my first milestone, my first reward

February 17, 2012: 170lbs – 17lbs lost!Way back when, when I started training for a half marathon and exercising regularly, I made a list. The list is of rewards that I will earn at each major weight loss milestone. In other words, I made this list in August. Exercising, doing crossfit workouts 2x a week, running 15+ miles a week… month after month… and I didn’t meet a single milestone. The list sat there, none of the goals met, none of the rewards received.…until I started Medifast in late December. Now I have 3 Medifast meals and 3 regular meals a day, and I also am still running about 10 miles a week. Pound after pound (after pound), I made my way (weigh? Ba dum ch!) to the first milestone weight – 170lbs.I saw 170 on the scale this Monday! My reward for hitting 170lbs was getting a massage (awesome, right?) so that very day I called and made an appointment (with a coupon, of course) to be pampered, and the appointment was last night. After having “170 – massage” written on my goals list for 6 months, I finally, finally, FINALLY got to check it off AND to reward myself. It felt so good – the massage and the achievement.{it was like this, only, you know, different.}Every 10lbs from here on out has a reward associated with it (but shhh… they’re my secret until they happen!), besides the intrinsic reward of getting my body back. The effort, the time, the discipline it’s taking to choose health, exercise, and have self-control have been demanding, but having a goals and rewards list is so encouraging (especially when I can actually reach the goals thanks to Medifast.)Another reward? All of the sweet and encouraging comments on recent posts that include pictures or video of me. (PS I totally agree, y’all. My face is showing the weight loss. Loving it!)My Journey to Health:February 17, 2012: 170lbsJanuary 30, 2012: 174lbsDecember 30, 2011, 187 lbs17 lbs lost!:: :: :: :: :: ::Want to join me this year on Medifast? If you use the coupon code, OFAMILY56, and sign up for Medifast Advantage, when you order $250+, you’ll receive 56 free Medifast Meals and free shipping! (More details at the bottom of this post.)Disclosure: I receive free product in order to evaluate and comment on my experiences on the Medifast Nursing Mothers Program. I will only ever tell you how I actually feel about this experience and the Medifast products. Pinky swearsies. I am supposed to tell you that the Medifast Program is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness and that any medical improvements noted while on the program are related to weight loss in general, and not to Medifast products or programs. K, you got that? Good. There will be a quiz later.

holly wales..

seeing as i am a typical new englander and all i can do is talk about the weather i thought i'd post holly wales graphic images of wintery landscapes. aren't they lovely? oh what i wouldn't do to be inside one of those toasty little triangular bungalows, sippin on some coca...oh, sorry i'm fading out over here. not only is holly incredibly talented, she's also a real hoot and a holler. here's part of her artist bio:

holly wales, one-time bicycle connoisseur,spends her time gallavanting about the countryside and contradictingherself at will. she can often be found 'midst the drizzle and thesleet in a london tea-haus drawing pictures and leaving them behind forthe amusement of deaf german tourists.

holly recently designed a print for early griffin, mentioned in a post last month, which is brilliant. class of 72 isa limited edition print which recreates a yearbook that somebody took amarker to. (my sister, brother and i did this to my mom's yearbook. she wasn't that stoked. surprise!) make sure to check out holly's other images. she's got a lot of great images on her site as well as some pretty sweet duct tape animal sculptures.

Gallery Walkabout with White Walls Recognition..

If you're unable to make it to White Walls to see the current show Recognition, check out this walk-about video they just shot. Featuring the show's works by Michael Holman and Hugh Leeman.The confederate flag imagery is intense! I'm stoked to get a littlepeek at this work being so far away. Recognition will be on displayuntil September 5th, 2009.

Obsessive Consumption..

I just got Kate Bingaman-Burt's brand new book Obsessive Consumption in the mail yesterday from Princeton Architectural Press. I have to say that it is a GREAT book. I love everything about it. The look. The feel. The fact that it seems like someone's personal sketchbook that has been painstakingly categorized, that I've had the opportunity to flip through. But above all what I love is that I can relate to Kate's need and want to pay her debt down and her need and want to still purchase everyday items, necessities and treats for herself. Over the past three years, Kate has meticulously drawn an item a day that she has purchased and her monthly credit card statements, right down to the fine print at the bottom about the APR. Vowing to pay off her debt in the process, this book is a representation of that journey. It's an earnest, thoughtful process that she so candidly shares with us.

car seats and loathing

OBaby hates his car seat. Just being set in it often brings him to tears, and we’re not even talking about the straps yet.Our strapping in process is probably comical to the by-stander, filled with the positive reinforcement of over-done smiles and high pitched happy voices that have the subtlest of “just please don’t cry” tones. And even if we make it sob-free through the shoulder straps and the five-point harness system, we could lose it if the click in is too jolting, I move too slow, or Mars is too in the 8th house. You just never know.I went to a baby super store (where they don’t, in fact, sell babies) and bought an over priced jingly animal figurine to hang from the car seat handle. ‘Maybe give him something to look at?’ I thought. Except it dangles exactly 3.5 inches from OBaby’s eyes and he has to cross them to see it. Fail.Ok, so I have a baby who likes to be held and don’t get me wrong, I love to hold him, but MAMA STILL WANTS TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, which usually involves the car. Some days my nerves are stronger than others and I can stomach the necessary cries that come with getting from point A to point B, but other days I pull over on the shoulder of the highway and try desperately to calm my baby. A couple of times I have cried along with him because there is nothing I can do. Well, other than not leaving the house.But that really isn’t an option.I’m not sharing this to be Nelly Negative, I’m sharing because I need help. I have tried classical music (cranked) singing to him, that dumb $8.00 hanging toy, and finding my happy place, but none of them have had any consistent results.What worked for your kids? Will this end soon? Could his straps be on wrong or is this fear and loathing of a car seat fairly common?Seriously, what’s a girl gotta do to have a tear-free grocery trip?

jaakko pallasvuo..

I'm really digging Jaakko Pallasvuo's drawings and paintings, they have a medieval, apocalyptic edge that I can really appreciate. Plus, I'm kind of partial to an artist who calls one of his pieces Cattitude. But that's just me.

Install Shots Jim Houser at Subliminal Projects..

Jim Houser has long been a favorite of mine. His simple yet bold shapes and heartfelt work has always struck a chord with me. Subliminal Projects shares these install shots of Jim getting his show The Homebody ready for opening this Saturday. It's looking like every inch of the gallery will be included in the show including the airwaves. That's right, an original soundtrack scored by Jim will accompany the show with limited edition vinyl records for sale during the opening.

The Homebody opens from 8-11 July 10th - August 7th at Subliminal Projects, in LA