I've always been a superb starter and somewhat wobbly finisher.  I currently have about ten different notebooks, some filled with notes, ideas and musings.  Others, barely opened and scribbled with incomprehensible scratch.  I have another blog too. I started it five years ago and then it fizzled off, swallowed whole by the internet never to be seen again. 

Then there was this blog which lived in my head for a good eight months. I toyed with it and twisted the concept like a rubik's cube, looking for the perfect space and time to launch. The courage came 365 days ago today. 

The Sunnysideup is one year old and I am pleased as punch. Happy Blog-a-versary to me! 

Am I famous yet? No. 

Have I gotten rich? Not monetarily speaking. 

Am I happy? You bet your ass!! 

This blog has allowed me to discover a host of new creative pursuits and a whole community of people who inspire me daily. It has taught me to follow my heart and keep going no matter what. 

Most of all, I have conquered a huge fear of mine by simply being willing to "put it out there".  Launching the blog has freed me from the paralyzing fear championed by that insidious liar, the inner critic.  You know, that voice that tells you that you can't do it. That other people won't like it.  That you might as well not roll with that idea. That you should (eep!) give up. Yeah, that voice can piss off.  I'm a year old now. 

 I have so much gratitude toward those I've met along the way. My buddy, Nikki Mueller, who designed my blog header and helped a gal get started, inspired me with her bloggy skills and kind support.  Oodles of gratitude go to the Blogging Your Way e-course and the awesome encouragement from Holly Becker and Leslie Shewring, two ladies with so much experience and knowledge to share. Then there are the people, near and far, who connect with me on the blog and share the journey with me as readers or fellow bloggers.  A journey is nothing without good company.  Thank you all for being.
 
When I started this thing, I was looking to pursue something creative. I wanted to write more. I wanted to commit to something. I wanted to nurture the sunny side of me and share it with whoever cared to stop by. I began with no expectations and set out to do the things that make me happy. 

Luckily, I still feel that way, maybe even more so.  I really can't wait to see what lies ahead. There is so much learning and living to be done.  Shall we get on with it? 

Happy Day! 

I love my Instagram app and so I knew it  would only be a matter of time before I took on a photo-a-day challenge. It's a fun way to invoke a bit of creativity into your day and share it with all your digital cohorts. You, dear readers, are part of that and so I'll be sharing my photos here on a weekly basis to give you a peek into my everyday world as I see it. 

It starts today with my view. I'll be at my desk most of today. I sit facing my backyard. What you see out the window is the shed that the Mister built with his bare hands when we first moved into our home. There wasn't enough room to contain our stuff. Thus, the shed.  Then there's my ancient desktop, my blog editor and a sunflower from my birthday bouquet. 

If you'd like to see all the participants of the challenge, head over to Fat Mum Slim and check the links. If you're on Twitter, you can follow along with the hashtag #febphotoaday and if you care to join in, well, come on with it! 
Let me know where I can find you by leaving your blog link or Instagram username in the comments below.  

I love everything about a fresh start. I love the mornings (maybe a little too much). I love the New Year.  I love starting over every week and flipping my desk calendar to begin a new month. I love wiping my whiteboard clean and penning a fresh to-do list. I love the crisp pages  in a new journal and working on new projects. I love being the first to dip my knife into a fresh jar of peanut butter and I can think of nothing better than opening a new book.  I love birthdays for this reason too. It's all of these things wrapped into one.   

I wake up every birthday bursting at the seams with happiness. Apparently, my year starts twice. Once on the first of January  and then again when I turn another year older, 25 days later.  Obviously, moderation is not my thing. I rather like it that way.

 Last year,  I had one gigantic gift of a year. I entered a new decade, got engaged, started a blog and decided to follow my creative heart.  This year is a continuation of that journey. Today, I am 31 and the possibilities are endless. 

Happy Day!!

                                                                                                               (image)
Buenos dias, amigos! I am so excited to introduce my newest endeavor on the road to happy living, my very own happiness project called The Inside Job.  In honor of new beginnings,  I am embarking on a 365-day journey to become a better me.  

Over the holidays,  I picked up a copy of Gretchen Rubin's bestseller, The Happiness Project and was inspired to do something similar. In her book, Rubin takes each month to focus on an area of her life in an effort to cultivate more happiness. It's a brilliant idea and what's best  is the fact that everyone can start their own unique project tailored to the areas that matter most to them. 

I started this blog as a happiness project of sorts and this year I'd like to expand on that notion. One of my main goals in 2012  is to write more.  This project is the perfect way for me to strive toward all of my goals and chronicle them  in story. I will post my discoveries (good and not so good) as they develop and document my journey month by month. Of course,  I will still post my inspirations, creative pursuits and other sunny material regularly too.  Stay tuned later today to learn what I'm focusing on in January.   

Happy Wednesday! Did you all know that I'm an English geek? I like alliteration, even if it is cheesy. So, while planning my new blog schedule, I decided that Wednesdays will be dedicated to things like weddings and weight loss. I just love how well these words work with the word Wednesday. Sorry for that alliterative outburst. I can't help myself. 

Today, W is for WTF?!! and this is the shorthand version for how I feel when I consider what I have to do on November 5. That's right, folks. I done gone and signed up for my very first marathon. I think I just peed myself typing that statement.

On November 5, I will complete my very first marathon, 26.2 miles of
self-inflicted pain, at the inaugural Savannah Rock-and -Roll Marathon. 

I know, I can't believe it either. 

I have been running races since 2006 and have completed three half-marathons. After each half-marathon I think,  "There is no way in HELL I could run 13.1 again. On the same day!!" 

Yet, here I am, prepared to lose my toenails, run for hours and suffer bodily dysfunction all in the name of good, clean fun. This makes me laugh. I paid good money to punish myself. Me! I did this! To myself! 

I kid. I want to do this.  In fact, this is one of my personal goals for 2011. For the next 16 weeks, I intend to chronicle the good, the bad and the ugly in hopes of sharing my experience and a little inspiration with those who have similar goals and share a smile for those who just want to watch a trainwreck.  Plus, now that I've aired my business all over the internet, I can't quit now.  Sneaky accountability. 

On the left is my running partner, Stewart. We began running together this year and I am so grateful to pursue this endeavor with her. I'm not sure I could do it alone. 

She's the yin to my yang and does a helluva good job keeping me motivated and accountable. There are several 6 a.m. runs that would not have been possible had  Stewart not met up with me. For real. 

So far, Week One of training is behind us. We had our first long run on Sunday. It was supposed to be nine miles, but we ended up doing ten. It was an exceptional run and a great confidence booster. I've been told to hold on to the good runs and I'm definitely hanging on to that one. I was actually dreading the run and it turned out great! 

So far, I'm feeling good about training. It does require a bit of planning on my part and I have  been advised to view marathon training in manageable chunks of time. Focus on this week's workouts rather than the monstrous 26.2 miles in November. That can overwhelm me. 
I sit down each week and plan my running schedule. I'm working off Hal Higdon's proposed marathon training plan which suggests three shorter runs during the week, one long run on the weekend and one day of cross training. I only managed to run twice last week in addition to one day of cross training and the long run. It wasn't perfect, but I did make my long run, which is the one I cannot miss. 

As I continue this series, I hope to share some tips on what I'm feeding my body and what I am doing to train my mind. I'm always open to your personal experiences, feedback and suggestions so, comment away or shoot me an email at keia [at] the-s I'm looking forward to completing my first marathon with a whole host of new buddies. Thanks for reading!

One last thing, I will be posting wedding updates and my latest efforts for fitness and weight loss on Wednesday as well as other lovely things that begin with the letter "W". Stay tuned!

Every Monday,  I make a new beginning, a new resolution to do something just a bit better than the week before.
I pick myself up, dust myself off and find my big girl panties once more. I never know how, but somewhere between Thursday and Sunday, I trade my big girl panties in for the "I don't give a shit" ball cap or the all-purpose invisibility cloak.

Enter the Monday Mantra...a new addition to the blog schedule and positive way to start another week. It's my way to set my intentions on a higher plane so that when the alarm goes off at 6 a.m. for the next five consecutive days, I willingly welcome another week.

The Monday Mantra coincides with a whole pattern of new beginnings, not just Mondays. Last week, I rolled out a new set of goals for the second half of 2011 and entered July feeling so fresh and so clean, clean. I am settling into a new blog schedule, another new beginning AND I registered for my first marathon yesterday, a challenge that kinda scares me. With all this newness, Mama needs some positive reinforcements. Maybe you do too.

The Monday Mantra will be here every week. I intend to use it at the beginning of each day, to center myself in it and use it as a positive mental guide as I tackle the week. Feel free to use it in whatever way you like.

On a side note, I had this Calculus teacher in high school named Mr. Boggs. He was an odd southern gentleman of sorts that resembled a Galapagos turtle and had a love for calculus that was both unnatural and fascinating. He was quite funny too. He would often refer to himself as "self" and would begin random stories with "So I said to myself....self..."

So as I embark on the inaugural Monday Mantra, I say to myself...

                                                                             "Self....

                                                                            I DO ENOUGH
                                                                            I HAVE ENOUGH
                                                                            I AM ENOUGH
                                                                                     I AM

Get your big girl panties on, a new week has begun!!

I don't know about you but, for me,  every week begins with a new resolution to be just a smidge better than the week before.  Sometimes I resolve to follow my workout schedule better.  Other times,  I vow to eat healthier foods, to meditate more, to wake up earlier, go to sleep at a reasonable hour...all in the name of becoming a happier, more balanced individual. 

I haven't conducted any formal studies on the subject, but to me, happiness is an action word. It is not a destination or something we acquire once Circumstance A is complete or Object B is bought. Happiness is a choice. It is one of the many things we get to cultivate as human beings and it takes effort. 

I don't claim to be a happy person ALL the time, but I started this blog as an exercise in happy living and made a deal with myself to pursue this path publicly, for better or worse. So, this week begins a series I call Sunshine Seven Ways.  Every day I'll offer up a new way to cultivate a little sunshine. Small suggestions that, if applied consciously, can make a big difference. I'll be taking notes on my progress and hope to hear some of your experiences this week.  You can email me at keia[at]the-sunnysideup.com or simply leave your comments. 

Here's a fine tune to get you settled into the bright side. Everybody loves the sunshine (and the 70's!). Happy living! 

The road to happy living is paved with interesting twists and turns and a healthy dose of honesty. Here's a little bit of my latest. It's raw. To thine own self be true. 

I'm starting to get my elevator pitch down and with more ease. I can now sit tall, look someone in the eye and with confidence tell them why I won't be accepting my recent admission to graduate school. 

"I'm going down the road less taken," I say. 

I vacillate between feeling passionate about my decision and trembling with overwhelming doubt. Even the slightest experience knocks me off kilter. 

Last night I met a woman who, in the 1980's, almost won a Mazda hatchback car but instead won a Mary Kay package on The Price Is Right. No kidding. She showed me the video. 

Today, that same woman lives a privileged life as the National Sales Director of Mary Kay Cosmetics.  She's been privileged to drive 15 pink cadillacs and has been a conversation piece for Bob Barker twice. Once when she was a 21-year old contestant (Bob had brown hair back then) and 12 years later when, a grey-haired Barker referenced her success as a credit to his show. 

This woman and her husband of 36 years took a special liking to me. I was articulate, intellectual and "not your typical server." No offense taken. 

Their story of faith, family and fortune fascinated me. Their kindness signaled a genuine connection, a look into the crystal ball of my own life, maybe.  Just like that I came home, lip trembling, tears welling up- Should I be looking into the Mary Kay Empire? Why did our paths cross? Was God trying to tell me to pursue cosmetics? I was confused.  Am I even supposed to be writing? 

Currently, any stable faith in myself is short-lived. The only thing that restores my shaky house of cards is a loving fiance who reminds me that I love to write, that I've always talked about this sort of thing. But have I? I'm not sure. 

Still, the words "I'm not going to graduate school" come out of my mouth and I am writing. And reading. And reading about writing. And posting. 

Something is stirring. It's terrifying. It's schizophrenic and it feels like something I could get used to. 

Sitting in th bookstore today I think I cried, laughed out loud, thought of three short story ideas and witnessed my future self receiving a spot on The New Yorker's list of 20 Under 40,  all within a 20-minute span. 

Sitting here today I remembered the times I wrote just to write. Traipsing across Europe documenting the sights and smells, making up stories about my server while eating breakfast in Midtown Atlanta, scribbling my coked-up soul on to anything that would hold ink including the refrigerator which, turns out,  soaks up permanent marker surprisingly well. Journaling, reading,writing, thinking. I've done this off and on for years. 

When it comes to writing, I've never consciously turned on the faucet and left it running. I've always been too afraid to flood the house. Too worried about ruining all the things that lived inside.  I'll never be able to replace what's there. Or will I? I'll make too much of a mess. I won't have any place to live. I could lose everything. 

I'm so dramatic. But, it's true. 

I don't know what's going to happen by choosing this path. All I know is that, at this moment,  I'm definitely not going to graduate school. 

Happy March Everyone and Happy Blog Launch Day! 

Right now, I'm sitting in a coffee shop, being the cliche I always wanted to be, hammering out my first post in what I hope is the beginning of a lovely journey.  

The SunnysideUp is an exercise in happy living.  It's part of a deal I made with myself to pursue a life that nurtures the soul and seeks happiness and fulfillment in all its fantastic forms. It's my daily effort at finding the good in each day and sharing the human experience with others. 

Here at the SunnysideUp you'll find little bits of inspirational goodies (I call them dailies) as well as commentary on life experiences (some good, some not-so-good and some hysterical) and self-imposed "happiness" projects that I take on for better or worse. 

 I welcome the chance to share a little love, laughter and light through this experience and hope that you might find your own little patch of sunshine when you come here.  I hope you'll stop by often and share in the evolution of something good. 

Here's to new beginnings...see you on the SunnysideUp!