New Home Office

I've spent the last several months updating our home office.  It has been a really fun chore because I got to work with my husband on this one and get his thoughts and ideas.  Stephen works out of our home office every day.  He spends 10-12 hours a day in this room so I wanted it to be a comfortable and relaxing place for him as well as for me and the kids.  Up until this point, the kid's and Stephen's computers and a sleeper love seat took up the space.  There was no room for me or my laptop.  My office space had been reduced to the corner of our breakfast bar in the kitchen.  With the inability to escape the constant sounds of children and life itself and trying to work amongst the chaos, I became very frustrated.  I decided we needed a better solution.  I disliked very much not having a place to file and store my own paperwork that was piling up on the breakfast bar.  And any time the kids wanted to eat at the bar there was always that risk that my laptop and/or paperwork would fall victim to the inevitable spills and food fights that children participate in, not to mention the sticky fingers of those who would find themselves playing on my computer instead of their own!  :/  Well, we did find a solution!!  And it's one the whole family loves!  There's no more fighting for space!  Everyone and everything has a place.  I actually have my very own laptop storage drawer and file cabinet!  The real excitement though, is that it turned out just as beautiful as it is functional!


Here's how the room looked before the makeover.  Drab and uninspiring, this was the only space in our house that I hadn't touched with my paintbrush.  Wall to wall furniture, while having a certain function, made me feel claustrophobic, unorganized and unclean.  There was no rhythm or flow in this room and the color just didn't speak to me.

We wanted our new office to reflect both of our tastes.  So it couldn't be too masculine or too feminine.  Believe it or not, it wasn't difficult to settle on a direction that both parties were overjoyed with.  There are several things that Stephen and I share an affinity for.  One is the color purple.  SHOCKER?!?!  It may not surprise you that I love purple, but to some it may seem odd that a man would enjoy purple.  Let me give you some background.  Stephen was born in February.  His birthstone is amethyst.  His high school Permian Graduate ring proudly carries a large amethyst stone.  

Some history on the color purple from wikipedia:

The actual color of Tyrian purple, the original color purple from which the name purple is derived, is the color of a dye extracted from a mollusc found on the shores of the city of Tyre in ancient Phoenicia (present day Lebanon) that in classical antiquity became a symbol of royalty because only the very wealthy could afford it. Therefore, Tyrian purple was also called imperial purple.

In medieval Europe, blue dyes were rare and expensive,^[16] so only the most wealthy or the aristocracy could afford to wear them. (The working class wore mainly green and brown.) Because of this (and also because Tyrian purple had gone out of use in western Europe after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476), Europeans' idea of purple shifted towards this more bluish purple known as royal purple because of its similarity to the royal blue worn by the aristocracy. This was the shade of purple worn by kings in medieval Europe.

You're probably catching on to the reasons why we love purple.  In short, purple is a color that represents royalty and wealth-two things that Stephen, and myself included, are very fond of, which leads me to our next shared affinity-Royalty and Europe.


Stephen and I have a had the pleasure of traveling to London and Paris twice.  Since our travels we have been completely smitten with European royalty and it's history.  We watch every historical documentary, movie, news clips, etc. that we can find.  I've read several pieces of literature and used the internet to inform myself of the fascinating european monarchies in which kings and queens held such powerful and influential positions.  In a lot of ways, to the commoner, the king was a god.  I find that extremely interesting!  Stephen and I wanted to dedicate our office to the memories of our excursions to Europe.  I especially wanted to incorporate a "parisian" influence with our already simple and clean personal style.


So that's where we started.  We wanted a clean, organized, and functional office space that would remind us of the things we felt, saw, heard and tasted in Europe.


Are you ready for the reveal?


























Wait for it........


















































wait for it........


































TADA!!!!!

We love this partners desk.  It holds all three of our computers!  Stephen's area is the side with the  black leather chair.  My area is the side with the white leather chair.  I share my area with the kids.  But there is plenty of room for everyone!  Here you can see the lovely shades of purple we chose for our walls and ceiling.

You can see my laptop drawer in action here!  When not in use, it tucks away nicely.

I love birds and owls.  I thought this pair were adorable and a nice pop of white to contrast against the black shelves.

The mirror here is the same mirror as in the before shot.  I painted it antique white.  I found the Eiffel tower at Ballard Designs.  It's a cute way to display announcements and photo greeting cards while lending a parisian spirit.

Oh how I love these curtains!  I had them custom made from Drapestyle.com.    It's hard to tell from this picture, but I had them made with inverted pleating.  My favorite pleat style!

We love the built-ins in our office.  I used a sort of periwinkle blue on them to mix up the color scheme a bit.  And the pièce de résistance is a photograph of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France.  We had it blown up and sectioned.  The colors in this photograph work beautifully in our space, and Stephen admires it while he works.

So that's our home office makeover project in a nutshell!  I hope you feel inspired and motivated to tackle your dysfunctional and frustrating spaces.  Like I said earlier, this was a great project for my husband and I to do together.  Even if it's not your flair, it's considered a success for us!  We both love it!  Please, leave a comment or ask questions!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Special Delivery

I am pleased to inform the world that I received my Insanity t-shirt!!  It is without flaw or defect and just what I was expecting!  I love the fit and the color, and I think I look great in it! ;)  I have worn it twice since I received it, and I'm now beginning to wonder if I should place it in a shadow box and mount it on the wall!  I don't want to wear it out!!  HA!!


I had my 7 year old daughter take these pictures of me the day the t-shirt arrived.  I couldn't have wiped the smile and excitement off my face if I had tried!  I posted a couple of these pictures on the Insanity Facebook page to see if I could get chosen as the "Fan of the Week."  I'll keep you posted.

I want to say a big "THANK YOU" to all of you who have encouraged me in any way during the Insanity Challenge.  Some of you cheered me on and some of you really dug in and supported me by keeping close tabs on my progress and holding me accountable!  I gotta say, it's so much easier mentally to conquer such a huge mountain with people behind you pushing and believing in you.  I especially want to thank my husband, Stephen.  He sacrificed his time to afford me the time to commit to the program.  He also kept a really close eye on the results I was getting while making sure to compliment each noticeable difference which really gave me a boost!!  I couldn't have done this without his support.

One more bit of exciting information!  I recently went to my gym and had a body composition analysis done.  I had one done 2 years ago when I joined the gym.  I wish I had done another one right before I started Insanity, but I didn't have the forethought.  Regardless, these results were the most exciting for me. Here's the breakdown:

Body Composition Analysis and Obesity Diagnosis 

	June 2009	June 2011	Difference Totals
Weight	122.8 lbs	119.3 lbs	-3.5 lbs
Lean Body Mass	94.1 lbs	95.7 lbs	+1.6 lbs
Body Fat Mass	28.7 lbs	23.6 lbs	-5.1 lbs !!!!
Body Mass Index (Normal is 18.5 - 25.0)	22.5	21.8	-0.7%
Percent Body Fat	23.3%	19.8%!!!!!	-3.5% !!!

 

Segmental Lean Development

When analyzing the results it is helpful to compare the right and left side of the body and the upper to the lower extremities.  By comparison you can assess whether your body is balanced or unbalanced.  The first number represents measured Lean Body Mass (LBM).  The second number represents the ration of actual lean mass to the amount of lean mass you should have in terms of your body weight.  If the second number is 100% or over, you have enough muscle for your weight.  But if not, you need to build more muscle to reach 100%.

	June 2009	June 2011
Right Arm	4.45 lbs 116.6%	5.0 lbs 132.2%
Left Arm	4.3 lbs 112.6%	4.76 lbs 126.3%
Trunk	39.6 lbs 94.0%	42.7 lbs 102.2%
Right Leg	14.57 lbs 101.4%	14.31 lbs 100.5%
Left Leg	14.04 lbs 97.7%	14.26 lbs 100.1%

My arms are strong from all those push ups!  The rest of my composition has truly balanced out.  These numbers are very satisfying to me and I enjoy seeing them on paper.  Makes them seem more official and concrete.  My body DID change!  It's not just wishful thinking anymore.  It's reality.  

This will probably be my final post related to Insanity, but if you have any questions or are interested in starting the program I would love to chat with you and support you in any way I can.  Don't hesitate to email or send me a Facebook message.  Here's to my Insanity journey and here's to fitness!  Cheers!

Dear RACHEL,

Great news! Your INSANITY® order is on its way. You can expect your order to arrive by 06/13/2011.*

If you would like to track your order, please access the Carrier site listed below and enter the tracking number. The Carrier has already picked up your package from our warehouse, but your tracking number may not be entered into their system until tomorrow. So please wait 24 hours before tracking your order. Rest assured that your order will arrive soon. In the meantime, prepare for the most intense cardio workouts ever put on DVD. Check out the Beachbody® Newsletters, INSANITY Message Boards, and INSANITY fan pages. Best of luck to you! I just got this email today!  I'm so pumped!  Stay tuned for pictures of me in my "I Earned It" Insanity T-shirt!

I EARNED IT!

"I completed the 60 day Insanity Challenge!  This mommy of 3 loves her results!  Please send me my free Insanity t-shirt!"

Those were the words I typed in the email to Beachbody when I sent my application in with my "before and after" pictures for my free "I Earned It" Insanity t-shirt on Monday.  I had done everything they asked of me and I was proud and excited to receive my very own Insanity t-shirt!  After all, an Insanity t-shirt isn't something that everyone has.  You can't just simply buy it, you have to EARN it.  There's something about not being able to buy something out right.  Instead, you have to work hard for it.  Somehow hard work increases the value of things, and I'll be honest, that t-shirt is like gold to me.  It is my trophy!  Maybe it seems materialistic or petty because it IS just a t-shirt, but for me it was a fairly large incentive to complete the program.  I bought into the Insanity challenge from day 1.  I wanted to possess everything Insanity said it would give me for completing the 60 day program, all of which included the fitness level, the body, the speed, endurance, strength, agility, AND the free t-shirt.  I had attained and realized all of it with great success except for the free t-shirt.  I clicked "Send" on my email and waited with anticipation for a confirmation, affirmation and a pat on the back from a Beachbody representative.  I got a reply, but it wasn't exactly what I expected.  Here is the reply:

Hi Rachel,

I'm so sorry, but I'm unable to process a request for your free t-shirt because you purchased this product on ebay. The only way we can do that is if you buy through an authorized retailer, such as amazon, beachbody.com or a Beachbody coach. I do want to congratulate you on your progress though, your results are amazing!! Congratulations.

Thanks, and keep up that great work.

Alison

(Just so you know, I actually didn't buy my copy of Insanity from eBay, I bought it from a friend of mine, but that's not the point and trying to make that fact clear to Beachbody wouldn't have changed anything.  You'll see why in the following emails.)  I was broken hearted.  All the wind in my sails had been let out and I was so bummed.  What I really wanted to do was to lay down in some ashes and throw a two year old fit!  At the time that I read the reply my husband, Stephen, wasn't at home.  It's not in my nature to challenge what's written in black and white as a rule, and it never even crossed my mind to do so in this case.  My resolve was to simply accept the fact that I would not be receiving a t-shirt.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of confrontation, but I'm not dumb enough to think that I could get Beachbody to change alter the rules for me.  Let me be very clear, my husband isn't afraid AT ALL and you will soon see what I mean!  Once he got home from running some errands I, in passing, mentioned that I got an email reply from Beachbody and they told me that I couldn't get a free t-shirt.  He asked my what their reason was and I told him.  He immediately walked over to my laptop and asked me to show him the email.  I did.  He read it, grabbed my laptop, took it to the kitchen table and started typing away.  He looked at me and said, "That's a bunch of crap.  I can't believe this.  This is business 101!"  Here is his reply to Alison, the representative (this is where you get to see how tenacious and determined Stephen is)

Alison - this is Stephen (the husband of Rachel in the message below)...I was furious to see your reply.  How short sided of a decision to not send Rachel a free shirt.  You have someone who completed your program and has been a very vocal ambassador of your product in word of mouth, blogging, facebook, etc.  As a result of Rachel's efforts you have already sold 4 new dvd kits directly from your company (this is the known sales from her word of mouth so far).  Do you not understand the power of advertising, esp. from sending someone excited about your product a free t shirt that costs 80 cents to buy from China?!?!?!?

I mean, really, has anyone in this organization ever attended a business school???  Really this is Business 101!!!!  You should pass this onto someone with decision making power in the company and I have a feeling you might be sending Rachel a free t shirt amongst other items.

As an owner of multiple businesses ourselves, Rachel and I both understand the power behind free advertising which is what this shirt represents.  Honestly at this point we could care less about this shirt but I am appalled at your message below.  You have a successful person with visible results form your program that is leading to new sales and you negate to send her a small congratulations item that will carry free advertising and promote interest from others in your product and your cost is miniscule.

Again I ask who is running marketing and sales in this organization because if this is how you treat your greatest assets you will surely lose in the long run.  Rachel has over 500 people following her Insanity Campaign now.  If you don't step up and make this right - I personally will spread this negative news of how you are treating her.  I suggest you get this message in front of someone with decision making authority in your company ASAP.  I expect an apology for this ludicrous behavior as well to Rachel.

Respectfully,

Stephen W. Magee

I felt like the email was a little on the belligerent strong side, but I also felt so loved and protected by Stephen.  In that moment he was a my Superman and I loved him for the gesture no matter how Beachbody could/would take his defensive email.  Honestly, I didn't think we would hear back from Beachbody, but to my surprise, less that 24 hours later we got another email.  This time it was from a senior representative!!  Kuddos again to Stephen for climbing the ladder!!

Dear Stephen & Rachel,

I would like to address the letters you've written below, as well as the emails that have gone back and forth between Rachel and my Coordinator, Alison. You stated that you were "furious" over the polite response that Alison wrote to Rachel. I do understand the frustration you both are experiencing regarding the free Insanity t-shirt offer. We have read your point of view, and I respectfully request that you allow me to share my perspective.

Beachbody is on a very determined and focused road to thwart the piracy of our Beachbody products. I do realize that the economy is tough, and we all want to save money whenever we can. That being said, it is very difficult for me to even assign a value on how many dollars are lost to companies, such as Beachbody, by unscrupulous sellers who take all our hard work, copy and sell our products without a backward glance. As I sit at my desk, and look around the office at the hard working individuals, including myself, who truly pour our hearts into our work, and how the money from our hard work is stolen by these unscrupulous vendors. They dupe you, the consumer, into purchasing these goods with the promise of lower costs.  As owners of your own business, I'm sure you're sensitive to protecting your product and your business.

Stephen and Rachel, all this being said, I truly am very happy for your results and that you are a great model to those around you who admire your accomplishments. We sincerely appreciate the positive word of mouth and recommendations to purchase Insanity to your friends. I'm certain you are enjoying great health benefits from using Shakeology, which we all agree is an incredible product. I also appreciate your patience in reading my response to your letters, and I hope you are able to see our company's point of view. Because you've expressed such passion and determination, we will be sending you a t-shirt. I am placing a copy of this email into Rachel's folder for future reference.

I have one other suggestion, if I may? Since you are willing to spread the word about how wonderful Insanity is, and the fact that others have purchased the product based on your opinion, you may want to consider the Beachbody Coaching opportunity to earn money for your recommendations.

Most respectfully in good health,

Dolores Thompson

Senior Manager,

Testimonial & Success Story Production

YIPEE!!!  Music to my ears!  I would get my trophy t-shirt after all!  I was so thankful and proud of my husband for standing up for me.  It was all very romantic.  He was like my valiant knight who had come to slay the dragon of discouragement that was coming up to devour my accomplishment.  I love and admire him for his bravery and courage.  Because Dolores was so kind and communicative in her response to Stephen he made sure to reply back in a more controlled tone and thank her and the company for doing the right thing as well as leaving a simple suggestion for the future, which is also par for his nature :)

Hello Dolores, thank you for your reply.  Your coordinator's reply was indeed polite.  It frankly just blew me away as it represented a poor business decision.  All you say below is completely understandable and regretful that we live in a world in which we have to battle piracy that abounds.  But regardless of that issue not honoring a graduate of your program with a simple token such as an inexpensive t shirt regardless of your ability to confirm the origination of the product purchased (which I assure you in this case is authentic and from your company originally) is a poor choice.

It is clear from reading Rachel's Success Story that she is excited about your product and the best advertising you can get and the t shirt is a tiny investment to further push that advertising with confirmed dollars back to your company from multiple channels.  I was actually highly interested in Rachel becoming a coach to capitalize on her following and success.  I backed off of that when I saw the response to her t shirt request.  Again I stress the t shirt really is immaterial at this point as it is the principle of the matter that burned me up.  It was a poor gesture on your company's part to a successful graduate of your program and seriously made me question the business sense and direction of your company.

Simply giving the benefit of the doubt to an excited customer with sending out a t shirt based on the results of the completed program documentation sent in should be a no brainer and in no way brings up or down the piracy volume against your company.  It only further creates more loyalty and excitement for your brand from that person and their followers.  The fact it is that consumable sells will be the gold for your company regardless (such as the Shakelogy as that will be purchased over and over and over instead of a onetime buy).

Again I thank you for your reply and would suggest you keep your written policies in place as is (for legal outs and protection in extreme situations) but empower your employees to make better judgment calls and go against the hardest interpretation of policies when you can capitalize on the upside of an excited customer with the cheap advertising that person brings to the table.  At least train your staff to ask a supervisor before turning the client down.

We will be exploring the coaching oppt. now.

Thanks Again!

Stephen W. Magee

For Stephen this situation was about principle, but I just REALLY wanted the free t-shirt!  I am so thankful and that God gave me a man that is strong in many of my weak areas.  I am proud of Stephen and the gifts and abilities that God has given him.  And I am proud to be his wife.........I'm also proud that I'M GETTING MY FREE  INSANITY T-SHIRT!!

INSANITY

I have to tell you about Insanity because it has changed my life!  No, really.  I am changed!  For those of you who don't know, Insanity is a 60 day DVD work out program designed to put you in the best shape of your life.  I am a runner.  I have been running consistently now for 2 years and my goal is to run a half marathon.  I have trained and trained and trained and I always end up injured and defeated before I can achieve my goal.  Several months ago I was looking for something to help me build endurance and strength for long runs.  I accidentally ran into the Beachbody website and found Insanity.  I had never heard of Insanity.  I was astounded at the results that people were getting in just 60 days and I have to admit, I wanted to look as good as they did!  The program promises to help you build lean muscle for strength as well as endurance.  Ace in the hole!!!  A few days later I was at a friend's house playing bunko and I brought up Insanity in a conversation.  I found out that my friend just happened to have Insanity sitting on her media console and she was about to start the program!  I jumped at the opportunity to try it with someone else!  We went gangbusters!!  We were so pumped and excited for the challenge......until the very first day.  March 21, 2011, Day 1 consisted of a fit test--no workout--just a fit test.  Umm, I thought I might die that day.   The fit test consists of 8 exercises.  You have a minute for each exercise to do as many reps as you can.  First of all, I have never done these exercises before in my life.  They were all new and they were all very taxing and you had to do them FAST!  I wasn't pleased with my fit test results, especially when "Tonya, the Machine" (Insanity celebrity cast member) was doing three times the amount of reps I was!  I set some goals that day.  I took my measurements and some before pictures of my body.  I also made a commitment.  I promised myself that I would not quit.  I swore that I would not miss a workout.  I vowed to put my heart and soul into every single day of training to get the body and the results I wanted.  I also chose to follow the nutrition guide that came with the program.


Fast forward to May 22, 2011.  I finished the program and I kept my promises to myself.  I never missed a workout despite any obstacle or schedule derailment.  I wanted to quit several times throughout the 60 days, but Shaun T kept inspiring me to push play.  I threw myself into every workout taking my body to the limit.  It was INSANE!  I have never sweated so much in my life!  The first 30 days were childs play compared to the second 30 days.  The workouts are extremely difficult and crazy, but I got results!  During the 60 day program there are 4 fit tests, one every 15 days.  Here are my test results for all 4 fit tests.  You can see how I improved every 15 days.

One small thrill for me, on my very last fit test I beat Tonya at Power Jumps, Globe Jumps, and Low Plank Oblique!  These results look great on paper, but I know a lot of you really want to see the reveal pictures.  I am hesitant to post them on the WWW.  If you want me to email you or text you my before and after pics just let me know.  I am happy to share my accomplishment with you, just in a more private fashion.  I lost 4 pounds, 1.5 inches off my chest, 2 inches off my waist, 1/4 inch off my thighs, and 1.25 inches off my hips.  The before and after pics speak for themselves.

I went on my very first run yesterday since beginning Insanity.  I ran 3.25 miles in 29 minutes and some change.  It was awesome!  My legs felt so strong.  I took almost 30 seconds off my normal pace for each mile!  It felt great to know that all the hard work and sweat did pay off!

What's next?  I will do another round of Insanity and couple it with running.  After that, I will take a trip to the Asylum which is a 30 day program designed to put you in pro-athlete condition.  Check it out!

Please feel free to ask questions or comment.  I love talking about Insanity and I love inspiring others reach their fitness goals.  I believe God wants us to honor Him with our bodies.  My favorite scripture verse is Philippians 3:14

 "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

When I think about this scripture I envision a runner barreling down the track pressing toward the finish line to win the prize.  I see Jesus at the finish line waiting to embrace the runner and bid him well done.  I want to work hard for Jesus.  I want to be the best offering for Him that I can be.  There are many ways that we can worship God.  Sacrificing our flesh is one way and I feel that I am called to this kind of sacrifice in this season.  Hard work yields strength of character.  In the words of Shaun T, "It's get fit or get out people!  I ain't trying to hurt you, just trying to make you better."

The Beginning

I ran across this quote one day months ago and it has become an anthem of mine.

"Christianity isn't about being perfect; it's about having your imperfections made beautiful in Christ." 

It is an anonymous quote, but I think it holds so much truth and deserves some attention.  I have pondered it's words and then let them stew.  Since stumbling upon it, I have experienced the Lord showing me this truth over and over.  I am fully aware that I am imperfect.  No one has to remind me of this fact because I do a fair job of reminding myself on an almost hourly basis.  This is where the Lord is working in me.  In the moment that I recognize my deficiencies, deficits and failures; it is the precise moment where I should release them to the Lord.  I shouldn't dwell or obsess on behalf of my imperfections, for what good comes of that?  Self inflicted bruises and scrapes are just as bad as being beaten by someone else's words or actions toward us.  Our God is so amazing because he can take my tattered, worn out, torn and worthless soul and spin it into the finest silk ever made.  He can take my ashes and make them something beautiful.  Afterall, what have I to give to the Lord?  My life is the equivalent of rags and ashes without Him in it.  There is nothing beautiful about ashes.  In Bible times, when a person was depressed, oppressed, mourning, in agony or difficulty it was custom that they would lay in ashes.  Isn't that how we act sometimes when we feel defeated or less than?  We just lay down in ashes and gloat.  Isaiah 61 says 

¹ “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,
      Because the LORD has anointed Me 
      To preach good tidings to the poor; 
      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 
      To proclaim liberty to the captives, 
      And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 
       ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, 
      And the day of vengeance of our God; 
      To comfort all who mourn, 
       ³ To console those who mourn in Zion, 
      To give them beauty for ashes, 
      The oil of joy for mourning, 
      The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; 
      That they may be called trees of righteousness, 
      The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

This scripture tells us that God will take our difficulties and failures-our "ashes" and turn them into something beautiful, "that HE may be glorified."  I am so thankful for this promise because He knows how truly ugly and ashy I am, yet He fully loves me still.  Sometimes it takes a painful experience to cause beauty to sprout upward.  I believe God knew the mess of ashes I would be after walking through the fire we call life, and he had a plan for my ashes long ago.  I am on a journey to beauty because Christ is transforming me into His image.  This blog is about my struggles and my accomplishments-the things God is making beautiful in me.  I hope you enjoy the content!  Feel free to leave comments and thoughts, prayers and encouragement!