Vacation Hang-over

As is so often the case, I did not get NEARLY enough done on my week off. I could make a list of things I had wanted to get done and didn't - but that seems kind of like kicking myself. I mean really - I did have to go back to work today and face "Monday after a vacation" which is just a bummer.

So I thought I would take a few posts to "catch-up" what I have been up to the last week.

My first biggy was going to the Salon for a trim and my first professional hair-color! After 25-30 years of abusing my hair with Sun in, Peroxide, food coloring (don
t ask!) and every brand of boxed hair color I could get my hands on, I decided I wanted to start getting my hair done professionally. My thoughts behind this were partly that as I get more and more grey in my hair, I find I either have to color A LOT more (which I never do) or I get the skunk line in the middle of my head. The bugger is that it doesn't look bad to me, and then someone will take a picture with a harsh flash and I will suddenly realize how bad my hair looks! So I talked to my hair person and we decided to go for a Full Foil on my first time out and then we will do partial touch ups for the next couple times (faster and cheaper).

 

You KNOW I had to take a phone pic of myself with my head all foiled out! As you can see - there is still a lot of hair not in the foil - so I am using less dye on my head and will have some natural grow out in there.

And here is me all gussied up AND WITH BANGS! That's right! Not only did I get my hair did, I got me some snazzy Spring bangs! I have to say I feel cute and super Spring fresh. Very happy with the new look and so pleased that I spent the money on myself! I have gotten a lot of positive comments about my new look - which helps too.

I spent many years being defined by my obesity and trying to NOT attract attention, so this is a big brave new world for me. I am proud of all the hard work I have been doing on making myself stronger and healthier, so I feel I was do a little make over.

I had also hoped to get to my nails this week - but I pretty much just filed them down and gave them a clear coat. One of these nights after work I will have to give my fingers and toes some bold happy spring color. Sandal weather is pretty much here!

Vacation! WOOT WOOT!

Emma and Izzi relax on their pet bed.

I typically take three weeks off a year. The first week in April for my Anniversary, a week in August for my husbands Birthday, and a week in November for my birthday. Which means I AM ON VACATION! Heck yeah! Sadly my hubby cannot join me on vacation - since he does not get paid time off in his job, but that doesn't mean we aren't going to have some fun this week.

I injured my wrist a bit from all the work I was doing on my "Fugly Blanket" (Apparently I cannot crochet for hours a day every day for weeks on end and not have my wrist protest! Lesson learned!) So I have not worked on any knitting or crochet for a few days now. It was really depressing as I really wanted to crank out more yards of scrap on my blanket! But I have been keeping myself busy enough that I haven't had time to be too sad.

Saturday after weight-in and work outs, we drove down to an outlet mall in Southern Minnesota and did a little shopping. I had a sales lady be so aggressive with me at one of the stores that I put my credit card back in my purse and walked away from my shirt (a shirt that I had taken the time to try on and make sure I really wanted) and left the store without purchasing it. I don't know why people have to be SO aggressive with the sales promotions, suggestive selling, etc.... It was insane.

The rest of our shopping there was pretty uneventful. We talked to a woman in one shop about knitting which was fun. And I purchased a little summer dress and a really cute vest at a store that I thought was way to young for me to shop at until I shopped at it. (Apparently dropping out of plus sized opens a lot of shopping doors!) And then we stopped at Bath & Bodyworks and got some shower gel and hand soap.

We also ran to Cabella's to look at their shoe selection for men. No purchases there. I had a few choice words to say about the Mini-donuts being sold at the entrance of the shop though. The smell was INSANE and I WANTED them. But I held strong and did not cave in. Go me! Go will power! I haven't talked a whole lot about my weight loss in here lately - but I am on the cusp of a 50 pound loss. I have been slowly slowly losing this weight and I feel like I really need to step it up. I am still overweight and still have too much weight on my joints. And the stronger and healthier I get the more I want to do and the better I feel - physically and mentally. The extra weight I carried for so long was really being carried in my heart and soul as well as my body. So I am feeling the weight coming off in every sense of the word!

To that end we went for a bike ride yesterday. I have a really nice bike that my hubby purchased for me when I graduated college. I have barely ridden it in the years I have owned it and have been a little fearful of it in honesty. I road bike A LOT in the first 20 years of my life. I would bike out to see my boyfriend when I was a teenager and he lived 15 miles away and over a lot of country roads. I didn't get my license to drive until I was 18, so I had to bike to get around. Anyway, yesterday we took out bikes out to a really nice bike trail in Cannon Falls, MN. It is a railroad track that they paved and it's a really smooth and easy ride, and it was a wonderful reintroduction into riding my bike. It was so easy in fact, that we put on 20 MILES! We road 10 miles down to the station in Welch, and then road into town and stopped at the ice cream shop and we split a Strawberry Smoothie. Which tasted like heaven! We sat out on the steps and watched the world go by while we took turns eating the smoothie. It was wonderful. Then back on the bikes and 10 miles back to Canon Falls where we parked our car. It was just the most perfect day. :)

We were both pretty quiet on the ride back home as we were both pretty tired. Today I am feeling it. My butt hurts and I feel a little wind and sun burn (because of course we never thought of sun screen!) and all my muscles have that lovely ache in them that speaks toward some really good use.

And now it's Monday morning and I am NOT at work and life is so very very good! YAY VACATION!

Friday and Life is Good!

And so it is Friday and So I am on VACATION and so Life is good! Wahoooo! I take a week of vacation a couple times a year and I always take the week my birthday is happening. This year it's working out that I will be off this next week and I am sooooo excited! Double blessing is my husband will be off work too! So I expect many fun things to occur in the next 9 days. 

It's hard to tell in the shot, but Izzi is snuggled up to Emma and has her paw over her head to block out the light. We turn the temperature down at night, so in the morning after feeding the girls they are starting to huddle for warmth together. It's always so cute.

Here is a picture of my new table top tripod! I picked it up at Wal Mart for $6.00 and am very excited to have a tiny and portable tri-pod! My big tripod is just a beast and I never want to drag it out. Instead I will balance my camera on crazy items hoping to get a good height. Sad! But no more!

And I had to test it out. Took me about 10 minutes to figure out the self timer (why I can never remember that...) and the light in my Den is rather awful, (Apparently I was directly under the light as I have a head shadow on my chest!) But I am pleased with how my tri-pod works! Notice the shirt? It's been in my closet for about 4 years. I have never been able to fit into it. I wore it to work today in complete comfort. :) Yay! Not sure if you can read it - but it says "Life is Good" under the pumpkin. Indeed!

Ahhhh Grasshopper

Hot lazy day. I came back from running errands this morning and found a Grasshopper waiting for me at the door. Just hanging out on the railing. I ran in and grabbed my camera - and realized I really am terrible with my macro/micro settings on cameras. Once upon a time I didn't suck. Now I take 15 pictures and only two do not turn out green and blurry. Sad sad sad.

My week of vacation is nearly at an end. More sad. :( It's gone WAY to fast. Spent 10 hours yesterday making drapes for my kitchen. They look good - but I need tie backs for them. Spent about an hour this morning at Hancock fabrics trying to figure out something that did not involve too much sewing. My machine needs to be cleaned and oiled - so I would just as soon not use it again until I can get that done. I ended up buying some inch wide red Velvet ribbon. Am not in love with it and think I will end up on my sewing machine again in the near future.