Mother's Day Style

My mother is better than your mother.

I realized competition isn't really the point of this holiday, but it's just a fact. She's pretty damn awesome.

We celebrated the holiday by seeing "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" (very cute) and eating a delicious dinner at Safire in Camarillo, the halfway point between LA and Santa Barbara. Any chance I have to spend time with my parents is very much appreciated, which is one of the things that makes my life especially charmed.

I'm slowly starting to realize this.

So, we had a blast. I made her a pair of earrings, which she liked:

And I dressed purty.

• Dress by S Point (From Marshalls, of course. I tried it on and imagined myself in Spain. SOLD. And...it's a small. Hee.)
• Blazer by Kut from the Kloth (A Christmas gift from my mother two years ago. She has great taste, I love this jacket.)
• Wedges by Wet Seal (I have had these things since I was 13 or 14. No joke. They have never gone out of style and remain the most comfortable pair of heels I own.)
• Top Bracelet by Moi! (Chain maille from class. I love it.) Necklace and Bottom Bracelet from High School (I believe I bought the set for my senior homecoming.)
• Purse by Coach (Hand me down from my sister! Where most of my nice stuff comes from.)

A little comparison.

195ish. 160ish.

Don't Forget This Feeling

The brain is a funny thing. It tricks you, lies to you, runs a film strip of all your doubts and insecurities even while you're screaming in your head "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" Even when you consciously know what you want, what you need, there's something unknown tripping you up, tangling your thoughts, being all self-destructive and shit. It's the worst.

My example: I love hot yoga. I LOVE IT. It's painful and suffocating and hard, but it makes me feel so centered and strong and proud. So why, pray tell, do I fight myself every time I plan to practice? My body will naturally wake me up in time for 6AM class, as if it's begging me to go, and my brain will keep me in bed, begging for just a tiny bit more sleep, we can go after work, and I fight with myself until it's too late...and then all day at work, I plan and plan, my clothes are in the car then by the time 5PM rolls around all motivation is gone, and I end up on my ass with the cat.

It's exhausting. And irritating.

This morning I burned about 800 calories in a killer 75 minute Hot Power Fusion class at CorePower Yoga. I felt in control of my body, I found myself closer to poses that have seemed out of my reach, I hardly spent any time flattened in child's pose with my HR at 190. I feel light, energized, incredible.

I don't know what my damage is. I don't know what holds me back, what piece of the puzzle I have yet to find. All I know is I can't forget this feeling. This is what I should remind myself of when it starts to seem too hard, this is what I have to get addicted to in order to change. This feeling is what I want.


Current Calorie Count: 3306

Post-Date GirlTalk Texts

BFF: Male attention is always a confidence boost.

Me: Agreed! Feminism be damned!


BFF: It's nice he checked in!

Me: Yeah, he seemed nice. BUT THEY ALL SEEM NICE.

BFF: Scary! How'd you find nice ones? Haha

Me: They're fucking liars, all of them.

First Date Style

I have dipped my toe back into the creepy shark-infested waters of online dating. A full post is no doubt forthcoming full of hilarious, brilliant insights about...things. But for now, we're talking about clothes.

Last night was my first date off the site (OKCupid, if you're curious), and my first date since starting to lose weight. I wanted to feel comfortable and look effortless, while still feeling sassy, cute, and confident.

Of course, nothing in my closet was acceptable. I have a woeful lack of cute tops, most of my dresses are too big or too short for bar stool perching, and really, I just wanted something new. I'm shallow like that. Marshall's to the rescue!

(Seriously, if you live in LA, check out the westside Marshall's at Olympic/Sawtelle. It's fucking paradise.)

We'll start with the face. I'm a big fat dork, and I happened to find a YouTube video a few days ago for A First Date Look with Lisa Eldridge. It was pretty close to my normal routine anyway, so I decided to give it a go.

Making awkward faces. 

(The lighting is darker in the before pic, obviously...

I didn't paint my face that white.)

I liked it! I need some better quality eyeliner and I don't actually own an eyelash curler, but I made do. Definitely a fresh and romantic look!

And as for the clothes...

• Embellished Top by Kenar (From Marshalls.)
• Dark Skinny Jeans by Paige (From Marshalls about two months ago, so they're a bit too big. As is my belt...and most of my bras.)
• Lace Cardigan by Miss Chievous (Yes, AGAIN. I promise, next outfit I'll mix it up. Also from Marshalls.)
• Bedazzled Sandals by Adrienne Vittadini (You guessed it, Marshalls.)
• Crossbody Bag from My Mother's Closet (I'm guessing it's from the 80s? I love it for nights out. Added the brooch to cover up a flaw on the leather.)
• Earrings by ME! Claddaghs from Ireland. Feather Ring by Guess.

In Bloom

Visual Memories: April 14th, 2008, 7:26PM - Port Stewart, Northern Ireland

Weekend Snapshots

There's little I love more than a weekend where I am not obligated to anyone but myself.

I get to do things like take epic naps midday, sing Kelly Clarkson while I do the dishes, and never put on pants.

*I went to Friday happy hour and got a little tipsy...

 *I made bacon and egg toast cups from this recipe. They were not quite as pretty as advertised, but they were darn delicious.

*I went to the Sunday morning Farmer's Market that is literally less than a block from my house. I love the location of my apartment. 

*I browsed far too long picking out the perfect flowers to brighten up my week.

*Settled on giant lilies that will no doubt open overnight to say "Good morning!" in the next few days...

*...as well as a beautifully bright spring bouquet that greets me when I step in the door.

*I made some jewelry.

*And was inappropriately violated by a feline.

I hope you all had wonderful weekends!

The Time I Got Molested

I'm in a story-telling mood today, and decided it was time to share my tale about being molested by an old Scottish man.

I was in Edinburgh for a month for the Fringe Festival when I was nineteen. I was reading my Ken Follett in a lovely little park, sun shining, birds chirping, headphones in, when someone sat down next to me. It was a white-haired man in plaid, probably in his 80s, and he immediately struck up a conversation. I'm a polite sort of girl, and try to be nice to the elderly, so I chatted a bit. Gave it maybe ten or fifteen minutes, but I really wanted to read my book and he was clearly not leaving. I lied and claimed had to meet a friend at a coffee shop. He said he'd walk me to the stairs.

So, we stroll. He asks for a hug. I am too nice. And he proceeds to full on grab my boob and pat it ever so lovingly, while saying, "I'm your niiiiice Scottish friend. I'm your niiiice Scottish friend."

I pushed the fucker and ran away. 

True story. 

Happy May!

I love the start of a new month. I can imagine all sorts of positive changes coming when the calendar turns, I feel the freedom to fix my habits and solve my issues. Plus, May (as you may know) comes just before June, and in June I'm going to Spain! Then in July, a very old friend's wedding, my best friend's birthday, and another friend is moving back to LA. In August, Santa Barbara Fiesta, a few concerts, and Vegas with my group of girlfriends.

Good things coming up, is what I'm saying.

Plus, I have a plan for this month. Goals, if you will. I like goals. And plans. And rewards for following through on my goals, and plans. I like the simplicity of following an outline, which is why WW works so well for me. And of course, I love lists.

So, this month I will...

*Burn 8,000 calories. (100 APs in WW-speak.)
*Go on a tech fast---no screen 3 weeknights per week. Laptop stays at work. TV stays off.
*Stick to my budget.
*Try one new recipe per week.
*Use my time at work more constructively.

Should be easy as pie. Not that I find pie to be particularly easy, if we're talking about the making of said pie, though eating it is simple enough.

Anyway....Happy May!