Editions of Me

They're so pretty :) New lashes from Sugarpill I'm trying to be very conservative with these - I have butterfingers when it comes to individual lashes, and I've already lost one to the deep dark recesses of the area underneath my desk :( I also bought the Whisper eyelashes, and I'm waiting to create an actual eye look to try those on.

I was debating whether to post this or not, but I thought about it, and... I'm not ashamed of myself or how I was looking. And this is a photo that everyone has seen before, so it's not like it's a secret how big I was. On the left is me in February, about a couple weeks before I decided to start Paleo. So, about six weeks ago. On the right is me from this past Sunday, ending my fourth week of eating clean and healthy. It's not a drastic difference, but it's noticeable. And it's enough to motivate me to continue.

- Too Faced Shadow Insurance (what? I have a sample) - UD Chase all over the lid - UD Darkhorse into the crease, blended well - UD Loaded to darken the crease, and to define the outer V. Also smudged into the outside third of the lower lash line - UD Zephyr as a browbone highlight and in the inner corner - UD Kush smudged along the rest of the lower lash line - UD Blackout used as a liner along the upper and lower lash line - MUFE Smoky Lash mascara - Ardell lashes #108 Yeah, now you can buy all of those above UD shades as eyeshadow singles. In fact, I just used 6 colors. You can fill a Build Your Own Palette with those six. =P Chase, Darkhorse, Blackout Zephyr, Kush, Loaded

Photo from UD's FB page Dear Urban Decay, I have been a fan of yours since I was fifteen years old. I'm nearly 30 now, so we've been "together" for half my life. So please take what I say into consideration, because I mean it in a "caring, sharing" kind of way: Yeah, all the new eyeshadow singles in their shiny new cases are pretty, but anyone doing the math could see that paying over $100 for to create a 6-shadow palette is ridiculous, considering how you've released two mega palettes with 12 full-size shadows for $50 . Seriously? What are you trying to pull? Palettes are supposed to be CHEAPER. And your new pop-out system is dumb for those of us who've been longtime fans/eyeshadow collectors and who've already been seeking a streamlined solution for storage. I have to say, MAC had the right idea, because their Pro Pans  (which are CHEAPER than buying the eyeshadow single) are just the magnetic pan by itself, and they fit in a ...

I did it! I made it to Day 30!! If you know me at all (or have even been following my blog for a while), you'll know how momentous today is. When have I ever stuck with a diet for a full 30 days, seriously? And I feel no need to stop. There's no "FINALLY I'M DONE" because I don't feel done. I feel like I could do this some more. Starting weight: 203.5 Today's weight: 190.9 Pounds lost: 12.6 And even more telling than the numbers is the way I look and feel. I've been posting weight loss updates because it's the only tangible thing (well, I suppose I could've done measurements), but the larger benefits are not about weight loss. I didn't even start this diet because of weight loss (though, I knew it was a bonus). I started it because I wanted to stop feeling so sluggish and lethargic all the time. I wanted to eat cleaner, healthier, and better for my body. And so far, it's worked. (Ironic, isn't it, that I'm typin...

Just saw the Hunger Games movie! I'm not going to go into explaining what it's about for the uninitiated, because anybody can google that. Just know that I'm a HUGE fan of the books, and that I've been excited about this for a long time.  So here we go, my thoughts. In order as much as possible, but sometimes I digress. *SPOILER WARNING IN EFFECT*

I'm pretty pleased with myself today, because practice, I totally laid out my COACH. This is not something that happens often, as he's pretty wiley and agile, that Carl. And I have to say that a lot of it had to do with his own self-admitted misjudgment of the situation (he forgot that we weren't on the same team), but I'd like to think that there was a bit of good timing on my part too. :) He was trying to pass me on the outside, thinking that I was giving him a clear path, and I pretty much stepped right in front of him at the last second, and it was all over . It was kinda cool.

Day 23 on the Paleo diet Starting weight: 203.5 Today's weight: 192.9 Pounds lost: 10.6 Number of workouts this week: 2 derby practices (well, 3 if you count last night's) I'm a little late on checking in this week - it was kind of a busy weekend. So, oddly, my weight didn't budge even a tenth of a pound for almost a full week, until this morning, and all of a sudden, it dropped a pound. Weird, huh? I can chalk this up to a few things: - I think I'm PMSing. I've been feeling crampy and emotional, and my chin is breaking out like it normally does at this time every month. The symptoms are a lot less than usual (probably thanks to Paleo), but still there. - I didn't sleep much for the last week. Late nights, early mornings. Lack of sleep affects your cortisol levels and all that. - I wasn't as vigilant about eating my veggies. I had what you could call a "lazy week," although I did not eat anything that wasn't Paleo. I just......

I started a new page with my favorite Paleo sites/blogs and recipes! Click here or click on Paleo-rific in my nav bar up above.

Day 15 on the Paleo diet Starting weight: 203.5 Today's weight: 194.4 Pounds lost: 9.1 Number of workouts this week: 1 derby practice and a 10k yesterday Lost a little less this week, but that usually happens on a diet - lose a lot at first, and then your body evens out. Still, losing is better than gaining :)  Definitely feeling great, and I think my body looks different too. I'm down a notch in my belt (and could even cinch it two notches tighter if I wanted to, but I don't like feeling too constricted).  Had my first and only non-self-cooked meal the other night - went to CPK with my parents. Didn't order pizza, of course - I ordered the field greens salad: field greens, grilled shrimp (no butter), bosc pairs, hold the candied walnuts, dijon balsamic vinaigrette (the only questionable item, since I didn't know what was in it - in hindsight, I should've gotten it on the side or not at all). My mouth was itchy and swelling within half an hour after! ...

It wasn't my best race by any standards, but this race does have one important distinction: odd as it sounds, even though I've covered the equivalent distance in training runs and races, I've never actually done a 10k! Considering the splendor and spectacle of my last race (the Tinkerbell HM in Disneyland), this race was completely the opposite - a small, local race with just over a hundred people. I don't remember the last time I actually had elbow room during a race :) It was part paved trail, part gravel trail, and I gotta say, the gravel trail made me feel like sludge. I mean, I wasn't that well-trained/prepared to begin with, but feeling my feet sink in for that middle three miles made me feel REALLY slow and ineffectual. And of course, once I got back to the asphalt, I had a little more spring in my step. It was a nice, beautiful day (though, it got a little blustery towards the end), and everyone was really nice, except for the goose in the parking lo...

About to head out to Whole Paycheck. Just wanted to post an update. Day 7 on the Paleo diet Starting weight: 203.5 Today's weight: 197.1 Pounds lost: 6.4 Number of workouts this week: 2 derby practices The first three or four days, I felt like I was dragging a lot (but I also didn't get much sleep those nights). I've been feeling less tired, and I think I've been sleeping better. But excited about the progress so far. My muscles are starting to show more. I've been eating good, tasty food, and haven't had many bouts of cravings. So far, so good.