tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33980227643244698822024-03-22T00:37:40.324-07:00Cindy.in the present tensecindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-13110726009657035232013-03-21T07:43:00.000-07:002013-03-21T07:43:17.897-07:00What to Do When........someone assumes if you JUST got to know Jesus as he really is, you'd be a Christian (again.)<br />
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I have two off-the-proverbial-cuff responses when I get this from a (usually well-meaning) person after they've learned I'm going a different direction with my spirituality.<br />
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1. Try to defend and explain, knowing it won't do a bit of good because we are simply speaking from two different brain ruts, although I condescend to at least have experience in their brain rut so I get where they're coming from. 'Course they don't believe that because surely, SURELY, if I had REALLY REALLY met Jesus I would NEVER leave the flock. What makes this frustrating is that the convo is over at that point. It won't be discussed again. Polite 'thanks for sharing' comments ensue, and they'll go on their merry way shaking their head. It's rather infuriating, but all I can do is share in honesty where I'm at and how I got there.<br />
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Unfortunately, I don't have a weekly meeting with other like-minded folks to reassure me of the validity of my brand of spirituality...I gotta go this alone, bravely, as the Buddha teaches. I don't have the luxury of having a single 'Book' that teaches all there is to know about the divine. Instead I forage around in the non-descript arena of facebook feeds and dusty shelves labelled 'spirituality' in which everyone simply shares their own journey. Don't get me wrong, it's fabulous knowing others are seekers like me, but to interact face-to-face as I did in the church, with others of similar persuasion, is something I certainly miss. Yoga classes come close, but then I have to sweat.<br />
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This response to engage the other person in a dialogue when you already know the outcome is well, dumb. But I do it anyway because it helps me continue to refine and define my experience (which is great because I don't get to do that every week in a church, see above). I suppose I hope it will also plant a seed of doubt, as devious as that seems. Yes, I see the irony. We all would love everyone.in.the.world. to think and believe as we do. It's such a warm, reassuring feeling when others believe as we do, like we're all 'right' or something, because how could it be wrong when so many believe it to be 'right'? But there's another reason to risk the vulnerability and rejection (and hearing "I hope you'll meet the real Jesus sometime" is a brush-off form of rejection not only of my beliefs, but of ME...as they assume I just haven't experienced God in the RIGHT way, THEIR way. If I had, I would be a christian....or a vegetarian, or a crossfitter, or whatev. We like to be validated, and bringing people to our way of thinking is the surest form of validation there is beyond a burning bush.) I choose to be vulnerable because I'm lonely, and the only way to find other pilgrims on the journey is to put yourself out there and see who responds.<br />
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I was vulnerable like that yesterday when I posted the link to this blog on a facebook thread. Someone commented on a picture and quote I shared from the Buddha....asking if I'd forgotten Jesus? That he is our hope? And so, because I want to keep relationship with this person, I offered to post a link to here, if they were interested in understanding where I was coming from. They were, and so I posted. I shared <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-spiritual-journey-off-map.html">this link</a> as well as <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2012/10/following-bread-crumbs.html">this one</a>.<br />
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The response was why I wrote this post. But not before sticking my head WAAAY out there again and responding on the thread one last time. Their comment was per usual "thanks for sharing, hope you'll meet the real jesus, and not let the idiots scare you away" (my paraphrase) Here's what I wrote (and it's darn good if you ask me):<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Thanks for reading the posts....although I left the church because of the people, I left my beliefs about Jesus </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">thru my own study and experience. The 'story' just doesn't hold up for me anymore, and I've found other </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">avenues to satisfy my spiritual hunger. I enjoy knowing I can meet the divine in any individual if I take the</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> time to connect with their Being....a hard thing to do sometimes! I guess I don't think people are good or</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> bad: your comment that we're all 'quite the mess' is a belief I don't share...I think we're all just spirits having </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">a human experience with choices, and sometimes the choices of others affect us negatively. I felt I had a </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">'personal relationship' with God thru Jesus for many years, but now I don't believe in a personal god, just the </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">divine as it expresses itself thru the created world, including humans. I know you believe I just haven't</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> REALLY met Jesus, and if I did, then I'd be a christian again. (I've had others say this to me as well when</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> they hear of my new spiritual life, and honestly, it feels kinda patronizing, although I know their heart is in the</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> right place.) What I experienced as 'having a personal relationship with Jesus' was simply one avenue of </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">connecting with myself, others and the divine....in hindsight I don't necessarily believe there was a Person </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">outside myself who was speaking to me. I think it was my own divine nature (my Consciousness), and </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">because of my conditioning/surroundings, I assumed it was a personal God outside myself. Getting really </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">esoteric here. When I stepped back from my faith in the bible as the only way to know Truth, that unraveling </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">opened new ideas and hence, my heart. My journey has been to discover the spiritual without the specific</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> trappings of a christian understanding. I ask too many dangerous questions for most christian theology to</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> answer </span><span class="emoticon emoticon_smile" style="background-color: #edeff4; background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yY/r/heoEL9AYivx.png); background-position: -34px -678px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: auto; color: #333333; display: inline-block; height: 16px; line-height: 14px; vertical-align: top; width: 16px;"></span><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> And while I still get pretty riled up about how some christians portray their faith in such narrow</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> terms, I mostly just don't pay attention anymore as it's so outside my experience now. Spiritually speaking,</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #edeff4; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> I'm very content and secure in my not knowing some ultimate 'Truth'. Sorry for the length....</span></span><br />
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This person is intimately involved with their church family, works for the school at the church where their kids attend, lives in a neighborhood just down the street from their church where many fellow attenders also live. I don't have any illusions that my words will do anything other than help them understand I'm no longer a christian. The end. <br />
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And yet, still I responded. The last remaining reason for doing so is purely selfish. <br />
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I don't want to pretend around them anymore. I don't want them assuming I am how I've always been when I've changed. I totally relate to my gay friends when they 'come out'. It's hard to play a role you shed long before and really keep your integrity. If being real means some will reject any honest relationship with you, so be it. I'd rather not wait til my eulogy, as my mom did, to tell the world who I really am. Not that those who really loved her and kept relationship with her didn't know her or understand and accept her beliefs....but the many christians from her past who came to the service got themselves an eloquent, gracious earful....and Susie came gloriously exploding out of their tidy christian boxes. Talk about getting the last word ;)<br />
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And the 2nd off-the-cuff-proberbial response. Just walk away. Perhaps I need to exercise this response more often? <br />
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cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-54135405379441501732013-01-23T05:50:00.001-08:002013-01-23T05:50:49.547-08:00Geneen Roth and her brilliant take on food and life<br />
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I get Geneen's newsletter in my inbox. I love her. I want to marry her. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Her book "When Food is Love" was a tremendous catalyst to helping me explore my issues with food. Her book "Women, Food, and God" came just at the right time as I began digging deeper into my spirituality, and linked my issues with food to my search for truth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm back on the bandwagon after a 3 month slip and slide down to The Ugly Place after my mom left us. A few weeks ago I found the strength to say 'enough' and began taking care of myself again. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So, of course, the Universe sends me some Geneen Love at just the right moment, reminding me of the journey...which is life itself. And that arriving isn't the point.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If a wish-granting genie had appeared during the 17 years I was gaining and losing a thousand pounds, I would've said, "Take 50 pounds off my body immediately and make me thin. When I wake up tomorrow, let me eat ice cream without guilt and munch potato chips without seeing them on my hips within ten minutes." If the aforementioned genie had been smart, she probably would've said to me, "Are you kidding? With all the wishes you could possibly have -- being forever happy or endlessly wise or even unspeakably rich, you want to be thin?" And my answer would've been a resounding yes. I wanted your basic miracle. Just one teeny miracle.</span></span><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img align="right" height="227.333" src="http://staticapp.icpsc.com/icp/loadimage.php/mogile/219671/e3422391c02b9a5f755558ff9ddc239a/image/jpeg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float: right; margin: 9px 0px 0px 7px; min-height: 227.333px; width: 120.333px;" width="120.333" /></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">If there's one refrain I hear constantly from people who are struggling with food, it's that they want this to be over, done, kaput. They want to wake up thin tomorrow and spend the rest of their life without a food problem.<br /><br />Yup, I understand. Been there. Wished that. But let me tell you the good news about that wish: It's entirely possible to break free from emotional eating. You can be someone who walks around without thoughts of food occupying the main portion of your mental life.<br /><br />The bad news, of course, is that the work of transformation is up to you, and the work itself is a journey that -- uh-oh, here it comes -- never ends.<br /><br />Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield tells a story about a family of nomads traveling through the desert on camels. One of the children calls out, "Hey, Dad! When are we going to get there?" And the dad calls back, "We're nomads. We're never going to get there!" That's how it is: with life, with emotional eating, and with transforming ourselves. It's a journey, an adventure, a process; we're not done until there's not a breath left in our bodies.<br /><br />Part of the challenge of emotional eating involves changing how we think about food: from a problem to fix to a path we walk. Instead of telling ourselves that we want to get rid of our struggles, we can ask ourselves how the vehicle we've chosen for the journey -- our relationship with food -- functions in our lives. How is emotional eating helping us, speaking for us, and expressing something we feel we can't express directly?<br /><br />One of the principles of my work is that there are always exquisitely good reasons why we turn to food when we aren't hungry -- and our work is to develop a kinder, wiser relationship not only with food but also with ourselves. It means being willing to <img align="left" height="160.333" src="http://staticapp.icpsc.com/icp/loadimage.php/mogile/219671/166c58f9643f4000a64e5a12842e2e49/image/jpeg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float: left; margin: 7px 8px 7px 0px; min-height: 160.333px; width: 124.333px;" width="124.333" />consider and then explore how we use food in our lives. It means treating ourselves with compassion, and understanding that the point isn't to arrive at some imagined destination but to have a transformative, fascinating, fabulous time arriving. And arriving and arriving.<br /><br />A few years ago, I worked with a woman who couldn't stop eating desserts. Rebecca would get through the days eating balanced meals, but at night, she'd graze from cheesecake to ice cream to cookies. Then she'd get disgusted with herself and go on a high-protein diet, during which she wouldn't eat any sweets. After she lost weight, she'd go back to her regular dessert-laden lifestyle.<br /><br />Rebecca wanted help figuring out why she constantly sabotaged herself. I told her that I believe we use food for good reasons and even though it seemed like self-sabotage, I knew she was trying to care for herself in some way; it was our task to discover what that was.<br /><br />At first, Rebecca was interested only in discovering how to fix herself immediately. She wanted magic. She wanted instant answers. She wanted to wake up thin tomorrow.<br /><br />But when she relaxed and stopped focusing on the goal, she remembered that when she was younger, her parents were very poor and there was never enough meat on the table. But there were always cookies, she said. "We always had sweets because they were cheap, and my mother could feel that she was giving us something we liked."</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As she recalled the days of being hungry, she realized that bingeing on desserts made her feel close to her parents, who had died years before. "I know this sounds strange," she said, "but now that I am a successful businesswoman, I have this secret belief that I am being disloyal to my family. I have what they never had -- enough money to buy the main course."<br /><br />Once she realized what she was doing, she could ask herself if what she believed was actually true. And she recognized, of course, that it wasn't, and that there were other unharmful ways to remember her parents. When she stopped wanting to make the<img align="right" alt="" height="155.333" src="http://staticapp.icpsc.com/icp/loadimage.php/mogile/219671/4e366be6e2d8235f11709292b6524ee1/image/jpeg" style="border: 0px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); float: right; margin: 9px 0px 7px 7px; min-height: 155.333px; width: 112.333px;" width="112.333" />problem go away, she relaxed enough to be able to explore the root of her emotional eating. And she stopped being married to sugar.<br /><br />If Rebecca had woken up thin before understanding the reasons she was eating sweets, the sense of guilt and abandoning her family would've still haunted her.<br /><br />Years ago, I attended a month-long retreat with Vietnamese peace activist and Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. As I walked along the paths at his retreat center, there were signs every few steps that said, "You are arriving in every moment." There was never a sign that said, "You have arrived."<br /><br />Think about how different life could be if you stopped emphasizing the end, the fix, or getting there and began enjoying each step of the way. If one moment was as good as the next. If the goal in life was not to fix yourself but to transform yourself.<br /><br />Here, after all, is a miracle: You're already on the journey. You already know and already have everything you need to continue. Relax, breathe, be kind to yourself and everyone else.<br /><br />Oh, there's one more thing: Enjoy the ride.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out all things Geneen Roth <a href="http://www.geneenroth.com/">HERE</a>.</span></span></div>
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cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-84022858098860606682012-10-26T14:10:00.000-07:002012-10-26T14:10:46.231-07:00Following the bread crumbs<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">My mom’s home library
contains a plethora of books on spirituality of all stripes and colors. It might be called <i>dangerous</i> by some, and
many years ago, even she probably would’ve called it scandalous. Her shelves contain the voices of dozens of
controversial authors who have dared ask the hard questions of life/God/religion,
risked their reputations and incomes, and spoke Truth in a way that helped
congeal the myriad, rambling thoughts of the always-curious mind that resided
within her beautiful head and heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">That library had at
times concerned me, soon lured me, and now delights me to no end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Like my Mom, I love discovering these
others who live outside the many recognizable spiritual/philosophical boxes of our current society…..living
honestly from their gut, following their hearts into dark places of Mystery and
ancient Knowings, not settling for inconsistencies or things that offend their
hearts. Mom thrilled with each new voice
who articulated universal themes of Divine Love even as they were flowering in her own heart. Those authors were lighting the path she
found herself following, opening new avenues of understanding and embracing
Spirit as well as her own amazing humanity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">And, I should
mention, Mom couldn’t leave a book alone.
Thumbing thru pages she’d devoured were her written reactions….</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">her wanderings, her ponderings, her
exuberant agreements….lots of exclamation points and underlinings, ‘cause Mom
never did anything unless she did it All. The. Way. These books contain almost diary-like
revelations, causing one to feel that they’re trespassing thru the private,
sacred workings of a person in process, a person completely resolved to follow
their unpredictable path wherever it leads, and completely in awe and
wonderment at the journey…. regardless of random rabbit trails or even gawking
onlookers shaking their heads at the direction she’s headed. My mom knew there was no going back, no
folding that relentless thirsty mind and heart of hers back into its previous
claustrophobic space. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Several weeks before she died, I
happened upon one such book on her shelves. With a delicious title like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Lost-Goddess-Teachings-Christians/dp/1400045940/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1349790236&sr=1-1&keywords=jesus+and+the+lost+goddess+the+secret+teachings+of+the+original+christians">Jesus and the Lost Goddess</a>, how could I resist?
So I teased it out from among its neighbors and began to casually flip
thru the pages. As usual, the back of
the book was filled with mom’s copious notes…..BUT as I quickly glanced thru
the hastily scribbled lines, I immediately noticed two inked stars halfway down
the page, followed by </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i>“My prayer for Cindy and family”. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Feeling a
leeetle bit guilty, like I used to feel when I discovered the marshmallow fudge
twists Mom had hidden in the cupboard for herself, I checked the page number
referenced and……<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">….decided I
wasn’t sure I was ready to read it.
Whether I *should* read it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So I took
the book home, (and let my Mom know), then eventually got brave and turned to page 64 where I found the
two stars again, next to an underlined section.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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It read:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>“at the
innermost depths of each of us there is one Consciousness, unchanging and the
same…the hidden root of the tree of which we are all branches.”</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">At the
bottom of that page, Mom had written<i> “You gave me my prayer for Cindy—and the blessing to me,
first. My Consciousness.”</i><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m sharing this here
to publicly acknowledge that her prayer for me (and my family) is being answered. I hope my Mom knew it as well before she let go of this life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">See, Mom was a genius
in leaving (whole grain Brownberry) bread
crumbs behind her as she picked her way ahead of me, easing my own journey
toward an ever expanding, inclusive, love-based spirituality that honors both
our intensely human experience as well as our infinite, perfect Self. She blazed a trail without knowing exactly where
she was headed, trusting the rest of us would find the clues, perhaps avoid some
of her pitfalls, and embrace our own messy pilgrimage thru the hairball of our human
existence. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">So now, I hope you’ll
allow me to share a gift from my own journey, which has been and will continue to be inspired by my
mom. In July, anticipating what I’d be facing in the coming months, I took a
headlong leap into a <a href="http://pranayogaschool.com/">yoga practice</a>. I felt perhaps the holistic approach offered
by a “fitness program” that’d been around for over 5000 years may have something
to offer me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">That ended up being a
gross understatement. <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-baby-yoga-recovery-program.html">I wrote all about it here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">One of the spiritual practices
of yoga is the meditative chanting of ancient Sanskrit mantras, which are
simply prayers or reciting the sacred names of God. It bypasses the mind, quiets the heart, and
speaks directly to the Self.
One chant in particular has captured my imagination, as it’s helped me
feel connected to Mom’s Consciousness during the last difficult weeks of her
illness, and will serve me going forward as I learn to journey on without
her physical presence in my life. I feel it was <i>and is</i> my Mom’s heart for
every one of us because I watched her try to practice it herself. It translates:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>May all beings
everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words and actions of my own
life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>Peace Peace Peace.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i>Lokah Samastah
Sukhino Bhavantu</i></span></div>
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<i><st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;">Om</span></st1:place><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Shanti Shanti Shanti</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Thank you, friends,
for letting me share this with you, and for holding the sacred brilliance of my
fun-loving, brave, pioneering mother in your hearts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Divine (Consciousness) in
me bows to the Divine (Consciousness) within each of you.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Namaste’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-60855130569513302282012-10-16T16:41:00.000-07:002012-10-16T16:42:15.904-07:00New 'doI chanced some change with my hairs. Got 'em all cut off. Each and every one.<br />
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I feel like making big changes in this season, a time for new beginnings, even in my grief. Yet I also feel exhausted, like the leaves barely clinging to the branches....ready to fall and wither. I don't want life to just go on. I don't want to do life without Mom here on this earth, breathing the same air as me, watching the leaves turn and fall, bundling up for winter, planning the season's holiday decor.<br />
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Weird.<br />
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So I go a hair cut. Big change.<br />
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Everyone so far is gaga over it. Telling me how young and cute it is.<br />
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I don't know what to think. It's been over a week and I still don't know how to get it to look like the picture up thar (that was the stylist's doing). I feel naked and vulnerable...like people will see my fat now, not my glorious hair. No hiding in the tresses or cute flowers.<br />
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Mom would love it. I remember getting my first 'Dorothy Hamill' cut in the '70's and posing out front for Mom's camera. She liked my hair short. I had stick straight pixies in 1st and 2nd grade. Got an asymetrical shaved/swoopy thing in high school. A short mullet. Lots of perms. <br />
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Here's how it looked a couple days ago after I attempted to style it:<br />
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Not so great. Too structured (Type 4), not enough randomness.<br />
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Got a bit closer a this weekend:<br />
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I'm definitely not loving the amount of product it takes to do this. I have no choice now except to play around with it and hope I figure it out. Or get used to wearing hats. :)<br />
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<br />cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-34695554905814889052012-10-03T18:36:00.000-07:002012-10-04T05:41:48.153-07:00Fading RosesMy sweet Mom died 14 very long days ago.<br />
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She planned her own memorial, choosing the songs, poems and prayers...even wrote her own beautiful eulogy. Evidently dying slowly of cancer affords you this luxury, but I'm fairly certain it wasn't a luxury Mom ever coveted. Still, we were all so grateful to her for the work she put in as a last gift to us. The service was amazingly difficult, yet amazingly beautiful. She reached out to us from where she now flies, and it was a profound experience for my brother, sister, dad, and everyone who stuffed themselves into the ballroom at my parent's neighborhood Chateau {{glorified clubhouse}} to say goodbye.<br />
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Because I'm so much like my mom, I'm processing her passing by writing my own words. The day after I watched her take her last breath, I wrote a big ole thing. I wrote it in thankfulness for the mom I was given, for the too-short time I had with her, and for the hope of a future with her guidance to lead me and her memory as my companion. Because I believe she wants me to pursue every drop of hope and light I can....and I know this because she pursued it herself. It's a good piece, written in the heady aftermath of the drama of death and emotion and naive grief not yet tested by the loneliness and monotony of the coming weeks. I'll post it soon, but not tonight. <br />
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Tonight I just feel this raging hurting loss. I have some nasties to let fly so my mom can catch them in the wind and toss them where they won't prick me and taunt me and suffocate me. Do you mind? <br />
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There is a huge something missing in my life now. Enormous and never-ending and painful and awkward and weird and stupid. I'm kinda pissed about it actually. I mean, why her? Why not the fatass at Walmart in the candy aisle with greasy hair? {{I immediately feel a *Knowing tap* on my shoulder as Mom reminds me "why NOT her?" Ok Mom. It's an uneven playing field and the refs are on strike, so I'll go with it.}}<br />
I know she's near me, but it's just not the same. Not at all. <br />
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Anyone who tells you different hasn't lost their own huge something.<br />
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And, btw, to those who have sinned by omission due to not having lost your own huge something yet, ouch. <br />
That hurt. I forgive you. But I'm still kinda mad at you. I might be over it by the holidays. Or not. There might be opportunities for enough downward dogs in the next few months to get it out of my system. But don't count on it. I really do hope to be over it by the time you must lose your huge something so that I won't be a dick in your hour of loss. Because, really, I want to be a nice person again.<br />
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And what's with this weather? Like the cosmos tapped into my searing heart and was like, "hey show her what her pain looks like on the outside" and sent a sudden foretaste of the biting cold that's coming, complete with heavy, sagging grey clouds and spitting shards of rain. Nice. <br />
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I know it sounds like I'm angry. I'm ok with that. <br />
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I'm also utterly sad. I'm trying to be ok with that.<br />
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And I'm lonely. With my hubby and kids always nearby, I'm still profoundly lonely. I may never be ok with that.<br />
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I'm sitting with my emotions when all I really want to do is rage around and terrify everyone around me because it HURTS SO MUCH, then drive as fast as I can to the nearest Dunkin' Donuts for yeasty demons filled with fluffified transfat and rolled in powered sugar dust. Why yes, I will take a bakers dozen. Eating my emotions would taste so good....<br />
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And what I didn't expect was the exhaustion. Physical exhaustion, I mean. It's not like I'm training for a marathon....I drive my kids to school, walk my dog, do some yoga. And yet I'm bone-tired. Feels like the kind that won't ever go away.<br />
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Yes, I know it will. Don't care. Needed to write it. Needed to acknowledge it.<br />
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Since I don't have a freaking clue how this is all gonna come out {this post or my life post-watching-cancer-kick-the-shit-out-of-my-mom's-beautiful-body}, I figure the least I can do is get it out here and hope for the best.. Other things I'm trying out before giving in to the afore-mentioned doughnuts:<br />
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Pin a dozen new <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/hair-n-stuff/">hairstyle ideas on Pinterest</a>. <br />
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Make just shy of 4 million batches of soap<a href="http://therealsoapco.blogspot.com/p/why-i-make-soap.html"> in my mom's honor</a> (and blow up a batch in the oven).<br />
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Remember to breath.<br />
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Listen to as much <a href="http://www.mumfordandsons.com/">Mumford and Sons</a> as I possibly can.<br />
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Pick up 6 tiny, perfect, flaming red leaves that lay in my path as I walk in the rain.<br />
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Blow raspberries and slobber kisses on my grandbaby's petal soft cheeks.<br />
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Remember to breath.<br />
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Feel sorry for myself, then tell all my facebook friends I need a playdate.<br />
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Do<a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-baby-yoga-recovery-program.html"> yoga</a>.<br />
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Do more yoga.<br />
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Remember to breath.<br />
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Watch <a href="http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/once-upon-a-time">episodes of mindless TV</a> on Netflix.<br />
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Stare at the leaves as they write their own eulogy in brilliant color, just like my Mom did, and know she can see them too....that she's now part of the magic that makes it happen.<br />
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Oh yeah, and eat one too many Bob Evans biscuits with honey.<br />
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And......remember to breath.<br />
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I miss you Mom. Nothing will ever be the same. Help me see goodness again.<br />
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<br />cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-64859648129008542922012-09-03T14:20:00.000-07:002012-09-04T15:00:03.110-07:00My Baby Yoga Recovery Program<div style="text-align: center;">
I feel kinda like my spiritual journey is on fast forward lately. Idle little streams I've floated in that seemed to meander down a path of their own have suddenly merged into a raging river. I'm slowly letting go of trying to control the situation or the destination....and I now can hear above the din and confusion of twirling rapids a roaring waterfall just around the bend.</div>
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And yet....</div>
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I know that much freedom will come as I surrender to the free fall.</div>
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Listen for my unrestrained scream of surrender and joy. </div>
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Just a friendly warning :)</div>
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My yoga practice is still in its infancy...and it's HARD. I'm talking limb-shaking, sweat-drenching HARD. It's easily the most vulnerable thing I've ever undertaken. </div>
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My thoughts as I attempt movements my body just DOES NOT WANT TO DO range from </div>
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'what the hell am I doing this for???' to 'OMG, this is ecstasy!' to 'holy shit you can't be serious' to 'I'm freakin' rockin' this pose and I didn't even know I had this kind of strength!'. </div>
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Basically it's a raw human experience tangled with a deep form of spiritual enlightenment I've never known. Somehow moving your body in new and often awkward and uncomfortable ways while focusing on your BREATH and speaking kindly to yourself in the company of others opens you up wide. </div>
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Tremors of terror threaten to overwhelm me each time I remove my sandals to enter the sanctuary. </div>
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Tears of frustration and surrender lurk just beneath the surface as I push myself to simply TRY what I'm sure I can't do. </div>
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Waves of love, thankfulness, wonder, and acceptance wash over me as I lay in savasana (corpse pose) at the end of every practice. </div>
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Listen, I've always been 'the big girl'. For this reason I've avoided fitness clubs, classes, and anything that might reveal to the world that which I've spent a lifetime trying to hide: that I jiggle in all the wrong places.</div>
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I have cellulite and loose skin and stretch marks and vericose veins. I'm uncoordinated and my legs are too long. My breasts resemble tube socks with tennis balls at the bottom and my rear end is wide and flat. My arms are like bat wings, and my belly rests comfortably on my upper thighs when I sit. I shall never be considered anything but FAT by our pop culture. </div>
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BUT....thank Goddess, I'm not someone else's opinions. </div>
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When I finally entered my first yoga class, imagine my astonishment to find a room full of fat, thin, old, young, male, female, shy, smiling, fearful, confident Beings sitting quietly on their mats...</div>
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Just imagine.</div>
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It feels I took my first breath ever as I dipped my toes into the healing yoga waters.....</div>
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I'm discovering hidden strengths, hidden weaknesses. Amazing beauty, amazing brokenness. </div>
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Stubborn hope and stubborn habits. Unrelenting acceptance and unrelenting fear. </div>
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The physical mirrors and reveals the spiritual and emotional. Our bodies reflect the triumph and tragedy of our inner life. And while it may be possible to move thru a physical practice of yoga without accessing the Person inside, I'm discovering it makes the practice MORE difficult to do so. The energy it takes to block the uncomfies that arise is too draining to the physical demands of the practice. So I endeavor to humbly dive into the shame and embarrassment, the frustration and fear each time I unroll my mat. </div>
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JK Rowling says "Understanding is the first step to acceptance. And only with acceptance can there be recovery."</div>
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Carl Jung said "We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses."</div>
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Yoga is ministering to me.</div>
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It's bringing me understanding and acceptance, and finally some recovery of the TRUTH of Who I am. (Which would be: Perfect as is, thankyouverymuch.)</div>
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Wanna know what I've recovered thru my baby yoga practice?</div>
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I am a woman of ABUNDANCE. A Goddess of fertility and sensual curves and softness. My bum is a gigantic HEART, my thighs are towers of STRENGTH. My skin wears the blessed evidence of a life devoted to trying to love myself, even in unhealthy ways....and of creating, birthing, nursing, and nurturing six MIRACLES into life. My arms and hands are HEALING conduits to those I love, my lips a BALM to my beloved husband. My body is SEXY and FULL and BEAUTIFUL. </div>
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And my BREATH is evidence of the unconditional LOVE coursing thru me, supporting me, and reminding me that I'm ALIVE.</div>
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In short: My BEING is PERFECT. </div>
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I'm also learning to have faith in myself....as I gingerly try to lift my hand from the supporting yoga block on the ground....and then weeble wobble my way into Warrior 3....then come crashing down in an ungraceful heap on my mat. Perfection. </div>
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I'm learning to have faith in others......to support and love me thru my attempts at HARD things, in their understanding giggles that slice thru the tension of embarrassment, in their physical touch, in the safety of community. My loneliness is beginning to dissipate, the coldness in my heart is melting in the brilliant warmth of a community of acceptance and understanding. Perfection.</div>
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The Goddess who runs my yoga school believes when the time is right, the teacher will appear.</div>
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In my instance, many teachers have appeared. And the story just keeps getting better.</div>
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I look forward to witnessing other flowerings in my life, even as I learn to live in the PERFECT moment I'm in right now. </div>
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(Which would be: ready to tumble head-long over the waterfall.)</div>
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Who'd a thunk that practicing a downward dog would open an entire universe of love, acceptance, community and faith?</div>
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And I haven't even told you about my first Kirtan concert :)</div>
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cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-78939191432226297392012-07-21T14:52:00.002-07:002012-07-21T14:52:39.976-07:004 Month Progress Report!<div style="text-align: center;">
Guess what my scale said today.....</div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150482875/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://media-cache-ec4.pinterest.com/upload/201254677067749955_dbfOAsiK_c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/19193975" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">weheartit.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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I know. We all need a scale like that, eh?</div>
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Well, as far as what it REALLY said, and what the measuring tape told me, I'm down 3 more pounds, but my body fat stayed the same as last month (32.5%) and 2 pounds of the 3 were lean body mass loss. :(</div>
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Even after cutting down on my aerobic exercise and increasing my protein all month.</div>
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Although my clothes continue to fit better and get looser, I've still not gone down another full size for 2 months. I'm discouraged, but got some great advice from <a href="http://www.dietfreelife.com/">THE Robert Ferguson</a> (creator of the food plan I've been using) on the Diet Free Lifestyle facebook page. </div>
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Unfortunately, there will be no more carb snacks before bed. </div>
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I'm to try to eat a hi protein/lo carb snack in the evenings.</div>
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I'm gonna try lo fat cottage cheese, a vanilla whey protein smoothie, beef jerky, hard boiled eggs....</div>
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It was a hard morning, and I've fought hard to keep my spirits up. </div>
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I know I can do this, and I need to stay focused on ALL the benefits of being healthy....not just smaller sizes.</div>
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Anyway, here's my beauty shot:</div>
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<br /></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-50829390207827311702012-07-19T07:19:00.000-07:002012-07-19T07:27:36.175-07:00Itchy Brains and Glowing Butts.<div style="text-align: center;">
Somethin's itching a part of my brain the last few days.
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150450753/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="454" src="http://media-cache-ec6.pinterest.com/upload/287878601150450753_IUeVMXkl_c.jpg" width="415" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3398022764324469882" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">Uploaded by user</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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I'm finally scratching it.
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150402170/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="511" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinterest.com/upload/287878601150402170_yGhLzexY_c.jpg" width="389" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/gustonyc/aww-look-at-the-baby-in-the-bunny-costume-2nz2" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">buzzfeed.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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See, I tend toward the negative. </div>
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Which is to say, the path of least resistance....and it's a path well-traveled by many, so it's easy to find company, which expands the negativity bubble.</div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150390359/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://media-cache-ec8.pinterest.com/upload/287878601150390359_rrXftoAG_c.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">google.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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But that itchy itch has really flared up lately, and I've been desperately scratching it, to bring some relief.
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150365195/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://media-cache-ec5.pinterest.com/upload/287878601150365195_xBPDUigD_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/28/-3120488147" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">tumblr.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">And I'm getting closer to banishing the cause of the itch. </span></div>
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Which is to say, the reason the itch exists....and how to recognize more speedily where a better path lies.
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150365193/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinterest.com/upload/287878601150365193_XklLyxKh_c.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.dailydawdle.com/2011/06/oh-interesting-i-need-stack-of-these.html" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">dailydawdle.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">That itch is the </span><i style="background-color: white;"><b>awareness</b></i><span style="background-color: white;"> that I'm kinda over witty, bitter gossip. </span></div>
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Snarky-ness. </div>
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Being a bitch.
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150352386/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="570" src="http://media-cache-ec9.pinterest.com/upload/287878601150352386_sW2kTWOn_c.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/77742682/my-love-is-not-unconditional-the-terms" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">etsy.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">My heart, mind and spirit don't like it anymore. </span></div>
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Worn out phrases that used to make me snicker, well -placed sarcastic comments and judgments that used to drizzle off my tongue remind me of trying to pull up a wet bathing suit.<br />
Friction and awkward displacement of body parts.<br />
It takes a lot of effort to fit them back on myself without doing some major shifting.<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150493265/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://media-cache-ec4.pinterest.com/upload/200973202090925541_7s8bwZQ9_c.jpg" width="591" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3398022764324469882" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">Uploaded by user</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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So I'm scratching that <i><b>awareness</b></i> itch by intentionally focusing on the positive.<br />
Spreading goodness and love and all things nifty and sweet.</div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150365190/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="600" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinterest.com/upload/287878601150365190_eU0soFrP_c.jpg" width="439" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://thecolorsofmymind.tumblr.com/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;">thecolorsofmymind.tumblr.com</a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Because I *do* have the power to make changes in my life. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> To forgive myself, clean up my messes and start each day with new mercies from the Goodness that surrounds and indwells each of us....if we are <i><b>AWARE</b></i> enough of that Presence. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8gIiDFFaXVqJVX9FXgSx2mK03c8PhcS_sbdtac459FySaj8lFZiFEsGlBCI_jEp70b1f17ffsJzMAT_KyOfSc1VCVV6JOcN3NY21B32E8soOgkudNPpKtO7ZIgEzHJUvC_HzF6HJjNE/s1600/399465_455126201172366_955235022_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8gIiDFFaXVqJVX9FXgSx2mK03c8PhcS_sbdtac459FySaj8lFZiFEsGlBCI_jEp70b1f17ffsJzMAT_KyOfSc1VCVV6JOcN3NY21B32E8soOgkudNPpKtO7ZIgEzHJUvC_HzF6HJjNE/s400/399465_455126201172366_955235022_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> This week, I hope I won't feel the itch as much as I did last week. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">And next week maybe I won't even hardly notice it. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Next month I might just transform into.....</span></div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/287878601150365134/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="600" src="http://media-cache-ec6.pinterest.com/upload/287878601150365134_SBVbAY7o_c.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
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Source: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3398022764324469882" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;"></a> via <a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/" style="color: #76838b; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Cindy</a> on <a href="http://pinterest.com/" style="color: #76838b; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></div>
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Are you noticing that itch? <span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
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Are you ready to make changes in your responses to life and people, instead of automatically engaging the tired, flippant thoughts and words that continue to push you along the well-worn, crowded path of negativity? <span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
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Talk to me.</div>
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I want to hear about your journey.</div>
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Together our bums can light the way thru the darkness to the better path.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWBWAc5nDrJJocg4aHQxyN5VWd8c8qeT8IH24rLOxpVi3lFhAG-aqlfHBz356nn16eEV-bA-CmsEOY4Iv8YnOHFQeTV8WDFM57wtUTWkZQEDBNBg189XsXwVK8dVwCuyWjf-6RZzWQXc/s1600/z64723309-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLWBWAc5nDrJJocg4aHQxyN5VWd8c8qeT8IH24rLOxpVi3lFhAG-aqlfHBz356nn16eEV-bA-CmsEOY4Iv8YnOHFQeTV8WDFM57wtUTWkZQEDBNBg189XsXwVK8dVwCuyWjf-6RZzWQXc/s320/z64723309-2.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-8817853273381877422012-07-12T06:53:00.000-07:002012-07-12T06:53:14.786-07:00A post about nuthin'. You know, for a change.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlQXa5OM9vXvvhNaKeusGzZwqc41nqDnzQQ5_fy4qi5cYenlxZXY8LCYcNgBc8RwYQ5rhHrNECKlsrIQt8X6n5WCKx71XShHONdhkB3Ju4G7iP8Gomvsy8uqrHb6fHeUD5cdoILwJEnQ/s1600/IMG_4162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnlQXa5OM9vXvvhNaKeusGzZwqc41nqDnzQQ5_fy4qi5cYenlxZXY8LCYcNgBc8RwYQ5rhHrNECKlsrIQt8X6n5WCKx71XShHONdhkB3Ju4G7iP8Gomvsy8uqrHb6fHeUD5cdoILwJEnQ/s640/IMG_4162.JPG" width="436" /></a></div>
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Oh hey.</div>
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Pulled out the chunky monkey to capture my<a href="http://cottagechick.dressingyourtruth.com/"> T1</a> cuteness the other day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_8z6lVu97bFurda9az9IqQ7lJHWKEmrbT3ZLe-CP8hJH-sKkooi2MLSVixc_w0awClnQc9WqMCFI0KdFxI2YBgYjY5M4Ce1gamIe5JFNXuDGviIHQ_bSGS-s8ZdYwQ8ptzQAnX7c11s/s1600/IMG_4195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju_8z6lVu97bFurda9az9IqQ7lJHWKEmrbT3ZLe-CP8hJH-sKkooi2MLSVixc_w0awClnQc9WqMCFI0KdFxI2YBgYjY5M4Ce1gamIe5JFNXuDGviIHQ_bSGS-s8ZdYwQ8ptzQAnX7c11s/s640/IMG_4195.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm continuing to figure out if I sorta like or sorta despise my hair.</div>
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It definitely needs to grow some more, but I like how it looked on this day.</div>
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To bad it still takes $45 worth of unpronounceable goo and about a thousand hours to get it like this.</div>
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Ok, that's a lie.</div>
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Just dried it, sprayed it, and thought, 'T1 enough'.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDkwysZEpudvqZnIA1EYKtyDvKx3btySjzpN3xCy_FaaCXmoc93SXDWGdKD0e8tIwfefAJEHiymzOSlZmGv2OQkMhhyphenhyphendf4TEWzSeeT1X2XeSh2lybQ5FxdXzpsWc09QcMY3uxqTEnG78/s1600/outfit+78.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDkwysZEpudvqZnIA1EYKtyDvKx3btySjzpN3xCy_FaaCXmoc93SXDWGdKD0e8tIwfefAJEHiymzOSlZmGv2OQkMhhyphenhyphendf4TEWzSeeT1X2XeSh2lybQ5FxdXzpsWc09QcMY3uxqTEnG78/s640/outfit+78.jpg" width="580" /></a></div>
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Over on the Type 1 DYT facebook page, they're doing a 'wear a dress everyday for a week challenge',</div>
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so this was my contribution.</div>
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Yay.</div>
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<br />cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-33957260119161450992012-07-03T09:23:00.000-07:002012-07-18T06:08:31.241-07:00My spiritual journey...adventures in wandering off the map.<div style="text-align: center;">
I've come to some rather startling conclusions of late.</div>
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You know, the kind that leave you a bit breathless, thrilled, and well...<br />
scared shitless? </div>
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<a href="http://neversleepsagain.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-scared-shitless-meme.html">(via)</a></div>
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Yeah, those kind.</div>
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For awhile now I've felt an increase in that feeling of 'not fitting in', </div>
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and that tends to drawn me down to The Ugly Place.</div>
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And I've managed to avoid the terrors of That Place for several months (for the most part).</div>
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I decided to do some things intentionally. </div>
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One of those things, and it's a biggie, is rewriting my spiritual blueprint. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Perhaps the biggest catalyst has been my facebook feed.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1680&bih=935&tbm=isch&tbnid=5DyhH8M7S3rMYM:&imgrefurl=http://www.ncregister.com/blog/how_to_lose_your_job_on_facebook/&docid=gVWBAwps-yHwGM&imgurl=http://www.ncregister.com/images/uploads/facebook_ncr.png&w=512&h=512&ei=EgbzT7yqNZD82gX7idnOCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=566&vpy=280&dur=210&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=97&ty=95&sig=115540260631672540056&page=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=144&start=0&ndsp=40&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:0,i:110">(via)</a></span></div>
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It's schizo. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I'm whiplashed from christian-y status-stuff like: </span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white;">'if you support Obamacare UR going to hell...</span><span style="background-color: white;">share this if you love Jesus'</span><span style="background-color: white;">, </span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">followed by my leftist, gay, new-age friends posting pictures of Batman being bitch-slapped, fairy dusted imps frolicking thru clover or my personal favorite, </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i>'the face of FOX news'</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=active&biw=1680&bih=892&tbm=isch&tbnid=uRGKGdsHKhfDGM:&imgrefurl=http://omegahrsolutions.com/2010/11/doh-guess-we-should-have-thought-of-that-a-lesson-in-unintended-consequences.html&docid=ScG-hCS4_7ctSM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNR8sHH8v0Wx93FGdXFLr177elV1-Cgyw3G-4kvEkpNQCpanNDRz7LWBKJ9EMEWA4DddeUsE6iJ0Z1LUL-P8-Tke1YesZyC0RW3gj_yV299prjH_D1qajk_Cv7vfkOgqvehQq_pj0j9Wo/s1600/homer.gif&w=272&h=440&ei=CgfzT6S2Mci42QWFsIDPCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=436&vpy=473&dur=7258&hovh=286&hovw=176&tx=124&ty=95&sig=115540260631672540056&page=1&tbnh=175&tbnw=108&start=0&ndsp=35&ved=1t:429,r:19,s:0,i:132">(via) </a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">It all puts me in a mood.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">It plays on that 'who the heck am I?' thing that makes me squirm.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">So instead of stuffing that awkward feeling with say, a box of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls (be still my heart),</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I decided to begin defining where my beliefs sit at this </span><b style="background-color: white;">present moment.</b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">'Cause that ties into my blog name, yeah?</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxOBpCX0WP4pM_wOYYAie9Swhy3fTL4ilMMv_S4Mxo_tPIaZ97eOYfSv5E-JvTggh63wc15IkyQ_XSWQcfq2O9WYsX2kXqImzh2XcRwpWaTkri5TcRiktGIqlE_pkoD0f0Ters8YBNYE/s1600/DYT2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxOBpCX0WP4pM_wOYYAie9Swhy3fTL4ilMMv_S4Mxo_tPIaZ97eOYfSv5E-JvTggh63wc15IkyQ_XSWQcfq2O9WYsX2kXqImzh2XcRwpWaTkri5TcRiktGIqlE_pkoD0f0Ters8YBNYE/s320/DYT2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here's the deal.</div>
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I don't consider myself a Christian in the traditional sense anymore.</div>
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This means while I respect Jesus and his words and works on earth, I don't really think he was magic.</div>
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At least not anymore magic than the rest of us.</div>
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I do think he was in alignment with the source/energy/god/universe/creator/etc. </div>
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I don't know that his murder was a sacrifice for all mankind,</div>
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but if it was, whether or not I believe it has no bearing on that work.</div>
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I don't think this source/energy/god/dess has a personality.</div>
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I don't think it prefers some to others.</div>
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I think we are all conduits for this energy and can choose to purposely or inadvertantly block this energy. </div>
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I'm still fuzzy on negative energy, but I believe if we continually block the Good,</div>
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we give place to the negative.</div>
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I speak from experience here folks.</div>
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<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1680&bih=892&tbm=isch&tbnid=Kfkx79H868QjLM:&imgrefurl=http://subtemplum.blogspot.com/2010/09/creativity-souls-instinctive-blossoming.html&docid=M59e5m6Q2m3YhM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvfBDN7XO6cPR-xcNFfWn0Jv9bo-sjplnpD7bkoyEZXBSUQ202NFkcuwYRZeqIueDhADhp3CIGNrbtllLwAzvdqvbBAqPuhU8MeP5O1-7pmT_0gLHGvApbit_0kSyj97aimnujA8ONfJu/s1600/painting.jpg&w=347&h=497&ei=ggjzT8_DD8rjqgHFhMGJCQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=184&vpy=351&dur=1300&hovh=269&hovw=188&tx=109&ty=150&sig=115540260631672540056&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=167&tbnw=116&start=0&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:22,s:0,i:142">(via)</a></div>
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If that doesn't get me the boot from the conservative christian map, the next tidbit might do the trick:</div>
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I don't believe there is a fount OUTSIDE OF MYSELF that can 'save' me. </div>
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And by the way; I don't believe I'm inherently evil or good, so I don't need 'saved' from anything. </div>
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Yep, I've wondered off the reservation.
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<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?start=92&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1680&bih=935&tbm=isch&tbnid=2E0AZJDmnYPUTM:&imgrefurl=http://choicemaptuesday.blogspot.com/2012/01/everything-here-is-wonderful.html&docid=coa-EcisKCktEM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNP2tnLHcBr2DXh1YmjQbqadMTKAWLkDZFP7JKOYAZCUT0cDb60QYQmtqSQgI14mcHeRZwN8Wu9li5Yj5hKUGbgn3Xt-Zo2R70dtt42F_oakrK-wq14g-4d23c2strAJPnd7v6RwxyYmq-/s320/wonderful.jpg&w=320&h=282&ei=YQzzT4sz04erAdLu7IsJ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=744&vpy=4&dur=6496&hovh=211&hovw=239&tx=128&ty=120&sig=115540260631672540056&page=3&tbnh=137&tbnw=155&ndsp=49&ved=1t:429,r:36,s:92,i:119">(via)</a></div>
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(not really, but a damn bit closer to wonderful than where I've been for 40 years...)</div>
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Interesting thing I've noticed thus far in the journey:</div>
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As I've dabbled in researching other forms of spirituality, </div>
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there's lots of ways to believe a 'prosperity message' (using a Christian term). </div>
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There's also lots of ways to believe a 'need something outside myself to fix myself message' too.....</div>
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People call on angels, claim abundance, plead with something outside themselves, offer sacrifice to something outside themselves, or just plain worship themselves. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzyGWcYmNDYzLjqowAiVwBRjMHOyw0PJiwfF6omcYpU7_aBONUPoo2ygsS2izlrHihzN0uLs_ZhKaqMwwnlglA-4gcih4qDOOGsplGoCPwu6ctT-ZAHkGaNPFnSjJgfdOck0B_RmptlU/s1600/460)_3401780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzyGWcYmNDYzLjqowAiVwBRjMHOyw0PJiwfF6omcYpU7_aBONUPoo2ygsS2izlrHihzN0uLs_ZhKaqMwwnlglA-4gcih4qDOOGsplGoCPwu6ctT-ZAHkGaNPFnSjJgfdOck0B_RmptlU/s320/460)_3401780.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=active&biw=1680&bih=935&tbm=isch&tbnid=r1WIXtYViD14IM:&imgrefurl=http://www.thefaeriesandangelsradionetwork.com/angellifemakeoverpodcasts.php&docid=kmDVG8AivMk6kM&imgurl=http://www.thefaeriesandangelsradionetwork.com/resources/460)_3401780.jpg%253Ftimestamp%253D1285172441873&w=460&h=460&ei=CxHzT4PRNoXe2AW5x4TOCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1305&vpy=485&dur=1230&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=133&ty=107&sig=115540260631672540056&page=2&tbnh=144&tbnw=144&start=45&ndsp=53&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:45,i:265">(via)</a></div>
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None of these are working for me either (no judgement from me if this works for you).</div>
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As I mentioned briefly above, I'm warming to the idea that my thoughts are very powerful,</div>
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and spending time meditating on the good instead of say, </div>
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<i>the negative transfat of life </i></div>
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has immediate positive effects on my spirit and moods, buuuuuttttt......</div>
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I'm just not a woo-woo person.</div>
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I wasn't one inside the crazy charasmatic circles where folks spoke in tongues or fell over or cackled like hens either (bless their hearts).</div>
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That's why I've attended a safe wee Mennonite church for the last few years....</div>
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no clapping hands, raising hands, praying on people, altar calls, demonic infiltrations.</div>
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(yeah, I just typed that out loud)</div>
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Unfortunately, my wee church isn't bringing me life either.</div>
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My spirit feels caged and stifled there, and the relative safety from the craziness of my charasmatic past, while definitely needed for a time, isn't worth the shrinking of my soul anymore.</div>
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My biggest influence so far in this journey is....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmCjGLyQXX2_XQhAEbknJvivCv3Ln13trrCnYtzMQe-TIfe2D07VCep3mDdufJKIlPSj7eDpggKc5azC1sjS-8OIr0Ao1QeZh6ZnmtNe_rb3oavwuW-nqCZGsP4WdbeDPpuVQxyv4sIQ/s1600/Yoda_SWSB%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmCjGLyQXX2_XQhAEbknJvivCv3Ln13trrCnYtzMQe-TIfe2D07VCep3mDdufJKIlPSj7eDpggKc5azC1sjS-8OIr0Ao1QeZh6ZnmtNe_rb3oavwuW-nqCZGsP4WdbeDPpuVQxyv4sIQ/s320/Yoda_SWSB%5B1%5D.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=active&biw=1680&bih=892&tbm=isch&tbnid=4Gsy34ogmbrALM:&imgrefurl=http://baxterstreet.blogspot.com/2011/04/cosmic-woo-woo.html&docid=cAdTQ0pZgkbqWM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeQyvxKSS65_-0_2PA4mHJA5zQjDt2i3dP9-VKTb8lMPsRRaq2KxiYLSXjXGxgxrWht0wol7OzLPyzYzaJ34V9-CvPAc0aKiuYGYxiopeRNQETZumI3BUdj5MyFQc8nv5svCJN0xTeBY/s1600/Yoda_SWSB%2525255B1%2525255D.jpg&w=475&h=547&ei=vhHzT9TyPMjs2AXxjKDOCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=352&vpy=141&dur=1397&hovh=241&hovw=209&tx=112&ty=147&sig=115540260631672540056&page=1&tbnh=164&tbnw=140&start=0&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:76">(via)</a></div>
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Ok, not really, but on second thought......maybe.</div>
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Actually, it's <a href="http://www.eckharttolle.com/">Ekhart Tolle</a> (who oddly enough reminds me of Master Yoda) and his work <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0452289963/ref=asc_df_04522899632080491?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=0452289963&hvpos=1o3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=122000930199205629&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=">A New Earth</a>.</div>
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He's all about <i>Being </i>and living in the present, <i>the Now</i>, as that is the only reality.</div>
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(See? My blog fits in all over the place in this post)</div>
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He talks about the ego, and how we disengage with it. </div>
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He describes a life of awareness and <i>being 'awakened'</i>. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">His words make the most sense to me right now, and I'm considering hosting a book discussion group to delve deeper into his stuff in a real time, face-to-face environment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">There'll also be chocolate. Just sayin'.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1680&bih=935&tbm=isch&tbnid=Ku_ZwiHI6TA61M:&imgrefurl=http://booksdirect.tumblr.com/post/24843531741/books-and-chocolate-make-life-bearable&docid=ie6RHKXq5uRa_M&imgurl=http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fb18SJLd1rq27uuo1_500.jpg&w=500&h=375&ei=ehLzT4y9IvPk2wX99vzOCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=852&vpy=150&dur=3438&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=102&ty=97&sig=115540260631672540056&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=180&start=0&ndsp=45&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0,i:85">(via)</a></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I don't know the difference yet between creating my own reality, working for change, etc....and at the same time just learning to live in the Now, live in peace no matter my circumstances, accepting what is. Someone's got some 'splain'in to do.....hoping the book group might help.</span></div>
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In light of Tolle's book, I've also decided to give<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pranayoga-Foundation/200268230026875"> yoga</a> a try.</div>
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Because everyone likes to see plus size women in yoga pants hiking their bottoms to the sky.</div>
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<a href="http://t-tapp.com/">T-Tapp</a> has been a great foundation to mindful movement, body alignment and breathing.</div>
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I think yoga will add another dimension to this,</div>
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a kind of Type 2 way of caring for my body and quieting my mind.</div>
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My squirrel brain needs some reigning in now and again, T1 that I am.</div>
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<i>(me frolicking with the water fountain for all to see...my sis joins in, god/dessloveher)</i></div>
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And now for your reading pleasure, a brief history of my life with Jesus, </div>
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who played the role of crucified and risen savior for most of it.</div>
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As writer, producer, and star in my production, though, I'm still deciding what role he'll play for the next act:</div>
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<b><i>Birth to Age 11</i>:</b> Catholic Birth and Resurrection club (attended mostly Christmas and Easter) Remember attending some CCD classes in a stifling hot room but never got confirmed. Damn. I wanted that white veil and gloves. <br />
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<i><b>11-14:</b></i> Assemblies of God where I learned I would burn in hell if I didn't say a specific prayer, babbled incoherently as proof I wasn't gonna fry, and to feel ashamed of myself most of the time. A lovely experience. I did like the music though...except for those times my mom put my plus-sized arse in front of the congregation to sing plus-sized Sandi Patti tunes in which I forgot the words and attempted to squeal on pitch.<br />
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<b><i>18-21</i>:</b> newly married with a baby, we were lucky to get the sisters into a bra to even attend a church.<br />
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<i><b>21-35ish:</b></i> Vineyard. I spent a lot of years here, and they were mostly good ones. I learned Jesus was tender and merciful, loving and kind. It got it's grounding in the early days with a hippy Californian muscian, so my thirst for meaningful, passionate music was quenched. We attended 3 different congregations (Indy, Dallas, 2 in Fort Wayne) in which each pastor was an ego-maniac on the prowl. I led worship, wrote and recorded music, annnnd pissed off the pastors. In that order. Evidently I had an 'issue with authority'. Whatev. Watched said pastors take a dump on several very dear friends. Told said pastors to kiss it and walked. Not very T1 of me, but my T4 secondary had taken the wheel at that point.
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<i>(me leading/singing with the guitar at the Vineyard in 2000...my two girls in front, both married now and the one on the left has a baby girl)</i></div>
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<i style="background-color: white;"><b>35-present:</b> </i><span style="background-color: white;">the</span><i style="background-color: white;"> </i><span style="background-color: white;">last 10 years have had me searching for ways to burst my bubble of experience within the confines of Conservative Christianity. I realized I had a BIG. FAT. ZERO friends or aquaintances outside that paradigm. Red flags tattered and torn, I finally got clued in that perhaps that wasn't the healthiest way to live a life that was supposedly following Christ's example. So I started reading all these really controversial people like </span><a href="http://www.robbell.com/" style="background-color: white;">Rob Bell </a><span style="background-color: white;">and </span><a href="http://www.brianmclaren.net/" style="background-color: white;">Brian McLaren</a><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><a href="http://www.thesimpleway.org/shane/" style="background-color: white;">Shane Claiborne</a><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><a href="http://www.donaldmillerwords.com/index.php" style="background-color: white;">Don Miller</a><span style="background-color: white;"> and </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnneLamott" style="background-color: white;">Anne Lamott</a><span style="background-color: white;">. Lo and behold I began to see a way thru my dilemas with faulty church leadership and rigid bible translations. </span><span style="background-color: white;"> I also became a democrat. I volunteered for Obama's campaign. </span><span style="background-color: white;">Twas a good time for me. I would've loved to just pitch my tent in that place and call it a day. It was then I discovered the small Mennonite Church I mentioned above, where most members are over the age of 65, many of whom were conscientious objectors in WW2, almost all have done oversees missions, annnnd can't hear very well anymore...Hubs and I became members and tried to plug in, learned much about living a faith grounded in the works of Jesus and not a bunch of hyper-spiritual woo woo experiences. Those folks were appalled at the stories we shared about the theology of our past churches. We are still at that church, in fact, hubs fills in now and again for the pastor and I sing in the choir.....but times, they is a'changin'....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gI47H53M9Vi_j8fD92gmMhm5JIwT24Ivm97sB2jPNoNvvlAM2OwHALEXxgfD2aYjPS3_Z0agBlfJGF0wbxeEMbT8CVzg7A0M3JFGcxNP3ZPDlIa0eVM8-S5Z8nO2q_Y6VLRGkqJpnwo/s1600/231583605808219014_oMmqzoDu_f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3gI47H53M9Vi_j8fD92gmMhm5JIwT24Ivm97sB2jPNoNvvlAM2OwHALEXxgfD2aYjPS3_Z0agBlfJGF0wbxeEMbT8CVzg7A0M3JFGcxNP3ZPDlIa0eVM8-S5Z8nO2q_Y6VLRGkqJpnwo/s400/231583605808219014_oMmqzoDu_f.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/amyrubinflett/4379295047/in/photostream/"><i>via</i></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I recently went back to my therapist who is teaching me to really listen and respect my inner voice that wants to BOLT as soon as the first organ note sounds on Sunday morning.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">During Lent, I truly thought I would crawl out of my skin if I had to sing one more word about the bloody death of Christ for a sinner like me.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">And besides, coming from the Vineyard, where a plethora of excellent music is produced each week,</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">to singing hymns and 'contemporary songs' from the '70's has been just a tad too difficult for my T1 soul to deal with. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I used to blog at a place called Tracking the Edge....I'll resurrect some of those posts here in the future, as they get more into the nitty-gritty of how my spiritual evolution has unfolded. In the meantime, here's a post I wrote in 2009 about where I found myself at that point....I've even moved beyond this, though, as at that time I still believed in Jesus' death was sacrificial in a literal sense.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2011/05/well-i-guess-time-has-come.html">Well I guess the time has come...</a></span></div>
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Lastly, I visited a Unity church this past weekend that wasn't a fit, but it *was* a hoot listening to a fill-in gay Reformed Catholic priest end his sermon singing Lady Gaga's "Edge of Glory" to back up trax. </div>
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Next week I'll bravely attempt a Congregational Church downtown.</div>
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Maybe they'll play Adelle's "Rolling in the Deep" on the handbells?</div>
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We can hope.</div>
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<br />cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-22930580951336996092012-06-21T18:04:00.000-07:002012-06-27T13:42:59.774-07:00Why you shouldn't let your scale have the last word.<div style="text-align: center;">
Guess what today is?<br />
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<i>(me today in a regular size 16 dress!)</i><br />
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Ok, I'll tell ya. It's my 3 month anniversary on <a href="http://www.myfoodlovers.com/index.php">Food Lovers</a>! (sparklers all around)</div>
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I did my standard weigh, measure, plug in numbers to see what the old bod has been doing this month.</div>
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The scale showed an 8 pound loss. In five weeks. </div>
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If you think that makes me feel all smug and successful, you're about to get clued in. </div>
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Based on the inches I lost this month......which totalled 5.5, coming off my pecs, waist, hips, right arm, right thigh and right calf.....and the numbers on the scale, I actually only went down 1/2 a percentage point in body fat composition. My lean body mass also went down, and that is NOT a good thing. Let me 'splain.</div>
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What makes your clothes fit better and helps you get into smaller sizes is making that BODY FAT PERCENTAGE go down. And mine dropped from 37% to 33.75% in the first 8 weeks. That translated to 3 dress sizes. BUT, overall pounds lost was only 8. That's 'cause I was at the same time gaining LEAN BODY MASS (ie: MUSCLE). Not only does building that muscle make you look leaner and feel stronger, it BURNS more calories (fat) at rest. I've heard one pound of muscle takes up 3 times LESS space than 1 pound of fat, so it's good to build those muscles thru strength training (I do <a href="http://www.t-tapp.com/">T-Tapp</a> for this).</div>
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So...this past month, losing 8 pound in 5 weeks compared with the 5.5 inch loss, leads me to understand that my body stopped burning fat at times and instead burned lean muscle. Which would explain why I didn't lose any more sizes. My fat shifted a bit, but didn't melt away, thus no size loss. (I will say everything is getting loser and fitting better, though). </div>
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I lost muscle, strength, and the ability to burn more fat when at rest. :(<br />
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This may have had to do with being sick for a week, then really pushing myself with my walking afterwards to make up for lost time. <br />
Prolly not a good idea, as I learned from one of the coaches on the <a href="http://chat.myfoodlovers.com/service/displayMessageBoard.kickAction?as=111703&mediaType=messageBoards&sortType=recent&includeMessages=on">Food Lovers Forums.</a></div>
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I asked them about the 4 pound loss in my lean body mass numbers (134 down to 130 in one month). His advice was to eat my full portion of protein at meals (generally 3-5 oz per meal, so I should shoot for the 5oz), continue strength training, and pull back on the cardio. He said overdoing cardio is what pushes our bodies to use what's at hand, and if there's no carbs available, it goes for muscle. I had really ramped up my walking in speed, distance and number of times per week the last few weeks. I'd noticed I've been really wiped out at night, and feeling tired and cranky in the mornings. That's because I had stopped burning JUST fat and had moved into burning muscle mass. <br />
Not good. That's called overtraining. </div>
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And that's why I say, the numbers on the scale don't tell the whole story. It's also why folks who do lots of cardio at the expense of strength training stay flabby, even when the scale is moving down. Cardio is for your heart and for quickly burning calories. It doesn't tone your body and give you a 'fit' physique, nor does it help your body burn fat at rest. </div>
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Anyway, at the three month mark, I've melted away <b>15 pounds of pure fat</b>, still holding at <b>3 sizes lost</b>, <b>15.50 inches gone</b>, which all translates to a <b>4.5% body fat loss</b>. I'm thrilled that I've stayed on plan fairly easily even tho this month had a week of being sick and a week on vacation. I learned more about how to work the programs to maximize results. I'd call that another month of success :)</div>
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This next month I'll work on tweaking my exercise routine by dropping some cardio, sticking with my T-Tapping, and making sure I get all the protein I'm allowed. :) I want to see if I can get that body fat percentage to drop more than 1/2 a percentage point by next month's check-in and maybe begin to start squeezing into 14s!<br />
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<br />cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-12354490368732988202012-06-11T17:58:00.000-07:002012-06-11T17:59:03.339-07:00Back from our visit with the MouseI've wanted to post several times before we left on vaca, but it didn't happen. Mostly 'cause I was in a funky mood alot of the time, and couldn't get my brain to unscramble my emotions into coherent words. Lots of ups and downs, but happily thru it all, I didn't binge. There was one night I imagined myself eating an entire bag of those soft chocolate chip cookies....and had to have a little cry over it even. But I made it thru.<br />
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I also hurt my hip doing ZUMBA...trying to wiggle like the instructors who I'm fairly certain have not birthed 6 enormous babies, have never been overweight, and are like 23 years old. Oy.<br />
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Then I got super awful sick just before leaving. Wasn't able to do even minimal exercise. But I didn't panic because there are no deadlines to this thing I"m doing. This thing I'm doing is in fact, my life. I'm on maintainence. I just keep living like an active person who doesn't use food inappropriately and eventually the weight will drop off and stay off. Another reason I lurve me some Food Lovers. <br />
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Each week I learn more about what my triggers are (waiting too long to eat, not having things pre-made and ready to grab or forgetting to drink my water). I learn when to listen to my body regarding exercise, and I get plenty of sleep. That sickness I had is still making me feel tired and weak, even after 2 weeks, so my workouts are kinda hard. Need to back off a bit or I'll head for another adrenal crash. Thankfully, having to stop for a few days while I was really sick, helped heal my hip. Today it never made a peep while I worked thru T-Tapp Arms ( A killer I might add). While away, I worked out 3 days, doing a 30 minute brisk walk and some T-Tapp moves.<br />
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I brought tons of cute T1 outfits for the trip, but only snapped a couple pics. Unfortuanately the weather was just plain awful after our first day, so doing hair and makeup was a waste of time. This just wasn't my year for great Florida weather....in February it was miserable too. Ah well, always next year!<br />
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Anyway, here's a few shots:<br />
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My T1 son on the left, T4 son on right. :)</div>
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Later that evening I met up with a blogger friend, <a href="http://carolinacountryliving.blogspot.com/">Erin from Carolina Country Living.</a> </div>
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She is awesome. </div>
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Her home was featured in a recent Romantic Prairie Style magazine. </div>
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I know. </div>
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Here we are at Ghiradeli's ice cream parlor...</div>
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(I was looking at her hubby's camera...duh)<br />
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Here's a pic of a thrifted linen wrap blouse....had given up on doing the hair with all the rain.</div>
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Out to dinner with friends this night, another wrap blouse and a white denim tiered skirt.</div>
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My chocolate brown and polka dot swimdress...</div>
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My youngest and I at MK. My necklace said 'wish' and had a wee star. </div>
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That's about it. Wish we'd had better weather, but it was nice to get away. </div>
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Getting back to regular life today, catching up on stuff, cooking and laundry. </div>
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The usual. </div>
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<br />cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-17199838348714372892012-05-16T07:45:00.001-07:002012-05-16T09:05:10.225-07:00Progress (Report)<div style="text-align: center;">
When I first purchased the <a href="http://www.myfoodlovers.com/index.php">Food Lovers Fat Loss System</a>, my head wasn't soooo much in the clouds that I actually believed I could lose '3 sizes in 8 weeks' as they promise </div>
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(and they offer a money back guarantee if you don't). </div>
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But I wanted to see how much I could lose in 8 weeks anyway.</div>
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Well, I'm here to report on my first 8 weeks, and folks, I'm pretty stoked.</div>
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I was a solid 22W when I started, and for those familiar with Women's sizing, </div>
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they usually say '22-24W' on the tag. </div>
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Not sure why they do that, but there it is. So I don't really know if I was a size 22 or a 24, </div>
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but I go with sung 22 :)</div>
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Now 8 weeks later, I'm squeezing into a 16W! </div>
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That's 3 sizes by golly, and I'm claiming it. </div>
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To be perfectly realistic, I'm comfortably into a 18W and can fit only 'some' 16s (mostly skirts), but on top, I'm definitely only a 1X or XL. </div>
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Regardless, I'm a believer. I'm getting smaller and healthier without dieting or killing myself with exercise. No food is off limits, folks. Nada. Not a one. Now if something makes my tummy feel weirded out, I'll take that off the menu, but I'm not counting that.</div>
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What is sooo amazing, though, is that while the scale hasn't moved much, my actual loss of BODY FAT (which is what causes the size loss) is 11 pounds. The scale only shows an overall loss of 8 pounds total. The difference is the gain in muscle. I hate scales, and the only reason I use it is to plug that number into my formulas that help me figure my actual BODY FAT loss. I started at a 37% body fat and am now at 33%. That translates to about 68 pounds of flab, most of which will melt off as I continue living this awesome lifestyle.</div>
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I should mention, I don't have a weight loss goal with some arbitrary number on a scale. Instead, I'm shooting for a size 6-8 with an active, lean body that craves movement instead of say, the couch. :) I'm banking on the fact that as I work this plan, my body will find it's 'happy medium' on its own. Here's hopin'!</div>
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From here on out, I'll weigh and measure on the 21st of each month. As much as I talk about just using the scale for mathematical purposes, it still terrifies me when weigh in/measuring day comes. I'm learning to take some deep breaths, focus on how I FEEL.....focus on those things that can't be measured like better sleeping, smaller sizes, and levelled out blood sugar (yay! that means no kooky brain farts or fogs or keeling over in exhaustion, something I definitely don't miss).</div>
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I took 'before' pics back in March, but other than outfits in the 'what I'm wearing' posts, I won't take an 'after' for quite a while. Maybe after 6 months? We'll see how I feel about it in September :)</div>
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Go me!</div>
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<br /></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-24988134640659165092012-05-14T08:25:00.000-07:002012-05-14T08:25:16.746-07:00What I'm Wearing. 2012 edition.<div style="text-align: center;">
Haven't done one of these in a good bit. </div>
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Mostly 'cause I've basically been wearing brown velour sweatpants from Walmart for the last 6 months.</div>
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Eh.</div>
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I'm slowly getting back into clothes from last summer, so I've been playing dress-up again. </div>
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I've also been playing with how to get my hair to have a 'full-bodied' look using a big barrel curling iron </div>
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and ginormous velcro rollers.</div>
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It takes FOREVER. </div>
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It also takes a dollop of root lifter the size of Washington state to lift my thick, heavy hair.</div>
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Perhaps it's me, but putting product in one's hair that results in it feeling rather, um, like one used <a href="http://www.plaidonline.com/stiffy-fabric-stiffener-8-oz/121/1550/product.htm">'Stiffy'</a> instead of foam makes one want to jump in the shower and wash one's hair again. *shrugging* </div>
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So today, I managed to slide a thrifted j.jill straight skirt (size 16!) over my hips and actually get it zipped. </div>
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Threw on an apt. 9 thrifted blouse with it. </div>
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Taking pics of oneself makes you notice stuff. </div>
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Like how badly a blouse needs pressed.</div>
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Or how a particular T1 gal should REALLY get some new bras to 'lift' the sistahs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZV0kU5yNapqogwSjADkV3j1oOM8ESm1UdUQJkqWI5BzXiiL-IHH4WeeNrrzSjxZVu2E3sAJe7i3PCg5vdfTCc-urQ9msXbl_vw_VQcJaJyWnKmh6Ezt7ktQWp8JBdm1ejmolT9h4Lz0/s1600/IMG_4045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZV0kU5yNapqogwSjADkV3j1oOM8ESm1UdUQJkqWI5BzXiiL-IHH4WeeNrrzSjxZVu2E3sAJe7i3PCg5vdfTCc-urQ9msXbl_vw_VQcJaJyWnKmh6Ezt7ktQWp8JBdm1ejmolT9h4Lz0/s640/IMG_4045.JPG" width="490" /></a></div>
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Or the one renegade eyebrow hair.</div>
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<br /></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-49577394939876483432012-05-10T07:27:00.000-07:002012-05-10T07:30:05.310-07:00::my soap ON SALE::<div style="text-align: center;">
(Repost from my <a href="http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/">other blog</a>)<br />
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Help a girl out, eh? </div>
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I've got tons of soap babies hanging out in my cra(p)ft room since making up batches and batches for my daughter Maddie's Senior Show, required for her Graphic Design degree (she won first place!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yMcJhMDkIhEYOy0NX2wiI4NlfdTkFm8D1wkHdfSejyUnq0qlvrC-WSM4-eDP6MsT5RQZQ8y4wmYxhLOHMZHv98fZBOyYp_xHgXqwNqrsHNO7LoIrS_7u7WOkinw1L_uW5SbaRBCdeN8/s1600/IMG_3605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yMcJhMDkIhEYOy0NX2wiI4NlfdTkFm8D1wkHdfSejyUnq0qlvrC-WSM4-eDP6MsT5RQZQ8y4wmYxhLOHMZHv98fZBOyYp_xHgXqwNqrsHNO7LoIrS_7u7WOkinw1L_uW5SbaRBCdeN8/s640/IMG_3605.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So I've got like a bazillion tons of the stuff I need to sell. </div>
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Maybe I should mention she advertised it at $16 dollars per bar??? </div>
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<b><i>Eiyeiyei.....</i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yUC9H8t8NTX7TFG0D7PQnK1WMhOs1rofJyfNjirkMq-J9VF8JO4ZSz9HizawQc5XecBpXLSIm4rxVfgkf8aeFzSv1RYkHWNKTkmaIMA5E0vHHCzuvdPxySr3QveZAfoGpDnPmRngxto/s1600/IMG_0978-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yUC9H8t8NTX7TFG0D7PQnK1WMhOs1rofJyfNjirkMq-J9VF8JO4ZSz9HizawQc5XecBpXLSIm4rxVfgkf8aeFzSv1RYkHWNKTkmaIMA5E0vHHCzuvdPxySr3QveZAfoGpDnPmRngxto/s640/IMG_0978-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My prices actually <b>start at $5.50 and go down as you purchase more</b>. Whee!</div>
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In fact, I've got some specials running on select fragrances as well as on all the soaps I made for the show.</div>
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They start at only <b>$4.50</b>!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfLoP3HVhPkorWpvIvOk1XBgh4OuUOvtCpLWpT-VcxkRHu212cFszbt-FjYe8eu0UrN8SlynKjU8ZEidm7La6juVQNq0mv-rZ69Qjf0bc-QvUIHoYA9nYIyyqOHtcQal3esTruAux4uQ/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfLoP3HVhPkorWpvIvOk1XBgh4OuUOvtCpLWpT-VcxkRHu212cFszbt-FjYe8eu0UrN8SlynKjU8ZEidm7La6juVQNq0mv-rZ69Qjf0bc-QvUIHoYA9nYIyyqOHtcQal3esTruAux4uQ/s640/IMG_0956.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My soap is formulated for gentleness,</div>
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are all natural and scented with essential oil blends</div>
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(except for the 3 seasonal scents made with skin-safe fragrance oils),</div>
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and they smell, well....they smell awesome!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMScO5W4lEOaQkVqGJTrKMfACK7FVJ6YS7PilHJ4O73qHCOeqTv7PBv2amyMrBUKmD6fdAmJ4GRJ7jxVXcIVTfnx2XLfVReDYLFPIuW-ma_98xl2CtuietTG3zEb5ehkvK_AB829wN98/s1600/IMG_0964-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMScO5W4lEOaQkVqGJTrKMfACK7FVJ6YS7PilHJ4O73qHCOeqTv7PBv2amyMrBUKmD6fdAmJ4GRJ7jxVXcIVTfnx2XLfVReDYLFPIuW-ma_98xl2CtuietTG3zEb5ehkvK_AB829wN98/s640/IMG_0964-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you'd like to order, visit:</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://therealsoapco.blogspot.com/">the real soap co.</a></span></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Free samples with every purchase!</b></div>
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Thanks readers :)<br />
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<br /></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-43889317469627603982012-05-07T12:25:00.001-07:002012-05-07T12:25:31.244-07:00T-Wah????<div style="text-align: center;">
If you've perused the <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/search/label/Dressing%20Your%20Truth">archives </a>around here, you'll find a butt-load of posts referring to my T1-ness. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For new readers, that's my Energy Profile, a la <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/search/label/Carol%20Tuttle">Carol Tuttle</a>. I discovered it a couple years ago, and it's had a HUGE impact on my life. </div>
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I got into the <a href="http://cottagechick.dressingyourtruth.com/">Dressing Your Truth </a>side of it on the blogola, but lately I'm wrestling with it again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOLA-uFrJDO6H1OTVugBWUxQT9JuhQnNrP_aeBtRMpAaSYJ5AV3hQrWC1ZTMJITJUgRWcZKQz8kDC9hG0VsrMo9VbCphHtrfQRlBAIEx2tLW-GBhyl29LdZfBYDWmsVWFyhbRRSW111s/s1600/dyt+facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOLA-uFrJDO6H1OTVugBWUxQT9JuhQnNrP_aeBtRMpAaSYJ5AV3hQrWC1ZTMJITJUgRWcZKQz8kDC9hG0VsrMo9VbCphHtrfQRlBAIEx2tLW-GBhyl29LdZfBYDWmsVWFyhbRRSW111s/s640/dyt+facebook.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I went out an redid my entire wardrobe when I started, <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/search/label/What%20I%27m%20Wearing">buying clothing and accessories and makeup</a> in the T1 chromas and design lines, etc. </div>
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But lately I feel 'frumpy' in them...which is definitely NOT a T1 word. </div>
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This spring brought tons of great T1 colors and fashion to the stores, </div>
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so it's not hard to find stuff, but I just feel a bit silly in them. </div>
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After playing with 'looks' for the past couple years, I never really settled into a style I liked.</div>
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I feel like I'm starting from square one again. </div>
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<i>(Me last spring, and would never wear this in public again)</i></div>
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In fact, I sold 3/4ths of my spring/summer clothes to consignment last week.</div>
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A lot of this has to do with my size, because I'm still learning to like how I look. </div>
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And a bright happy overweight woman in bright happy colors can come off as well, clown-ish. </div>
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I don't like drawing attention to myself if I feel like I look like a clown. </div>
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<i>(Easter 2010, would never wear this in public again either)</i></div>
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But maybe that's just me.</div>
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Maybe other folks enjoy looking like clowns.</div>
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I don't judge.</div>
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My T4 secondary is very strong, so I find myself fighting the urge to dress in very structured, bold straight lines (I think it makes me look thinner too). </div>
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I have a good bit of T2 in there too, so I like comfy frilly, lacey stuff too. </div>
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Which is why I MUST be a T1....all the possibilities, right?</div>
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<i>(me circa 2005, dressed T4, size 12-14, LOVED this look and outfit, T1 son with balloon hat!)</i></div>
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As I continue to shrink evah-so-slowly, it will be good to shop thrift stores as I don't plan to stay in one size very long, so hopefully I can play a bit with styles and color combos that don't scream "bozo the clown". </div>
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Some of my outfits on here are just over the top for my T4 secondary, so I need to somehow honor that without squelching my dominant T1. </div>
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I notice I really don't care for much on Carol's site or in her <a href="https://dyt.liveyourtruth.com/store">Dressing Your Truth store for T1s</a>, </div>
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(although things have improved 100-fold since they started)</div>
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so I'm kinda on my own looking for what works within my world.</div>
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Then again, maybe I'll feel better drawing attention to myself with fun clothes and accessories </div>
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once the weight is gone?</div>
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Shallow point of view, but probably pretty close to the truth.</div>
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<i>(infamous 80's party circa 2005)</i></div>
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Any T1s have pinterest boards? I'd love to see some inspiration for trendy, fun fashion. </div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/cottageinstinct/i-might-wear-this/">My fashion board on Pinterest</a> is a hodgepodge, but feel free to follow along.</div>
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<br /></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-70877848916948238192012-04-30T08:09:00.000-07:002012-05-07T12:26:33.229-07:00Working Out (the lifeplan)<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm now finishing my 6th week with <a href="http://www.myfoodlovers.com/index.php//about-food-lovers.html">Food Lover For Life</a>, and folks, it's working. </div>
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I can't tell you how this makes me feel. </div>
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To have a plan that actually WORKS with the way I live, without making me crazy with 'don't eat this, eat a lot of this (even though it makes you gag), work out constantly' etc., gives me hope that I will eventually find and stay at a healthy size. </div>
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My pants that were too snug to wear comfortably (size 18-20ws) in February are now fitting well, </div>
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if not a bit big. :) </div>
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I'm now almost back to where I was when I threw myself off the train last July.</div>
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I won't be weighing/measuring for another 2 weeks when I hit the 8 week mark on the plan. </div>
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They promise a 3 size drop by the end of those 8 weeks, and I doubt I'll come near that, </div>
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but I'm still happy that I'm able to wear everything in my closet comfortably. </div>
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At the start, I was really probably a comfortable size 22, so if I can fit into some 16s, then I'd call that a '3 size' success....but even comfy 18s are great, and I won't complain.</div>
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A week ago, <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2012/04/bliss.html">my granddaughter was born at our home</a>, and the ensuing days carried lots of stress as we couldn't get that little bean to latch. </div>
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So there was lots of frustration, lack of sleep, fear, screaming baby, and crying mama (and gramma). </div>
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She's doing much better now, thank goodness. </div>
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Through it all, I was able to feed myself well, even though I went longer than 3 hours at times. </div>
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But I still felt good. </div>
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I never felt like 'well, when times are tough, this plan isn't sustainable'. </div>
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Instead, it gave me a grid to know what to give myself (protein, fast carb, slow carb and a bit of fat) to refuel for marathon postpartum doula-ing. </div>
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That mental checklist immediately pops up, and I can find food just about anywhere that meets the criteria. </div>
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Seriously, this is so working for me.</div>
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In the previous weeks, I had fallen into a do-able fitness routine, </div>
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so while I didn't do much conscientious workouts last week, I did a few. </div>
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And I'm really proud of myself. </div>
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Here's my 'best effort' fitness routine, what I shoot for each week:</div>
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<b>M-W-F</b>: <a href="https://store.t-tapp.com/products/Basic-Workout-Plus-DVD.html">T-Tapp BWO+</a> (Tempo) followed by 10 minutes of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zumba-Beginners-DVD/dp/B003WLUQ1C/ref=acc_glance_sg_ai_movies_t_4">ZUMBA</a> Beginners (still learning the steps!). Later in the day I do a brisk 20-30 minute walk with my dog (who needs to lose 25 pounds)<br />
<b>T-Th</b>: Brisk 30-40 minutes walk with the dog<br />
<b>S-Sun:</b> 15-20 minute moderate walk with dog<br />
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<i>Hi Bogart!</i></div>
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I've done this fairly well for about 4 weeks now, and I'm happy to report I don't need a water break after Plies in the BWO+. </div>
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This is huge for me! </div>
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I can also keep up with the ZUMBA instructors on my DVD, </div>
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although there's prolly a bit more bounce and jiggle on my end of the screen :)</div>
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And I have to walk farther in 30 minutes, so my speed is increasing.</div>
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We're heading for Orlando again in just under 5 weeks, so my mini-goal is </div>
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to reach a comfortable size 16w. </div>
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I can already wear some 16ws in skirts, so I think this is reasonable. </div>
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If I don't, I'll continue working the plan as I know my 45 year old body is now slowly shrinking </div>
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instead of slowing growing :) </div>
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It's been at least 5 years since I've been smaller than an 18w, so this threshold may take some time, </div>
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but I will break through it eventually!</div>
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<br />cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-5779145756377751752012-04-25T07:16:00.005-07:002012-05-07T12:26:52.551-07:00Bliss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMx44X-P70e4UYqvZWL8mPhkvnlJf8HieRs6tY40uvSHY-rCG0XPBl5SnhiBJ-Sdbn9oplhZiI3-T_mQl_m3hysUrn3rNCRuBvBvr_fZyvFd97AsP1pVaGhyaYSAzW7crJ0Xre9emA9s/s1600/IMG_3796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMx44X-P70e4UYqvZWL8mPhkvnlJf8HieRs6tY40uvSHY-rCG0XPBl5SnhiBJ-Sdbn9oplhZiI3-T_mQl_m3hysUrn3rNCRuBvBvr_fZyvFd97AsP1pVaGhyaYSAzW7crJ0Xre9emA9s/s640/IMG_3796.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Robyn Rose</span></div>
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Born into her daddy's hands (on my family room floor)</div>
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Monday, April 23, 2012</div>
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weighing 8.2</div>
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I am a Gramma.</div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-23956869225656554912012-04-17T17:04:00.000-07:002012-05-07T12:27:29.580-07:00Companions on the journey.I don't really have a clue as to what REALLY made me feel up to the challenge of regaining my <strike>sanity</strike> health a few weeks ago. I'm just glad I did. <br />
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I thought I'd introduce you to a few of the leading stars in my drama.<br />
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The first would be something I purchased. From an infomercial no less.<br />
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While in Florida this past February (the WORST time of my life I might add), I couldn't sleep one night, turned on the tube and caught someone talking about combining fast carbs/slow carbs/ and protein to keep blood sugar in check. My first thought was 'some doctor show about diabetes' as the info was basically verbatim what I'd learned in my diabetes class last summer. THEN it started in with the 'lose all the weight you want and never give up the foods you love!' rigamaroll, and I realized it was a dreaded infomercial. I watched for awhile, kinda wishing it could be true, then moved on to another channel and forgot about it.<br />
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After getting home something reminded me of the infomercial and I decided to go to the website to read more. It basically put all the information I'd received in class into a step-by-step, positive program, so I decided I'd give it a shot....afterall, they have an 8 week money back guarantee (you're not surprised?). <br />
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When my package arrived, I threw myself into learning the program which was easy as it's done step-by-step...a 21 day 'makeover' where you learn a new skill for healthy eating each day. It came with a daily journal with boxes to check off (drink your water? take your suppliments? do some exercise? etc.) It all came in a handy-dandy <strike>notebook</strike> binder too. It included places to write daily positive affirmations, how to truly measure weight loss (body fat vs. lean body mass, inches vs. pounds), and is filled with tips and tricks. You even get a daily audio peptalk via CDs. I've always rebelled at programs that are rigid, but I figured I needed to do some major changes with some major handholding until it became second-nature. I threw myself into it, did everything I was asked to do to the best of my ability, and so far, I'm really pleased. It's not second nature yet, but it's very doable, and it definitely keeps my sugars in check.<br />
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I've not felt deprived or hungry. In fact, I sometimes have to prepare food when I'm not feeling particularly hungry....my modes of hunger have always been: stuffed to the gills or ravenous. I'm learning what 'comfortably full' and 'time to fill the tank' truly feel like. I eat every 2-3 hours beginning 30 minutes after arising until an hour before I go to bed. I have a protein/fast carb/slow carb for 3 meals a day, and 100-200 calorie snacks inbetween. I'm eating ALL DAY LONG. Portions seemed small at first, but I realized early on that I'm full with those portions, and if I'm not completely 'mentally' full, I can have a snack in 2 hours. <br />
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I've been at it for 4 weeks now, and I feel this is something I can do for a lifetime. The hardest part for me is having food available when I need it, and remembering to eat at least every 3 hours. I'm not a cook and I don't like cooking, so preparing meat has been a challenge. I feel balanced when I eat enough protein (at every meal and many of my snacks)....so, that means I'm gonna have to find strategies for keeping cooked meat portions in the fridge at all times!<br />
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Here's a sample of what a full day of meals looks like:<br />
Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/4 cup skim milk and 1/2 a banana + 2 turkey sausage patties<br />
OR 1 egg + 2 whites omelet with veggies and 2 TBLS low fat cheese<br />
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Snack: 1/2 a whey protein smoothie with 6oz frozen blueberries and other 1/2 of banana<br />
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Lunch: Big Salad with can of tuna dumped in and a couple TBLS low fat vinagrette + an apple<br />
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Snack: 28 almonds<br />
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Dinner: piece of meat, steamed veggies, rice or potato<br />
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Snack: low fat ice cream sandwich or other 1/2 of smoothie<br />
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Snack (if I'm staying up really late) 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese<br />
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I'm currently trying to stay away from grains (except for the oatmeal and rice). I'm also limiting processed foods and refined sugar but not in a nazi-ish way. I've done some serious looking into Paleo diets too, but mostly for meat recipes :)<br />
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Wanna know what this plan is? It's called<a href="http://www.myfoodlovers.com/index.php"> The Food Lovers Fat Loss Plan</a>. I like it. I only twitch a little bit when I visit the site due to the informercial-ishness of it all. But I think it's founded on good nutritional science, and leaves a lot of room for tweaking. <br />
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Next post will be about my fitness routine, which is minimal. So there.cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-22005006706319625182012-04-12T18:47:00.000-07:002012-05-07T12:28:02.913-07:00Well hello there.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Remember me?</div>
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I finally did.</div>
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Took 8 months, but I'm inhabiting my Self again.</div>
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Goofy as ever, still <a href="http://cottagechick.dressingyourtruth.com/">dressing my truth</a>, albeit a bit less flamboyantly.</div>
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Finding strength for the journey again.</div>
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This is a very good thing.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyNVjZ_ujLsM9WKvBHRjsyW6sVvkfeya2iyY7_0l7FdUvNMpeDH-709th7KNwAwzu2N8ekX6IAl_V2kk0UugLqAbJc2AD2IGRy8te1jMmooNqwGaRP1tkQPCzonJoS0XqczUyr6Dwejs/s1600/IMG_3280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyNVjZ_ujLsM9WKvBHRjsyW6sVvkfeya2iyY7_0l7FdUvNMpeDH-709th7KNwAwzu2N8ekX6IAl_V2kk0UugLqAbJc2AD2IGRy8te1jMmooNqwGaRP1tkQPCzonJoS0XqczUyr6Dwejs/s640/IMG_3280.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I have much to tell you about, and I promise I will do so in the next posts, but for now,<br />
I just wanted to say,<br />
I'm home again.</div>
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<i>*pics by my fabulous daughter <a href="http://maddieskinner.blogspot.com/">Maddie</a></i></div>
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<br /></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-68025407247268129232011-07-28T17:15:00.000-07:002012-05-07T12:28:30.113-07:00Really struggling.EDITED April 2012: This post was written 9 months before the next most current post just above. I gave up, beat myself up, and f.i.n.a.l.l.y hit bottom. Just didn't want anyone reading from one post to the next to get the feeling I'm more psycho than I already am. But truly, I'm ok with that.<br />
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In the last few weeks I can feel myself slip sliding away into my familiar, cozy depressed world....the one I've lived in for most of my life. The difference now, though, is that I find it nearly impossible to put on a good face for everyone else while I mire away in the abyss of my negative thoughts. I'm just not a very pleasant person to be around. I'm pretty sick of me.<br />
<br />
Strange how people can read 'facts' so differently. The facts I see are as follows:<br />
Over 7 months of mindful eating (not perfectly), consistent workouts (not perfectly), positive behaviors like starting this blog, hundreds of dollars in suppliments and alternative products, and courageous attempts to control the stress in my life have left me only 1.75 inches smaller around my bloated abdominals and hips. That translates to about 1.5 sizes. I look like a penguin. Penguins don't look cute in anything.<br />
<br />
Conclusion: I cannot lose weight. T-Tapp doesn't work for me. Evidently eating daily green smoothies and ginormous salads doesn't work for me either. If I don't eat enough calories, I get fat. If I eat too may calories, I get fat. If I wake up in the morning, I get fat. See a pattern?<br />
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I'm physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted, and I decided to throw in the towel for now. Staying on the straight and narrow hasn't bought me much that I can measure, and I just want my damn ice cream. I'm not any closer to wearing the cute clothes or doing a full T-Tapp workout or learning to eat what my body wants, and I honestly can't 'manifest' or see it in my future anymore. <br />
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I suppose what this means is that I'll be going back on my anti-depression meds to cope, diabetes meds to control my blood sugar, and elastic waist baggie black pants to breathe. I will thankfully be able to just shop at the dollar general again for those luxuries like, um, regular shampoo and deodorant. I'll be stocking up on the extra strength excedrine for the migraines and restless leg syndrome. Might be adding a script for a sleep aid too since I can't seem to get a normal night's rest. Oh and something for the acid reflux, a small price to pay for my drug of choice....chocolate! Oh how I've missed you my dear friend....<br />
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I'll be scheduling that hysterectomy soon too I 'spose. I'm terrified of the surgery, but I'm sure I'll make it thru like every other women does. At least I won't have a hard pregnancy-like bulge sticking out. Instead it will be jiggly and easier to tuck into the aforementioned black stretchy pants.<br />
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At least I won't feel like I'm working against the tide coming constantly against me. It's one thing to feel gross physically and mentally and know why....it's another thing completely to work your bloody ass off for months and see things actually get worse. I just can't take it anymore. I can't read one more 'Yes You Can!' testimonial, read one more 'I started dressing my truth and life is all butterflies and rainbows!' or 'I just started loving myself enough to only eat when I was hungry and stop when I was full, so now I'm thin!' revelation. They've become taunts. I've always been less than, trying to be equal to or even more than my potential is just too hard. I can't 'tweak' one more thing in my life. It's become a life of fear....don't eat that or else you'll send your blood sugar thru the roof, don't wear that color or you'll block your energy and be miserable, don't use that or you'll poison yourself. Yadda yadda. There are too many 'can'ts' in my life and I'm tired looking for the 'cans'....I need my drugs, my foods, for some respite from the downers and I need to dump the stress of going 'all natural'....it doesn't seem to be working anyway.<br />
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So, I'll be closing up shop here. I think it's great that T-Tapp, Dressing Your Truth, and Geneen Roth's work has helped so many become happy and content with themselves, but I just don't think happiness and contentedness is in the cards for me in this life. I gave it my all, but it just wasn't enough. I chanced change for a last time this last year, and I don't have it in me to try again. <br />
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Thanks for reading these past months. I hoped I could inspire (or at least entertain) with my journey to peace and balance and wholeness. I'm sorry it didn't come to pass.<br />
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Namaste.cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-39709274891772073182011-07-19T10:02:00.000-07:002011-07-19T10:07:12.304-07:00What I'm Wearing. On my face :)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2IgO4rBAYED7rpnrycjTrCG_fa9vcrgoIzTYS72C9opexC3_m8EUN6j_n9qyh0HNF6OsMLiTFtwdXRzrprur7vd3Zv7BJsjYpsziIs4I2r6kHpCAsNE5GrIfYIYQijlzYIanSTxoVQI/s1600/IMG_4760.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje2IgO4rBAYED7rpnrycjTrCG_fa9vcrgoIzTYS72C9opexC3_m8EUN6j_n9qyh0HNF6OsMLiTFtwdXRzrprur7vd3Zv7BJsjYpsziIs4I2r6kHpCAsNE5GrIfYIYQijlzYIanSTxoVQI/s640/IMG_4760.jpg" width="496" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">I'm still having fun playing with mineral makeup. Today I tried a few new combos. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm wearing a brown tunic and denim skirt with a brown flower in me old hairdo, </div><div style="text-align: center;">so I went for mainly warm shades.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">1. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ErzulieCosmetics?ref=pr_shop">Erzulie's</a> Goddess Glow Liquid Bronzer. 2 pumps smoothed on with my fingertips.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewG471kuZ-sfNBVQOwGm_IeGcqud61pt53Gq7LBlEUqHV2w2z5gbllniPMR_uJZeyg91E8u1m7y3aNZJfWSTkIHbNCeuFcKbcXjQsTnS7kERhSkSXQrO-rZnjlmOQuBGw_Bzl-w4tcWA/s1600/IMG_4420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewG471kuZ-sfNBVQOwGm_IeGcqud61pt53Gq7LBlEUqHV2w2z5gbllniPMR_uJZeyg91E8u1m7y3aNZJfWSTkIHbNCeuFcKbcXjQsTnS7kERhSkSXQrO-rZnjlmOQuBGw_Bzl-w4tcWA/s400/IMG_4420.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">2. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/noellabeautyworks?ref=seller_info">Noella Beauty Works </a> (aka: NBW) Loose Foundation in Medium Tan and Pearl Mineral Veil.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Used my kabuki brush for both.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvDFzVJVmwPSgYtI9kEZBn27zRPgoTQt3X0g1PWcDy11XlXENmwlIKmk2AONGLUJyHmRLS1KZXj8lbPIKzqXu6_Lp9_jEH5VDFvz0zHwok46EK6sTIceqgg_McjTqhgtBMok86zNlcWM/s1600/IMG_4742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvDFzVJVmwPSgYtI9kEZBn27zRPgoTQt3X0g1PWcDy11XlXENmwlIKmk2AONGLUJyHmRLS1KZXj8lbPIKzqXu6_Lp9_jEH5VDFvz0zHwok46EK6sTIceqgg_McjTqhgtBMok86zNlcWM/s400/IMG_4742.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">3. Erzulie's Lip/Cheek Colorstick in Zoe for blush (used before the foundation and veil mentioned above), </div><div style="text-align: center;">Primer, then Goddess Glow Bronzer stick for lips.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufqsNH3xStkvjfwl6idb53-AnbzYv4NB0wVgftxwvHpfb4FTar1MR3BeBc4NKu-HMzJq2lSFvpRcTIMmKUR6_Y6c9JBlgehvGoG0YtFZyE4phrh56NKbHHz1FoDSN_MLzCnWyP5AE32o/s1600/IMG_4743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhufqsNH3xStkvjfwl6idb53-AnbzYv4NB0wVgftxwvHpfb4FTar1MR3BeBc4NKu-HMzJq2lSFvpRcTIMmKUR6_Y6c9JBlgehvGoG0YtFZyE4phrh56NKbHHz1FoDSN_MLzCnWyP5AE32o/s400/IMG_4743.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Goddess Bronzer shimmer stick gives my lips a natural golden glow and a hint of sparkle (to match my bronzed face!). I add a touch of my handmade lip gloss in the middle of both upper and lower lips.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwF57Am34qAH3XJjN9gbGO46jduEIaDfsT8CvVokYUcjK5XR11UKtzwyu-kn-9wTXke2GdIW31iCDDDkbmtC2rwpM0RExaSFi8Ztgxz1Xc4xHvMCCimWWAxjclIdB20eJuoMke32zZ-s/s1600/IMG_4749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwF57Am34qAH3XJjN9gbGO46jduEIaDfsT8CvVokYUcjK5XR11UKtzwyu-kn-9wTXke2GdIW31iCDDDkbmtC2rwpM0RExaSFi8Ztgxz1Xc4xHvMCCimWWAxjclIdB20eJuoMke32zZ-s/s400/IMG_4749.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">4. Eye tools. The mascara is natural mineral mascara by <a href="http://www.bewellstaywell.com/Beauty-Wise-Mineral-Mascara-p/bwmm01.htm">Beauty Wise</a> from <a href="http://www.bewellstaywell.com/">Natural Solutions</a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEf9cAi0Dpm11GHOOLN3z5UtAvGpDDpCOG_xrBq5KsZJ4oEluEbJyWg4FjXVPgnUiaImg_lnRBg84dDqwTsSxvdE95_4tkLiE_EabbP2NXs5rrzE3D86yXw9n3JELVmTUAunGlmAET9Zk/s1600/IMG_4752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEf9cAi0Dpm11GHOOLN3z5UtAvGpDDpCOG_xrBq5KsZJ4oEluEbJyWg4FjXVPgnUiaImg_lnRBg84dDqwTsSxvdE95_4tkLiE_EabbP2NXs5rrzE3D86yXw9n3JELVmTUAunGlmAET9Zk/s400/IMG_4752.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">5. I use NBW Macciato as a brow powder with my stiff angle brush. It's a beautiful matte brown.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zG0QErDaTKmuuAK2nd9m2kxSXzRpHTLnvgs9PsQjwSPZvlG6cXZZTAYw9ck2s5XG_aofEEwa-pFtOnOzNSQTYt1N139_ovSpZjHlUtFpa_e4ggcfjtIF7xd4oEwoj3wq4OwVcweLyfI/s1600/IMG_4757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zG0QErDaTKmuuAK2nd9m2kxSXzRpHTLnvgs9PsQjwSPZvlG6cXZZTAYw9ck2s5XG_aofEEwa-pFtOnOzNSQTYt1N139_ovSpZjHlUtFpa_e4ggcfjtIF7xd4oEwoj3wq4OwVcweLyfI/s400/IMG_4757.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">6. NBW Creamy Orange all over lids. YUM-MAY. So sad this is being discontinued. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I bought a second one so I won't run out for a long time! Used my eye shadow brush to apply.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbK8uEg0F5QjVCNMBFEnCQrX84x7D85aXpxfwe_Ung6Af4b0kbepukb9XKrwPlZ4wEIZgo1um39FTt1IHxwEB94574hOA0XYO8U3tz_v1Bkl8CC8HD-_bLpcK5bdZCc6tp5HXkpyYTy0/s1600/IMG_4758.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbK8uEg0F5QjVCNMBFEnCQrX84x7D85aXpxfwe_Ung6Af4b0kbepukb9XKrwPlZ4wEIZgo1um39FTt1IHxwEB94574hOA0XYO8U3tz_v1Bkl8CC8HD-_bLpcK5bdZCc6tp5HXkpyYTy0/s400/IMG_4758.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">7. NBW Dark Chocolate used as a liner. Used a skinny liner brush. </div><div style="text-align: center;">This is an intense deep brown with sparkles! Will use it as a shadow in the winter months.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpSBFYeTIlOLzSSI911OLE7aYgdYziqpwNrp7cia4ptQUmo21LiQYx08cgPasPOzrm2-DU-hnxfH-f1QKTHycYBImTA_GBPsHtRyYw16LKVVosbZlHaQ3RpzCoOcEZFD0WqlmqQTILAs/s1600/IMG_4759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpSBFYeTIlOLzSSI911OLE7aYgdYziqpwNrp7cia4ptQUmo21LiQYx08cgPasPOzrm2-DU-hnxfH-f1QKTHycYBImTA_GBPsHtRyYw16LKVVosbZlHaQ3RpzCoOcEZFD0WqlmqQTILAs/s400/IMG_4759.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">See how pretty? That Creamy Orange shadow is da BOMB for T1's. The Macciato blends perfectly with my brows, and the Dark Chocolate has just enough golden shimmer to add some drama to my eyes.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZLgQUkf6TRsYoPj9YFPjbIwjh32E1ILdEyW4U1xlKk2QqoSLXI2RgS9bvNFVTDRYapt9laD0CGwHpg6d2lf1Z3jjbRsJM9UW4YDV8RgXxesV5_UiTU3r9gPqHHbzWMborqZs_q423f4/s1600/IMG_4748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZLgQUkf6TRsYoPj9YFPjbIwjh32E1ILdEyW4U1xlKk2QqoSLXI2RgS9bvNFVTDRYapt9laD0CGwHpg6d2lf1Z3jjbRsJM9UW4YDV8RgXxesV5_UiTU3r9gPqHHbzWMborqZs_q423f4/s400/IMG_4748.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">So here's some shots of the final outcome...yes, that would be dust on my mirror. Eek.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWGrxHtAu2jrnE1J2hu3OVuO31yAIPPIuuqlHVI-9PR9tz58UrlyXE1xAH7eYf8SK5hXv5P2C9ZCfv7AvppNzUin9OoTOoZc2Xs7PqyqWT-7_mvkcbeHBzGs83F7E1npaEsJExsoNHA4/s1600/IMG_4751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWGrxHtAu2jrnE1J2hu3OVuO31yAIPPIuuqlHVI-9PR9tz58UrlyXE1xAH7eYf8SK5hXv5P2C9ZCfv7AvppNzUin9OoTOoZc2Xs7PqyqWT-7_mvkcbeHBzGs83F7E1npaEsJExsoNHA4/s640/IMG_4751.jpg" width="529" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmXVPlqSBpOizFCLXzb_mxE3rzam0WbZNFxzlUrSc3D4hKihGvndsxPF6EdkicVVbT37AHc03BMCnBo-d8Xem_3mc0-skyQWYUZmSfmueeH0oM2NwVp0gztCOvopmue5p-DHnUd_O6j0/s1600/IMG_4745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmXVPlqSBpOizFCLXzb_mxE3rzam0WbZNFxzlUrSc3D4hKihGvndsxPF6EdkicVVbT37AHc03BMCnBo-d8Xem_3mc0-skyQWYUZmSfmueeH0oM2NwVp0gztCOvopmue5p-DHnUd_O6j0/s640/IMG_4745.jpg" width="532" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">I even glow in sepia!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaSwoRqvYg1-pEd-aQth4wOBCXm9ZIv_FQymwCqV4AdiCVcfL4DDyrI71lkaI34qJUey5Z9hZGCGFKpYNTT6zL9SXvirzLifUvJwH6Nf9mE1f60H9OeNr3y9eeGpZ4fwNXGAiXHmE8W0/s1600/IMG_4744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaSwoRqvYg1-pEd-aQth4wOBCXm9ZIv_FQymwCqV4AdiCVcfL4DDyrI71lkaI34qJUey5Z9hZGCGFKpYNTT6zL9SXvirzLifUvJwH6Nf9mE1f60H9OeNr3y9eeGpZ4fwNXGAiXHmE8W0/s640/IMG_4744.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Have you tried mineral makeup yet? I wish I'd switched years ago!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZFB6Zu1iTlytlbs8RhiYzXgVk7lfr_AgF3PuE1TMKAw_dcQHl6qcPlUXCxHcaYo0AwewF5kKntdiG41hqF3EzE9WpaYdNEcajUWJLF3f0-H2tAiN3ofxCYQGEXzk4FMm1GS6bBh3QqA/s1600/z64723309-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZFB6Zu1iTlytlbs8RhiYzXgVk7lfr_AgF3PuE1TMKAw_dcQHl6qcPlUXCxHcaYo0AwewF5kKntdiG41hqF3EzE9WpaYdNEcajUWJLF3f0-H2tAiN3ofxCYQGEXzk4FMm1GS6bBh3QqA/s320/z64723309-2.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-89775168767689448432011-07-18T14:27:00.000-07:002011-07-18T14:27:01.023-07:00What to do with all those T1 accessories.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> First, you pick up one of these wood doohickeys at the ReStore that you hear tell are old playpen rails.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then you lay it on your garage floor and take pics for the blog(s).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLqzGXMe3Yv9-RI2UOVNqGZ-tn-glTC6P-jomT30GMe8g7KOe3XxPiwvIePO3koWzdsUivL03N1jucgEB7mqC7TJvgHlgQ2wlBnUTxtWDJG96BpnosTRCqCkkOi7GB3vVpdXNyU1tP3E/s1600/IMG_4577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLqzGXMe3Yv9-RI2UOVNqGZ-tn-glTC6P-jomT30GMe8g7KOe3XxPiwvIePO3koWzdsUivL03N1jucgEB7mqC7TJvgHlgQ2wlBnUTxtWDJG96BpnosTRCqCkkOi7GB3vVpdXNyU1tP3E/s640/IMG_4577.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You might even consider posing it a little bit, for inspiration sake. Or boredom. Either way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEU9oJJ-PTLSfNYinyf448RC-YqV9M6b7go-QfDEcjYswxEmya30Fr35FFPe15Yk59tFzVBsZzVVMDgxDTw9xhOTcSkmTf_2CBHsX57Zs9s5PdLfv1r58GaljiSR8UUm0drPQo8fc5zU/s1600/IMG_4578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEU9oJJ-PTLSfNYinyf448RC-YqV9M6b7go-QfDEcjYswxEmya30Fr35FFPe15Yk59tFzVBsZzVVMDgxDTw9xhOTcSkmTf_2CBHsX57Zs9s5PdLfv1r58GaljiSR8UUm0drPQo8fc5zU/s640/IMG_4578.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then you go to town with some liquid sander, spray paint, sandpaper and a drill bit or two.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And a lot of wee hooks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Oh, and the thinnest dowel rod you can find.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And it becomes this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofjTjyHSwPENJSwwCjmP0eR-bvZuP524mCm3ZRO7tmKVph7D7SSF45XDJRCwsfXOdJBGq2yYKG9I_CPP73smrZK724Xkuzr6oUL4CaLQVP3QgyQX-bI400t8ajzS3q9lCt2wgwXCv07M/s1600/IMG_4702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiofjTjyHSwPENJSwwCjmP0eR-bvZuP524mCm3ZRO7tmKVph7D7SSF45XDJRCwsfXOdJBGq2yYKG9I_CPP73smrZK724Xkuzr6oUL4CaLQVP3QgyQX-bI400t8ajzS3q9lCt2wgwXCv07M/s640/IMG_4702.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> A nice way to display the plethora of jewelry you've accumulated since beginning to <a href="http://cottagechick.dressingyourtruth.com/">Dress your Truth</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4hH7kI6C1HJGO6QnSDYz9F2oEyML3SAGh2s44N0eA1mdAhLI8X1cKORQ09wbPMflrbDAxjb6RfeYfI3gb5xNaSc3MfG42pgU7eZqNaWkMyHPdVJppy2HYlk2W9Dla0kBLUnVukMnOs4/s1600/IMG_4704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4hH7kI6C1HJGO6QnSDYz9F2oEyML3SAGh2s44N0eA1mdAhLI8X1cKORQ09wbPMflrbDAxjb6RfeYfI3gb5xNaSc3MfG42pgU7eZqNaWkMyHPdVJppy2HYlk2W9Dla0kBLUnVukMnOs4/s640/IMG_4704.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9uETmSPZUYRb_2URvhyBbvYf90CDrEgS7AqilWTsVsDAsQY4zOBp-L2JgLZyMBWy5AKDKSUeSJmPPbnzw4p59fVryvpRACs_0AQ0NQ-9o71vbGOZQ0mLmI0KKx0mIOoETUhqJ8pCRh4/s1600/IMG_4705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL9uETmSPZUYRb_2URvhyBbvYf90CDrEgS7AqilWTsVsDAsQY4zOBp-L2JgLZyMBWy5AKDKSUeSJmPPbnzw4p59fVryvpRACs_0AQ0NQ-9o71vbGOZQ0mLmI0KKx0mIOoETUhqJ8pCRh4/s640/IMG_4705.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENsCAAEUC1M4LSKxFZDWab2apCIg-CeaqYZKKZXfHqeJrUb0Nj9HoajhEVCtFXG-Jihl67D-px19mykFzMd4glorSPzDajQUUqJWcMlrXzWufkN077YYh3Ok2gzepNmpq2ndeAp5M4k8/s1600/IMG_4706.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENsCAAEUC1M4LSKxFZDWab2apCIg-CeaqYZKKZXfHqeJrUb0Nj9HoajhEVCtFXG-Jihl67D-px19mykFzMd4glorSPzDajQUUqJWcMlrXzWufkN077YYh3Ok2gzepNmpq2ndeAp5M4k8/s640/IMG_4706.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And you hang it above your gramma's ancient sewing cabinet-turned-jewelry and accessory holder. </div><div style="text-align: center;">'Cause you painted it to match.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlb-qDFTchGx-6RNr5lLkICHJo_rqY7qduBroJnlPNcLArTcxR8juhui_sNYS5ZT-jvvCJ_nfHUE8xFMPMtr8v3Uz5vQITU7KCzPFEwK_JcnoV36IvObPvoMOz03HjFTjbG0MIBgBFNUs/s1600/IMG_4708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlb-qDFTchGx-6RNr5lLkICHJo_rqY7qduBroJnlPNcLArTcxR8juhui_sNYS5ZT-jvvCJ_nfHUE8xFMPMtr8v3Uz5vQITU7KCzPFEwK_JcnoV36IvObPvoMOz03HjFTjbG0MIBgBFNUs/s640/IMG_4708.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">You hide old high school buttons of yourself, and sentimental stuff in the drawers below.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro1al8NlcjUY6HeLMU1n4OPZ9JWF15fujJyF46iPvXL-WzNIPRlILqZbz4YQWDLkHSOyUA9-wZyAPeVMkV_wh2XMkq-FjN7SxG5QKZTnxapDzzI_P-nbzWQZdqHiCgxrDdRuNI6VRF1g/s1600/IMG_4710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhro1al8NlcjUY6HeLMU1n4OPZ9JWF15fujJyF46iPvXL-WzNIPRlILqZbz4YQWDLkHSOyUA9-wZyAPeVMkV_wh2XMkq-FjN7SxG5QKZTnxapDzzI_P-nbzWQZdqHiCgxrDdRuNI6VRF1g/s640/IMG_4710.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And for the stuff that doesn't fit on your new handy-dandy jewelry holder, </div><div style="text-align: center;">you just swag them over your vanity mirror like so.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rkTfYX4SBwuWkNCYBW0DH8OA4W9MDZy8FhqomHOoMrlEKI4C2vhfYjDxBE3dZJjLSWMS0jAizoDESCq90Jbla9psxg7tgtyKQauTxOoHRHC0hOj4xB-XSkuyntlf2-ydm809fY074FE/s1600/IMG_4711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rkTfYX4SBwuWkNCYBW0DH8OA4W9MDZy8FhqomHOoMrlEKI4C2vhfYjDxBE3dZJjLSWMS0jAizoDESCq90Jbla9psxg7tgtyKQauTxOoHRHC0hOj4xB-XSkuyntlf2-ydm809fY074FE/s640/IMG_4711.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">It's awesome to sit at my vanity and see all my goodies at once. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I can try stuff on and easily switch stuff out.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu2mpR7mWflqo8xI6NLijG6kKdIbq9cmivFeDxfjIgUoep5NyWNva3FPXjtiGZF2cvadLFau1Kyto6FPfdcwF_5hGylK4sccfeUpf5YFSfIY8_lEy5VmyIQZ1Qh2O6Ek6okxP6DsPKnM/s1600/IMG_4713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEu2mpR7mWflqo8xI6NLijG6kKdIbq9cmivFeDxfjIgUoep5NyWNva3FPXjtiGZF2cvadLFau1Kyto6FPfdcwF_5hGylK4sccfeUpf5YFSfIY8_lEy5VmyIQZ1Qh2O6Ek6okxP6DsPKnM/s640/IMG_4713.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">So what do ya think? I'll show you the whole area once it's done. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I still have some work to do on the vanity and bench.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYt_4nB2qlKohpsC9ZfnRjGn04uXz0_wN_F1EzsrdBQz5paoDMjtyv6x9X5aeSQH8qIeWh1kg1LWZZ8gAy0DiCJlNOq82Yi0l2rHeJOmv-Tisb1rvibfV2ooFyAZnm9O67BCRkk6aWqk/s1600/IMG_4714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMYt_4nB2qlKohpsC9ZfnRjGn04uXz0_wN_F1EzsrdBQz5paoDMjtyv6x9X5aeSQH8qIeWh1kg1LWZZ8gAy0DiCJlNOq82Yi0l2rHeJOmv-Tisb1rvibfV2ooFyAZnm9O67BCRkk6aWqk/s640/IMG_4714.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLPBef64yiu8qmIGgQ7VJ12V_qwqnVWzR6QYpuZQEmq7APEWXgxTPj9E9CnFawBbxyP1Vsdu4iSKgfyDC5L2EfaKXQo9mJq4QRUVagUQn1mh4dlFG7k0fKwVxvDQ_opaOC2lqG3UYkCY/s1600/IMG_4707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuLPBef64yiu8qmIGgQ7VJ12V_qwqnVWzR6QYpuZQEmq7APEWXgxTPj9E9CnFawBbxyP1Vsdu4iSKgfyDC5L2EfaKXQo9mJq4QRUVagUQn1mh4dlFG7k0fKwVxvDQ_opaOC2lqG3UYkCY/s640/IMG_4707.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1joWIKyTOz7bdCGTENFIU0yQk_w_gZWeuXFUnX8LqB8ueKwXFlSColp3fmJmFlg53lLkQF1ILq3Ss-dC8qS1-4aTTpCo6ji7s-7F0fZpy-R8sdtT63jIWUh-jL4bxGbEihVj6YBhEHs/s1600/z64723309-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1joWIKyTOz7bdCGTENFIU0yQk_w_gZWeuXFUnX8LqB8ueKwXFlSColp3fmJmFlg53lLkQF1ILq3Ss-dC8qS1-4aTTpCo6ji7s-7F0fZpy-R8sdtT63jIWUh-jL4bxGbEihVj6YBhEHs/s320/z64723309-2.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-12601962602843172722011-07-16T15:36:00.000-07:002011-07-17T04:03:39.126-07:00Natural Toiletries and Cleaners<div style="text-align: center;">If you'll remember <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2011/05/big-changes-in-store-well-in-house.html">a couple months back</a>, I committed to removing as many xenoestrogens from my environment as I could. Because one of the things I'm dealing with adenomyosis, which is an estrogen-driven disease of the uterus, it's important not only to clean up my diet, lose weight and exercise, but to decrease as much as possible the toxic burden on my body in regards to those chemicals and phytochemicals that are known to mimic estrogen (aka: xenoestrogens). <br />
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And that would be basically anything that we women rely on to beautify ourselves. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Eegad.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
I thought it might be helpful to walk you thru a typical day of how I clean myself, my clothes and my house using all natural stuff. If anyone wants recipes for any of this, or want me to make some stuff for ya, just let me know. Some I'm still experimenting, and I have a few more recipes for toiletries and cleaners I'll fiddle with this month. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>First up: Washing the Person. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;">We start with purified water via our shower filter from <a href="http://www.aquasana.com/">Aquasana</a>.<br />
(BTW, they're having a huge 50% off sale this month)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cbrlQHuRcB5N2_JzQETCzatAofLT4uqxe01nd3NJUXZsADytWTunq4Qcbiz5TaoBqm1ghwK2QQAK_qjWJTC9ND5eEQEmRA2r1lzWOOQDGhYEpY6a4beWJeIJLSTkZ5DXu3uTGdiOdOw/s1600/IMG_4732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cbrlQHuRcB5N2_JzQETCzatAofLT4uqxe01nd3NJUXZsADytWTunq4Qcbiz5TaoBqm1ghwK2QQAK_qjWJTC9ND5eEQEmRA2r1lzWOOQDGhYEpY6a4beWJeIJLSTkZ5DXu3uTGdiOdOw/s400/IMG_4732.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Next, a batch of non-scented<a href="http://therealsoapco.blogspot.com/"> handmade soap</a> I made just for myself. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I added all kinds of skin-loving oils and butters, silk fibers, clay and milk powder to make it luxurious.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I actually also use this for my hair. It takes a bit of getting used to lathering up the locks with bar soap, but now after a couple months, it's no biggie.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSv_BbqRjIqyPyGy0sYNA7tlBKShz9DKR01dJtqzhxHDt5gMKljwjSMxp1bZaOrR20vZKWH6cO-WDKK6LsixzIp2gaJde61xXBSGPMc6mHStlAPueWIzYf7KZ9Tz87IZjsmqfsZxDybJM/s1600/IMG_4729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSv_BbqRjIqyPyGy0sYNA7tlBKShz9DKR01dJtqzhxHDt5gMKljwjSMxp1bZaOrR20vZKWH6cO-WDKK6LsixzIp2gaJde61xXBSGPMc6mHStlAPueWIzYf7KZ9Tz87IZjsmqfsZxDybJM/s320/IMG_4729.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Handmade soap can leave a residue on your hair, weighing it down after a several washings. Plus it doesn't strip your hair of it's natural oils (which actually helps in styling it without using the gels/mousses/sprays), so I've found that once a week or so, it helps to do a vinegar rinse. I use one of those cake decorating squirt bottles filled about 1/3 full of vinegar and work it thru my hair, rinsing with cool water. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Let me tell ya, your hair will feel like silk after this, and there won't be a vinegar stink. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Your comb will breeze right thru the tangles too. You can use the filtered clear kind too.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYQ0VKrypgtqdHkVNL8SfzMUHwdRAOX4LxKbB-h91OH2xD4eXinvZsqDDpG7uwSlIN_snPZkUBGS6yB_ERXsahJDH0wOAehSgNjvhr5-hlI1hvQugGUpPkk8RGyuP2F_xIJUcQkD_e-0/s1600/IMG_4730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqYQ0VKrypgtqdHkVNL8SfzMUHwdRAOX4LxKbB-h91OH2xD4eXinvZsqDDpG7uwSlIN_snPZkUBGS6yB_ERXsahJDH0wOAehSgNjvhr5-hlI1hvQugGUpPkk8RGyuP2F_xIJUcQkD_e-0/s400/IMG_4730.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">After my shower, comes this trio:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Brushing my teeth by dipping my brush in <a href="http://www.health-and-wisdom.com/">Magnesium Oil</a>, kept in a cute vintage apothecary jar. </div><div style="text-align: center;">This fixes the transparancy issues, but not the whitening, so I'm looking for something to deal with that. <br />
Daily green smoothies with blueberries are wreaking havoc on the pearly whites :)</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm also using Xylitol products for cavity protection. </div><div style="text-align: center;">More on that and the <a href="http://www.health-and-wisdom.com/">Mag Oil</a> in another post about my suppliments and eating regimin.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_-8zcWlCJRkUJRkBdmL3ZQITus0XSR1zkzihd6GPFhaglislrlFr8wBWt3lcahayTSQgvfhh3n7NJfDjQHschVK3zKQMbhY9ki8SjptIHDFRnbMTR7GPQUqmrS4dEWoALl9ovjJPl0o/s1600/IMG_4717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn_-8zcWlCJRkUJRkBdmL3ZQITus0XSR1zkzihd6GPFhaglislrlFr8wBWt3lcahayTSQgvfhh3n7NJfDjQHschVK3zKQMbhY9ki8SjptIHDFRnbMTR7GPQUqmrS4dEWoALl9ovjJPl0o/s400/IMG_4717.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Handmade deodorant. LOVE this stuff. I used a simple blend of coconut oil, baking soda, cornstarch, and a touch of <a href="http://www.health-and-wisdom.com/">Magnesium Gel</a> (I'll talk about the gel down further). </div><div style="text-align: center;">Keeps the stink at bay so long as I wash my pits daily.</div><div style="text-align: center;">This particular recipe goes on like a cream, but next time around I'll add some beeswax to keep it hard.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08jkzA4spVmBopnpQC8IosuxP5H-v7MbvIPSV-AwddJi8KV1iTrb0h00Q6cxJFo21VtnNi8Tuyj0rEr7QJtJAl_jSinKrbLmcf0mx93y77g0MMbJ_5rwcrOBCm4jiB9nFKxkOhu9RBCk/s1600/IMG_4723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08jkzA4spVmBopnpQC8IosuxP5H-v7MbvIPSV-AwddJi8KV1iTrb0h00Q6cxJFo21VtnNi8Tuyj0rEr7QJtJAl_jSinKrbLmcf0mx93y77g0MMbJ_5rwcrOBCm4jiB9nFKxkOhu9RBCk/s320/IMG_4723.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And a touch of this if I need some moisturizing. Great for dry patches or all over (not too much!) before bed is heavenly. Oh, and it makes a nice, um, personal lubricant. :)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYmhFRciSQ-t-DPIQrx8SG1RQKoZo0t1rdcQvczbkUR8pgc0my3pJ-ZAlaw3RiymWuaWD5raNnVgGnoABvZI8yPWYlWkUgbjGH87aBRSopPudzNUzmN-KIRqrOepvvKB8BnnLAHNWdFs/s1600/IMG_4731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvYmhFRciSQ-t-DPIQrx8SG1RQKoZo0t1rdcQvczbkUR8pgc0my3pJ-ZAlaw3RiymWuaWD5raNnVgGnoABvZI8yPWYlWkUgbjGH87aBRSopPudzNUzmN-KIRqrOepvvKB8BnnLAHNWdFs/s400/IMG_4731.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Moving on, I've already written a couple posts about the natural mineral makeup that I'm using <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2011/07/erzulie-cosmetics-review.html">HERE</a> and <a href="http://cindyinthepresenttense.blogspot.com/2011/07/mineral-makeup.html">HERE</a>. I don't need any styling products for my hair now that I'm using my bar soap, but when I have some flyaways I use a <i>touch</i> of the <a href="http://www.health-and-wisdom.com/">Magnesium Gel</a> I mentioned above. I tried using it as a traditional hair gel, but it dulled my hair and made it sorta goofy-feeling. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsY9-kGNeB4eDCCbXmWzwL4SBCQtMmFSqOd4Z4ALhs8aiuHIdoXYtEp0YBgzxaP73i0k4d9cDYFtN494Jg-mg5FkOa5DDSza75pLsumrxx3sKRh1wtDf6y7pcejx_SAxSJQeBFNywmm4/s1600/IMG_4715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUsY9-kGNeB4eDCCbXmWzwL4SBCQtMmFSqOd4Z4ALhs8aiuHIdoXYtEp0YBgzxaP73i0k4d9cDYFtN494Jg-mg5FkOa5DDSza75pLsumrxx3sKRh1wtDf6y7pcejx_SAxSJQeBFNywmm4/s400/IMG_4715.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Next up: Washing the Clothing and Household.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Elbow grease, gloves, microfiber mits, scrubbing sponge and simple vinegar and/or baking soda. This combo works for every surface 'cept for maybe your oven (I do ammonia for that about once every um, four years?)</div><div style="text-align: center;">Since our water is now filtered in the shower, and I use citric acid in my soap formulations, soap scum isn't much of an issue. I keep it all in a wee basket under my sink. Just a spritz of vinegar usually does the trick, but sprinkling some baking soda, then spritzing vinegar works great on those more stubborn stains.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrhzUy5rlHwOitA671lM_OwckZ0ee-jGHLbFyfzixq9ScOHVNzRVPveya1YPZPAtlDPRHTnXYM1HrM77FqhykqBToul1ejk41wmd7Otb3tywUF_U9w-6oO96w-i_ztCw40eJ6Np8Sf_k/s1600/IMG_4740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrhzUy5rlHwOitA671lM_OwckZ0ee-jGHLbFyfzixq9ScOHVNzRVPveya1YPZPAtlDPRHTnXYM1HrM77FqhykqBToul1ejk41wmd7Otb3tywUF_U9w-6oO96w-i_ztCw40eJ6Np8Sf_k/s400/IMG_4740.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">For toilets, I spray good ole bleach because I haven't found a good substitute, although I hear vinegar works as well. May switch to that. I spritz the surfaces and inside the bowl, turn on the fan and leave for a while, then swish/flush and wipe down the surfaces.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvnqy-RE4FLUVKF-qDwyQVMB7maIcOzFQPzVlDqtBHl-nkPqYQ7isQLfcCpYde2yz4rUpSegEUWVhwPCvViI8-FiXURUqvpXYVo_tMgIEU2LAsDFGWeHOekTEhadcJA9x_nPG3Xq13OQ/s1600/IMG_4741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvnqy-RE4FLUVKF-qDwyQVMB7maIcOzFQPzVlDqtBHl-nkPqYQ7isQLfcCpYde2yz4rUpSegEUWVhwPCvViI8-FiXURUqvpXYVo_tMgIEU2LAsDFGWeHOekTEhadcJA9x_nPG3Xq13OQ/s400/IMG_4741.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">To get clothing and linens clean, I use the stuff in these three glass jars:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Pappa Bear jar is my handmade soap formulated specifically for laundry, </div><div style="text-align: center;">grated with my Presto Salad Shooter (thank you Goodwill). </div><div style="text-align: center;">Then 1/2 cup of a mix of <i>washing soda and borax </i>in the Mama Bear jar, and the Baby Bear jar holds the powdered active ingredient in Oxyclean I purchase from the <a href="http://www.chemistrystore.com/">Chemistry Store</a> to avoid the dyes, fragrances and all that rot in the commercial brand. I use a 2 TBLS measure per load.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm currently working on a homemade stain stick. I'll let you know how that goes....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguy52Aszm6tdDaudBhC8lTYRJ14LTgTmmyAVQIGnaIbJypiunvvQFtoLhOZjBHGHXoJQ-DBfmVzNRS7h-v3Fk5D91ffzOsWZsRPBaWmplwFDzXnYZaAdGnunmr38LbiTrg5kg5uv-hIKI/s1600/IMG_4724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguy52Aszm6tdDaudBhC8lTYRJ14LTgTmmyAVQIGnaIbJypiunvvQFtoLhOZjBHGHXoJQ-DBfmVzNRS7h-v3Fk5D91ffzOsWZsRPBaWmplwFDzXnYZaAdGnunmr38LbiTrg5kg5uv-hIKI/s400/IMG_4724.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Just takes this wee scoop ('bout 1/4 cup or less) per load of the soap curls, under the filling hot water.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kPTbgy_qXpbJHsTAhPUTEobKId4a_GmR-jtrJsevd5CI_9LTWlE8892l7qdNnwRn_kLFzYaeoKi-z3KF23mbbk5vAVMNBwNTEg0cj_cwBFq8WtZpGAFIK62u-7IrktEpJ6avQ8RRnKM/s1600/IMG_4725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kPTbgy_qXpbJHsTAhPUTEobKId4a_GmR-jtrJsevd5CI_9LTWlE8892l7qdNnwRn_kLFzYaeoKi-z3KF23mbbk5vAVMNBwNTEg0cj_cwBFq8WtZpGAFIK62u-7IrktEpJ6avQ8RRnKM/s400/IMG_4725.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I also fill a downey ball 'bout halfway with vinegar for softening. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Throw it in on top of the clothes before ya close the lid.</div><div style="text-align: center;">My clean clothes smell CLEAN and are SOFT and static free outta the dryer. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I will mention that every few times I wash whites, I do short wash with bleach first, then a full wash with the above stuff.</div><div style="text-align: center;">In my experience, handmade laundry products work wonderfully, but now and then, if you have hard water, you may need to run a load with regular detergent and bleach to hold back the dingies.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CCEN8ciXWRe40eXqCETU6KKhSjslB8H9GNY9ILckEksHzMo4DLCggYRsFc278LFu33ktmUXvc01gl0-i4mpmuIOocpAOAyNAerZRaVU9b_LvViW9_tpq9uB2gYk6prMz-Gct09rlKFo/s1600/IMG_4726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-CCEN8ciXWRe40eXqCETU6KKhSjslB8H9GNY9ILckEksHzMo4DLCggYRsFc278LFu33ktmUXvc01gl0-i4mpmuIOocpAOAyNAerZRaVU9b_LvViW9_tpq9uB2gYk6prMz-Gct09rlKFo/s400/IMG_4726.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Because our laundry water isn't filtered, I purchased this laundry pouch from <a href="http://www.chemistrystore.com/">Nature and Wisdom</a>, the same place I get my Mag. Oil and Gel. It's filled with prills, which make the water less thick (if you can imagine) and helps the cleaning agents agitate more thoroughly thru the clothing. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dJh31H2kCSDBeWlj_lQNqWOcCeeNZ9AEYyWJpzOGJEGTtwiafQXzifeQBvfVl25aa4Cm9JLEVdCSKNNJCvtYdnNbUDkJkYonLTiMY62o9uc6flZzofecXTBoOwCI1UP8cNkrwUQtlOg/s1600/IMG_4727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dJh31H2kCSDBeWlj_lQNqWOcCeeNZ9AEYyWJpzOGJEGTtwiafQXzifeQBvfVl25aa4Cm9JLEVdCSKNNJCvtYdnNbUDkJkYonLTiMY62o9uc6flZzofecXTBoOwCI1UP8cNkrwUQtlOg/s400/IMG_4727.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Speaking of prills, I drink prill water too. Here's that set up:</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Start with a glass gallon jar. I had to go to the health food shop to find glass containers...everything at the regular store was plastic. This happened to be an apple cider jar.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1MdL55qGEuSIgVMkuvhwVspofnHWU5Wc6gq2RNIJbjRTu1Gmpo4cidn1mYZUJN7H77xnOrmXrCLXMgQspcbC0y0o8itPtjKbkNZxoNbJJD3qfxhw7mnWj490kHttVt7Yg22UXB0LqeE/s1600/IMG_4441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW1MdL55qGEuSIgVMkuvhwVspofnHWU5Wc6gq2RNIJbjRTu1Gmpo4cidn1mYZUJN7H77xnOrmXrCLXMgQspcbC0y0o8itPtjKbkNZxoNbJJD3qfxhw7mnWj490kHttVt7Yg22UXB0LqeE/s400/IMG_4441.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Throw in the packet of prills, which again thin the water so it more easily gets into your cells. Initially you fill the jar with filtered water and let it sit for 24 hours. Then pour off 3 quarts into a separate container (see below), leaving one quart in the jar. Refill, and more prill water only takes an hour since the last treated quart was left. See the line? I pour off the water till it gets to that point.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8Rpt6rs6kgZyKvd2UMqi9LG-zjwGoO_IgYJlznsr1__UNc6Q-pdQ1Zi9ourM5Hl9bNGQbqp1Pzkf3wo-dtgNJnavutRuy2tTOlqDJCZb2C6kxHjXnhUqLkyii09dvsGV2K1zogVAq8w/s1600/IMG_4442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC8Rpt6rs6kgZyKvd2UMqi9LG-zjwGoO_IgYJlznsr1__UNc6Q-pdQ1Zi9ourM5Hl9bNGQbqp1Pzkf3wo-dtgNJnavutRuy2tTOlqDJCZb2C6kxHjXnhUqLkyii09dvsGV2K1zogVAq8w/s400/IMG_4442.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">This is what I pour the three quarts into. A glass dispenser found at Gordmans.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfGnHHQ5cnQQEDILEofcnQ4ZcnVzEEPh4s8yjofkRoN47dZKPlOCMd8xhAlmqKC_tO9hG7DqJxcuyR83yAk8LnWx3ndReTNHiHYQVqT06m0Vj1rtOIlAWoRH4tBv1tjGJ53jFZEZ2NK4/s1600/IMG_4443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfGnHHQ5cnQQEDILEofcnQ4ZcnVzEEPh4s8yjofkRoN47dZKPlOCMd8xhAlmqKC_tO9hG7DqJxcuyR83yAk8LnWx3ndReTNHiHYQVqT06m0Vj1rtOIlAWoRH4tBv1tjGJ53jFZEZ2NK4/s400/IMG_4443.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And this is what I drink my prill water in.....a glass water bottle that came with our Aquasana shower and kitchen faucet order. I drink at least 3 of these a day...or around 90-100oz of filtered prill water.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSGNJ5jEV2ONtimbkEXZ3w6VJJBi4E8Y8tB2yKMLaia9qPHHf5X1uqVzxqHba7b25JZjBlhrNGjh-vtoxTQUDpDcW6mV5bt5oW3liC5DtH9UYguBqXwrrVfJRwlXtQWIIPXauMHUrSgA/s1600/IMG_4728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSGNJ5jEV2ONtimbkEXZ3w6VJJBi4E8Y8tB2yKMLaia9qPHHf5X1uqVzxqHba7b25JZjBlhrNGjh-vtoxTQUDpDcW6mV5bt5oW3liC5DtH9UYguBqXwrrVfJRwlXtQWIIPXauMHUrSgA/s400/IMG_4728.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Here's the <a href="http://www.aquasana.com/">Aquasana filter</a> on our sink faucet. Ya pull that little sticky-outy thing on the front of the spigot to get the clean water. So far we've been really pleased with <a href="http://aquasana./">Aquasana.</a> We'll replace the 2 shower filters and the sink filter every 6 months.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoLscE8zyBXSDkrTIwnoRMfBr_3Hubw4TH_XUpG4t1nONp76id3hkEjso_6Qz-GGJg0ti-Sh1J0NhMdc0xZd-HLR1Xssp4K7zQR3GeF5V98DDsAaeYrhNo2upJlMEYJ3v6nv_Zk0DIj8/s1600/IMG_4733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoLscE8zyBXSDkrTIwnoRMfBr_3Hubw4TH_XUpG4t1nONp76id3hkEjso_6Qz-GGJg0ti-Sh1J0NhMdc0xZd-HLR1Xssp4K7zQR3GeF5V98DDsAaeYrhNo2upJlMEYJ3v6nv_Zk0DIj8/s400/IMG_4733.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> For hand washing dishes (and just plain old hand washing) we use my handmade liquid soap. Let me tell you how much I HATE making liquid soap. Quite the ordeal. When this gets used up, we'll switch to just a plain old handmade bar soap.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuOLgYMdC_jRIKpnsy9He1Dum_RpQqYwrugrFaUeslvcAnOYldafZ_ZDckpB_oGeAihioaBs_WFasH8xEPaoh93gw8gF9AQKxaj3cF1Q3bOLMmuxH1eGkf6SS10p5np8Ak45cNORp5R4/s1600/IMG_4734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuOLgYMdC_jRIKpnsy9He1Dum_RpQqYwrugrFaUeslvcAnOYldafZ_ZDckpB_oGeAihioaBs_WFasH8xEPaoh93gw8gF9AQKxaj3cF1Q3bOLMmuxH1eGkf6SS10p5np8Ak45cNORp5R4/s400/IMG_4734.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The only cleaner I've not had consistent success with is dishwasher detergent. I had been using this trio (why is everything in 3's?) Baking Soda/Borax mix, a touch of organic dish detergent in the prewash, and vinegar in the rinse.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iPeiRuFVeJNUdbvMZXwnzXRYzKVQsgrRfzkiLMlU6EIrsdMn1aoTgGcrXcE2PUUgIJ-hKuNtkp_UNiZaPHckEZX8zAx3et9PP2S5C0xaTzcms6eQ4VAG1mP2cdYXP_AhRYcuIOdHOFA/s1600/IMG_4735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iPeiRuFVeJNUdbvMZXwnzXRYzKVQsgrRfzkiLMlU6EIrsdMn1aoTgGcrXcE2PUUgIJ-hKuNtkp_UNiZaPHckEZX8zAx3et9PP2S5C0xaTzcms6eQ4VAG1mP2cdYXP_AhRYcuIOdHOFA/s400/IMG_4735.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">This combo certainly get stuff clean-especially since we presoak our dishes in the sink, but it leaves a cloudy residue on the glasses. So now we use just a touch of this:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQBkO_N9dDKM5zBQBoRGzNHaMW0i9q64jl5JZ8OQQNBqJfEkgsXclABnCgqYu9KGiFDVICvvG2rjy3gIT-WTekOf0JPcXiYmNFdHSAbouCExn0qygMT7p98Sg0B1tf7fDjJlcvmOYOfs/s1600/IMG_4736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQBkO_N9dDKM5zBQBoRGzNHaMW0i9q64jl5JZ8OQQNBqJfEkgsXclABnCgqYu9KGiFDVICvvG2rjy3gIT-WTekOf0JPcXiYmNFdHSAbouCExn0qygMT7p98Sg0B1tf7fDjJlcvmOYOfs/s320/IMG_4736.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I'd like to just get into the habit of handwashing the dishes and using the dishwasher as a ginormous dry rack.</div><div style="text-align: center;">We shall see....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Let me know if you have any questions. It's been a fun challenge for me to do this. </div><div style="text-align: center;">I feel good getting the toxic junk outta of the house as much as possible. </div><div style="text-align: center;">It's only been a couple months, but it's all mostly routine now. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks for reading!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcTujhw_-KP4pUqlj5V9aFejgYD2_kVICwLi2gVZhxA-S_ZP8jrprZTomqY-a0FrxU1W00CVCbJSLZHU8Jit4Bwv-RIE2kau-sEIWY1d4Pgl7nYypusIjlK5CSatnIpqTgxGf-aSoeiA/s1600/z64723309-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxcTujhw_-KP4pUqlj5V9aFejgYD2_kVICwLi2gVZhxA-S_ZP8jrprZTomqY-a0FrxU1W00CVCbJSLZHU8Jit4Bwv-RIE2kau-sEIWY1d4Pgl7nYypusIjlK5CSatnIpqTgxGf-aSoeiA/s320/z64723309-2.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3398022764324469882.post-2545258433356714182011-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:002011-07-12T07:09:18.257-07:00What I'm Wearing.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEfylsP2tBORB-zL20q-1OIQ6JJ_pFZYpSUbXSk5h_F_XPIi8I1p_PfP133MyHTNbgSWWyqADdeW6t3HqZ7sDG4VeHVcjRiyKwDccswFG5-Yj4bjgVT4F6kwH1yVNeYkDWMGHMg3LAkc/s1600/IMG_1901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEfylsP2tBORB-zL20q-1OIQ6JJ_pFZYpSUbXSk5h_F_XPIi8I1p_PfP133MyHTNbgSWWyqADdeW6t3HqZ7sDG4VeHVcjRiyKwDccswFG5-Yj4bjgVT4F6kwH1yVNeYkDWMGHMg3LAkc/s400/IMG_1901.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">A month or so ago, I happened upon 50% off day at Goodwill. Love serendipitous shopping trips :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Here's the loot I came home with:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Shoes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns4d3ypGWsdbqvSPpTZiiKD1syATne1lyykMwcDvxtIsMeibPNXnoN2WrHK9pHvF1ofVOqYnu_kJWUcd5DOvZVH9jDIfVGGk3UU9TQhUGBfE-vvxfED6l3kW1tIz6TTXs379RZhyTin0/s1600/IMG_1903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhns4d3ypGWsdbqvSPpTZiiKD1syATne1lyykMwcDvxtIsMeibPNXnoN2WrHK9pHvF1ofVOqYnu_kJWUcd5DOvZVH9jDIfVGGk3UU9TQhUGBfE-vvxfED6l3kW1tIz6TTXs379RZhyTin0/s400/IMG_1903.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Purses!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqjDsNZ-IZcozbhHqbHh8-QeWE2EZHfYcRRs83g-tnxeGOX4EqH_nHIE79m9-tBvmzOQIFpW9yPkwfntngafoK4VpO5c3p5Od2z-R8lZ-Sm2-6uPoCcVdiImolFRrPto3CJdKTYZz5N0/s1600/IMG_1904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhqjDsNZ-IZcozbhHqbHh8-QeWE2EZHfYcRRs83g-tnxeGOX4EqH_nHIE79m9-tBvmzOQIFpW9yPkwfntngafoK4VpO5c3p5Od2z-R8lZ-Sm2-6uPoCcVdiImolFRrPto3CJdKTYZz5N0/s400/IMG_1904.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Outfits! Edie Bauer top:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVnLP8nYuMdjJma88FP1boy-_T1RkhJQl2eoRk3LzJ4jorF69uvpi3-NGBV-slVSetaOosqjw4ClrLXK0B45ehGdeA5E5DsihdI1su9gjDgJJGgWg9OjlPLPEY0n6_SUCoHSJuv_UVps/s1600/IMG_1905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIVnLP8nYuMdjJma88FP1boy-_T1RkhJQl2eoRk3LzJ4jorF69uvpi3-NGBV-slVSetaOosqjw4ClrLXK0B45ehGdeA5E5DsihdI1su9gjDgJJGgWg9OjlPLPEY0n6_SUCoHSJuv_UVps/s400/IMG_1905.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Back has a cute drawstring waist.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBQe46xctPTBY_s0nt_ljP1uJi8d5sdXR2uud9DWSu9uR13f_ljKhLvul8ZVfyx0tjXK-qPkJJgRJA_NeQ0KxuTU6PiFMZ9xWCKSqHzqUFFctONvHoZGzHq80ViaLa3obdsX_nsXKmmg/s1600/IMG_1906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBQe46xctPTBY_s0nt_ljP1uJi8d5sdXR2uud9DWSu9uR13f_ljKhLvul8ZVfyx0tjXK-qPkJJgRJA_NeQ0KxuTU6PiFMZ9xWCKSqHzqUFFctONvHoZGzHq80ViaLa3obdsX_nsXKmmg/s400/IMG_1906.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">J.Jill linen top. I added a skinny belt in this shot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJGINnOE39kMzcBV3fxiW2i45N84A7dixM2YppI_NhxWwlJLK_oKGbgMAq7PA_0rSsB_DDUGeGZKv29wWYIHwVtWvRpkPfQ5Zc3CP_qjv8T4N2co321Om5W1OmtD_SIEHuQ55lSCec6k/s1600/IMG_1911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJGINnOE39kMzcBV3fxiW2i45N84A7dixM2YppI_NhxWwlJLK_oKGbgMAq7PA_0rSsB_DDUGeGZKv29wWYIHwVtWvRpkPfQ5Zc3CP_qjv8T4N2co321Om5W1OmtD_SIEHuQ55lSCec6k/s640/IMG_1911.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And a fun scarf for this one:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0gkfrAtViaaps5U07LnWI1nX6hnoTL2l_TqWp5Fozs9Tp2jMu2ErcZECZHX3vbIG5ZYQhktcRWi6ujxx-YJfDIWTQkOTlnp5yFhHa0QscZixG2X8Qp34JwN9UUJpSzVU5lPwCCH1oE4/s1600/IMG_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0gkfrAtViaaps5U07LnWI1nX6hnoTL2l_TqWp5Fozs9Tp2jMu2ErcZECZHX3vbIG5ZYQhktcRWi6ujxx-YJfDIWTQkOTlnp5yFhHa0QscZixG2X8Qp34JwN9UUJpSzVU5lPwCCH1oE4/s640/IMG_1920.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I've found some other nice little pieces lately at some other thrifty spots too.</div><div style="text-align: center;">Claiborne linen blouse:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrpzVXz_i-UYI7dG87NbXzFXGdVTJrg0ArRQLQf5gsf4e1wMYfyyBNJEbhL5zEso74wp1n1bBk98JWYKzpcS54JOaMXg5Gzcf0Ljt6bCFqIO2cN4EeTS6spc1Jwro6os50e2PVOLWwUk/s1600/IMG_1931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFrpzVXz_i-UYI7dG87NbXzFXGdVTJrg0ArRQLQf5gsf4e1wMYfyyBNJEbhL5zEso74wp1n1bBk98JWYKzpcS54JOaMXg5Gzcf0Ljt6bCFqIO2cN4EeTS6spc1Jwro6os50e2PVOLWwUk/s640/IMG_1931.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQRGK10Gn9HpBUiYdShV9LhBzh8q5t9QMeSHpz1soiOm8h6EXQ9xnYHnMA1tafuQw6MhT_s7CkrWFuU_Cg291jt7GYO5V0k2d_U8JIfHPRfM8P0Zlx-A_lIYIcQZjWQROFe_lWLV5rfU/s1600/IMG_1929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCQRGK10Gn9HpBUiYdShV9LhBzh8q5t9QMeSHpz1soiOm8h6EXQ9xnYHnMA1tafuQw6MhT_s7CkrWFuU_Cg291jt7GYO5V0k2d_U8JIfHPRfM8P0Zlx-A_lIYIcQZjWQROFe_lWLV5rfU/s640/IMG_1929.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Wraparound linen dress from Target clearance:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVgF1RCzg58nVRgFjAsxR_dhUmJCY0iGIFxsbXsdOjmIAd6IvfthYRprGZdjtTf5CP5ZaHvkODtxA2kMMIuiNpF3U2fgODUOY7Hgj-7xOMkaTeHIswBVaFEyq9VZU1TqFfbgXFVNm7WI/s1600/IMG_1960.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVgF1RCzg58nVRgFjAsxR_dhUmJCY0iGIFxsbXsdOjmIAd6IvfthYRprGZdjtTf5CP5ZaHvkODtxA2kMMIuiNpF3U2fgODUOY7Hgj-7xOMkaTeHIswBVaFEyq9VZU1TqFfbgXFVNm7WI/s400/IMG_1960.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">I wore a flower clip in me darling hair:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-ULeamzJmooji9NvK3iwC07bxiwoKNIT6CwgJXYC_MGUfyaw_fIEyme4L6VEzWGzOQ9Qojbyb5zCpxiWY7t-UhqhI5eQtghkZfn3mv2RgJmXFb246EB9FwYmczM9yCzkViGJdPi-nE4/s1600/IMG_1955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-ULeamzJmooji9NvK3iwC07bxiwoKNIT6CwgJXYC_MGUfyaw_fIEyme4L6VEzWGzOQ9Qojbyb5zCpxiWY7t-UhqhI5eQtghkZfn3mv2RgJmXFb246EB9FwYmczM9yCzkViGJdPi-nE4/s400/IMG_1955.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pale orange linen wrap blouse from thrift. Worn with my new <a href="http://dyt.liveyourtruth.com/category/view/featured">DYT necklace</a>:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UigjiUoh_3D2Eu3Kkr5IEMAixBLp-jxm6durcfFE_B5TQ9MqgbClMsTdDdRFnwirPMgt3o7-YQecGFZ9Mh-AilEZLZ4WHJE7sBRGfmBzBqlCvCLR7X9e0t6BLXwpxbJjJbosYuS4vgU/s1600/IMG_4682.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4UigjiUoh_3D2Eu3Kkr5IEMAixBLp-jxm6durcfFE_B5TQ9MqgbClMsTdDdRFnwirPMgt3o7-YQecGFZ9Mh-AilEZLZ4WHJE7sBRGfmBzBqlCvCLR7X9e0t6BLXwpxbJjJbosYuS4vgU/s640/IMG_4682.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAb_13GmLacCV8kC4KhSY7aieOEWWGN1zDVr_3_79ElyHCRKzM5fp9ksD851Y8mr1H3M9IGYkhEQQI0LOjU2hRfHlvN57XwjTZ3wiNejzm_qJwo0n6rRcx5zU64iDp3dzkh8tJep8TWr4/s1600/IMG_4672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAb_13GmLacCV8kC4KhSY7aieOEWWGN1zDVr_3_79ElyHCRKzM5fp9ksD851Y8mr1H3M9IGYkhEQQI0LOjU2hRfHlvN57XwjTZ3wiNejzm_qJwo0n6rRcx5zU64iDp3dzkh8tJep8TWr4/s400/IMG_4672.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And a blingy hair clip!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7enc-bUiCnttQ-sf9hdUFGpf3JUfS4I8Lhwlm1RAOV8k8_020XlbFsgprlboB9oYfwWVtntEISTpXG4Wmz6Y3Eh9lc2R4M-2fjXpdY4LvkXFZK_rRQx7liJaiAz33pmkv0Q9rqfIUmj0/s1600/IMG_4673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7enc-bUiCnttQ-sf9hdUFGpf3JUfS4I8Lhwlm1RAOV8k8_020XlbFsgprlboB9oYfwWVtntEISTpXG4Wmz6Y3Eh9lc2R4M-2fjXpdY4LvkXFZK_rRQx7liJaiAz33pmkv0Q9rqfIUmj0/s400/IMG_4673.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Other stuff I've worn this month:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Old Navy clearance cardi with Gap tank. Necklace from Forever 21.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n_9-YXLWWto7lXO3gG3d_AqrUuH0zPP1CryhEmoBPVDJStDYeGow3TJaqznU2ZwXS__YgYyyfeq2c71lu36nQ9J5R93l5ID20RBWdd0OcGICZuVUl938PfV1xCZxw75MZeKaUlHfzm0/s1600/IMG_1885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n_9-YXLWWto7lXO3gG3d_AqrUuH0zPP1CryhEmoBPVDJStDYeGow3TJaqznU2ZwXS__YgYyyfeq2c71lu36nQ9J5R93l5ID20RBWdd0OcGICZuVUl938PfV1xCZxw75MZeKaUlHfzm0/s640/IMG_1885.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">New heart necklace from Walmart clearance (this is 18K gold over sterling, an economical option to pure gold, and doesn't get as 'brassy' as quickly as other fake golds.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyYnFqkQu5F5cuO4ZPeXp38SpwSbsf7TT_lqFHY4XgyJPnPZisROH8iSIbOcmn5CKuMZDmEV5hba4GDEPpvXBMP9ytjLbpfbkjWvY6x-xVw_2h_gMPvC9J6AQeufbynn6tRvOxoUpy_c/s1600/IMG_1896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyYnFqkQu5F5cuO4ZPeXp38SpwSbsf7TT_lqFHY4XgyJPnPZisROH8iSIbOcmn5CKuMZDmEV5hba4GDEPpvXBMP9ytjLbpfbkjWvY6x-xVw_2h_gMPvC9J6AQeufbynn6tRvOxoUpy_c/s640/IMG_1896.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">'Nother new necklace from the <a href="http://dyt.liveyourtruth.com/category/view/featured">DYT store</a>:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsNv1iavDtfHIIKXPI0HTgdzoc_CjkhYcPG-_9qGeN7FNqjvdw4MfvfsdfKuZc6z9qLWo2WlC4GKD_arvQaCqMkOVoo9VzTSiBxVU3re6sqwG8UJTrYruEPhsmrf_vYQ4qFIWQU6Wl14/s1600/IMG_4422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsNv1iavDtfHIIKXPI0HTgdzoc_CjkhYcPG-_9qGeN7FNqjvdw4MfvfsdfKuZc6z9qLWo2WlC4GKD_arvQaCqMkOVoo9VzTSiBxVU3re6sqwG8UJTrYruEPhsmrf_vYQ4qFIWQU6Wl14/s640/IMG_4422.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Worn with a new one from Antropologie:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02oyDq6ruj9tIjaq98rOYfuppkF3LQu1M_GCYVxkv64N8tPSNAZxmkBVQN3G18mEbctiKGvXuMeVzyfY_VoNjYKJZ6h_GiSg7Q-UbQx8rknL4yNXR3JOegC4v7r_vzdmxL4XJJDwMKsM/s1600/IMG_4427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02oyDq6ruj9tIjaq98rOYfuppkF3LQu1M_GCYVxkv64N8tPSNAZxmkBVQN3G18mEbctiKGvXuMeVzyfY_VoNjYKJZ6h_GiSg7Q-UbQx8rknL4yNXR3JOegC4v7r_vzdmxL4XJJDwMKsM/s640/IMG_4427.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtMa2lUM1LEY3IVi6yxyggzO8W4tPMRh7bnf2hOPs8G97IZR8etZYGx7LJ7jvtZJ-tzJyHQJm6qGPKkhB9tTBWlWYvfFu5hIAdtAnoEeW9PdFiF75jXWdrZK06zAe94t6eGKIfe3tW0s/s1600/IMG_4431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtMa2lUM1LEY3IVi6yxyggzO8W4tPMRh7bnf2hOPs8G97IZR8etZYGx7LJ7jvtZJ-tzJyHQJm6qGPKkhB9tTBWlWYvfFu5hIAdtAnoEeW9PdFiF75jXWdrZK06zAe94t6eGKIfe3tW0s/s400/IMG_4431.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I wear double necklaces a lot, actually. Here's an outfit with the previous coral DYT necklace and one from Charlotte Russe:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyz7AJSezBnoyYLrMmrD4ELwlqQRRFfowoIPyBtdkH39_GqI7Cviwrg0EPSNSjpMALAtj-mUjtebn1LanIJpWHa201tT3Lo9Vz9-vjZqNgze49MpfkrSusI8C3f8mVL58C-J6AaidwEwQ/s1600/IMG_4567.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyz7AJSezBnoyYLrMmrD4ELwlqQRRFfowoIPyBtdkH39_GqI7Cviwrg0EPSNSjpMALAtj-mUjtebn1LanIJpWHa201tT3Lo9Vz9-vjZqNgze49MpfkrSusI8C3f8mVL58C-J6AaidwEwQ/s640/IMG_4567.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And the fun earrings I got there too:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0VOEfUuv8VNomalT7GwHJYNrHNCUjjJVm7IORrZN9Z8YerLtUJSxiYwWprW9_HGEvSM6VaYN_7IG2T445ddWvqkL8ThUOwTA0zzgLC_NLei10p2AqZ8Lw7ala5th04UuPTewxqDFi80/s1600/IMG_4566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0VOEfUuv8VNomalT7GwHJYNrHNCUjjJVm7IORrZN9Z8YerLtUJSxiYwWprW9_HGEvSM6VaYN_7IG2T445ddWvqkL8ThUOwTA0zzgLC_NLei10p2AqZ8Lw7ala5th04UuPTewxqDFi80/s640/IMG_4566.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Lastly, a recent church outfit with yet another hat. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPXLbbwHkgh421EVNthNbfEcxJuzVHCPgm3ghE4xB1VDAqnNuiqlLSB9YzCsT_JxP_RTK17UyHVVTOBy8dy1uDSlZsWACycBXy489Pst8MLNcnKOhtozqcSCtkce5dfNzIcyhkMxCHiQ/s1600/IMG_4435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPXLbbwHkgh421EVNthNbfEcxJuzVHCPgm3ghE4xB1VDAqnNuiqlLSB9YzCsT_JxP_RTK17UyHVVTOBy8dy1uDSlZsWACycBXy489Pst8MLNcnKOhtozqcSCtkce5dfNzIcyhkMxCHiQ/s640/IMG_4435.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1zqB9KP7QjztWBvq7-6YYwX6SYw0ThuZU8APSbBx5p_Kg7jrzWvK2BI2qSzyOKrB6fe6nD3uVq3IxRlVJwEdQGrL9nct4-dNnmMOtAqlzefTfXt5FLzqX_YiBbqk-X-KzqXdqmxo7vE/s1600/IMG_4437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1zqB9KP7QjztWBvq7-6YYwX6SYw0ThuZU8APSbBx5p_Kg7jrzWvK2BI2qSzyOKrB6fe6nD3uVq3IxRlVJwEdQGrL9nct4-dNnmMOtAqlzefTfXt5FLzqX_YiBbqk-X-KzqXdqmxo7vE/s640/IMG_4437.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_oYK4l_jMQgo8P72jbzVvmuuOTeCZMmfT7M1wEkiFqKNHWomDSSrgO8QGa7TIUc3XSypxfNXSnaco4BAkf5474giI00Ee9YV7RuFPxemFDW266EN-wEoclPu2kGRprnVastKb43LoC0/s1600/IMG_4438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_oYK4l_jMQgo8P72jbzVvmuuOTeCZMmfT7M1wEkiFqKNHWomDSSrgO8QGa7TIUc3XSypxfNXSnaco4BAkf5474giI00Ee9YV7RuFPxemFDW266EN-wEoclPu2kGRprnVastKb43LoC0/s640/IMG_4438.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm more into a groove these days. Re-wearing outfits I really like, doing better passing over stuff at the shops I know I prolly won't wear more than once (unless it's on wicked super clearance or something).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">One last shot of my newly-sewn skirt and cloche hat I showed you yesterday:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5znGGXJ-bjyuLb-ubkw-sx_mZIVTEKQ9-JtH9bKPPMeLnPg3IsS5a3z_53kZ6UhvbPEPUSi3po5noeUGNUtQQpR93WdrvZhmIf5iQ1nfNOerUFqzGf5gu0eTiVteF_eRW3vVK-Uas80/s1600/IMG_4690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5znGGXJ-bjyuLb-ubkw-sx_mZIVTEKQ9-JtH9bKPPMeLnPg3IsS5a3z_53kZ6UhvbPEPUSi3po5noeUGNUtQQpR93WdrvZhmIf5iQ1nfNOerUFqzGf5gu0eTiVteF_eRW3vVK-Uas80/s640/IMG_4690.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks for reading!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSxN86bLhFg46mjX-kavSeXMb_UCiKby0ftHveG2_OP5dfAZooClGQvKZkQgjK8zcfCtkQNkEscMo85I5Qvtwjrb74daC1Lu6CgYtMNlvgZv-_h1vL1fcxxJuoxPVnTdYYfdbbcdolsQ/s1600/z64723309-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSxN86bLhFg46mjX-kavSeXMb_UCiKby0ftHveG2_OP5dfAZooClGQvKZkQgjK8zcfCtkQNkEscMo85I5Qvtwjrb74daC1Lu6CgYtMNlvgZv-_h1vL1fcxxJuoxPVnTdYYfdbbcdolsQ/s320/z64723309-2.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>cindyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11231641398378820087noreply@blogger.com3