Nice Nails- Nothing but Naughty

This looked so scary and naughty  when I put it on... it was daring and vampy....

...so live it up, it's almost Halloween... this is prep. work!

I got the look by Rock Star Purple and this OPI red crackle. Go for it girls! Be daring and naughty!

Update on Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I amde these and posted them last March, but I made them again recently because my sister and Stephanie were coming over to look through Melanie's old toys and books to see what they could take home- recycle, right?

Well here they are again...

 

Nice presentation eh? It's actually a 'candle tray'. I followed this recipe.

http://simmerandglimmer.blogspot.ca/2012/03/chocolate-chocolate-chip-banana-muffins.html.

But this time I added about 1/3 cup of walnuts.

They were soooo good, especially when you reheat them in the microwave for just a few seconds.


I think Stepahnie really liked them too!  She smiled!

Big Mile Stone- Healthy Lifestyle Update

Hello to my dear fans... I have such wonderful news to share with you, It now has been over a year (Sep.19.11) since I started on this healthy lifestyle journey. I felt so proud to start this blog and share pictures of me and the food, the places, the people and the adventures.... Well I an ecstatic to report that all your support and encouragement has really propelled me into 'Super Stardom' status. As of tonight's visit to the Wharton Clinic, I have lost another 7.8 lbs for a total of 73.8 lbs. I have lost over 70 lbs folks and I feel fabulous!

What is so amazing to see along this journey is that I see the transformation in me- inside and out. At the beginning of this journey, I posted this photo. 

I felt so proud of myself having taken the first few steps on my new journey.... that was then....

... this is now...

... here I am posing with my niece and I see my face and I love what I see. I don't feel embarrassed or upset seeing my picture. In fact, I love to see pictures of me now, just to see the difference... see the progress and I am so proud. I am celebrating every moment of life and enjoying wearing bright red lipstick, just try and stop me from screaming  'look at me'. I am loud and proud and showing off... and it feels great!

First hit of Disney World... they go all out!

I am still overwhelmed with it all. Coming back from this awesome trip and starting back to work and school and trying to jump back on the healthy lifestyle band wagon again - it has all snowballed into my life right now... so in order to make sue I am making enough time for all the very important people and places in my world... I will be still blogging, but not necessarily everyday, maybe every other day... but I promise I will keep you up to date on all the amazing happenings in my world.

Sooooo, back to my fantasy come true... When first walked up to our hotel, this is what we saw...

Our resort was the Pop Century Resort, so we were bombarded by the decades, check out these giant sculptures. We stayed in the '60's part of the resort, groovy baby!

 The lobby was awesome! This was the giant gift shop and cafeteria. We spent A LOT of time in there, souvenirs, breakfast, and of course... those refillable mugs!

The lobby was like a museum, the walls were adorned with memorabilia from each decade. So this was the 90's- of note- the laptop and those electronic games...
 

Oh, yeah baby, the '80's, that's my decade! Everything here reminds me of my teenage years. The Simon game (yes, I know Julie, I still need to get it back from Melissa from 1981). The Trivial Pursuit- I loved that game and sooo enjoyed playing with my mom. The Cabbage Patch and the Rubik's cube, the Jane Fonda workout... oh yeah Sam... remember your project about her and you had to dress up like her and wear purple leg warmers! Oh, and don't forget the Dr. Scholls sandals. I had jean coloured ones... oh, the memories.

 And what about the '70's? And the disco outfits and the Big Wheel.

 

 The '60's withthe peace, love, hippies and walking on the moon and the Beatles!

 And finally the '50's with the Malt shop with and the jukebox and the bowling.... LOVE!

 After a long walk, and I do mean LONG... (got my exercise for sure), we got to our cute little room and we were hit with Disney... on the bedspreads...

 ... the little shampoo... and look at those ears!

  and the soap....

... and then under my feet, the carpet... Mickey is everywhere.... a magical start!

Now the trip down Disney through landmarks

Yesterday, you saw my ode to State highway signs. Today, I thought it would be even funner (like my word) to show you the trip down through landmarks of places, foods and things that are just plain Americana.

First pit stop- Erie, Pennsylvania. The Cracker Barrel, an ode to my Dad. Apparently this is his favourite store/restaurant to visit when he goes down to South Carolina. It literally is at every major exit on the way down... for fun, we should have counted them... there were probably over 25 of them. So there is little Miss Melanie and her Daddy heading in for brunch.

Melanie enjoying what I remember from my childhood roadtrips to America. That triangle jump the peg game... except I remember playing at Howard Johnson's and eating salt water taffee.

Warning... these food pictures are not a 'healthy alternative'. This trip was a bit of a cultural food experiment. We ate what was available...tried to have fruits when we could... but the amount of food- the portions are HUGE! Thank God we walked the parks for 5 days straight... I only gained about 2 lbs... which is incredible after the amount of food experimenting I did. Here you see Melanie's 'healthy breakfast' this really was called healthy.. the muffin was bigger than her head!!!! She loved it and the yogurt, berries and granola... that might have been the healthy part?

I tried to go 'healthy' too, they advertised whole wheat pancakes with berries and blackberry syrup. But they had run out of whole wheat, so they had to be 'white' and they came with 10 berries... and look at that giant chunk of butter- quickly scooped it off and only finished half the plate.

Next, was the great big green mountains of West Virginia.

Seriously driving though the mountains, look at the landscape- the road was 'chunked' out of the mountain. Thank God I was the driver, those windy roads would have given me some crazy motion sickness.

Here's an American landmark for sure... Biscuit World... I do love me some biscuits.

Then there was the tunnel through the mountains. Wow, that was cool for Mella, for me... not so much, you see I was wearing my sunglasses and going through the tunnel with those lights made me feel like I was in my own 3D movie... did I mention I get motion sickness?

Our stop for the night was a place called Mount Airy, South Carolina. Did you know it was the 'filming' place for the Andy Griffith show. The fake town of 'Mayberry'. So when we drove around for  a place to eat, look what I saw... a car from the show. I wonder if Ron Howard was ever in that car? I wonder if it had Subway written on the back of the car?

Well, wanting to enjoy all the little pieces of Americana for Melanie, we decided to try Sonic- America's Drive-In. See, it says it right there on the sign. But seriously, there wasn't much of a choice of restaurants.

So the whole concept is that you drive up to a parking spot and then order from your car... so can I get a salad? NOT!!!!! Ya, not my most nutritious meal!

And the whole fun of it is that the waitress/waiter than roller skates to your car and delivers your order. This boy was assigned to the tables- out waitress was too fast, so I didn't catch her.

Holy childhood moment.... Melanie was enjoying the motel pook after dinner. I sooooo remember staying in the roadside motels along our travels when I was a young girl. In fact, I remember finally figuring out the art of diving at one of these motel pools.

Next morning, big American city, Charlotte, North Carolina- which Brent informed me is the banking capital of America- thanks hon, I did not know that.

Next morning's brunch was in South Carolina. This one is for my sister... she used to love stopping at the big American Buffets at Shoney's.

Guess what Julie? The big buffets are still there... and it sure is American... just look at them decorations and Brent and Melanie eyeing them biscuits.

Yup, I was addicted to biscuits... warm and flaky, buttery biscuits. This was my little piece of heaven along with 3 cups of coffee. That 5:00am wakeup call made my 10:30 coffee an afternoon boost!

Ok, so here was my plate, a biscuit (OK, I may have wrapped a few and put them in my purse for an afternoon snack for me and the family), a little bacon, a little egg and a pile of oranges. Those seriously were the best, sweetest, juiciest oranges I have ever had. You see, these oranges didn't have to spend a week on a truck... they were straight from down the road. It's like eating an apple from an orchard- nothing can replace that freshness.




Ya, here's a nice typical picture all over the south... fireworks and waffle houses!

In Florida now, look at those landmark trees, no mistaken, we are in the tropical Palm Tree climate!

We stopped at the visitor centre and my goofy family made me proud!

... and even more proud here... we were suffering a little bit from 'car fever' at this point. But thanks Florida for the free orange juice!

Noticing my nails matched Minnie Mouse's dress. Mission accomplished!

Hurricane Isaac- this was a lovely welcome to the state, drivin through the beginning of the rain storm!

But guess what folks- we made it safe and sound and never happier to see our little resort in a palm tree paradise. Pop Century Resort- Groovy baby!

The Magical trip down to th Mouse Kingdom

Some of you might know that we took the trip of a lifetime - we drove down to Orlando, Florida for a week long vacation at the Disney World Parks... it was quite an event... and since I want you to feel the anticipation we felt going down in this 2-day road trip ... here is my own personal mapquest roadmap for you to feel the excitment as we made a photo diary of the trip down.

Here we go! 6:15am rolling down the QEW in Niagara region, watching the sun rise over the Magnotta winery. What an incredible spectable of nature for all of us to see... but espcecially for Melanie, but stay tuned, this wasn't the only sun rise we shared.

Here we are just crossed the border into Niagara Falls- what a lovely, polite and accommodating border crossing guard.

Look at the nice day in Pennsylvania... so clear and bright!

Look - a real famous city in Pennsylvania...Pittsburgh and did you know... it's really hilly and mountainess. Just thought I'd share.

West Virginia, Wild and Wonderful.



And Virginia... Open for Business- but wait when I went there in the '80's- Virginia was for Lovers. What happened?

North Carolina- no slogan- just State Line.

Here we are in South Carolina, OMG, I almost missed the sign... wait, I think that was Brent who took the picture.

Ok, maybe you can't see it... but we are in Georgia- Melanie took the photo a little too early.

Good photo Melanie, you got the sign perfectly.

Here's my close-up - Florida the Sunshine State and Brent and Melanie are there to prove to you that we actually made it...

We are almost here... 1 1/2 miles- woo hoo!

... 1/2 mile, in the rain, we are coming, watch out Disney!

Drive by picture taking... there are actually signs that say... no stopping at all  (because I guess lunatics stop in the middle of the highway to take photos)- I just decide to take fuzzy picture.

We made it! Finally, in the rain, through 22 hours of driving and a Hurricane. We are at the Disney Pop Century Resort.