Wedding Central....

For the wedding, I'm planning to have lots of peonies, ranunculus, mini green hydrangeas and garden roses.  But, I stopped in to Wh*le F**ds this morning after my spin class and picked up some pink Gerber dasies to give the milk glass vases a whirl!  Here is a photo... 

 

 I'm finishing up the last part of design of the invitations this weekend, too!  Below is the RSVP post card that I designed.  I kept it very simple, other than the giant flourishes!  I seriously LOVE all of this planning stuff!!

 

 

Hoarder!!

I am amassing quite a collection of white milk glass vases to use at the wedding.  I have been trolling eBay like crazy over the last few weeks and now finally have ordered close to the 80+ vases that I'll need for the wedding.  Don't worry.... I'm not going to become a hoarder.... though I do immediately throw out every scrap of packaging this stuff comes in, since I assume the sellers are all reforming hoarders with bugs!  (OCD much?!)  :)

 

Here is part of the collection

It's been really fun to gather this stuff together myself.  I love it that the pieces are not all the same, so every table and every arrangement will be a little different.  I'm also psyched because I am totally going to resell all of these vases on eBay after the wedding, which will substantially reduce our overall flower costs!  I'm planning to sell my dress, too.  I will remember it in photos, and I don't need a giant gown that I'll never wear again (no matter how gorgeous) taking up a foot of my NYC-sized closet!

Happily, after Steve's cousin had to drop out due to a work conflict, I found a local florist who seems great.  Actually, it was a relief when she dropped out.  Her level of GSD (Get Sh*t Done) and mine were not compatible, and I was getting increasingly p*ssed that I couldn't get her to focus on the project and give us a budget for the flowers (she had offered to gift us the labor, we were to have paid the wholesale cost).  Heck, it took four months of e-mails to even get her on the PHONE.  I'm much happier to be paying an arms-length professional, even if it will be more expensive.

 This is the general idea for the flowers.... little arrangements scattered down the tables, though we will only have pink, hot pink, white and green flowers -- no purple or yellow, like here.

In other news, I finished designing our invitations and have started printing them! I'll post photos when I can get them together.  I really love how they are turning out.  I also designed a map for the insert and an RSVP post card, which I'm still tweaking.  It's exciting to finally have a wedding invitation project that I am doing be for my own big day!

Winter Weekend!

This weekend, I had occasion to reflect on my life today, and what it's like in relation to my pre-band life.  I wasn't just comparing it to the obese years, but also to the years when I just didn't feel good about my weight (i.e. all of them since about 3rd grade) and wasn't generally that physically fit.

 

Warming my feet before the fire!

Steve and I went up to his parents' house in the Adirondacks and brought 7 others with us for a really great weekend.  I went skiing for the first time in 20 years (and before that, I'd only been skiing one other time... in second grade).  A few things worth noting.....

 

 

1.  I had to write my weight on the ski equipment rental equipment.  AND I WROTE MY REAL WEIGHT, without feeling embarrassed or wanting to hide it!   I never, EVER, thought I'd see that day.

 

Sledding with my sweetie!

2.  On Sunday, we went sledding, and Steve brought out his vintage toboggan, which was at least from the early 70s, if not earlier.  It was so awesome, and we had a fantastic -- FAST! -- ride down the hills of the club property where we'll be married this summer!  The toboggan fits about 4 people, and when one person said that the way we should do it was with "the heaviest person in the back," I knew that I'd be in the middle. 

 

Here is the old skool toboggan we used -- it was amazing and sailed like a dream!

This reminded me of a day when I was still dating PP, and we had to cram in the car with a bunch of friends.  On the way there, I was in the back -- and it was such a tight squeeze -- but on the way back, I wound up taking the front because, the fact was, that I was by far the biggest person and that was the best use of the space.  I was humiliated -- but glad not to be squished in the back, being worried that my friends were all resenting me for taking up so much space.  That isn't something I ever worry about now.  I may not be the smallest girl in the universe, but I'm a healthy, reasonable size and I feel good.  No -- it's more than that -- I don't feel like sh*t anymore, and I don't feel badly about my size, my body or my weight.  And, even better than that, I was excited to try a day of skiing (P.S. I sucked and ate sh*t like 900 times... I am so bruised... not sure it's for me!!) and to do sledding, running up snow covered hills, and just playing around like a kid.  It was awesome.

 

 Dinner with friends at the house on Saturday!  I made salmon in a Thai sweet chili maranade with salad, couscous and sweet pea tendrils & sugar snap peas.  Yum yum.  Pie for dessert....

Snow Storm!

We're in for a big snow storm on the east coast today!   My office is closing early, which probably doesn't actually mean anything for me.  But, I can wear jeans, so it's all good!

 

I noticed yesterday that the dress I had on (a very fitted sheath) seemed a little tighter than usual.  I knew that I was on the high side of my comfort zone, so I didn't think too much about it.  In fact, I took my secretary out for barbecue for lunch and ate a bunch of delicious pork and a bit of mac and cheese (it was so delicious), then had a dinner out last night.  Actually, the dinner was very cool because they had a mind reader guy there, and he did all of these fantastic tricks that were really incredible!  But... the point is that I got on my scale this morning and it was UP FOUR POUNDS!!  Ack!!!

 

I know that I can't actually gain 4 pounds overnight, any more than I could really lose 4 pounds overnight at my current weight.  So I assume that the food I had yesterday was salty and I"m retaining water, but I do know for sure that the scale is up a little bit.  And, that is why I weigh myself every day (or nearly every day -- I probably forget 1-2 times a week).  Just keeping on top of this before it becomes a big deal goes a very long way to keeping me at maintenance.

 

Admittedly, I was momentarily freaked out today to see the highest number on my scale that I've seen in months.  But I also know that I'll rein it in and be back at a better number within the next few days.  I've got my weekend workouts booked and will be more careful to make good food choices until everything is back where it should be.  It's not a big deal -- it just requires a little attention.  That pretty much sums up maintenance for me.  It's not that hard -- but that's mainly because of the amount that I work out.  If I wasn't burning extra calories at the gym on a regular basis, this would be a lot harder.  (And it definitely shows on the scale when I slack off...)

Wedding Planning Fun!!

I confess.... I freaking LOVE wedding planning!!  Given that three of my hobbies are letterpress printing, invitation design and calligraphy, it's no surprise that designing the invitations and Save the Dates has turned out to be a total blast! 

For the Save the Dates, I drew a photo of Steve and me, standing in front of the mountain range that you see from our reception site.  I basically made myself into a D-is-ne-y Princess...   Am including a picture below (I blanked out the date and city for privacy's sake).  I printed these on 80 lb Crane's Crest paper, which is a nice thick cardstock, though it's not as heavy as the 110 lb stock in the same color that I'll use with the wedding invitations (more on those another time).

The front of our Save the Dates!

My dress came in about 2 weeks ago -- I am so excited!!  I went to try it on during lunch one day, and Marjorie was able to come out and go with me.  It is so beautiful and only needs a little tweaking to make it fit perfectly.  I can't wait to wear it!!  It was so great to see it in my size and in the right color!  I loved it just as much as I thought I would -- which is a lot!!

The road up to our reception site is a little hard to find, so I bought the adorable sign shown below from THIS wonderful brand new website, which has the cutest wedding and party supply supplies.  It was all I could do not to buy everything on there!!   

On the flower front, I've been buying up hobnail milkglass vases (see below) to use at the reception.  Steve's cousin, who is a florist, is getting the flowers for us wholesale and will be giving her amazing arranging skills as our wedding gift (which is fantastic -- she's really good).

What I am planning is to have a bunch of milk glass vases in different sizes and shapes (some hobnail, some not) scattered down the center of each table (we're doing banquet tables), with lots of peonies and other flowers in various shades of pink (maybe mixing in some white and green, too).  I'd like it to look something like the photo below, but less dense (we're trying not to break the bank after all)!

Speaking of not breaking the bank, I've been on spending lock-down for months!!  This isn't as austere as it could be, but I am missing buying clothing and have been taking the subway more often at times when I'd normally take a cab.  We've also dialed-back going out to dinner, and have cut out most charity events (which run anywhere from $75-$150+ per person every time..).  Every little bit helps, and we've been able to squirrel away quite a fair chunk of the wedding budget already!  It helped a lot that we've had some nice gifts from family members.  Also, I plunked my entire bonus in the wedding savings account.... whereas I normally buy myself a nice present and bank the rest.  We're definitely getting there!  I'm looking at the wedding like a present to myself and Steve, and to our friends and family too, though.  I'm so excited about it, and I'm really enjoying the fun of planning.

Happy New Year!

Hi!  I've been MIA from blogland for a bit and wanted to do a quick New Year's post!  Not sure why, but I haven't felt like blogging lately.  All is going just fine on the maintenance front.  In fact, I'm at a recent low (not all-time low) as of this morning -- 151.6, whereas at the end of the summer, I saw 157 a few times (I try to keep it under 155 at all times). 

 

New Year's was a lot of fun.  Steve and I rented a great house out in the Hamptons with 7 other friends, and we had 13 people there for New Year's Eve dinner and fun.  We all love to cook, and we really had some fantastic meals!  I did make it to Ph-y-s-ique 57 once (ballet bar type workout), which was good, given all the eating we were doing!  There was a chalkboard in the kitchen (you can see it in the photo above), and we got chalk so that I could write out the menu for each meal. 

Wedding planning is going so well!  I designed our wedding invitations and Save the Dates and am printing them myself.  I'll post a photo or two soon.

I hope all of you rang in 2013 in a nice way and that this year is already off to a great start!

Christmas Snaps.. and a New Comparison Shot



Steve has a long tradition of having a big Christmas party at his club every year.  This year was his 15th!  It's a really nice party -- a black tie sit-down dinner for 100 people in a very elegant club, and Steve does his best to make sure there are an even number of men and women (the only party like that that I know about in NYC... usually women far out number the men).   Steve planned the whole thing, from the guest list (though in retrospect, I should have jumped in there.. had a friend who was a little upset not to be invited because she viewed this as my party... Agh.  Kind of clueless on my part not to have thought of this -- there are locally-based friends who are invited to our wedding who were not added to Steve's usual invitation list.) to the menu and decorations.  He did a fantastic job, and it was a lot of fun!

 

With Steve in the library

The dinner tables

 Me!  In a R-e-em A-c-ra gown that I rented from R-en-t the R-un-way.  I loved it!

 

A fun shot of us with our feet up!  I love that Steve's socks match my dress!

 With my beardy fiance!  Yes, I did get the ring in the shot on purpose!  :)

And, to drive it all home, and put some perspective on all of this, I did a new comparison shot.  The one on the left was taken just over four years ago.  I was in DC with my brother and sister, had just broken up with PP, and was miserable.  This was a few months before my surgery, and I hadn't started looking into the band at that point (I was self-pay, so once I decided, I had the surgery soon afterward).  On the right was me last weekend.  I am 38 on the left and 42 on the right.  A size 1X, 20, 14W on the left, and a size 8 or 10 on the right.  The me on the left was uncomfortable in my skin -- my feet ached and my back hurt, and I was self-conscious about my weight.  The me on my right felt completely freaking fabulous.  What a difference.
 



Catching Up

Since I posted last, a few things have happened.  My dad and step-mom were in town for a very successful meeting with Steve's parents, and we had a heck of a good time. We went to see some Jazz at Lincoln Center (which is actually in the Time Warner Center...), had a great b-day dinner with my friends, and even made it up to MOMA for a spin and a fabulous lunch!

My mom arrived the following day for an extended Thanksgiving stay (just over a week), I cooked up a storm on Thanksgiving (Steve and Marjorie joined us for a fun dinner), and we had a great time relaxing and seeing Argo, which was off-the-charts good.

Unfortunately, I found out that my step-brother, Robert, died unexpectedly on Thanksgiving.  He hadn't been feeling well, and had not made it to the doctor yet, and then unexpectedly died.  I did not know him very well (our parents married about 10 years ago, long after we'd both moved from home), but I am very fond of his mom and of his young daughter, who is ridiculously cute and adorable.  My heart really goes out to my step-mom, my dad and Robert's family and friends.  It is so sad.  He also has a new baby girl with his current girlfriend, which just adds to the sadness of this.

I'll post more later -- Steve and I had our Christmas Party (really, it's his annual party... I just get honorary co-host status as the fiance!) last weekend, and we got some really nice photos.  I just would not feel right adding a party post to this sad news, so I'll post about it separately later on.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hello!!  Today is my 42nd b-day!!  And, so far, it's going very well!!  The first thing I did this birth year was kiss my sweetie.  So, that was a nice start already.  Then, I got up this morning and went to spin class and worked out hard.  THEN, despite that I went to Wh-o-l-e F-o-o-ds and passed several pastry carts on the way home, I thought -- I want the first thing I eat this year to set the right tone for the year.  So, I had some Greek yogurt with fruit when I got home.  (I know.. gag.. I'm such a freaking martyr... LOL!)

 

Later today, I'm taking one of my biggest clients (who I love) to lunch at a vereeee fancy restaurant in midtown for our annual b-day lunch.  And, later this afternoon, my dad and step-mom fly in for the weekend.... to meet Steve's parents for the first time!!  That will happen on Friday.

 

Tonight, though, I'm having a dinner party at my house for my dad, step-mom, Steve, myself and four really close friends.  I wanted to do this so that my dad & step-mom would get to know some of my good friends better before the wedding.  I just think that will really add to everyone's fun!!

 

Sooooo, I set the table as pretty as possible....  Want to see it??  Here you go!  The placemats, runner and napkins are from S-er-e-na and Lil-y, and were a gift from my dad and step-mom last year.  I love them.

 

Plainly, I'm suffering from old age because, when I got back from spin, I asked Steve -- didn't the grocery delivery get here??  Well, dear friends, it turns out that some idiot (Read:  me) forgot to click through the final screen and I never ordered the food for tonight.  AGH!!!!  Guess who is taking the morning off of work to go to the grocery store? . . . DOH.

In better news, I opened some presents this morning!!  I got some adorable clothing from my mom and brother, and my mom gave me a potato ricer (which I'd specially requested and will use when I make tonight's dinner... Shepherd's Pie).  My mom also wrote me the nicest letter for my b-day.  I seriously cried when I read it -- it was just so nice, and I will treasure it always.

She also did a fantastic job with the wrapping paper -- see below!

 

Max, "helping" me unwrap my presents 

Steve and I also had a great call this morning with a bluegrass band that we're going to use for our ceremony and cocktail hour (Steve plays bluegrass music -- so this will make the wedding al the more personal for us).  I really want to walk down the aisle to a bluegrass version of a reggae song -- right now, I'm thinking it will be One Love.  Just want to review the lyrics and make sure it's not too far off the mark!  The band said that they would do it, and I think that would be pretty amazing!  I kind of want them to start the strings in with the first few bars of the "Here comes the bride" song, then go right into One Love.   We'll see how it works!!

Have a wonderful day!!

Storms and Participating in the Democratic Process!

Me, in D.C., on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, with the Capitol Building behind me.

Steve and I weathered both of the big recent storms just fine.  I lost power (and heat... and eventually water..) for the better part of a week, but since Steve's apartment had power, we were able to stay there.  All in all, it wasn't that bad, and it was nothing short of wonderful to have so much down time together.

My storm-induced staycation let me do something I've wanted to do for a LONG time... clean out my closet!  I needed to do this to make room for Steve to move in, and now it is officially done.   As most of you guys know, I pretty well cleaned out my closet as I lost weight, by sending clothes to other bandsters through the Sisterhood of the Traveling XL Dress.  But I still had a bunch of things in there that needed to go!  It felt so good to get it all in order and to switch out my closet from summer to winter wear (that's what folks in NYC do, since we have such limited closet space...). 

In other news, I feel like I really have had a very U.S.A.-focused two weeks.  During the Sandy aftermath, I listened nonstop to discussions of the election and the storm on a little battery-operated radio that Steve gave me.  Then, on election day, I stood in the cold for 2 1/2 hours (mostly outside -- my feet were completely numb with cold by the end) in order to vote.  And, I also went to Washington, D.C. to see oral argument in a Supreme Court case.  All in all, I feel like I really got to participate in (or at least watch) all three branches of the government -- voting for the Executive and Legslative branch reps, and watching the highest court in our Judiciary branch.  Not too shabby!

I also made time to donate some supplies (a big box of diapers and wipes) to the folks in Staten Island who are suffering in the aftermath of Sandy.  They made it incredibly easy by registering on A-ma-z-o-n, so I was able to just click and donate.  It was really important to me to do something, since I feel very grateful to have made it through the same storm safely and with relatively little trouble.

By the way, on election day, I took some time out to think about what I was up to last election day.  I was just 12 days post-op then, and hadn't even gone through Bandster Hell yet.  Say what you will about Obama and how the nation has fared during the last four years, but I sure as heck am not complaining about how those years went!! :)  Can you imagine??  If I hadn't had my surgery, those years would have been so different, I am sure.  I wonder if I'd be at 270 today, or if I would have found a way to lose a bit of the weight, or at least maintain.  Anyway, it doesn't matter.  That's not what happened.  Did I mention how grateful I am??  WHEW.

Masqued Ball ... 2008 vs 2012

Last night, Steve and I went with a big group of friends to a masqued ball.  This ball takes place every year around Halloween, and I'd been once before.   In fact, this was my FIRST post-band party, four years ago, in 2008.  Unfortunately, Marjorie wasn't feeling well and didn't go, so we couldn't reinact our 2008 photo.

 

 

With Steve at the ball.  He looks like he's going to steal my diamonds in that masque!!

 

2008 to 2012.  Four years older, but feeling so much better!

2008 vs 2012 (Hooray!  My roots aren't as bad this year!)

I always find these kinds of comparisons eye-opening and kind of surprising.  I remember how I felt, getting ready to go to this party in 2008.  I was a little nervous about being at a party and having some wine.  I also didn't know as many people in this crowd then as I do now, so the party wasn't as much fun.  Last night was an absoute blast -- I danced up a storm with Steve, and we had a really great time!

This was particularly good because I think both of us were feeling pretty stressed out last week and really needed a fun night.  Nothing terrible -- but we were both thinking a lot about the fact that we've each been doing pretty much whatever we want and not having to answer to anyone else for most of our adult life.  And, the fact is, that's changing now that we are marrying one another.

To give you an example...  I had my apartment painted earlier this year -- the living room is this fabulous shade of blue-green now, but it just doesn't quite work with my existing furniture.  This week, I came very close to buying a rug on-line that would have helped to tie the whole room together.  But, before I bought it, I realized I should check in with Steve to make sure he liked it.  And, he wasn't in to it and didn't want me to buy the rug.  I didn't buy it, but the fact that (!) someone else had the right to stop me from decorating my apartment how I wanted didn't sit well with me!  I've lived alone for a whopping 18 years, and that hasn't happened before!  But ultimately, I do want to share my life with Steve and am excited about us building a home together, so that's a sacrifice I am willingly making.  However, that doesn't mean it's not an adjustment!!  :)

Happy Fourth Bandiversary to me!

Four years ago, I was wheeled into the OR in the Christus Muguerza Sud hospital in Monterrey, Mexico, where Dr. Roberto Rumbaut installed my lap band.   I changed my life that day.

The past four years have been truly wonderful. Yes, I had moments of frustration, and even some heartbreak and other disappointments, but through those years, I have really enjoyed the feeling of FINALLY, conquering the one issue that really bothered me and that I hadn't been able to fix on my own -- my weight. I've said this before, but it bears repeating. The lap band isn't a magic wand that will solve all of your problems. HOWEVER, if being overweight is the one thing that is really bothering you in life, which was the case for me, it certainly can feel like one.

 

A comparison showing the physical changes from Years 1-2
You can click on this to make it bigger.

Don't get me wrong on the "magic wand" comment -- I've worked for my weight loss. I have put in the time in the gym, which was essential for me to get to goal and is essential to my maintenance. I've watched what I eat and have followed the bandster rules more often than not. But this hasn't felt all that hard to me. I wanted to do that work, and I loved the feeling of inching my way toward goal. Every tenth of a pound lost during the first 1-2 years was a thrill. It made me feel good about myself and, of course, was a reason to update my stats on Lap Band Talk! I struggled through many plateaus and felt frustration sometimes, but in the aggregate, I have felt pretty awesome through this whole process.

There have been many changes through the past four years -- the biggest of which occurred in Year 1, when I lost the bulk of my weight -- 63 pounds. Being able to run again, to shop in normal stores, to be free of foot and back pain, and to recognize myself in the mirror again were HUGE changes that year. But small changes have occurred during the past three years too, and some of the changes made during my first two years now seem normal to me.   Here are my Second and Third bandiversary posts, which give a lot of perspective on that.  A few changes that I want to mention today are that:
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1. I forget sometimes that I was ever fat. What I mean by that is that I don't think of myself as my heavier version -- if I picture myself, I look like I do in the mirror. Clearly, I remember being fat if I think about it ... it's just that I don't think about it all that much anymore.

 

2. I don't do negative self-talk about my body. It's very nice not to have thoughts about myself like "Oh my G.. you are so disgusting, how did you let yourself get like this?" That was at least a daily occurrence 4+ years ago, and it actually stopped right after surgery.  I don't miss it one bit.

 

3. I don't feel guilty about what I eat, even if I have an ice cream sundae, since my diet and exercise can handle the occasional treat.

 

4. I have even more confidence now than I did before.

 

5. I have slowed down on the shopping, since I finally have enough clothing in my size, but I do still really enjoy shopping these days.

 

6. I still fit into the clothing I bought three or so years ago (whereas in the past, clothing wouldn't usually fit long term because I'd be gaining...).

 

7. I have become the kind of person who would be up for doing an athletic vacation! Steve and I want to climb Kilimanjaro together (NOT on our honeymoon... honeymoon will be latrine-free, thank you..!).

 

8. When Steve tells me that I'm beautiful and sexy, I know that he really means it. (I am so going to marry that guy...) :)

 

With Steve at a horse race last weekend.  I am wearing size 8 corduroy pants.  Four years ago, it would have been very hard for me to imagine being able to wear corduroy (without undue whistling and starting a barn blazing fire...), much less a size 8!

9. OMG... I HAVE a fiance!! Woo-hoo! :) There is no doubt in my mind that all of the work I did on myself through the past several years has led me to this wonderful relationship. I'm not just talking about losing weight -- yes, that was part of it, especially because it was the one thing that really got me down in my life. Plus, it surely doesn't hurt that I look better, am healthier, and can enjoy things like hiking and playing tennis with him. But, the mental stuff is a huge part of this too. I make taking care of myself a top priority now, I feel good about myself and my accomplishments with the band, and I'm just generally in a very good place. I also really appreciate that, and it adds to my overall happiness.
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And.... can I get a drum roll, please???
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10. All signs indicate that, next June, I am going to get to cross my FINAL WEIGHT-LOSS GOAL off of my list! It was on my "Pro" list that I made when I was deciding whether to have this surgery. . . .
 

I don't want to jinx myself or anything (knock wood, etc. etc.), but it looks like I am not going to be a fat bride.  If I was still at my pre-op weight on my wedding day, I know that I would have been doing a bunch of negative self-talk about my appearance, and that would have taken away from my enjoyment of the day, no matter how happy I was otherwise.  But now, that's unlikely to happen. I feel so incredibly grateful about that, as well as for all the other changes through the past four years.

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 My Mother of All Comparison Shots. 

From obesity to rocking a H-e-rve L-e-ger bandage dress.  Who would have thought it possible?!

Thank you all for being here for me through this process. Your support and encouragement has made all the difference to me, and it keeps me on the straight and narrow.  I know that I would never have been as successful with my band if it was not for the support of the wonderful people I've met through our blogging community, in addition to that of my friends and family.  It is stunning to me to look back to my first post, from October 11, 2008 (just prior to my surgery) and to see how far I have come on this journey, and all of the great things that have happened along the way.  I'm excited about the future, too!  

A Few More Chicago Pics!

Stephanie was nice enough to send me some of her fantastic Chicago photos, and I wanted to post them here.  I love having a record of our fun trip!  No time for a real post today... will let the photos speak for themselves!

With the organizers at brunch

 

 

Saturday night dinner

 

Chicago Recap and Thoughts

I had a great time in Chicago.  Once again, our fabulous organizers did an amazing job, and I really enjoyed seeing some dear familiar faces and meeting quite a few new people as well.

The weather was really gorgeous, and one of the things we did was an art walk around town.  Here I am, inside of some art...   Unfortunately, while I brought my computer, I ... forgot my SD Card (doh!!) so I could only take photos on my phone!

With Joey at the bean!

One of the nicest times I had was at brunch with Joey, Gilly, Stephanie, Deb, Dawnya, Angela, Jenny, Linda, Read and Carmen.  It was so nice to catch up with them -- that is one awesome and hilarious group of amazing women!  I was honored to be included in their brunch, and was completely surprised when they gave me a beautiful engagement present -- a frame engraved with S&C.  Seriously, I totally got choked up.  Well, ladies, that frame is awaiting a true wedding photo, but for now, it has a place of honor in my home, and I put one of my favorite photos of Steve & me in it.  Here's how it looks in NYC... 

So, dear organizers, I can't thank you enough.  This beautiful frame is just a part of it.  Thank you for organizing the Chicago trips and for bringing so many bandsters (and now sleevesters) together.  Thank you for helping us to make even stronger connections within this community and for being such great sources of support, both on-line and off.  Thank you also for dealing with the BS that can't help but accompany organizing any big group meeting!  You all have done a wonderful job, and I hope that newbies will take over and plan future events.

As I said before, I had a really good time in Chicago, but this year felt different to me.  I had a hard time putting my finger on exactly why at first, but then I figured it out.  I was looking through my blog list on Blogger, and looked at some old favorites I hadn't seen (whether on-line or in person) for a while -- some of the bloggers whose support really got me through the peaks and valleys of the first 2 years of this process.   People like Angie (I am in Repair), Jenny R (Life's Little Journey), Sarah (Losing Weight.. Gaining Tons), Cara (the Dash) and Nella (Skinny B- - - -).  I was also thinking of other favorite blogging bandsters (to name only a few) like Amy W, Nicole, Jacquie, Robin, Stephanie, Maria, TessieRose, CindyLew and Roo, who I'd loved meeting during other years' Chicago trips, but who weren't there that year.  I missed all of them -- the trip just wasn't the same for me without you guys!

I was a little down, returning home on Sunday.  In some ways, it felt like the end of an era because things had changed so much from years 1 and 2 to 3.  I had felt a bit like that when I got used to being at goal.  While I was very happy with the status quo, I missed the joy and excitement of losing!  But that time is over, and now I'm on to a different phase, which is fine -- and an inevitable part of making progress.  There is no getting around that this is overwhelmingly a positive thing.  And, this new phase is exciting -- not just maintenance, but living life as a fit person, planning my wedding to Steve, and enjoying my friends, family and life in general all the while.

Heading to Chicago!

I'm sitting in the airport right now, waiting for my fight to Chicago!  I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone!!

Not THE Dress and Forth Year Appointment News

I'm so glad that September is finally here and I'm actually home a few weekends!  And, that's given me time to get going on the wedding plans! 

 

Before I get into that, though, I wanted to tell you that I had my fourth year band checkup last week!  My fourth bandiversary isn't until October 23rd, but I went in earlier because the timing was better for me.  I also have been feeling a little freaked out that so many bandsters have been having problems with their bands, and wanted to talk to my doctor.

 

With Steve at a wine tasting out in the Hamptons over Labor Day weekend

 

 

Here is what my doctor told me:  She said that there is no reason to expect that I'll lose my band (which was a relief.. I thought she might tell me that I'd need to replace it before Year 10 or something, but she did not).  She also said that most problems that cause people to lose their bands are brought about by "self-abuse" (her words, not mine -- I'm just repeating here).  She said that what she meant by "self-abuse" was people keeping their bands overly tight, and pushing it on the eating front so that they were frequently having to vomit.  Obviously band loss can also be caused by faulty bands and bad installation, too -- but at four years out, if that was going to be an issue for me, I'd likely know it by now.

 

Another thing she told me, which I hadn't realized, is that I've been at my current fill level since June 4, 2010!  I had no idea -- that was over two years ago!  I also went back to look at my post about that adjustment and saw the nicest comment from Jackie, who told me that I "WILL FIND MR. RIGHT and he will adore you!"  Jackie, I can't even tell you how happy I am that you were right!!  It was so nice to go back and read that!

 

I also let Dr. Ren know that I've been having reflux sometimes at night, including while I'm sleeping.  I've been monitoring it, and realized that it only happens when I eat or drink close to bed time.  Guess what the solution is?  Um, don't eat or drink for 30 minutes before bed.... Doh.  She also said that I could take Prevacid to help with the reflux as well.

 

OK.... ON TO WEDDING TALK!!!  My mom was in town last weekend, and we went to "visit" two dresses that I'd liked (both shown below), and we went to two other bridal shops as well.  AND... I think I found my dress!!  I'm not going to post pictures of it because I don't want anyone to see it before the wedding.  But, I'll post two of the ones that I did like!

 

Here is the first one -- this was my no. 2 choice!  The "Lucy" by Le-a An-n B-e-l-ter

This may shock those of you who've read some of my more decadent shopping posts, but I am hell-bent on not spending a fortune on my wedding dress.  In fact, I pledged to myself not to spend more than $2,600, with a firm cap at $3K.  You'd think that would be a perfectly decent budget, but you should have seen how the shop girl (wearing a very cheap outfit, I might add.  Meow.) reacted when I told her my cap!!  You would think I'd said $50!!  Welllllll..... as it turns out, Shop Girl brought out several dresses that were close to what I wanted, but not right on.

 

Here is another one by Le-a An-n Be-l-t-er that I really liked.  None of these are from the store I'm talking about in the post... they had a STRICT (!) no photo policy!

At one point, she brought out a dress that was almost what I wanted, but the bottom was too pouffy.  So, I asked if she had something similar, but A-line.... and she brought out this great dress that she hadn't pulled for me earlier.  The minute I saw it, I knew that I was going to really like it.... and I got nervous ... just how much was this dress?!?  I asked, and Shop Girl said....... wait for it ........  $1,200!! It was by far the least expensive dress I'd tried on at that store, but I liked it by far the best!  How awesome!!

 

And, the best part??  I shopped around for that dress on-line, and found it at another store here in NYC for even less.  They have two versions -- one is $1090 (super long train, which I don't want), the other is only $900 (shorter train, which I probably do want)!  I'm going to go and try it on in a few days -- the shop is right by my office!

 
 A cute pic of my mom at our dress-shopping-day brunch!

What else??  Well, we've got our florist (Steve's talented cousin, who works with I-n-a G--ar-te-n) locked down, same with the cake (family friend who used to be an editor at G--o-ur-m-et is going to make it), and I found a great photographer, too!  So, we're getting there!!  It's really a lot of fun, and I'm enjoying it a lot!  It's nice that Steve is interested and involved, too.  He's such a wonderful guy. :)

WHEEEEEEEEEEW!!!

I'm breathing a major sigh of relief. I talked to my dad last night, and it turns out that he's going to be fine. No spread of cancer, thank God. He'll still have to undergo some treatment for the bit they found, but it does not sound life-threatening at all. (Er, Dad, I hope it's OK that I'm posting this on my blog.. let me know if not..)

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers... and please, keep 'em coming! :) xoxo

BC3 - CHICAGO!!!

I am SO GLAD that fall is here. I spent last Sunday in my apartment organizing, doing laundry, catching up on work and doing some wedding planning with Steve. It was so nice to spend the whole day in close proximity to my sofa... and Max, my cat!

That said, I do have some upcoming travel plans that I'm excited about! I decided to join the crew of bandsters -- and sleevesters -- in Chicago for BC3! I'm really looking forward to seeing the folks who I've gotten to know through the past (nearly four!) years of blogging, and the last two years' fun in Chicago, and can't wait to meet the people who are joining for the first time! I have some serious blog homework to do before the conference....

Hilton Head!

Ahhh! I finally have photos to share from my trip to Hilton Head, SC from August 11-14th. Steve and I were both able to go and to meet up with my Dad, step-mom, my brother, his wife, my niece and nephew, two of my aunts, and two uncles. The reason for the trip? My Dad's 70th birthday!

Lounging on the sand!
I am loving the Tr-i-n--a T-u--r-k towel
I bought with a GC that a friend gave me for my b-day

It was such a great trip, for many reasons. First, I'm so glad that we got to do something big for my Dad. He's such a sweetheart, and is extremely easy-going and is not the kind of person who calls out for everyone to make a big fuss over his birthday (unlike me! Hee hee). So, it was extra fun to do just that!

Second, I really enjoyed getting to hang out with so much family all at once! Leaving aside that one of my aunts mentioned my ex-fiance at least FOUR separate times (broken up in 2004, mind you... I hardly even THINK of the guy and he couldn't be more irrelevant)... everything went very smoothly and it was a ton of fun. We hung out at the beach and/or went bike riding every day, had dinner out, followed by ice cream, and played quite a lot of frisbee in the pool and the ocean!

Such a cute photo of my dad and step-mom from the trip! Look at those big smiles!

At the beach with Steve! Surprise! This looks like all my other summer photos! :)With my Dad! Why yes, I have perfected the "ring-display" pose! Hee hee!
I can do it from the other side, too! LOL

The third thing that I really liked about this trip is that it, like all our weekends out in the Hamptons, reminded me that I no longer dread a beach vacation. I'm far from perfect, but I'm about as close as I'm ever going to be, and have come so far that I don't worry about my flaws the way I did before. On this trip, I was in a bathing suit for at least several hours every day, and that didn't stress me out even a little bit. Even when I was this weight when I was younger (pre-big-gain, pre-band), I never felt like that at all. I probably would have worn shorts all day, and a one-piece. I am so grateful not to feel like that anymore.

The champions of frisbee!!

This one cracked me up. :)

After returning from the trip, I found out that my Dad is going to have to have some medical tests this week and next. It's a worrisome situation, though one that might turn out not to be a big deal, if we caught this problem early enough. I wanted to ask all of you to keep him in your thoughts and prayers -- and to hope for the best possible results. My Dad is hugely important to me, and I figured that some extra prayers and thoughts might help.