Happy Monday! A new week has begun, and I am feeling rejuvenated and ready to forge ahead with my various projects. (Particularly my main one, which - as Richard puts it - is "Project Me.")
Lots of ground to cover today!
Weekend Recap
I was an editor's widow this weekend, as Tom was working on a side project - a short documentary - most of the time. I was able to keep busy with a ton of activities, including:
A Friday night trip shopping trip with my dad, where I managed to style him in the vein of Steve Carrell as styled by Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love. Brilliantly, I managed not to take a photo of him in his dapper zip-up cardigan and his fedora.
One last outing with Dad before delivering him to the airport. We went to my favorite Indian restaurant - Akbar - in Pasadena. They make some seriously good naan, and Dad & I each ordered our own. After we finished, we agreed that in the future, we'd only need to order one naan to share. It's the latest food observation to add to my list of things to remember.
A birthday party for my friend Ann's two adorable kidlets.
A birthday party for my adorable friend Joe. They played a game that I am MOST DEFINITELY including in an upcoming Supper Club, and I cannot wait to share it.
A planning session for an upcoming event - which I'm collaborating on with a few other friends who are also bloggers.
A scoche of cat-sitting for two darling orange cats, Teddy and Peeta. They were very cuddly.
An outing to the farmer's market. Holy cow, it is most definitely harvest season. I bought some apples, some peaches, some heirloom tomatoes, some swiss chard (to practice recipes for aforementioned upcoming event) and some dinosaur pluots.
A dinner with friends of ours who are also creative colleagues.
Painting Preview
Several of you (especially my sister) have nudged me for photos of all of the painting my dad and I did while he was visiting. The room isn't completely ready for prime-time, because the weather has been unseasonably muggy, and the shelves and drawers aren't dry enough to be filled. So instead, I'm going to post some sneak peek close-ups of a few things, and once all the books and clothes are tucked away in their proper places, I'll do another post with a better view of the room at large.
The wall behind our bed, plus our wrought-iron candle sconce.
It isn't quite this vivid - it's hard to capture perfect colors, even with a nice camera.
One of the bookshelves, with our starburst clock.
Part of our dresser. This aqua is the same color as our wall - I think it's better captured here.
Friend-Interviewin' Monday
For those of you craving more Supper Club 600, the excellent Alyssa at Double-Chin Diary has posted her own recap of the event, plus an interview with me. (My first interview! Heh.) Alyssa is a bright, skilled blogger and I highly recommend you check out some of her entries, especially my personal favorite, "Chunky." I relate completely to her story of sudden self-awareness brought on by a grandparent's comment. Head on over and show her some support!
All right, you lovely people. This is going to be a beautiful week, and I hope that you'll spend it doing good things for yourselves. I plan to take very good care of me, and I want you to do the same!
Before I kick off this Supper Club recap, a quick note to all of you who responded to me yesterday, and within the survey - especially the person who responded with the concern about sugar.
Thank you, all of you, for your support. The process of weight loss is a very individual and personal one. Much like clothing, it is not one-size-fits-all. One person's method may seem strange or even unhealthy to someone else. My personal choices are under the advisement of my doctors, my therapist, and my favorite fitness guru.
Communication is at the core of my success. My honesty here, and with everyone on my health team, has everything to do with my 68 pounds lost. Being open to honest questions is part of that communication, as is giving honest answers. Because I have an addiction to food that I can't - and will never be able to - ignore, it's my responsibility to continue to assess my needs and successes and challenges. Which I'm doing. And which currently dictates that my intake of sugar has been in moderation - and helps me to avoid an excess of it. Nevertheless, it should always be under watch. Thanks for watching. I'm watching, too. But I'm not not going to eat it. That wouldn't help my journey of moderation. And I'm not not going to write about it. That wouldn't help my honesty.
**
Right on the heels of last month's BBQ comes the latest edition of...
Supper Club 600, a celebration of healthy food in moderation, is a dinner party we host every other month, each with a different theme
and menu. And every time, we present our guests with a delicious,
filling dinner - entree, sides, dessert, beverage - that is less than
600 calories, focused on healthy & natural ingredients.
And this month's theme... is Italian!
Our friend Laura, and her very droll husband Jake, offered up their home for the occasion. (It was rolling double-party, actually... a new round of people arrived later in the day for Laura's annual pie-tasting party, before she submits the best to KCRW's Good Food pie contest next weekend! I tried a bite of each, and they were scrumptious.) A big thanks to Laura and Jake for their hospitality.
Alas, in the rush of hosting in someone else's kitchen, I managed to forget my camera! All photos in today's blog are courtesy of Rochelle. (Thanks, Ro!)
One photo I wished I'd gotten, but missed, was a photo of Tom and I, with his mom Jean, and my dad Bruce. The two of them were an incredible help in the preparation for the party. My dad even flew in from Michigan with his espresso machine, which we used to make tiramisu the day before, and which he brought (along with his considerable barista skills) to the party, where he served a variety of hot and cold low-calorie (or no-calorie) coffee drinks.
Rochelle sampling Dad's iced mocha handiwork.
When Tom and I put this menu together, our dishes kept adding up to nowhere near 600, so we kept adding dishes! We must be getting good at the reduction of calories, because it took a lot of dishes to hit closer to the mark. (We could've increased portion sizes, but we wanted to keep them moderate and increase variety, which is good nutritive practice anyway.)
And when we designed the menu, we wanted to give it a little authentic Italian language. Cue my brother, who lived in Milan for three years, and who speaks Italian fluently. Italy doesn't have the concept of a "supper club," per se, but he suggested translating "supper club 600" as "little dinner between friends," which we thought was charming.
Here's the beautiful spread...
(Clockwise from the left) broccoli with lemon and capers; bruschetta; chicken marsala, roasted vegetables;
cannellini with sage; pasta with oil and garlic, and spaghetti squash carbonara
...and here are a few of the beautiful people who attended!
Carrie, Rochelle & Alexa
Keith & Marc
Joe & Sunny, looking dapper.
Many others joined us for the occasion, too. Our guests ranged from the human toddler variety (hi, Theo!) to the elder canine variety (good girl, Emily!)
Emily, the Wonder-Dog.
If you'll join me again tomorrow, I'll share the secrets behind some of the recipes, and the inspiration for each dish. (And, yes, I'll share that recipe for 50-calorie tiramisu. You won't believe how simple and light it is, especially compared to its 350-calorie counterpart.)
Supper Club is a great way to remind ourselves (and our guests) that taking care of yourself in the kitchen can really be fun and adventurous. What will you do today, along those lines?
Hello! It's Monday following a beautiful weekend, and I'm happy to be back and blogging today.
My father is visiting from Michigan this week. He arrived Friday morning, and I promptly dragged him out with me to finish shopping for Saturday's Supper Club 600. Such a good sport! Along with Tom's mom, he helped us to get all the food ready for the party, which was great fun (and which will be the subject of this week's Adventure Wednesday, In the Kitchen, and Fashion Friday posts.)
We also took Dad to Slimmons, where he met Richard for the first time. Richard was dressed up as King Tut's Tomb, and we are still picking the gold glitter off of our arms and cheeks. Richard pulled us into the middle of the circle to dance with him, and you can see us boogie together below, at exactly 4 minutes in.
Dad's a skilled handy-man, and he volunteered to help me fix up the bedroom (which I wrote about in July.) This morning we went paint-shopping and proceeded with wall-spackling. We'll be painting the wall, the shelves, and the dresser before he leaves on Saturday. I hope to have some great "after" photos for you soon!
On the blogging front, I just want to thank all of you for your support. Every time I hear from one of you, it helps me remember why I'm writing this blog in the first place: to remind myself to take care of me... and to remind you to take care of you.
One thing I dislike about Blogger (which is the online software I use for blogging) is that I can't easily respond directly to you when you comment, and I'm not sure that you see my response when I post it. So lately, I just haven't posted it. And I don't like that! I want you all to know how much your words mean to me. I'm looking at hosting my own blog so that I can add that functionality, but in the meanwhile, I want to respond to some of the weight loss bloggers who've responded to me recently. I'm doing that in today's post, and thank you for being with me on my journey! (And hopefully, to link to you so that others can see yours, too.)
***
Hello, Miss April! Thank you for your support... and you have mine on your 30 Before 30 journey, too!
Sarah, I've been reading OnMyWeightToHappiness - you should be so proud of your success! CONGRATULATIONS on your crossing that big BMI milestone! I hope to follow in your footsteps by next year.
Suzi, thank you for reading! I noticed that you recently did a Richard Simmons DVD, and I have to say, if ever you're in my neck of the woods, you have to come work out with the man himself (and me, too.)
KT, I appreciate your support! And, wow, your Christmas Dress for the Countdown is darling. Can't wait to see how you accessorize it (because I know you're going to make it!)
Hi, Dom. Your blog name makes me laugh every time I read it. You kick so much ass, and I'm really glad to be following your blog as well. Did you end up buying the compression tank we both like so much? (I am still drooling over it.)
Bella my beautiful, I want you to stop working out in those baggy workout clothes you wrote about in your comment. I know it feels... I dunno, to me, it feels safer in the baggy stuff. Covered. But the truth is that we're not really hiding anything but how much we're changing and strengthening our bodies. Targed does indeed have some plus-sized stuff. I'm usually wearing a 3X these days, but the Champion workout leggings in XXL (in the active section) fit me just fine. Target also sells these "long and lean" tank tops in the plus section that work really well for me. (I'm wearing one in the video above.)
Hilary, thank you! I have been working on the positive attitude thing for a long time - through therapy, and watching others in my life. Congrats on making your first goal, by the way!
Denise, don't be jealous of my Slimmons workouts, just take a vacation to Southern California and come join us!
Elisha, how is your Board of Directors handling everything lately? Thinking about you.
Tammy, thank you so much for reading! And also... that outfit you wore on Monday is drop-dead FABULOUS.
PJ Geek... have I told you lately how much I like you? I like you. Muchly.
SKM, I have been using your brush-and-floss trick, and it does help! Thank you for the recommendation.
Ann, thank you for being a new reader! I love new readers. And finding new blogs to follow. You're dead-on about the tooth-aching photos of cake and frosting blobs. They're not so bad in moderation, but damn, I am glad that I only serve them in moderation, heh!
Jenny O... I don't know if you're a weight loss blogger, but if
you are, you must let me know the link! You reply so frequently and
it's so nice to know that you're out there. Thank you for your support!
Stephanie... you're not a blogger, but I love you and I really need to see some of the outfits you've worn for your races!
Chris M, I always appreciate hearing from you! Your comments make my heart feel warm and fuzzy. I'm also enjoying the company of your youngest daughter, so although she's not near you, she gets plenty of hugs from us when we see her. Love to you!
Sara H. L., you're a Facebook reader, not a blogger. But I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that you have been taking "take care of you" to heart. Please keep up with that - because you matter. (To me,and to your guys - big and little!)
And last, but very much not least... Erica. Erica, I don't think I can even contemplate how full up you are. Of so much. You've been on my mind every day, and I hardly even know how to say how proud I am of your strength, and how much goodness I want for you and for J. My heart is with you both.
***
If you're a reader but you don't comment... boy howdy, do I understand. I'm a lurker on almost all of the blogs I read, but I'm trying to break myself from that habit. Maybe if you're less prone to comment, you'd be more open to answering a survey? I just created one for my readers, and I'm hoping to get your feedback, whether or not you comment here. You can take it at Zoomerang, or you can take it in the version embedded below. And thank you, in advance, for your feedback!
OK. I'm off to paint the town red. (Or... my bedroom aqua.) I'll be back tomorrow with a weigh-in and a new breakfast recipe I've been trying. Until then... you know the drill. TAKE CARE OF YOU!
Oy, as a contrast to all of last weekend's activities, this weekend was spent convalescing, as both Tom and I have some sort of flu-bug. This meant we didn't infect any of our Slimmons friends (and we missed Richard dressed as Woody from Toy Story. Bah!) And we didn't infect any of our other friends, either. Sleeping, fluids, some trashy movies (When In Rome is TERRIBLE but The Sorcerer's Apprentice is worse.) And a marathon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: the cure to what ails anybody. We also caught up on The Glee Project (which is pretty fun) and Food Network Star (which has been aggravating me. I'm terribly unfond of Penny and can't wait for her to get too catty for the sensible judges to appreciate.) Yes, that's right, I watch reality TV. But it's always been limited to food and musical theater competitions.
Yesterday I was the majority of a continent away from my pop on Father's Day. This is one of the bummers of living in Los Angeles. But I'm really looking forward to him visiting in September. Lots of fun awaits us, Dad!
I'd like to dedicate today's blog to him. Thank you, Dad. You've been a wonderful example all my life - of warmth and loyalty, of grace under fire, of loving support. I will do my best to follow your example, all my life.
It's good to know that you found my off-kilter perspective amusing even when I was wee.
Thanks for encouraging me to stay weird. And thanks for growing those sideburns.
Also, it's Friend Makin' Monday...
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here and at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts.
FMM: Yes or No?
Do you use coupons? Yes, a little, but the mailings we get seem to advertise sales, not offer coupons. We certainly shop the sales.
Do you like football? Yes. I grew up in a University of Michigan Football household, so I'm predisposed to it. But it turns out, as an adult I just don't have the time, and it isn't interesting me as much. I actively dislike watching professional football, though. (Any professional sport, actually - no thanks.)
Are you in a relationship? Yes, it's a marital one, and Tom makes me happier than I ever expected anyone could.
Is your phone always within arm’s reach? No, not always. But often.
Do you like thunderstorms? Yes, I do, and I miss watching them something fierce. Though I don't miss the damage they can cause.
Can you cook? Yes, I can, and I've gotten better with more practice this year. I am not the household cook, though. I'm the household sous chef and baker.
Are you – or have you – lost weight? Yes, 56 pounds as of last week.
Do you know how to read a map? Yes, I do. Doesn't everyone?
Do you wear makeup? Yes, but infrequently - and when I do, it's usually pretty minimal.
Do you read regularly? Yes, probably every day.
Are you publicly affectionate? Yes I am, but only in a PG kind of way. We are very hands-holdy huggy. We'll kiss if the mood strikes, but Tom is less overtly PDA-prone so it's a rarer display of affection.
Do you like picnics? Yes, very much! I haven't had one recently and I'm so overdue.
Do you have a/c? Yes, I have central air, but we're not using it very much this summer, for budgetary reasons.
Have you ever been out of the country? Yes, to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, and a quick layover in England. Strange that I live this close to the Mexican border and have never been. I even speak Spanish.
Do you know how to ride a bicycle? Yes, I do. Got on one for the first time in... maybe 10 years... and it was just like riding a bicycle. (Har har.)
OK, I'm off to try and be productive and not a flu-ridden slug today. I will try to take care of me, and I hope you will take care of you, too.
