So Nice I Bought It Twice: Why I Love the prAna Kaley Top

It's no secret that I love prAna. They're clothing sizing is consistent, made with excellent fabrics and construction that lasts, and I like their community action and responsibility. This is the type of clothing that is a worthwhile investment. As a yoga student and instructor (graduating this weekend YAY!) I spend a lot of time in my yoga clothing; it's really what fits my lifestyle. However, some yoga clothing can be a little too revealing or form fitting for my taste. I either throw a skirt on top or a jacket. Not so with the Kaley top.

I originally bought the Kaley Tunic Top in the Turquoise print. The colors are vibrant and I just smile when I put it on. As a girl with curves I love that the cupcakes feel supported, I never feel like I am going to pop out in inversions. I also love the empire waist, it flatters my figure without fitting so tight I feel like a sausage. The length is also excellent, on a short gal like me it really ends up giving a cute skirt affect. For taller women it would fit more at where the hip meets thigh. Either way, it is a truly flattering fit for any frame size and height.

Since I would wear the top every day if I could I treated myself to the top in an Orchid print as well. For those who are not into prints, the top is also available in traditional black. I highly recommend you try it out today!

Everything is a Work of Art: My Easy Canvas Prints Review

I am always looking for fun and personal ways to decorate. I have ordered custom posters and created collage art and love them both. So when I found out about Easy Canvas Prints I was eager to try them out.

While I debated sending in a pic from climbing or yoga I opted for my fancy new Cupcake Mafia logo, courtesy Paul-Baptiste Baca of Hirvimaki Design (if you're looking for a designer, he's your guy).  I chose the logo because I thought it would be a nice piece to have in my office and because it is color heavy. There are a lot of fine lines and intense colors and lots of black, so if it turned out looking good I knew other pictures would too.

It was a great success! Here is the pic of my 8" x 10" Canvas. It is crisp (though the glare in the pic may not reflect that) and mounted professionally ready to hang. I will definitely be ordering again in the future.

The canvases come anywhere from 8" x 10" to 30" x 40". You can customize the depth of the wood frame the canvas is mounted on and the color or style in which the canvas wraps. In addition, Easy Canvas offers Black & White or Sepia options as well as minor and major retouching.

A custom canvas would be a great way to commemorate a race day victory or epic climbing trip. It would also make a great gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day or the Graduate in your life. If you order soon you can enjoy 20% off all orders and free shipping and a free 8" x 10" canvas with all orders over $60. Check them out soon!

If you're in the market for a designer, shoot Paul-Baptiste an email at designer@hirvimaki.com. His work ranges from classic to edgy and he'd love to hear from you.

More Than This aka My Unconventional Yoga Playlist

Whew! Last week's post was an emotional one for me. In times of deep emotion I am on the mat a lot. I think that is true for many who practice yoga. After a few days of this, I was over the yoga playlists I was using. Not that there isn't a time and place for traditional yoga music, of course there is. However, I needed something different. I needed to not get caught up in my head and to just breathe and be comforted by familiar music, music I could sing along with if I chose.

So this is what I came up with, it's mostly alternative ballads from the 80s but a few more modern pieces thrown in too. If you don't practice yoga you may still enjoy this as background music for your work day or music to just relax with.

You Have a Voice, Please Use It

I normally don't write about heavy topics. I try to stay focused on the brighter side of life in my writing. Yet the world is both light and dark and lately I have been experiencing a profound sense of sorrow. Specifically I am saddened and angered by the amount of animal abuse in this world but to be micro-specific it wrecks me to think of how many people know about an animal being neglected or abused and do nothing about it.

First the story of a Pitbull. The young dog was living with a woman who was supposed to take care of him. She tied him outside her apartment and didn't feed him. She said he bit her too much (He was a puppy, chances are he was teething and playing). So basically she allegedly starved him. Then she allegedly threw him down a garbage chute wrapped in a plastic bag. He was found by one brave amazing maintenance worker. Rather than assume it was a rat he opened the moving bag and made a call. The call saved this poor dog's life, he was hours way from death (image may be disturbing).On the night before St. Patrick's day he was taken to the Garden State Veterinary Specialists and after surviving the night despite the odds, he was named Patrick.  

This is Patrick now thanks to a lot of medical attention and love. 

This is an amazing story of a dog's will to live and a man who did the right thing. However, Patrick didn't have to go through this. He was tied in the stairwell of an apartment building. Many people, including a security guard, had to pass him and ignore him. Ignoring the fact that he was emaciating and dying before their eyes. 

Through a Facebook Page called The Patrick Miracle many have banded together to share stories of animals that need homes and also of other stories similar to Patrick's. In many cases the animals have died before they could get help. In many of the cases it seems authorities were given information by an informant, but just a little too late. 

So this is what I ask of you. If you see something speak up at that time. Don't sit on it and hope it will get better. Use your voice for animals that can not.You can always call your local police department if you suspect an animal is being abused or neglected. If that is a little too brazen for you alert an animal protection organization. Don't know where to find them? Look here: the World Animal Directory. They have listings of over 17,000 animal protection agencies in 170 countries. 

Please, please, please, don't be afraid to use your voice.