It was KP from the grove. Check out her awesome feathered hair and fashion statements at her blog!
As for me? I need to get off my keester (sp?) and get to scanning!
See you next week!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
FFF: KP at The Grove Rocks!
There was only one devoted, loyal FFF player this week and it wasn't even me.
It was KP from the grove. Check out her awesome feathered hair and fashion statements at her blog!
As for me? I need to get off my keester (sp?) and get to scanning!
See you next week!
It was KP from the grove. Check out her awesome feathered hair and fashion statements at her blog!
As for me? I need to get off my keester (sp?) and get to scanning!
See you next week!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Feliz Cumpleanos to Me!
32 years ago today my mom was relieved to have the giant baby elephant out of her body. That baby elephant? Was me. I was the last baby in the country to NOT be induced when over two weeks overdue. In St. Louis. In July. With no air conditioning. And she lived to tell about it!* For that alone, the woman should be nominated for some sort of lifetime achievement award.
I was due on the fourth of July. My parents planned on naming me Betsy Ross Bramstedt (my maiden name). So I waited until July 28th to make sure THAT wouldn't happen.
Ok, enough Baby Story: 1977 Edition.
What have I learned over the last year?
1. Never underestimate the ever-looming zombie threat (a special thank you to my blogger friends for that one).
2. How to properly floss my teeth. Yeah, I was doing it wrong all along. You should really ask your dentist if you are doing it right.
3. How to properly wash my hair. Again, why am I the last to know there is a right way and a wrong way!? Don't wash your HAIR, wash your scalp. And you only need a wee little amount and not the handful of shampoo I was using before.
4. I have learned many lessons in humility. Ugh. Too many to delve into here.
5. The Book of Esther. I never got into it before this past year when I spent twelve weeks studying it. "God" is never actually mentioned in it .... ah, yes grasshopper, but God is written all over it.
6. My New Year's resolutions NEVER last all the way to my birthday.
7. Ten pounds: gone are the days of easy on, easy off - and here are the days of easy on and get-on-your-knees-and-pray-about-getting-it-off, ever.
This is boring. Here is a picture of my new hair do. Taken in the ten minutes I had between leaving the salon and meeting hubs and his fam for dinner. So, it will never look this good again.
Here's another bit of info I learned this year. Don't go out into the sun and water (pool or beach) for a week after you have your highlights done. BUT you can put conditioner with UV protection on your hair and then cover it, like this:
But leave your sunglasses on or else you might be compared to a cancer patient - especially since you waxed off half of your eye brow. I'm not talking about you anymore.... :-(
That pretty much sums up my 31st year - now concluded.
*I have heard about it from her many many many many many times
I was due on the fourth of July. My parents planned on naming me Betsy Ross Bramstedt (my maiden name). So I waited until July 28th to make sure THAT wouldn't happen.
Ok, enough Baby Story: 1977 Edition.
What have I learned over the last year?
1. Never underestimate the ever-looming zombie threat (a special thank you to my blogger friends for that one).
2. How to properly floss my teeth. Yeah, I was doing it wrong all along. You should really ask your dentist if you are doing it right.
3. How to properly wash my hair. Again, why am I the last to know there is a right way and a wrong way!? Don't wash your HAIR, wash your scalp. And you only need a wee little amount and not the handful of shampoo I was using before.
4. I have learned many lessons in humility. Ugh. Too many to delve into here.
5. The Book of Esther. I never got into it before this past year when I spent twelve weeks studying it. "God" is never actually mentioned in it .... ah, yes grasshopper, but God is written all over it.
6. My New Year's resolutions NEVER last all the way to my birthday.
7. Ten pounds: gone are the days of easy on, easy off - and here are the days of easy on and get-on-your-knees-and-pray-about-getting-it-off, ever.
This is boring. Here is a picture of my new hair do. Taken in the ten minutes I had between leaving the salon and meeting hubs and his fam for dinner. So, it will never look this good again.
Here's another bit of info I learned this year. Don't go out into the sun and water (pool or beach) for a week after you have your highlights done. BUT you can put conditioner with UV protection on your hair and then cover it, like this:
But leave your sunglasses on or else you might be compared to a cancer patient - especially since you waxed off half of your eye brow. I'm not talking about you anymore.... :-(That pretty much sums up my 31st year - now concluded.
*I have heard about it from her many many many many many times
Saturday, July 25, 2009
yoga, running and friends
The yoga studio I teach at hosted an open house to draw more clients. The night before we had a cleaning party at the studio...
the daughter of another instructor organizing cd's
cleaning the mirrors
Jason keeping track of the yoga mats
Ethan keeping Jason entertained
a rare sighting: my boys being quiet and good
--------------------------------------------
At the open house, there was a professional photographer - these pictures used with permission from the amazing Aieesa.
Gabriel and I in tree
one of my favorites, side plank (by the way, this picture has inspired me to work out my upper body with hubs bc he pushes me harder and by the looks of that arm flab, i need a drill Sargent)
studio owner, world's favorite boss and one of my BFF's: Primrose and I in tree
Nelum Yoga studio instructors
a mini-class demonstration
----------------------------------------------
the daughter of another instructor organizing cd's
cleaning the mirrors
Jason keeping track of the yoga mats
Ethan keeping Jason entertained
a rare sighting: my boys being quiet and good--------------------------------------------
At the open house, there was a professional photographer - these pictures used with permission from the amazing Aieesa.
Gabriel and I in tree
one of my favorites, side plank (by the way, this picture has inspired me to work out my upper body with hubs bc he pushes me harder and by the looks of that arm flab, i need a drill Sargent)
studio owner, world's favorite boss and one of my BFF's: Primrose and I in tree
Nelum Yoga studio instructors
a mini-class demonstration----------------------------------------------
In related news, I ran my yearly 5k race. In the four years we have lived in TX, this is my third year running in this particular race. This year, I drug Beth out with me (running mate extraordinaire and another BFF to bless my life). She won overall for the women (because she is like a gazelle!) and I won my division.
This race also marks my respite from outdoor running. From now until the weather chills out (get it, chills out? hahahaha) I will be found at the gym, probably on the elliptical - maybe the bikes, who knows? We'll see what tickles my fancy that day. Anyway, I've had it with waking up while its still dark, trying to beat the rising sun like a vampire and still feeling suffocated by the heat and humidity.
What sort of fitness are you into now?
What sort of fitness are you into now?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
FFF: Rebel
Funky Foto Flashback strikes again!
I know you want to play. So why don't you?
Simply post your vintage pic and link up in the comments! It couldn't BE any easier!
circa: 1982Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Hiking in Government Canyon
Here is B fishing a rock out of Gabriel's boot.
my little lone hiker - too cool to hike with his mom and dad
i can't decide which pic i like better
Ethan is normally a good little hiker but on this particular day the oppressive (104 degree) heat defeated him.
As much as I wanted to say, "NO! You may not have my water because i'm the chump that ended up carrying you through this blasted canyon!" I didn't. I let him have all of my water and then passed out in the car. Not really. But I was parched for sure. Besides, see that smile on my face? I guess I was happy he needed me for something.Monday, July 20, 2009
Gabe Gabe Bo Babe
Why I love Having Kids: Reason #554 - they fetch tp
Normally, we would leave the house for the Dr. office with him kicking and screaming (literally) and I would have to hold him down to put on his seat belt and then it takes a couple of people of calm him and hold him down during his shots. Last week, it was a lot easier. Last week, I didn't drag him to the car, he got in voluntarily and buckled up and casually mentioned that he didn't like shots. In fact, I had to talk to the lady about the bill (whoa! the cost of keeping your kid alive is outrageous! worth it - but outrageous) and glanced over to see him sitting in the lab patiently waiting for his shot. So I snapped this while he wasn't looking. Not even one tear was shed.
He is so scared of shots. I am talking deep, deep fear beyond any reasoning. This child gets so many wounds from rough housing with his brother and playing on his bike; wounds that would make even me cry. With the worst inflictions, he is brave, he puffs up his chest and says that he's strong like a daddy and that doesn't hurt. But a couple of little bitty shots at the Dr. and he goes berserk. But its getting better. He's getting used to it.
Chicago Style Hot Dog Night at my house. We polished off a jar of pickles. I was doing the dishes. Everyone else was off doing their own things. Except Gabriel who, when I turned back toward the table to wipe it down, I saw this.
We really polished off a jar of pickles!
Ok, so back to the subject of health care...
Do they charge so much for health care because they can? Do they do it because they know we will pay for it because we would rather be alive than broke? Are they taking advantage of the old adage: you can't put a price on life? Just mixing the antigens is $1600!!! Of course that's before the insurance pays some of it but still - its enough to make me want to move to Alaska.
Normally, we would leave the house for the Dr. office with him kicking and screaming (literally) and I would have to hold him down to put on his seat belt and then it takes a couple of people of calm him and hold him down during his shots. Last week, it was a lot easier. Last week, I didn't drag him to the car, he got in voluntarily and buckled up and casually mentioned that he didn't like shots. In fact, I had to talk to the lady about the bill (whoa! the cost of keeping your kid alive is outrageous! worth it - but outrageous) and glanced over to see him sitting in the lab patiently waiting for his shot. So I snapped this while he wasn't looking. Not even one tear was shed.
He is so scared of shots. I am talking deep, deep fear beyond any reasoning. This child gets so many wounds from rough housing with his brother and playing on his bike; wounds that would make even me cry. With the worst inflictions, he is brave, he puffs up his chest and says that he's strong like a daddy and that doesn't hurt. But a couple of little bitty shots at the Dr. and he goes berserk. But its getting better. He's getting used to it.
Chicago Style Hot Dog Night at my house. We polished off a jar of pickles. I was doing the dishes. Everyone else was off doing their own things. Except Gabriel who, when I turned back toward the table to wipe it down, I saw this.
We really polished off a jar of pickles!
Ok, so back to the subject of health care...
Do they charge so much for health care because they can? Do they do it because they know we will pay for it because we would rather be alive than broke? Are they taking advantage of the old adage: you can't put a price on life? Just mixing the antigens is $1600!!! Of course that's before the insurance pays some of it but still - its enough to make me want to move to Alaska.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
We got some rain!
Hurray! At last! The aquafier is still low but look here...
Before the rain:
After the rain:
Those pics were taken in the same spot, you can see how the cracks in the soil are a little smaller. You can also see how brown our grass is - also, it is really splotchy like this picture shows. Its like an old man but instead of the thinning, receding hairline going gray, it goes brown.
More rain please!
Before the rain:
After the rain:
Those pics were taken in the same spot, you can see how the cracks in the soil are a little smaller. You can also see how brown our grass is - also, it is really splotchy like this picture shows. Its like an old man but instead of the thinning, receding hairline going gray, it goes brown.
More rain please!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
when its 105 degrees, you swim
its hot.
really really hot.
do you want to hear me complain about it?
no? really? hmm...
how about swimming pictures?
aimee invited us over for a swim while ryan was at work. later, he came home and then brandon came over and we ended up grilling and staying until midnight -the kids were still awake when we left. little party animals - who do they get that from? their mom or dad?
ethan and i - chillin' in ryan's pool.
gabriel gearing up to dive - so is duke.
this picture was really blown out. i adjusted the curves and then decided i liked it all exaggerated. any PS geeks have an opinion on curves?
duke dives in after gabriel
duke and gabriel swimming
dragging the pool cleaner around - naughty dog
there was some football action too
really really hot.
do you want to hear me complain about it?
no? really? hmm...
how about swimming pictures?
aimee invited us over for a swim while ryan was at work. later, he came home and then brandon came over and we ended up grilling and staying until midnight -the kids were still awake when we left. little party animals - who do they get that from? their mom or dad?
ethan and i - chillin' in ryan's pool.
gabriel gearing up to dive - so is duke.
this picture was really blown out. i adjusted the curves and then decided i liked it all exaggerated. any PS geeks have an opinion on curves?
duke dives in after gabriel
duke and gabriel swimming
dragging the pool cleaner around - naughty dog
there was some football action tooThursday, July 16, 2009
FFF: Strikes Back!
Welcome back to Funky Foto Flashback! After we had that long week off, I'm ready for self-deprecating humor; how about you?
New to FFF? Here's what we do:
1. you post a funky, vintage, retro pic on your blog
2. you comment on this blog post and i will link you up so we can all see your wicked mall hair from the eighties or your parachute pants (which are still cool, by the way).
Its easy, its fun, you will love. Grab the button from the side bar and play along!
circa: 1986-ishCarlyle Lake
Don't you love my Sylvester the Cat inner tube? I was the cat's meow!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
and our first player rolls in!
Lisa at the Bates Family
Monday, July 13, 2009
the story
hello to all of my blogging friends, all 6 of you.
just want to let you all know that i have missed you guys. i don't feel like blogging and i know most of you don't either. maybe blogging is a winter activity? the stars are just not aligned for us to release our creative forces upon the blogosphere. i'm sure we will all get back in the game with tons of new material to share - sooner or later.
here's a touching song for you to enjoy in the meantime.
just want to let you all know that i have missed you guys. i don't feel like blogging and i know most of you don't either. maybe blogging is a winter activity? the stars are just not aligned for us to release our creative forces upon the blogosphere. i'm sure we will all get back in the game with tons of new material to share - sooner or later.
here's a touching song for you to enjoy in the meantime.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Funky Foto Flashback Fail (otherwise known as F-to the 4th power)
So, here we are at 10:07 pm and I have only just now realized that today is Thursday! Its Funky Foto Flashback day! How did I let it sneak past me? Must be more of that summer time funk that has been stealing the mojo of all my bloggy friends - and some of my real life friends.
This might have been a blunder - but we are on for next week.
This might have been a blunder - but we are on for next week.
He Loves Us
This video was on my friend, Nadine's, site. It is so powerful and so moving, I felt that I had to post it here too.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
HASAY: the good bad, the bad and the chubby
HASAY: a corner of Casey's blog (she's a rock star by the way) for those of us with the i-have-to-wear-a-bikini-blues.
Let's get straight to the depressing point: Despite my efforts, I managed to gain 2 pounds! ARGH! You might try to console me and suggest this is muscle weight - its not, I assure you. If it were, my clothes might fit better. That's how I know.
The good news is that I visited my Dr. and got a script for Zoloft. So after I spend the next several weeks weening off of Paxil and stepping up on Zoloft, I should start losing weight. Theoretically.
My BFF in the STL and I were having a vibrant discussion about food. She mentioned that McDippers were pointless if you ate the caramel. I said I could go for a tube of caramel to pour down my gullet about now. She went on, ignoring my obvious cries for help, to say there a lot of ways to ruin perfectly healthy food. We talked at length about salad dressing.
I like salad dressing to be in the background. It must accentuate the salad, show it off - if you will. My hubs likes his dressing to be the star. In other words, my salad dressing is The Pips, his salad dressing is Gladys Knight.
Speaking of food preferences, and since I was on my way to pick up Papa Murphy's Pizza, I asked my BFF if she preferred thin crust or thick crust (and I am appalled that in approx. 32 years, I don't already know this). She said, "Can a mother choose between her children? I love them both equally."
This conversation goes down for the books.
What are your thoughts?
I have a new obsession (not that I don't love stalking you or anything) and its sparkpeople.com - this site is the bees knees. For real, people. So, you put in your height, weight, age, weight loss goal and time frame for said goal. It tells you how much to exercise and consume to achieve this goal. Not only does it calculate your calorie range for each day, it calculates your protein, fat and carbs for each day as well. And then there are tons of message boards, articles, polls, quizzes, all the good stuff that comprises a top notch website. I have known and studied all this stuff for my entire adult life but it takes on a whole new meaning when I apply it to myself. I feel like I have a great new perspective for all of my yoga and pilates students who are on the weight loss train.
My calorie range for each day is 1250-1500. Not bad. I eat 6 times a day. One day last week after my 5th meal I entered my food and found out that I had only consumed 1230 calories. Wow! I sat in front of the laptop considering all the delicous opportunities for my last meal - the nighttime snack. Brandon, Simon and I were watching So I Married An Axe Murderer and I sat down with the motherload of healthy snacking: 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt, 1/2 c sliced strawberries, 1/4 c blueberries, 1/2 c fresh cherries and the pies de resistance 1/4 c pistachios. Mmmmm..... Then along came Brandon - plopping ever so nonchalantly beside me with a bowl full of strawberries and a jar of Nutella.
First, he cut the top off the strawberry, then he filled it with Nutella and topped it off with a little nutella cap. Then he leaned over to me, strawberry in my face, and said, "you want this?" And I scoffed at him, "no. I'm fine, thankyouverymuch." He held it there, locked eyes with me and smirked as though he were reading my mind. Do I want that? of course I want that? I want to eat that until I am licking the Nutella off the sides of a nearly empty jar! I'm sorry people. I'm a crack whore - er, I mean, a Nutella whore. I gave in. What can I say? I'm weak.
When I entered my final meal in sparkpeople I came out at 1650 for the day. And thus began my evening of self-loathing. That's life in a house of Costco sized Nutella jars. I must remain vigilant!
If you have been hanging in there for this entire post - you deserve a reward! Leave your name and address in the comment field and I'll mail you your own jar of Nutella - straight from my own stash (this offer only good in N. America and only applies to my already established readers - all 6 of them - you know who you are. All that to say, if you are some random stranger googling 'free nutella' - i won't send it to you - not that i don't want to, its just too much for a poor little chubby yoga instructor like myself to do.)
Let's get straight to the depressing point: Despite my efforts, I managed to gain 2 pounds! ARGH! You might try to console me and suggest this is muscle weight - its not, I assure you. If it were, my clothes might fit better. That's how I know.
The good news is that I visited my Dr. and got a script for Zoloft. So after I spend the next several weeks weening off of Paxil and stepping up on Zoloft, I should start losing weight. Theoretically.
My BFF in the STL and I were having a vibrant discussion about food. She mentioned that McDippers were pointless if you ate the caramel. I said I could go for a tube of caramel to pour down my gullet about now. She went on, ignoring my obvious cries for help, to say there a lot of ways to ruin perfectly healthy food. We talked at length about salad dressing.
I like salad dressing to be in the background. It must accentuate the salad, show it off - if you will. My hubs likes his dressing to be the star. In other words, my salad dressing is The Pips, his salad dressing is Gladys Knight.
Speaking of food preferences, and since I was on my way to pick up Papa Murphy's Pizza, I asked my BFF if she preferred thin crust or thick crust (and I am appalled that in approx. 32 years, I don't already know this). She said, "Can a mother choose between her children? I love them both equally."
This conversation goes down for the books.
What are your thoughts?
I have a new obsession (not that I don't love stalking you or anything) and its sparkpeople.com - this site is the bees knees. For real, people. So, you put in your height, weight, age, weight loss goal and time frame for said goal. It tells you how much to exercise and consume to achieve this goal. Not only does it calculate your calorie range for each day, it calculates your protein, fat and carbs for each day as well. And then there are tons of message boards, articles, polls, quizzes, all the good stuff that comprises a top notch website. I have known and studied all this stuff for my entire adult life but it takes on a whole new meaning when I apply it to myself. I feel like I have a great new perspective for all of my yoga and pilates students who are on the weight loss train.
My calorie range for each day is 1250-1500. Not bad. I eat 6 times a day. One day last week after my 5th meal I entered my food and found out that I had only consumed 1230 calories. Wow! I sat in front of the laptop considering all the delicous opportunities for my last meal - the nighttime snack. Brandon, Simon and I were watching So I Married An Axe Murderer and I sat down with the motherload of healthy snacking: 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt, 1/2 c sliced strawberries, 1/4 c blueberries, 1/2 c fresh cherries and the pies de resistance 1/4 c pistachios. Mmmmm..... Then along came Brandon - plopping ever so nonchalantly beside me with a bowl full of strawberries and a jar of Nutella.
First, he cut the top off the strawberry, then he filled it with Nutella and topped it off with a little nutella cap. Then he leaned over to me, strawberry in my face, and said, "you want this?" And I scoffed at him, "no. I'm fine, thankyouverymuch." He held it there, locked eyes with me and smirked as though he were reading my mind. Do I want that? of course I want that? I want to eat that until I am licking the Nutella off the sides of a nearly empty jar! I'm sorry people. I'm a crack whore - er, I mean, a Nutella whore. I gave in. What can I say? I'm weak.
When I entered my final meal in sparkpeople I came out at 1650 for the day. And thus began my evening of self-loathing. That's life in a house of Costco sized Nutella jars. I must remain vigilant!
If you have been hanging in there for this entire post - you deserve a reward! Leave your name and address in the comment field and I'll mail you your own jar of Nutella - straight from my own stash (this offer only good in N. America and only applies to my already established readers - all 6 of them - you know who you are. All that to say, if you are some random stranger googling 'free nutella' - i won't send it to you - not that i don't want to, its just too much for a poor little chubby yoga instructor like myself to do.)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
FFF: Bowl Haircut
Hi there! I know, I am late to my own party today. What can I say?
This is Funky Foto Flashback! The game where we all dig into our pasts and pull out some funny / embarrassing photos to parade around the internet. The more embarrassing, the better.
me, circa: 1984I think this one speaks for itself.
----------------------------------------
Here's who has played today!
Casey at HAGAY
Ginny Marie at Lemon Drop Pie
What are you waiting for? Play along and leave your link in the comment!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Cute Kids (ok, they're mine ... mostly) - and wordless wednesday
Primrose and I were out running errands and shopping. We had to stop by the yoga studio for a bit and jason struck a cobra pose.
We managed to get Gabriel and Ethan to hang with Jason.
Last week was our house church's VBS at my MIL and FIL's backyard. I caught a few cute shots of our kids.
I had some more pics but some kids were brought over from a home for children who have been removed from their homes by the state for either abuse or neglect. Those kids are in a lot of my pictures and for their safety, I am prohibited to post those pics. I can do that ... for the children. But don't think that you will be so lucky!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST .... WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!
We managed to get Gabriel and Ethan to hang with Jason.
Last week was our house church's VBS at my MIL and FIL's backyard. I caught a few cute shots of our kids.
I had some more pics but some kids were brought over from a home for children who have been removed from their homes by the state for either abuse or neglect. Those kids are in a lot of my pictures and for their safety, I am prohibited to post those pics. I can do that ... for the children. But don't think that you will be so lucky!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAST BUT NOT LEAST .... WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!
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