I know I should be getting ready for work but...

So every once and awhile I stumble on a really really wonderful website. It has happened again! I love reading and following fashion blogs, looking at outfits, and where people got them from. Well I have hit the jackpot of all sites! Josh found this site and sent me the link. It. is. perfect. There are loads and loads  of real people posting pictures of their outfits! And wow! What a comprehensive search bar they have. Search by color, location, clothing type, brand, materials, patterns, or countries. I am telling you it's like a miracle to all people who love fashion. Want to experience this new found love with me? well check out the Lookbook

:) my only regret is that I didn't know about this site sooner- now I will be in UK for 2 weeks and have to wait to really play with it. But for anyone still in the country-- explore the site a bit extra for me.

Glitter and be Gay

Possibly the best thing I have ever tried on at a thrift store... 

too expensive for my college budget so I didn't get it :(

Weekend Escape

I took my spontaneous NJ trip this past weekend. Left very late Thursday night, and returned Sunday morning. It was well worth the drive and few days of planning- I only wish I could have stayed longer. Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

 

 

(I used vintage filters on all of these. Thanks for the tip Ruche! get the secret)

Dreaming of Carnivals

So to those of you who know me well- you know that my brain sometimes operates like the brain of a child. I think.... "I want to do this"... then, instead of having an adult response to it: pushing away any ideas that could be easily confused with dreams, I respond like a child-... "OK, I am gonna do it."

Now some of you may think that it's stupid that I constantly follow my dreams or that when I come up with schemes and adventures I actually do my best to make them happen. I think of it more like a gift. One time I wanted to go to NYC and sing with Eric Whitacre so despite the money challenge I did it, this summer I wanted to travel to Europe for 2 weeks with my choir, and despite the money I totally raised enough!

Well the other day I was online looking at photography and blogs- and I saw a post on Dear Lizzy about carnivals, and I got the insatiable need to find the closest carnival and have some summer fun!

One problem- no carnivals in sight... so I got to thinking where could I go that there would absolutely be a carnival- then it hit me... THE BEACH! When I was a kid we used to visit my uncle in New Jersey, and there was a boardwalk with a little carnival area. So not only was I dying to go to a carnival- I also was dying to go to the beach!

Most people at this point would say.. 'Drop the idea Danielle- there is no way you can go find a beach boardwalk, it would be too far, too expensive, and no one would be able to go with you!' So naturally I said... "I am gonna make it happen!"

One day, and many phone calls later.... I am planning to drive to NJ to stay with my Uncle and his family for a day or two. I have 3 friends who are coming- and we are gonna do it for only $40 per person! It seemed like fate when I found out, Daniela and Josh had the same days off from work this week- (and Nate was available too!)

We are leaving Thursday night after we get off work and driving through the night- spending all day on the beach Friday and part of the day Saturday! I honestly am so excited for this trip.. it's the perfect Pre-Choir-Tour-Europe-Trip-Getaway

It's nice to know that I can still come up with crazy ideas and spontaneous trips and make them happen. :)

Happy Summer!

So today is the very first day of summer, and so far I have spent 8 1/2 hours working. The rest of my hours have been spent showering, eating, etc. I do want to do something to really celebrate the start of summer, but I wasn't sure what. Ruche posted an entry about summer- and I loved their ideas:

15 Ideas to Celebrate the First Day of Summer

* Instead of sitting inside, take your lunch break out into the sunshine.
* Treat yourself to your favorite frozen snack.
* Grab a friend and head to the beach.
* Eat your dinner outside.
* Fall asleep with the windows open.
* Roll around in fresh-cut grass.
* Make fresh lemonade.
* Eat a fruit salad.
* Start a summer scrapbook.
* Pick flowers.
* Go backyard camping with your friends.
* Have a beach bonfire and make s'mores.
* Catch fireflies.
* Watch the sunset.
* Bake a homemade pie.

Unfortunately- many of their ideas I can't really do. Whether lack of beach, wrong time of day, or stuff I can't eat- it just isn't going to happen.

So here are a few of my ideas:
-take a walk
-play frisbee
-make homemade popsicles
-blow bubbles
-have a picnic
-take pictures outside
-wear a summery-sundress
-enjoy and ice cold glass of your favorite drink

I decided on playing Frisbee with Jesse :) And I was terrified at first- but I wasn't nearly as bad at it as I thought! pictures to come....and there will be a picnic tomorrow!!

Dear Body (day 14 cycle 2)

Dear Body,

I am sorry. 

This whole past week has been pretty rough on my diet. I am feeling both disappointed and discouraged. There were a few birthday cheats- and the day of the wedding was also a major cheat day- these cheats have made it so my weight is stuck! (I am mad about the cheating because I really want genuine results on this diet, but this week was not so good- so I can't judge cycle 2 very well yet). It appears as though I have neither lost nor gained weight since the last update... in other words I wasted a week. (it is good that I was able to control myself enough to maintain- however I still have like 30 more pounds to go).

So my dear readers- I need some inspiration! Many of you have said that I have given you both encouragement and inspiration to eat healthier and really lose weight. Well, now I need to get that from you all. Please shoot me a post of inspiring words and cheer me on. I need the support to keep this thing going!

Love Always,
a frustrated dieter.

One week check in on Cycle 2- Real People Food

This post was written on Monday June 6th (Day 7 of cycle 2)

 
OK- sorry for letting a whole week(plus) go by without any posts about my diet. Cycle 2 is going very well- every other day I am allowed to add in some extra foods- 2 servings of natural starches, and different meats like red meats and shellfish. The starches are potato, sweet potato, brown rice, corn, etc. (still no bread or noodles).

But here are some pics of a few of my cycle two meals I have made:

Weight Update:
162lbs. Which means I have lost 15lbs total! and reached my Birthday Goal!! Hooray!

speaking of birthday's - mine has now past once this week finishes out and all my birthday celebrations/wedding celebrations are over I will be done with excuses of bad eating. PS... I don't think my b-day splurge really affected my weight. I will let you know soon tho!

DAY 17 - a cause to celebrate!

The Results: 

((Day 1))

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 177

Bust: 41 1/2 in

Waist: 34 1/2 in

Hips: 44 in

((Day 7))

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 171 

Bust: 39 1/2 in

Waist: 33 in

Hips: 43 in

 

((Day 17))

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 165

Bust: 39 in

Waist: 32 in

Hips: 42 in

 

 

Breaking down the progress: 

Total weight lost in 17 days: 12 lbs

Total inches off bust: 2.5

Total inches off waist: 2.5

Total inches off hips: 2

 

Also my birthday is 7 days away in order to reach my birthday goal of 162 I have to lose 3 lbs. 

Can I do it? YES!

 

Tomorrow marks the start of cycle 2. I will try and post more information about that cycle before I start. But I do know on some days I get to add extra foods into my diet. Which is exciting- however I am really happy with these results and won't go crazy at these new additions. 

Food/Eating update: I haven't cheated at all since I reset the clock!

New diet idea: Mixed Drink (non-alcoholic)

 

Have you ever been at a party or just hanging out with friends and everyone is drinking exciting mixed drinks or eating crazy fatty foods- and it sucks dieting and missing out on the social drinking/eating. Well thanks to my creativity I no longer have to feel left out!

The Green Tease

 

 

Here is how you make it:

 

What you need:

Green Tea

Seltzer Water

Lemon

Mint Leaves

Frozen Blueberries

 

Steps: 

1) Mix in a glass the green tea and seltzer water to taste

2) Chop up lemon- one slice for squeezing in and one for garnish

3) Chop up several mint leaves (as large or small as you like- I cut mine in halves)

4) Add in 4-5 frozen blueberries- Serve

The nice part about this drink is that it changes- it will start mostly green with all the fruit and add ins floating at the top- as the blueberries thaw they will sink to the bottom and slowly turn your drink pink. This helps change the flavor throughout the drink... which keeps it exciting! And makes a happy dieter. 

 

This drink is good for blending in at a party or for mixing it up at dinner. It is very refreshing and especially would be good on a hot summer day! 

 

All you fellow dieters hang in there and be encouraged we can do it!

Day 13- cleaning day

so today is day 13.. i got my numbers all mixed up but according to my calendar on the wall (which has a kitten and sharpie on it) today is day 13. Tomorrow will be my 2 week mark... ((I am a little worried about the rapidly approaching PMS which I know will bring bloating...)) boo.
 
Today was the second day of June and it may have been even more pleasant than the last. I spent the morning cleaning and organizing my room (I might put up some pics tomorrow). And I spent lots of time online today I subscribed to like 10 new blogs- mostly fashion blogs, a scrapbook one, and some thrift shopping ones. I really wish I was able to do a fashion blog of "what I wear" type thing.. even if it's not everyday just for certain occasions. I don't know it seems fun- it would be cool to show off my style :) or to do a blog on thrift shopping. I am hoping my blog can have elements of all of these things- since it is stuff i like :)

As far as diet world goes- everything is going well. I didn't get down all my water today. But I made sure to take a walk (and cleaning my room was pretty much exercise).

Tonight's dinner was really my only eventful meal... it was Chicken with red wine ving/olive oil/simeon's seasoning on it. Along with some steamed veggies. Not complex and tasted fabulous!

Comment on this blog (on FB or here) if you are dieting too and need some cheering on! we can all encourage each other to reach our goals!

Oh! It's is love.

Today I was on my blog dashboard and I was peeking around at who posted new posts out of my subscriptions. What Would a Nerd Wear had a new post only a few hours old. She has a fabulous fashion blog with great outfit ideas and her post was about a store called Ruche, which is a modern boutique with a vintage touch. I have never, and I mean never found a website that feels this perfect for me and the style I like. Not to mention their prices are quite reasonable. Here is one photo I adored:
 

Take a peek at the full lookbook for many beautiful photos.

New favorite store-- I think so.

Now the next step... I guess I should look into purchasing something. 

Why do i have no money!? 

 

Day 11- June

Today was a lovely day. June 1st- I woke up rather pleasantly and laid in front of my fan reading my June issue of Vogue for a bit. Number one- in one article the writer quoted Sondheim- "Pretty is what changes"- this was neat because I felt like I had an inside joke with the writer- something that I understood and figured probably many other readers thought Sondheim was a fashion guru. After spending some time on me I realized that I haven't focused on "me" in awhile- not really. So I decided to declare June- the month of me. I think we all deserve a little time to get to know ourselves better, and I also decided the thought for this month will be: "Do what makes you happy." Now- nobody get the wrong idea I won't be selfish and tune others out, think of it more as me making a commitment to myself to learn how to make me happy (with or without the assistance of others).

To kick off the month of me I took a nice long shower, did my nails and eyebrows and didn't bother with makeup or blow drying my hair. I put a bit of makeup on before going to the store and my hair danced between a tight twist bun, a side braid, and a lose side bun. Either way it was nice.
 
In the afternoon after my very uneventful brunch of yogurt and grapes I made some necessary calling around to schedule some things and find out about my new work schedule at Lambs Creek.

I made a shopping trip to Weis later and even got myself a Weis Card to get discounts and such. I bought some more supplies for my diet- I decided on some Tilapia with the encouragement of my friend Jesse (he is making it for us for dinner tomorrow). I got some taco seasoning- just cause, more fruit, more veggies, and more water.

By the time dinner hit my brunch and mid afternoon orange had wore off and I was feeling the hunger! I defrosted some chicken as fast as possible and decided on what I call Chi-Chi's Chicken.

what you need:

Chicken Breast

Olive Oil

Cumin Seasoning

Garlic Salt

Onion Powder

Pepper   

Balsamic Vinegar 

Fat Free Shredded Cheddar

(Chi-Chi's) Salsa

Fat Free Sour Cream

fresh Peppers (red, yellow, orange)

1) Marinate chicken in Oil, seasonings, and Balsamic Vinegar.
2) Cook in a pan
3) Just as chicken is about done add the cheese on
4) Pour on desired amount of Salsa
5) Add a few small dollops of the Sour Cream
6) Serve with fresh peppers or other veggies


I spent the rest of the evening watching Skins and cleaning my room. Also I am on the lookout for good style ideas for Kerri's wedding coming up. Day wedding in a church and reception at a country club. I am not sure how dressy or casual to go. Any input is appreciated!

I am looking forward tomorrow- another day of the month of me :)

Day 10- back on track

So yesterday was day 14 technically. I still feel a little cheap after some of the cheating that occurred this past weekend. I can't help but be mad at myself and feel like it probably killed some of my progress. But enough of being mopey- it is my own fault. I was debating doing a few extra days on cycle 1- and you know I think I will. So reset the clock... Day 14 just became Day 10. This will helpfully make up my progress I feel that I lost before switching to cycle 2.

Anyhow Day 10 went very well. I drank all 8 waters and managed to not cheat at all- in any sense of the word! I can't even explain the accomplishment I have at the end of every day that I don't cheat. Since I missed some days and haven't given you all many good dieting ideas... let me fill you in.

2 of my favorite ideas yet:

For dinner last night it was so hot out and I wanted something cold- but I hadn't had any protein that day yet so I decided I should have some chicken. I decided to make what I call Chicken Bruschetta. Here is what I did.
1. Take one chicken breast cut into pieces for ease of cooking.
2. Cover chicken with a small amount of oil and lots of garlic salt.
3. Cook in a pan until done
4. Once the chicken was done I placed a little bit of Fat Free Feta cheese on it.
5. On top of the feta I added the bruschetta mix.
Bruschetta- 1 chopped up tomato (seeds and core removed), olive oil, minced garlic, several leaves of chopped up basil, onion powder (to taste).

The result was wonderful and it goes well with a salad or side of fruit.

Another, fairly brilliant idea of mine was making Popsicles. I bought this $1.50 mold at Walmart and it makes four relatively smallish (but good size) popsicles. One of my favorite ones I made was green tea-raspberry pop. Basically you fill up the slot with green tea and cut the berries into tiny pieces and throw in. They freeze together and give you a wonderful treat for hot summer days! Also to get a cold serving of fruit you can mush up fruit and make a 100% fruit pop- the raspberry one was delicious! It was totally worth the $1.50. 

Here is what the green tea raspberry pop looked like!

Today is going pretty well so far- stay tuned for a post later!