meet piper...

Piper and Lulu's ashes :(The day Lulu died was one of the hardest days of my life (9/8/2014). Rolling over in my soft, comfy bed, only to find her cold, stiff, lifeless body next to me is a devasting moment I will never forget. All of a sudden she was gone. Losing a pet is cruel and unusual punishment no matter how it happens. I've been on both sides (putting a dog down and sudden loss) and I can honestly say they both suck, but in this moment this sucked WAY more. 

After a couple days locked in my apartment crying uncontrollably, my tears finally subsided long enough for me to have the irrational, unstable idea to go to the dog park. WTF was I thinking. I think I was definitely drunk, and to a drunk person, this idea makes perfect sense. I poured myself another very tall, stiff martini and made my way to the park. No dog, just a large cocktail. I seriously needed an intervention. At least I wasn't dragging an empty leash behind me. I sat alone on the park bench sobbing for at least an hour as I watched the dogs play. Somehow our regular friends weren't there (thank God), so at least I didn't have to talk to anyone. Btw: despite what people may say, drinking does help. 

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my chapter as a print model! dick's sporting goods!

Camping alone with your dog for the better part of a year in a teardrop camper will definitely change a person. I've always been a risk taker and the glass is always full in my world, but that kind of experience changes your soul. Nothing is remotely out of reach. 

Which takes me to my next adventure –– which is less of an adventure and more of an experience. One day I was flipping through an Athleta catalog and thought to myself, "self: I can do that" (print modeling that is). I'm not a fan of posing for pics (I much prefer goofy selfies and headstands), but still figured it was worth a shot. Why not? Seriously. I have absolutely nothing in the world to lose and at least I can know I gave it a shot. YOLO! 

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and then there was outrigging... dana outrigger racing team

What is outrigging you ask? Don't worry, I wondered the same thing... 

I've reinvented myself so many times at this point I'm losing count! Let's see... after leaving my NYC life behind in 2010, I camped across the country for a year with my dog in a teardrop camper, got certified as a yoga instructor in Pacific Palisades, California, opened a yoga studio in Laguna Beach, got signed by a fitness & sport modeling agency in LA at the ripe young age of 40 (my WTF yay me moment), and then I joined an outrigger racing team! Life is meant to be lived. Don't die before you're dead! ;-)

BECOMING AN OUTRIGGER PADDLER! (2013– 2015)

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girlreinvented & little guy worldwide!

I spent the better part of a year living "in" a tear drop camper, now here I am with my picture "on" a tear drop camper! Life comes full circle! 

 

the wave, coyote buttes north | paria canyon, ut

THE WAVE | COYOTE BUTTES NORTH

While traveling the country in May of 2011, I stumbled upon one of the most beautiful, and most protected pieces of land in America: THE WAVE, located in the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, on the Colorado Plateau.

Protected under the Bureau of Land Management, only 20 people per day are allowed to hike The Wave. Each day, 10 permits are issued in the local Paria Ranger Station, while another 10 are awarded through an online lottery. During peak months, well over 100 dreamers from all over the world pack the ranger station hoping to win the hike of a lifetime.*The daily lottery now takes place in St. George UT instead of Paria.

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yoga chateau! my new yoga studio in laguna leach!

YOGA CHATEAU | LAGUNA BEACH

Living life to the fullest and persuing your dreams takes risk. Risk is monumentally scary, but it's worth every bead of sweat. Just like that, in a blink, yesterday is gone and you can't get it back. I've learned it takes conscious effort to slow down and make changes. It's so easy to get caught up in the minutia of life. 

I found this incredible space to rent in Laguna Beach. Absolutely perfect for a boutique yoga studio. While it might be "perfect", actually pulling the trigger was a totally different story. Could I actually do this? I've never even taught a class before and now I'm gong to open a studio? My thought was why not. I just got certified as an instructor and sure I could "sub" here and there at

various yoga studios but that's not the way I roll. I would rather jump in head first and run my own shop and learn on the fly. My 'Grand Opening' was July 13, 2012!

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"how i met your mother"

I thought I'd share a ridiculously funny picture of me in an episode of "How I Met Your Mother"! In this episode I was the "drunk crier" on the "drunk train". The "drunk train" is the last train out of Grand Central Station in NYC. Party goers throughout Manhattan clamor to make the last train home before being stranded drunk on the streets of New York City. While I've never been on this particular train (heading back to Long Island), I have experienced the " Drunk Train" a few times before on MetroNorth from Grand Central back to CT. 

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yoga reinvented!

Yoga has become such an integral part of my new life, that I've decided to enroll in the YogaWorks teacher training program! If only I could get Lulu to do one of these poses!! lol 

hiking sleeping bear sand dunes ~ northern michigan

Came across this video I never uploaded last year!! So goofy, but I thought I'd share. :)

camping in malibu, california!