{long time no post}

I have been crazy busy with school, work, and family. Since I last posted I have sold my Canon Rebel and purchased the Canon T2i and LOVE IT!!!!  I have begged all of my family members to let me take pictures of them to practice shooting in manual.  So far so good I have had a few brave volunteers.  I have also started a new blog, you can find it here....Newest Blog....  I love taking pictures whether with my big camera or with my phone.  This blog is dedicated to taking a picture with my cell phone at least once and day and posting it. If you would like to join me please hop over and join and post pics I will put them into the blog post the following day.  Please date your photos and offer a brief descritpion.  Well here is what I have been snapping lately.  Let me know what you think.

3D Ty

I really love this one!!!

Cute

Beautiful Family

Mommy and Daddy Love

Twins - wish this was in focus more - must keep practicing - but gives you the emotion i was looking for

Curious! 

Again wish more in focus but actually is one of my favs!  I call it Independence!

Love this one!

{Update}

So I have been on this weight loss journey for 42 weeks and I am down 52lbs.  On average I am losing 1.24 pounds a week.  Not too shabby.  I have found that I get more inspired everyday to maintain the loss.  I NEVER want to be heavy again.  It is way too hard to get rid of it as you get older.  I have a couple of new pictures to remind myself of where I came from and never want to get back to and some newer ones of where I am.  Though the newest is my NEW employee photo, therefore YUCK it does show the weight loss.  Yeah!  I have to say that I have the MOST supportive husband, son, and family/friends in general.  They are constantly giving praises and encouragement.  I have discovered that having the support of family and friends makes the fight a lot easier.  My cousin asked me just yesterday what made me want to change.  I had to sit and think about it really.  I recall it was like a light switch, I think that my health, though not bad, was the main issue.  I want to be around for my son for a very long time.  You may get hit by a bus tomorrow and that you can not control, but your health and weight is very much all you.  Getting it under control was something I had to do.  Lets face it, NO ONE wants to be fat.  Being healthy is major, major concern, but I am not going to lie, being able to fit into "normal" clothes is a huge plus!!! 
I have a pair of jeans from high school and my goal is to fit into them again.  Really I want to be less than that, but I will take that too.  If anyone out there reading this is wanting to lose weight, is losing, or has lost, please share your story.  Hearing how others have done it or are doing it will help those that want to, but are afraid!  I have been overweight for so many years; even after losing the weight I still often see myself as FAT!  Not that I am skinny, but I have come a very long way.  I feel that overweight people are often judged without being heard.  I understand that first, visual impressions, are what most people base everything on about a person.  Though really first impressions should not be about looks, but about how a person is, acts, treats you and others etc.  It saddens me that just because a person is heavier than what others think is acceptable they immediately turn the other way without getting to know them, like I said before, do you really think they WANT to be that way.  I honestly can not remember a day when I woke-up and thought, oh great I did not lose an ounce, thank God I am still fat! Often there could be medical issues etc., that without getting to know them you would never know about.  Sorry to be on my soap box, but with the recent news about a blogger stating that fat people make her uncomfortable, or something to that nature; it really made me angry.  With new shows like Mike and Molly on the air or even the wonderful shows like Ruby and Too Fat for 15; at least these shows are showing the struggle to lose weight.  The world have more people in that look like them, than "perfect" people.  Again I know this is more a rant than a true blog post, but hey it is my blog post even if no one reads it, I feel much better getting it off my chest!
I would like to wish everyone a super safe Halloween.  Until my next post, stay healthy and happy!



BEFORE



10/29/10


52LBS Lighter and 6 sizes down!

OK SO IT IS ALL ABOUT ANGLES!  LOL



{My new obsession} .... well not so new

I am really getting into taking more photos and love it.  Trying to learn about my camera and the proper way to use it and then edit the photos.  Wow who knew there was SO much to learn.  I just hope my son does not tire too soon of the flash in his face!  He is cute, but alas he is also a moving target.  I am going to try and take a photo a day, though with a busy schedule this is NOT always possible.  Some will be bad and that is ok, moving around the settings of the camera is important for learning.  At least that is what I tell myself when there is motion or focus blur!  LOL  I hope to be able to post some edited photos here along with the original photo and maybe some of the readers out there will comment and let me know what they think?  Even if you do NOT like something please let me now.  Thanks in advance.  Here are a few that are edited only.  I will post the unedited photos at a later date. 
On another note, we have been busy this summer, vacations, birthdays, and just some beach fun.  Here are some random shots of Summer.

1. Church was just really neat looking, Front Royal, VA Main Street

2. Harbor in St. Augustine, FL
3. Light House in St. Augustine, FL
4. Cool Sign in VA taken for a super cute special scout i know. 
5. Awesome Shot of a boat in James Town, VA
6. Entrance of the Shenandoah Park - hiked for EVER
7. Tower in Castillo de San Marcos - St. Augustine, FL
8. 10 year old awesome birthday - cupcakes for breakfast

9. What kind of birthday would it be without cupcakes and

10. Sparklers

11. Cool kid fishing in VA

12. The lake the cool kid fished on in VA

13. Blurry pic of the above mentioned cool kid in Colonial Williamsburg, VA - blurry, but love the pic

14. Deerfield Beach - August, 2010

15. Umbrella shot at Deerfield Beach, FL - my new desktop pic at work - so I can dream about it. :)

So leave a comment about what you like and do not like, please and thank you!

ps.  The diet is going great.  Had some surgery in the beginning of August for a bad gall bladder so that has set me back a little in the gym, but continuing to lose despite that.  Can not wait to get back full time, full force to the gym.  I am going to try and post some pics of before and now so I can really see the progress of ALL my hard work. 

Thanks for visiting,

Kim

{The Journey Continues}

So after 6 months of eating right and exercise 6 days a week, I am happy to say that I have reached my first goal.  40 by 40.  I wanted to lose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday.  I am so happy to say that I DID IT.  Now not to let myself get too excited I still have more to go.  I am really loving the daily exercising.  I feel great though 5AM comes SUPER early.  It is worth it.  Andrew and I "workout" 6 days a week.  Walking, biking etc.  Learning to eat the right foods and exercising has really made a difference in my life.  Hitting 40 and feeling better than I have in years is amazing.  For vacation this year my son chose to go hiking.  Now 40 pounds ago I would have vetoed that whole idea, but when he suggested it this year I was really excited.  As the day approaches I am looking forward to it.  Not only are we hiking, but we are going to be hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.  Well since I have been REALLY bad at maintaining this blog, here are a few pics from along my weight loss journey. I lost 4 clothing sizes that feels REALLY good.  Like I mentioned before there is still A LOT more to come off, but I am doing it the right way and feel great.

So the pictures are - December 2009, June 19th, 2010 - my 40th B day party - taking jello shots, and July 4th, 2010.  Ok yes was playing beer pong on the 4th.  Gotta show those young kids how it is done!  Still working on eliminating the whole DOUBLE chin thing, but alas Rome was not built in a day.  One more of me today!

Sorry not the best pic - was taken with my phone at work! LOL

So I have another recipe and it is great for all you working Mommy's out there.

Rotisserie Chicken, Garlic Spinach, and pasta

Take one rot. chicken - cube or slice the white meat

Cook Whole Wheat pasta - I used penne

Saute garlic in a small amount of olive oil

Saute Fresh Sliced Spinach with the garlic

Toss all ingredients along with Parmesan cheese. 

Really quick and YUMMY!  My son ate 2 bowls.

 

{Weight Loss Journey}

So I began this journey, I will call it, on January 2nd.  I call it a journey because the word diet means short lived.  I have tried all sorts of diets and gimmicks, but alas my ASS is still way too big.  Well I researched many new ways to eat and decided I would try the Sugar Busters method.  Now this way of eating is really for people with diabetis, but the way of eating just made sense to me.  My jump start was a New Years Day party at my parents' home.  All of my family was there and at the end of a LONG week filled with FOOD, FOOD, and more FOOD, we were all feeling puffy!  So it began, the family biggest loser contest.  Well we all got weighed in.  I honestly could not believe how much I was at!  If my family was not around I would have cried.  Now I would not allow anyone to see my number.  I folded my paper up and put it in the bag with the rest.  They were to be hidden until Easter Sunday when we would all meet again and see who had lost the biggest percentage.  So began my journey and I was taking my husband and son along for the ride.  No more special diet cooking for just me while they ate all the carbs and sweets they wanted.  I needed full support and they were on board.  Well this photo (bad one) was taken of hubby and I in November for our Anniversary.  Now I am NOT one for loving my photo being taken, but this one really was GROSS!, but that did not jump start my journey as you can tell it took 2 more months.

 Notice how I try to hide my double chins by leaning on hubby's shoulder.  LOL did not work.  Well I am happy to say that eating healthy and DAILY exercise, you mean you can't sit on your booty and lose weight, has really paid off.  The weigh in went like this - I lost the %, but also lost 27lbs! 

As of today's post I am down 30lbs and feel great.  I want to lose MORE, but I am going the slow, 2 lbs. per week on average, boat.  So this blog is going to be my outlet for dieting and crafting.  Follow me along my journey.  If you want to join me subscribe to the blog and leave a comment and we can go on the journey together.  I will post recipes and photos along the way.  My boys are doing great as well.  Hubby is down over 20lbs. as well.  I will post before and after of him as well.  My son has slimmed out too, and is as cute as ever!  Sorry for the poor pics, both from my phone.  I will get better ones and post them.

Here is my first recipe post that my whole family enjoys.

Turkey Chili

1 lb. ground white meat turkey

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 onion - chopped

1 red pepper - chopped

1 can white northern beans

1 can tomato sauce (look for low sugar)

smoked paprika

cumin

salt

pepper

Sautee: onions and peppers in 1 tsp olive oil, season with spices

add turkey meat and brown - reseason without all spices, except salt

stir in tomatoes and sauce and simmer for 10 minutes

add beans and simmer for another 10 mins.

Serve over brown rice and add salad

I only eat rice or whole wheat pasta 2 times a week so this is a special meal in my house!! :)  I hope you enjoy!  Let me know if you try it. 

{Sunday Paper Crafting}

Today I just needed to get crafty.  It has just been waaay to long.  So I got out some canvases that I have had for some time and went to work.  I have a thing for owls lately, incase you have not noticed.  Well I have seen so many cute ones being made I just had to use the techniques I have seen out there.  This guy was made using making memories paints on the canvas to create a sky scene.  Came out better than I thought.  I also used Hero Arts wood grain stamp to give the look of bark using clear embossing powder.  I also made some of the paper flowers that are so popular right now.  They are too stinkin cute.  I filled the centers with dew drops and made the belly out of flowers.  I had seen this technique used by Cindy Tobey in the CK Magazine and thought it was super cute.  Well all in all I loved making it and can not wait to hang it up in my office tomorrow. 

I have also been on a mission to get healthy and fit by 40!  Which is coming up very quickly.  I started on my journey, January 2, 2010 and so far have lost 19lbs as of today.  If I get brave enough I will post some before and after pictures! 

{You are looking at a new Ippity Rep}

I am so excited that i am now signed up to be an Ippity Stamp rep for Unity stamps.  My first order should arrive soon and when it does keep a look out for a gallery of ideas, classes, and stamps for purchase.  Contact me if you have any questions.  I have a separate blog for the Ippity Stamps, click here for the link.  I am really looking forward to getting back into crafting and card making.