Pickles are my Gatorade

So, lately I’ve had issues while working out. I’ve gotten worn out too quickly, I’ve had “wimmin trouble”, and I’ve been overheated(to no one’s surprise, hey, it’s August). Yesterday I suffered the munchies while at work. Having eaten plenty of fruit and not wanting to fruit over-load, I found the jar of pickles I bought last week.I nabbed a few and they were soooo good. I love pickles. I’ve loved them since I was a kid, my favorite part of the Little Rascals  was when Buckwheat was singing his “I gotta pickle” song. “I’ll give you a nickle, if you give me a pickle.” “Otay!” And thus begins the ode to a pickle. “I got a pickle, I got a pickle…”

About an hour and a half later it was time for Zumbaaaaaah! I’m working, and sweating- not too profusely though. Lo and behold! I forgot one of the important things! If one doesn’t have enough electrolytes(including and especially salt), one would felt sick and gross. Lately sodium avoidance has been in order- trying to lose significant poundage here and salt makes one bloat like nobody’s business. Of course I forgot that I NEED salt. Me=idiot

It’s a huge relief that all I need is a dill-icious pickle to feel worlds better at the gym. No longer do I feel overheated and worried that I’m losing my young edge. (Boy did I feel weird- not being able to work out??) I’ve gotten into regular exercise and not felt this bad since I first started two years ago at 42% body fat. I had started going to a personal trainer because I was finally tired of being ridiculously overweight.

The water is a great idea. Drinking the water has made my skin better, and made my body better at nearly everything. Except exercise. So add the pickle, and add the water. And the body will be in fighting condition to go another round.

Zumba is woooonderful exercise. Especially when ZC decides to push the class until everyone is gasping and running for the sweat rags at every chance.  J-Lo’s song “On the Floor” alternately makes me cringe or bounce(pending on whether or not I’ve just gotten back from Zumba or if I’m about to go to Zumba class). I seriously love the workout that this song helps us achieve, but talk about breathless! ZC is getting certified for Zumba Tone. I have a strange feeling that it will be more awesome, more effective, and (therefore) more painful.  But the rhythms of Latin tunes, plus the enthusiasm of our wonderful ZC, makes us eager to come to class. We love our Zumba Chick! She rocks our socks off (only make sure you wear good socks, cause blisters suck, i.e. me last week forgetting them socks things and grossing self out).

I’ve tried both Zumba for the wii and Zumba on the xbox. Both are nice workouts, but it isn’t the same as going to class with a bunch of ladies and a wonderful instructor. If I haven’t gotten on my program for the xbox, it doesn’t sincerely miss me the way a living, breathing person does. Ok, so, sometimes the “where’ve you been, I’ve missed you, etc.” isn’t sincere, but hey it is certainly more personal than machines.  I like that a lot.

Other than the praise of Zumba, guess what else????

The wonderful Fairy Godmother and her four nieces are heading to Jefferson to go Antiquing! Saturday morning/afternoon I may or may not find some fun stuff that I have to have. Whooo hoo! I’ll be on the hunt for lovely pink or yellow Depression Glass, and Coke stuff for the Handsome Prince in my life. We are very thrilled and excited for this weekend! It’s sure to be fun.

Last weekend our friends Alexis and Joseph announced their engagement.

This is awesome and wonderful. They’ve been waiting for the right time and we are very happy for them. It’s very sweet to see Joseph’s rare grin(he laughs often, but rarely does he just plain slyly grin- seriously congratulate him and watch his face- so sweet.) and Alexis’ happiness beaming radiantly. They are going to do great things together, and I hope and pray that they continue to work together in love and joy. So much wedding festivities are coming up. Such as…

– dress fitting for bridal pictures-three bridal showers-three(other people’s) weddings- a bachelorette/bachelor party- bridal pictures- tux fittings(daddy too!)- and I’m sure there are more…. and Now our Alexis is getting hitched!!!

This is my busiest year since 2003!

Your pretty whirling dervish,

Steph

Ikea-Assembly-Day and then sadness…

This past weekend we had such a blast! We went to Dallas, specifically for Handsome’s birthday.  On his birthday his favorite Major League Soccer team, the Seattle Sounders, played FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park.  Handsome shared with many of his work buddies his excitement at going to Dallas and one of them mentioned that we should go to Ikea since we were setting up our house. We totally loved the Ikea experience. Mostly because we both like the simple lines of the furniture that we picked. Being an artist, I love focal points to a room and I love art, but having too many focal points would distract me. So having simple furniture that subtly complements art greatly appeals to me. We enjoyed playing in the tiny idea rooms and bouncing on chairs. We laughed at each other’s pronunciation of our future furniture/accessories.

We ate the Choklad. Our favorite was this amazing cake. We have a mutual crush on Chocolate mousse cake.

We got a coffee table, a couple of awesome DVD towers, some lamps, shelves for the office, a cute shelving unit for the bathroom, some pretty lamps, and other accessories and paraphernalia.

The way Handsome and I shop is similar to the way they have things set up in the store. We flit about the showroom(AKA the cottage), make a list of the things we need/appeal to us, and then go about the business of shopping for what we want. If there is a clever item at my eye level, it will sneak its way into the buggy(just like at the grocery sto’).

We like to put things-together together, so this Ikea thing is meant for us. We already have found a couch/chaise Handsome would like to have (he doesn’t know where the thing will go, he just likes it).

Last night we started to assemble our stuff. We had so much fun. The directions are very easy. Seriously. Compared to the crazy desks, everything from Ikea is cake. Memo to people who can’t handle instructions: don’t buy furniture that requires assembly unless you pay someone else to do it.

The Ikea instructions were so easy, complete with detailed pictures and onomatopoeia. “click!”

We (mostly Handsome) put together:

I had fun setting up my purses in the closet, putting them on the wall, attached to scotch hooks. We have so many things to do still. Next we need a stud finder, to hang numerous pictures and wall shelves. On to other news…

Last night my Uncle G’s Daddy passed away. Please Pray for Mr. Frank and his mourning family. A great man, father, grandfather, and friend has left the Earth to watch over us all. Though he had suffered, and grown old, I will always remember him as the dear gentleman who would whirl his wife in dance and fix my aunt’s lighting when she needed help. Thanks for being wonderful, Mr. Frank. We will miss you, please have a Bud in heaven with Paw Paw and enjoy my wedding from the top view.  Tell Maw Maw I said, “Hey!” and give her a hug from us.

It’s hard to lose loved ones, but being a believer of Heaven, I am comforted by the joy of one day seeing them all again. In our best selves, with the wisdom of our ages and the joy and energy of our youth, the beauty of our prime.

“In my flesh, I shall see God. On the last day, I shall rise again!”

Pretty nostalgic,

Steph

Rain drops keep falling… Please? Seriously, pretty please?

Whoop whoop!!!

It’s raining y’all! There’s dust storms followed by actual rain in Shreveport/Bossier! We seriously have no idea what to do with ourselves. This princess is wildly excited by thunderstoms. I inherited this from The Scrapbooking Queen.  She MUST go outside when the storms loom. I must go outside when the storms loom. I must also hold down my skirt so as to not loose my dress in such violent wind. The powerful gusts reminded of that time I almost lost my shirt to a hot air balloon wind machine. Giant, powerful fans+ untucked, loose t-shirt= a yelping Stephanie.

It’s pretty awesome out there. Loads of oddly colored clouds and the radar looks like this:

Or… approximately fifteen minutes ago it did.

I love the stuff. Our entire office was outside waiting for the storm, dirt and dust getting in our eyes, as we excitedly chittered and chattered about the impending storms, grit flying into our mouths… well I guess I don’t need a vitamin today. I got plenty of minerals outside waiting for the rain. The temperature was a glorious eighty degrees. Wind attacked braids and pony tails, hair flew. In the words of Rebecca Black, “we we we so excited!”  For a good while everyone was as focused as I am on a daily basis. About as focused as a sugar filled two-year-old on crack.

I enjoy my special moments(they happen daily), but when everyone shares in the excitement, it’s nice to have company in la-la land. One can’t help hooting and prancing about when one hasn’t seen serious rain in days. It’s a part of Louisiana that I used to take for granted. Water, water here and there, water water everywhere. This drought has been terrible. Thanks be to God for answering our prayers for a bit of the wet. Now, can we please have some of those lovely Hurricane bands? Just a few, You know, would be nice. It’s pleasant to see actual water in my aunt’s backyard duck pond. I’m sure the ducks would enjoy it.

As entertaining as the days of three digit temperature record was, it sure was miserable. North Louisiana is ready for the wet. Bring it!

On to other news, it’s been fun moving things in the cottage.  We are enjoying setting up our home. We have matching desks, we have new stuff from the Dallas Ikea(whoop whoop!) trip, and we have very nearly finished moving my artsy-crafty project stuff in. We have several loads of things like my white summer clothes that I cannot wear after Labor Day, so after Labor Day, I’ll be packing and setting up much of my summer closet in my walk-in closet. The wedding is coming, and it’s going to be epic! We have several things on THE LIST that we need to take care of, but they are being taken care of steadily and expediently.

Next on the agenda: finalize the wedding ceremony details (like music, readings, etc.) so that we can make our programs.

I am so pumped.

As my dear Kisstoefur says: Arts and Crafts!!!

I heart Arts and crafts.

Your pretty excitable,

Steph

Wishes

 When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are…- Jiminy Cricket Pinocchio

It’s good to want.- Uncle G

Wishes and dreams, hopes and desires; without these we flounder. We get lost in a world full of harshness and confusion, loneliness and despair. Faith helps guide our dreams, a friend once told me that God’s will for us is reflected in the deepest desires of our hearts. That when we seek our desire in the rays of His Love, when we reach for His Will for us, we strive for eternal joy.

It’s no shock to me that Joy is something to strive for. The marriage gurus shared much of their hardships and how they had to overcome these hardships. That true love is a choice. When your dearest one is hurting, the easy thing is to Not-ask. To not try to share in pain, confusion, depression. To cover the worst of your partner’s hurts with a shroud of disillusionment. To ignore the gaping hole in someone’s heart and remain in the glowing patches of romantic love.

People forget that you have to deal with the (pardon me, Father)shit in order to be together. You have to deal with a sorry attitude, belly cramps, bed hair, etc. It’s life.  People these days forget that Love isn’t all romance. Sure there’s romance, but there’s(more often than not) the business of living. We have so much to share, even the hurts. We have to share these things with each other so that the healing can begin. It’s like when you were four and you ran home to fix your boo-boos. We run to the person that becomes home to fix the boo-boos.

***Now here’s where I get all sappy. ***

Handsome is that for me. He helps me get through the boo-boos. The other day when my day was just crap, he calmed me down from my coo-coo-ka-choo place and brought me to Earth. I don’t pretend that he’s perfect, but he tends to be exactly what I need when my head hurts, my feelings are hurt, I’m wound up, and I’m just plain exhausted. He’s great at helping me get better.  He makes me smile.  Even on accident.  (Bless him.)

I’m so grateful for him. Thanks to be to all involved. God, his parents, our friends, his own determination; all have made him the one for me. I’m delighted to be growing up with him, growing in Love and all.

I wished to be with him. Long ago (all of five years ago) in the summer of 2006, I was crazy about him. I saw him through rose colored glasses and he was wonderful. Handsome, fun and Golly, he always smells good. From the summer of Alex’s wedding to now, I can’t help but be grateful for everything. He’s a Wish I made in 2006. I even painted “I ❤ KPS July ’06” on a shell from Cypress Lake. (Remember that trip Manda?) That was a great summer.  Looking back now I see all the silliness and fun of that summer and I laugh at my 21-year-old self.

He’s a wish from the heart that came true.

 

I love you, Handsome. Happy Birthday tomorrow!

Antiquing for shiny things

What’s more fun than a pocketful of money and a day of bargain hunting with you favorite sisters? Nothing. At least in my mind.  This summer, The Baby worked in the Fairy Godmother’s office.  At lunch, Fairy Godmother, The Baby, and Fairy Godmother’s bestie would eat a quick sammich from home and go shopping.  Depending on what the ladies were into, The Baby would go along or not, and would learn many things.  This summer FG and bestie are into Depression Glass.  Normally The Baby wouldn’t get too much into buying such things for herself. FG has gotten into silverware and other tableware before.  Depression Glass is different because it has the intriguing aroma of history in it’s charm.  The Baby loves history, especially the post modern eras.  She absorbed as much history and lessons on the glass as possible from FG and her bestie. She learned how to tell the difference between the genuine article and the reproductions made in the seventies.  She learned how to tell what colors were the rarest and which ones were the most common.

Saturday she started educating Rachody and myself.  We danced around many antique shops, hunting and hunting for pieces and good prices. It became a game between my two sisters to spot matching cream and sugar bowls. “Cream and Sugar!!!” The Baby would chime in the beginning.  Rachody noticed and started to poke at the Baby. When prompted, the Baby explained that FG’s bestie would chime it when they went and the significance of said chime. Cream and sugar bowls are rarely found as a matching set, so it was a source of quick excitement.  I found four matching cups and saucers in the Amber Madrid pattern:

See? Pretty aren’t they? I bought em!!!

…and there’s a certain set of six in the MayFair Rose pattern in pink at another store that I still have on my mind. They may be mine shortly because I just can’t stop thinking about them.

They’re too cute, but I forgot how much they were asking for them. Yeah, I dreamed about these things last night… I need to go check!!! (Like I need an extra hole in my head)

We got Handsome some pretty sweet Coca Cola stuff for his Desk in the office. A Tiffany-like lamp and some pretty awesome glasses. He was very impressed. We may have a family activity in the future. Handsome can come to look for Coca Cola stuff and we’ll be on the prowl for Depression glass and pretty joooo-REEEEE! (We’ll get into my jewelry problem later. That’s a whole other topic for another day.)

One day soon I want to go to the antique mall in the Jewella/Mansfield Road/ W. 70th area(can you say sketchy area???) The store owners had a pitbull for se- CUR-ity! (please excuse my minor BonQuiQui moment.) Loads of stuff piled everywhere! We were only there for a few minutes because they were closing a few minutes after we arrived.  I saw a gigant-enormous section of used books we had no time to search through. (I need to search for a Copy of Stephen King’s Carrie for Cousin Julio. ) Hopefully the next time we go there it won’t be a hot-as-Satan’s-underpants-outside, therefore making said shop an oven. Metal buildings in Louisiana are just cruel.

I hear Jefferson, TX calling my name as well… antiquing has piqued my inner crazed collector.

Yesterday Handsome(speaking of collectors…) and I went through some of his boxes from his past. We found treasures and not-treasures. We cleaned up some of the rooms, I must have been inspired by Mrs. BG… though at the time of reading her blog I had no intention of going into a minor cleaning frenzy.

It is so exciting to be getting ready to move into his cottage with him. We are making it a home, some of my things arriving has made me so excited. One of my favorite things was the easel. We set up my easel in the playroom. Soon we’ll be setting up his old game systems in there so while I paint or create something fun, he can play his old Nintendo games. His old desk is functioning as my painters table, and I will be covering it with contact paper to preserve the table top (AKA saving it from looking like a Jackson Pollock experiment gone terribly wrong).

Today we are moving a ton of my craft stuff into the house. I am SOOOO happy to be setting up everything. It’s coming along. I couldn’t be happier. The house looks more like ours everyday.

Your Pretty spoiled,

Steph

 

 

 

The Ring Adventure

When I first started this wedding planning business, I learned two things. The first thing is that we probably should have hired a person to handle the details. The second thing is that if I wanted to do this right, I needed to be organized somehow, some way.  I needed a checklist to be sure we were doing everything at an appropriate time.  First thing I got was a wedding planner book.

I fiddled with it for about a week and got overwhelmed. Obviously not for me.

Enter Wedding Savior Site. I heart this website. Scratch that. I heart-stars-rainbows-clover-and-blue moons it. It has kept me from going ape-sh-bananas. The have things on their checklist that I won’t need, they have things that I didn’t need before, but think is a wonderful, therefore I need… It has been such a big help, because I am on the computer/smart phone all the time. I am more attached to technology than I am a book of things. Don’t get me wrong, I have a notebook. Two notebooks in fact. I upgraded because my old one had too much old material and was running out of space. The best part of this new book is that it’s actually a sketchbook, so I’ve been able to write all over the page willy-nilly.

How does this site come into the topic of rings? Well, I’ll tell you. I’ve used the checklist to death and was holding out for each thing to accomplish until the checklist told me to. I was waiting until the checklist told me to be hunting for a ring for the Handsome.

Poor Handsome has been thinking that I’d NEVER buy his ring. No, I was just obsessing over when I do each thing. And guess what? Ding Ding Ding!!! It’s time for the ring!

We looked at Mc Cary’s, but they did not really have a selection of what he wanted.  He was looking for a Celtic Twist or Knot, and everything they had was too heavy, or it didn’t have the look Handsome was going for. My engagement ring has a twist in the band and the wedding band is a twist all the way around. He found that it has a lovely meaning of two lives been twined around each other, becoming one. So He wanted something like it. So our bands would SORT of match.

Okay, not the best picture of the side, But this is my favorite picture of my hand, at the time of engagement. My fingernails are all long and pretty. Which is almost as rare an occurrence as finding a needle in a haystack.

We went to Place 2. They had ONE ring. One. Single. Ring. And for the hubster-to-be to even get a tiny glimpse of said ring, I had to put a refundable down payment for a glimpse. Cause they had to order it. Huh. That’s funny. Mc Cary’s didn’t make me do that. AH well. I slapped down the money Monday afternoon and when we got to his house we started looking up more options. I was VERY uncomfortable with the selection. Since there was none. There was the one.

We found a lovely newly-launched site for Celtic Jewelry. NICE Celtic Jewelry. Ladies and gents, I think Handsome and I found it. It’s from Ireland, Hallmarked in Dublin Castle. And when we had questions, the owner responded quickly and intelligently. She got back to my questions with responses from Ireland at 6:00am. Crazy mega foxy awesome hotness.  We fell in love with THE RING. It’s really nice and exactly what Handsome had been looking for!

This Friday afternoon, once we get Handsome sized and I ask Siofra(how Irish is that name? gorgeous right?) a few more questions, I will be sending off for our ring. Because after all this business, it’s not “his” ring and more than my ring is “mine”. They’re ours. They belong to us. They fit us. His is intricate without being overly large and arrogant, mine sparkles in abundance, but then princesses go with sparkles and sparkles go with princesses.

If you need a quality piece of Celtic Jewelry, something of the heirloom variety, I have a feeling this place will more than meet your needs. Celtic Promise has a lovely site. Enjoy!

Your pretty much shivering with antici…. pation!

Steph

Randomness…

I think I’m doomed to having horrible running experiences with Mr. Handsome. That’s right folks, I went running again. This time I was wearing heels. And it was on concrete. Was there a mugger, you ask? Was there a gun and/or knives involved? Of course not. There was a bee. A big, fat bumble bee that at first seemed to be swarming Handsome. When he sped up a little, the BEE stuck with ME! He kept dancing around me, never touching me, but it seemed to be sort of flirting with the idea of landing on me. I squeaked, ran a little bit in my silver stilletos, when it continued to swarm, I ducked and yelled “I am NOT a FLOWER!!!!” I then dashed into the church, not so closely followed by Handsome who didn’t have to run in the 100 degree heat.

It’s not like there wasn’t people around. Several people in the parish of Mary, Queen of Peace now think I’m raving mad. Unless they already know me, in which case they know it’s just another day in paradise. “Up! There’s our former youth minister! What’s she doing? Oh, well. Looks crazy as usual.”  This is what I get I guess for bathing with Crabtree and Evelyn‘s soap. When they say it’s from all natural ingredients, they are NOT kidding. And with natural beeswax too! I must have smelled like a English countryside Bee-brothel.  And that dude was all about him some Steph. It also didn’t help that I was wearing a brightly colored shirt.  Yeah…

How was I to know that insects wouldn’t be sensible and trying to hibernate in the air conditioning?

Princesses don’t do bugs. Anywho…

I’ve been working on my scrapbooks with the Scrapbook Queen. I’m almost finished with the current book and only have one and a half pages left. On to the next event! Which is my Engagement Party and starting the shower guest book pages. I have a lot to do with those. We saved so much from the awesome family gathering! It was a glorious celebration. I remember most of it.  Handsome remembers all of it.  I gotta say, that party was phenomenal! I’m still recovering from it (just kidding- sort of)! See what with all the sugar I consumed, (my body enjoyed that quite a bit, by the way) I/Bernie really wanted to keep on consuming the sugar!!!!

Bernie was happy for a month, at least.

Back to scrapbooking.

In my house, Scrapbooking is essential.  We record our events and activities with flourishes and flair. We use the paper and pens that help preserve these memories. The pens are archival tools equivalent to those used by congress. My mother has been a scrapbooking consultant for nearly fifteen years.  I was raised making my own books. I went through some phases. I still do. In my middle school years I went through what I call “the sticker phase”.  And In high school I started to evolve into what I do now. I am now in the “paper fetish phase”. I love Paper. I love making little things that correlate with my page- out of paper. It’s fun and cute! Shoot, I’m not picky about sticking to my own books. Need a Roman helmet? A margarita for the Bachelorette Party Pages?  I’ll do them. Especially if I’m in an idea lull for my own current page project.

I can’t wait until I have several of these books done and on my shelves! These books are fantastic looking. The end results are very rewarding. They are not merely a chore equivalent to housework.  They are chronicles of our lives that future generations can gaze upon and marvel. You had better bet that when Handsome and I go with the family on the Croooze, the scrapbook for that event will be made. It will be a source of pride so show my children and grandchildren.  “That’s right kids,” I’ll say, “Your gramps and I went to Europe and saw naked beaches… We went to the Vatican, we saw some crazy gypsy people mug tourists…”

Those whipper-snappers may be shocked, they may be amazed. Who knows? I know that they will have the picture books to prove that we did go on these lovely adventures.  They’ll have my handwriting telling them the stories in the pictures, naming the people I connect with, the places I’ve seen.  They’ll see my handwriting and when I’m gone, their throats will fill with unshed tears.  I know this. because I’ve seen my own grandmother’s handwriting in a scrapbook. She’s been with the Lord for thirteen years this November.  When I see her handwriting, (that I formerly thought was horrible) I remember making the scrapbooks with her. I remember her telling me stories of the evil cow that chased onto a dung heap and her brother had to rescue her. I remember laughing and playing skip bo(We were laughing the most when we were loosing).

I wonder what Maw Maw thinks of Handsome. I miss her a lot sometimes.

I sure did give her and Paw Paw a laugh yesterday.  That Bee must have had the spirit of the evil cow, Maybelle.

Your Pretty Thoughtful

Steph

I hate the beginning of a diet…

I’m trying… Really I am…

It’s just that I enjoy my food. I love food. I love different kinds and different cultures’. This is another trait that is to my mother’s credit. She trained me to try things and I am not a picky person because of it, my sisters and I continually introduce all sorts of things to our parents.  We introduced them to Vietnamese (Dahn’s Garden in Shreveport rocks our world), Sushi (that didn’t take, but they like the hibachi), and Thai (Chow Tyme in North Bossier has left us. This makes my heart sob. Will I ever get papaya salad again?) We love trying and eating and when we go to a new place, it’s always an intriguing adventure. We plan our family vacations around where we want to eat. This is why Giordano’s Pizza’s number in Kissimmee, FL is still in my phone, as well as Margaritaville- Universal Studios. Our family makes an annual pilgrimage to Orlando, Florida.  This is due to my parents being swindled into buying a timeshare.  Folks, time shares have to be maintained… DON’T do IT!!!!! It’s like a  car- that you sink money into and never get rid of. You have good times with it, but sometimes it tends to be a burden. Back to Food. Such a hardship.

I love the art and the colors of it. Food in my life is for celebration, for comfort, for sharing. That’s how I was raised. Growing up, we ate at the dinner table as often as we could. We laughed, cried, discussed, and everything around that dinner table. We learned with each other, we did homework, we worked on life’s struggles, all around the table.

Learning to control portions is something we have to strive for.  Living in Louisiana where the food is steeped in our lives every day, well, it’s hard to control my inner Hobbit. I would like a second breakfast. I would enjoy eating all day, all the time.  But it’s not healthy and it’s even a sin. Gluttony. Lord have mercy on our country. Now I don’t agree with the extremists that would like to remove children from homes that have made obesity a fact of life, that’s a bit harsh. I do think that there should be a special training and awareness interventions, of children, of parents. There are so many eating disorders in this country, it saddens me.

According to a handbook I read once, I HAVE AN EATING disorder. 😡   !!!!!! Because I track what I eat. Hmmmm. I don’t think The-Powers-That-Be-That-Made-This- Up really understand. See, if I don’t track what I eat, I WILL over-eat. I will eat myself into a blind stupor. (The Baby and Rachody notice that this happens when I get “crazy eyes”. I have yet to see this and therefore have no proof that this phenomenon actually happens.) Which should only be done on rare occasions like Thanksgiving, and Birthday meals. Everyday? Certainly not. So I subscribe to Weight Watchers. They teach people how to live correctly. There are moments of indulgence, and there are exercise earning  options. I have the freedom to choose WHAT I want, but I have to track it. There are rules and exceptions to all people of all sizes and ages. There are exceptions to those with child, those who are nursing, those who have health conditions. It is a WONDERFUL system. And it Works. In 2002 my family joined and a year later, we had lost a total of 160 pounds!!!! Five people lost a person! And we can do it again.

****side not: I am not affiliated with Weight Watchers, I merely enjoy and have merited from this system/lifestyle change****

We ARE going to do it again. We are going to lose weight and be healthy.

I spend a whole lot of time with Mr. Handsome. Where does he fit in this story? Well he helps me by encouraging exercise and portion control. He naturally portion controls. He was raised to eat when hungry and the right amount. He eats to live.  And he does it well. He doesn’t understand this fat-kid part of me and I don’t understand how he can do it. I would love to be like Handsome and stop eating cookies, to select just the right amount of cheeto puffs and close the bag… but this, sadly, is beyond me.

Bernie (my inner 400 pound man) the Belly says “YOU MENTION COOKIES MISS OBSESSIVENESS. SUBWAY LADY OFFERED COOKIES AND YOU REFUSED BERNIE HIS COOKIES OF HAPPINESS. THERE WAS MENTION OF CUPCAKES LATER. AND HOMEMADE ECLAIRS. BERNIE HAD BETTER GET HIS SHARE.” So my belly rhymes. What of it?

Unfortunately my Bernie complains when he is undergoing shrinkage to a normal belly size. It’s quite loud and unsettling. Fruit does not tame this beast. (Fruit, with it’s juicy sweetenss and natural-ness is zero points now and is a great big help on this new WW plan.)  So I get to enjoy the beginnings of a diet with a cantankerous cavern of a stomach. Next week will be so much better!(Hopefully)

Good thing I have exercise on my side.  I have gotten into the habit of exercising. I nearly enjoy it, I least enjoy the effects of exercise. I feel better. My mood changes for the better and I feel like I’m in working condition. I love ZUMBA!!!! My Zumba Chick rocks my socks off! You know, if I was wearing any, that is. It’s fun, energetic, and when you make friends and exercise with a group, it’s more fun. I am so excited that ZC is teaching another class on Thursdays soon. Yay!!! For more ZC in mah life! Love her!

I hope the cupcakes have sprinkles. What? I’m counting it!

Your pretty healthy,

Steph

Mr. Handsome strikes again!!!

Mr. Handsome is the most awesomest fiancee in the planet. He’s fine and he’s mine, ladies. He’s so awesome. When I speak of pipe dreams, he conjures ways to make my pipe dreams come true. I think he’s secretly taking lessons from the Fairy Godmother. If he suggested us taking dancing lessons together one day, I may drool all over myself. I heart-stars-and-rainbows this man. The only thing he lacks is a Josh Groban-esque voice. (Josh Groban, Michael Buble or Jamie Cullum… I’m not picky, bluesy jazz would do it for me too.)

He’s got us going on a wonderland Honeymoooon(said in a Corey from Boy Meets World voice.)!  And when I mentioned that I’d wanted to go to Europe with my cousin-the-future-tooth-fairy, The Tooth Fairy Aunt and Uncle Bobby, and The Fairy Godmother, he’s a little anxious about the moola, but he’s letting us do it! *

In the words of Rebecca Black in that horrible, yet addictive song- we we we so excited. we so excited.

Because I’m an artsy type- as in I graduated with a Fine Art degree in May of 2008 (It hasn’t landed me a fabulous career, but that’s ok.)- I love art and Europe is an art lover’s sandbox.  “I am so excited” is sort of mild for the emotion I feel when I think of being able to see, do and be in Europe.  We’re going to Barcelona, Marseilles, Provence, Naples, Rome and Florence! Holy cow, my art lovin’ little heart just doesn’t know what to do.

My Tooth Fairy aunt told me that we’ll have to get in shape. Because when she went to Rome, back in 2007, she nearly wore out her pedometer. She’s so cute, my Tooth Fairy.  So in light of getting in shape, I’ll have to be serious about weight watchers again and start losing weight instead of “holding it in the road”(AKA Maintaining). I regularly exercise, I just need to learn to stay away from the damn cookies. I have an over fondness for cookies. Mr. Handsome says that running is the best exercise, but he’s tried training me before** long story below** and we have agreed that it’s the surface of the sun outside, therefore impossible to run in. So recently we bought the Kinect for the Xbox… to do the UFC fighter training game and the Zumba game. We are trying. It’s hard to get into exercising at home.

I feel better when I exercise though. So I guess that’s something.

Ah well. In short, I’m excited about Europe, I’m trying to get in shape, and I am crazy about Mr. Handsome.

What’s new with you?

Your Pretty Happy Steph

*I’m horrible with moola so it’s the advice of the Marriage gurus that he be The Money Manager of our relationship… wise, right? 

**I’ve been trying desperately to lose weight, especially around my mid section. Everything else is shrinking and my belly seems like it’s staked a claim and it’s not going ANYWHERE. So decided to ask the head trainer at the BFC what to do about it. She said running and lots of cardio would take care of such a problem… I hate to run. I don’t run. 

Mr. Handsome has been trying to sell me on wearing a bikini especially on our honey moon, “you look great babe!” blah blah. We’re hitting a lovely island so I’ve been working out like a freak and this tummy trouble has been holding me back. When I told him what the Fitness guru said, he got all excited, Mr. Soccer has been wanting to take me running forever.

So yesterday I let him and it was hilarious. Normal running at first at the soccer field by Arthur Teague. back and forth on the field a couple times and then up and down the levee. And then some more back and forth. Quick water break and then he tried to get me to sprint.

Hilarious. Of course the clumsy non runner finds the ONLY frigging hole in an entire field. I sprint, getting a head start of three seconds before he tries to catch me. I found said hole. and launched myself into a lovely impromptu forward flip. He sees me fly. And I mean I have some lovely bruises on my legs to prove it, dang I fell HARD.

I brushed myself off, and we ran a little more did a few more levee climbs (by the way those suck) and on the way back to the car, my air passages started to close up. Allergic reaction to some kind of friggin weed out there.

lol. 

Isn’t that just the thing?

Sooo…. during the exercise I was only breathless and not sore at all, this morning my abs were sore, the bastards. They betrayed me!!! Instead of being able to say, well that sucked and nothing happened, I get to do it some more, because dang it, if it’s working, I’m simply taking a frigging zyrtec before and a benadryll after and literally running my ass off. 

And so it begins…

Hi! My name is…. Stephanie and I’m a pretty princess. I’m a princess living in Shreveport, Louisiana. I have a wonderful fiancee whom I shall refer to as “Handsome” ’cause that’s what I call him… and it suits him! Of course I’m not an actual princess, my bloodlines have more flavors than Dr. Pepper. I do, however, get myself into mischief(often due to clumsiness), have an obsession with shiny things(hello!!!! I’m a girl!), have a fairy godmother (for real. all she needs is the wand and magical powers to complete the whole image) and I will be marrying a handsome prince of a man who spoils me rotten. I have an over-fondness for Disney and all things princess. I can sing nearly all of the songs and if you speak in Disney quotes, I will more than likely laugh and respond in kind. My current picture is of me trying on tiaras at Downtown Disney’s shop. It suites me, even though my hair is a mess in the picture… Hey, I didn’t say I was a perfect princess, just a pretty one.

My latest adventure is getting married and surviving the crazy business of it all.  I have two younger sisters, The Maid of Honor (Aka Rachody) who is the best at all things organizing and at calming me down when flames start to flicker and I turn in to a pretty-darned-scary-princess-from-hell. AKA Bridezilla. I have already embraced the fact that these moments will happen and I feel hugely sorry for my friends, family and fiancee when some tiny detail upsets me and I blow my tiara. I digress. The other sister is The Baby. She’s the youngest of us, the tallest of us, and the biggest smart- @ss of us. She’s spunky in a big way and many of our family jokes/ quotes are either from her or my fairly adorable Daddy.

My parents recently celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary. Daddy is the affable sort with a penchant for guitar playing while the TV is on. Mama is a ready-to-retire-Kindergarten-teacher and a Scrapbooking consultant for Creative memories.. She shall be from here on known as the Scrapbook Queen. Our most important(in her eyes anyway) member of our family is The Pepper.

Pepper Ann is the Rachody’s dog-human-no-dog-no-wait-cat?- no DOG. She’s a mini schnauzer with adorable sticky-outey ears, a devious mind, a delicate stomach, delicate skin, and a personality that would make Eleanor of Aquitaine proud. She’s the benevolent dictator in our house. She has us very well trained and is at least as smart as a precocious three year old. She only has yet to verbalize. But as communication is merely 15% verbage and 85% body language, she gets her point across rather well for a ten pound canine.

We have a very busy, naturally loud, home in south Bossier. Handsome’s house in comparison is very quiet. Not too quiet, but calm. It’s my favorite place to chill after all the craziness of the day. I’m a zany, busy individual and I would pack my day with three activities at one time if was up to me. He keeps me from going too crazy, which is a huge relief to the Rachody.

Our Wedding is in 101 days! I’m going to marry His Handsomeness and we are going to live in a lovely cottage… (I’m excessively fond of a cottage) ok, it’s a three bedroom house in the ‘burbs, but it’s still cute. We’re currently in the process of setting it up. I am so excited to be marrying this man! Even though he has an over fondness for lawn gnomes, and I have urges to put something on every wall, we are going to have a very fun, happy life.

Anywho, enough with introductions.

That’s me!

Pretty Steph