Travel with Christy K

What is 5 on Friday you ask?  It's where you write a blog about five things on your mind today, anything goes really, then you link it up to one of the three hosts blog sites.

My 5 for Friday this week is the top 5 beauty items I'm kinda obsessed with at the moment.


Just bought this shampoo and conditioner about a week ago and I'm in love with it.  It really does add volume to my hair.  Or it makes me think it does :)


I was using Bare Minerals makeup for the longest time, but two things started happening.  1.  My face started to look really really REALLY dry and 2.  My face started to look orange.  I went to Ulta and started talking to the make up girl and she suggested Smashbox Halo Hydrating powder foundation.  You put a primer called Photo Finish Primer and a BB Cream underneath and my make up stays on all day, I don't look dry, and the best thing...I'm not orange :)
Mary Kay's Love Lash Mascara.  It's amazing.  It doesn't make my eyelashes clump up and if you are sensitive to certain masacara's this has worked well for me. 



 I love this collection of eye shadows.  When I was in my 20's I wore eyeshadow every day, but as I got older I just started keeping it simple with blush, mascara, and lipstick.  Decided it was time to start wearing it again when I saw this :)


Started with Kenra and ending with Kenra :)  The volume hairspray by Kenra has a really good hold and again I think it does add volume to my hair but again it could be just me thinking it does

Well you know I love music and I love a good link up :)  Megan Ashley and Kristen are doing Thurday Tunes link ups and here is my first one!

There isn't a specific genre, song, artist, etc that you have to post about.  Just whatever you're feeling for that Thursday.  This week I am doing the last 5 songs I downloaded off of iTunes:


{Josh Abbott Band}  I'll Sing About Mine


{Josh Abbott Band}  She Will Be Free


{Tyler Farr}  Redneck Crazy


{Hunter Hayes}  I Want Crazy


{Katy Perry}  Roar

Ok....yes Mean Girls is one of my favorite movies, but as far as real mean girls...don't like them.  Can't stand them actually.

When I was bigger I always said "If I lose a lot of weight I will never be like them.  I will always remember where I was.  And I will stand up for them."  Little did I know that 179 lbs later the time would come for me to stand up for people now.

“We only carry sizes one, three and five. You could try Sears.”

Who are you to judge where a bigger girl window shops?  Even though we know that there is no chance of us purchasing anything from this store, we still want to browse.  Who knows...maybe your clothes will be what motivates that person to get healthy and be able to actually shop in your store.  I remember I was in high school and for some reason I went to Express.  Nothing in that store could fit me, but I still looked.  Then I came across a "dressy" sweat shirt.  It was white, said Express across the chest, had some embroidered flowers behind the name.  I actually was able to purchase this shirt because it was made on the bigger side.  It was supposed to be baggy for the normal Express shopper to wear with leggings.  I didn't care though.  I felt so special because I actually was able to purchase something from this store.  None of the sales clerks bothered me.  None of them discouraged me from trying it on or purchasing it.  And I thank them for that.  I've spent my entire life pretty much going with family and friends into stores that there was not a single thing there that would fit me.  Every once in a while I felt stares from the sales clerks, but none actually came up to me and suggested I go elsewhere.  If you work in a store that carries mostly smaller clothing items, don't discourage them from looking.  We just want to look.  What's the harm in that?  Who knows....that bigger girl may go and tell her smaller friends about how cute the clothes are and how nice the sales clerks are and get you a ton of business.

To all you sales clerks out there.  The next time you want to discourage someone from inviting a bigger person to your store to browse, think about the fact that they may be a customer one day and will go and encourage their smaller friends to purchase from you.

To quote another great movie, Pretty Woman....

Vivian: Do you remember me?

Salesperson: No, I'm sorry.

Vivian: I was in here yesterday. You wouldn't wait on me?

Salesperson: Oh.

Vivian: You work on commission, right?

Salesperson: Ah, yes.

Vivian: Big mistake. Big. Huge! [turns away] I have to go shopping now!


P.S.  Since my last blog about being stuck on the same number for 3 weeks I have finally beat it!  I ended up losing 7 lbs last week.  Making my total number now 179 :)

I look south and see the old storm clouds roll...
On their way from old Mexico....

Ok, so this song doesn't have anything to do with this post other than it's about Texas...written by a Texas boy...and I love listening to it while I'm living in Texas.... :)

This past weekend I went to San Antonio with my dad and we met my sister, Mike, and the kids there.

One of my most favorite drives is down I 10.  It's through the hill country and I believe that is the most beautiful part of Texas.  If I could live in that area and I would.  I think it's absolutely gorgeous so I don't mind the scenery on the drive at all.  Plus I think it's more spread out more than I 20.  I get claustrophobic on I 20.

We spent most of our time relaxing but we did go to the San Antonio Zoo on Friday.  It was a great time to go because it was not packed at all.  We went in the morning so it wasn't to hot yet.  They have a train that goes around the zoo that we decided we needed to take.
Apparently me, Dad, and Mike were more excited about this than Ranston and Kenner.  I wish we would've gotten someone to take our picture so Cymbre could have been in it.  Oh well...it's the things you think of AFTER the fact.

Ranston loved riding the elevator.  We stayed at the Embessay Suites and their elevators are glass so you can see the whole way up and the whole way down...from floor 1....to floor 8...

No awkwardness here...If you're looking for awkwardness keep it a movin people...

I know when I've written about getting to know someone before on my blog that I've stated how I hate the beginning stages of getting to know them.  It's always awkward.  That is until now...

I've started seeing someone and from the very first conversation we have hit it off.  It's such a breath of fresh air to finally have met someone that I can carry on conversations and not feel awkward or that I'm having to work at the conversation.

But I guess that would mean the person isn't a good fit if you feel that way right?

He and I were supposed to have met a couple of months ago at a get together at a friends house.  I was unsure if I wanted to go to this event but the Monday before I received a phone call from her asking if I was coming and I said I'm going to try.  She said that I had to go because there was a great guy that she and her husband wanted to introduce me to.  "Oh Lord..." was my first thought.  I told her ok, I'll be there.

Fast forward to that Saturday.  I had a vendor show that day that I put together, so I went to that and started to feel nervous during it.  Me?  Nervous?  I hadn't felt nervous before meeting someone in a long time.  I dealt with it and when the event was over I went home to change and head over to their house.  Some friends were already there and I had one of them on the look out for this so called guy she wanted to introduce me to.  I'll be honest...I wasn't quite sure what I was walking into.  I got there and sat down and asked if she had seen him or heard of him being there.  She stated no.  So for the next 2 hours I was looking around...wondering who this guy is...if he was there...and nothing.  I finally found my friend that was hosting this get together and asked if he was here.  She said ,reluctantly, no.  I was kind of relieved and kind of sad at the same time.  I stayed a little bit longer and decided to go home.

My friend that was there and I joked that this so called man was a myth.  A ploy to get me to the party....

Well my friends, he is a real live man :)

We've only been talking since Friday, but I've already seen him twice and we have plans for tonight.  Normally I go on two dates and I'm like "Ug....nope" , but with him...I can't wait to spend more time with him.  And I like that.  I haven't felt this way in a REALLY long time so it's nice to feel it again.

I {love} feeling butterflies in my stomach....I think I'll keep them around...

To wash the road out of my soul
I got three days to love you out of control
And I wish I had a lifetime to hold onto you this way
Love can do some healing in just three days

Rosie never was one for turning heads
She was just always kinda there
She had a few nice features more or less
No red ribbons in her hair

Since that Jessie's been coming to the diner
Folks are saying that she's never looked finer
She's got a different air

She's taken a shine to him
Becoming the woman that she's never been
And all of guys are wishin' they hadn't been so blind
She's taken a shine to life
Now's there a sparkle in her eye
They all missed a gem - a diamond within
She's taken a shine

Rosie hardly messed a bit of work
Never took vacation days
Home, or the diner, it was all the same to her
She didn't know any other way

But each afternoon now she starts to come alive
'Cause Jessie's there each day to pick her up at five
You ought to hear them say

She's taken a shine to him
Becoming the woman that she's never been
And all of guys are wishin' they hadn't been so blind
She's taken a shine to life
Now's there a sparkle in her eye
They all missed a gem - a diamond within
She's taken a shine

Oh, what a little love can do
Now that she's found herself
She's stromger than she ever knew

She's taken a shine to him
Becoming the woman that she's never been
And all of guys are wishin' they hadn't been so blind
She's taken a shine to life
Now's there a sparkle in her eye
They all missed a gem - a diamond within
She's taken a shine

FRIDAY!

Woot!  So glad it's finally Friday!  It's been a crazy week!

What is 5 on Friday you ask? Just write a blog about five things on your mind today, anything goes really, post the logo below on your blog and link back to one of the three hosts ( I link mine to A. Liz Adventures), and then enter your post address in the link-up section.  Easy as pie!


V.  I am so blessed to have the jobs that I have.  I work during the day for my Mom and step dad's drug testing business and let me say, it can get very crazy, very stressful, and very weird at times but I wouldn't trade it  for anything.  In the end I do like working there and I'm so glad they allow me to work there.  I have also been blessed with two (yes I said two) part time jobs.  They are both on my time and I can decide when/if I am going to work them.  I work part time at my best friends salon as a manicurist and then I sell some amazing jewelry that allows me to hear peoples story's.  I work in a man's world during the day and get to feel like a girl in the evening :)

IV.  Speaking of jobs, sometimes I do miss working at J C Penney's.  I worked there all together give or take a couple of months when I didn't work there speraticly for 7 years.  I truely enjoyed it.  Again at times it was stressful but I made some really great friends by working there that  I would have not met, had I not gone to work there July of 1999.   And I really miss the employee discount when I'm shopping.  So if you're still an associate there and want to help a sista out...holla... :)

III.  I'm getting excited about my 1 year surgaversary!!  In the beginning I didn't have a goal that  I wanted to be at but now I do.  I want to have hit my 200 before Oct. 3rd.  As of Sunday I still need to lose 28 lbs.  I know that's a lot for the amount of time I have but if it happens, it happens.  I won't be doing anything stupid to achieve my goal by any means.  We shall see what happens!

II.  Speaking of my 1 year surgaversary and 200 lb loss, I've been going crazy trying to think of something to do like I did with the 116 balloons that I released (If you missed that blog, check it out here.  There's a slide show with my pictures at the bottom of the blog) , but I can't think of anything to do.  There is one idea that I am kind of thinking about doing but still not sure.  Nothing has really stuck out and really grasped my attention yet.  So please, if you have any idea's please share!

I.  If you're looking for a good laugh....visit Shelley's blog .  You see Shelley use to babysit my sister and I when we were little (well really who didn't babysit my sister and I when we were little?  And I'm friends and able to drink alcohol now with them...let me say it was weird at first...).  I posted some pictures on my Facebook of she and I when we were younger and that brought back a hilarious babysitting memory.  Oh my.....

 OOOOHHHH MMMMYYYY GGGOOOSSSHHH!  I'm so excited!  Megan Ashley from Barefoot & Blue Jean Princess nominated me for The Liebster Award!  I know it's not an actual award, but recognition, and that means A LOT to someone who writes a blog.  Makes a girl feel like there are people other than her mom, dad, sister, etc reading it :)  Thanks again Megan!

The Liebster Award takes its name from the German word meaning dearest and is an award given to a new blogger with fewer than 200 followers. There will be no trophy or embossed certificate but it is recognition from a fellow blogger that you have valuable information to be shared. And it's an excellent way to make new friends, network and get your blog noticed!
The criteria, if you should accept this award, is as follows:

• Thank your nominator by linking back to their post

• Answer the 11 questions posed by your nominator

• Make a list of 11 facts about yourself

• Nominate 5 or more up and coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers for this award

• Provide a list 11 questions for your nominees to answer

• Publish your post and contact your nominees with the good news

11 Random Facts About Me:

1.  My Nana and I have the same birthday
2. When I was little I wanted to be a hair dresser but became a nail tech instead
3.  I wear a size 10 shoe but if I were to cut my toes in half I'm sure I'd be a 9 lol
4.When NKOTB reunited my sister and I got to meet them and sit 3rd row...no other concert will compare...
5. I {LOVE} the 90's...music, some fashion, movies...I really want to be BFF's with Tori Spelling...
6. I use to be awesome at making Myspace backgrounds but making blog backgrounds..it's like speaking German...
7.  I hate hate HATE when people are called out on their spelling.  Especially on a Facebook status....we all know that person can't spell...why embarrass them?
8. I was in Girl Scouts until I was a Freshman in high school...no shame....some of the best times of my life
9.  My phone has been being a piece of crap lately and as much as I love my iPhone, I feel I may need a different phone...one with a larger screen and longer battery life...
10.  I would {love} to start a non profit group for over weight teenage girls that could teach them how to eat properly (if they couldn't afford Weight Watchers or something along those lines), dress properly (cause there are some girls that should NOT be wearing some of the stuff they are wearing), have different events to give them self esteem that they may be lacking, and give them someone to talk to when that kid at school is being mean and saying "Come on biggin" while they are running lines in tennis (I wouldn't know that last part from experience or anything....a friend named Tristy told me her experience once)
11. I would love to run a 5k at Walt Disney World one day....and then stay in Cinderella's Castle :)

10 Questions from Kristen:


1. Best vacation spot?  Can't go wrong with a tropical beach
2. Favorite color (this says a lot about a person)? Kelly green....now I need to Google what it says about me lol
3. Did you play sports in school?  I played tennis
4. We're playing MASH--give me your 3 "husband" choices:  Matthew McConaughey ,Chris Young, Wade Bowen
5. Favorite movie?  Grease 2...again...no shame
6. Do you have a "hidden" talent?  none that I can think of
7. Biggest fear? skunks....ewww
8. iTunes or radio?  both
9. Where did you grow up?  Andrews, TX USA
10. Steak or Chicken?  Steak


My Questions for my Nominees:

1. If you could be friends with any celebrity who would it be?
2. What was your first vehicle?
3. What is a destination that you want to visit that is on your bucket list?
4.  What profession would you have if you could?
5.  What is the current theme song for your life?
6.  Can you whistle?
7.  Mac or PC?
8.  Favorite restaurant?
9. Cat, dog, or neither?
10. If you could go back in time would you?


Nominees:

1. Nancy @ House Of Hudspeth
2.Tamara @ Lehmann Laughter

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Literally......

{This actually happened yesterday but I saved it for my Texas Tuesday post :) }




I can now cross something else off my weight loss bucket list!  I got back on a horse!  It was so much fun!  I rode my Aunt Julie's horse Fly (don't tell Rori I rode her horse....she might get mad ;)  and had an awesome time!  We only rode for about an hour (my butt is not use to a saddle, but it will get use to it) in the arena and through the pasture.  It's been many years since I've been able to do this.  I had a great time, just riding and chatting.  I think we are going to try and make it an every Sunday kind of thing.  The only thing I have left to check off of my weight loss bucket list to do with horses will be to not have to use a step stool to get on.  I'm to short and still to chunky to get up on my own but I will one day.  And trust me, when I do, there sure is going to be a blog about it!  Thank goodness I didn't have Julie video me like I had originally thought about doing....that would have been a sight... :)



{I've decided on my Texas Tuesday posts I'm going to add a song at the end that I'm listening to at the moment....and yes they will have something to do with Texas ;)  duh...}

{Song}  She's Like Texas
{Artist}  Josh Abbott Band
{Album}  She's Like Texas

You pea picker!


One of my most favorite memories growing up is in the summer when we would go and pick fresh black eyed pea's from a garden, go home, and sit and shell pea's while watching tv.  I still have the bowl I used to shell them with and still use it to shell today.  My friend Cynthia had told Sherise and I that we could go out and pick pea's if we wanted to, and we had to take her up on the offer!  I mean...those pea's would die if we didn't.  We did it for the pea's...






Another friend of mine that has had a garden in the past and has let me pick from it, knows how much I love to shell them myself.  She thought she was doing a nice thing by shelling them for me one time and I was so sad because I didn't get to shell them myself.

This is a whole lot of fall/winter goodness right here.  Don't get me wrong, I love black eyed pea's anytime of year, but the are especially good on cold nights with warm corn bread.  And we {HAVE} to have them on New Years Day.  I need to be prosperous during the next year.  Maybe I should eat this whole bowl that day....

I'm calling myself out...

What were you thinking??

{Disclaimer}
{Just because I'm feeling down about the progress over the past few weeks does not mean I am not happy or excited still about the progress I have already made.  I look at my before pictures all the time and think about how far I have come.  So please don't think that I'm still not happy with the progress I have accomplished this far, just in a rut about the progress over the past couple of weeks.  I also am not in a downward spiral by any means, ending up right back to where I was....not going to happen.  And yes I knew it was going to slow down at some point, I just wasn't ready.}

Last week I ate like crap!  I'm blogging about it because I feel that making things public sometimes put people back in their place.  My portion sizes were the same, still small, but it was in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner that I had the munchies.  Bad.  Whether it was a sweet tooth or just needing to much on something, I feel like it was horrible. 

I finally felt normal yesterday as for munching and what not.  I didn't feel a constant need to munch.  I did also make sure to get my protein in.  I know one of the reasons for feeling "hungry" or the need to munch was lack of protein.  I have got to step it up with the protein.  I will go weeks where I do so good with it and then I go a week where I do horrible.  I know it's just one of those weeks and I'm the only one that can pull myself out.  I have worked to hard and accomplished so much to slack.

Sleep also plays a factor into weight loss.  I hadn't been sleeping very good, but I went to the chiropractor (if I could get adjusted every week I would) and got adjusted.  That made a world of difference.  I always know when I'm not sleeping very good that it's time to visit Dr. Davidson.  He and I were discussing how important it is to get adjusted on a regular basis when loosing weight.  Especially if it's a lot of weight.  It puts everything back in it's place and takes pressure off of your organs that are settling into different area's because there is more room for them to.  So the point of this part is if you do not have a chiropractor, get you one!  You'll feel healthier, more mobile, and over all better because of it :)

A friend of mine is joining the gym next week so hopefully that will get me back on the work out train.  I don't know why but I always work out way better if I have someone there with me.  I don't necessarily want to talk to them, but just knowing that there is someone there with me pushes me.  She had gotten a work out routine from someone so we'll do that and then I'll still do my cardio on the treadmill and sit down elliptical thing (I have no idea the right name for it so I shall refer to it as the sit down elliptical thing ;) 

I'm waiting on 3 more pounds before I post the new total loss and comparison pics.  My friend Victoria has gotten into photography as a hobby and so I'm going to have her take some pictures and then of course pictures when I hit 200 down.  I would say that shouldn't be long but the rate I'm going (1 lb a week or staying the same) it may be a few months.....