearsal Dinner was at Beckett’s Table.

Getting Ready:

We met in Leslie’s suite at the Clarendon for Hair and Makeup the morning of the wedding.

Makeup for the Ladies by Lipstick and Loves 

Hair by Tina from Moments Salon

Wedding Dress– Mariee Bridal

Alterations–  Bridal by Sadie

Shoes—Nina, Shoe clips from Etsy but they did not stay on very well. 

Purse—Etsy.com –Babb’s Boutique (Same purse we used for my wedding but with a different flower!)

Sash–Icing 101 on Etsy and Wedding dress hanger—My Amber Coloured World on Etsy (I gave this to Leslie as an engagement gift—cheesy, yes, but I thought it would be nice for photos.)

Earrings—Nordstrom

Maid of honor dress–J.Crew, Shoes from Nina, Earrings from Nordstroms (gift from the bride)

Men’s ties–J. Crew

Some pre-ceremony pictures at the Clarendon Hotel:

Bouquets, Boutonnières and Centerpieces (later) by Floral Verde

The sisters!  Leslie, me, Carrie.  I love this picture.  It’s out front of the Hotel.

First Look!

Getting to the ceremony:

Ollie the Trolley—Leslie and Peter hired a trolley to drive the guests who needed it from the Clarendon Hotel to the Japanese Gardens and then back afterwards.  I loved it!

The Ceremony:

The Wedding Party:  Ved, Peter, Leslie, and me (Hannah)

Ved and I walking in. 

Leslie and Dad walking down the path.

And down the aisle.  It was a long walk!

Officiant–Matt Nathanson 

It was a beautiful day for a wedding! 

Yada, yada, yada… “You may now kiss the bride!”

We signed the marriage license as witnesses…

The new Frey Family!  Complete with some non-Freys now.

And aren’t the Gardens gorgeous?

A few other ceremony details…

Ceremony Programs from Etsy

Quartet arrangements by Hannah Frey (tee hee!), the ladies in blue are sisters of the Bride and Groom, the others are good friends.

Parasols—Japanese Friendship Garden Gift Shop

Sand Ceremony Bottles from Etsy  and Cranes handmade by Leslie

Time to Celebrate!

The reception (including dinner) was held on the rooftop of the Clarendon Hotel. 

Catering by their on-site restaurant, Gallo Blanco—guacamole, tacos, rice, chicken, and more. 

Cupcakes by Urban Cookies , cupcake tower from etsy

Papel picado flags—etsy

Table name tags done by Leslie.  Succulent centerpieces by Floral Verde

Each guest got their own crane to give them their table assignments.  Calligraphy and origami by Leslie, of course!

Mariachi–Mariachi Luz del Sur.  The band was great!

Guest Book from Snapfish. 

So there you have it.  It was a beautiful wedding day, with (as expected) lots of planning involved before hand that absolutely paid off.  We had a wonderful time celebrating with Leslie and Peter, and wish them the best in the future!

Giveaways, Product Reviews

Noxicare and Epicor: Review and Giveaway

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These are two different products from two different companies, but I am combining them together for a giveaway!

First up:  Noxicare.

Noxicare™ Natural Pain Relief is a breakthrough natural, patented pain relief formula that is a proprietary combination of 7 of the world’s most potent natural pain relievers that quickly and effectively alleviate inflammation, muscle aches and nerve pain (burning feet)—with NO known side effects and without a prescription.

I tried some of the cream after the half marathon—my calves were crazy sore so I thought that’d a good opportunity.  I thought the texture was nice and easy to rub in, not too greasy, and though I can’t say for sure how well it worked, (I should have done one leg with another kind of cream for control purposes, ha!) it seemed to do the trick.  My calves no longer hurt.

Epicor:

EpiCor

What is EpiCor?

EpiCor is an all-natural nutritional health ingredient used in dietary supplements that helps support the immune system. It is a unique, complex ingredient comprised of protein, fiber, vitamins, amino acids, antioxidants, and other metabolites. Taken daily, EpiCor has been shown to be a safe and effective way to help support immune health and maintain wellness.*

Okay, how well does it work?  I can’t say, obviously.  First off, you should know I am NOT a fan of vitamins.  I prefer to try to eat a variety of food.  Studies have shown that vitamins are practically worthless and I hate to just throw my money away.  That being said, I figured, okay, fine, I’ll try this.  And I’ve had a minor cold this month, a stomach virus, and I’m currently dealing with another cold or something with a hacking cough.  Would I be worse off without EpiCor or better?  There’s no way to tell.  I’d love to be able to say, oh, yeah, this definitely helped, but obviously I can’t say that.

I will say I feel really virtuous taking a vitamin type supplement every day, like I’m doing something really good for myself.  Ha!

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Okay, GIVEAWAY time:  One lucky reader will receive a bottle of Epicor, a Tube of Noxicare, and a Noxicare T Shirt (they sent one, and I already have more T Shirts than I wear so I’d like to share the wealth.) US residents only. Winner will be contacted by email.

I’m running this through rafflecopter again, so either you’ll see it below or click on that link to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Random thoughts

Am I going to die?

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If you haven’t read my delightful recap of the Rock and Roll Arizona race, you should.  I spent a lot of time writing it and putting photos in, so I’ll be sad if you haven’t read it.

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I often publicize my blog posts on facebook.  This adds to the embarrassment factor/page views.  Added bonus:  I can assume that all my friends and colleagues have read my blog and already know what’s going on in my life…and surely that’s why no one talks to me anymore, right?

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(nothing to do with all the selfies…btw how great is my new sweater!  THREE SHEEP!)

Anyway, yesterday when I posted the Race recap, my sister Leslie weighed in:

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Yeah, so then yesterday’s cold turned into today’s whatever is happening which involves massive coughing fits on occasion.  Oops.  They are all still in the head so I’m thinking that’s a good sign.  I’m also exhausted, and left work early (I’m thrilled because I’m already so behind, but I just couldn’t stay any longer—I was seriously checked out and about to fall out of my chair and I had NO patience left, and my students require patience or I just start telling them what I think, without making it nice and constructive and helpful for them, and that’s not very good. )

Where am I going with this?  I actually don’t know.  I had really fun plans for tonight and now I’m just sitting on the couch, figuring this is as good a time as any to catch up on Parenthood.

So entertain me!  What are you doing this weekend?  I may end up having to cancel all my fun plans and just stay at home drinking tea all weekend…

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