Finish Line Feeling!

Holy shit!
Sorry, but yes that's how I feel! I just read the best book! My heart is still pounding in my chest, my cheeks are wet with streaming tears, my arms and the back of my neck are exhausted from experiencing the constant waves of goosebumps and my stomach is full of butterflies. all anxiously awaiting the sunrise, with the anticipation of a glorious run. When is the last time a book made you feel like that?

Inspiration? That's a vast understatement! I feel as if I just saw "Rocky" for the first time! And I want to run those steps and scream "Yo Adrian!"

I feel exhausted, yet energized all at the same time closing the last page of what is now my favorite book of the summer. 

"Finish Line Feeling" by Liz Ferro.

celeste m. photo

I am so happy that I decided to put aside a "New York Times Best Seller" I was reading, to read Liz's book... It was a great choice for sure considering I was having a tough time getting into that one, and couldn't put Liz's book down!

Side note:

On the heels of such a great loss as  Robin Williams tragic suicide yesterday, just having ended this amazing book of perseverance somehow has even more meaning to me... As my mom would say "There are no coincidences!" 

What Liz does is so important instilling a sense of worth to those girls who would otherwise feel worthless.

*Right before I turned my reading light off I noticed it made a heart on my book! Hearts find me...

Having struggled with numerous suicide attempts as well as bouts of self loathing and to overcome that, and so much more, speaks volumes of the triumphant character that Liz has achieved. How she is able to fight for her life when it seems as if cement cinder blocks were chained to her ankles, pulling her to the murky depths of the water as she swam, is a testament to her mind over matter.

Liz shows off her guns, her outer strength egging on her mind to keep up...

I am all about girl power and it turnes out coincidentally I have a dear group of women who I have affectionately called my "Soul Sisters" for about the last four years. These are girls that I hold near and dear to my heart much like Liz feels about her "Girls With Sole"

I'm looking forward to sharing this book with my group of soul sisters, it would be a great book group read!

Just reading the forward made me want to throw on my running shoes and swim suit to jump and dive right into this book!

Below Liz helps one of her girls complete her first 5k!

Liz writes in a way that makes her so relatable... She talked about her Hero as a little girl... I too was never interested in being one of "Charlie's Angels" what the heck did they need him for anyway? Right? Lol. And John Bosley couldn't find his way out of a paper bag with a GPS!

I had my sights on bigger fish, I think I wore out my bionic women Halloween costume through an entire summer and a ahem... The bionic man/six million dollar man was pretty easy on the eyes, if ya catch my drift!

Liz was featured on the "Hope to it" segment of the Today show!

The link is at the bottom of the page...

I am not a girl who has a ton of time to read (soccer mom's are always kicking it) but I plowed through Liz's book in a few days and found myself looking for every opportunity to read it. Liz had me laughing out loud with her whitty commentary, (for the record I strongly dislike the word cul de sac... You guys will understand after you read the book)

Wincing at her reality and sobbing at her heartbreak. Her book is full of excitement, adventure and soul searching with accounts of what it is like to face abuse and your fears even if it means the fear of yourself. And even a few pants pooping shenanigans just for good measure! Lol.

You are the only one who can fix your broken parts. People can help you if you can be real with yourself but life is Mano e Mano, just you and yourself. Liz shows us how sports and fitness helped save her life and how they can save anothers life, she instills that in her amazing girls program "Girls With Sole."

Liz as a young girl... Her constant uniform... Svim-vear!

She is a champion at life at a champion for all she blesses with her inspiration and drive to make herself better and in turn everyone around her!

Liz getting her "Finish Line Feeling" on!

She illuminates from her effervescent personality, and to watch her excitement for what she does is contagious! There was a point when I met her that she was talking to her girls and she was so elated for them to try paddle boarding that she was up on her tippy-toes as if she was full of helium and might just take flight.

If there is one book you read this summer that you will change you and you will close the last page with a list of friends in mind, this is it... Trust me they will all thank you!

Above Liz helps one of her girls set out to paddle board at edgewater beach in the Cleveland Metroparks.
http://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/Main/Home.aspx

How I met Liz...

A few weeks ago I met Liz Ferro. Liz is the founder of a truly inspirational organization called "Girl With Sole"

We met in Cleveland, Ohio at Edgewater beach. I was asked by my "Soul Sister" and dear yogi/paddle board instructor/friend (she has lots of titles) Lori Palmer to volunteer my time to help her and our fellow friend and paddle board instructor Jim. http://alohasupoh.com

We were brought together to represent Lake Erie Paddler along with several other SUP companies by our mutual friend Diana Black (pictured below left helping one of the girls get out to paddle)

(Also pictured far right Lori Palmer)

We were asked to donate our time and expertise (our owner Jim Lawhead donated the equipment) to teach a large group of 30+ girls and a few boys to learn how to paddle board for the first time.

Lori sent me an email explaining the cause and as soon as I heard two words "Empowering girls" I was all in. It was such a memorable experience, one I will not soon forget...

Here we all are!

I hope you will join me in support of one of our very own Cleveland soul sisters...

Read her story, volunteer, donate or whatever you can do to offer a hand or a heart to this life changing group that helps abused and less fortunate girls. Without people like you, they don't stand a fighting chance to cross the finish line with their arms high over head, full of positive vibes as they experience their "Finish Line Feeling!"

Get up and get out!

Enjoy this glorious day!

All my best,

Celeste❤️

Xo

The Today show: 

http://youtu.be/u_H-gQl4YJA

Get the book:

http://kindlenationdaily.com/2014/08/75-price-cut-the-journey-from-foster-child-and-abuse-survivor-to-joy-and-fulfillment-finish-line-feeling-by-liz-ferro-for-a-limited-time-just-1-99/

Join the team:

Team LULA

http://www.imathlete.com/donate/Campaign.aspx?fCID=1447

The book:

http://www.amazon.com/Liz-Ferro/e/B00J6QSC90/fblink/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_nu_hfN0tb0STQD5J

To get involved:

http://www.girlswithsole.org

To donate:

http://www.razoo.com/story/Bba50k-For-Girls-With-Sole/mobile?src=fbxpost

Cleveland love!❤️

So after everyone finally decided to wake up on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon... (Life is rough when you're a teenager)

It was too late for the Art museum, the car museum was closed... And the boys and I were getting antsy.

So of course we started off by going online to www.thisiscleveland.com to find all the latest updates on fun things to do in Cleveland! So many fun things to choose from...

I just decided the plan was...no plan... We headed towards Downtown Cleveland from Westlake jamming to the Kongos "Come with me now!" (See below for link to song)

Windows down, sunroof open and open minded for our adventure to unfold.

There is one place I've been dying to go, it was a little French shop called Coquette Patisserie. 

http://www.coquettepatisserie.com

And they were closing in about a half an hour... So with that in mind we headed out and said... "If they are open we go, if they are closed, we don't!" Gotta roll with it!

The good news was we found it, no problem. The other good news was we still had 10 minutes until they closed... So we ran for the door.

Then the bad news... The look on my sons face as he yanked the door... Locked... Phooey! Were we too late? Um, yes... Like a day too late. Apparently they did post they were closed for a French holiday on Facebook but we called the shop and the message said open Sunday until 5. Moving on...

 Disappointed we caught a second wind when we spotted 

Mi Pueblo http://mipueblocleveland.com/zgrid/proc/site/sitep.jsp

just a few doors down. Yes, please! Fresh, fresh, fresh... Salsa and chips...

I'm always a sucker for a pickled something or other, so I was delighted at the sight of the thinly sliced real pickled carrots... (No baby carrots) yuck.

The boys ordered quesadilla and I ordered the carna asada... A perfect meal from the fresh salsa to the perfectly seasoned flank steak and guacamole. Now we just have to go back for margaritas and my favorite, tres leche cake!

Next we wandered back toward the closed bakery to peek inside a little ice cream shop... Serendipity was our best friend today... We had stumbled across the most wonderful ice cream I have ever had in my life. 

Piccadilly...

http://piccadillyartisanyogurt.com

Trust and believe, I have had my fair share of cold confectionary delights from Ohio to Italy and back...

This my friends, is hands down worth the drive no matter where you are. My Ryan got the mint chocolate chip. Made with fresh mint and tiny chocolate chips... That child kept saying he had never seen so many little chips before. The portion sizes were great and my salted Caramel,  already devine was pushed over the top by an added topping of... 

Drumroll please...macaroons! I died. Get the paddles... 

I was so inthralled with watching them concoct the liquid nitrogen delights that I have no idea what flavor my sweet Dylan got... But he was so pleased I don't think he spoke a word the whole time we were there. He just savored every spoonful.

The girls behind the counter worked hard to make sure our experience was perfect and we floated out on a puff of liquid nitro vapor and vowed to be back and tell everyone we knew. It's that good, go... And go often!❤️

 They even took the time to plug the little bakery next door that was closed and told us to make a trip back to see them... We will!

Now what to do with two boys hopped up on liquid nitro ice cream...

How about a romp around Wade Oval! They were less then thrilled... That soon turned into jumping, skipping and parkouring off of every surface... In awe of the architecture of our beautiful city, they loved every minute of it!

 It was peaceful... They were like two adventurers who had come across uncharted territory. The best, being that they were having so much fun they almost forgot they were brothers and were suppose to not get along. They laughed and ran and jumped only pausing long enough to ask why all the statues private parts were all exposed... Lol! Then they ran some more!

And finally, no perfect day ever ends for me without a trip to the lake and the beach that we are so blessed to live near. Again what started as a "Can't we just go home." (Video games were waiting for them... Ugh!) ended in a frenzy of clothes whirling off, hopping on one foot to get the shoes off, pleading of a can we swim dance... "Of course you can! It's summer!" 

Lake Erie

http://thelakeerieguide.com/

Photos: celeste m. Photography

What a wonderful Sunday funday with my boys!

I hope you will take the time to get out in our beautiful city of Cleveland Ohio and pretend you are a tourist in your town! So much beauty to see and fun to be had!

All my best,

Celeste 

Xo

Kongos "Come with me now!"

http://youtu.be/Gz2GVlQkn4Q 

Drift wood home decor

Just another day at the beach...

A rough, windy, but beautiful morning on the lake with the skyline in the distance.

So I have had this stick ... Not just any old stick, but one that broke off a tree at some point and found it way into our glorious lake, I'm pretty sure it has a story to tell about the journey it took to end up on the beach all worn and bleached. I found it on a walk with my boys. I have had it propped up in a corner for years, always knowing it was meant for greatness. Well, today was that day. After bobbing along in the lake until it was smooth and worn, then sitting in a corner for years, then hanging on my wall waiting to be turned into something good, it has become a wonderful piece of art. I love that because the stick is not straight the pictures hang a bit off, I find there is perfection in the imperfect:) I hope you are inspired to make a little something with things you find and they make you happier! This does it for me!

Enjoy this glorious day!
Celeste
Celeste m. Photography
Www.celestem.com