The Bermuda Vacation!

So last month, Raheem & I took a much needed trip (via cruise line) to Bermuda. Neither of us had ever been so we really had no idea what to expect. Raheem had been obsessed with the idea of Bermuda ever since we were supposed to go in 2011 but got re-routed to Key West & Mexico due to Hurricane Sandy.

The trip was about 5 days total, less than 2 of which were spent on the island. And I honestly wish we had had more time as it was pretty much impossible to experience everything.

Once off the cruise ship we began our little Bermuda adventure. Stopping in little shops, scavenging for authentic cuisine & just soaking in all of the beautiful scenery.

I tried to capture it as best I could, but the pictures & footage don't do the island a bit of justice. The sky was so clear, the water was absolutely beautiful, the exquisitely maintained pastel painted homes right off of the water, the pink sand beaches! ...I could go on.

As far as the people were concerned, It was  far from what I'm used to in the city.The Bermudians were pleasant, friendly & very helpful. They weren't too busy to say hello or give a warm smile & nod to a complete stranger. We found our selves in the midst of friendly conversation several times just walking through the park or waiting on food or the ferry.

Overall, the trip was very relaxing & we had a good time despite the moped accident...Yes, moped accident.

We were riding along on our rented moped, scooter, motorbike or whatever you wish to call it, we lost control & went down.

According to the driver of a van that was behind us, Raheem hit the ground first & I actually landed on top of him before we rolled quite violently down the pavement. Fortunately, the police were near by, the driver was extremely helpful & there happened to be a medical student coming down the same road. EMS was called, we were given the ok to go & a taxi took us back to the ship where we were promptly escorted to the medical center.

We survived (clearly) but didn't exactly escape unscathed. We were in fact quite scathed. Raheem was covered in road rash from his shoulder down to his feet & injured his rotator cuff. My knees were both scraped up as was my left elbow. And a recent MRI showed minor damage to my cartilage & muscle.

Oh! & did I mention that I was so thrown for a loop that I didn't realize until we got back to our room that there was a huge rip across the butt of my romper...yep.

We thought we were in better shape than we realized, due to endorphins I'm sure. The next couple of days were a little slice of terrible & we pretty much just stayed in our room only leaving to grab food or get our bandages changed. BUT we are both healing and feeling pretty good.

I have to say though, we will definitely make plans to visit during the summer months next time. During the spring, the weather is still a bit too cool to really enjoy the beautiful beaches.

And just a side note, If anyone is contemplating getting a point & shoot digital camera for traveling. Get a Canon. I have the Powershot Elph 300 HS & it is FANTASTIC! It takes excellent pictures, especially outdoors as you will see. This thing has been dropped a few times over the years & I was holding it when we crashed.

The thing hit the ground & the battery & SD card flew out ( Raheem/the guy that helped us/the police men/EMT's found all the pieces for me) & it still works perfectly!

Anyway, here are some pictures & some footage of our trip!

Dinner aboard the cruise ship

View from the Ferry.

On our way to Hamilton. 

Free-roaming chickens? ...Apparently.

The praying mantis at Queen Elizabeth park.

Koi pond in the park.

Horseshoe Bay Beach.

View of Bermuda from atop the hillside.

On the moped!

Yep. That says "Boner Bar".

Found the Aquarium/Zoo!

Creepy evil star spider. aka spiny backed orb weaver.
These were EVERYWHERE!

Snagged this pic from Google image. Couldn't get a clear enough shot.

Beautiful!

On our way again

Then we crashed.
Apparently there are mini hospitals in the bottoms of cruise ships.
I never knew this...wish I still didn't.

And these ladies & gentlemen are/were my knees!
Also known as Bermuda Tattoos

looking like a volley ball player.

Looking like an unfinished mummy.

And of course we drove there. So, we had to drive back.
The worst drive of life.

60 Days to Sexy: Regular Healthy Diet/Conclusion

Hey guys...here I am with the conclusion of my 60 Days to Sexy diet/weight-loss challenge (late...sorry. Had stuff goin' on). Oh where do I begin...???

If you're not familiar with my 60 Days to Sexy personal fitness "challenge", then you can go back through my previous posts & catch up!

Let me start off by saying that I had a projected weight-loss goal of 20-25 pounds. AAAANNNDDD...I decided that I was going to accomplish this feat in 60 days. yep...60. Days. :-/

I, ladies & gentlemen did NOT lose 20 or 25 lbs. I lost weight, but not as much as I initially anticipated. 11 lbs to be precise. I think in my hastiness to whip it all back into shape, I neglected to take a few things into consideration. Like the fact that I'm not 18 anymore.

I am two kids in & my body has changed majorly over the past few years. Especially since having my son in 2012. I don't carry weight the same way I used to, my figure is completely different & my metabolism kinda started to suck. I also had developed some of the worst eating & sleeping habits possible.

Another thing I realized was that my environment & my will power had gotten into a full on knock-down-drag-out fist fight by the time I hit the final phase of my plan.

What do I mean by this? Well, way back before the kids & even when Lelah was a little baby consuming mostly milk & pureed...stuff, I didn't have all of the carbby snack-a-doodles hanging around my pantry waiting to be picked up by little fingers or tossed into lunch boxes. Now, my home is more often than not plagued by the carbby snack-a-doodles that Lelah begs for in the store, that I grab for her lunch/snacks.

And I, with much shame admit to having lazy, tired, hungry days where I opted to grab a twinkie, or a handful or cookies instead of fruit or a protein bar in between meals.

I also fell off on the exercising. Mainly  because I was just plain TIRED (recently discovered that I have a vitamin D deficiency, a symptom of which is chronic fatigue).

Anywho, the closer I got to the 60 day mark, I began to feel like I had officially hit the #FAIL button. But then I took everything into consideration & looked at my before & after photos. Eventhough I hadn't hit my overly ambitious target weight, I had made a ton of progress.

There wasn't a change in my weight from last time, so I just used the same pic again.

The cleanse did it's job, the vegan and vegetarian phases got me out of my crap-food rut & forced me to break some of my really bad eating habits, as well as incorporate more fresh foods. & eventhough I didn't stick to the plan 100%...it did work (to a degree).

Overall, I do think I could've met my goal if I HAD stuck to what I'd mapped out for myself. But, I'm happy with my result regardless. I did lose 11 pounds (Most of which seemed to be in my mid-section) & I was able to tighten up a bit!

As far as the physical fitness part, I didn't go to the gym, nor did I adhere to any insane workout program. I did the following exercises 3-6 days a week for at least 1 hour each session:

• Stretching/Yoga (beginner yoga of course)
• Stationary Bike Riding (15-30 min)
• Planking 
• Leg Raises
• Sit-ups
• Push-ups
• Pull-downs (on exercise machine)

And for the food (when I was behaving myself), I continued making most of the foods from the vegan/vegetarian phases. I simply added lean meats and fish!

I plan to continue trying to keep it together & once I've hit my target, I'll post an update. So stay tuned!

Vlog Time!

Ok, so I stuck my Canon in my pocket and filmed a little bit of everything last month. I finally put together some clips from the month of March & I think I just may start doing monthly vlogs! (As I am not nearly interesting enough for daily vlogging)

Anyway, Here's some footage from the SimplyChanelle.com launch party, a peek at the aerial silks class I took at the Detroit Flyhouse, happy babies & FIRE!

Watch & enjoy this peek into my life:

Oh! & Click Here to check out the post on the launch party & all the details!

*If the video quality is poor, go to the settings button (the little gear, wheel thingy at the bottom of the video), click & increase to 360p.

My Wish List: Spring/Summer 2014

With the warmer weather being right around the corner (still cold here in MI), I have been spending my free time lately searching around online & window shopping in between errands trying to figure out what I NEED in my life (fashion wise) this Spring/Summer.

I'm really feeling some of the current trends, but if you know me you know that I like to mix it up & wear pretty much whatever I think looks good...even if it's not necessarily "trending".

So, without further ado, here is my (somewhat long) wishlist of items that I HAVE to get my hands on this SS14:

Coral

I was somewhat skeptical of this trend when I first noticed it a couple of years ago. But lately, I'm really loving the shade. Maybe it's the fact that I've been seeing brighter more lively versions of the color as opposed to the more muted, salmony ones I had seen in the past.

What ever the case may be, I have fallen in love with this bright, happy, feminine, "springy" shade.

Mint/Seafoam

This color is just so young and fresh. It makes me think of Easter & it's one of those cool, easy breezy shades that just makes me feel calm.

White White

Not off white, not ivory, not cream. White.

For the longest I was into the dark colors, mainly black. But now, I feel a pull toward white. It's crisp, clean, beachy & I will be incorporating so much more of this color into my wardrobe.

Gold

Used to only be into silver, but now I know much better. I've really been into gold lately.

Asymmetrical Hem Lines

I really don't think I will ever let go of this look.

High Lows & Draped asymmetrical skirts can be feminine & sweet or edgy & sexy.

Minimalist Heels

These are simple, sleek & sexy. And I need them in every color.

Florals 

Not your grandmother's florals. I would love to rock this classic print in a romper, matching short set or a good sky high pair of heels.

The Knee High Gladiator

Thank you Kourtney Kardashian & Tom Ford for making me fall in love with this boot/sandal hybrid!

Depending on the style, these can be laid back boho or edgy vixenesque.

Barefoot Sandals!!!

These little gems are right up my ally as I really dislike wearing shoes in and around my house. I also see these as a must have for those vacation days at the beach.

Floral & Fruity Fragrances

These two...OMG. I first smelled a sample of the Vince Camuto Fiori a few months ago & was instantly hooked. And the RALPH by Ralph Lauren has been a fav of mine since high school. Both are the perfect balance of sweet and flowery. Perfect for Summer.

Body Chains

These add the perfect touch to swimwear or cropped tops. And if you're not about bearing the necessary skin to show off this piece of jewelry, you can absolutely throw this on top of your tank or dress for an instant style boost.

Look for these sexy accessories on the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna & Kaira.

Jumpsuits & Rompers

You can't go wrong with these. They can be fun & flirty or sophisticated & downright chic. These onesies can work for simply running around town or making an appearance at a swanky soiree.

Bejeweled Sandals

Now, as much as I love the barefoot sandals, there comes a time during my day where I actually have to leave the house & I must wear shoes. If it's warm out & I can afford to be pretty casual or need to be in flats, I'll opt for the borderline-gaudy jewel encrusted sandals. They make my feet happy :-)

The Backless Maxi

Effortlessly sexy. The only problem is figuring out the boob wrangling situation for dresses like this. I am stuck with DDs for the moment so I will definitely be heading to Nordstrom to pick up a backless adhesive bra & praying to God that it works. (Click Here to See the one I'm Talking About)

Cropped Tops

Young, Fun & Timeless.

Mom's (like me!) & the more modest can pair these tops with ANYTHING highwaisted! 

Cut-out Pants

I love these. The denim with the bow detail is cute and can be worn during the day. While the Geebin version is more suitable for a night out.

Lucite Heels

Who says clear heels are just for brass pole engineers?

Joggers & Harem Pants

So comfy & So versatile. These can work at the gym or for girls night out with a strappy heel.

Head Scarves

A great way to add a little extra something to a messy updo or camouflage unruly or dirty hair. Whatever the reason for wearing one (As long as it's not the hood-rat bedtime shouldn't-come-out-of-the-house scarf) this is one accessory that always looks good...when done properly.

Crochet

From bathing suits to cover-ups to dresses. Crochet is boho chic at its finest..at least in my opinion. Crochet pieces can be worn to the beach or just around town layered over a bralette/tank & shorts or slip dress.

Ok, so now that you have survived my almost never ending SS14 wishlist, What do you think? What are some of your wishlist items for the Spring/Summer? I'd love to know! 

Stay tuned to the blog & YouTube. I just may do a haul or two once I've found everything I need/want.