Polar Plunge 2015 - Grease

 

 

The Polar Plunge is such a great great event that raises money for Special Olympics. This year all the teams raised over $37,000 for the olympics with my team (Ice Holes) raising over $12,000 on our own! I wont take credit as I didn't raise anywhere near that but some of my great team members did.

 

 

 I love how much fun our team has choosing a theme and getting all dressed up. We travel to the event on a bus and it turns into such a fun fun morning and afternoon all while doing something good for others. This year my brothers even joined the fun as "chickens". Loved having them with me.

We were blessed with a super nice weather day and it almost felt like cheating this year as the water was cold but no ice and once you were out of the water the sun quickly warmed you up. No complaints here!

After the plunge there are always some fun shenanigans that go down.

The W Vieques

We now have a house on the island so obviously have no reason to stay at the W but if one ever arises I will for sure be staying there. The property and grounds are gorgeous and it's such a fun place. I love playing day guest by hitting up the spa then cocktailing it by the pool and water. I was on the island solo a few days last time we all went down so I took one full day to enjoy the W and all its ammenities. Even managed to make some friends while there and attend a tire convention. lol

Shamrock Shuffle 2015

Another fun 5k in the books. No idea what my time was this round as I didn't hear them call it off as I ran past. I think it was close to 30 or a tad under. Good enough for a fun run. The day started off with a slight chill but quickly improved to summer like gorgeous.

So gorgeous that a bunch of us snagged a patio spot and had a cocktail, or two.....It was just so nice out that next thing we knew we had been sitting around the patios all day long. Everyone was out roaming about and enjoying the weather, the atmosphere, and their companions. Perfect fun relaxed day.

Loved all the fun green swag we acquired throughout the day as well. I think it will certainly count Saturday as my celebration of St Pats and take today nice and easy.

All that sunshine and warm weather gets me excited for Spring/Summer without a doubt.

Bathroom Rennovation Plans for the Beach Shack

Our little casa has one bathroom and right now it is UGLY and not really functioning all that well. It's usable but not ideal. No hot water heater so it has an electric "suicide shower", the toilet has to be turned off after each use or runs, the vanity is kinda broken...

I added a fun shower curtain and rug last trip hoping it would liven things up but obviously this bathroom needs a full renovation.

I ordered these gorgeous cement tiles several weeks ago so counting down until they arrive on the island. They are handmade in the Dominican Republic and I think they will look ahhhhmazing.

Essentially they will go behind the sink, toliet, and then all of the shower. I fell in love with the tiles when I saw another home on the island that HiSugarPlum blogged about. We will then paint the walls white and we are having this beauty of a concrete vanity made.

 

I stole the idea from Heather Bullard (that is her bathroom and her pics)  who has a gorgeous house. I also bought this fun capiz shell chandelier.

I have a fun DIY idea for the mirror, need to make or buy a towel rack, and I want to use vintage wire baskets in place of the ugly shelving deal you see in the pictures. So excited for this first major transformation of the beach shack.

Sunset Run in Vieques

  I essentially always run in the mornings when on the island. It's one of my favorite things to do and the perfect way to start the day. However, one morning I was recovering from a bit too much fun at the W and skipped out on the morning run. In a way it was a blessing as I ran later that evening and enjoyed watcthing the sky change colors and the sun set on the water. Sooooo pretty!

Niobrara Cabin Living/Dinning Room Updates

I am always amazed what some sweat, paint, furniture, and decorations can do to transform a space! The cabin is no exception. Here we have the added bonus of new flooring which is a game changer as well. This is the living/dinning area the day we bought it. Fancy lattice work on the windows and all.

Here it is a few weeks ago. I honestly can't believe how different it looks. We still need molding and baseboards but it's a huge improvement. A few more decorative pillows would be a bonus as well.

I just can't get over how much better it looks! My dad and brothers did the flooring themselves and it made such an impact. The curtains were leftover from my townhouse in Kuwait. Maybe not my first choice but they actually added some fun color to the rooms.

This is the dinning area before. I am still torn on if we need to do something more with the lower cabinet portion.

For now it's new paint, light fixture, flooring, switching out handles, and accessories. The below picture was snapped quick right before we left so not overly styled (hello no plant or flowers in the bucket). We need a new light for that hallway and I have different material for the chairs. In a perfect world my brothers would make me an awesome farm table for this area with wood from the hog shed at the land. Hint Hint....

End of the Rainbow Run

 

 

 

 I realized I haven't done a race report in ages. Probably a sign I need to start making fitness more of a priority again! That and the fact I look like a chunk in half these pictures. But I am posting them anyway as it was a great morning. The Y hosted a free 5k run or 1 mile walk called the End of the Rainbow. It was gorgeous weather that morning and a beautiful run along the riverfront. My little brother ran with me which made it even more fun as we used to always run races together (even though he always leaves me as I am too slow). My aunt and uncle also ran. I had a 33 minute finish which is nothing to cheer about but we did more chatting than racing so I'm ok with that.