Category Archives: General

Snort! These are fun.

Animal nose mugs by Theo. Image via My Shimoda.

Dear you guys,

Today, I am very excited to announce that Michelle Woo Dot Com (SO MANY SYLLABLES!) is now simply Woo!

Woo!

So easy, right? Wahoo! I mean, Woo!

Along with the new name comes a rad new look (skillfully designed by my husband Matt and whiningly project managed by me) and a new focus. I’ll still be documenting my crazy little life but I’ll also be writing about stuff I think is cool. Fashion, art, food, weddings, home decor, events, whatever. Anything that makes me say … Woo! OK, I’ll stop now.

After this one.

Woo!

As always, thanks for reading.

Love,

Michelle

Woo!

What? It’s my name.

P.S. Yeah, this may be my passive-aggressive way of rebelling against the name change thing. Don’t judge me.

Saw this on Flux Capacitor and thought it was so beautiful.

I wonder if I’ll ever be a person who can dance in a nightclub alone, soberly. (Doubt it.) That’s true confidence.

Top from Urban Outfitters, skirt from Anthropologie. I decided to wear heels because I’ll be limited to flats once we’re married.

Note to self: Bring some oil blotting paper to the wedding. You can catch the attention of helicopter pilots with that forehead.

More bridal shower goodness to come.

I’ve been a bit of a Negative Nancy lately but this cheered me up:

Thanks, Christine.

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook

I’ve been climbing these stairs two or three times a week as part of my ongoing effort to lose that last bit of squish. The hill is just a few blocks from our apartment and it’s such a cool find. Every day, people from all walks of life arrive with iPods and prayers, and set out to tackle these 300+ steps of thigh-numbing pain.

I always huff and sweat my way to the top but today was particularly difficult because it was uncomfortably warm out and also because I feel like I’m still sort of recovering from my bachelorette extravaganza. As my legs started to wobble and I worked to catch my breath, I noticed this woman chatting with a small group of people. She looked stunning and was probably a fitness trainer of some sort. I overheard her saying that she usually climbs to the top and back down five times.

“FIVE TIMES?!” the group said in shock, possibly disgust.

She laughed and said that after doing it for a while, it’s more mind over matter. Then she gave this tip: “Look at your feet, don’t look up.”

In the age of motivational slogans, we’re taught to look up. To go for the goal, reach for the stars, keep our eye on the prize. And as a dreamer myself, that’s what I do. I look up. I want to do Great Big Things. I want to launch a new site with a strong brand identity and money-earning potential. I want the body of Jennifer Aniston on the cover of GQ. I want to write epic stories that leave readers gasping for air.

But hearing this woman’s advice made me wonder. Maybe it’s time to look at my feet. Because she is right. You’ve got to get in a zone when you’re climbing those steps. You put one foot in front of the other, and then repeat. But the moment you lift your eyes from your shoes hitting the cement, you’ve lost it. You’ll see skinny girls in sports bras zipping past you. You’ll discover that you still have 243 more steps to go. You’ll get discouraged and wish you could just be wheel-barreled down to your car.

It’s similar with the rest of life. If you’re so busy staring at your goal in the distance, it’ll seem like you’ll never be able to get there. You’ll get distracted by how far you have to go, how other people are so much better than you, how you wish there could be some quick payoff.

Yes, of course I believe that there must be a finishing line. When we get tired and frustrated, we should look at our goals to remember why we’re doing what we’re doing. But the rest of the time, we should look at our feet. The individual steps that take us a little bit closer to success.

Keep climbing.

Photo via

Oh yes.

I know when it’s happening.

I start to feel withdrawn. I tune out the world around me. I’m easily annoyed. Jokes aren’t funny. Laughter seems foreign. I can’t concentrate. I question things that I’ve never questioned. I don’t make sense. I just want to curl up under a lump of blankets. And pout. And wait it out.

Then Aunt Flow comes and it’s almost like POOF! I’m back to my normal, cheery, silly, giggly self.

I’m pretty certain I have PMDD, also known as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, or extreme PMS, which affects about 5 to 10 percent of menstruating women. I’m pretty certain I’ve always had it. Even in high school, friends would say they could tell when I was PMSing, which I guess isn’t too weird, but really, the change in my mood is so marked that even I’m freaked out by myself. These mood swings last for maybe 5 to 12 days out of the month, which is a lot, but some of those days are way better than others. There are usually one or two completely awful days in there, days where I’m either crying for random reasons or I’m simply numb.

It’s kinda lame but I’ve been paying more attention to my symptoms because the wedding is around the time of the month when I usually experience them. Um, yeah, I kinda want to be happy on my wedding day.

I have brought it up with my doctor and he was quick to suggest SSRIs, medications with names like Prozac, Paxil CR and Zoloft. Which FREAK ME OUT. I am not totally against this but it’s gotta be a last, final, totally end-of-the-line resort. It just seems strange to me. Me? On Prozac? I’m crazy but am I crazy? Must I be medicated? I have all sorts of preconceived notions about antidepressants, I realize. But this is my thought process.

I’ve been reading a lot about alternatives. I exercise quite a bit, which hasn’t seemed to help a great deal. I’ve also been taking some vitamin and herbal remedies such as Vitamin B6 and chasteberry. I think that has helped. This month, I’m going to try upping my calcium intake. I went off birth control pills a while ago because I think they were making me even crazier.

I don’t know if anyone has experienced this post is me throwing it all out there. Has anyone experienced this? I’m pretty desperate for advice. Feel free to comment or email me at michelle at michellewoo dot com. Thanks.