Be My Own Paper Doll

Hello Hello!

   Last night, my dear friend and fellow Blogger Nubby posted what I hope is the first of many Paper Dolls for Grownups entries in her blog, and I was honored to be her first subject. In short, she offered her insights into the types of clothing she would choose for me, sort of like a long distance game of dress-up. Nubby has a fantastic eye for style, a wonderful mix of accessible, eclectic, artistic, classy, and FUN.

  I was thrilled and very touched to see Nubby's thoughts about my personality and how she thought my Lynn-ish-ness would be reflected through clothing, and she was SPOT ON. However, it got me to thinking: How long has it been since I went out shopping for clothes just for fun, thrifted or new? When was the last time I went through my closet and put together a great outfit? With the exception of Sterling, where dressing is always a conscious process and a pleasure, when was the last time I played dress-up for no other reason than expressing my creativity and putting together outfits that I love and show my personality? I mean, I had a lovely time trying on and selecting a bridesmaid's dress for Steph's wedding, but when was the last time I had fun with everyday clothes? I honestly can't remember.

 The usually suspects are at least partly to blame here. Being, of course, lack of time and money.  Part of it also has to do with being in a style rut, which, though I certainly didn't do it on purpose, I must admit, I have allowed myself to fall into. My day job is in a daycare center. I wear a YMCA staff shirt with lounge pants or jeans. Minimal jewelry so the kidlings don't pull it off/out, hair in a ponytail or loose bun so the babies don't get fistfuls of it, and no makeup. Actually,to be fair, the no makeup isn't a YMCA policy, I could wear it if I wanted to, I just can't be bothered with it in the morning. I'm not much of makeup girl. I mean, I have nothing against it, it's just sort of off my radar. I wear makeup onstage and for special occasions, but it's not really an everyday thing for me. I am, however, extremely diligent in taking care of my skin.
 
  Even when I'm not at work though, I feel like my style has drifted into a kind of ho-hum comfort zone. Don't mistake me, I like to look good. My clothes are clean, in good repair, and they fit well. One thing I'll say for myself, I don't try to hide my body in oversized baggy clothes. For the most part, I dress to my shape, accentuating what I like and minimizing the bits that I'm less enamoured with. But upon inspection/introspection of my wardrobe, I realize that I tend to wear the same sorts of things over and over. Lots of solid colors, lots of neutrals, very few patterns, similar cuts, similar outfit themes, etc. Not a lot of risks, very few statements pieces, not many things that show off my personality. Somewhere along the line, I fell into a *good enough* routine with my clothes. As in, I look *fine* and don't care to expend the energy necessary to go beyond that. And I want that to change. Starting today.

 Getting dressed can be fun, if you let it. It's an opportunity to express yourself. I don't care what size you are, there are always going to be ways to make clothing and accessories fun. I want to let that fun back in. There's really not much that can be done for my *work* wardrobe. However, that being said, I want to put a lot more effort into my personal style. I want to experiment, take risks, express myself, etc. I will be my own Paper Doll :) I will try and update on it periodically here, maybe put up some outfit photos, if anyone cares to see them. Thank you, Nubby for inspiring me :)

In other news: As of this past Monday, I weighed 159.4lbs. Which means I've lost three poounds, and I've already past the minimum goal for this month, wheee!!! And, both as a weight-loss motivator and a tie-in to the above, I've decided that, for every 5lbs I lose, I get a non-food reward. A new article of clothing, a spa treatment, you know, things like that.

Random Home Remedy: Last week, while still in the throes of that devilish sinus infection, I drew myself a hot bath and put in about ten or fifteen drops of peppermint oil, in the hopes that it would clear out my sinuses. It did that and more. The peppermint oil in the water was so incredibly cooling and refreshing, it actually made my skin tingle in the bathtub.  When I climbed out, I could still feel the coolness on my skin, so I waved the towel around myself to create a little bit of a breeze, sooooooooo refreshing!!! Like ice water on a hot day. This would feel great in the dog days of summer, after a workout, if you were feeling overheated/feverish, for headaches, etc. I was first introduced to peppermint oil as a cooling agent this past summer at Sterling. A few drops on your temples/pulse points will cool you wonderfully. So yeah, just thought I'd pass that along. Peppermint Oil is your friend, and they carry it at Wegmans :)

Love Ya'll :)
Lynn

Nudges from the Universe, Addendums, and Goal #4

Happy New Year, My Darlings!!!

    I had wanted to post before this, but I was struck down with The Plague (aka, the worst sinus infection I've had in ages), which rendered me basically useless for the first part of this week. My doctor put me on antibiotics, and just now today I am starting to feel significantly better. There's been a little 2011 Goals progress,  Here's an update:

Goal #1: (Savings) The count stands at $107.04, but I get paid tomorrow, so there'll be a little more in there soon. Also, in other financial news, I have made a decision to stop carrying my Visa card in my wallet until I get it paid off. I should really be saving it for emergencies, plane tickets, big purchases, etc. So, out of the wallet it goes until further notice. Will this suck? Probably, but it's for my own good.

Goal #3: (Weight Loss) I weighed myself Monday morning. And, I don't mind telling you, it wasn't pleasant. I could piss and moan, but I'm not going to. Cards on the table, here we go. I am 5'2 (really 5'1 and 3/4, but let's not split hairs), and Monday morning I weighed 162.4lbs and according to my scale I was 36% Body Fat. By the end of this year, this will have changed. As I've said, I haven't been feeling well this week, so I haven't had much of an appetite (though I'm certainly not starving myself). I haven't really been snacking, and the holiday goodies have finally been consumed, so the sugary treats are out of my immediate path. So, yesterday, just for the heck of it, I weighed myself again, and I was down to 161.2lbs, which gave me a nice little boost of confidence. I'm going to a Zumba class tomorrow with a friend. The updates will continue :)


And here's another goal for 2011:)

2011 Goal #4: Use/Manage My Time More Effectively

This goal is pretty self-explanatory. I know there are plenty of things that I put off way too long, which just leaves me feeling rushed and stressed when it comes down to the wire. Example: If I either A) made my lunch the night before and/or B) got up a little earlier in the morning, I wouldn't be so pressed for time before I left for work. Actually, that's a good place to start, I don't want to put too fine of a point on this, because it's more of a general goal, but everything starts somewhere. I'll try to start making my lunch the night before, and going to bed/waking up earlier.

 And now, the fun stuff :)

  I am a great believer in Signs ( omens, nudges from the Universe, whatever you wish to call them) I am also a great believer in the ideal that everything happens for a reason. Two things have happened to me since Christmas that have really stuck with me, and I would like to share them here, any/all feedback would be welcome:)

 - I am great believer in all things Spiritual, Magical, Mystical and *unseen*. Such as Angels, Faeries, Elves, Sprites, Ghosts, Miracles, Visions, Fate, and on and from there. I call them *unseen*, because all of these things/ideals and a host of others are absolutely real to me, but I realize that my experiences may be wholly unlike the experiences of others. The blog of a kindred spirit who has recently started to reconnect with the *unseen* and The Faery Folk has made me lament how little room I've had for all these things in my own life of late. Not that I ever stopped believing, but the frantic pace of a busy life crowded it all out, somewhat. And then, for Christmas, out of the blue and with absolutely no hints from me, my boyfriend bought me a small porcelain Faery as a Christmas gift. She is a sweet wee thing, with brown pigtails and blue eyes, holding a baby bottle that is almost as big as she is ( he got it for me because I care for infants every day at the daycare center:). There is apparently an entire collection of these Kitchen Faeries, as they are called :) I was very struck by the timing of this gift. A reminder from the little people to let the Magic back in, and I shall :)

- I love to sing. I sing every day. All through middle school and high school I was always in Choir, Show Choir, All-County Chorus, All-State and so on. Since college, however, though absolutely not on purpose, I have been concentrating more on straight plays than musicals. My love for singing never diminished, but it just became more of something I did for fun, not necessarily a career focus. However, the last few performances I have been involved in have asked me to sing, which I did, and the amount of compliments I received was shocking, and extremely flattering. But, anyway, to the point: Monday morning I pulled a book down from a high shelf in my bedroom ( for whatever it's worth, the book I was retrieving was my Complete Collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales that I intended to bring to my Faery Tale Book Club Meeting that night,which I, sadly, became too sick to attend). As I was pulling the book down, a small metal object fell off the top of the book and down onto the shelf. I picked it up and it was a small silver pin in the shape of the Treble Clef Symbol (the one that looks like a cursive "S" with a swirl in the middle).
  
    Now, I am the one who placed those books on the shelf when I came home in 2009. The pin belongs to me, but I haven't seen it in years and certainly didn't put it there myself. My only explanation is that it was put there so I would find it to remind me to let music and singing back into my life in a bigger way, not just as a hobby. Point taken, Universe, point taken indeed :)

Watch for the Everyday Miracles, My Friends :)

Love,
Lynn

Sally Forth :)

   I have a few more goals to post for the New Year, but first, I wanted to post something a little more personal :

   I rarely have totally good years or totally bad years, most years are a mix of both. And 2010 was no exception. Plenty of  good and bad, laughter and tears, despair and rejoicing, joy and sorrow, and all those other Yin/Yangs.

 What was different about 2010 was that this felt like the year of my personal rebirth. 2010 was my Phoenix Year. This was the year of second chances that I thought would never come. I am Happy Lynn again. What was dormant has awoken. Even people who barely know me have seen the change. I am alive again :)

God, Angels, Fate, Faeries, Spirits, Luck, Karma, whatever you want to be called, from the bottom of my heart, I Thank You.

I cannot wait for the year to come:) 2011, let the adventure begin :)

Cheers, My Loves :)
Lynn

2011 Goals # 2 and #3

Hiya!

These next two goals are reasonably brief and self-explanatory, so I'll put them both in the same post:

2011 Goal #2: Write in each of my blogs at least once a week. As I've said before, I really do love blogging, and I miss it when I don't have the time to do it. What I need to do is discipline myself to MAKE time for it. My Food Blog is somewhat more labor intensive because of taking and uploading photos and suchlike, but I really will try to post in both of my blogs a minimum of once a week :)

2011 Goal #3: Lose 30lbs or two pants sizes and at least 6% body fat. This is probably the oldest goal in the history of goal-setting, but here it is. I have struggled with my weight off and on since college, gained and lost the same 20lbs for years. Stress weight, emotional eating, too busy to eat right and exercise, blah blah blah, I've said it before, you've heard it before, you've probably said it before yourself. But no more, I'm done. I don't eat all that badly, I just have a hard time sticking to an exercise routine and I have very little willpower or portion control when it comes to food. I know that if I am willing to make a real, consistent effort, I will have the body I want. Finally, at long last, I am ready to make that effort. I have the ability to achieve my goals. 30lbs in 12 months is 2.5lbs per month, which is a totally manageable amount. I mean, I'd like to move faster than that, but even if I expend just the barest consistent effort, I'm sure I can lose 2.5 lbs per month. I am going to start taking Zumba classes, and I have a free membership to the YMCA Fitness Center that I'm going to start using, and that's where I'll start. Not sure about an eating plan, I'll get to that in more detail after New Years, but for now, I think having all the holidays cookies, candy and other goodies out of the house and not tempting me will be a good place to start :)


Love to All :)
Lynn

2011 Goal #1: Building Up My Savings

Hello All :)

   As I said yesterday, I have several goals for 2011 ( otherwise known as New Year's Resolutions, but for some reason this terminology seems to make people prickly, and apparently NYR's tend be broken, so I'm going to refer to them as *goals*). I am posting them here for accountability's sake. Declaring a goal publicly will inspire much more diligence in me than just telling myself to do it. And so, we begin :)

  2011 Goal #1: Building Up My Savings

  Since moving home in August of 2009 after the completion of my Master's Degree, a series of unfortunate events kept me from putting virtually any money into my savings account, which was, in essence, the whole point of my moving home, to save money for the next chapter of my life. The economy tanked, making it infuriatingly difficult for me to find a well paying job in my degree field (Theatre/Arts for Children), or any job at all, at least at first. I was unemployed for two months, denied State Unemployment, lost my Health Insurance and went without it until a few months ago when I was approved for Medicaid. I have a wonderful job as an Actor and Teaching Artist for the Syracuse Shakespeare Festival, and I am halfway through my second season with them, and while we are paid, it is not, sadly, enough to make a living ( I'm sure everyone reading this who is even remotely creative or artistic and attempts to make their living this way is nodding and smiling knowingly). I was forced to take a number of side jobs. I worked in a bookstore, I worked in a restaurant, barely making enough to keep my bills paid, living paycheck to paycheck, always one car repair bill, medical bill or unexpected expense away from whatever meager savings I had managed to accumulate being wiped out, and being put in real danger of a serious financial issue.

   But this is an old song, everyone knows it, and I know that virtually everyone around me is in the same boat, or has been in this boat at some point or points in their lives. The point is, after all this time, things appear to be changing :) I have finally found a day job that pays decently well. I am a Teacher Assistant at a YMCA run daycare/preschool. The money is not great, but good enough to keep my bills paid with a little bit left over for savings or (gasp!) a dinner out or some other small treat :) After approximately 16 months of having $7 in my savings account, a few weeks back I put my first $50 into the account :) And, tomorrow, I will deposit another $50. Bringing the grand total to $107. Not much, surely, but it is most definitely a start:)

And now, for a clear goal, with guidelines:

 -THIS MONEY IS FOR MY MOVE DOWN TO THE NEW YORK CITY AREA!!! (which will happen by the end of 2011, but that's another goal). Funds may only be diverted from my Savings Account for the following reasons:
                       -Emergency Car Repair
                       -Unexpected Medical Bills
                       -Unexpected Travel (if I know the trip is coming, I must save for it out of the money in my checking account)

- I am a card-carrying member of Garbaholic's Anonymous. The only place that I ever really drop large amounts of money is at the Sterling Renaissance Festival. For the Faire Season, I may remove up to 1/3rd of the money in my savings account (i.e. if I have amassed $1000, I may remove up to $333), but it must last me the whole season, and I must begin replacing it immediately. Any further expenses for the Season must be budgeted out of my Checking Account.

- I must deposit some money into my savings account out of every paycheck I receive. The amount may vary depending on other bills and expenses, but I must do it every paycheck. The point is to get into the habit of putting money aside.

- If I receive extra money (Repertory Company Bookings, Extra Work, Odd Jobs, Tax Returns, Birthday Money, etc) I must deposit half of it into my savings account.

There! That seems reasonably manageable and clear-cut :) And now it's out in the open, so don't let me let it slide!!!

Hold me to it, friends :)
Love,
Lynn








 

I Have Returned :)

Greetings All!!!

     As you must have noticed, I have been mostly absent from the blogging world these past 7 or 8 weeks.  As is the common malady, I became so busy with other aspects of my life, blogging just fell to the wayside. I was in my friend Stephanie's wedding ( a marathon, but a lovely and truly enjoyable one), and then I was off to the races with rehearsals for three different plays. I had the honor of portraying the Virgin Mary in *The Butterfinger's Angel* for Appleseed Productions (for those unfamiliar, *Butterfinger's Angel* is a comic (though not disrespectful) retelling of the Nativity Story). I was also in rehearsals for *Midsummer* and *Julius Caesar* for Avon Repertory Company. Our 2010 shows completed, we start the next round in January. I am also teaching a Shakespeare Workshop next week at Cayuga Community College :) So between all the events listed here, plus the holidays and other family commitments, I have been busy literally every single day. I have had exactly two days off in the past two months. I am beyond exhausted. But I am pleased with all the work I've done while I've been away from you:)

      *The Butterfinger's Angel* went very well, a wonderful cast, director, and crew, good reviews and receptive, appreciative audiences. I really do want to write more about the experience, but I really am too tired to do it justice tonight., rest assured I'll wax poetic about as soon as I have the energy to do so. The first round of ART shows also went very well, and I'm looking forward to the January workshops and performances.
    My holidays were lovely. Busy, but full of good food, family and festivity, and for that I am very grateful. This was my first Christmas with my wonderful boyfriend, Michael, and sharing these holidays with him was wonderful :) My family and friends have all welcomed him in, and that means the world to me :) The next show I am possibly auditioning for won't be until the end of January, so these next few weeks will give me a much needed break. Time to refocus and restore a little balance, and devote more time to other things I enjoy.

   Like blogging, for instance. I really do enjoy it, and I really have missed it, and I plan to make it one of my New Year's Resolutions to write in each of my blogs a minimum of once a week, starting in 2011. I have several other 2011 goals, and also a list I've been working on of 30 Things I want to accomplish by my 30th Birthday, but look for that in a later blog.

   I hope you're all still out there and I haven't lost you :) There are many more ramblings to come, stay tuned:)

Love to All :)
Lynn

Putting the Nanny Pants On :)

Hey All,
Just a quickie for today, as I'm heading out tomorrow for a very dear friend's wedding, in which I am a bridesmaid (yay!). I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to tell when I get back. This was my first week at the YMCA daycare center. I am a Float/Teacher Assistant, so I basically go to the classrooms where they need me, and could therefore be with any age group from infancy to age four. However, pretty much every day so far I spend my mornings with the Toddlers ( ages 18-36 months) and the majority of my afternoon with the three year-olds,  with possibly some time spent in the infant rooms at the end of the day. I have to say, while completely exhausting, I really do enjoy it so far. Here are some of my impressions after my first week back in a child-caretaker role.

-Every skill I picked up as a Nanny came back to me almost immediately

- Never, ever assume that just because a child isn't verbal themselves, that that means they don't understand you.

- Everything in a room being at child height is basically a guarantee for lower back pain

- A child running up to you for a hug is like the Sun coming out from behind the clouds, it will bring a smile to your face every time, no matter what.

- Celebrate the small victories. I wish there was the same level of enthusiasm for the seemingly small achievements in adult's lives as there are for children. I mean, granted, I don't necessarily need or want praise for using the bathroom or coloring in the lines or drinking out of a cup with no sippy top. But, that being said, praise for *small* things is not something that should be ignored once you're an adult. It always feels good.

- My hands are virtually always going to be dry and chapped because I am constantly washing my hands.

- Children don't need elaborate toys.

- A snack and an afternoon nap shouldn't just be for kids, most adults would benefit from them immensely also.

- Sometimes you just need to be held.

- I am sooooo glad I have no conscious memory of diaper rash....*shudder*

- The forbidden will always be fascinating

- Food taste better when you eat it with your hands

-I have real envy of the ability of young children to sleep through virtually anything.

- Bonding with children can happen extremely quickly. I've been with these children for four days, and already they have each claimed a place in my heart. Whenever the time comes for me to leave this job, I will be genuinely sad and will miss each and every one of them.


I'm sure I'll have plenty more to say on this subject....stay tuned :)

Love,
Lynn