Adventure Wednesday with Mush and Dioramas

Since both Tom and I are fans of things that are quirky and unique, we prefer shopping at independent stores and boutiques when it's possible.  The down-side of that?  If you don't give them enough business, they can't float.  We've seen it again and again, with little places like the late great 8-Ball, and SkyBluePink, both formerly of Burbank.  When we can, we try to "keep Los Angeles weird" by shopping at still-open shops like Uncle Jer's in Los Feliz, Le Pink in Silverlake, and Zamba in Burbank.

And one day, we spotted a little store called Mush, located just down the street in our neighborhood.  Every time we drove by, we'd say "we should check out Mush."  We kept saying that for over a year... until one day, when it up and disappeared.  "Noooooo!" we cried.  "Not Mush!"

To our delight, Mush hadn't closed, it had simply moved a block closer.  So as soon as we had the chance, we made our way into their new digs to explore.

Located on Hollywood Boulevard near Western, there's metered parking and a lot in back.

   

They specialize in all things I love in a good indie boutique.  Here are some art sconces in the front window.

   

They have all kinds of interesting books, and a gorgeously-curated collection of antiques.

    

I love this old postcard projector. It's just the kind of thing I'd like on my bookshelves. (Aside from books, that is.)

    

Wouldn't you just like to settle in for a martini?

   

Their collection of artist and costume jewelry was eclectic and interesting.
I really dig that elephant ring, in the middle at bottom.

 

Check out this awesome array of antique pocket watches and keys. Don't they just scream "shadow box"?

You can't see it very well, but in the top right corner of the picture above is a pair of steampunk-style clockwork rings.  That was our one purchase of the day - we couldn't resist getting it for a steampunk-lovin' birthday girl we know.

There was one purchase we didn't splurge on, but we are still drooling every time we pass the Mush window: a mid-century modern television, in light wood on three legs.  While looking at it, Tom got inspiration for a house project we want to create for ourselves.  He would like to gut the TV of its innards, and have us create dioramas that would live inside.  We'd peer through the TV screen into a tiny world in three dimensions.  I've always been enamored of tiny things and depth/layers... so the thought was incredibly appealing to me!  We're hoping we can save up the dough to buy it before someone else does... but even if it doesn't work out, we at least have a fun idea to add to our list of projects-in-waiting.

Someday!

Inspired by Tom's idea, I headed online to look at images of art dioramas, to see if they helped me envision my own.  Here are a few, plus links to their artists.

Su Blackwell does beautiful diorama-like sculpture by cutting from books.

Everything is cut out and popped up from a copy of The Secret Garden.

Kendal Murray uses everyday objects like mirror compacts, teapots and coin purses.

I love how the mirror is used in the art - there are some thing you can only see reflected.

What a novel idea - a grassy-material purse as a diorama base.

A day at the beach. In a teapot.

Thomas Doyle's pieces are darker, more foreboding.  They're captured well in a series of detail photos.  Here's one piece, called "The Reprisal."

A second piece, called "Slighting" - 

And another piece,  "Tuff Luck."

And, of course, we must consider the Peep dioramas from The Washington Post contest!  My favorite... the Muppeep show, a finalist this year by Kathy Hardis Fraema.

I love the detail!  You really can tell everybody apart.  The little Swedish Chef even has kitchen gadgets.

All of this inspiration is exactly what Adventure Wednesday is about... seeing things in new ways, filling our well of images and ideas so that we can create fresh and exciting projects of our own.  (And also, it keeps us busy and never bored... so we don't feel tempted to eat out of boredom.)

Have you gone on any adventures lately?  And are you taking care of you?

Suck it, Yoda.

It's Tuesday, which usually means a trip to the scale and a weigh-in report here.  But since I've been flu-y, I don't want that number to be artificially low.  So I'm skipping the weigh-in this week and hopefully once my body is more recovered next week, the number won't be out of whack either.

During Tom's fever-induced naptime this weekend, I happened to stumble upon a Star Wars marathon on TV.  So I listened to The Empire Strikes Back while doing some photo editing.  And as Yoda schooled an impatient Luke on Dagobah, I found myself getting pretty pissed off.

Let's be clear.  I love Star Wars - and have ever since my brother introduced them to me one at a time, on his trips home from college.  And boy howdy did I respond.  I was a pretty nerdy kid.  For my eleventh birthday, my hair was done up in the Return of the Jedi double braid crown.  The first essay I ever typed on a computer (around the same time) began with "I know everything there is to know about X-Wing Flyers." Yoda is my favorite character, other than my schoolgirl crush on Luke. (Don't be surprised that it's not Han. I also prefer Raoul over Erik, Riley over Spike, and young X over young Magneto. Though it's impossible not to prefer Rhett over Ashley.)

Anyway... as I listened to Yoda's fatalistic platitudes on Sunday, I found myself thinking he was full of crap.

Wrong, you are.  Full of the force, am I.  Filled with crap, I am not.

Wrong again, Yoda.

Here's the thing.  You ask Luke to lift a whole ship out of a mud-laden swamp with just his mind.  You say...

"Do or do not.  There is no try."

It has, in fact, become one of the most popular quotes to come from the movie. (Next to... that one.  You know the one.  "Scruffy-looking nerf herder.")  And, like Yoda, it is full of crap.

Now, I'm not saying Luke can't do it.  You and I both know he can.  But Luke needs practice.  And what's another way to say that?  He's trying.

My first day working out at Slimmons - my first minute, actually - I was struggling.  The aerobics was kicking my ass, and I wasn't sure I was going to make it through all 90 minutes.  And, in fact, I didn't.  Within 20 minutes, my heart was pounding so hard that I felt nauseous.  I had to do the rest of the workout sitting.  I was humiliated.  The road ahead of me seemed not just challenging but completely impossible.

But Richard, and the kind people at Slimmons, encouraged me.  So I came back to the next class, and I sat down before I felt nauseous.  I kept attending.  The more I worked, the longer I could make it before needing to sit down.  And within a month, I made it through all 90 minutes.

On the journey to better health, you'll face all kinds of challenges.  You won't be able to do everything you want to do, right away, so try to be patient with yourself.  Sometimes you'll be your own challenge, and a food choice or a missed workout you regret will make you want to throw it all away - because you've been told all your life that you're supposed to be perfect.

Well, no one is perfect.  And all we can do is take that regret and transform it to wisdom.  NO DAY is a lost day, if you don't let it be lost.  If you missed your workout after work, can you talk a walk with your family after dinner?  If you overate at lunch, try thinking about it, talking about it, and letting it go.

There's too much pressure on us (from ourselves, mostly) to perform perfectly at everything from moment one.  The ensuing shame and fear will only make it that much harder to try and keep trying.  Remind yourself that you're not perfect, and then take a moment to be mindful.  You don't have to wait until tomorrow.  You don't have to wait at all.  Every minute is a new minute for you to take care of yourself.  And taking care of yourself takes practice.

You say "there is no try"?  Well, suck it, Yoda.  I say...

Try or try not.  But there is no do without try.

Big news for weigh-in Tuesday, plus my guest post at ALL THE WEIGH!

Good morning, and a beautiful weigh-in Tuesday morning it is.

I have some news for you.

It's big news.

As of this morning's weigh-in, I weigh 316 pounds.

I have lost 50 pounds.

I'm excited, and proud, and it makes me feel even more committed to my journey towards health and strength.  It's just a number, but to some people, it's a number that says "she isn't kidding around."  And I'm not.  This life journey is for real.

An exciting link for an exciting morning... Kenz at All the Weigh invited me to do a guest post, so you can head over to her blog to read my tips on how to be a foodie while losing weight.

I'll be back tomorrow with an Adventure Wednesday that is a celebration of my news today.  I can't wait to share it with you. And in case I haven't told you enough lately... your support is a major part of my success.  I am grateful to each and every one of you who is helping me along on my journey.

Take care of you today - and every day.  I know you can do it!

House guests! Plus, Lemon Curd on Not-Weigh-In Tuesday

I am excited that today marks the arrival of some exciting house guests!  The lovely Kenz, a fellow weight loss blogger, is coming to stay with us for the week.   I can't wait to hang out with her!  She's bringing her friend Kent, and all four of us will be heading to Slimmons tonight, where she'll get to meet Richard for the first time!  I know that the first time I met Richard really changed my life... and since he was a motivator for the beginning of her own weight loss journey, I know she'll have a wonderful time.  I'm sure there will be much more on Kenz & Kent throughout the week, but for now you should check out her blog, All the Weigh, where she has documented the 100+ pounds she's lost so far!   She's an inspiration.

You may remember that last week I wrote about my possible plan to avoid pressuring myself on numbers.  And I decided that it was a good idea, so today I'm skipping my 4-month anniversary of weigh-ins.  I'll be back to regular weigh-ins again next week.  I've still been eating well and exercising each day, because this is not an excuse to do poorly, it's an opportunity to remind myself that my end goal has nothing to do with numbers, and everything to do with strength, health and behavioral changes.

So instead, I have a new recipe for you.  Well, kind of.

I experimented with lemon curd last week, because I'll be using it in place of frosting for the next flavor in my cake pop quest.  I wanted to bring down the calories per serving, so I tried replacing two of the typical ingredients (eggs and sugar) with two lower-calorie replacements (Egg Beaters and stevia.)  Let me show you what happened:

I started with this batch of ingredients.

 

I zested the lemons (peel only, no pith)

And then I juiced them. This style of juicer is by far the best
and most fun - way to get all of the juice out of your lemons.

I combined all of the ingredients and stirred over a low heat.  A VERY low heat.

But what I didn't realize is that Egg Beaters, because they're made of egg whites, cook much more quickly than regular eggs (especially yolks.) Like, in 30 seconds.

There's a very thin line between lemon curd and lemon scrambled eggs.

So I started over again.  This time, I did everything the same except I used a double-boiler and alternated heat and no heat, every four seconds.  I was able to get the correct consistency, but the flavor was dreadful.  How dreadful was it?  So dreadful that Tom made his "wine face," the grimace he makes when he has a sip of champagne at a wedding.  (He's not a fan of the taste of alcohol.)

So I started over ONCE AGAIN.  Thank goodness we'd bought 6 lemons.  We're clean out now, so we need to buy some more in order to enjoy our citrusy steamed vegetables, as we do a few times a week.

This time, I gave up on the Egg Beaters.  The recipe had called for a cup of them, and 3 real egg yolks have about the same calorie count as the full cup of Beaters.  So I adjusted to Martha Stewart's curd recipe, swapping only the stevia for sugar, and adding double the lemon juice (because stevia does not add the bulk that sugar would - and because I like my curd tart.)

Yolks have a slower cooking time, so it made for much easier curd.  I also added a pinch of sugar (perhaps a teaspoon) because I wanted to combat the stevia aftertaste (which I was definitely not enjoying.)

The third batch turned out OK.

By the way, today's entry marks the first photographed backgrounds
as sponsored by my lovely "textile sponsor," my sister! Thanks, Michelle!

It still doesn't taste like perfect lemon curd, but it's tart and light, and I'm willing it enjoy it on a crumpet for breakfast this week. (As part of "this complete breakfast," I'll also have some fruit and yogurt, and a boiled egg.) 

Crumpets, by the way, are generally fat free and under 100 calories.

What I've realized from all of this is that lemon curd is best without any swaps.   It's delicious and fits into my plan, in moderation.  And I've recently discovered that lemon curd freezes well!  So when I make a real batch in the future (which I'll do for the upcoming cake pops) I'll portion-control my leftover curd by freezing it in cute silicone ice cube molds, which can be popped out and melted on a hot crumpet or healthy muffin.

I have a feeling one of these cute molds will be on my wish list in the future...

How adorable would it be to have a little lemon curd heart on your toast?















Or, color-appropriately, a PAC-MAN!?















If you wish to make my adjusted stevia curd - which will do in a pinch, if your calories or willpower won't allow for the real thing - here's the recipe:

• 3 egg yolks
• 6 tsp stevia
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 4 tb butter

Cream the butter and stevia together with a mixer, until it's as smooth as possible.  Incorporate the egg yolks one by one, and then add the lemon juice and zest.  It will curdle, but don't worry - as the butter melts, it will become creamy.

Heat the mixture in a double-boiler at a low temperature.  It's important not to warm the mixture too quickly or you'll have lemony scrambled eggs. Stir continually, scraping the sides and bottom to make sure that the mixture stays at a consistent temperature throughout.  After about 8 minutes, it will gradually thicken.  When the curd is 170 degrees, or when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (and running a finger across the spoon leaves a clear swipe), it's ready.  If you prefer to get rid of the zest or any lumps, you can filter through a fine mesh strainer.  Otherwise, pour into a container and cover.  It will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for several months.

And here's the nutrition facts, per serving of 2 teaspoons:

All right, I hope that your day is full of warmth and love.  Take care of you, and I'll be back tomorrow with an Adventure Wednesday full of twinkly lights and booty-shakin'!

On rewards, bicycles, and dresses

There's a trend in the weight loss blogging community to reward yourself with something tangible for each milestone hit.  Some people reward every 10 or 20 pounds.  Some people start small (like a pedicure for 10 pounds lost) and grow gradually with each increment.

I like this idea, but our budget just doesn't allow for it right now.  Two freelancers between gigs equals "let's not buy anything new that isn't completely urgent."  (In other news, if you happen to need the services of a freelance writer, or a film/tv editor, by all means let me know.)

I have found this journey to be reward in and of itself, but there's something nice about the idea of working toward a fun goal.  So I've decided, in the hopes that our next gig comes in, that I will be working toward two different motivational rewards.

At 100 pounds lost (that's my current goal) 
I'd like to purchase a bicycle and some accessories.

I haven't biked since my last one was stolen in college over ten years ago.  So this week, I stopped into Orange 20, a local bicycle shop, the other day.  They were very nice, and very helpful, but it seems like they're focused on selling to the long-term, bike-crazy mindset.  And most of them seemed out of my price range at $1,000+.  They did help me to understand what I'm looking for, considering where I live and what I hope to do.  I'll want a multi-speed cruiser bike with a hand break.

If necessary, I'm sure I could find one on Craigslist or Ebay.  If I have the available funds, though, I have my eye on a few different options that fulfill both my aesthetic style and my laid-back approach to biking.  (I'm no racer or off-road explorer; I just want to enjoy another fitness option with a mellow ride on bike paths or to the Farmer's Market.)

This is the Electra Coaster. I love the retro styling,
and it's gotten great reviews from other riders

This is the Schwinn Jenny 7.  Clearly I have a thing for classic bike styles.

And, of course, if I'm going to go retro, I'm going to need a wicker bike basket.
This one is by Electra.

Plus, huzzah, they've come up with cute bike helmets since I last wore one!
This adorable number is by Yakkay, which has several different hat looks for their helmets.

When the time comes, I'd love some bike advice from the avid bikers. (Especially from you, Bro J)

At my final weight (I don't know what it will be) 
I'd like to purchase a Kate Spade dress.

I haven't locked in a final goal, because I think it will really be up to my body.  No doubt I'll plateau at some point down the line.  In order to reach what's considered a "healthy" BMI, I'll have to lose another 100 pounds from my first goal... but I don't know if my body will make it all the way, or make it farther.  I have seen the pictures of my ancestors, ladies working all day in the fields who are still pretty heavy.  I mostly want to make sure I'm healthy and active and not having to restrict or over-exercise to get to that weight.  So I won't be purchasing any "investment" dresses until some time after I've reached that final weight - so I know that I can maintain it.

I'm not a "label" person - I don't care about wearing logos or being loyal to a particular brand.  But every season, I see the beautiful colors and shapes in the windows of the Kate Spade store as I walk past, and I think "hey, that's what I'd wear every day if I could."  Something about the classic full skirts and the retro patterns calls my name, and I hear they're constructed really well.  It's nice to have a few long-lasting investment pieces in a wardrobe.  (It feels weird to be letting all of my investment pieces go; very little that I was wearing last year fits now, except the things my mother-in-law tailored.)

Here are a few cute examples of Kate Spade dresses:

It is all just, you know, pipe dreamin' at this point, but I look forward to the day that I hop on my little retro bike, in my little retro sundress, and coast off to the farmer's market to buy a bouquet of flowers to tuck in my bike basket.  Can't you just see it?

A Beginner's Guide to a Healthy Kitchen, plus an unexpected guest

It is a gorgeous day in Los Angeles, but I find myself with about as much energy as a stuffed Garfield hanging on a 1980s minivan window.  Which is to say, none.

I haven't talked much about it here, but I've been suffering some lady-parts trouble for the last few months.  Consecutively.  If you follow my meaning.  So I'm back to the same level of anemia I had in December.  At that point, I could hardly lift my arms for exhaustion.  I'm certainly better off than I was then, thanks to all of the exercise and healthy food... but I am really, REALLY looking forward to fixing all of this.  (I just made a circling-my-abdomen gesture that, in hindsight, I'm pretty sure Liz Lemon would also make in this situation.)  Here's hoping that my doctor appointment this afternoon will help!

In the meanwhile, I'm going to give you a shorter update today, with the fourth part of my week-long series...

...to a healthy kitchen!

Yesterday's guide to healthy food includes only a part of what you can do to help improve the way you eat.  There's a lot you can do to make your kitchen a haven for you and your body.  (And also your spirit, but the more I am actually using my body, the more I see how closely the two can be connected.

When you're starting down the path to a healthier life, there's one thing you should do first.  (Well, other than talk to your doctor.)  Step into your kitchen, and...

Clean it out.

I don't mean with a mop and a broom, although the nicer you make your kitchen, the nicer it is to be there. 

I mean get rid of the stuff.  Get rid of the stuff that haunts you in the wee hours of the morning.  Get rid of the stuff that is there for your No Good, Very Bad Days.  Get rid of the stuff that you stuff your face with when you're bored.  Unless you're working very hard on your moderation (which is important, but can be easier to do after you get used to your new healthy choices), there's a good chance that if it's in there, you'll eat it. So whatever you put in your kitchen should be something that you consciously, mindfully want to put in your mouth.  That brings us to...

Stock it up.

When the last carton of Chunky Monkey (or the last block of Velveeta) is gone from your fridge, you need to put good things in it so that they're ready for you to eat as soon as you need them.  

I'd say there's probably a pretty good chance you're not eating enough vegetables.  Find a place that sells what you like,  and get munching.  Raw veggies are great for snacking on.  I especially love them with a little hummus, honey mustard, or - you guessed it - greek yogurt (with a little herbs or seasonings mixed in.)

It helps to have readily-available protein, too.  I love chicken tenders - I grill a batch early in the week and enjoy them in salads and sandwich wraps.  I don't go a day without enjoying single-serving cheeses.  At any given time, I have string cheese, or Trader Joe's Brie Bites or Goat Cheese Medallions in the fridge.  The latter come in one-ounce packages (with six or so in a bag) - and the pre-defined single-serving really helps me avoid the Just Another Tiny Slice phenomenon (you know the one... you're slicing cheese, and you eat a little, and then you eat a little more, and then before you know it, half of the package is gone.)

Most of all, stock it up with healthy things that are things you like.  If you buy healthy food but you hate what you're buying, you'll have a harder time eating it.  You may even be tempted to go out for something different than what's in your fridge.  This used to happen to us all the time, but now our well-stocked fridge keeps us right on track.

Measure it out & pack it in.

There are a few supplies that I find helpful in the quest to balance our meals.  Some of these things also prevent the items in our stuffed-to-the-gills fridge from becoming green, fuzzy, and nameable. (Thank you, Dawn Summers.)

a - We pack up our chopped raw veggies, our roasted red peppers, and our grilled chicken in resusable storage containers like these ones by Glasslock.  One great thing about the Glasslock products is that neither their glass, their plastic, nor their lids contain BPA.  Women in particular should avoid BPA, for hormonal purposes.  You can read more about that in this Glamour article, which was written by an acquaintance from college.  (Thanks, Aimee, for the link!)

b - And before you can store 'em, you'll need to chop 'em on a sturdy cutting board, like these pretty green numbers by ArchiTEC.  Make sure you wash your cutting boards carefully, and avoid cutting raw meat on boards you use for other food (this is where multiple shades or sizes can come in handy.)

c - We are very careful to measure our portions, and one of our best tools for this is the liquid measuring cup by Pyrex.  Won't break, but is super-strong.  We've had ours for a very, very long time.

d - For veggies that are quick to spoil, like berries, we use these Debbie Meyer GreenBags, and they're terrific.  In our fridge, strawberries in their original container last about five days before they start to get a little wilty, and a full week before they're fuzzy.  With GreenBags, we've seen them last up to 10 days without wilt or fuzz (but mostly, our new menu planning means we eat them within seven days, so we don't see as much fridge slime as we used to.)

e - Meat and produce comes in a variety of sizes, so the best way to know exactly what you're eating is to use a food scale like this one by Newline.  It can also really help with baking, because flour settles, so a cup can differ in mass considerably.

f - For sauces & fats, a little bit can go a long way (and a long way towards throwing off your calories for the day.)  We own a couple of different sets of measuring spoons - like this set by OXO - so that we always have the right ones handy, even if we're behind on the dishes.

We try to stay up on the dishes pretty regularly, now, though.  We cook so often that if we don't have all of our pots, pans, dishes & utensils available, we have to wash them by hand as we cook.  Plus, it means we're ready for unexpected company... like this lizard who came to visit this week.

He first appeared on the outside of our screen door Monday. 
We opened the glass to get a better look at him, and when our very curious
kitten Greta lifted her paw slowly to him, he jumped straight into the air,
freaking all four of us (cat, lizard, Tom, me) out.

We thought he was gone for good, but on Tuesday, he was back nestled by our succulent planter.

He kept curling back out of the sun, and in the process, posed for a portrait.

In trying to figure out what kind of lizard he was, we stumbled upon the Lost Lizards of Los Angeles project, through the Natural History Museum of LA.  Fascinating!  They're tracking what lizards live in what areas of the city.  Our Mr. Lizard turns out to be a Southern Alligator Lizard, which are apparently very common in SoCal.

Eventually it got too sunny for him and he crawled underneath the planter.  We're not sure if he's still there (he seems to have eaten all of the slugs that drifted toward our succulents after recent rainfall, so he probably has no reason to be.)  But we'll be on the lookout for our reptilian roommate!  I hope he's taking good care of himself.  And I hope you are, too!