The Gypsy on Adventure

Great dress...Made me feel good all day!

Have to say I love this dress! And the new boots are great with this! I just can't find a belt that fits! Maybe that is a good sign!

At work today, a woman came in and said "I love your dress"..."what is the story of the dress?"

I told her I was an artist, that my artist name is Gypsy AND that I saw Cheves making the dress and decided I HAD to have it and bought it from her! It is a gypsy dress and the heart in it is fab! I love what she has done! Yeah for me for being smart and buying it! : ) Giggle*Snort

The other comment today was, You are BRAVE...I am not sure how to take that. First the gal told me that when I wore my pink leather jacket and now with the dress. Do people think chunky people should ONLY wear black and look like a nun? Giggle...I don't know! LOL I am not conservative enough to live ONLY in black! I need color!

Word of the Day

wetware \WET-wair\ noun

: the human brain or a human being considered especially with respect to human logical and computational capabilities

Example sentence:
With the right wetware at the helm, the company should be able to turn a sizeable profit.

Did you know?
When the computer terms "software" and "hardware" sprang to life in the mid-20th century, a surge of visions and inventions using the new technology immediately followed... along with a revival of the combining form "ware." An early coinage was "wetware," which began circuiting techie circles in the 1970s as a name for the software installed by Mother Nature (a.k.a. the brain). Other "ware" names for people and their noggins have made a blip in our language — for example, "meatware" and "liveware" — but none have become firmly established in the general lexicon like "wetware."

I Feel Good Challenge

DAY FOUR: Exercise Your Body and Mind
Exercise is one of the best medicines we know of, and it's free.  Because the mind follows where the body leads, exercise can relieve stress, reduce anxiety, improve your sex drive, decrease depression, help you sleep better and make you feel better about your body and yourself.

Your body was not designed to sit all day. It needs to move and stretch. But exercise doesn't have to be vigorous to be beneficial. Moderate-intensity activities such as gardening, washing the windows, climbing steps and house cleaning all qualify as exercise. Some people may feel the need to work up a sweat and get red in the face to feel satisfied with their workout, but it's not absolutely necessary. Again, it all comes down to what makes you feel good.

Your assignment: Choose a form of exercise that you enjoy and do it for 20 minutes today (or more!). If you are new to exercise or have special health considerations, be sure to consult your doctor first. A brisk walk around your neighborhood is an easy and safe aerobic activity. Can't get away? Bring the family along. Don't make it about goals or performance. Just note how you feel before you exercise, and after. Try to work a short routine into your schedule every day, even if it's just a 10-minute walk. You'll feel better that you did.

Happy Blog Birthday!

Three today! My blog is! LOL 

I Feel Good Challenge

DAY THREE: End Mindless Eating
How you eat is just as important as what you eat.

Intuitive eating is the latest "nondiet" diet. But take the fancy name away from the fad, and what you have is a hunger-based approach to eating. Revolutionary, right?  It's about listening to your body, understanding your cravings and not giving in to emotional eating. It is not about setting stringent rules or counting calories.

Examining your relationship with food can be enlightening and liberating. How many times have you stared down the contents of your refrigerator waiting for something to beckon to you, not because you were hungry, but because you were bored or stressed or anxious or sad?

Your assignment: Dedicate today to paying attention to how you eat your food. That means no snacking because you're upset or bored, no eating while standing in front of the fridge, no grazing mindlessly while staring at the TV and no turning meals into multitasking affairs.

Instead of scarfing down a sandwich at your computer or behind the wheel of your car, take 15 minutes to truly savor your meal. Sit down, push everything else aside, give yourself plenty of room and actually taste what you're eating.

Think about the food you're putting into your mouth. Eat slowly and stop when you're comfortable. Remember that as your food reaches your stomach, you will feel full.

Check out nutritionist Heidi McIndoo's surefire tips on how to avoid emotional eating.

Go here for help with food.

Getting used to it...

Every one at work loved my hair...I am finally getting used to it...and the new product really helped today! The first one was taken in the morning before work and the 2nd after work! I am a happy girl being off work! LOL

I Feel Good Challenge

DAY TWO: Happy Meals
In this fast-paced, lose-weight-quick society, it's easy to get caught up in the latest fad diet and lose sense of what food is really meant to do: nourish and power the body.

We act as though food is our enemy. But every cell in our body demands a steady supply of energy to perform optimally -- and that energy comes from each piece of food we swallow. Without a nutritionally balanced diet, our bodies subsist on inadequate or inferior fuel. You really are what you eat, emotionally and physically, so why wouldn't you want to give yourself the best foods for your body?

Your assignment: Today you're going to learn how to bring your diet into better balance.

To get you started, here are some nutrition guidelines from our Energy Booster Diet and nutritionist Heidi McIndoo:

• A combination of carbs, protein and fat eaten at regular intervals will help keep energy levels high throughout the day:
• Choose whole grains and complex carbs over refined grains and sugars
• Eat healthy snacks every three to four hours to keep your blood sugar level stable
• Dehydration can cause fatigue and feelings of hunger; keep water handy and try to avoid caffeine, ultra-sugary sodas and sweetened beverages
• Eating fried or fatty foods can make you feel sluggish; opt for natural, unprocessed foods
• Eat plenty fruits and vegetables -- five to eight servings a day
• Increase your sources of protein with nuts, seeds, fish, beans and tofu

Today, follow our sample meal plan or create your own using the guidelines above. The most basic thing you can do towards eating better is to ask yourself at every meal, Is this food going to make me feel better or worse? Tonight, before you go to bed, think about how your body feels. Keep a food journal if you'd like to note any changes that occur in the coming weeks.

Gardening and catch up

Today I am just going to forgive myself. Forgive myself for being over weight. For cutting ALL my hair off. For not being able to do any significant art today. For feeling blue over the losses I have had this year. For being angry at people who are clearly out of their minds. For letting those people get to me. It is a day to forgive oneself, release it, and move on from it all.

I was able to plant a few things today and I feel better today. Although the back is still aching I am doing things. I am moving. I am eating well. And only eating fresh food again. Nothing processed if I can help it. Let it all make a difference! Embrace the large body, love it and move it and talk nice to it. Start fresh each day with out the self hatred. If I can do that I can do anything!

I Feel Good Challenge

DAY ONE: Find a Room of Your Own
"Children love to be alone because alone is where they know themselves, and where they dream."  --Roger Rosenblatt

We all need a place to relax and reflect. Virginia Woolf had a room of her own; Superman, his Fortress of Solitude. Spending time alone helps us find peace, encourages thought and lets us rejuvenate, so we can emerge ready to handle whatever lies ahead. 

Getting rid of things we don't need can be a great catharsis. It helps us stop worrying about things that don't matter. I know I feel a palpable sense of relief when I finally go through the pile of papers that inevitably accumulates on the kitchen table. Purging also frees up space for new things to come into our lives --- possessions, sure, but also intangible things such as hopes, habits and attitudes. Buddhists believe that it's our attachment to things that impedes our happiness. What kinds of things are you hanging on to that don't really serve you anymore?

To do: Remove anything in your sanctuary that doesn't help you stay on the path to becoming more balanced. We already discussed the television, the computer and the phone. You should also move any gossip magazines, "beach" reading, piles of work and bills. Even mementos, in excess, can be distracting. Make piles of stuff: one to throw away, one to donate, one to move to a more appropriate part of the house. Again, be vigilant. We'll decorate your sanctuary later in the week, so today, think minimalism.

Once you've cleared some space, give the area a good cleaning. You don't want to be sitting on cracker crumbs in your area of refuge. (Trust me! I know. It's very uncomfortable.) Let the hard work you do today be an outward manifestation of your drive to create a more balanced life.

When you've finished, sit quietly in your sanctuary and soak up the feeling in the room. Notice how it has changed since you cleaned up. Over the next few weeks -- and beyond --- remember that cleaning and maintaining your sanctuary can help renew your dedication to your practice.

Worlds Greatest Boyfriend...

The WGB got up before anyone and started to cook breakfast...all I had to do was push the  button on my coffee maker and off it started...

Unfortunately we think the potato's were bad...both of us were sick ALL day...so I layed on the couch knitting...and catching up with all my taped shows feeling aweful and running to the bathroom...

But he was SO sweet to make us breakfast!!!!

AND I was dealing with the WHAT THE FUCK was I thinking hair today! LOL And the WGB can only say yeah, its short but your beautiful! Shaking head. I am sure glad he wears funny glasses! NO make up and no hair! At least it looks a bit softer when I have make up on...AND he still loves me! Giggle  One of the gals on Flickr told me it looks like an 80s hair cut...hum...is that bad or good? LOL