4th of July & TBT #1

As I walked around my neighborhood with Sofi on our morning walk, I saw most of the houses proudly flying the American flag. It filled me with pride, and reminded me how lucky I am to live in such an amazing neighborhood, but more importantly, in this country. Happy 4th, everyone!

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Since today is Thursday, in addition to being the 4th of July, I figured it was a great time for my first official Throwback Thursday photo.  Celebrations abound today, so why not a little one for me?

On the left, taken 5/17/13 (3 days before surgery). On the right, taken 6/29/13, ~6 weeks post op. I’m down 22 lbs since surgery, 60 lbs overall (since Dec. 2012).

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WIAW #9 – 4th of July

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another WIAW. What I Ate Wednesday is a fun weekly post/blog social event started over at Peas and Crayons. If you want to follow my eats everyday, become my friend on MyFitnessPal.

Since today is the 4th of July, I decided to feature a special, one-dish edition of WIAW. Plus, most of my food this past week has been much the same as the last few weeks – smoothies, fruit, wraps, grilled meats, salads – yummy summer freshness.

Today’s item is actually the dessert that I’m bringing to my parents’ house for our 4th of July BBQ. Since we’re all health conscious, and it’s going to be a warm day, I figured a nice light dessert would be perfect. I saw the pin on Pinterest, and thought it was too cute to pass up. It was also a really easy thing to put together, but it displays so well. Sometimes it really is the simplest things that make the most impact:

Happy 4th of July to all of my readers in the United States. I hope you have a fun and healthy Independence Day celebration!

I highly recommend joining in on the WIAW posts! Not only do you get a TON of great ideas for healthy, interesting meals, but you can make some new blogging buddies, too.

What was the best thing you’ve eaten today? This week?

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Goal Style: Nautical 4th

Goal Style. Each week I use Polyvore to put together looks that I hope to wear when I get to goal. They serve as inspiration and motivation, and they help me develop my own sense of style along the way. I enjoying working with thematic groupings, so if you have ideas of style themes for future fashion posts, please put them in the comments.

This week’s Goal Style was inspired by the the nautical trend that’s so hot right now. It seems a perfect paring with the 4th of July. To me nautical is preppy mixed with the maritime, oceanic aesthetic.

The clothes themselves are simple and clean, just the way I like them. The skirt is a light, breezy cotton that would be as perfect at a backyard BBQ as on a yacht. The top was just a way to keep the look from getting a bit too costumey, although if it borders on that, I don’t mind, since we all get a little matchy-matchy with the 4th, don’t we? I’ve put similar TOMS espadrille wedges in another Goal Style outfit, so I think it’s high time I purchased some, right? The necklace is one I’d love to own myself because of the detail on the anchor. I also adore the Tarina Tarantino bracelet – so perfect for this look! Ray Bans are so classic, and bring me back to my high school days. Who doesn’t love a MAC red lipstick, and it was all the better that it incorporated the sailor theme. Last but certainly not least are those nails – I love them. I searched long and hard on Pinterest to find 4th of July nails that I thought were festive and not tacky. I’d never be able to do them myself, but I love the way they look. Nail art is really huge right now, which is why I’m grateful that the Biotin I’ve been taking is helping my nails grow. In fact, just last I made an appointment for a shellac manicure, because there’s finally something for a manicurist to work with. All in all, I’d absolutely wear this outfit on the 4th of July. It’s fresh, flirty, and very, very fun.

Do you dress in red, white, and blue on the 4th of July? Do you have your outfit set?

4th of July by bellaonthebeach featuring Tarina Tarantino sailor jewelry

PrAna top
$49 – altrec.com

J Crew striped mini skirt
$128 – jcrew.com

TOMS espadrille wedge
$69 – toms.com

Pyrrha sterling silver anchor necklace
$382 – endless.com

Tarina Tarantino sailor jewelry
$36 – endless.com

Ray-Ban wayfarer sunglasses
$150 – endless.com

MAC Cosmetics lip stick
$16 – nordstrom.com

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Oh What a Weekend Wrap-Up

Sometimes in life you have weekends you will never, ever forget. This was one of those weekends for me.

Saturday started out slowly – coffee & breakfast, a 45-minute bike ride with my sister, and taking my time getting ready. Then the main event – going out to my favorite wine bar with my closest friends. The entire day reminded me that getting older is wonderful because it means you have that many more memories to add to your collection. My friends were incredibly generous and made the entire evening so much fun. We laughed, we reminisced, and we enjoyed each others company. I imbibed quite a bit, and even discovered a new cocktail – Patron and gingerale. Before you balk, give it a try – it’s really refreshing. I have to thank FavoriteCousin for that new drink idea. The best part of the night was sharing the evening with those that I loved.

Gorgeous lillies that one of my friends brought me and the wine bar arranged.

That night there was a photo take of me that gave me a glimpse into what I might look like when I’m thinner. It was a great shot of my sister and me, and it must have been a great camera angle, because I look 50 pounds lighter. Then there was another one in the mix that showed how I look at my worst possible angle. Each picture is a good reminder of where I am and where I want to go. I’m going to keep them with me so that when I feel my resolve flailing, I can look at them and remember what I’m doing this for.

Sunday night my parents took me out for a birthday dinner at one of our favorite seafood restaurants. As a treat we got oysters on the half shell as our appetizer. It was a scorcher, so having these lovelies on ice was really refreshing.

We also had lots of wine and I had a seafood Cobb salad. Delicious.

Last night for the 4th my parents, sister, and nieces came over to my house.  My parents really hosted it (they brought the meat, wine, and dessert); I just had it at my place so that Sofi and Minnie could run around in their own environment.  (Even though Sofi has literally only had two accidents, I think my mom is hesitant to have her over their house, because she remembers Lulu’s “surprises”).  We had a nice time getting together, but again, the food and drinks were plentiful.

The weekend was amazing – the best I’ve had in months if not years – yet I’m so happy that it’s over.  I need some normalcy in my schedule.  I need to get back on track with food.  I need to pump up my workouts.  My feet look like two balloons which means I’m really retaining water.  I indulged quite a bit and it’s showing up on the scale in a big way.  Scarily so.

But today is a new day with new choices and new opportunities.  The time for indulging has passed and now it’s time to show myself what I’m made of and get that much closer to my goal.

How did you spend the long weekend?

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Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July.  I’ll be having the family over for a bbq at my house, and I’m looking forward to spending time together relaxing and enjoying each others’ company.

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