Fuel for Life!

I am ever-so-honored to receive this lovely award from one of my favorite weight loss bloggers, Misunderstood and Admired? I've written about him before, what an inspiration and motivation he is to me!



The details of the award are as follows:

This award is granted to bloggers who have given someone fuel for strength so they can move onward. Responsibilities: 1. List three things that you are happy about at this very moment 2. List three things that played a big part in your current focus on weight loss and inner growth 3. Pass this award on to a blogger that you feel really deserves it

So, here goes!

At this moment I am happy about:

1. The time Beren and I spent last night with a friend/former co-worker of his. This lady had a very aggressive type of cancer, underwent intense and experimental treatment at a University a couple hours north of us. We really didn't think she would make it, it was very serious and scary. Well, a couple of weeks ago she went for her yearly follow-up and got great news: She is cancer-free, in remission! We were so thrilled, we met her for happy hour last night and toasted to her continued good health and recovery.

2. Being in Ormond, enjoying the peace & quiet of just me, Beren and the dog. As much as I adore my wild & crazy full house, I need the time away to rest, regroup and spend some quality time with my man...and with myself!

3. The big basket of produce on the counter..grin...can't wait to get into the kitchen and cook up something fabulous!
And three things that played a part in my current focus on weight loss and inner growth:

1. My mother's illness and death from lung cancer. This shook me to the core, affected me on every level of my being.

2. My children growing up, becoming young adults who don't require quite as much hands on mothering as they used to, leaving me with more time to work on myself!

3. My Man who never says a word about my weight, still thinks I'm beautiful and desirable, but really deserves a healthier woman to spend the rest of his life with.

Now, I am presenting the award to...

Mark at Fatophobia because he is constantly supportive and complimentary, I know I can always rely on him for a kind word and motivation! He responds to every comment, you can tell that he really cares for his readers!

Thank you, Mark, for being Fuel for Life when I need it!



In other news, Sherron at Shoes to Lose is hosting a giveaway, a $40 gift card to CSN where you can buy anything from dining tables to fitness equipment to..shoes! You know where that $40 is going if I win, right? Yep, straight to my cute little tootsies! So, hop on over & visit Sherron, enter yourself and spend some time at her blog. She is adorable and such an inspiration!

That's it for now, hope you all are having a fabulous weekend so far!




P.S. Check out the image I really wanted to use for this post but it was unavailable without purchase.

Solely a Cure for the Blues

As I said, this has been a rough week. Along with the other trials & tribulations already mentioned, apparently it is also my "Flo time" and you know what that means. Yep, I've been raiding the refrigerator and pantry with reckless abandon, can't seem to get enough sugary, salty, starchy garbage into my already-bloated body. Yuck! Last night Beren and I met some friends for cocktails and I just had to have french fries with my light beer. Why? Why was this necessary? Because Flo said so, that's why! She is a nasty b**ch when you ignore her needs so I gave her what she wanted. Just to shut her up, of course.

This morning she woke me up demanding more white stuff. The fresh croissants on the counter will do quite nicely, or the biscuits my man was baking for his own breakfast. Or, hey, how about that pile of hash browns he's frying up? oooh, yeah, bring it on!

In an attempt to tune out her whines and complaints, I came to the computer, gazed out the window and did some pondering. Knowing that succumbing to the call for junk food wouldn't make me feel good in the long run, that it was just a temporary fix, immediate comfort that would be gone in seconds, leaving me guilt-ridden and craving more, I realized that I had to find a substitute for food. What else could cheer me up, make me smile and provide a longer lasting treat to myself? What do you think, girls?



Shoes! Oh, yes, lovely, lovely heels to adorn the one part of my body that doesn't change size! Aren't these the cutest things ever? Can't you just see them with a black sheath dress or (some day) pencil skirt? Swooon......I can't wait to stick my tootsies into these beauties!

Now, I'm not suggesting that every time we're tempted by something naughty that we should go shoe shopping...or, hey, why not?! *wink*



Have a Beauty-full Day,

Shoe Fetish

I need a show of hands, how many of you ladies out there love shoes? I mean, seriously, completely adore them to the point where you are nearly breathless when walking through a shoe store? And, if this describes you, how many pair do you own? Come on, I'll fess up if you do!

Here goes: at last count I had over 40 pairs of heels. Does that sound like a lot? I mean, not by Imelda's standards of course but as compared to the average woman? I apparently don't think so because I continue to add to my collection every chance I get. It's at the point now where Beren doesn't even try to fight my addiction, he actually directs me to shoes he thinks I'd like, lol!

For instance, just last weekend I found a pair of black patent leather Delicious pumps, shown here at the Hyde Park Restaurant at the Hilton Hotel where Beren took me for Valentines Day dinner. (yeah, I'm hamming it up with the Danica cut-out, I'm silly that way)



I paid $5.00 for these babies, purchased brand new from one of my favorite thrift stores in Daytona.

And how about these adorable polka dot peep toes that I wear all the time? These are also by Delicious, picked them up for a song on e-bay.



Then there are my red ankle-straps which I only wear now & then, usually as part of a costume:



And, oh my, I just love these gorgeous zebra-print beauties, also by Delicious. I think I paid $12.00 for them a couple of years ago:



As you can see, there is no heel high enough or thin enough for me! Being only 5'2", I have worn heels all my life and feel more comfortable in them than in flats any day.

Now, yesterday Beren took me to DSW for the first time. I know, I can't believe I've managed to avoid it all these years, but I honestly rarely spend more than $30 per pair and I believed this place was expensive. Well, yes, it can be but you've got to head straight back to the Clearance section, past the rows & rows of gorgeous-ness, and just maybe you'll happen upon something like this:



Regular price, $89.00 but I only paid $35.00 for these BCBG Paris platforms! Ooh, I simply can't wait to put my tooties into these lovelies! I think they'd be perfect for the fetish party Beren and I are planning to attend, but more about that another day. *wink*

Starring Rapunzel!

Great news on the scale this morning, lost 2.4 pounds this week for a total of 5 pounds! That entitles me to a little cyber star on Weight Watchers online and a big ol' gold star in my head! Yippee! Even more exciting is that I'm now "in the 9's," you all know what that means, right? I've dropped down to the lower range..oh, what the hell, might as well reveal my weight - 159. Whew..there I've said it. I've never weighed this much in my life, highest non-pregnant weight in the past was 152 and here I found myself more than 10 pounds over that. But, that was then and this is now, I'm on the right track and will never see the 160's again! Unless I got pregnant, goddess forbid, but that would be practically a medical miracle, believe me.

So I'm feeling really good this morning with my 5 pound weight loss, gonna keep reminding myself of that number when I get frustrated or tempted to give up. In the past, each week I lost weight I'd reward myself with a little treat, a small gift to myself. Guess where I'm going today? You got it, shoe shopping, darlings! A sexy pair of stilettos is definitely in order for this happy gal!

Have a beauty-full day, TGIF!