"The girl on page 194"

So, on the elliptical this past week I was reading Glamour magazine. I have no idea what issue I was reading but the editor's page was referring to all the comments she has received on "the girl on page 194." They included a picture and immediately I was interested!

Apparently in the September issue of Glamour magazine, they began a story on feeling comfortable in your skin and posted a small 3 inch square picture of Lizzi Miller.

Lizzi isn't a celebrity, or a supermodel. She is just a 20 year-old model, sitting comfortably wearing just her underwear and a smile. So what's the big deal, right? The big deal is the photo shows a belly that looks...wait for it...normal.

With all the six-pack abs and flat bellies we see in the media, it is really easy for a woman to forget what a realistic stomach looks like!

Lizzi is a size 12-14, which is the average American female's size, believe it or not. Unfortunately, for the "modeling world" she is considered plus-size. (We all know the downfalls having a "modeling world" mentality can do to a girl. We've all heard, or even experienced, the horror stories.)

"When I was young I really struggled with my body and how it looked because I didn't understand why my friends were so effortlessly skinny," Lizzi told Glamour magazine. "As I got older I realized that everyone's body is different and not everyone is skinny naturally--me included! I learned to love my body for how it is, every curve of it. I used to be so self-conscious in a bikini because my stomach wasn't perfectly defined. But everyone has different body shapes! And it's not all about the physical! If you walk on the beach in your bikini with confidence and you feel sexy, people will see you that way too."

Here's a toast to the woman on page 194, and to the spectacular sexiness of owning who you are.

And kudos to Glamour magazine for posting this, realizing true beauty, and for committing to celebrate all body shapes! 

Signs I am slowly losing it!

So guys, as most of you may know, I am slowly losing it! --> My sanity that is! :-P

Y'all seem to get a kick out of the stupid things I do from day to day so I thought I'd make a post about it! haha... and of course I'll add things as the days go on! ;)

And, to make myself feel better, we'll just start with the thing I did yesterday, and go from there. Sound good? Great! So here it goes...something I'd like to call:

How to know if you're losing it:

1. You forget to shave one of your legs, and wear capris.
2. You iron a pair of dirty sweat pants -- before you realize they're dirty, and that they're sweat pants! 

More to come, of course... Stay tuned! haha

Date day!

For a couple weeks, Alex has been asking me when I'd have some free time. School hadn't even started yet & already I had none! Even my Christmas break only seemed like a couple days of free time. So, I picked a day a week or so in advance that I didn't have anything really on the agenda yet (except the return of Grey's Anatomy). Somehow, some way, a week later the day came and I still didn't have anything on my agenda! So, all went according to (Alex's) plan.

Let me just say, in case you don't already know this tid-bit about me, I don't have much patience. It's something I pray for, a lot. I don't like being in the dark, or waiting, so, Alex purposefully keeping me in the dark for over a week about our plans for the day really drove me bananas! But he wanted to keep it a surprise, so, "I let him." haha

Anyways, he tells me that we HAVE to leave by 11:00 and for me to be ready to walk out of the door then. Well, if you know me then you know this did not happen. 11:15 and we leave, and decide to take my car (which is about 2,000 miles overdue for an oil change and needed gas) so, take a little time to pump gas & check the oil, ya know, make sure I still have some! & then we were off....

Rewind! So, Alex walks in my apartment and immediately I start hounding him about what we're doing. He says, "Okay, I'll tell you, but, even if you don't like the idea, pretend like you do." Then he tells me he's taking me to the Biltmore House! My face lit up and I think I clapped, haha.... and I was not pretending. I have always wanted to go to the Biltmore House and I don't know why I have never been. Things like that just interest me. :) I was pumped!

We had such a good time! It was a perfect day with perfect weather! You know me...of course I got some pictures!

I even managed to sneak some pictures inside the Biltmore House, when one of the 638,751 employees weren't standing around the corner. Here are some of our favorites...

the...game room?? pretty nice for 1900ish.

a beautiful view of the mountains!

cool paintings on the basement walls...

Alex is obsessed with all things superhero so, I took this picture for him. Why it was painted on the basement wall of the Biltmore House, I don't know...

& Alex's favorite...the pool!

I didn't get to take any pictures of the beautiful bedrooms. And the garden was all dead and everything since it is January so, we'll have to make another trip in the Spring!  :) I was also super fascinated with the ceilings in all the rooms...I would LOVE living in a place with such beautiful architecture. [<--saying this is a definite sign I am getting older.]

Alex gets an A+ for date day! :)

My first challenge of 2010!

So, for reasons I’ll keep to myself, I have ONE month to get into a ROUTINE & to kick some nasty habits of mine! One month isn’t long so…I will have to find a way to stay focused!

I don’t know how much I weigh (yet). I don’t know if I care, or if I want to know… I think a lot of girls/people focus too much on their weight and the actual number. In case you didn’t know, your weight fluctuates throughout the day, so unless you’re going to weight yourself at home every morning the second you wake up, then weighing yourself isn’t the best idea ever. It’s healthy to lose 1-2 pounds a week and if you lose weight at that pace, you’re a lot more likely to keep it off! So, that is my goal! I don’t think I’ll need a scale; I think that I’ll be able to see and feel the results I want with time and that’s all I ask for! The thought of taking a “before” picture crossed my mind too, haha…you know, the unflattering body poses, complete with bad hair and a frown on my face! IF I do, you definitely won’t see it until way, way later when I see the results I want & can take an a decent “after” picture! ;)

I have free access to the gym on campus so, I have no excuse! Other than the fact I would LIKE to go sometime before noon everyday and Lenoir-Rhyne’s gym has some crazy hours (6-8 am & noon-11pm!) I guess I will have to figure something out.

Weight loss is not my objective here…the whole point of the month-long “thing” I have going on here is about habits (particularly my bad ones!) I’ll admit…I have a number of them! I heard it’s best not to try to kick them all at the same time so, I won’t try! ;)

My main goals are:
1. Get on a healthy & (keyword here:) steady sleep schedule
2. Eat 5 small meals a day…3 plus 2 HEALTHY snacks!
3. (Starting small here -->) Only drinking ONE soft drink a day!
4. Hitting up the gym at least 4-5 times a week…for at least one hour!

You gotta start small. :) Now, I’ve already purchased my “healthy snacks” – which will definitely come in handy when I’m stuck in class on Wednesdays for 4-5 hours at a time! And there is currently NO soft drinks in my refrigerator! (Confession: I did purchase two 2 liters of Mtn Dew, you know, just in case… but they are room temperature in my coat closet!)

Now, I’ve been going to bed at decent times (compared to my previous 3ish a.m. bedtime) lately & having to get up to go work at the gym from 6-8 a.m. really does help to get you in the habit! Too bad I could always come back home & sleep til noon (& sometimes do)!

That’s another thing! I can’t be sleeping in like I did. I mean, I usually didn’t sleep past noon, but still…I need to pick a decent time to get up, and GET UP at that time. No more of this snooze for 10 more minutes, then another, then another junk!

Ok…I’ve talked enough. It’s time to walk the walk. It’s 9:45 p.m. & I’ve gotta work at 6 in the morning so, we’ll see how it goes! I’ll keep you posted! ;)

WISH ME LUCK! :-D

Reflecting on 2009

Where did 2009 go? Man it flew by! I say that...but a lot happened in 2009! I learned so many things this past year. I probably say that every year, but, I DO mean it! :) I was also blessed tremendously in 2009. Looking back, I can't even begin to tell you all the things God did for me. (But, I'll try!) First and foremost, God's timing could not be more perfect! I can not express how lucky I am to have had Him place Alex back into my life, for good! I am (still) so in love with that man of God & I can not wait to see what 2010 has in store for us! Alex graduated in May and has been searching for a job at least since then! He's been unsuccessful in finding a job and I am so proud of him. He keeps his head up and has the most positive attitude. He knows that God has something perfect for him out there and it's only a matter of time before He presents Alex with that opportunity. Until then, God has provided various odd jobs for him to provide him some gas money at least! That boy comes to Hickory ALL the time and I am SO appreciative!! During this time though, Alex has searched after the heart of his Father and has dove into the Word of the Lord and boy does it show! I am on a daily basis proud of the man he is, and the man he is turning into. I do believe that with the help of the Lord, people CAN change. As you all know, Alex & I have had our ups and downs, times together and times apart. Throughout it all, I've learned to stay true to your heart and that (how cliche is this?) "if it's meant to be, IT WILL BE." Either way, the past is in the past now and 2009 was a great year for us, and again, I can't wait to see what 2010 has in store for us!

Now, if you know me, you know that I have to make that money! I do not have the luxury of being able to take "time off" or anything of the sort. Bills have to be paid, right? The Lord has always been successful providing me employment and 2009 was NO exception! It all started in JANUARY and by the last week of JULY, the Lord has answered my prayers!! It was stressful but I learned that I need to stay faithful and the Lord WILL provide! In the mean time, God provided me temporary jobs to pay the bills & gain some learning experiences! I am very appreciative of all the people that prayed for me during that time. It obviously helped! I have never loved a job more!

Meet my staff! I think this pic is such an exact replica of our personalities!

 and meet my fellow RDs:

And lastly, learning experiences...I mentioned those, right? They definitely were a definitive part of 2009 and I will be forever grateful for those as well! I won't go into what all I learned, but I can tell you that I will take everything I learned from the beginning to the end of the past year and use it in the upcoming year(s).

I don't believe in New Years resolutions. If I ever made them, they didn't work out. I just want to work on making this year & every year after that better! My first Facebook photo album of the year is titled, "making 2010 the best year ever.." & that's simply what I'm doing! I'm going to do some prioritizing, some sifting, and work on devoting my time & energy into what helps me do that. I'm focusing on God, my family, Alex, & my true friends. If I do that, everything else will fall into place. I'm sure of it. :)