Monday, April 22, 2013

We've gone greener!

Okay friends....I just have to share the love that I have for our newest appliance! A Vitamix blender- you heard it- a blender. It's totally changed our life. Brandon's brother gave it to us for Christmas and we totally embraced the green-drink revolution. We use it everyday for breakfast and have loved that we now regularly eat veggies first thing in the morning.

Our favorite recipe was one we found by Dr. Oz.
Here's our adaptation that we use for 2 people.

1 apple
1/2 cucumber
2-3 stalks celery
handful spinach/kale/other leafy green*
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 lime squeezed
1/4 lemon squeezed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
little splash of filtered water


*I'd NOT recommend using mustard greens here unless you're REALLY looking to clear out your nasal passages....learn from my mistake!! :-)


I roughly chop everything and then viola...
green goodness.


**And the other SUPER PLUS is that it's totally easy to clean! That's major cool points in my book!**

We're hooked, I mean totally hooked. We don't go a day without it now. We also found that this little change led to bigger changes we were ready to make in our diet/lifestyle. We've been eating a primarily vegetarian/vegan diet now for these past four months and are loving how we're feeling. And my husband's cholesterol has gone down over 100 points. And while I can't claim all those points were our diet (he's taking half the dose of medication that his doctor recommended) I'd like to think that these changes are significant.

We haven't totally freaked out and gone off the deep end, because we'll have salmon and maybe red meat (grass fed) once or twice a month. And if we go out we'll get something if we crave it. But I've found at least that some of these splurges seem less satisfying than they used to. So, we'll see how things progress, but for now we're enjoying being a bit greener!

xoxo

Friday, April 5, 2013

finding my truth


I finally did it! I stretched my own canvas...a piece I worked on last summer in Portland.
I had a ton of fun doing it, and it's my largest painting yet (26x48). 

I'm currently deciding if I'm going to change/add/work on it any further. But as I stood back and looked at this baby, a sense of welcomed pride overtook me. I feel like I've come so far since then. Like taking a step back has helped me see me now. 

This painting became the story of me, discovering my truth, honoring my story and my path.




I began with a whale...I wanted to be a marine biologist ever since sixth grade. I was SOOO into whales for awhile. My parents even adopted a whale for me one Christmas. There is something so peaceful and knowing about a whale.


adding more interest...not sure where it's going at this point


What do you want?
TRUTH-my truth to shine through


A girl appears with the body of a salmon. A mermaid sounds more romantic and girly - but she wasn't meant to be one. She's swimming with her whale friend, forward into the darkness, unafraid.


A doorway appears- perhaps an opportunity, a new path


A 'raven' joins us - her insecurities, her doubts, her worry carried on it's wings. 
Calling to her, screeching at her to follow. She attempts to leave them behind and move forward, ever forward.