I started playing The Game On! Diet today.
The next four weeks should be...
interesting.
The one aspect of the game I'm most worried about is the food plan (so many rules!).
So, I've been searching for recipes that satisfy the (seriously, so many!) requirements, and I found this recipe for Honey Nut Granola.
Ingredients (I cut these in half it was still a lot):
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 300F
- In a large bowl, stir oats, nuts and sunflower kernels together.
- In a separate bowl, mix together oil, honey, vanilla and cinnamon.
- Add to dry ingredients; mix well.
- Spread mixture onto two ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake in preheated oven, for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and stir
- Return to oven and bake until golden, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before storing.
With a palm-sized portion (?) of greek yogurt (protein), the oats (carbs) and nuts (fat) make one fully-sanctioned Game On meal.
Whew! (Only 4 more to go!)
Monday, May 28, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
My Backyard
Not literally.
But, Fort Tryon Park is right across the street.
The Heather Garden is gorgeous in the spring...
But, Fort Tryon Park is right across the street.
The Heather Garden is gorgeous in the spring...
Fort Tryon Park is also home to The Cloisters, the Medieval branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, built in part from portions of four cloisters from the South of France...
The reconstructed 12th century chapter house from
Notre-Dame-de-Pontaut.
 |
| I could use some magic plants... |
A statue of the Standing Virgin and Child from the 14th century.
 |
As nice as this is, I'm actually thinking about trading in that backyard, for this backyard...
Not bad.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
2nd Annual April in Austin
Oh yes, this is officially (hopefully!) becoming an annual event.
This year's trip was very similar to last year...
We arrived on Thursday night, just in time for "Traditional Interior Mexican Cuisine" (and, of course, Mexican Martinis) at Curra's Grill...
Afterwards, we walked along South Congress, stopping briefly in Big Top Candy...
then splitting some Mac & Cheese and a Good Seed Hemp Burger (it's good!) at Snack Bar.
On Saturday, after a brief detour to the flea market that wasn't, we found the Austin Antique Mall, which was perfect!
When we finished there (about 3 hours later!), it was time to head to Driftwood, for the Combo Plate at The Salt Lick BBQ...
And, the Old Settler's Music Festival...
(like, a beginning bluegrass banjo DVD, for example).
Greensky Bluegrass was there again...
And, the act we really wanted to see (Bob Schneider), actually showed up!
Can't wait until next year!
Who wants to go with me???
This year's trip was very similar to last year...
We arrived on Thursday night, just in time for "Traditional Interior Mexican Cuisine" (and, of course, Mexican Martinis) at Curra's Grill...
 |
| Carnitas Tacos |
We spent the entire next day shopping at some of Austin's many vintage shops, starting on South Congress, where I found this maxi dress at Feathers Boutique.
Later, after a quick lunch at El Mercado on South 1st Street, we went to Amelia's Retro-Vogue & Relics, where I found this lovely jacket from the 40's...
and this cute necklace...
 |
| I love the light blue. |
And finally, I found this dress...
 |
| black & gold! |
and this necklace...
 |
| Estee Lauder Youth Dew perfume locket |
at Lovely Austin (which really is lovely).
That night, we were on the South Congress Bridge, once again waiting for the bats.
Afterwards, we walked along South Congress, stopping briefly in Big Top Candy...
 |
| Spam Mints? Uh, no thanks. |
then splitting some Mac & Cheese and a Good Seed Hemp Burger (it's good!) at Snack Bar.
On Saturday, after a brief detour to the flea market that wasn't, we found the Austin Antique Mall, which was perfect!
When we finished there (about 3 hours later!), it was time to head to Driftwood, for the Combo Plate at The Salt Lick BBQ...
And, the Old Settler's Music Festival...
 |
| A typical fan |
You can buy an instrument (if feeling inspired)...
or, just a little help with an instrument you already have...
Greensky Bluegrass was there again...
And, the act we really wanted to see (Bob Schneider), actually showed up!
My favorite Bob Schneider song...
Who wants to go with me???
Friday, May 18, 2012
May Flowers
Years ago, one of my favorite outfits was a cute little black and white floral skirt from the Gap, with a red t-shirt.
I love that combination.
(And so, apparently, does The Sartorialist...)
I still have the skirt. But, it's still "little", and I'm, ummm, really not anymore.
But I loved it so much, I saved it.
(You know, just in case...)
Then I was flipping through the skirt rack at the Goodwill near my friend's house in Shrub Oak, NY last weekend, and there it was - a cute, not-quite-as-little, black and white floral skirt from the Gap.
And that little green tag?
That means it was $4.99.
And, it's perfect for this month's "May Flowers" Goodwill Hunting challenge!
(I probably should've gotten a red shirt while I was there too...)
Next month: Summer Lovin' (June 20 is the official start of summer!)
Until then, go see what lovely "May Flowers" my friend at Lemons & Chambray found!
I love that combination.
(And so, apparently, does The Sartorialist...)
I still have the skirt. But, it's still "little", and I'm, ummm, really not anymore.
But I loved it so much, I saved it.
(You know, just in case...)
Then I was flipping through the skirt rack at the Goodwill near my friend's house in Shrub Oak, NY last weekend, and there it was - a cute, not-quite-as-little, black and white floral skirt from the Gap.
And that little green tag?
That means it was $4.99.
And, it's perfect for this month's "May Flowers" Goodwill Hunting challenge!
(I probably should've gotten a red shirt while I was there too...)
Next month: Summer Lovin' (June 20 is the official start of summer!)
Until then, go see what lovely "May Flowers" my friend at Lemons & Chambray found!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Small & Cheap (and Light!) - Brimfield 2012
It's been 2 years since my last trip to the Brimfield Antique Show in Brimfield, Massachusetts.
This year, we arrived around 2 pm on Friday, and headed straight to the show...
We wandered around for about 4 hours, until the vendors started packing up for the night.
Then we headed to Admiral T.J. O'Brien's for dinner. When we were seated at the same table as the last trip, we decided this has to be an annual event!
The next day, we were back at the show by 10 am. After another 4 hours, we were exhausted and broke, and decided (sadly) that it was time to head home.
But, we left far from empty handed...
I only paid $3 for this marmalade jar. (I saw an identical jar in another booth for $48!)
The vendor had two of these lamps, marked $30 each. Kris saw them first, but I liked them too.
There was a sign in his booth saying "prices highlighted in yellow are half off", so I told him I needed to borrow his highlighter! He laughed and said I could have both for $30!
It worked!!!
Now, Kris has one and I have one.
(Perfect!)
I love old aprons.
(I never use them, though, because I don't want them to get dirty!)
I loved the colors and pattern on this, but wasn't sure if I liked the style. So, I put it back.
After a few minutes, though, I panicked! What had I done?!? I loved that apron!
So, I ran around in circles for a while, trying to find the right booth.
Luckily, it was still there!
And finally...
Istole this idea was inspired by the girls at A Beautiful Mess.
I needed more storage in the bathroom, and thought these boxes would be perfect.
They were originally $30 ($18 for the big one, and $12 for the small), but the vendor said I could have them both for $15.
But, after I broke the lid to a lovely glass jar (asking price $20), possibly chipping the statue I dropped it on (asking price $45), I handed her $20 and ran.
After that, it really was time to go.
There are 2 more shows this year - July and September.
Very tempting...
This year, we arrived around 2 pm on Friday, and headed straight to the show...
I love these. It was $500, though.
We wandered around for about 4 hours, until the vendors started packing up for the night.
Then we headed to Admiral T.J. O'Brien's for dinner. When we were seated at the same table as the last trip, we decided this has to be an annual event!
The next day, we were back at the show by 10 am. After another 4 hours, we were exhausted and broke, and decided (sadly) that it was time to head home.
But, we left far from empty handed...
One of my first purchases
I love these - they're so ladylike.
And they were still in the box!
I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this, but it was $2.
And, in French, the word "cabochard" means headstrong, which I like! (One online dictionary said the definition was "hardass"!)
It's pink! And it works! (Love!)
It's a snow globe. And a calendar. And a bank!
Originally, the vendor was asking $5.
I laughed!
There's no water! The snow just sits there at the bottom.
So the guy told me to pick something "real" for $5 and he'd throw in the snow globe. (So sweet!)
So, I picked this...
I love the old phone number!
Besides, as he pointed out, when does it ever snow in San Francisco?!?
(Good point!)
I plan to use it to hold pencils & pens.
There was a sign in his booth saying "prices highlighted in yellow are half off", so I told him I needed to borrow his highlighter! He laughed and said I could have both for $30!
It worked!!!
Now, Kris has one and I have one.
(Perfect!)
I love old aprons.
(I never use them, though, because I don't want them to get dirty!)
I loved the colors and pattern on this, but wasn't sure if I liked the style. So, I put it back.
After a few minutes, though, I panicked! What had I done?!? I loved that apron!
So, I ran around in circles for a while, trying to find the right booth.
Luckily, it was still there!
And finally...
I
I needed more storage in the bathroom, and thought these boxes would be perfect.
They were originally $30 ($18 for the big one, and $12 for the small), but the vendor said I could have them both for $15.
But, after I broke the lid to a lovely glass jar (asking price $20), possibly chipping the statue I dropped it on (asking price $45), I handed her $20 and ran.
After that, it really was time to go.
There are 2 more shows this year - July and September.
Very tempting...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Game On!
A few weeks ago, two friends told me about a new diet they were starting.
It's not really a "diet", though...
It's called The Game On! Diet, and unlike most weight loss programs, it focuses on much more than just diet and exercise.
Yes, you have to watch what you eat and get regular exercise.
You also have to drink a lot of water every day, and get lots of sleep.
(All very traditional diet-y things, I know.)
But, you also have to give up one bad habit, and start one good habit. (I love that part!)
Basically, to play the game, you and your friends divide into teams (scores are averaged, so the teams don't have to be of equal size).
Then, you earn points for:
(Nice!)
You can earn bonus points - 20% (!) for losing 1% of your body weight each week, and 10 point for simply turning in your scorecard (provided) to the designated scorekeeper on time every week (every little bit helps!).
At the end of four weeks, in addition to losing a bunch of weight, the team with the highest score wins!
(Wins what, I don't know. You decide. And make it something good!)
The beauty of this game is, it appeals to people's competitiveness (the subtitle is "Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own").
However, if (like me) you're not especially competitive, you're still motivated by not wanting to let down your team.
My friends recently finished a three week version of the game, with truly astonishing results - one girl said she can fit into a size she hasn't worn in over 10 years!
And just today, she said that when she loses a few more pounds, we're going shopping at Trash Can Annie!
(Now that's motivating!)
(A word of warning - the woman who wrote this book has a foul mouth!)
Other than that, good luck, and have fun!
It's not really a "diet", though...
It's called The Game On! Diet, and unlike most weight loss programs, it focuses on much more than just diet and exercise.
Yes, you have to watch what you eat and get regular exercise.
You also have to drink a lot of water every day, and get lots of sleep.
(All very traditional diet-y things, I know.)
But, you also have to give up one bad habit, and start one good habit. (I love that part!)
Basically, to play the game, you and your friends divide into teams (scores are averaged, so the teams don't have to be of equal size).
Then, you earn points for:
- eating 5 "fully sanctioned" meals per day (no snacking!)
- exercising for 20 minutes per day
- drinking 3 liters (!) of water per day
- sleeping a minimum of 7 hours per night
- practicing one new healthy habit, while giving up one bad habit
- being in contact with at least one member of your team and one member of the opposite team each day (trash talking is allowed, nay, encouraged!)
(Nice!)
You can earn bonus points - 20% (!) for losing 1% of your body weight each week, and 10 point for simply turning in your scorecard (provided) to the designated scorekeeper on time every week (every little bit helps!).
There are also penalties, though - for snacking, trying to talk someone else into cheating, and for drinking too much (some drinking is allowed, thankfully, just not too much!).
(Wins what, I don't know. You decide. And make it something good!)
The beauty of this game is, it appeals to people's competitiveness (the subtitle is "Kick Your Friend's Butt While Shrinking Your Own").
However, if (like me) you're not especially competitive, you're still motivated by not wanting to let down your team.
My friends recently finished a three week version of the game, with truly astonishing results - one girl said she can fit into a size she hasn't worn in over 10 years!
And just today, she said that when she loses a few more pounds, we're going shopping at Trash Can Annie!
(Now that's motivating!)
If you want to play too, start by clicking here...
(A word of warning - the woman who wrote this book has a foul mouth!)
Other than that, good luck, and have fun!
Saturday, May 5, 2012
One (Wo)man's "Trash"...
is another woman's "vintage".
During my recent trip to Chicago, I also went home to Davenport, Iowa for a few days.
After seeing my family (and eating at Rudy's!) the highlight of the trip was visiting Trash Can Annie.
Trash Can Annie isn't a person - it's shop, located in downtown Davenport, that sells "Women's, Men's and Children's clothing and accessories from the 1870s through the 1970s".
As noted in last year's article in the Quad City Times (photos by my brother!), Trash Can Annie has become a valuable resource for vintage clothing used in movies (such as Titanic and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Broadway shows, and as inspiration for designers from some of today's most popular fashion houses.
I first went to Trash Can Annie in high school (a lot of girls went there for unique dresses to wear to school dances).
I moved away after high school - first to college, then to Kansas City, Chicago, and now, New York.
I never forgot about Trash Can Annie, but somehow trips home were busy with family, friends, Rudy's...
So, I never made it back.
Until now.
And I am SO glad I finally did!
As soon as I walked in, Laura, Trash Can Annie's very lovely and extremely talented owner, gave me the lay of the land - explaining how the store was arranged, how to read the tags, and how to handle the merchandise (carefully!).
Then, she measured me.
(I know!)
It was awesome, though - armed with my measurements, I could quickly look at the tags and know if there was any hope that something would fit.
Knowing your measurements is so important when shopping for vintage clothing. Due to vanity sizing, today's 4 would be about a vintage 12. But, much like today, vintage sizes vary, depending on the designer and when the item was made. However, a 28-inch waist is a 28-inch waist, regardless of what size is on the label.
So, I made my way around the store, picking up anything and everything that caught my eye, and might fit (with Laura always a step behind to quickly take it out of my arms and into the dressing room).
A lot of vintage clothing is tiny. Women (and men) were smaller back then, before the days of processed food and super-sizing. And, women wore girdles (at least) to make their bodies conform to the styles at the time. (Luckily, we now have Spanx!)
Still, with Laura's help, I managed to find quite a few items...
This dress is, by far, my favorite (maybe ever!). When I first saw it, I loved it, but it was extremely (by my relatively cheap standards) expensive. So, I left it. But, Laura (so clever!) brought it to me anyway, and I decided to just try it on, hoping (in a way) that it wouldn't fit.
But it did fit (and I'm glad).
This dress is stunning.
No, really.
I was hanging it up when a neighbor knocked at the door, asking me for an opinion on something. So, I still had it in my arms when I walked over, and when one of her friends saw it, he actually said "That dress is stunning."
"Stunning"!
(I love that word!)
When I tried this dress on, Laura said it looked like it was made for me. (It totally does!)
This is a wrap dress, and Laura also suggested that I switch out the silver hook & eye closure on the edge of the front panel (that I never even noticed), for a black hook & eye closure that was inside the dress.
I was like "Oh yeah, good idea, I'll totally do that", knowing there was no way I was going to do that.
Laura must've know it too, because when I finally came out of the dressing room, there she was, sewing it on.
(Didn't I tell you she's awesome?)
This is the last dress...
The picture is awful, but the dress is really cute. I wore it to work one day with a black cardigan and got A LOT of compliments.
(One girl said she wants to go to Davenport now, just to go to this store!)
It reminds me of the dress Julia Roberts wore to the polo match in Pretty Woman...
During my recent trip to Chicago, I also went home to Davenport, Iowa for a few days.
After seeing my family (and eating at Rudy's!) the highlight of the trip was visiting Trash Can Annie.
Trash Can Annie isn't a person - it's shop, located in downtown Davenport, that sells "Women's, Men's and Children's clothing and accessories from the 1870s through the 1970s".
As noted in last year's article in the Quad City Times (photos by my brother!), Trash Can Annie has become a valuable resource for vintage clothing used in movies (such as Titanic and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Broadway shows, and as inspiration for designers from some of today's most popular fashion houses.
I first went to Trash Can Annie in high school (a lot of girls went there for unique dresses to wear to school dances).
I moved away after high school - first to college, then to Kansas City, Chicago, and now, New York.
I never forgot about Trash Can Annie, but somehow trips home were busy with family, friends, Rudy's...
So, I never made it back.
Until now.
And I am SO glad I finally did!
As soon as I walked in, Laura, Trash Can Annie's very lovely and extremely talented owner, gave me the lay of the land - explaining how the store was arranged, how to read the tags, and how to handle the merchandise (carefully!).
Then, she measured me.
(I know!)
It was awesome, though - armed with my measurements, I could quickly look at the tags and know if there was any hope that something would fit.
Knowing your measurements is so important when shopping for vintage clothing. Due to vanity sizing, today's 4 would be about a vintage 12. But, much like today, vintage sizes vary, depending on the designer and when the item was made. However, a 28-inch waist is a 28-inch waist, regardless of what size is on the label.
So, I made my way around the store, picking up anything and everything that caught my eye, and might fit (with Laura always a step behind to quickly take it out of my arms and into the dressing room).
A lot of vintage clothing is tiny. Women (and men) were smaller back then, before the days of processed food and super-sizing. And, women wore girdles (at least) to make their bodies conform to the styles at the time. (Luckily, we now have Spanx!)
Still, with Laura's help, I managed to find quite a few items...
This dress is, by far, my favorite (maybe ever!). When I first saw it, I loved it, but it was extremely (by my relatively cheap standards) expensive. So, I left it. But, Laura (so clever!) brought it to me anyway, and I decided to just try it on, hoping (in a way) that it wouldn't fit.
But it did fit (and I'm glad).
No, really.
I was hanging it up when a neighbor knocked at the door, asking me for an opinion on something. So, I still had it in my arms when I walked over, and when one of her friends saw it, he actually said "That dress is stunning."
"Stunning"!
(I love that word!)
When I tried this dress on, Laura said it looked like it was made for me. (It totally does!)
This is a wrap dress, and Laura also suggested that I switch out the silver hook & eye closure on the edge of the front panel (that I never even noticed), for a black hook & eye closure that was inside the dress.
I was like "Oh yeah, good idea, I'll totally do that", knowing there was no way I was going to do that.
Laura must've know it too, because when I finally came out of the dressing room, there she was, sewing it on.
(Didn't I tell you she's awesome?)
This is the last dress...
The picture is awful, but the dress is really cute. I wore it to work one day with a black cardigan and got A LOT of compliments.
(One girl said she wants to go to Davenport now, just to go to this store!)
It reminds me of the dress Julia Roberts wore to the polo match in Pretty Woman...
Finally, I found a cute hard case purse by Dover.
I love these - they're so ladylike. This one is a good size (not too small) and the interior is perfect (which is rare!).
Before I left, Laura wrote down my measurements - giving a copy to me and keeping a copy for herself. Now, whenever I'll be in town, she can pull a few items for me in advance.
Seriously?
Awesome, right?
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