Local Highlight! - StylebyBecca

One thing I'd really like to do moving forward is focus on local business throughout the upstate. I think buying from local business is one of the most important things one can do. You're supporting your community when you shop local and helping build a stronger economy for the people in your area.

I met Rebecca Gordon Pike in my running group about a year ago. She always came out to Wednesday morning speed groups and killed it! So when I heard about her opening a new store (a year ago), I couldn't wait to visit. I found a cute store with lots of unique, stylish items at a reasonable price. I bought everything from nail polish, a sweater, some earrings and a ring. I can't wait to go back but have to hold back a bit simply because I always end up spending money!! I asked Rebecca if I could interview her for my blog because I want everyone to visit a hidden gem in the art district of Greenville.

1. Tell me a little bit about your store - 


    Style by Becca is a cozy and intimate boutique located in the Arts District - I offer cutting, coloring, waxing by appointment only Monday through Friday. The boutique is open for shopping Tuesday through Friday 9 until 5 and after hours by appointment only. I also offer personal shopping and styling

2. How did you come up with the idea for Style By Becca?


   Style by Becca is the name of the blog I have been writing for a few years... My clients always wanted to know how I would wear an accessory or item of clothing so I just thought hmmmm..... it's not wrong or right but it's Style by Becca's way, haha

3. Who are some of your style icons? 

    Audrey Hepburn and Rachel Zoe

4. How would you describe your style? 

    An eclectic mix for sure. I love layering and lots of lace. I am not a label girl - if it looks good and I love it, I will wear it - I love accessories and scarves and anything pretty 

5. Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

   I was born in New York state and grew up loving all things having to do with fashion. I told my mom at the age of 5 that I wanted to grow up and be a "hair person" haha. I went to Cosmetology school and graduated in 1991. I currently am licensed in both New York state and South Carolina. I opened my first hair salon almost 9 years ago and after my divorce and simplifying my life, I came to the tough decision to downsize and not have staff any longer. I wanted to have a cozy boutique and just work one on one with my clients. I wanted to have more time with each one and just be creative. I had the best staff but I just was not passionate about managing people any more. I am a runner and also love to practice yoga. I am a vegetarian and am very interested in a health lifestyle. 

6. Tell me about the location of your store - why did you choose it? 

I moved my business to the Arts District in March 2011 - I loved that area and being so close to my artists friends. It is close to downtown and just so quaint. 

7. What do you love about Greenville? 

I moved here almost 20 years ago now - time flies - I love downtown near my studio and I love that there are so many creative people as well as places to eat. It's also turned into a great running city. It's close to the mountains, big cities and the beach. 

8. You have some exciting news about Nick Arrojo - tell us about it. 

Well, I became an Ambassador store that exclusively carries his product line. I feel honored to be chosen. He is an amazing artist in my industry. I will be attending a two day class wit ARROJO at the end of April. I am so excited!

9. Any special events coming up?? 

   Style By Becca studio is usually open late for shopping the first Friday of most months 6 until 9 pm. I am currently brainstorming with some other gals for some fun shopping events featuring some artists that make homemade goodies

Please go visit Rebecca at her store at 1279 Pendleton Street, Greenville, SC 29611

Like her Facebook Page

Follow her blog

Oscar Fashion

So of course, I didn't watch the Oscars because I hate awards shows but I STRAIGHT UP LOVE THE FASHION. Here are some of my favs -

Love her - love this dress 

Shailene Woodley - this was under the worst category but I love it. It's interesting 

Emma Stone - absolutely my favorite 

Michelle Williams - i love this especially because it's such a departure for her

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I really liked Ellie Kemper's dress too

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J Lo committed a No No - that dress is terrible in all kinds of ways

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Ugh 

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What did you think? Who did you like and dislike? 

Long run and shopping

So mom and I started our weekend off with a little 11 mile run. Because I absolutely despise waking up early on the weekend and because we were at a football game the day before, we decided to start running at 10 am. Savannah is flat and so we don't really have to train on hills so we decided to hit up the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which I know I've discussed before.

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Our goal today was 11 miles and mom wanted to start out with run 3 minute/walk 1 minute. The temperature was nice, low 60's, and it was overcast which was nice. The good news about the SRT is that it is mainly covered in trees, so even when the sun is in full force, it's not too bad. 

Mom mentioned that she was struggling a little bit for a couple of reasons - 

1. she has some hamstring issues. I don't know how to describe where the pain is because it's not really IT band, but not necessarily hamstring either. It's kind of on the side in the back. It gets really tight and she has to stop and stretch it a lot

2. Someone drank a little yesterday and that does not help you have a good run!! :)

this was saturday - mom's in the middle with the beer (I'm to the left beside my husband

this was us sunday - i kid, i kid

Anywhos.....

so we changed the walk/run ratio a little bit as we needed to and mom had her first really bad run. So as we're running, I'm giving her tips on what to do before a big race. Some of my suggestions - 

1. Eat right - processed carbs, lots of sugar and unbalanced meals do not make for a good long run. I try to eat like I normally do which includes lean protein, veggies and fruit. I also do eat come grains but typically they are gluten free or are as pure as possible. 

2. Drink lots of water - mom actually does this very well. She has one kidney (she gave the other one to my grandfather) so she has to drink a lot of water. Hydrated, she is. 

3. This is one that is very very important and people do not do. STRETCH. MASSAGE. KNEAD. My muscles can tighten up so easily and since I'm not rich, I don't get a massage once a week. Instead, I use these tools -

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to get the knots out and make sure my body is loose. That being said - you STILL need to 

4. Take yoga - in my opinion, this is non negotiable. Take yoga. Take a yoga class. Please, go to a yoga class and take it. There are certain things you just can't do on your own. Instead of just stretching out your tendons and getting tendinitis, go to yoga. 

Those things are super important if you want to have a good, long run. That's just based on experience. 

The second thing I did was buy some fall things to spice up my wardrobe -

NEW BOOTS

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yeah, and I only paid $57 - BAM

express - I got the white and black

express again

Yay for fall. I totally have on the bottom sweater and the boots. I just couldn't resist. And since it's a little below freezing in here, I'm dressed appropriately. Why do offices always have to be so friggin' cold? 

Why I practice

First things first, my outfit for the day!! I am liking the new fashion portion of my blog because it's forcing me to dress a little nicer!!

What might be nice is if I staged it a little better, but based on my post about my hubby yesterday, I get what I can get :)

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Another thing I've been discussing here is my lack of motivation to train. Yesterday morning, we had Wednesday morning intervals and the scheduled called for an out and back negative split. I was leading a group that had many different paces, and it was dark, so I tried to stay in the middle to insure everyone was safe. That forced me to run a little slower and I actually enjoyed it. So that was nice... I remembered why I ran and didn't push myself thinking I should always be running fast! Sometimes, I need a little boost to remind me why I run. 

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If you've been following my blog for anytime, you know that A Southern Yogi is not the original name. I decided to change the name earlier this year to reflect more of how I perceive myself. I felt like that name was more appropriate BUT as I review my blog posts, I don't seem to be speaking much about that aspect of myself. I think that is probably because 1) I use this blog as a diary of my marathon/race training and 2) although I am very diligent in practicing prayer/meditation as well as developing a more thoughtful side of myself, I don't know that I want to discuss all of what I find with everyone or do I want my blog to be so heavy and contemplative. I want it to be fun because that's probably what I am mostly, light-hearted and fun!

So why go there now? When I post about something, I typically like to discuss whatever topic is on my mind. Since I started yoga teacher training last week, and all that it entails, I wanted to talk about some of my personal goals as it pertains to my practice and really, my goals in life. In my late teens up until about 20, I was very unhappy and spent most of time seeking some relief through outside things. I still do that, but what the outside thing was has changed. In the beginning, it was through alcohol, food, shopping and relationships. As time has passed, it has been obvious that those things don't work so where do I go next. It was time for a major change of perception. I started working out which lead me to start taking yoga as a form of fitness. The thing I liked about yoga was the fact that it helped me quiet my mind. I have always had lots of thoughts swirling around my head, either worry about the future, or regrets about the past. When James and I first got married, he started his business and I had a lot of worry over financial stability. I was also in a place where I felt a lot of guilt about things I had done while I was drinking. It consumed me, and yoga was a way to help calm my mind. 

Over the last couple of years, one thing I've learned is that when I quiet my mind in the morning, leave behind all of my worries about future and past, I become available to listen to God. Through forgiving myself for things I have done, and learning to trust that He will provide, I can become useful to God. It's been amazing the amount of stress that I no longer have, simply through meditating for 5-10 minutes in the morning. And it's also amazing, how much easier it is to meditate when I am consistent in going to yoga. The biggest thing I've learned is that my purpose in life is to help others. That has inspired me to go to Africa, which I hope to do next year, to volunteer my time for others, and really just realize, I am not the center of the universe. 

So in a long post with no pics, that is why I practice and why I am so excited to continue to move forward!!! 

I love Rock n Roll

So, someone found my blog by searching for the phrase "tomorrow wendi is going to die". THAT IS TERRIBLE!!

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Here is my outfit for today. My husband took it while going #2, so it is at a weird angle, and that information is probably weird but I was in a hurry.

Also, our bedroom is a mess, so please don't look and I know it needs decorating. 

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On to my thought for today. I just saw on Facebook where the Rock'n'Roll Savannah is sold out. That means that with 10 weeks left, 23,000 participants have signed up to run 13.1 or 26.2 miles in one of the most awesome cities EVER!!

My hubby & I took a trip there a couple of years ago. 

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wtf am I doing here? the Sam Adams pose? 

It's similar to Charleston if you've ever been there but much more quaint & almost a little more European feeling. It's also flat but not in a bad way. So it should be awesome. 

The Rock n Roll series is so awesome, I don't even think about running other races. 

1. it is well organized. They usually start on time, start line is clearly marked, your corral is clearly marked, lots of potties, lots of water/Gu stations and lots of help. The expo is usually HUGE and they have lots and lots of vendors with lots of fun things. There is also a band on just about every mile marker. I don't wear headphones because I like to hear what's going on. In Nashville, they had a Gospel choir and it was so uplifting (especially on such a hilly course). I wonder what type of music they'll have for Savannah. 

New Orleans

Nashville

My motivation was waning a bit, but after a good morning run and some excitement about Savannah, I think i'm getting it back. I hope so anyway. 

Yoga Teacher Training Weekend #1

The focus of my post is going to about my yoga weekend but first, a few house cleaning things:

1. Continuing on with my fashion pics... This is officially fashion pic #2:

I got this dress from old navy and I love it BUT the best part of my outfit is my bracelet. I bought it at the Market in Charleston. The artist's father was from Africa and she loves her African roots so she travels to Kenya (just another sign I'm supposed to go) and gets the material to make jewelry. You better believe I found something I liked!!!

2. Training for the week: as you will see below, I have to take 2 yoga classes a week which is going to change training a bit. I'm still hitting my 3 running days, but I will only swim once and bike once. Then I'll have my two yoga classes which will include the strength I need so I don't have to worry about doing strength anymore. I should've just thought of that in the first place. 

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: Swim - morning, yoga - evening

Wednesday: Morning intervals

Thursday: bike

Friday: Run

Saturday: rest, it's the first football game of the year so I'll be busy ALLLLLLLL day

Sunday: long run and yoga at 3:00

Yesterday, I ran 5 miles. I had to walk some because it was so hot, but overall, I had a good time. My back hurts really badly and I think it's because I haven't been to the chiro, so Dr Rob, here I come. I also made my husband rub my hamstring and my piriformis with the stick so hopefully, that'll help too. 

3. FINALLY - on to what's most important - YOGA WEEKEND NUMERO UNO!!!

First of all, let me say that I was a little bit nervous about being attentive. The hours were friday from 5:30-8:30, saturday from 8:00-6:30 and Sunday from 8:00-5:30. I was like, even though I love yoga so much, that's a long time to be in one place. The time flew by. I couldn't believe it went so quickly. Since I love to make lists, here are some things that I took away from the weekend. 

a. I love everyone in my class. They are all very different but we're all there for one purpose. Everyone is very open and very nice!!! So I'm super excited about spending 9 months with them!!

b. Everything that I have studied and developed over the past 4 years was reconfirmed this weekend. Love is all that is important and that is what we are responsible for. We have lost ourselves in the need to blame others and find the culprit when what we should be doing is loving our fellow brother. Also, I can't change others but I can change myself so if I just focus on being the person I want others to be, maybe I can be a positive influence on everyone around me. Lastly, when someone bothers me, it's because it's a reflection of something in myself I don't like. Through God's grace, I can change those things but I have to remember that the person I encounter is a messenger and to take that judgment and reflect inward. We also have to wear a rubber band on our wrist so if we say anything bad about ourselves, or others, we pop it. I have popped my rubber band a lot, mainly because I say mean things to myself. 

c. We learned a couple of the basic poses such as Tadasana, or Mountain pose

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Utkatasana, standing chair pose

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and Warrior I, Virabhadrasana

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We learned the basics of each pose, how to do them and most importantly, how to teach them. This was fun, although it definitely challenged my shyness when in a small group. I'd rather stand in front of 30 people than 5, I don't know why. 

d. My favorite part: OOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Om is the universal "Amen". It helps with so many different things and is always one of my fav things about class. What we did was break it down into 3 sections. 

First: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

We all chanted it together and felt different parts of our body. We felt our heart, our temple, our forehead and the top of our head to see where it was vibrating. During this part, it vibrated the most around our heart. 

Second: UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

We felt this vibration a little higher in the chest and throat

Third: MMMMMMMMMMMMMM

I felt this higher in the chest, the vibration was faster and I felt it on the top of my head too. 

What was so cool about this was all of us doing it together. I love singing anyways, and when a group gets together and sings, it always feels so good. Like, at Brookwood when everyone is singing together, it just lifts my spirits. This was the same. With our eyes closed, the sound was overwhelming and almost deafening. My ears did hurt a little after we were done but it's one of the most amazing feelings. 

I was very sad that it was over so quickly and can't wait until September 23rd, 24th and 25th for the next one. I do have an even that saturday, so I'll miss part of it :(... 

What's your favorite thing about yoga??? 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I haven't done one of these in a long time!! Thanks Jamie for the post idea!!!

1. I am loving West Side Story!!! Last night, my friend Amy, her daughter and I went to see West Side Story at the Peace Center. It was so fun!!! Olivia (Amy's daughter) is so cute and the show was amazing. I love musicals and this is a great one. 

Olivia & I

Olivia & Amy

the stage!!! 

my attempt at artistic photography

2. Casual workplace attire. I am a recruiter and everything we do is over the phone. That means, we don't have a strict dress code. I like to look cute, but be comfy doing it. And after getting home at 10:30, today was  a shorts/t-shirt day. 

I think I'm also going to start putting more fashion stuff on here, and my daily outfits, kind of like Peanut Butter Fingers and Ali on the Run - i'm not promising I'll be as cute, but I'll try

3. I recently found this on Stumble Upon and was super excited. As I've mentioned before, my colleague and I do abs throughout the day so this will be nice to help us find new exercises. 

Today's Routine:

25 Butterfly + 15 Side Lift. X5.

4. Yoga!!! If you've been reading my blog, you are probably wondering why the name of it is A Southern Yogi when I don't seem to mention yoga. Ever. Well, I am super excited because starting Friday, I begin Yoga Teacher Training with Yoganize. Karen Noonan is so amazing and she is so intuitive so I was excited when she accepted my application!!! I will have so much more to talk about once it starts!!!

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!!

It's Tuesday... and, that's it...

Update on training for the week. I did my speed work yesterday. It looked a little something like this:

Treadmill workout I HATE THE TREADMILL but since it's literally 98 degrees outside and I didn't wake up early, this is what I did.

Warm up mile
6 sets of 60 seconds sprints
cool down mile but I got bored so I stopped halfway through. I mean, I hate the treadmill

I think I probably started off a little slow. I'm the type of runner who just runs fast and then looks at the time when Im done. Yes, it's very strategic.

Today, I am going to Boot Camp after work so that'll be fun working out in the extreme heat, but it may end up being inside, i'm not sure.

So, onto what I really want to talk about: Fashion.

When I was in high school, I was interested in lots of different things, lots of different types of fashion, etc. Grunge and Metal were big (late 90's - I'm old) so I tried to dress like what I saw on MTV. If I had lived in Seattle, WA, NYC, Denver, you know, any of the forward thinking cities, I would have been right in style. But I live in Greenville, SC so I was what one considers, a weirdo. I like to think i'm just more worldly ;)

That being said, I'm still stuck in that dilemma of what I would love to wear and what is socially acceptable in the upstate of SC. Here are a few things that I'd like to wear:

Leather shorts (Saks Fifth Ave)

Rompers - specifically with long pants

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headbands - but like these hippy ones not the Blair Waldorf kind

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You can wear this stuff, but you're going to get some stares. I know, we're weird, but most people here dress like this:

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So that brings me to my point... I really really really want a:

A FEDORA

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I mean, even the quintessential southern girl Reese Witherspoon wears one... Think I can get away with it?


What about you, any fashion no nos where you live?
Anything you want to wear but are afraid to?