...because home doesn't happen overnight.
09.21.15 / Liked & Linked

1st 5k

cox arboretum

pizza by candlelight

Well, I did it! I completed my first 5K. I didn’t pass out. I didn’t walk. In fact, I posted a PR (nevermind that the first 5K is always a PR, right?) of 25:09. I don’t think Nike will be calling me anytime soon but I’m proud of myself, and I’m probably in the best shape of my life. When I started training three months ago, I had major doubts about being able to run 3+ miles. In fact, I couldn’t run more than two minutes at a time without stopping to walk. It was discouraging but I kept at it. So glad I did! FYI – Steve organized the event to benefit Lift Up Autism. He raised over $1,400. If you’re interested in making a donation, you can do so here for a few more days.

We spent the rest of the weekend with our heads in the clouds, figuratively and literally. The weather was too gorgeous to sit inside folding laundry. We visited a local park and hiked, climbed trees & a lookout tower, walked dry riverbeds, ran through a boxwood maze and even spied a snake. Mabrey took a glorious 5-hour nap afterwards. A freak power outage Sunday evening inspired a takeout pizza dinner eaten by candlelight. The kids were so bummed when the power came back on just before bedtime ;) It was a weekend for the memory books.

A few finds…

*An amazing kitchen transformation in a midcentury ranch.

*Broccoli noodles = BROODLES. Yum!

*Um, Ryan, you’re doing it wrong.

latitude 38 3

latitude 38 1

latitude 38 2

*I stumbled upon a (new to me) design + build firm in Charlottesville, Virginia, that really speaks to my and Steve’s aesthetic. The owners’ home is featured in YHL’s new book as “Joey & Jeff’s family.” It’s my favorite home in the book. After some friendly stalking, I bookmarked a bunch of their work for inspiration, including this airbnb rental.

*A lot of you wanted to know the source for my “mama bird” t-shirt. It’s from the cutest lil’ etsy shop, The Bee and the Fox. I have the indigo kitchen towels, too. They’re amazing. #notsponsored

*I did this rambling phone interview thingy with the Boston Globe a few weeks ago. You can read it here.

Hope your having a lovely day!

images: 1-3) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking 4-6) Latitude 38

34 Comments

22.September.2015

“Microfibers and recliners.” Love it. I’m in a rental, in my 20s, and with a limited budget but I’m still trying to make it feel a bit more homey…

22.September.2015

Go you! As a fellow runner, I can tell you that that’s a great time for a 5K race. I love that you’re active in front of your kiddos. It’s so important for kids to see their parents taking care of themselves and having fun doing it. Just when I think I can’t love you anymore for your style and quirk, you share this. <3

22.September.2015

Did you follow a certain program to train for your 5K? I’m running one in December and have a long way to go!

22.September.2015

Congrats on the 5K and the Globe article! Do you feel like the article accurately represented your “tone”?

22.September.2015

Congrats Dana! Did you follow any plan? I would like to start running but it is hard to get motivated. I will appreciate any tips!!

22.September.2015

Uhhh 25:09 is pretty freakin’ good. I just did a 5k Saturday and did it in 33:12, with some walking breaks. Whatever you’re doing, it’s working!

22.September.2015

The picture of the kitchen in your post…with the knives above the stove and the green pitcher on the counter. I couldn’t find a link for it. Is there one? Thanks!

22.September.2015

Congrats! Your son looks super proud in first photo. Cute kids.

22.September.2015

Hey Liz, I would recommend the program called “Couch to 5k”. I’ve been a horrible runner all my life, but I followed that and stuck with it and was able to run not only 1 mile without stopping (which was an accomplishment itself!) but eventually even reached the goal of 3 miles straight with no breaks. It was amazing doing something I thought I could never do :)

22.September.2015

Jeff and Joey just built a house for my friends! They do really incredible work. Yay Charlottesville!

22.September.2015

I signed up to run my first 5K in November…AH! Encouraged to hear that I’m not the only one on the planet who is new to this running thing :) Hopefully I can make it to the finish line… Haha.

22.September.2015

Being 63 with one knee replacement, the other knee whining at me, and totally worn out from having passed a kidney stone and now putting up with Bells palsy, I just cheer on your runners. Whoo hoo, go girl!

22.September.2015

Hi Dana!
Love your blog! I recently started Tracy Anderson workouts after reading your blog…love! Just wondering if you used an app or plan to work up to 5k running?
Thanks!
Amy

22.September.2015

My goodness, thanks for the unexpected shout out! I’ve long been a fan of yours as well. Congrats on your run! xx, Jen

23.September.2015

Congrats on your race and congrats on the great article in the Boston Globe. You are inspiring in so many ways.

23.September.2015

I don’t know how you do marathons!!

23.September.2015

Really?! You have lucky friends. I love their work, from what I’ve seen. And now I’m dying to visit Charlottesville, too.

23.September.2015

It’s one of Latitude 38’s projects. Here’s a direct link to the residence…

http://latitude38llc.com/projects/318-oak-st-apt-a/

Hope that helps!

23.September.2015

Everything in the article is true but I think it reads a little choppy, disjointed? Phone interviews don’t always translate to print well. I hope readers walk away with ideas.

23.September.2015

Aw, thanks Madalena. My kids were a huge inspiration to me while training. I absolutely want them to see me being physically active and trying new / hard things. I’m all about teaching life lessons through doing.

23.September.2015

I’ve had a few questions about my “training” so I think I’m going to write up a separate post on the things that I found helpful.

23.September.2015

You should feature ChrisLovesJulia’s new Ikea kitchen! It looks fantastic!

23.September.2015

Congrats. I’m running my first 5k this weekend in cleveland. Who are these people that wake up one morning and run 3 miles?…..not me girl…not me. I have been training and I am super excited. It is a big deal.

24.September.2015

Hi Dana,

We are purchasing a raised ranch with a similar floor plan to your home. When you vaulted the ceiling, did you have to move any ductwork? We have AC ducts up there that already need replacing. Trying to think about whether we would want to vault the ceiling and what other complications come with that project.

Thanks,
Ashley

25.September.2015

The white shelve is simply awesome! It’s both stylish & useful. You can use your space completely. I think it’ll be extremely useful for those who read a lot and as a result have lots of books. Thanks for sharing this outstanding ideas with us!

25.September.2015

I’m a Globe reader and I saw that article– too funny to be flipping through the magazine section and say “hey that living room looks really familiar!” It is kind of “choppy” but it’s a one-pager in the magazine section. I think it’s a regular feature for them to run these condensed interviews and they are always like that. Congrats!

28.September.2015

I’ve always loved a white kitchen and this one looks very classy. I think the house on the second picture is great but I think it would’ve looked better if it was painted in a brighter colour.

28.September.2015

Hi Dana,

The white shelving on the last image is absolutely amazing. There is no place for a TV but otherwise it’s perfect!

29.September.2015

That is a great time! Yoi weren’t just running, you were racing. Congrats!

29.September.2015

All the A/C and heating vents are in our slab. We did remove ceiling returns in the main living space when we vaulted the ceiling in there but were able to install one big return for the space on the wall, higher up (above the open shelves in the living room). My dad is HVAC-licensed so he was able to help us determine the size and location of the new return. Any HVAC professional should be able to do the same. One advantage to living in a small-ish space is that removing those returns wasn’t such a huge deal like it could have been in a large space.

29.September.2015

Ah, I hope you did awesome!! It IS a big deal!

29.September.2015

I would LOVE to! Maybe after they have lived with it a while…

30.September.2015

Congratulations on your accomplishment lady! I ran my first 5K since leaving the military over the summer and it. was. brutal. The Color Run was super fun, but I swore off running when I got out of the service so it killed me. We did it as a family and the kids had a great time, so in the end it was worth it.

06.October.2015

I somehow missed this blog. That utube video was hilarious@ And congrats on the interview and the run, good for you!