Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Finding Inspiration ....

I LOVE THIS! And I found this at the right time... no matter how badly I want to quit, I can't because tomorrow is another break-through, another chance for greatness, another day closer to my goal.

I made lots of copies of this. There is one in my bathroom, one in my closet, one of the fridge... anyplace in my house where I feel discouraged or temptation.

So last month I moved my elliptical machine and it's now facing a wall, and let's me honest no one wants to stare at a wall even if they are wearing an iPod. So I decided that every month I would add a little inspiration to my wall. I'm a calorie burning woman on a mission to lose the pounds and an attractive (slightly nude) man was exactly what I need to stay on that machine. So this month my inspiration is non other than super studly, Olympic swimmer Anthony Ervin:

Let me tell you how awesome and inspiring he is

his tats are and glasses giving me hipster realness
he wears pretty ~~panties~~ swim trunks
he's a Cal alum/swimmer ...what's in that water at Cal Berkeley they have an awesome swim program that but do they also require their males to be completely gorgeous (have you seen Nathan Adrian??)
his hair (wow do I sound like a fan girl???)
this is the kind of cat that I can see myself sitting down with a cup of tea having a deep, meaningful conversation with
he swims the 50 Meter
his story is completely inspiring

I'm always to say that weight has been a life-long issue for me. There has never been a time when I haven't been fat. Okay that's not true, there were a few years when I was normal weight as referenced in this picture (I was so ahead of my time fashion wise... how many little kids do you know that can rock a periwinkle swing trench-coat?)

I always remembered high school fondly, and I guess I sugar coated it by "remembering" myself with an athletic build..I don't even think I look the same, in all fairness I have been through a life-time of medical issues since then (numerous illnesses, hospitalizations, and two liver transplants). And in my lifetime I have been anywhere from 160 to 300 pounds... strangely enough before I decided to actively lose weight I was larger than I was in that picture (I estimate I was 250 lbs in that photo)

Tyra @ 17 Tyra @ 35

So why is this so inspiring? It reminds me that I've come s long way...and still have a long way to go!

About a week ago Sunshine proposed a challenge to her teams to create a collage as part of a contest. I've used this silhouette before in a collage that was in this post and thought that it would be perfect for the contest. The theme: Different Women, One Goal. I think at the end of the day that sums up the Blue Team. I love them, they inspire me EVERY day. We share our challenges and our successes and it makes this journey so much easier to travel. I can say 100% that if I didn't have the support I would have gotten this far, and would have quiet a long time ago.

Inspiration is Everywhere, even online.

"Goals are the fuel in the furnace of achievement."
Brian Tracy, Eat that Frog

Sunday, October 14, 2012

In: Dance , FMM , Friend Making Monday , Nail Polish

FMM: Quick and Random

Quick and Rando

Quick and Random

1. Choose three songs that would be on the soundtrack of your life. "Bruised but not Broken" by Joss Stone, "It’s My Life" by Bon Jovi and "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" by Cindy Lauper.

2. Share the details of one project that you're currently working on. Not currently working on a major project. But I have been doing a mini nail project for breast cancer awareness.

3. If you could learn to do one thing overnight what would it be? I'd learn to ball room dance, before I die I wanna do a sexy Sambra roll.

4. If you could be a fictional character which one would you be? .Elinor Dashwood...I just love that book/movie

5. What's your favorite thing about the month of October? Football, and every day in the month of October I try to wear something pink in honor of breast cancer awareness, then the month ends with Halloween….my favorite holiday

6. Share one TV show that you're embarrassed to admit you watch. Couples Therapy on VH1. It’s a train wreck and I watch every episode faithfully more than once. I even have my mom watching it. This whole Courtney Stodden/Doug Hutchinson gross me out, yet intrigues me .

7. Name one friend that you're thankful to have in your life today. I'm extra thankful for my cousin and good friend Aisha, we are kindred souls in more ways than one.

8. What was the most relaxing part of your weekend? The entire weekend was pretty relaxing; we got a lot of rain in Chicago this weekend, so everyone was pretty mellow and lazy…even my cat

9. Do you like to dance? I love to dance, but I don’t do it will… I can’t even describe it properly… it’s a mess.

10. Share one thing that you're looking forward to before the end of the year. I don't know if I'm specifically looking forward to anything. I just want to continue the year in a positive and healthy way.

Monday, October 1, 2012

In: Alltheweigh.com , Elmo the Cat , FMM , Friend Making Monday , Mom's Wisdom , Snark

FMM: Uniquely You

Uniquely You

1) Do you prefer to talk or text? Seriously it depends on the person, for example….if it’s my mom defiantly talk. I can be texting her for 30 minutes and call her and she will ask me exactly what we texted about… better to save my fingers and simply call her. And let’s be honest there are people that everyone prefers to text cause if you call them (and they pick up) you will be on the phone with them for hours talking about everything from their toe fungus to what they ate for lunch two weeks ago

2) How often do you make your bed? I make my bed every day. I have to. My room might be a mess, but at the end of every day I know that I will come home to a nicely made bed with a hint of Lavender Vanilla spray (try it people…. its amaze-balls!!)

3) What sounds do you hear right now? My cat Elmo snoring … he’s sleeping peacefully while he demanded that I wake up and feed him

4) List three things that you always carry with you. Phone, wallet and a bottle of water… I will start to panic if I don’t have any of those things with me

5) What are your favorite TV shows? Really? And easier question is “Tyra, what don’t you watch?”... pretty much anything on CBS except Big Brother (I don’t specifically have an issue with CBS as a network… but I never forgave them for passing up on Ringer and placing it on the CW where it died a cruel and painful death…I think it would have done a lot better on CBS….I take my TV VERY seriously)

6) Is there a hobby that you’d like to devote more time to? If so, what is it? I really want to get back into cross-stitch, it’s so relaxing but it’s time consuming because I really need to focus on just that which means, computers and TV have to be off

7) What is your favorite drink? I am strangely addicted to Crystal light, when I gave up coffee and soda CL became my go-to drink...I go to my mom’s house and drink up all of hers, them come home and make my own… I don’t make like a little water bottle… oh no! I will make gallons...

8) Share a couple of cool facts about your family. Apparently my mother holds a patent for a specific kind of liner used in caskets…

9) List one thing that you will do for yourself today. I will continue to dedicate myself to being healthy and losing weight

Monday, September 24, 2012

In: Alltheweigh.com , FMM , Friend Making Monday , GB Packers

FMM: Fall Favorites

Fall Favorites

1. What is your favorite thing about this time of year? This time of the year reminds me when I was younger and going back to school, wearing my new school clothes and seeing my friends again. As I got older autumn has always been about renewal, letting the mad habits fall away like the leaves and start fresh again.

2. What do you hope to do again before Summer is officially over? Walk barefooted in the grass.

3. When did you last go on a hay ride? It was about 3 years ago, it’s not a memory that I remember fondly. I distantly remember a lot of itching and sneezing AND bad language

4. What is your favorite pumpkin dish? I have recently learned to love pumpkin. 30 some odd years without pumpkin anything… (can you imagine?). But I think I would say pumpkin spice bread is my favorite.

5. Do you decorate your home for fall? No I save all my decorations for Christmas.

6. Do you have any hobbies that are seasonally specific? If so, what are they? I love attempting to craft, and there are some projects that actually get finished. I usually save all my needle craft for the winter time.

7. Apple cider or hot chocolate? Such a hard choice… why must you make me choose?

8. Are you a fan of football? If so, who is your team? Yes! Green Bay Packers all the way!!!

9. Share a fond Fall memory. My very first fall in Las Vegas, it made me truly miss seeing the leaves changing, feeling that moist, crisp evening air. Smelling the dew on the grass right before it frosts over. Living in such a dry places makes me miss simple things like having 4 seasons.

10. It’s not Fall until…You find pumpkin spice stuff everywhere… it used to be when Starbucks came out with the pumpkin spice latte (but I have stopped drinking coffee about a year ago) but I guess that still counts. Instead of drinking the coffee, I start burning my pumpkin spice scented candles.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

In: Beauty , Beauty Box 5 , BirchBox , Julep , monthly boxes , Nail Polish , Pretty Girl Rock

Glamour in Progress - Tyra vs. The Beauty Box

One of the things that I promised myself when I started losing weight was that I was going to start treating myself, taking a little bit more pride in my appearance, glamming myself up every now and then which is difficult for me since I consider myself traditional girl-next-door with major tomboy tendencies. I had been hearing a lot about the different Beauty Sample Subscription services… did some research and priced them and totally fell in love. I might actually be addicted to them. What I love about these services is that they make awesome gifts for Bridesmaids. Something you give your mom or your best friend, even the guy in your life. Or in my case a little treat that I give myself each month. The boxes range between $10-25

I got wind of Julep through the nail group that I'm apart of on Facebook. I love that group. It's a wealth of information about polishes and nail art all while staying on a budget... they inspire me to have super cute nails.. EVERYDAY! One of the things that I love about Julep is it's so flexible. If you don't like the polishes for that month you can choose a box from a different style profile, or if it's just not in your budget you can skip that month with no penalty what so ever... plus I got my very first box for a penny! (Use code mavenintro or color2012 to get your intro box) ... Who doesn't love that?!!! Your box is based on a profile that you pick out and based on your answers you will fall into the following style profiles: American Beauty, Boho Glam, Bombshell (I fall into that category... duh!!), Classic with a Twist and IT Girl. Each month I spend $19.99 for the box which is nice because Julep nail polish generally retails for $14 per bottle. Each month I either get 2-3 polishes and a goody.

Photo courtesy of www.pinchofpretty.com

This past month I forgot to take a picture of my Maven box ( I borrowed this from the website)...which had 2 polishes designed by Trina Turk and a full size mascara.

Click here to sign up

FINAL VERDICT 4.5/5

Monday, September 10, 2012

In: FMM

FMM: Have You Ever?

Have You Ever?

1. Jumped out of an airplane? No, but I plan to in the near future.

2. Lived alone? No

3. Met a celebrity? I have, and I wasn't all that impressed

4. Said something to someone that you immediately regret saying?Yes

5. Had a manicure/pedicure? Professionally....yes, but I find that I like to do it myself...

6. Gotten a hickey? Yep. Ha..

7. Owned a pet that was not a dog or a cat? Nope.

8. Been outside of your home country? Definitely. I love to travel, and I’d like to go back to soon!

9. Kissed your best friend? Seriously, I don't even know... maybe.. he get's handsy when he drinks...lol

10. Eaten food that fell on the floor? It was candy so it doesn't count

11. Met someone online? Yes.

12. Been on TV? Yep.

13. Had braces? No, but I've always wanted them.... I'm such a freak

14. Gone skinny dipping? Not yet

15. Been to the opera? Yes! And loved every minute of it (note to self: learn German)

16. Been caught making out by a policeman? No... and thank goodness for that!!!

17. Sung in public? I sang "The Greatest Love of All" in elementary school

18. Handed out candy on Halloween? Yes, I think that's the fun part of Halloween, seeing the little kiddos in their costumes, asking for candy.... it's my favorite holiday, and seeing the kids and passing out candy is a big part of it

19. Been snowed in? Two words.... Snowpocolypse (Chicago Blizzard of ) 2011

20. Fallen in front of other people? Yes, I think I'm only conditioned to fall in front of people, Picture this.... 2005, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, rainy day... me on the bus stop...once I got on the bus... two steps... and I bit it on a bus full of people...I had to fill out an accident report and everything, while trying not to cry in embarrassment.....soon after I moved to Las Vegas were once again I bit it on a wet patch out side of my job.... so clearly Tyra + Water = Super Embarrassing Falls in front of strangers

21. Cheated on a test? Nope. Never had the opportunity.... seriously in the end is it worth it?

22. Regretted saying “I love you” to someone? No, I love you is not a phrase that I take lightly. And I might be accused of not saying it enough

23. Finished a meal in a restaurant and realized that you didn’t have your wallet? No, I'm so paranoid about stuff like this, I'll check when I leave home, when I get into the restaurant, and again once I sat down... thank goodness for paranoia.

24. Shot a gun? No, and really that was the only reason I never got the job as a ranger with the National Park Service I couldn't get over my fear of guns

25. Heard a song that was written for (or about) you? No!! But allow me to go on a small tangent! I am so jealous of Rosanna Arquette...in the words of Foxy Brown this chick must have some ill na na 2 Songs...2!!! (1982) Rosanna -Toto, (1986) In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel (Which is really the most romantic song...EVER!!!)... STILL JEALOUS!!

Last week Tuesday I went into the hospital to have an ERCP and have a stint placed in my bile duct. By all accounts I knew this was gonna block out an entire day for me and probably the day after. Who knew that an hour long procedure was gonna land me in the hospital with severe pancreatitis. I always tell people if there is a side effect, Tyra will get it... no exceptions.

Fast forward to a week later, I'm out of the hospital but still suffering from pancreatitis. Tramadol and Hydrocodone have become my very best friends. Needless to say, exercise has been the very last thing that I want to do. I have been trying to walk... but I can only do .5 mile before my stomach starts to hurt (and that really wears me out).

5 Things I Realized While in the Hospital

1. Nurses love me - Seriously they do, and I'll tell you why. After having two transplant and various other transplant related problems, I consider myself to be a seasoned patient... ~~a professional if you will~~ I don't call them, I don't bother them, and most importantly I remember that they are human, who have flaws and who work a very difficult job and the last thing they want to deal with is a patient who is annoying and crabby. As a patient I only want to do one thing... take my pain meds and go to sleep, okay so that was two; now if only the person that I shared the room gotten that memo. (This was the first time that I've ever had a hospital room mate so it was an adjustment for me too) My last hospital stay would have been much more pleasant. Not only did she annoy her nurses, she annoyed the nurse techs, the front desk people, the dietary folks, me I think she might have even annoyed my mother. Let me give you an example: if she need the nurse she would press the call button and ask for the nurse if she didn't come in two minutes she would call again... then again if she didn't show up... finally she would get up and go the nurses’ station and make a stink about it... she did this several times a day... thank goodness I had my iPod.

2. I love my family - My mom came and say me every day after work and we would have dinner together... okay I wasn't allowed to eat, so she would eat and I would sip water..AND she brought me panties...I don't know about you all but this was not a planned hospitalization, so I had nothing but what I came in with, so I was ever so grateful when she came with a brand new package of panties. My (sort-of) step-dad was awesome as well, he threatened to come and break me out of the hospital..when I started complaining about missing my cat.

3. They have some premo drugs at the hospital - Self explanatory!!

4. I missed the inter webs - Since my phone was dead and I didn't get my charger until the day I was discharged I wasn't about to get online. Which meant that I wasn't able to log into MyfitnessPal and after my streak of logging into for over 350 days in a row, I had to start over. Also I missed all of the awesomeness that was going on over at the Blue Team. Sunshine made me this for me... I love it!

5. Clearly I am hilarious when I'm high on pain medication - Apparently I told my doctor right when they gave me medication before my procedure that I needed more knock-out drugs than the average person cause I'm a ninja.... You heard it here first peeps..I'm a bloody ninja! I took this picture while on some heavy duty medication... so clearly my wicked sense of humor is still here