I first met Renee Blodgett during IdeaFestival 2011 (IF11) in Louisville, KY. Of We Blog The World, Renee was in town for a few days, and went into overdrive - covering IF11 and visiting as many restaurants, galleries, and areas of town as she could get too. Her energy - to the say the least - was enviable. 

Fast forward to IdeaFestival 2012 (IF12), and she returned to Louisville ready to take on another event-packed four days, including; IdeaFestival, Original Makers Club Dark Woods Affair, Speed Museum's 100/100 Lights Off/Future On, and more.  

We Blog The World is a culmination of travel, food, and event coverage from all over the globe. A smorgasbord of contributions that can help readers navigate and explore their way through a variety of cities and cultures. As Renee explained during IF12, We Blog the World was recently re-launched to better meet the increasing demand for online content and to better showcase it's seemingly endless offerings.

With its fantastic makeover complete, I look forward to seeing all that We Blog the World and Renee Blodgett will offer in 2013!  

To get everyone ready for the holidays, the trainers at Proformance Fitness created a 12 Days of Christmas Workout - which takes over an hour and does a great job targeting all muscle groups. The 12 Days Ed. 2 below is a slightly altered version (muscle ups instead of sled push, and adding side-planks), and is the workout from this morning from which the video was taken. Thankfully my wrist has gotten stronger, allowing me to incorporate more muscle ups into my workout routines. The wrist-support gloves are also very helpful! 

Most years, Halloween involves weeks of parties, and 4-5 costumes. However, this year two great parties in Louisville were on the same evening - Boo La La for the Olmsted Parks Conservancy and The Spirit Ball for the Conrad-Caldwell House. 

Growing up I always had a particular interest in greek mythology - so when the opportunity presents itself to get dressed up as a Greek God, I take it seriously. 

So far, I've been Poseidon, God of the Sea; Apollo, God of the Sun; and this year went as Hephaestus, God of Fire and Metal. Each costume has incorporated gold/silver/bronze leafing, which I apply with an Elmer's Glue stick (a trick I learned from the amazing Shawn Beirne of Joseph's Salon and Gifthorse). I also use hairspray (usually gold sparkle, and this year incorporated red), to add detail. 

- Photo taken at The Spirit Ball; NFocus Louisville Magazine

- Photo taken at The Spirit Ball; NFocus Louisville Magazine

Every October when the leaves start to fall and frost begins to creep into our lives, we can make two choices. Complain about the cold, wishing for the dreadful heat that was our 110' summer, or welcome it by unpacking gloves, scarves, sweaters... and furs. 

Yes, fur can be controversial  Many people do not endorse wearing it, some people only wear vintage fur, some people wear faux fur (of which there are some amazing choices), and some people love fur in whatever form it comes. 

For those who do not wear real fur, but love a good faux, I would suggest IMPOSTER, a brand that creates realistic faux fur hats, vests, costs, ear muffs, etc. Both Blink Boutique and Clodhoppers on Lexington Road have a great selection of faux and real to choose from! 

Vintage Shops including Nitty Gritty are great places to find vintage furs, while Yudofsky in Holiday Manor offers the real deal. 

Here are some of the real and faux furs you'll see myself & friends sporting this fall/winter season ... sharing furs within a close group of a friends who you can trust to take care of them is a great way to expand your fur options. 

Tonya in red and silver Fox fur from Yudofsky courtesy of Cindy H., paired with black L/S shirt and leggings, beige lace shorts, and black Christian Siriano pumps with gold detail. JMil in black fox collar courtesy of friend Hanna B., paired with Alexander Wang Charcoal sports coat with leather detail, black leather/cotton leggings, and Clarks black suede boots. Photo at MBFW New York 2/12. 

  JMil in vintage red fox collar from Nitty Gritty, paired with navy XCVI Wearables military blazer with bronze detail. Photo at MBFW New York 2/12.

JMil in muli-colored fox fur collar from Rodes for Him and for Her, courtesy of Hanna B. paired with deep purple Ralph Lauren crested blazer. Outfit for Bourbon Bash 2012. 

2nd from left: JMil in black faux fur IMPOSTER vest and Cynthia Vincent black snake skin print suede bag from Blink Boutique. Photo courtesy of Hellen Dozier at St. James Court Art Show 2012. 

I have worked out at Proformance Fitness - located on River Rd. in Louisville, KY for the past year, including 1 month of boot camp (if you haven't tried it, your missing out). The training has been a mix of Crossfit workouts, lots of cardio, and working on strengthening my wrist following surgery. My goal is to compete in a marathon in 2013, and continue on to a Triathlon. 

- 2012 Rugged Maniac South Indiana - Photo by Sports in Motion. I finished 52/2400 

Because I don't workout with a personal trainer, it becomes rather difficult to plan workouts that challenge diverse areas of my body while keeping me motivated. So, I went looking for a Crossfit app that would list various workouts, so I can keep things interesting while continuing to improve my physical strength and agility. 

myWOD (Workout of the Day) - an App I found for the iPhone (only costs $2), lists hundreds of workouts, and keeps track of the day you completed the workout and in what time. 

Today my workout consisted of:

- 12.5 minute Cycle

- WOD "Angie" - 100/e: Pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, squats (I did 10 sets of 10).