07.20.11
Wish I could claim this idea for my own, but alas, the crux of it was someone else’s. Still, this is my take on a mini tiara, all tricked out steampunk style, to go with the Westwood Anglomania shoes I posted about yesterday.
It features an actual vintage keyhole escutcheon, other hardware, and clock parts, all of which were in my studio stash here at So Charmed World HQ. As a tiara, it’s designed to tie around the head. Stays on really beautifully and looks so damn cool if I do say.
I also decorated one of my mini black top hats with some ribbon and tull, and the tiara can be tied around the front.
I have a few more of these tiaras planned; it was really fun to put together.
Subject: Blog, They Call It Work | 3 Comments »
07.19.11
You guys miss my shoe postings don’t you??
Well. I ordered these divine Vivienne Westwood shoes from Zappos to go with a killer vintage 40’s dress I’m wearing to a wedding in the fall and they arrived today. They are just fab! Vegan, with a rich, weird plastic smell for you PVC freaks out there, darling heart-buckle, and a walkable heel, due to the front platform. LOVE them, and the price was right. They also come in a peachy pink shade that is not my thing, but may be yours.
Here is the other pair I’m LUSTING for… very, um, Alice Goes Clubbing, no? These also come in an eye-blistering hot pink/purple color but I prefer the demure blue/gray. Note: This entire line of “Melissa” shoes are molded plastic!
Here’s my pair with their cute little Anglomania box. Ms. Westwood’s orb logo is all over the interior footbed etc. I know that’s important to you! Grab ’em quick, and if you get the Alice ones don’t tell me or I shall die of jealousy. Beeyatch!
Subject: Blog, I Heart Shopping | No Comments »
07.14.11
I posted this photo to Facebook this morning and a friend asked: Jodi, how do you stay so young [looking]? I tossed off a quick facebooky answer but have been thinking about this excellent question all morning. First of all: I’m as old as the rest of you! I have wrinkles and lines, and a chicken waddle that makes me wish I liked turtlenecks (HATE them). My metabolism is sluggish, my joints ache, I go to bed way too early, &tc, &tc. All of that established, here is a more thoughtful answer (and this is really personal, not a prescription… this is sort of me talking to me, if you will), and it really has nothing to do with putting a lot of weird colors in one’s hair, although that can be a fun diversion, no doubt. In no particular order:
1. Learn something every single day.
2. Have sadness, anger, frustration, grief but don’t let them have you.
3. Break a sweat, daily if possible and stay hydrated.
4. Vegetarianism and foods as close to their natural state as possible. Favorite pleasure/junk food(s) occasionally!
5. Rock ‘n roll music (or insert your choice of tunes here).
6. Forgive your parents, your ex’s, your kids and YOURSELF. And I mean really forgive, no matter what. This does NOT mean condone.
7. Be an expert at: Looking backward, treading water, moving forward. Cycle thru each mode many times daily.
8. Gratitude. For every little thing and every big thing. Freedom. Fresh food. Choices. Toothpaste. Loved ones.
9. Face cream, a good haircut, good dentistry.
10. Wear something a little outside your comfort zone, stylistically.
11. Choose your life every day and take full-on responsibility for the results you are (or are not) producing.
12. Have a young person in your life. Respect that they may well be smarter than you’ll ever be. Listen to their music when they offer, even if you don’t like it much. Ask them for fashion advice but don’t always heed.
13. Ask for help when you need it and find an expert. Give help when asked.
14. Have no expectations and thus, no disappointments. And, good luck with this!
15. Fail. Try again. Repeat.
16. Be the best and the worst at something (anything) and laugh at yourself for both.
17. Laugh. If you can’t make yourself laugh, surround yourself with very funny people.
18. Be high-tech and low-tech.
19. Fall in love with a cat, dog, horse, cow, chicken. Spend time daily adoring this creature and spend at least a few of those minutes really trying to see the world through their eyes.
20. Go outside. Notice things. A bug. A building. Shift your focus between large and small.
21. Try a week of saying yes to everything you are asked of others. If you can’t say yes, renegotiate so that the other person is satisfied.
22. Fight the good fight, and don’t let it make you old. Let it keep you young.
23. Even during the worst day, find joy in something(s). If you can’t, make sure you do so tomorrow, non-negotiable.
24. Consider harmlessness.
25. Be childish, once daily at least but NOT when you should be being adult!
26. Realize that some of these ideas might become part of your life immediately, others take a lifetime to master. Fall off the wagon and jump back on.
26. Excellent posture! No slouching or hunching. Shoulders back, open your heart to the world!
28. Open heart, open mind.
Anything you want to add? Please do! I’d love to know what keeps YOU young.
Subject: Blog, Uncategorizable | 3 Comments »
07.13.11
Oddly, I seem to be on a Mediterranean kick this week, even though the theme of this post is variety… especially regarding salads. I’m the only one in our family of 3 eating this way, and I just can’t get to the grocery more than once per week. This leaves me combining some of the same things in different ways in order to not be tossing out piles of rotten veggies, yet I don’t get bored if I vary it enough.
Today’s lunch salad seems easy enough right? But the secret to making this especially flavorful and not just your lettuce/tomato kinda thing is the addition of two ingredients. First, feta cheese, allowed on Phase one, and so tangy and yummy. Keep a variety of cheeses on hand, always buying low fat if available. Second, chick peas, canned variety, which will last pretty long in their packing juice in your fridge. Chick peas add a different texture AND, very importantly, another boost of protein.
Of course there are endless varieties with this… add some sliced black olives (sorry, I hate them) or some sliced veggie pepperoni (YUM!). Try arugula (you can buy it washed and bagged now) or fresh spinach. Anything goes, just try to consider complimentary ingredients and remember that variety is really key. Mix it up to dazzle your tastebuds.
I like to keep several bottles of tasty low-fat olive oil-based dressings on hand for variety’s sake too. Don’t forget the fresh ground pepper! Bon appetite!
Subject: Blog, Uncategorizable | 3 Comments »
07.12.11
This is my second time using the South Beach Diet as a vegetarian, and I’m feeling so great about it that I thought it’d be fun to share some ideas for success.
First of all, don’t let the name fool ya. I know, they all say this, but SB is less a diet and more a way to eat. I think it is about the best, most healthful, practical, delicious and easiest way to go to lose a little or a lot of weight, and to keep it off. If you are not familiar with this system, buy the book and READ it. There’s a bit of a learning curve, but the more info you have, the better. The main take away is: maintaining a MUCH more even blood sugar level. And how this is done is by eating only the right carbs & fats, and in reasonable amounts. IE: goodbye refined, white foods.
Second, come on people… it has nothing to do with South Beach! You know me, I’d rather hang out in the Mission District in San Francisco or the East Village in NY, than South Beach in Miami… any day of the week. This is about looking good, yes, but also feeling good (make that great) and being super healthy, nutritionally.
Phase 1 of the diet itself is strict and you will eat no carbs except those found in the allowed foods. Yep, it’s tough. The first few days can be really tough. But you’ll get through it and you will lose 8-13 lbs without being hungry. This phase is designed to boost your weight loss, but even more importantly, to put an end to the cravings for blood sugar spikes produced by super high-carb refined foods. It’s only two weeks, and it is worth it.
Now, being a vegetarian is an even greater challenge to some extent and there just isn’t much out there on creatively adapting this way of eating. Welcome to this and hopefully many more posts!
My lunch today, above, was truly delicious. I’m full, satisfied and not spiking/crashing from carbs. The secret to this one is BAKING some of the vegetables so that they get a little crispy. Any sanctioned Phase 1 veg will do, I used summer squashes (green and yellow) and two different varieties of ‘shrooms, including those weird curly ones, which are DELISH!
Preheat oven to 425. Lightly spray baking pan with olive oil spray. (NOTE: the olive oil, a good fat, plays a role here, so don’t eliminate it). Slice veggies thin, about 1/16-1/8 inch. Not too thin or they’ll burn, not too thick or they’ll stay soft. Spread on pan and give a very light spray of olive oil on top of them. Sprinkle with ANY seasonings… even just salt/pepper. But also try bay seasoning, garlic salt, oregano, anything. Bake for 15-20 minutes until brown, flipping once to brown other side. Serve with chilled tomatoes and/or cukes and a nice heap of hummus (I like the Sabra brand best) and enjoy. Remember, make a nice sized serving (which at first will look like it will NEVER fill you up)… eat and wait 15 minutes to see if you really want more. You may not, but if you do, have a little more. Crispy veggies go soggy in fridge so only make what you plan to eat. NOTE: In Phase 2, toast a half of a whole wheat pita and cut into small pieces to go with your veggies. To drink: sugar free ice tea.
Even during my Phase 1, I modify to have dessert twice daily (instead of once as recommended)… and you will know if this is something that helps you be successful or helps you to fail. For me, having a little sweet taste at the end is important and doesn’t make me crave something truly evil. My downfall is more about salty/crunchy than sweet/gooey. You know best on this!
Vegetarian purists, this is Jell-O brand and I don’t *think* it’s really veg, sorry! There are veg versions of gelatin, so go for it. This is the non-fat, sugar free version in kiwi-strawberry. I keep a variety of flavors on hand during Phase 1 since I can’t have fruit. I’ve put some Cool Whip on top, also not allowed in Phase 1 but allowed in Phase 2/3. So, the dessert is really a Phase 2/3 dessert. Cool, sweet, satisfying. A small handful of fresh berries, with or without the Cool Whip, is also a choice for Phase 2 and definitely healthier than the Jell-O thing. But…. NO fruit in Phase 1.
I went from 122 to 116 in Phase 1 (two weeks–including 2 small cheats–and excluding exercise which I had to table until I started having a few carbs in Phase 2). This small, but otherwise impossible weight loss, took my BMI down toward the lower end of the normal range for my height. During Phase 2, I’d like to get to 110-112 and stick there, a very comfy weight for a short (5’1″) small-boned person like me. The interesting thing is really not so much the weight loss, but the feeling of just being leaner and firmer, without being even a little bit hungry and without missing refined carbos. More soon…
Subject: Blog, Uncategorizable | 1 Comment »
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