GYM ETTIQUETTE--from FITSUGAR.com

HI all......i took this picture from another website. I am really enjoying more advanced yoga at my gym. I am aiming to somehow get into this pose at some point.
SPEAKING OF THE GYM.. I saw this article and thought it would be nice to share.
taken from FITSUGAR.com 01/31/08

Happy Birthday to Christine D...My sista in law! woot woot!
ok read the article.....

January is a crowded time at the gym. Lots of people are working out to fulfill their 2008 resolutions, which is truly great. I thought it might be a good idea to review a few key elements of gym etiquette. If you are new to gym life, or just need a refresher course please read on.


Some gyms make you sign up for machines, so ask before hopping up on one that you see is empty. You don't want to upset someone who's been waiting a half an hour for a turn.
Clean up after yourself. Always bring a towel with you to wipe down machines and the pool of sweat you might have created. Likewise, put equipment back where it belongs. Even if you found a set of free weights in the spinning room, put them back where they belong so others know where to find them.
Don't hog the machines (especially if it's a busy time). Some gyms have time limits and it's up to the person using the machine to get off on time. Don't be one of those people who cover the display and pretends like you have no idea you've been on it for over 30 minutes.
What else should you know? To find out read more

Set machines back to the standard position after you're done. It's annoying when you go to use the leg extension machine and some guy has set it to 80 pounds.
Be respectful of your fellow gym members. Keep the chatting to a minimum and if you must have your cell phone with you, put it on vibrate. If you get a call, find a private place to talk.
Don't stare at other people working out. If you have a question for them, go ahead and ask, but staring is impolite!
Even though you're in an all girls locker room, be a little modest. Nobody wants to see you walking about in your birthday suit (even if you are proud that your hard work is paying off).


xoxox

marisa:)

GO GO GRAPEFRUIT!!!!!!!!!!!

I am on a kick ass new way of life. I am feeling pretty damn good about it too.
I have since lost almost 2 pounds in the past week. Thats great. Only 30 more do i need to lose....ha ha ha

i am actually enjoying this new portion observing crazy workout life of mine.
i am not denying myself anything. i am just so excited that this new way of life seems to make me feel so much better than i ever thought. My blender was possibly the best appliance we ever bought.

Now...here is an article on FABSUGAR.com that I think you should read.

Remember the Grapefruit Diet from that wonderful decade the 80s? I just read a new variation of the diet – a half grapefruit with every meal, and I am not quite sure how I feel about it. While this new take on the diet is not nearly as extreme as just eating limitless portions of grapefruit and a few hard boiled eggs to keep you from fainting, it still seems a bit overboard.

A 2006 study found that beginning every meal with half a grapefruit can help shed unwanted pounds. In a 12-week study, participants who had half grapefruit starters at every meal, lost on average 3.6 pounds compared to others who were not eating the large citrus fruit and only lost on average one pound. Researchers think that plant compounds help to lower insulin levels and the smaller the amount of insulin in the blood after a meal, the more efficiently the body uses food for energy rather than storing it as fat.

I don't know about you, but the thought of starting every meal with a half a grapefruit for four months sounds unappetizing to me, and I love grapefruit. Grapefruit is in season right now though, so the fruit would be extra tasty and cheap. What about you? Tell me about it in the comments section below.

xoxo
Marisa:)

Tokidoke I love YOU

Its 1am in boston but here i write a special prayer



God
If you are out there
please give me $200 dollars so i can buy this bag
ha ha ha

Its a Tokidoke LeSportsac
and its sooold out all over the world

but bag....


you will be mine someday.

ok goodnight

Marisa:)

Get your Butt back on the Bike !!!!!!

i would like to obtain these spin shoes
but i am not sure if i can afford the price tag.

but i can keep it in mind by posting it on my blog....

xoxox

marisa:)

Happy New Year 2008!

Darling
its gonna be a fabulous year!

STOP TRAFFIC with your LIFE

(picture courtesy: people.com)

Its Friday
and this is the start of the
Psychotic Weekend of Hell before Christmas
(add a few MORE inches of snow on this FIRST DAY OF WINTER)
and there you go!

Get your walking shoes on and try to
score those last couple of presents


and attempt to complete non sensical things
before christmas like: wrapping things and trying to do things
that should not ever be attempted by one person and sanity....
and because I love you all....look at my cousins cat and his view on christmas shopping...



GO!

marisa:)

SNOW IS COMING and sooooo is SACHA!

HI there
there is to be a snowstorm this afternoon into the evening
and I need to go to the mall
what a great idea!

ha ha ha

PEPPERMINT MARTINIS ARE THE NASTIEST THINGS EVER
DO NOT BUY PEPPERMINT MARTINI MIX
ALMOST DIED OF ACID REFLUX FROM ONE LAST NIGHT
(yes martinis on a wednesday night....fun)

My best friend Kat and her husband Alex! are coming in
LESS than 36 HOuRS.....HOORAY
We like to call him SACHA....german for alex...
MAY they have a safe flight.

I get to print up first stage proofs at Kinkos
of my designs for a new logo. PRAY for me I get there safe

ciao for now!

MARISA:)

Get Excited!

HI there
there are so many reasons to be excited today.

1) I get to pay the bills on monday 12/10/07.
2) My best friend and her husband come to stay with me and dave on 12/14/07
3) My other really awesome friend comes to town this weekend.
4) Some of my other favorite cousins come to town next weekend.
5) I get to design a new logo for a new company and I get to get paid for it.
6) dave graduates this coming May and hopefully we will be able to go away to
Europe and use some of my accrued vacation time. We also might get to meet up with
my best friend from germany and her husband.
7) I get to maybe go eat Indian Food tonight.
8) I get to do more christmas shopping this weekend and I might finally have a gameplan for presents for my parents.
9) If i ever get to add a more styled office to my home office,...This is what i would add to my home office.
(see pic above)
10) my christmas card design is coming out Fantastically!

Happy Friday everyone....Its a cold cold day in NE
but I am warm with Happiness!

xoxo

Marisa:)

Midwest Modern- Amy Butler

I know that I do not live in the Midwest
but this book SPEAKS to my style

Seriously
I
MUST HAVE this book

Please Santa...put this under the tree.

Marisa:)

Erase your worries and Sit here!

This is what I call design!. This bench is made of 1306 pencils(pink because they are fancy). You can pull each pencil out and use it to write down a note...and then put it back
BUT
if you use each pencil the same amount of wear or different wear
then you must sharpen either ONE or ALL to get the bench Even again.

Can you tell i got to work at 7am EST?

I am HIGH on Dayquil today i guess. The stuff makes me loopy.

Ciao

Marisa:)

WHEN YOU ARE STRESSED..like me...EAT AN ORANGE!

I am feeling the aftereffects of my adventure at the auto shop yesterday.
My lovely brake job drained me of some hard earned money
and because my part time retail gig is cheating me out of HOURS
i am feeling a bit stressed today

so i did some research on how to reduce stress.

TAKEN FROM FITSUGAR.COM

Let's face it, the holiday season is stressful. Couple that with all the runny noses that surround you and it becomes clear – vitamin C is your ally. Aside from helping shorten the duration of a cold, fighting wrinkles, and helping absorb iron, vitamin C is a stress buster. Boosting your system with extra C before stressful events can help bring your blood pressure back to normal more quickly. Plus it can help even out your cortisol levels after a taxing situation. Cortisol is a brain chemical that is part of our response to stress, and while it is good to have around in the short term, you really don't want it lingering in your system. Hence the importance of Vitamin C since it helps brings cortisol levels back to normal.

Fit's Tips: Winter is citrus season, so it easy to get vitamin C from food sources. If citrus isn't your thing, check out this list


Recently California suffered when temps (remember we are talking about California here) dipped to around 30 degrees killing a good amount of the bountiful citrus crops.

So even though we are facing a minor citrus shortage, it is still recommended that you get at least 75-90 mg per day of vitamin c. In light of all this, you can still get your oranges from Florida, but there are lots of other foods high in vitamin c that you may also want to consider such as:

Papaya: 313.1 mg in one
Bell peppers: 174.80 mg in one cup
Broccoli: 205.7 mg in one cup
Brussel sprouts: 161.2 mg in one cup
Strawberries: 136.1 mg in one cup
Cantaloupe: 112.5 mg in one cup
Kiwi (the fruit, not the bird): 95 mg in one
Cauliflower: 91.5 mg in one cup
Kale: 88.8 mg in one cup
Fit's Tip: It is recommended that adults don't consume above 2,000 milligrams in one day.

I think i will eat a clementine right now.
Go on y'all get your citrus on!
I think i will have a CITRUS INFUSED MARGARITA tonight!

xoxo
marisa

Fancy Dishes I dream about at night!

Hi there
where have i been?
who knows!

I have been:
-eating pie
-making food
-making pie
-juggling life
-collecting aprons for pattern ideas
-watching project runway/real housewives/desperatehousewives/antm & allmychildren
-wondering when two characters are gonna get rescued from a bombshelter on allmychildren.
-wondering when the bills for the SAAB and THE VW will ever stop.
-wondering why my comcast bill is 10 dollars more this month...oh yeah that ONDEMAND MOVIE we watched because Hollywood Video closed one more store....
-wondering how many times i have gone to the grocery store and gas station in the past two weeks.
-wondering if god will ever make my car work right.
- having a blast with my husband watching TV and making chex mix(or having him make me some chex mix...)

so today i dropped over 200 for brake work for my car
yesterday got screwed by the tire shop for a shitty job and paid them 160

this christmas i would like a million dollars
and
this plate aforementioned above.
http://www.mrfrench.com/results.asp?image=9312&wwwflag=9&imagepos=68

ok now back to work and
retail job tonight
mall traffic
and
lots of christmas love

Happy Thursday!

xoxo

marisa:)

Margot at the Wedding...... A movie i have to see.

did you like " squid and the whale"?
I did. its quirky and good.
This new movie is by the same director. Take Nicole Kidman, a pill popping
depressed person and her sister, Jennifer Jason Leigh
and you have this movie....

I hope to see it this coming weekend.
If it ever opens here in MAssachusetts.

Marisa:)

Denial of Christmas Blend & My Ipod is Revolting!

what else can go wrong?
ha ha ha

my ipod will not turn on. do not know what to do about that!

the lady at starbucks denied me christmas blend and instead gave me YUKON blend
Its no YUKON CORNELIUS
yukon blend sucks

I want the christmas blend!
I want the christmas blend!!!!

ha ha
I have lost my mind

Happy Wednesday!
at least its sunny!
AND TONIGHT IS THE PREMIERE OF
PROJECT RUNWAY!!!!!

are you in or OUt?

and i am gonna go to YOGA for the third day in a row
YAY
for
YOGA

Marisa:)

A gold slipper kind of life...

Good Morning
Its a gold slipper kind of life this morning
I am so excited about my CLEAN NEW MARTHA INSPIRED HOME OFFICE
I am setting up my NEW sewing machine TODAY
and there are no ifs and ohs about it.

I tore apart the place on Saturday
Organizing my life makes it feel OH so awesome
I just cannot get over how excited I feel about the whole new 'look"

Plus the new haircut I have just truly tells me
I have style
Thats what all the girls say
satin sheets
and
luxury so fine

Happy Monday!

(if you would like to buy me these shoes...you would be very loved)

-Marisa:)

Learning my lessons everyday....

COPYRIGHT NOTE: THIS PICTURE TAKEN FROM GOOGLE SEARCH 11/02/07
NO SALES WILL BE MADE WITH THIS LOGO SOOOO DO NOT SUE ME...:)

HOw to not be an idiot...by Marisa 11/02/07
I did a dumb thing this morning
I drove my car and my car decided to not drive anymore
because i had no coolant in the engine
how exciting!
so i pulled over and in the midst of traffic
read my manual...which is ever so lovely because it is complicated and very 'engineery'
so i call my dad (who i am so lucky to be able to call in times of need)
and he works nearby.....

and he tells me to wait with the car
he has some coolant
sooooo he gets there
and his coolant is like an inch deep
and he says I do not have enough...you must go find more
sooooo i walk down the road
and buy a gallon of coolant
and we put it in the car
and wait for it to process
and then i drive to work
thus making my commute today 1 hour and 1 half.
(usually takes me 30 mins)

BUT i brought Cupcakes to work
so people like me today....

WISH MY HUSBAND DAVE GOOD LUCK THIS WEEKEND
BECAUSE HELL YEAH WE ARE GOING TO NYC
BECAUSE
DAVE IS RUNNING THE NY MARATHON
AND its gonna be a DAMN GOOD TIME

seeing as my party group is going to support him with me
DANTE
ASHLEY
JOSEPH(my bro)
KATE
and
DAVES COUSIN SCOTT( who lives in Brooklyn and knows how to PARTY)

WOHOOO! NYC HERE WE COME!

-marisa:)
(gonna wear my DICE k Hat to NYC)

Happy Halloween!

my goodness
the pet costumes get better and better every year.

these 2 dogs are dogs of people i know.
the yorkie poo is named Snickers and is dressed as a lizard.
Apparebtly he prefers to be carried since he gets tored on long walks.

the pug is named Elvis.
He does not like Michael Vic.
Wonder why? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


"I've learned there are three things you don't discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin."

--Linus Van Pelt

happy halloween!

marisa:)

for exciting pictures of bizarre cat related things
go to

Adventures in Retail

Adventures in Retail...When dealing with a Cell Phone Utilizer...


I work in retail and i despise people on cell phones while you are trying to help them. so when i am at the register and someone is on the phone..i just stop what i am doing and wait for them to get off...and because they are annoyed that i am not ringing up their stuff...;they get off phone and then i restart ringing in their order and thank them for not talking on the phone because i want to make sure they are understanding what they are buying. :)

Sometimes if someone is talking on the cellphone and i am waiting for them to get off the phone
i start to ask them questions
that i know i do not need to ask
just to throw their concentration off.

its awful
but
it always
works.

:)

Sweep the Rockies with some SOX!

YEAH BABY! WE ROCK THE PARTY!

BOSTON RED SOX
WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
2007!

(probably the saddest day for Coors Brewery)
Denver Post has something to say today: Lets Read it together....
http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_7310180

xoxo
-marisa:)
original Bostonian....all the way!

Life can be so complex..Kinda like sushi.

"To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art."

- La Rochefoucauld

Its friday by the time you read this and therefore maybe the Red Sox have won another game. Maybe not. Its a tough call now to say that because i write this Thursday Night.

HAPPY FRIDAY.

Life seems to be better this week. My alignment on the car from hell
seems to be working fine. There may possibly be a freelance job (finally)
in my corner. I am trying to work out the details . Please say a few thousand
hail marys for me as if you do I might possibly carry this freelance job out to fruition. I will not say what the freelance job is until its finalised.

It feels good to say that though....I may possibly have a freelance job.
BUT i am being positive and taking care of myself.
I have to be thankful to myself that i work hard.

Where is this post going? I am not sure. I am half thinking as the Red Sox play a tight game with the Rockies as we speak. I cannot watch the tv. Its too stressful.
May the best team win game 2 of the world series. May it be the Red SOX

GO SOX!

Marisa:)