July 26, 2007

Hey everyone! Here are the topics for today...


Weight Loss

I've stayed the same on the scale the last two days. I'm certainly not complaining.. that's better than up. But I am retaining water. TOM hit today so there is no telling how the next few days will go. I've noticed the last couple of months that my cravings are much less during this time than they used to be. That is always a good thing!

I grabbed an old pair of sweats last night to sleep in. I put them on and realized they were way too big now. When I walked I had to hold them with one hand to keep them from falling down. :0)

My hip bones have decided to come out of hiding. I was shocked recently to find they were still there after being missing for so long!



My 40 lb Loss Celebration

I decided what I wanted to do to celebrate my 40 lb loss. I went out and bought myself a small photography light studio. Nothing huge, but it helps immensely with photographing small items. I'm going to start shooting some stock photography to sell and this will help in that area too! I tried it out last night on a few of my Boyd's Bear collection pieces.. here are the results:

A shot of the whole piece....

Here's a couple up close. I love catching the little details!

This one is his back pocket...

Photography

Well, I gave you a bit of an update in the above topic already. But I forgot to mention that I got my camera back yesterday! I am so happy to have it back! The above pictures were taken with it. I can't get that kind of quality from the little point and shoot I was using. Even my Minolta doesn't have the clarity this one does. Here's a pic I took yesterday, with the Minolta, of my daughter and our dog.

The picture is a bit more grainy than it would have been with my digital. The film ISO was 400 so it shouldn't be that way. My settings were all fine as well. I think my Minolta may just be experiencing old age. We've had it for around 12 years. The pictures just aren't as sharp as they used to be. Also, do you see the mistake I made in this picture? I forgot to check the background for objects that distract.. like the stick that seems to be suddenly growing out of the left side of my daughters head. I should have changed her position to hide that. Anyhow, the print of this picture looks better than the digitized version, but it's still not what I want. I'm thinking of having both the kids try this shot again today, together, with the dog and use my digital this time.

Also, I'm doing some studying on Wedding Photography. I'm not to that section in the course yet, but my Mom and I were asked to photograph a wedding in late September. I want to be very well prepared. We won't get paid, but we will have permission to add those photos to our portfolios, which is necessary when you are trying to sell yourself to new customers. It will also let me find out if I really want to get into that side of the business.

St. Louis LC Support

I'd really love to hear from all of you in the St. Louis area that would be interested in joining a local low-carb support group. I'm working on getting one started, but I need to see how many would be interested. We can work out details once we know how many are interested. If this sounds like something you'd like to do, please drop me a comment or email letting me know. Thanks!

I've been neglecting the Words of Wisdom.. so here's one for today:

"You can only live once, but if you do it right, once is
enough."

Have a great day everyone!

Memorial Day at Jefferson Barracks

The seemingly endless rows of tombstones

Yesterday was a beautiful day at the Jefferson Barracks Cemetery. We parked and walked past rows and rows of tombstones. The sheer magnitude of what I was seeing took my breath away. If you've never been to a place such as this, it's hard to understand the feeling of sacrifice and honor that settles down on you.

We found a nice spot close to the front of the seating area and settled in for the memorial ceremony. With my camera in hand, I tried to capture the morning. Here is what I saw:


















I'll admit to crying through parts of it, but I wasn't the only one. My Grandfather told me stories of his time spent in WWII. His infantry was right in the thick of the Battle of the Bulge. My Father-in-Law was in the Korean War and has told us stories that will make your blood grow cold. My sisters boyfriend served time in Desert Storm. I have friends serving in the Iraq war. My list could go on and on. I love them all and appreciate what they have sacrificed that we may have freedom. THANK YOU to all who currently serve and have served your country in the past. May all our dear soldiers come home safe, and may they be richly blessed beyond measure.

St. Louis Low-Carb Meet Up!!!

If you live anywhere near the St. Louis, MO area you'll want to make plans to be with us on Saturday, July 21st at 12:00 pm, Ryan's Steakhouse, 3579 Pennridge Drive in Bridgeton. We are having a get together with some outstanding members of the low-carb community. If all goes as planned, you can look forward to meeting the following:




Jimmy Moore from Livin' La Vida Low Carb Blog.






Regina Wilshire from Weight Of The Evidence Blog.




Julia Havey from Take It Off With Juila blog.









I'll be there as well and I know it will be a great time for all. If you can make it to this get together, we'd love to see you there too! If you have any questions or need directions, help, etc. Or if you'd just like to let us know you are coming, please don't hesitate to contact me at healthylowcarbliving@gmail.com.

Haven't you always wanted to have lunch with some of your favorite low-carb people (me excluded of course) and get to know them better? Here's your chance! I believe this will be an event you don't want to miss!