604,800 seconds...

“An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.” ~Mae West

Well it has been 7 days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes and 604,800 seconds since I made a commitment to myself to loose 50 pounds. I have to say I did not do horribly this week, but I didn't do that great either. I weighed in this morning and did not loose a single pound, but I did not gain either.

I started out strong, going to the gym last Wednesday and Thursday. I worked out on the treadmill for 25 minutes and did some arm weights. Then I took Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Today OFF! I guess I needed a break!! So, I am going to try again tomorrow morning and hit the gym at 6:30am.

As far as changing my eating habits - I would give myself a C+. I had salad for dinner a couple of times this week, had smoothies for dessert and tried to drink more water and less diet soda. I did blow it a few nights - by getting into the chocolate peanut butter ice cream tub and having strawberry silk pie! I also have noticed that I eat way more than anyone else in my house, including my husband. He rarely goes back for seconds and we both start out with about the same portions. So, I am going to work on NOT having seconds this week and cutting my portions down to half my normal serving.

I am not giving up and plan to start fresh tomorrow morning and see how this week goes. Wish me luck!

Gyspy Jewelry

Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace,
the slaves of the ordinary.
~Cecil Beaton

I love my gypsy jewelry. This is what my friend, Donna Jean, calls the bracelets we love to collect and wear. I have gotten some really fun bracelets from some very special people over the years! (like the blue one above - given to me by Shawna) I wear my karma beads everyday and will add one or two of my other bracelets to go along with it depending on my mood or outfit. They are fun to wear and fun to collect.

The cool thing about bracelets is that they usually come in one size fits all! I love that! They come in lots of fun colors - green being my favorite and most collected color. A lot of my bracelets were handmade by people I know like Renee Engle and Shaun Stratton of Ra Glass here in Pullman.

Wearing them makes me feel creative and artsy!

Taking time to create

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to keep. ~ Scott Adams

It was so busy at work today, but I took some time towards the end of the day to work on a set of artist trading cards to trade at our club meeting this Monday night. I love creating these little gems! They are fast, fun and make you feel so artsy! I am drawn to vintage and collage type art and enjoy working with these types of images.

Fridays at the Co-op

Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food. ~Hippocrates

I love going to the Moscow Food Co-op! I try to treat myself each Friday to a veggie pocket and a banana mango peach smoothie. I wish I could eat there every day. Just being in the store makes me feel healthier.

Here is a list of my Co-op favorites:

Lemon Almonds
Kale Salad
Hummus
Crusty French Baguettes
Miso Soup
Pink Lady Apples
Pear Scones
and lots more!

My Photo Shoot with Shawna

The magic possibility of framing a certain space and time is what brought me to photography. ~Pablo Ortiz Monasterio

I had so much fun having my photo taken by Shawna. Like most Moms, Scrapbookers and Women in general, I hate having my picture taken! But since I am working on my own scrapbook with pages just about me it will be nice to have some current photos to use. Shawna used my camera to take pictures of me and I took her camera to take photos of her. We also took some "organic" shots of cattails, wheat, ladybugs, barb wire and more. Here are some that I took.

Addicted to Reality TV

Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn't have in your home.
~David Frost

I am addicted to reality TV. I have my DVR programmed to record almost every reality tv show airing! I don't know why I love it so much? Maybe because it is "mindless entertainment" and at the end of a long day at work I need to veg out! It drives my kids and my husband crazy! They are "too good" for reality TV and rarely watch it with me. Dave is a documentary and travel channel fan. I enjoy watching some of those shows with him, just as long as they don't cause a conflict with the recording of any of my reality shows!

Here are a few of my favorites: American Idol-Amazing Race-Survivor-Top Chef-Top Design-Project Runway-Hell's Kitchen-So you think you can dance-Bachelor-Age of Love-Big Brother-The Apprentice-Last Comic Standing-Next Food Network Star-Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List-America's Next Top Model and of course the show that I think started my addiction: The Real World!

How did I get here?

The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends. ~Author Unknown

Ok, I am going on a diet again. I guess I should say, I am going to attempt AGAIN to change my eating habits and my lifestyle. I plan to cut out sugar, bread and fast food. I had tried to go all vegan last year and was following the diet plan from Eat to Live by Dr, Joel Fuhrman and did really well. I lost over 20 lbs, but it was not realistic to my lifestyle and I obviously fell off that wagon and have since gained all of that weight back. I think I will use some of his recipes and try to eat more salads and cut out almost all sugar and bread; but can't do the total vegan thing.

I don't know why I have an issue with food, but I do. Eating is what I do when I'm stressed, sad, happy and celebrating! It is a reward for me! But, the sad thing is it is limiting my life. I turn 41 next month and that scares me. I am missing out on so much. I want to wear shorts in public. I want to go the pool. I want to shop in any store and any department. I want to go on vacation to a tropical destination and wear a bathing suit. I want to be comfortable in my clothes and comfortable in my own skin! I want to loose weight once and for all and keep it off! So I hope I can do it before I turn 50.

I joined the gym next to work and have gone maybe 4 times since March! It is just next door from the Moscow store and only 4 minutes from my house, but I can't get myself to go! It may have to do with the fact that I work 5-6 days a week from 8am-7pm or later, or that I am just good at making excuses. I do know that at the end of the day I just want to go home and in the morning I enjoy sleeping in as long as I can! Either way, I need to go. Dave also has a membership, so maybe we can start going together. Judy P has a membership and so does Shawna K - so maybe we can help each other get on a program.

Anyway, I am going to start today - Tuesday! I will weigh in each Tuesday (Monday's are depressing enough - I don't want to weigh myself on them too!) I am going to use my blog to record my weight, my meals, fun recipes and any other tips I gain as I go along. My goal is to loose 50 pounds! Yes, you heard me! 50 pounds.

So...here is the first weigh in: 215 pounds! OUCH! That hurt! But, now that it is out there, in print and in cyberworld I might do something about it!

If you have any low fat recipes and/or tips - please share with me! I can use all of the help I can get. And if you want a workout buddy, call me. I will be working out at Anytime Fitness in Moscow.

Early Birthday Present from Donna!

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip. ~Author Unknown

How fun when the UPS man brings a box for Me! I got an early birthday present from my buddy Donna Jean.

Here's what I got:

A cute little birdcage tagged "freedom"
A Doodlebug Christmas Cheer Cartridge tagged "create"
Two pair of cute socks tagged "cozy"
A Kenny Chesney CD tagged "hot"
A Maroon 5 CD tagged "cool"
A bunch of pretty green gypsy jewelry tagged "sassy"
An antique toaster tagged "toasty"

Thanks Donna Jean for all the fun gifts! Love ya! Karen

Weekends are for relaxing...

Be happy in the moment - that's enough.

Each moment is all we need - not more.
- Mother Teresa

I love the weekends. We try to keep them wide open and let everyone do there own thing. Ryan went to the Harry Potter midnight release party at Hastings on Friday night and if already up to page 204 of the book! He will have it read by the end of the week! He also went to Silverwood for the day and had a blast with his friends Forest & David. Ryan never JUST stays home and relaxes on the weekends - he is always on the go.

Jared has been staying with friends the past week so we don't really know what he has been up to. He is 18 now and living his own life. I hope he comes home tonight for dinner - we are having steaks on the grill!



Dave and I washed the cars, did laundry, watched a movie, took a nap and went grocery shopping (I love having a full fridge!) Just hanging out and being at home is the best!

Just another busy day...

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. - Will Rogers

Just another busy day for me. Worked at the Moscow store from 8-3pm then was off to Pullman to work and teach my Summer Fun card class. That was a lot of fun since I really do enjoy teaching.
Closed up the Pullman store and headed back to Moscow for dinner and a margarita with Shawna at La Casa Lopez. I love their fish tacos!


What a great way to end a busy day!

Tortilla Roll-Ups

"In the childhood memories of every good cook, there's a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom." — Barbara Costikyan

Tortilla Roll-Ups - Serves 4-6 (so double it)

New Mexican chiles are rather mild, so add more or less chile to the avocado mixture to taste. Or substitute jalapeños or canned chipotle chiles, which are smoked, dried jalapeños. Watch it though — a little bit packs a big wallop!

Ingredients: 2 ripe avocados, peeled, sliced thinly Juice of 1/2 lemon, or more to taste, 1/2 New Mexican chile, chopped, or to taste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 6 flavored 8-inch tortillas (i.e., spinach, tomato) 1/4 cup low-fat or regular mayonnaise, 1/4 pound baby lettuces, 1/4 pound deli turkey, shredded, 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, 2 tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seeds.

1. Process avocados in food processor with lemon juice, chopped chile, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth.

2. Line up tortillas and spread with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Follow with a layer of avocado mixture. Place a small handful of lettuce on top, followed by some shredded turkey, a sprinkling of cheese and sunflower seeds, and a little salt.

3. Roll up tortillas, close with toothpicks, and cut into two or three pieces. If you are not serving immediately, don't cut them. Cover with damp paper towels to keep moist. Tortillas can be refrigerated for several hours. Cut into sections just before serving.

I think we are going to have these for dinner tonight - a perfect recipe for a hot summer day.

My Parents are so cool!

It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself.
~Joyce Maynard

My Mom and Dad are so cool! I know that sounds silly, but they are. They have always been my biggest fans, my role models, my inspiration and my mentors! When they retired a few years ago, they sold their house and almost all of their "stuff" or "shit" as my Dad would say and bought a motor home to live in full time. They hit the road and started traveling, meeting wonderful people along the way and seeing a lot of America!They now live most of the year in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. They live in an over 60 RV park that has a pool, lake (with alligators in it), club house and lots of friends. They are also close to my Sister, my Brother and my Niece - Lily and her Mom, Belinda who all live in Ft. Lauderdale, I think it is so great that they are close to their granddaughter and are such a big part of her life.
They are more active than we are! My Dad just got a motorcycle and goes on rides with his "biker buds!" They both love to golf, swim, cook, dance and socialize with their neighbors. My Mom started working at a wonderful Deli and is making tons of tips because she is so darn cute!

I really hate being so far away from my family. It is so weird to have them all living in Florida, since we lived in Oregon almost are whole lives. I love them so much and miss them lots!

Yes...there is a bike in our living room!

Commit to be fit. ~Author Unknown

Ryan makes me so proud! He works out everyday for 30-40 minutes on the bike and takes the dogs for a long walk. As you can see in the TV, he watches the Simpsons while riding the bike! He is trying really hard to lose some weight before school starts. Ryan is a lot like me! We are both emotional eaters and love food! So it is really important to me to see him make healthy choices in his eating and exercising.

Home Sweet Home

“Home, the spot of earth supremely best,

A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest”

~Robert Montgomery

I love our old house. We have no air conditioning in the Summer. Heat the house with a furnace from the 30's in the Winter. Share one shower and bathroom with 4 people. Hang our clothes from the pipes in the basement because we have not closet space. But...I would not trade our old house for a brand new one! I love the wood floors, the brick, the molding, the leaded windows, the french doors, the sidewalks, our giant maple trees and the character of our 1930's brick home. When we moved to Moscow 7 years ago, Dave and I were determined to buy a home in the Fort Russell Historical District and were so lucky to find this house. Our home is just right for us and we love it!

My New Vice!

“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.”

Elizabeth Taylor

I blame Hilary for this one! She came into work one day with a funny looking can of soda. Me, being the nosy person I am had to find out what she was drinking! It was Diet Coke Plus with vitamins! I mean how cool is that? If the caffeine doesn't get your motor started the vitamin b12 will! I loved it so much we called the Coke guy and had it put in both the stores.

Charlie & Scraps

"In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog."

Scraps
Charlie

The perfect ending to a perfect visit

Without ice cream life and fame are meaningless. ~ ANONYMOUS~ ...

What a great way to send me off! Donna Jean stopped at Cold Stone Creamery so I could have a Peanut Buttercup Perfection waffle cone before flying home!
All I can say is...OMG! It was so good! I wish those rumors about Pullman or Moscow getting one of these stores would come true!! I had a great time in Reno and am glad to be home.

Wild Mustangs

The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears. ~Arabian Proverb

It amazes me that wild horses still roam wild in the American West. While visiting my friend Donna Jean, in Virginia City, we came upon this young colt and it's mother just grazing along side of the road! What an wonderful sight to see. Here is a great organization working to protect these wild mustangs - check it out for more info.

Best Bud

"A Friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of Nature."- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Having a birthday lunch with one of my "oldest" and dearest friends! I am here in Reno visiting Donna Jean for her 50th birthday. Donna Jean and I met over 10 years ago through Stampin' Up! and have been best friends ever since. She was my "up-line" and I was so lucky to be in her group. Donna is one of the smartest ladies I know and I treasure ever minute I get to spend with her. Love you Donna!!

Dave and Ryan's Great Adventure

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ryan and Dave are like two peas in a pod. They have the same color eyes, the same color hair, the same sense of humor, the same sweet disposition and the same way of seeing the world! For Dave's birthday (today) the two of them went to Wallace, Idaho and rode down the Route of the Hiawatha bike trail. They had a really good time and promised to take me with them next time!

Ryan & Mom Photo Shoot

A laugh is a smile that bursts. ~Mary H. Waldrip

Sweet, funny, silly Ryan! You always make me smile.

Hard to let go...

Adolescence is perhaps nature's way of preparing parents
to welcome the empty nest.
~Karen Savage and Patricia Adams, The Good Stepmother

Jared - 2004Jared 2007

This quote is really true, other Moms of teenagers have told me this in one way or another, that teenagers act the way they do to make it easier on us to let them go. I've been having a hard time lately. How do you let go? My oldest son just graduated from High School and is officially an adult. I don't know how to handle that.

On one hand I am so excited for him to venture out into the world, find his way and experience all their is out there. But...on the other hand I am so scared for him. I want to keep him under my wing, keep him safe and protect him. It seems like only yesterday he was just a little boy, where have the years gone? I'm not that old to not remember how I felt at his age. I wanted nothing more than to get the heck out of Dodge (Klamath Falls, OR) and get as far away from my parents as I could. I wanted to get my own apartment, make my own rules and live my own life. I know all of that is what he is feeling now, but it does not make me feel any better! I still worry about him, just like my Mom still worries about me at age 40! I guess we all have to go through this stage - the letting go stage.

It's a great day to start my own blog...

I thought, hey why not start a blog just for me. I spend so much time and energy working on the blog for the stores, working at the stores, thinking about the stores, blah, blah blah...I need to focus on myself and my family. What brings me happiness? What drives me crazy? What is life all about? So here it is...me and my life in a "nut" shell!