She Had A Thing For Butterflies

San Francisco

2009-09-02T10:01:00.001-06:00

Lady in Red

2009-08-09T17:03:00.001-06:00

Veiw from my hotel room.

2009-07-27T15:36:00.001-06:00

Aren't they beautiful?

2009-07-18T20:03:00.001-06:00

I just installed a new light. It's so much brighter. It's going to be great for game night.

2009-07-11T20:29:00.000-06:00

Game On II

2009-07-02T00:32:00.002-06:00

Game On, a local UT band. I was able to photograph them at a club here in Salt Lake City. I had a hard time deciding how I wanted the end photos to look, so I took two stabs at it. I live both styles, I just hope the band likes them.

Game On

2009-07-02T00:15:00.000-06:00

I looked out my window

2009-06-26T20:36:00.001-06:00

Lucily the branch missed the house.

2009-06-26T20:31:00.001-06:00

Don't ask

2009-06-24T14:31:00.000-06:00

Have you seen this girl?

2009-06-24T14:25:00.000-06:00

For Joshy

2009-06-23T23:55:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when I try to bake under the influence.

2009-06-23T23:39:00.000-06:00

I love these socks!

2009-06-23T23:24:00.000-06:00

BACK TO CALIFORNIA

2009-05-29T10:53:00.002-06:00

California here I come . . .June 17th to be exact. Why? Because that is where a surgeon lives and works who can fix my back once and for all with very little down time. Most back surgeries lay people out for months. With mine, I'll miss 3 days of work and that's it. Until then, I have to suffer with back and leg pain.

WEEK 4, 20 IN 20

2009-05-27T09:34:00.002-06:00

Week 4: .5 lbs

Well at least I am 4 lbs for 4 weeks. I had a week of weakness last week. The emotional stress of my hair falling out and having to cut most of it off. Not being able to go out of town for the long weekend. The peer pressure from friends. Honestly, .5 lbs is AMAZING when you consider what I put into my body. I just hope the weight doesn't go up for next week. I have to be on my best behavior this week.

WEEK 3 - 20 IN 20

2009-05-18T10:59:00.002-06:00

Week 3: 2 lbs

Activities:
Rode my bike to work two times last week for a total of about 5 miles.
Went to the gym for 55 mins did 15 on a stationary bike the rest on eclipse.
Did yard work for an hour.
Walked to church.

Fuel:
Typical day included 2-3 protein drinks, 2-3 larabars, apple, carrots, almonds, yogurt, grilled chicken, veggies.

Thoughts:
I need a gym buddy.

20 IN 20

2009-05-12T09:45:00.003-06:00

Honey Mommy gave me a reason to blog again. I'm glad she did. She wants to lose 20 lbs in 20 weeks and challenged her friends and family to join her. I believe in FAST "Family (or Friends) Always Succeed Together" It's given me the motivation to get back on track with getting healthy.

With that said, I rode my bike to work today. It's only a mile to my work, but the miles add up. One day I hope to join Honey Mommy on one of her bike races.

Week 1: 1.5 loss
Week 2: 0
18 more weeks to go . . . .

HI

2009-05-01T13:17:00.000-06:00

So I'll be taking a break from blogging. Catch me on Facebook though.
Thanks

ROOM FOR RENT

2009-04-23T18:38:00.003-06:00

So I decided I would rent out my spare room again. It has been about 16 months since my last roommate, it was nice having the place to myself, but nicer having enough money to pay for things like Internet. I decided I would actually paint the room and finally add much needed base boards. I've only lived here 4 years, I thought it was about time. I was able to paint the room and install the base boards mostly on my own. But my parents do deserve a thanks for coming over and helping. My mom helped my dad with his tools and measuring the base boards. My dad gave his input, advice, and cut the boards for me. The room is absolutely lovely, this photo doesn't do it justice.

SPRING CLEANING

2009-04-08T12:01:00.003-06:00

It is that time of year again. The time where we throw open the doors and windows and let the house air out as we clean frantically trying to erase all of winters grim and clutter. As I threw back one of my front window curtains I found quiet a surprise.

The outdoors were trying to come in! Ivy is a sly little plant, it managed to wriggle it's way up between the siding of my home and under the window. I had no idea because every time I was outside all I saw was the ivy behaving itself on the ground, there was no sings that it was climbing up! It gets worse! That dirt looking pile on the ledge of the window, not dirt! Hundreds of carcasses of bugs. YUCK!

NO CAVITIES!

2009-03-19T21:35:00.002-06:00

OK so I'm 33 years old, I shouldn't really be keeping track of these things at dentist appointments. However, this time it fell on Saint Patrick's Day and I got to put my name into a drawing using a shamrock! I thought it was too cute not to share. However, even though I have no cavities, the dentist is having me switch over my tooth paste. I have been using one of those natural ingredients brands. I love using natural products, but apparently it's just not cutting it. Just a word to the wise that maybe all natural isn't always the best route to go.

A HONEY OF A GIFT

2009-03-19T21:32:00.001-06:00

So for my birthday I had a co-worker make me a bouquet of origami flowers. I thought it was the coolest thing ever! He used honey sticks as the steams, since he knew I couldn't have cupcakes that my boss bought for me, he said he would give me something I could eat. Honey being a natural sugar that I am allowed to indulge in once in awhile.

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO 2009

2009-03-11T16:14:00.001-06:00

We had a lot of fun in Cabo, my sister, my mom, and I. These are just the scenic pictures. I have a story behind every photo you see, I wish I had time to share them all with you. Maybe over the next little while I select a few to expand on. Or tell me which you like and I'll tell you the story.
Enjoy!

6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 TAG

2009-03-11T11:01:00.002-06:00

Six names you go by
1) Cari
2) Carebear
3) Care
4) Cari Lynn
5) Queenie
6) Rachel

Five things you are wearing right now:
1) Grey slacks
2) green shirt
3) silver earrings
4) green necklace
5) black leather shoes

Four things you want very badly at the moment:
1) to lose 70lbs
2) pay off debt
3) take a nap
4) get flowers

Three things you did last night:
1) Showed off my Cabo pictures
2) Talked to a friend until 1 in the morning
3) Visited my mom and dad

Two things you ate today:
1) Protein shake
2) Flavored honey

One person you last talked to on the phone:
1) Jonathan

Two of your favorite beverages:
1) water
2) Miami Vice

Three books you have read that you would recommend
1) Neverwhere
2) Confessions of an Ugly stepsister
3) Stardust

Four of your favorite foods
1) Nachos
2) Yellow curry
3) Chipolte salad
4) Cherry chocolate chip ice cream

Five places you've been
1) Cabo, Mexico
2) Italy
3) Japan
4) British Columbia, Canada
5) West coast

Six things you are going to do tomorrow:
1) Wake up
2) Drive to the airport
3) Fly to Phoenix
4) Text people all day
5) Work
6) Take photographs

TAG:
Honey Mommy, Christie, Leesh, Carol, Jen

HAYDEN - FEB 2009

2009-02-27T15:46:00.001-07:00

FEBRUARY'S CHILD 2.0

2009-02-23T17:49:00.002-07:00

So Indie's cousin was born 3 weeks after her. This is Hayden. The first grandboy in the family, aka my first nephew.

GIRLS NIGHT OUT - POKER

2009-02-23T17:45:00.002-07:00

I had a great opportunity to attend a GNO of a friend of mine. They have poker night once a month where the stakes are candy. A lot of fun I tell you, but BAD for the diet. Just take a look at what I walked away with!

WEEK 15 - MWI

2009-02-23T17:39:00.003-07:00

Week loss: +5 lbs
Total loss: 20 lbs

Told you I would gain last weeks loss back. On a happy note, it wasn't all the weight. Yay! I've been eating too much candy. Mostly because I didn't care anymore. But I'm back to caring.

Week 16 goal:
No candy

Week 17 goal:
I'm going to be out of the country for week 16 weigh in. My goal for week 17 is to not gain weight while on vacation. I can eat what I want as long as I work extra hard at playing!

WEEK 14 - MWI

2009-02-16T09:44:00.002-07:00

Week loss: 7 lbs
Total loss: 25 lbs

I'm expecting to gain some of that loss back this week. I think 5 lbs of it was from not eating. I had a very emotional weekend that I'm not going to get into, but I'm having a hard time not crying every ten minutes.

I guess weight loss from emotional trauma isn't all bad, I'm into my "skinny" jeans.

Week 15 goal:
Stop crying

1997

2009-02-11T10:51:00.003-07:00

I spent some time doing altered art again this past week. Behind the little doors on the left side of the page are random facts about 1997. It has trivia about movies, tv, songs, books, sports, etc. It was a fun piece to make.

WEEK 13 - MWI

2009-02-09T11:18:00.002-07:00

Week loss: 1 lbs
Total loss: 18 lbs

So there are a few things that don't help when it comes to trying to lose weight.

1) eating 12 delectable, melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate truffles on Monday.
2) repeating that same mistake on the following two days.
3) going to a birthday party where the fresh baked gluten free loaf of bread is sitting right in front of you. Not to mention the gluten free chocolate cupcakes where you have to try your sister's version and your mother's version. And you can't have cake without ice cream!

Week 14 goal:
I'm losing steam need to figure out how to get as excited as I was at week whatever week I was excited about.

FEBRUARY'S CHILD

2009-02-02T10:03:00.002-07:00

My little niece came into this world Feb 1. Her name is Indie and she is adorable. Along with her big sister. I'm such a lucky aunt.

TO LIFT YOUR HEART

2009-02-02T10:00:00.001-07:00

I had a chance this weekend to do some altered art. The problem with altered art is that it never turns out like the vision in my head.

WEEK 12- TWI NOW MWI

2009-02-02T09:52:00.002-07:00

Week loss: 2 lbs
Total loss: 17 lbs

I'm changing over to Monday's since my computer software that I am using to help track my weight loss works on a weekly schedule based off of Monday to Sunday.

It was a tough week for me. My nutritionist wanted me to eat only certain foods that would help cleanse my body of sugar. I basically could eat lean meats and veggies. I was good about 97% of my meals. Meaning I messed up on one meal. I wasn't thinking and ordered a salad with black beans. I wasn't suppose to have black beans. And it was a really bad week to choose to go on a cleanse because I had a dinner party on Tuesday that I felt like crying through. And a girls afternoon out on Saturday that I sat at a restaurant and choked down their version of a salad. There were a lot of sacrifices I made this week to lose those two pounds. But the pain of sacrifice is far less than the pain of regret. I just have to keep reminding myself this.

Week 13 goal:
Manage to go to yoga without hurting myself.

LOVE, THE KEY TO MY HEART

2009-01-29T14:36:00.004-07:00

The theme for stamp club was Valentine's.

This card used:
Patterned paper : Karen Foster Design
Cardstock base : Prisim
Amore Rubber Stamps (Polymer) : Julia Andrus Designs
Pigment Ink: Black
Embossing powder: Gold
Embellishments: brad, string

iPHONE VINYL COVER

2009-01-29T13:41:00.005-07:00

This is what I did to my iPhone. It's to protect the back from scratches.

WEEK 11 - TWI

2009-01-27T10:44:00.003-07:00

Week loss: 6 lbs
Total loss: 15 lbs

Don't you wish you could loss 6 pounds in a week? Here's how to do it, get sick. I'm pretty sure I've loss muscle since having to give up exercise between my back and being sick. In general I feel weak. So where as I have had a record weight loss week, I feel worse at the end of this week than I have at any other week. And in this last week, that flew by, I lost sight of my goal to not just let time pass. It was a rather depressing week for me. I think I got to see my boyfriend once, maybe twice last week. Realize I am use to seeing him every day, so the drop in attention wrecked havoc on my emotional well-being. But in that sadness there is a success. In the past that sorrow I've been feeling would have been drowned in a gallon of ice cream. So there you have it, the silver lining, and look I learned something!

Week 12 goal:
To get back to my workout routine asap.

WEEK 10 - TWI

2009-01-20T08:00:00.002-07:00

Week loss: +1 lbs
Total loss: 9 lbs

I "fired" my physical therapist. I was actually getting worse. I decided to go see my physical therapist from my car accident from over five years ago. Only problem is she is booked until February. So being in so much pain I haven't really exercised like I have been wanting.

I've also been thinking a lot about how this is a hurry up and wait game. It's taken a long, long time to figure out why my body reacted to things the way it did, but now that I know the diseases, syndromes, and other aliments that have prevented me to be healthy it's just a matter of time. With this, I started to feel like my life was some how on hold. That I was living each day just waiting for the next day so I could wait some more. As you know this isn't how life was intended to be lived. I can't tell you how many times I have heard the expression, "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey." Somewhere along the way I forgot about the journey and when you do that, things become mundane. I've had such a set schedule lately that I could probably tell to the hour where I would be and what I would be doing on any given day of the week. Talk about a rut.

My sister shared with me a quote that I have grown to love, "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

Life is a storm, from the moment we are born until the moment we die. Waiting is wasting an opportunity to learn.

So with this new found vision I set out for week 11 to see just what I can learn.

Week 11 goal:
Don't let the time just pass

TWI - WEEK 9

2009-01-13T10:58:00.004-07:00

Week loss: 3 lbs
Total loss: 10 lbs

I wasn't able to continue my routine like I had hoped, but it didn't stop me from losing the weight. I can't tell you the last time I had ice cream, one one true vice! And I didn't over indulge on fatty foods at all last week. Yay me! I'm truly missing the endorphins from having an intense workout every day though. It just goes to show once you start a habit of exercise you really do miss it when it is gone. My back is still hurting me as much as it did a week ago so I am on limited movement again. So I'm going to focus on my stretches and icing my back so I can get this solved quickly. thanks for everyone for keeping me motivated. Especially my family who makes me update with them weekly, and for Christie who always tells me what a great job I am doing. Love you all.

Week 10 goal:
Physical Therapy

OCOTOPUS AND LEMONS

2009-01-12T11:22:00.004-07:00

At my job I get the perk of flipping through home decor catalogs. Sometimes I have to wonder who is running a photo shoot. I came across this photo of a beautiful urban set of dishes.
But Octopus and lemons as your choice of a featured food? Ok, I get that people have different taste in foods, but really? I did a quick photo search, they could have used a variety of octopus and lemon recipes and have it more visually appealing than what they used.

See how much prettier it looks? I'd might actually eat that dish. . . ok who are we kidding, it would take a lot of bribery.

TWI - WEEK 8

2009-01-06T09:30:00.003-07:00

Week loss: 1 lbs
Total loss: 7 lbs

I made it to the gym once last week. Luckily I have a home gym and my boyfriend's apartment has a small on location gym, so I didn't miss working out everyday. I did struggle with sugar and fattening foods. But it was New Year's Eve and day, and considering what I could have eaten to what I actually ate, well I think I did pretty good. On a bummer note, my SI area in my hip started hurting Friday night and by Monday morning it turned into a full on back injury. I'll be attending Physical Therapy for the next little while and I'm not sure if he'll let me continue my current routine. It may be too hard on my back. I'll find out later.

Week 9 goal:
No sugar

FOREIGNER

2009-01-05T10:36:00.003-07:00

My boyfriend has an eclectic taste in music. Basically I can take him to any concert and he'll be happy. For Christmas my mom bought him tickets to go see Foreigner. Most people wouldn't think having a date night with your mom coming along would be fun, but we always have a blast. We were late to the concert because the weather was horrendous on the way out to Wendover. this time around we actually got to sit by each other. Maybe one of these times I band that I grew up listening to will play out there instead of me sitting there smiling politely. Though, I could belt along to their rock ballad, I want to know what love is.

TWI - WEEK 7

2008-12-30T10:26:00.002-07:00

Week loss: 1 lbs
Total loss: 6 lbs

I'm trying to figure out how I can eat so poorly all week and lose a pound. I stayed away from the sugar most of the week, but on the flip side, I didn't watch my dairy intake at all. Why is it so hard to eat healthy?

I did decide to join Gold's Gym. I have a home gym, but I know I only use it to its minimum uses. Where when I go to the gym I work out for an hour and a half instead of just a half hour. I think building muscle this past week is what helped me slim down.

Week 8 goals:
Really, really want to start exercising in the morning - have yet to do that.

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON, UT

2008-12-23T10:54:00.002-07:00

Yet another friend got a new camera this year and invited me to go on a photography field trip. It's getting to the point that everyone has nicer cameras than me. Oh well, a camera is a camera, is a camera.

TWI - WEEK 6

2008-12-23T09:37:00.002-07:00

Week loss: 0 lbs
Total loss: 5 lbs

Between a birthday party, a work office party, and Christmas treats I think I sabotaged myself. I think I followed my goals only three of the four days. I've gotten to the point that I can't bring candy into the house. I was given some and I put it out thinking I would feed it to any guests that came to visit. It didn't last the night. You'd never believe when I ate it, while I was working out on the treadmill. - I'm so silly.

Week 7 goals: (do over)
Exercise: 20 mins in the am, 20 mins in the pm.
Food: No added sugar

TWI - WEEK 5

2008-12-16T12:34:00.002-07:00

Week loss: 3 lbs
Total loss: 5 lbs

So I was able to lose that water weight plus a pound. Yay! OK So 5 lbs in five weeks isn't all that great. In fact, it's horrible. At this rate I am paying my nutritionist about $50 a pound. That's a horrible rate of return. So I went and talked to a FNP who has helped a lot of people lose weight when all else has failed. You may be saying, "But it's only been 5 weeks, that really isn't enough time to say it has failed." However, they sent me to the nutritionist thinking I was eating what I wasn’t supposed to be eating. The nutritionist looked at my food log and said it looked fine. So he sent me back to the FNP to see what my blood work said about my insulin.

There is a very good possibility I have Syndrome X (aka, Insulin Resistance Syndrome). It causes obesity and leads into diabetes. What this means: I will continue to do the things I have been taught. Eat well, exercise daily, and get plenty of sleep and avoid stress. But it also means, I have to take medication. These medications will help my metabolism increase, help process foods so my insulin stubborn cells will recognize it, and a handful of other things that I can’t remember right now. I’m a little leery of taking medications because of the unknown side effects. What if in five years they find out that it has caused heart damage, or worse? However, given my other alternatives, a life of obesity (which leads to countless other health problems) or some sort of lap-band surgery, I’ll try the meds first.

Week 6 goals:
Exercise: 20 mins in the am, 20 mins in the pm.
Food: No added sugar

SAMURAI

2008-12-11T10:12:00.003-07:00

This is Samurai or Sami as I tend to call him. Sami was adopted February 1, 2008. His brother Ninja was also adopted that day. I went to the shelter to save Ninja, but there was a mix up at the shelter and they had lost Ninja's paperwork and didn't know which cat was which. So for the same price, I adopted both. When I got home it was apparent who was Ninja and who wasn't. So I called the other one Samuria.

You see Ninja was a neighbor cat to my parent's, who when abandoned, use to sneak into my parents house to live. He has gorgeous amber eyes and loves, I mean LOVES to be petted. Sami, well Sami is a scardy cat. In fact most people didn't believe I had two cats because they never see Sami.

Sami is a smart cat. He can open my kitchen cupboard doors by himself. He made those cupboards his home for the first 6 months living with me. Then he got kicked outside when my house started to fall apart. But as soon as the weather started to change he was allowed back inside. I don't know if it was all that time spent outside or what, but Sami is a changed cat.

For starters, I have this photo of him. He never would have been in plain view like that before. I'm not sure when it started, but I remember trying to sleep when all the sudden a paw batted my head and then took off running. Sami had ventured onto my bed, with me in it, to wake me so I'd feed him. At the beginning of this week when I went to feed the cats, Sami let me pat him as he ate. Which is another thing, he actually sticks around as I pour the food instead of only coming in to eat after I am gone. Last night thought was the real break through. I was in bed reading when he jumped up on my bed. Crawled onto my stomach, did the whole kneading thing and purred softly as I petted him like a normal cat.

Sami has been rehabilitated from a ferrel cat to a member of the family. I guess I have to keep him.

WWT - NATURE IS A MOTHER

2008-12-09T10:18:00.003-07:00

Week loss: 0 lbs
Total loss: 2 lbs

I'm up almost 2 lbs. 2 lbs from about three weeks ago. Which tells me I was right last week, that he wrote down my weight wrong. But I'm not too upset about it. For starters I had my BMI done electronically this week and comparing it to the BMI done that way three weeks ago I am retaining about 3 lbs of water (a gift from mother nature just for being a girl). He looked over my meal chart and was confused because he couldn't see anything particularly bad I was doing. Which just re-affirmed that it is water retention and not actual weight gain.

This weeks goals:
Treadmill routine: 30 minutes total. 3 min warm up, Alternate level 2.8 three minutes, level 3.6 two minutes (fyi, my treadmill runs faster than those at the gym)

Yoga: 3 times this week

Food: No candy! (Easier done than said, there is so much candy avaliable this time a year and ever co-worker has candy at their desk)

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

2008-12-03T13:59:00.003-07:00

Last week I took some cans of food to a local Jiffy Lube as part of a food drive. A radio station was giving away swag with a donation. I was able to pick an envelope from a box full. I ended up winning tickets to go see "It's a Wonderful Life" put on by Odyssey Dance. I usually go see their Halloween production, but this was the first time I got to see their Christmas production.

The seats that I won were HORRIBLE! Just check out my view. Half the stage was blocked by a wall. Luckily there were a lot of empty seats so we just moved.

It was strange watching such a well known movie done in dance form. I kept expecting them to break out into song, like a musical, but nope. Just a lot of dancing with a few lines thrown in to give the story movement. All in all I enjoyed it, I took my mom as a pre-birthday gift.

TWI - THANKSGIVING SUCCESS

2008-12-02T09:27:00.004-07:00

Week loss: 1 lbs
Total loss: 5 lbs

Wednesday weigh-in is now Tuesday weigh-in. I lose the alliteration, but I actual see my nutritionist on Monday so it makes more sense to write about it the day after.

So I was able to follow 3 of my 5 guidelines for Thanksgiving. So I was really worried when I had to step on the scale. But I was down 1 lbs. But I think he read the scale wrong. I'm positive I stayed the same. But either way you look at it I did lose inches and I'm down 20 lbs Fat Mass from when I started 3 weeks ago. It just goes to show how unimportant the scale is in losing weight. Gaining 20 lbs in lean body mass is more important to me than dropping the 20 lbs off the scale.

So this week my goal is to increase my exercise to everyday for 25 mins.

THANKSGIVING RECAP

2008-11-28T11:20:00.005-07:00

I hope everyone had an enjoyable thanksgiving. It tends to be one of the less stressful of Holidays. You just spend a nice afternoon with family and food. (Ok maybe stressful for the cook) So since it is suppose to be one of the less stressful Holidays, why is it I end up crying almost every year on this day? This year was no exception. However, instead of the usually get my feelings hurt, or the tears of home sickness because I'm not at my parent's house for Thanksgiving, this year the tears were caused by sheer physical pain. I managed to have a cupboard door (solid wood) smack hard against the bridge of my nose. It instantly left a bruise. But nope, no tears. It wasn't until later that night when I went to clean up for my mom. I was putting away the leftovers in the fridge. I'm not sure what happened, did someone bump me? Did I slip? It's all a blur. All I remember is broken glass of my grandmother's stuffing dish and my finger pulsating as a pool of blood gathered under neath my finger nail. How could something so small hurt so bad?

WWI — LESSONS LEARNED

2008-11-26T08:00:00.003-07:00

Week loss: 0 lbs
Total loss: 4 lbs

It was a rough week for me. I learn some key things that I hope will help me out in the future even though my weight loss was zero.

1. I'm an emotional eater. I had a very stressful week and all I seemed to want was some way to make myself feel better. Food will not make me feel better. It makes me feel worse by not accomplishing my goals. Therefore, I need to find something else that can make me feel better in those intense moments.

2. Bringing a whole bag of flavored nuts to work and telling myself I will only eat today's portion and put the bag in the drawer for the rest of the week does not work. Putting my food in portion controlled containers does work. More dishes to clean, but worth it.

3. I hate hummus, I didn't always, but being told to eat it as a snack everyday has now made me dislike the stuff. I think I could handle it once a month, but not everyday. I need to find a different healthy dip to eat with my veggies.

4. I'm a social eater. If someone hands me food and says "I made this just for you" I can't say no. But I'm paying good money for my nutritionist to help me, so I need to learn to say no thanks, I appreciate the thought, but I already ate, Or I brought my own food, sorry.

And now for some Thanksgiving survivor tips:
1. Don't punish yourself by saying you can't have anything fattening, you'll just get cranky and depressed and will probably end up binging in the end which is worse than if you just had a moderate amount.
2. Replace russet potatoes with golden yukon potatoes. They are so similar that most people won't be able to tell you used different potatoes, but they will be so much better for you. Plus, Wolfgang recommends it.
3. Use a smaller plate for dinner, it will help with portion control.
4. Don't go for seconds (you just ate a whole plate of food)
5. Enjoy your dessert slowly. If you are going to indulge you might as well take your time.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

CALIFORNIA SEPT 2008

2008-11-24T09:01:00.003-07:00

Back by popular demand, the photos to my trip to California. My friend Honey Mommy has been sending people over to my site. So I thought I would at least give them something to look at. I haven't been blogging for very long so I don't have a lot of photos quite yet.

SANTA TREE CARD

2008-11-20T08:50:00.007-07:00

The theme for stamp club this month was Christmas. I apologize for the awful picture. It's from my phone. Stamp club was on Tuesday so I couldn't go to GNO.

WEDNESDAY WEIGH-IN — ROUTINE WEEK 1

2008-11-19T08:00:00.006-07:00

Week loss: 4 lbs
Total loss: 4 lbs

Well it's been a week since my last blog on my new healthy lifestyle so I thought I would deem Wednesdays a my weigh-in day. So fo

Publish Post

r my first weigh in, I'm -4 lbs. It's hard to have such great results the first few weeks only to slow down considerably after that. Most the weight lost on any new diet or exercise program is a loss in water weight. Which is a good thing, because man my pants fit so much better!

So I thought I'd give you a taste of my routine.
8:30 am breakfast
10:30 am snack
1:00 pm lunch
4:00 pm snack
6:30 pm half hour of exercise
7:00 pm dinner
9:00 pm snack
water all day 100oz plus

I guess it just goes to show how serious I have become at losing weight. Really who has the time to eat that often? And to pay attention to what I am eating and how much of it. Plus I hate shopping and I'm going to the store once or twice a week when before I put it off and just ate out a lot. My life has changed in just one short week, but in the long run I'll be better for it.

TEMPLE QUARRY IN CANYONS

2008-11-17T10:40:00.001-07:00

If you would like to see photos of people please check on my facebook account.

SLC NOV 2008

2008-11-14T11:15:00.006-07:00

A friend of mine begged me to go do a photo field trip with him. With the face of downtown Salt Lake City changing, I thought it would be the perfect location to do a journalistic photo shoot.

6th PICTURE in 6th FOLDER

2008-11-13T16:15:00.005-07:00

{I have made the decision to keep this blog public. And in doing so I need to remove photos of people that are not me. If you would like to see this photo become my facebook friend. Thanks}

I was tagged and asked to post the 6th picture in my 6th folder. Well I'm at work so all my good pictures are at home. But I remembered I have a bunch of folders on my family website, so I went and grabbed the 6th photo in the 6th folder of images that had to do with me. Lo and behold it was my favorite picture of me and BF. (I hope he forgives me for posting this) We were at gateway hanging out with the fam.

So if the following 6 people would like to participate, I would love to see what random picture you comes up: Tessa, Honey Mommy, Jen S, Christie R, Chip, Hill G.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE THERAPIST

2008-11-12T10:39:00.005-07:00

So as some of you may know I've been overweight most of my life. A good amount of it due to the fact I was chronically ill for most of my life and I didn't know why. 2 years ago this month I found out why. My body doesn't process wheat and gluten. I can't call my self a Celiac because the test came back negative, but it isn't a foolproof test either so there still is a possibility that I am a Celiac. However, whether I have the title or not, I do know that I feel better both physically and emotionally when I don't eat wheat.

The domino effect of this auto-immune disease has been mind boggling. Many of my other health problems can be attributed back to the fact that my body doesn't process food normally. My body has been dying slowly because it isn't getting the nutrients it needs. I no longer have a working Thyroid. I had to have my gall bladder removed. My insulin is iffy at best. With my body not getting the nutrients it needs it has thought it has been starving and so it holds onto ever thing I eat and stores it as fat. For the past 2 years I've been working with the same FNP to help me get to a healthy spot in my life. However, the weight just wouldn't come off.

Well as of Monday I am seeing a Lifestyle Therapist. It's embarrassing to me to be writing about my struggles with weight and the fact I can't do it alone, but I hope by blogging about it I will become accountable to you my readers. And maybe I can pass along some information that can help you in your life.

First step: Routine. I need to train my body that this is how I eat. This is what I eat. And this is when I eat. Hopefully this will convince my body that, no, I'm not starving it.

Second step: Water. We don't drink nearly as much water through out the day as we need. Forget the 8 cups of water rule you once heard. We should be drinking in ounces about 1/2 our body weight. So you, yes you miss 175 over there, drink up! You need 88 oz of water and not the 62 oz you were told to drink. But ease into more water. Add another 8 oz, every other day until you reach your goal intake.

Third step: Exercise. Just add something. Park farther away. Take the stairs. Walk at lunch. Just move!

Ok, well there's the explination. Hopefully in the next week or so I'll have time to blog about my progress and what I'm particuallry doing on those 3 steps.

BAD THINGS COME IN 3s?

2008-11-06T09:21:00.003-07:00

So it has been said—on Tuesday actually by my BF—that bad things come in threes. If this theory actually works then it seems a little overwhelming when something bad happens and you know that you have two more issues to deal with. On the flip side, when you are on your third bad thing you feel a bit of relief. What "they" don't tell you is that 3 can be 3 months of bad luck. Which still doesn't apply to me because I swear this is the fifth month. I'm starting to think that maybe I didn't answer one of those emails that said if you read this and don't pass this along to your closest 50 friends in 22.38 seconds you will have bad luck FOREVER!

I'm not witting this to seek pity. I'm writing this because I find everything all so comical at this point. So you are probably wondering what now? What else could go wrong in her life? Well yesterday morning my BF's car had his passenger's window smashed in. Poor BF, but not really "my" bad luck, I just thought I would mention it because it comes into play. So he wanted to go to Layton to dinner with his mom. So of course I was going to drive, who wants to ride in a car in the freezing car with no window? As we pull onto the freeway I hit black ice and came inches away from hitting someone. I ended up facing the wrong way of traffic, but luckily did't hit anyone. A very near miss indeed. So we continue are journey and I can tell you I was driving SLOW and avoiding other cars like the plauge after that incident. Well it didn't end up mattering because out of nowhere something hits my windsheild. So what are the chances that both me and my BF would need to replace their windows in the same day?

WOKE UP TO SNOW

2008-11-05T09:21:00.003-07:00

Morning:

Late afternoon:

JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER TO VOTE

2008-11-01T18:34:00.003-06:00

My sister and I carved these.

LET IT SNOW

2008-10-30T14:51:00.003-06:00

This month's stamp club project was open-end as long as we made it on the provided substrate. A substrate for those craft challenge is an object that acts as a base for your art project, be it canvas, board, or in this case an accordion tag booklet. I was struggling because of the color of the tags. I didn't want to cover the whole thing in another paper, so I had to be inspired by the base. I decided I liked the color for a wintery theme. Here are the results:

CREATURE OF HABIT

2008-10-29T08:04:00.000-06:00

So without realizing it, I've been a Vampire three years in a row. I knew I was one last year because my ex-boyfriend bought me the costume, but I had forgotten that I had been one the year before that. So here it is, my transformation, drum roll please.

2006

2007

2008

IN OTHER NEWS

2008-10-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

REAL (the local soccer team) won (well tied) their game over the weekend in Colorado. I don't usually follow sports, ok I NEVER follow sports. However, posted in the Salt Lake tribune is this photo:

The two actually hugging the soccer player are my co-workers. Way to support the team guys!

AMERICA HALLOWEEN BIRTHDAY PARTY

2008-10-27T10:16:00.003-06:00

No my subject title isn't based off some unknown anniversary date of the celebration of Halloween in America, but a collage of items I did over the weekend.

Friday night I grabbed my boyfriend and mom and drove out to Wendover to see the band America. At first it seemed like it was going to be a very long and boring show for me. You see, my mom wanted to go and she had no one to go with so BF and I volunteered to go. However, the show was sold out and the only tickets were no where near each other. So sitting by myself at a rock concert where they were a big hit 6 years before I was born, well let's just say I could have fallen asleep. Luckily I noticed that there was an empty seat right next to BF. Oh happy day! So I seat hopped and went and sat by him. I ended up having a great time at the concert. And it turns out I even knew a few of the songs so I could sing-along, my favorite being: Went to the desert on a horse with no name, la da la da da da.

On Saturday, BF's mom through a Halloween party. I was suppose to be a vampire, but I didn't get my teeth in, so everyone kept calling me The Bride of the Dead. I didn't get it, but who was I to correct them?

My parent's came as American Gothic, aren't they cute?

It was a fun evening and we spent most of it singing away to American Idol on the Wii. And all those years of listening to my sister tell me I couldn't sing were just not true, I made it to Hollywood! ! ! Ok so I was kicked out after that round where as BF went on to win out of the 8 other people playing, but hey! I made it to Holloywood baby!

On Sunday we celebrated the birth of my youngest brother, Ryan.

Getting together with my family is always a blast. We ate a fantastic dinner that his wife made of eggplant parmasian, played games, and took pictures to compare the pregnat ones to see who had the bigger bellie. A good time was had by all.

DOMESTICATIFIED

2008-10-24T09:47:00.007-06:00

With a little help from my mom (she bought the supplies and cut out the pattern) I sewed a halloween costume for "Boo", my BF's 2 year old. She loves the stop animation Rudolf movie and does a cute little impression of Bumble the abominable snowman. I can't wait to see her in the costume, I just hope it fits.

WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS

2008-10-22T09:48:00.002-06:00

So you as you know I have been having house problems. Let the saga continue . . .
I was sitting home last night when I heard a very loud noise coming from my front room. I was worried because I had stuck my niece in there to watch a movie while I worked on some photography. I rushed out and frantically took inventory of the situation. It was a bit dark so I flipped on the light to see better - nothing! Meaning no light. The light fixture had fell from the ceiling and shattered. Now, this wasn't any ordinary light fixture you pick up from your local Home Depot, no this was an heirloom, cracked crystal, hung in the Rice Mansion, type of light fixture. In the falling process, it managed not only to shatter, but gouged my solid wood table, and scratch my wood floor which is less than a month old. I just hope the people who didn't install my light correctly will be willing to settle quickly on their own and I won't have to take them to small claims. So now for your visual pleasure.

DO YOU SPELL CHECK?

2008-10-21T11:24:00.001-06:00

I came across this poem today. I have never seen it before, but being an editor I had to laugh.

Eye halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques for my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it to say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
It's rare lea ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
Eye am shore your pleased two no
It's letter perfect awl the weigh
My checker tolled me sew.

Margo Roark.

YOU KNOW YOU'VE HAD A BAD WEEK WHEN...

2008-10-17T10:11:00.003-06:00

1) You have to have the plumber come cut roots out from your main line and he charges you $400 more than most of the competitors.
2) The very next day your garbage disposal stops working.
3) So after you turn off the water to the sink to fix said garbage disposal the pipe starts leaking and you have to call a plumber AGAIN.
4) You are so stressed from problems that you get a very painful stress knot in you back that won't go away.
5) You go to climb into the hot tub only to find it too dirty to use and a dead spider floating in it that looks like it could come back to life and eat you.
6) With so much going on you have a full-on panic attack where you can't breath.
7) So you make a doctor's appoint to get help and you miss it because your ride lost track of time.
8) When you finally get to the doctor it takes a shot of steroids from the doctor to calm it down the pain.
9) The next day you have to go to the dentist to get a cavity filled and a crown.
10) And to make it all better, your cat pees all over your shoes.

SNOW

2008-10-13T18:00:00.001-06:00

In case you hadn't heard, it snowed.

I WAS TAGGED - Five things you may not know about me...

2008-10-13T10:00:00.002-06:00

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

Graduating from Utah State University
Working for Inkley's developing film
Living in Logan with this girl Honey Mommy
Scrapbooking my trip to Italy
Looking for love in all the wrong places

5 things on my to do list:

Go to Europe
Fix my house
Get healthy
Get caught up on my crafting
Find happily ever after

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:

Get a new house
Get a new car
Pay of BF debt
Buy clothes that fit
Join a gym

5 Places I have lived:

Salt Lake City
West Valley City
Avenues
Logan
Sandy

5 Jobs I have had:

Concept Artist
Book Editor
Product Developer
Creative Editor
Marketing Associate

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

2008-10-07T13:16:00.004-06:00

This is the view from my cubicle, yes, that is right, cubicle. Who ever heard of a cubicle with a view? Well apparently they exist, I have one.

I wanted something to blog about

2008-10-03T21:25:00.002-06:00

This came from my friend Jen's site.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 2:30 am and then 5:15 am and then 7:20 am
2. Diamonds or pearls? Pearls
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? I don't remember
4. What is your favorite TV show? Simpson's
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, apple juice blended.
6. What is your middle name? Lynn
7. What food do you dislike? peaches
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? i-tunes baby, song by song
9. What kind of car do you drive? 2003 Mazda 6
10. Favorite sandwich? Anything without bread and pork
11. What characteristic do you despise? lying
12. Favorite item of clothing? hats
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? New Zeland
14. Favorite brand of clothing? Don't care enough to have one
15. Where would you retire to? Forks, WA (before that book came out)
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? 30
17. Favorite sport to watch? Don't
18. Furthest place you expect someone to look at this from? Provo
19. Person you expect to blog it first? No one
20. When is your birthday? March 6
21. Are you a morning person or a night person? night
22. What is your shoe size? 11
23. Pets? cats
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? I got a new cubicle with a view
25. What did you want to be when you were little? an artist
26. How are you today? tired
27. What is your favorite candy? Chocolate covered cinni bears
28. What is your favorite flower? roses
29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Halloween
30. What is your full name? the face behind the lense
31. What are you listening to right now? my boyfriend sorting cds
32. What was the last thing you ate? Pistachios
33. Do you wish on stars? yep
34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Aquamarine
35. How is the weather right now? raining a minute ago, but now just cloudy
36. Who was the first person you talked to on the phone today? my boyfriend
37. Favorite soft drink? none
38. Favorite restaurant? Cheesecake Factory
39. Real hair color? blondish
40. What was your favorite toy as a child? hot wheels
41. Summer or winter? spring
42. Hugs or kisses? yes
43. Chocolate or Vanilla? depends on the source
44. Coffee or tea? no
45. When is the last time your cried? an hour ago
46. What is under your bed? Floor
47. What did you do last night? cleaned
48. What are you afraid of losing? my sanity
49. Salty or sweet? sweet
50. How many keys on your key ring? don't know
51. How many years at your current job? 1
52. Favorite day of the week? Sunday
53. How many towns have you lived in? 4
54. Do you make friends easily? Hmmm

Day Trip To Uintahs

2008-09-28T13:46:00.004-06:00

I took a road trip up to the mountains with the nieces. We fed some ducks, pretended to go fishing, and played at the park. Here are some photos from the outing.

Capture Your Dreams

2008-09-25T10:00:00.004-06:00

Once a month I get together with about a dozen other women to exchange "Art". This art usually takes place in card form, but it varies month to month. We are given a theme to execute 12 times and then swap with others. September's theme was feathers. I had a lot of feathers sitting at home from the time I use to make dream catchers. If I had the time and the money I would have made them all dream catchers, instead I made this card. Enjoy!

Home at last

2008-09-22T21:04:00.004-06:00

It has taken about 7 weeks, but I am finally able to move back into my house. It took a lot of help from a lot of different people, but I'm grateful for family that came to me aide to help me figure it all out.

Here are just a few of things I learned through this ordeal:

1) It is ok to fire the people you hire, you won't hurt their feelings and even if you do, it's just business.

2) Always get second opinions and bids.

3) The scary, dark crawl space that you have been avoiding for 3 1/2 years isn't all that bad.

4) Soap around a gas connection will tell you if you have a leak.

5) The pipe coming up from the water heater is hot and will burn you.

6) If you can't keep the pilot light on, you may want to check to see if the gas is turned on outside.

7) If I can install a kitchen light, then anyone can.

Trip to California

2008-09-20T10:36:00.001-06:00

Due to some difference of opinions, my photos are now "private" But if you would like to see them ask and I'll give you the password.

All is quiet on the western front . . . why>

2008-09-02T10:37:00.000-06:00

I have moved out of my house (temporarily). Which is why I haven't been online or working in the studio trenches. When I went out of town for the business trip I came back to a wet ceiling. Well I would have had a wet ceiling even if I had stayed in town, but it just sounds more dramatic. I had “cleaned” my swap cooler and in the process I must have got the float stuck to the on position because water was running down my roof. I didn’t mind the water stain, I was more than willing to live with it, but then I started to get sick. I couldn’t breathe and the more moisture in the air the worse it was for me. Turns out I had an allergic reaction to mold. I moved in with BF and called some repair men. They came in and tore a bunch of stuff out, including the water-heater. My lawn is dying. It’s been five weeks and my house looks exactly the same as the first day they came in and tore stuff out. Needless to say, I fired them.

Trip to Jackson Wyoming

2008-07-20T10:40:00.000-06:00

It's was my bff's birthday this past mid-July. In conjunction with it we went on our first annual "Girl's Only Road Trip". Since it was July and very hot here in Utah, we decided to head North to Jackson Hole, WY. I've always wanted to go white water rafting and I knew my family had gone to Jackson last year (without me) to do that exact thing. So we made the plans and off we went.

We stayed an hour outside of Jackson at the Targhee Ski resort. Staying at ski resorts off season is a lot of fun. There were alto of benefits in staying somewhere outside of Jackson. 1) Cheaper even with the cost of gas and time. 2) Cooler, about 10 degrees cooler up in the higher altitudes 3) no crowds.

Day 1
5 hour drive to The Grand Targhee to check into a pit of a resort. They had soap dispensers instead of bars, even that shampoo was in dispensers. But the view was great and we had a roof over head and a bed to sleep in. We then drove down to Bar J cowboy ranch for dinner and a show. I told my boyfriend if I ever left him it would be for a cowboy country singer wearing too tight of pants.

Day 2

There was a computer glitch so our white water rafting turned out to be a river float. A nice, hot, long, river float. I got a wicked sunburn on my arms since that was the only place I forgot to coat myself with spf 85 sunscreen. The mountains in the backdrop were the Tetons. And we got to see a couple of nesting Eagles. So it was a good float.

After the river we went into the actual town of Jackson, which is in Jackson Hole. Two different places come to find out. The town has a neat little town square with a bunch of photo opts, but mainly it is a tourist trap. Basically go just to say that you have been.

Back at the lodge I complained about the room because the neighbors were LOUD and I was cranky. So they moved us to the next lodge over, where there were little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and two types of bars of soaps. I was in heaven. It was a much, much nicer room and we were both very happy.

Day 3
Nothing at the lodge opens before 11:00 am on Sunday so we were fiddling our thumbs. So we decided to skip town and head on home. But we took the scenic way home through Star Valley. It was a great little weekend getaway.