Tova’s Muchness Challenge – Day 15!! Some introspection on Muchness…

“Omg!!! Did u really chop ur hair ??? It’s sooo cute!!! Is that a wig?”
….this is a text message I received from someone I’m really close with after I posted my haircut pic on fb.
My reply: “If u tell me it looks like a wig I’ll kick ur ass. :)”
Her response: “No it doesn’t at all but its such a change didn’t think u had the guts (I know I wouldn’t)!!”
…and it got me thinking, “Did I have the guts?” I mean, clearly I did cut it, so I did find the guts, but two weeks ago, when, on a whim, I decided to start a headshot Muchness challenge, and I stood at that bus stop and took that first picture of my tired face, did I actually anticipate that two weeks later I’d have the balls to chop all my hair off?
Honestly- I thought I’d probably get a haircut. I needed a haircut. And I figured this challenge would give me some incentive. But I NEVER anticipated I’d have the guts to go this extreme, nor do I know exactly where the confidence to micromanage my haircut and (politely) refuse to leave until I was happy with the results, came from. I’m usually one to cross my fingers and leave crestfallen with a fake smile on my face.

What is it about The Muchness that helps people (not just me) build this confidence? I honestly don’t even know if that’s the right word for it— in fact, I know it’s not. Because Muchness is such a hard thing to describe, and confidence is a result of feeling in touch with your Muchness. But Muchness itself?  That’s  yours. It lives inside each of us and some of us, sometimes we just don’t even realize, we forfeit it. And other people have it ripped from them when their worlds are turned upside down and just standing upright becomes a challenge. And ya know, it’s especially hard to actively hold onto your Muchness when you don’t know the word for it. And there really is no other word for it. (Which makes my marketing materials a challenge to write, briefly.)  Muchness is that thing that sorta lives in your gut and makes you feel in touch with yourself. Makes you feel that the things about you that make you you are strengths, joys to be celebrated and shared with the world, not ‘damages’ that need to be filed down so you can fit your square self into some round hole.

Anyway, If you are thinking about taking the Challenge I SERIOUSLY want to encourage you to start. JUST START. Don’t intimidate yourself with some idea about the end result and how you are going to reach it. Just think about today. Think about what can make you smile today. Think about what feels like YOU. Is it reading, is it cooking? Is it simply looking at beautiful colors in nature and appreciating that they exist. Those small, tiny moments are the things that make you, you. They are the things that color your world and your perception of it. Just Pay Attention to them. Keep them in a theme so your creativity can go narrow and deep and you can stay actively in touch with the moments of your day and how you can chose to see them as Muchness Moments.

Still not sure? Contact me. I WANT to help you figure out how to start. I WANT to see you explore your Muchness and connect with your happy moments.  Because we all have them. We all deserve them. And we could all stand to be a bit muchier!!

Todays picture is me with my lipstick kissed hand. One of my ideas at the start of this was that I’d like to at least try to wear at least a little makeup more often. Three days ago I was thinking “I don’t know if that’s the way this challenge is gonna go… I’m just not feeling it.” Honestly, I just didn’t feel it was high enough on my priority list.

Then today I realized that since my haircut I’ve been wearing makeup without giving it much thought. I just feel more invigorated with life so I am naturally just doing things that reenforce that feeling. People are funny that way. Kinda like, it’s hard to start a boulder rolling but once it starts it’s sure gonna kick up some dust.

Here it is! My pic of the day!

Will The Nailpolish Muchness Last?

I have very high hopes for this Manicure…. all the hype about Shellac and how it stays on for 14 days… Yeah… I’ll let you know.

Funny though, because all the rave reviews were accompanied by the warning that there was a limited color selection, but when I got there there were some extra hot colors with a different label. I figured they were new releases in response to the stuff I’d read, but I’m not too bright, especially when looking at bright colors and fancy shiny stuff so I didn’t read the label. 3/4 of the way through the fanciest mani-pedi of my life, (Look at the Pedi station next to me… Muchness pillow and everything!) I looked at the polish label and saw it was, in fact, a different brand’s product. They used the Shellac brand base and top coat but the product was Gelac brand. She promised me it’s the same thing and I’ll get the long lasting wear out of it, but I am VERY skeptical. You know I will keep you updated!!

This color story in honor of Auntie Florence. Thanks for The Muchness!!!

Nailpolish Muchness!

Silly me, I cut my too long nails last night.

Today I am trying the Shellac Manicure!

http://www.cnd.com/Products/Color/shellac-hello.aspx

It is supposed to last forever and a day. Hmmmmmm…. my manicures, without fail, last till about 3 minutes before I leave the salon. And then they’re 90% gone within 24 hours. I’m a nail polish picker.

I’m taking an expensive lear of faith with this Shellac mani / pedi. I expect it to last me till the end of July. 30 DAYS!!!

I’m giving the shellac the 30 Day Challenge!!! I’ll let you know!

READER POLL: MUCH or TOO MUCH?

So, as I so clearly documented, Me wearing nailpolish is a complete disaster. I just pick, pick, pick until there is nothing there but a raggedy mess. But, I really do love to look down at my fingertips and see the shiny jolt of color. So I will try, try again.

This time around, I’ve purchased every polish protecting, sucker-worthy product out there:

Those have actually been sitting in my cabinet since right after the previously mentioned nail polish disaster.

Today at CVS I saw this yard of nail polish. I’d seen it there in the past but always thought the colors were kinda blah.

But then I realized it wasn’t the colors, it was the genius who determined what order the colors should be packed in. (Did I mention i am a packaging designer… so I like to think I know a thing or two about packaging….)

CVS would be selling this product a lot quicker if they were organized like this:

But no matter. Their loss is my gain since those polishes should have been sold out by now… But I digress…

And ya know, not being a “polish person” I havent looked at the polish section of a CVS since the invention of the Lee Press-on nail when I was in 7th grade. And there they were…. The tacky yet oh-so-cheerful NAIL MUCHNESS!!!

OOOOh, Me and Lil’ Miss Molly are gonna have a blast this weekend decking out our nails in all this faux glam gloriousness. And Elie, he’s gonna flip. He thinks putting pink polish on a three year olds toes is “a bit much”… I think it’s cute… and it’s the only way she’ll let me cut her toenails! Seriously. She’s wearing these shoes. OF COURSE she needs her nails done!!

Reader Poll:

What do you think: Pink (or purple, or rainbow’d or blinged up…) toenails on a three year old— MUCH or Too Much??