fresh picked whimsy

It's the last day of school...yahoo!

This guy finally showed up in our neighborhood this week.  A sure sign that summer is on the way! 

 
So, not only do we go back to school ridiculously early every August {this year August 9th!}, but we are out ridiculously early, too.  Today Griffin officially becomes a 5th grader {our last year in elementary school EVER}, Riley becomes a sophomore and {eek!} Katelyn becomes a SENIOR!  What?  When did that happen?

It's so not cool to give your teacher an end of the year gift when you are in high school.  Thank God, because combined they have 16 teachers!  But, it is customary to say good-bye to your elementary teacher with a small token.  This year i got Griffin's classroom teacher, math teacher and bus driver {who happens to be the world's greatest bus driver} each a starbucks card.  I made these little cardboard coffee mugs to hold them. 

 
Super easy craft...I used chipboard, but u can cut up an old cereal box, shirt box or any stiff cardboard to make them.  You will need to draw a coffee mug template.  You can even trace the silhouette of your fave coffee mug onto the cardboard.  Cut it out using scissors and an exacto knife for the inside of the handle. Then trace the same shape onto a pretty piece of scrapbook paper.  allow for the opening of the mug and cut the paper accordingly and glue it with a glue stick on to the surface of the cardboard.  I added an extra paper heart on the side, too.  Use your exacto knife to cut a slit wide enough for your gift card at the opening of the mug.  Write your message on the front.  Easy peasy.  You can do it!

My sister Susan came over last night to shop in my studio for her teacher gifts, but saw what i was making and asked me to make some for her, too.  I said i would if she "modeled" them for me.

 
This one was a keeper...

 
{picture blurry due to me laughing.  We get a little punchy when we're together}

I am so ready for no homework, sleeping in, late movie nights, lightning bugs, night swimming, the disappearance of backpacks and losing track of what day of the week it is.  We're making our family summer fun list today!  You know, all the fun things that you want to do before school starts again.  The highlight of our list will be a trip to the beach in a few weeks.  What's on your list?  We'll share ours in a few days.  Last day of school...oh happy day!

the upcoming racy weekend...

 
 
{new racing art!}

Indianapolis is THE place to be in the month of May.  It's the home of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing...

 
Every May our city is swathed in checkered flags.  This year is the 100th anniversary of the 500.  Lots of people take time off of work to spend a day or two out at the track watching the practices and time trials.  A few weeks ago i went with Griffin's class on a field trip to the Speedway.  I've been there many times, but it's always a fun place to visit.  We toured all of the historical, iconic spots like gasoline alley...

 
the pagoda...

 
we learned about what each race flag means and how to wave them...

 

and the Hall of Fame museum where the Borg Warner trophy is on display...

 
and finally, the yard of bricks, which for you non-racing fans (gasp!) is the start/finish line made of the original bricks that once paved the entire speedway track.  Every race winner has his picture taken the day after the race, kissing the bricks.  It's tradition.  So...

 
 
This year there are four women in the race!  FOUR! 

 
 We don't have tickets this year and in Indy, the race is NOT televised {BOO!}, so we will be doing yard work and listening to it on the radio.  I'll be rooting for the ladies.  My very favorite part is when Jim Nabors sings "Back Home Again in Indiana".  It chokes me up.  It's a beloved Indiana tradition...and yes, it must be sung by Jim Nabors...

 

Here's hoping for a rain-free, exciting, and safe race!

Livin' large in da hood

Have i mentioned that i have the BEST neighbors in the whole wide world. Yeah, i'm pretty sure i have. We have a pact that NOBODY is allowed to move...ever. Our neighborhood is lovely, but it's really our tight little corner of the hood that we adore. These folks are an extension of our family and we feel so blessed to have them. I told you about our autumn bonfires here...

 
and our girls only IKEA trips here, here and here...

 
the annual rockin' pool party we host here...

 

 
and impromptu pitch-ins, too.

 

{our neighbor, Casey likes to get us drunk tend bar, and usually manages to leave me one of these lovely pics of himself on my camera when i'm not looking. }

 
Last Christmas, we celebrated our first annual progressive house tours. We went from house to house and sampled different wines while we toured each other's houses which were all decked out for Christmas.

 
 These people are SO MUCH FUN.

 
 Our newest neighbors couldn't make it over because the baby was sick, so we swung by, singing caroles and delivered some goodies.

 
On Friday, we started a new summer tradition...Friday afternoon margarita happy hour(s)! Pick a driveway, pull up a chair, bring a cocktail and enjoy some light bites while the kiddos play and the hubbys come home!

 

I know, you want to live in my neighborhood now. It can be arranged...there is a house for sale in our little corner of the hood.  In the words of Mr. Rogers...won't you be my neighbor? :-)

Hip hip

 
Friday, you rock!

The sun is shining, my ipod is singing and i'm spending the day cleaning my house from top to bottom.  Don't you love a clean house for the weekend?!  It makes me so happy to wake up on a Saturday morning to a clean house.  Not, that i will be lounging on the couch eating bon bons all weekend. Noooooo. We've got 4 soccer games, church, a trip to the vet for that guy hiding behind my coffee cup up there, a lawn to mow, weeds to pull, gutters to clean out, flowers to plant and a pool to open!  I'm exhausted already! 

Hope the sun is shining where you are today, friends!

motivate me!

 
{image found here}

I can honestly say that in all my life, i have never been so determined to accomplish something like i am now.  That doesn't mean that i don't have difficult days and moments of weakness.  My ultimate motivation is simply living a nice, long life with my husband and children.  But to be completely honest, i can't wait to have more energy, to ditch my plus size clothes and shop in any store i want, and to live in a beautiful fit body.  These are the things that i think about to help me through the weak moments. 

In a few short weeks, Mark and I will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary.  So, currently my summer focus for motivation is the knowledge that in the fall, we will be going on a second honeymoon here:

 
That, my friends, is the tropical islands of Turks & Caicos.  And, i am not taking this body with me.  Oh no, no.  I plan on packing very lightly and i don't mean my suitcase!!!  Now, that's "thinspiration"!

As part of an assignment from the book that my group is reading, one of the things it tells you to do is find pictures of people (can be celebrity or non-celeb) that you find to be healthy and fit and then visualize yourself in their body.  Amy, one of my friends in the group, who is a photoshop wiz, asked us to each send her our "celeb" inspiration, along with a head shot of ourselves.  Oh my gosh, how fun is this?...

 
isn't that a hoot!!!!???  hahahaha!  I laughed so hard when she sent that to me and then i made copies of it and keep one in my food journal and one near my computer.  You are welcome for the giggle.  heeelarious, but yet, totally motivating!!!  So, who's your celeb wish look-alike?  You know you have one...and right now you're trying to think who knows photoshop well enough to do this for you?!?! :-)

So, what lights your fire?  What is it that can help you push the candy bowl aside or to say no to dessert or get you up off the couch to walk around the block?  Find that motivation and no matter how silly it seems, use it!!! 

Lettuce eat smarter!

 

Ugh!  How to undo the bad eating habits of my life?!  Where do i begin?  As you may know from past posts on this blog...i grew up in a loving, Italian family.  In our house, growing up, food was comfort, love and reward.  Holiday, birthday, celebration or funeral...it was all about the food.  The four main food groups were bread, pasta, butter and sweets.  My mom is and my grandmothers were amazing cooks.  Portion control and moderation were never figured into it.  We loved food (still do) and it was a major part of our family gatherings.  Now, i'm not blaming my family for my battle of the bulge.  I definitely got myself into this.  I'm just saying that i didn't get here overnight and i am educating myself to learn how to balance my love for food and a smarter way to eat it. 

My plan is not a radical one.  It's simply common sense.  It's smart choices and self control.  It's not about deprivation.  Here is the foundation of my everyday plan for healthy eating...

Eat only when you actually feel hungry.  This was eye opening for me.  I used to eat because there was food in front of me, or because it was just time to eat.  This is something that babies and toddlers have mastered and sadly, we break them of this divine instinct.  We say, "it's time for dinner, you must eat."  They say "but, i'm not hungry" and we make them eat anyway.  Eventually, we un-learn how to listen to our bodies for that innate signal that we should nourish our bodies.  So, now, it's time to re-learn that instinct.  Listen to your body.  It doesn't take long before you will feel those hunger pangs and know it's time to eat.

Portion control.  Your fist is the size that your stomach is supposed to be.  Eat any amount of food beyond that at any one time, and the excess will stick with you...literally.  I'm not going to lie...in the beginning, i was still hungry after a meal.  But, that changed very quickly.  And you will see, that if you would just allow your food to digest for 20 minutes after eating your fist-size meal, you will find yourself quite satisfied.

Whoa...slow down!  Don't even think about taking another bite while you're still chewing on the last one!  I know you've done that...mindlessly...we all have.  But, smaller portions mean appreciating every single bite. 

Eat a small healthy snack between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner.   This keeps your metabolism working constantly through the day and prevents you from overeating during your main meals.  My typical between meal snacks are some kind of fruit, cheese stick, almonds, or hummus and carrot sticks. 

  
Satisfy your sweet tooth or it will bite you.  I know that after i have a savory/salty meal, i have to have a small little morsel of sweet or it will drive me crazy, or worse, drive me to indulge in something that i will regret.  I told you my plan is not about deprivation.  My go-to sweet tooth saver is the Brookside dark chocolate acai with blueberry from Costco.  OMG!!!!  These little bites feel like you're being so bad, but they're actually a smart choice.  3-5 of these little guys after lunch and dinner is all i need to feel satisfied.  Dark chocolate is good for you and these are loaded with antioxidents, too.  YUM!!!

 
 
 Eat more fresh and less processed.  You've heard it before, shop only the foods around the perimeter of your grocery store to eat well.  It's the boxed, processed foods that sabotage your new, healthy way of eating.  It's true.  Start small, by making sure that you are eating at least one fresh food item (fruit, veggies, protein, dairy) at each meal.  Then, slowly replace your processed foods with more fresh. 

 
It's okay to partake in an occasional dessert.  Just don't over-do it!  The family is going out for ice cream?  Order a kiddie size.  Family birthday party?  Ask for a sliver of cake or simply take a few bites and throw your plate away!  Dont' let it sit in front of you, taunting you.  Split a dessert with someone or opt for fruit instead.  You still get the sweet, without the guilt!  My personal rule is a small dessert only one time per week.  It's not a daily choice for me and it is never a reward.  My reward is seeing that number going down on the scale and my clothes not fitting anymore! 

Keep a journal of your daily choices.  Sometimes it's surprising to see how much you are actually eating in a day.  A friend recently introduced me to www.myfitnesspal.com . It's a FREE website that allows you to keep track of your food choices and exercise everyday.  It tracks your calories, fats, proteins and carbs for you.  This has been a great tool for me and helps to keep me on track.  There's even an app for that!

Let everyone in on your "journey".  Wow, the best thing i did was announce on my blog that i was doing this.  The support is amazing!  People want to help me succeed.  And, i feel less desire to "cheat" because i know others are following my progress.  Tell your family, your friends and co-workers.  They will support you and celebrate with you as you succeed. 

I'm certainly not perfect in this.  I'm doing the very best i can.  I'm learning this new "in moderation" lifestyle as i go along.  I just know that in this short amount of time, i'm seeing results and LOVING it! 

here's the skinny...

 

Step 2 - Get active!  Once you committ to get fit, you have to committ to get active.  I don't belong to a gym and don't have a personal trainer.  I don't have any fancy equipment at home, either.  In the past, this would have been an excuse not to exercise.  But, not anymore.  I've never been athletic, so where was i going to begin?  I decided it would all start with walking.  Totally basic, no skill, equipment or coordination required.  Sweet!  One and a half months later, here's what i recommend:

 

• Invest in a really good pair of walking shoes.  At first i couldn't go even 1/4 of the distance that i'm going now without serious pain in my shins and feet.  In fact, i think i even had a bit of plantars fasciitis.  So, i figured if i'm going to be really serious about this, i needed to go get some really good shoes.  I went to an actual running store and got properly fitted by professionals who watched me walk, measured my feet and took the time to make sure the shoes i purchased were going to really work well for me.  They were a lot more pricey than any other shoe i've purchased, but in the long run, they've been worth every penny.  No more foot pain...no more shin pain.  i ♥ them.  Now, I usually go for a 2-3 mile walk every evening with Mark and the kids.  Sometimes, i will walk earlier in the day, too.

 

• Get a pedometer.  I bought mine at Target for $10.  Quite simply, it keeps track of my miles and steps per day.  Experts say everyone should aim for 10,000 steps per day.  I try to challenge myself to hit 15,000 per day.  It's a little game i play with myself.  I put it on my waistband first thing in the morning when i get out of bed and don't take it off until i get back into bed at night.  When i hit my target, it's a huge sense of accomplishment. 

 
{via Pinterest here}

• The internet is a huge source of fitness information. So many free videos, instructions and knowledge!  I know what areas of my body i want to work on most.  So, all i have to do is google "easy inner thigh workouts" or "how to get killer abs" and i find tons of videos, tutorials, etc... that i can use to create my own personal workout!
• My cable provider offers an Exercise on Demand channel.  Check with yours, you might be surprised.  I've been able to try zumba, yoga, and kickboxing on this channel.  Very cool and very thankful that i can embarass myself in the comfort and privacy of my own family room!!! Ha Ha!  Denise Austin is my favorite instructor...she's so encouraging and upbeat...

 

• Mix it up.  Now that the weather is nice, I try to start my every day with a bike ride to my church for morning Mass.  {having a purpose for my bike ride, helps motivate me to actually do it!} When i get home i like to do some crunches and then work on target areas of my body.  I like to switch up what i do so i don't get bored.  When i find a good exercise, i will teach mark and the kids how to do it at night after our walk.  Nobody wants to keep doing the same stuff over and over again.  Boring!  I have found some great exercise ideas on pinterest.  Like this one for upper arms using water bottles for weights. It's one of my favorites: 
• You're losing inches, not just pounds.  Not only should you be weighing in (how often is up to you), but also measure yourself!  Sometimes you can hit a plateau on the scale, but still you are sculpting your body.  Losing inches can be even more exciting than pounds!  I actually took "before" pictures of myself.  Some day, i want to be able to see how far i've come!

 
The most important thing is to just get out there and get moving!  We can do this!  If you've got any great exercise/work out tips that you want to share, i'd love to hear them! 

Keep up the great work!

How I'm doing it...

Wow!  Wow!  Wow! 

I have received so many messages, comments and calls from people i know and don't know from around the world!  Yes...my struggle is a universal struggle.  I am not alone in this and you are not alone in this.  Thank you so much, for reaching out to me and telling me your stories and giving me your support and love.  Right back atcha!  I had lots of people offering to go to weight watchers with me, OA, and other programs.  Lots of offers for workout buddies, too.  Several of you want to do this with me.  I am all for it.  That would be AWESOME!  You guys ROCK.  Seriously...you're the best!  You can do this, too.  I know you can!  We can do it together!

I began this journey about a month and a half ago.  That's when i made the decision to do this.  I can't explain, really, why now or why this time is different than past attempts, except to say that i feel like it's something bigger than me.  It's a God thing.  and it's all about choices for me.  I have chosen not to join any particular club, plan, or weight loss program; rather i am designing my own system that works for me.  That said, i'm definitely taking the best of what i have learned over the years and have been devouring all kind of fitness/health information for the past few weeks.  Sprinkle into that, prayer and a deep faith that God will see me through this, it seems to be working.  I had hit a plateau at 8 pounds lost for about 3 weeks.  Then, yesterday, when i got on the scale, i had lost another pound.  Victory!  Today, miraculously, i am down yet another pound and a half!!!!  That's 10.5 pounds lost!  It is working!!!

 
So, I'm calling this my HAPPY FOR LIFE plan. I call it this because it's my one big regret in life...allowing myself to get to this weight and to lose control of my health.  Tomorrow i will be going to the funeral of a friend who lost his battle to lung cancer at the age of 44.  He leaves behind a loving wife and 3 young children.  Once he was diagnosed with cancer, he no longer had control over the health of his body.  He fought so hard and valiantly to battle the disease.  Here i have been abusing this body that God blessed me with, by not taking care of it.  How selfish and ungrateful of me.  I will not take this gift He has given me for granted anymore.

Remember, this is not a diet.  This is a new way of life.  It's about getting healthy and fit and taking care of this one body that God has given you.  Each day this week, i will explain a little bit more about how I'm doing it. This is an ongoing process for me...constantly finding what works for me and what doesn't.  If you are wanting to follow along, just use this as a stepping off point and don't be afraid to mix it up and taylor it to fit your needs.  The first step is just making up your mind to do it.  Don't beat yourself up for past failures, for letting yourself go.  Just look forward and make today the day that your whole life changes for the BETTER.  The day you stop making excuses and the day you take control of your health forever.  Love yourself enough to make yourself a priority.  You can do it!

 

{via pinterest here} 

Step 1:  Find a buddy or two - i have 3 friends who are doing this with me, and my husband, Mark.  My friends and i try to meet once a week, at someone's house, to talk about our week, our struggles and our motivation.  Our little group chose a book, that we have found to be inspirational, spiritually on this journey. I bought a copy, but we also found it at our local library on CDs.  We each took turns uploading it to our ipods.  I read it, and Mark listened to it during his commute to and from work. 

 

It is about weight loss, but it is not a food/eating plan {we'll talk more about that on Wednesday}.  Remember that i had said that i felt like my faith was a missing puzzle piece from all the past diets i had been on and failed.  Well, this book speaks a lot about how to tie your faith into your food choices, your mind games, your drive to get healthy and your self worth. 

 
{via pinterest here}

It is a Christian based book, but not any one particular church.  There are "assignments" for every chapter, which mostly require self-reflection and journaling.  To be totally honest, there are a couple of assignments that are a little "out there", but you have to decide what is best for you. 

  It's loaded with some pretty amazing prayers and inspiration.  A Course in Weight Loss is the book we are working on now, but i have also heard wonderful things, from a few people, about this one:

 
and Oprah's favorite, too:

 
I hope to read them both this summer.

We also journal what we eat every day and email it to each other each night.  We call it "THE DAILY DISH".  We promise to be completely honest and divulge our "slip ups", too.  We include one reflection for the day, with our food journal.  This may be a prayer, scripture, mantra or motivation that helped us get through that particular day.  I am more concious about my food choices when i know that i am not just holding myself accountable, but that they are going to see my choices, too.  It's genius (thank you, Anne!).

As we only have 2 weeks until our kids get out of school for the summer, we know that meeting once a week will be more challenging, and therefore we will lean more heavily on THE DAILY DISH to keep each other on track.  You gotta be flexible and learn to go with the flow.

Speaking of being flexible (hee hee), tomorrow i will tell you all about how i'm getting active without a gym membership or any fancy equipment at home. 

 

Putting it out there

 
{found here}

i have hesitated. 

do i really want to tell the world? 

{Because you know, the world reads my blog! Ha!} 

If i put it on my blog, then i really can't back out. 

Ok, yes, i will say it out loud and then you guys have to hold me accountable. 

Here goes...

I am tired of being tired.  I want out from under this fat suit.  I am changing my life.  I am never looking back.  I want to be healthy and fit. 

For reals.

What did you think i was going to say?  :-)  sheesh!

So here's the skinny {pun definitely intended}.  I'm not going to hold anything back.  Maybe you can identify with what i'm going to share.  Maybe not.  But, i feel like putting this out there, is part of my healing.  Because let's get completely real here...it's not just about what you put in your stomach.  It's about what's in your head, your heart and your soul. 

 
{via pinterest}

I have been on a rollercoaster of diets and weight loss my whole entire life.  I have never been skinny.  Never.  That word has never been associated with me.  You name the diet, i have been on it.  I have joined gyms, i have bought videos, i have followed plans.  I have lost as much as 50 pounds {on weight watchers} after i had Katie.  Then i had Riley and put it all back on. 

 
{roller coaster highway, Tulsa, Oklahoma via pinterest}

I am 41 years old.  But, i feel much older.  I am too young to feel this old.  I'm done making excuses and wasting my youth in this body.  I have a blessed life.  I am surrounded by the most wonderful husband, children, family and friends anyone could ask for.  I was given this incredible talent and am blessed to be able to share it with the world (and work from home, to boot!)  I have everything a girl could ask for with one elusive exception...my weight. 

So, how is it going to be different this time?  I will tell you.  I have always tried to mend the way i eat along with getting active.  Which is great, really.  But, i have found that those are only two pieces of a larger puzzle.  And for me, that puzzle includes the way i think and my faith. 

 
{underground water tunnel coaster in Yokohama, Japan. Photo via google images}

So...I am going to take you on this journey with me.  It will not be for a set amount of time, because this journey is going to be ongoing for the rest of my life.  This is not about getting skinny, it's about taking charge of my health.  Oh, this blog is still all about my art, my family, my crafting and my crazy life.  But, this is now a huge part of life for me and I would not be honest with you if i didn't say that it terrifies me that i might fail....AGAIN.  However, something in my heart...something big...tells me that i'm not going to fail this time.  So, there, i told you.  

 
{found here}

And, if you've ever ridden that weight loss roller coaster before (or if you are riding it now), just know that i'm in that seat right next to you. 

Hang on...it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Mommy Day

i hope you had a wonderful mother's day.  i sure did.  It came 2 days early when i got my copy of Matthew Mead's Summer magazine in the mail.  It is just so beautiful.  You can still order yours here.  It's not available in stores!

 
My actual Mom's Day started with breakfast in bed, surrounded by all 3 of my babies, 2 doggies and my baby daddy.  They continued our little tradition of getting kolaches from The Kolache Factory.  Never had a kolache?  You're missing out!

 
They are like the lightest, fluffiest dinner rolls filled with your favorite dish.  My favorite is the egg and cheese.  But, they seriously come in every flavor and food combo.  Yum!

 
A little birdie had told Mark that i had this necklace from Beth Quinn Designs on my wish list.  So happy he speaks birdie.  I adore it and him, too!  Thanks, love!

 
Katie found this lovely ring for me at Charming Charlie and baked me lemon squares.  That girl totally knows me. 

 
My kids know i am crazy about homemade anything and they never fail to make me happy. 

 
We spent the majority of the day out at the soccer fields for back to back games watching our two goalies kickin' it...

 
 
Then we headed over the high school where our teenagers both had work hanging in the annual art show.  There are some seriously talented artists there.  Sad to think that the majority of them will not pursue art in college. 

 
 
 
so so proud of them!

You saw yesterday our basketball adventures at my parent's house and we cruised over to Mark's parent's, too so we could give Mark's mom her gift and a squeeze, too! 

 

So thankful for our Moms and to be able to celebrate this day with them, too.

 

{me, Mom, Susan and Kim at Wicked in December}

The best part of Mother's day was that the five of us were together ALL day and evening.  That doesn't happen as often as i would like anymore.  It gets more challenging as they get older.  Everyone begins to move in different directions, which is the natural progression of things, i suppose.  Mark and I are doing our very best to try to keep precious family time a priority.  We have big plans for a fun family summer!  Thank you to my sweet family for making my Mom's Day fun and for making me feel special and loved.  I love you all so much!