Thursday, February 27, 2014

Love Book


I have a fascination with the idea of a "last meal." So of course, I love this link, which has taken photos to illustrate the last meals of death row inmates. I'm pretty sure my last meal would involve copious amounts of pizza.

Um, I just learned the true identity of Andy's mom in Toy Story. Mind blown.
 
Before there were break-up texts, there were break-up letters, and these ones from celebrities are heartbreaking and interesting.

Umm, did you know Barbara Streisand has a mall in her basement? Here are the amazing pictures.

Love, love, love these NYC marathon spectator signs!

What would historical figures like George Washington, William Shakespeare, Etc look like if they were living today? I would love to see a George Washington selfie.

I really, really want to visit/stay at one of these ice hotels one day. 

The difference between how food looks in advertisements vs. how it looks in reality at Mcdonald's doesn't gross me out. But I love seeing what a little food styling can really do!

I've always had a fascination with pictures of abandoned locations throughout the world. So here is 38 of them!

Classic books that are really short, so you have no good reason not to read them.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The Book Club That Wasn't

(Recipe Source: 1, 2, 3, 4)

My mom is part of a book club, and this kind of burns my butt or grinds my gears as they say, because I have always wanted to be in a book club. I know, I know I'm such a nerd. My dreams aren't big OK? And I can't really say my mom is  stealing my thunder because both her and my dad gave me an unstoppable love of reading.

So I could have been a part of this club, but they have it on Thursdays, which is one of two days I work uber late, and arguably my most exhausting day due to the fact I run a group for 4-5 year olds that day, who are undeniably cute, and I love them, but they just wear you out! So to attend, I would always be at least 30 minutes late.

Last Thursday was mom's turn to host the book club. I was excited, and I thought this would be an easy way to give the club a whirl.  I decided to take over preparing the snacks, since I just love, love, love trying new recipes. I chose deviled egg dip, jalapeno cheddar poppers, fried raviolis, and desert brownie pizza.

All stuff I can't eat mind you. But all stuff that would allow me to further my culinary skills. I have never fried anything! I have never used my food processor! I have never paired brownies with fruit (scandalous).

I spent all Tuesday night and Wednesday night after work last week, slaving over the stove. Do you know how much reality TV I missed out on? I even managed to burn my finger, testing the temperature of the oil. Yes, I just said I tested the oil temperature with my finger! Not my brightest move I admit, but I truly did not believe it could be that hot after literally a minute on the stove (now I know).

It is really weird to cook bariatric unfriendly food for me, because I can't really taste test the food. I remember that being a Top Chef quick fire challenge one time, now I get the difficulty. This may be TMI, but I did try the fried lobster ravoli and then spit it back out. I had Adam try the deviled egg dip, and then spent many hours obsessing and worrying that my cheddar poppers would be too spicy!

I was super proud of my accomplishments when I went to bed that night. But the next day at work, my mom texted me to tell me book club was being postponed due to possible bad weather. I was all like, "Are you kidding me?"  I was so disappointed, I was ready to wow with my food! I about rolled my eyes outside my head.

[On a side note: Adam and I are both chronic eye rollers, which I get is so disrespectful. But in an argument, we almost always do it to each other. And even though we are both equally guilty, it never fails to make the other person a million times more mad. I'm sure our kids will take gold in the eye rolling Olympics. Yeah, not looking forward to that].

I should have expected it honestly. The week prior we had been having crazy cold temperatures (and snow), and then it was super warm, which is basically a tornado's dream weather! We did indeed have a pretty bad storm that night and even a mini tornado (no one was harmed thank goodness).

If we hadn't had a storm that night, I would have been pretty peeved.

At least my mother enjoyed my food, and she raved about my jalapeno poppers a ridiculous amount (it so fed my fragile ego). But this week when it is time for book club again? They can just enjoy a fruit tray!

Sunday, February 23, 2014

The Weekend Report


I'm not going to complain about the weekend almost being over because that would be obvious wouldn't it? But I can say this was a wonderful weekend. I feel like I always say that, but I just really, really love a good weekend. I love that feeling I get on Friday afternoon when I'm done with work, and I just feel free. I love staying up late and sleeping in. I love that we can do as much or as little as we want. I even love my weekend solo trip to the grocery store, where I blast my tunes, and slowly browse the aisles. 

Friday, I restarted the couch to 5k, now that I can really work out since I'm 6 weeks post-op! I guess all the walking has paid off because it wasn't too hard. Sunday, when I did it again, I was able to up the speed by .2, while I watched Tonya & Nancy on NBC, silently crying about the Olympics already being over.

Adam and I aren't officially starting house hunting until May, but Friday night we just browsed our options online and found a nice house not too far from here. The next morning, my mom picked me up when she was dropping Carlee off to stay with us for the weekend. She wanted to drive by the houses, which is her absolute FAVORITE thing to do ever. I really loved the two houses we saw. Later on in the day, I took Adam by and he really liked one of them. It is kinda hard to look at houses right now knowing we can't do anything to own one yet. But it is heartening to know there are so many nice houses that fit our criteria!

Saturday afternoon, we had matinee tickets to see Flashdance the musical, and I got to wear my sparkle shirt! I have never seen the movie Flashdance, blasphemous I know. I enjoyed the play, who doesn't love the 80s? I'm not going to say it was my all time favorite musical, that distinction is reserved for Miss. Saigon. But we really had a lot of fun, and I have What a Feeling going through my head non-stop!

On Saturday night, I made up some baked chicken nuggets from this recipe. Even Adam loved them! It is so rare for us to find a meal we both love, that is fairly healthy. This is going into the dinner rotation for sure. 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Holidays on Ice

{Photo Source Here}

When I am reading a book, I highlight my favorite parts. These are my favorite bits from Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris:

"I often see people on the streets dressed as objects and handing out leaflets. I tend to avoid leaflets but it breaks my heart to see a grown man dressed as a taco. So, if there is a costume involved, I tend not only to accept the leaflet, but to accept it graciously, saying, “Thank you so much,” and thinking, You Poor, pathetic son of a bitch. I don’t know what you have but I hope I never catch it."

“If I could believe in myself, why not give other improbabilities the benefit of the doubt?”

"But instead I am applying for a job as an elf. Even worse than applying is the very real possibility that I will not be hired, that I couldn't even find work as an elf. That's when you know you're a failure.”

“All of us take pride and pleasure in the fact that we are unique, but I'm afraid that when all is said and done the police are right: it all comes down to fingerprints.”

“Sallie (Fannie) Mae sounds like a naive and barefoot hillbilly girl but in fact they are a ruthless and aggressive conglomeration of bullies located in a tall brick building somewhere in Kansas. I picture it to be the tallest building in that state and I have decided they hire their employees straight out of prison.”

“We were standing near the Lollipop Forest when we realized that Santa is an anagram of Satan..."

“I didn't know about the rest of the class, but when Bastille Day eventually rolled around, I planned to stay home and clean my oven.”

“Remember that the most important thing is to try and love other people as much as they love you.”

“But at the end of every show we would realize that true happiness often lies where you very least expect it. It might arrive in a form of a gentle breeze or a handful of peanuts, but when it came, we would seize it with our own brand of folksy wisdom.”

“Standing in a two-hour line makes people worry that they're not living in a democratic nation.” 

"In the role of Mary, six-year-old Shannon Burke just barely manages to pass herself off as a virgin.”
 

Sunday, February 16, 2014

The Weekend Report


I am sad to report that another weekend is coming to an end, and the work week is about to begin. I do love my job most days, but I get a little sad on Sunday nights just knowing all those endless possibilities and  time for naps is about to cease (for the record I had two of the best naps this weekend). 

After a nice Valentine's day, I woke up on Saturday morning wanting to get out and do something. I finally decided to head down to Spirited Art to get my solo paint on.  It has been a while since I painted, and I swear painting is just like therapy to me. Especially this painting because it was just random brush strokes, so I could just go to town.  It is supposed to be a take on Monet's Printemps, a very loose interpretation! So instead of calling it a Monet let's call it a Brittnae (Get it, art humor, I told Adam that joke, he was unamused). 

There are many stages of the painting process for me. The first stage is absolute fear & terror, worrying I'm going to screw everything up. So I try and decide if I can just pass off the white canvas as my masterpiece. The second phase occurs after I have begun, when I decide I have most definitely screwed up, and I hate everything I'm doing. The third phase is comparing my painting to everyone else's and wishing mine looked like theirs. The fourth  phase is when it all comes together, and I actually start to love my painting, and I decide I am the next big thing! Move over Monet!

This morning I decided I wanted to try one of the many recipes I have been looking at on my ever expanding rockin' the gastric sleeve pinterest board. I decided to make some mini turkey meatloaves via this recipe. It was so good, I'm going to take the leftovers (all 11 of them) for lunches this week.

This evening I went on a lovely walk, and when I hit my goal, two miles, I just decided to keep going! I kept going until I completed 3.1 miles (a 5k!). I haven't done that since October. I was so proud of myself and I felt so strong, even if I'm still slower than a turtle walking in peanut butter as they say. This is good because I'm restarting the couch to 5k  training this Wednesday. This is to prepare myself for the Cotton Row 5k in May. My goal is to finally run the whole darn thing!

And in the best news of the weekend,  I stepped on the scale to discover I weighed what I did when I got married nearly five years ago! This made me so happy. It also means I'm inching ever closer to 50 pounds gone.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Valentine's Day, Schmalentine's Day


Can I just say I am a total fan of this cheesetastic sorta hallmarky holiday? I think people get too caught up in the relationship aspect of it, when it really is just about demonstrating love to all people in your life (but hey maybe that is easy to say, when you are in a relationship).  But even back in college, my friends and floor mates exchanged Valentines' elementary school style. And this year I sent my friends Hello Kitty Hologram Valentines via snail mail (I just can't help myself)!

Adam and I decided to go out for a dinner and a movie date night last night to celebrate. We really hadn't gone out on a real date in quite a while. First, I was recovering from surgery for quite a while, and in those weeks I was not that fun to hang out with. Did I ever mention how emotional I was post surgery? It seemed like anytime I went anywhere, I would find a reason to fall apart and cry in public. I don't even know why!  I'll be honest, I'm a total crier, and a totally over emotional girl (but I am not a public crier). And then Adam was out of town for two weeks, so it was about time to get our date on again.

We went to Applebees, perhaps not the most romantic of spots, but a spot I could get a plain grilled chicken breast. I had to laugh because Adam saw a deal where we could get two entrees and an appetizer for a good price. I said, "You know I won't be able to eat the appetizer right?" He was like, "But it is such a good deal..." I understood that logic, that is fat people logic! So he ended up eating like 9 mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, and french fries all by himself.  I ate like 3-4 bites of the chicken, one bite of zucchini, and one bite of a mushroom.

Here is the ironic part, he ate all that GREASE, all that CHEESE, and all that FAT. Yet, when we were driving away from the restaurant, Adam had to pull over and I, not he, puked up my dinner! Who knows why. Maybe it was too dry, maybe that 4th bite was one bite too many.  I was shocked, I haven't thrown up in ages (and by ages I mean weeks).

So I was like, "Thanks Babe, for buying me a nice dinner, that I only ate a few bites of, that I couldn't even keep down! You are awesome at making sure I don't puke in the car and shielding me from the public humiliation of it all! Happy Valentine's Day."

It's the little things right?

After dinner, we went to see the Lego Movie! Because of course, everyone knows we are Lego obsessed! I was thinking there wouldn't be a ton of kids there at 7:00 on Valentine's day, but I was wrong, wrong, wrong. That place was packed, almost every seat was taken! I was so worried the children would be annoying (and yes, I obviously love kids, but these are not the kids I'm working with, and I wanted to enjoy my movie).

But those kids were so good at not being distracting. They were a lot better than some of the adults I've been around lately in theaters. Maybe because their parents kept them in check? Maybe adults who like to talk in the movies,  should be required to go with their parents, so they will show some manners.

The Lego Movie was so good! I'm not even kidding. I don't mean good for a kids movie, it was truly, truly good. We laughed non-stop, and we have been talking about the movie continuously since last night. Go see it now, if you really want to escape and laugh for an hour and a half. 

I guess no Valentine's Day would be complete without gifts. My gifts to Adam had a Zelda theme. The card was from Zelda, and then I got him a classic Zelda themed mouse pad. I guess it was also a geeky theme, but he LOVED it. Adam got me the board game 13 Dead End Drive!! 

This was such a thoughtful gift. A few months ago, I told Adam that as a kid I always wanted to play that game and never got the chance! I can't believe he remembered that. I can't wait for it to get here, so we can play it! I just want to drop a chandelier on Adam's head (this will probably deserve its own blog post)!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Of Love, War, The Olympics, & Snow





So far I have had two snow days off of work, and I don't have to go into work until 11 a.m. tomorrow morning. It is ironic that tomorrow we only have a delay because this afternoon/evening is the only day we have actually seen any snow! 

I was woken up from a glorious, afternoon nap by a flurry of text messages from my coworkers about the snow (via group text). They were mostly complaining about cabin fever. I think one coworker summarized the whole conversation by saying, "this weather is bad for my waistline and my relationships!" And my other coworker said, "My husband and I are thinking about going to wal-mart and WE HATE WAL-MART." I had to laugh about the "bad for my relationships" comment  because Adam and I did get in the most ridiculous of all ridiculous fights today, most likely brought on by all that togetherness. 

I also committed a faux pas by taking a nap (going to bed) angry. Adam said, "Aren't we going to talk about this?", and I got all pouty and hollered, "NO!", and then took a nap. But really it worked because when I woke up I was no longer mad, mostly because A. The Fight was Stupid and B. It was snowing like crazy! 

It has been snowing non-stop for six hours! Never in all my years in Alabama have I seen snow like this, usually we just get a dusting. Tomorrow it will be a mess I'm sure, but tonight it is just gorgeous. I love sitting around watching it snow, snow, snow.

The time off has given me a lot of downtime of course, and I've been watching the Olympics non-stop. I am an Olympic fiend, I have been since the first Olympics that I remember (Atlanta, 1996). I just remember the moment when Kerri Strug vaulted in gymnastics on her injured ankle so clearly, I think that is when I got hooked.

I watched all four hours of the Opening Ceremonies on Friday, and I had some fun with the whole #sochiproblems thing. When the one snowflake didn't materialize into an Olympic ring, my friend said, "Someone just disappeared because of that mishap." All jokes aside, I really love Russia & their culture & history.

I do have some unanswered questions about the Olympics though. How come people don't bet on the speed skaters, like they do horses? Who decided to combine shooting and racing on skis? When does one wake up and decide they want to luge? How come there aren't more South American bobsled teams ala the Jamaican Bobsled team?

Yes, I have been watching most of the sports mentioned above, but I have yet to see my favorite Winter Olympic sport, CURLING! Curling is so absurd in so many ways, and I absolutely love that there are people in the world who have devoted years to this sport, spending days on days, brushing the ice and HOLLERING at a stone.  But it is oddly compelling isn't it?

And of course, I love figure skating. I have been to champions on ice many times over the years, and I remember being a wee little kid pretending with my friends to be Nancy Kerrigan & Tonya Harding. I was Tonya Harding of course. But this was before she did all the bad stuff (and I don't mean the sex tape).

So I want to thank Winter Storm Pax for allowing me the time to get my "Olympics On," as the kids would say. That is, if they kids are even watching the Olympics nowadays.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Around the House

Just a Few Projects Going on Around the House this Week:



Since I started running, I've been saving all my running bibs, medals, and various knick knacks you get from races. I've just been piling them in the drawer of my night stand, not wanting to part with them, but I wanted to organize them in a better way. So I hit google and found gone for a run, and I bought a bibfolio. It was a little pricey and a splurge for me, but I love it! It such a nice way to display them, and I love the stat inserts to keep up with details from each race. This really encourages me to keep on doing these runs, so I can put more in my book.


To give credit where credit is due, putting my nail polish in the vase was not my idea. It was a pinterest idea! But the pin doesn't have a proper link, so there's that. When I saw it, I loved the idea. So I got a discount glass container from hobby lobby and grouped all of my Essie nail polishes together, and this is the result. It took me awhile to decide if I liked it or not, but I finally decided I really do love it. It is like a nail polish "sculpture."


I found this tutorial for transforming medicine bottles and using them for other things. The tutorial used scrapbook paper and modge podge, which is a perfectly easy way to do it. But I was feeling particularly lazy that day, and I thought why not try it with decorative duct tape! It was so quick and so easy! I may paint the tops later on. I am using them to carry headphones in my purse & laundry quarters. I use the bigger bottles to store my kindle and iphone chargers, so the cords are not just all over the place!


This is a not a particularly exciting and creative project (except to me). But I had boxes and boxes of scentsy supplies sitting in my closet, and I hated all the cardboard boxes and disorganization. So I got these cute bins (and mini bins not pictured) to oragnize it all. I was able to put my room sprays and scent circles in one container and my extra scents in another. I even have a place for my promotional materials! I love walking into my pristine closet now. 

Nothing makes me happier than a clean, clean, clean closet. How lame is that?

Sunday, February 9, 2014

The Weekend Report


This weekend I had planned to head up to Lexington, Kentucky, for the Scentsy Convention. Unfortunately, they had some bad winter weather that I didn't want to drive in, and I ended up not going after all. I was a little disappointed of course, but I was OK with having a quiet weekend at home, since Adam is coming home soon. I just can't wait for him to be home. I love my alone time, but now I'm ready to get back into our normal routine again (i.e-I really hate dishes and taking out the trash-which are usually his jobs). I also want him back because of, you know, the love.

I was so mad that I was already all packed up though. I hate packing and unpacking, so all that work was for nothing. What a shame, I always love having a reason to take out the Vera Bradley.

So instead of touring the Bluegrass state, I spent the weekend shopping, watching the movie Lovelace on demand, and trying out solid foods. I was so excited when I went to the store Friday night to get some new foods I'm allowed to have! I can eat Tuna! Tuna! It is something new, and I rather like Tuna! So much so that I must capitalize Tuna! I may have gone a little Tuna! overboard. I was so excited, I lined them up all pretty in the cart to snap a picture!

Saturday, I went shopping down at Bridgestreet with mother dearest.  I even had her snap my picture while we were there to finally document my weight loss surgery month-i-versary. Can I just say it is always painful to have my mom snap my picture, no matter what camera I'm using? This one was taken with my iphone, the same MAKE AND MODEL that she has. I can't tell you how long it took for her to figure it out. We are lucky this picture is not of me getting annoyed. She has captured plenty of those through the years. I should do a montage sometime. I will call it the "The Many Stages of Death by Parental Annoyance." It will involve lots of eye rolling.

Once we were done shopping, we stopped off at Red Robin. This was my first time eating at a restaurant since before surgery. I simply ordered a grilled chicken burger, without the bun or toppings, and a side of steamed broccoli.  I probably only had 1.5 ounces of chicken and two bites of broccoli before I was full. I took the rest home for leftovers. I am so happy it didn't make me ill! 

I also wanted to share a picture of the Valentine's Day masks I made with my pre-schoolers/kindergarden ADHD group at work this week! Even though, this does not count as a "weekend activity." I was just super proud of myself for finding such a crafty activity, that the children loved (except for the one who went rouge and made a necklace). 

Right here, right now, I will declare my gratitude for pinterest and printers, which are always my lifeline when I'm stumped on group ideas. What did people do pre-interent? I shiver at the thought.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

One Month

(via)

I wanted to post a picture of me with this post to "celebrate" being one month post weight loss surgery. You know how bloggers are always posting pictures of their ever expanding pregnant bellies? I was thinking why not do a weekly/monthly post about my ever shrinking food baby.

I could write stuff like, "Dear Food Baby, This week I'm craving pureed chicken, greek yogurt, & refried beans. Well, I don't know if craving is the right word, but it is what I like most out of the stuff I'm allowed to eat. My nausea is getting better every day! I've only thrown up once this week! But it was at work, which was highly unfortunate and inconvenient. Your father has been out of town for two weeks, which means I am no longer a princess being waiting on hand and foot. I have had to take out the trash twice, I keep forgetting to turn off the closet light (I bet it is on right now), one day I went to work with the heat still on full blast, and I had to kill a spider on my own!  (That involved a lot of squealing and chemical spraying until I dared to get close enough to squash it."

See doesn't that sound an awful lot like pregnancy?

But in all seriousness, I really was going to take a picture, but Adam has been out of town for what feels like forever! And I didn't really want to ask a coworker to take a picture of me for my blog. I am allowed to write a blog where I work, but I typically don't bring that up at work, because then they might want to read it, and that might get awkward. Plus, do you ever feel silly saying the word "blog" out loud? I totally do.

So alas, I am picture less on my monthiversary. However, I am very, very thrilled with my progress so far. I am 40-45 pounds lighter than my highest weight (depending on what scale I use). But it really isn't even about the numbers. My double chin is shrinking, my legs look nice and toned, and I am still so obsessed with my skinny ankles. And those jeans that were getting a little too tight, feel so comfortable now.

People are starting to notice, even people I haven't told about my surgery. My coworkers keep asking me how much I've lost and keep complimenting me for it. It is weird to have people compliment me on my body, just because I have never really had that before (except from my husband, he likes the junk in my trunk & is worried I will lose it).

The other day one someone commented on how energetic I am lately. I hadn't noticed really, I  told them I didn't feel much more energetic, just happier. I am so much happier. For so long I felt like I was a car headed down hill with broken breaks, I just couldn't stop it, and at some point I decided I was just going to crash eventually, and I gave up altogether. I feel like I've finally gotten my power back, my self-control, and that makes life so much better. 

But I have started to realize I do have more energy, I don't find it so essential to nap on the weekends anymore, and when I get home from work, I don't necessarily just veg out on the couch. Last week, I spent two hours cleaning out my closet on a Monday night,  and then yesterday I organized the bathroom (I have been on a de-cluttering kick lately, and I am dreaming of a trip to The Container Store).  I am even staying up later at night, although I don't know if that is a good thing.  I think this has less to do with the weight loss and more to do with not eating crap.

I have learned a little about my eating habits too. Sometimes I find myself reaching for a chip because they are on the table or going to grab some candy off my boss's desk, out of habit, not of hunger, and I have to stop myself. Sometimes I will even think to myself or say aloud, "I'm hungry," before realizing I'm really not. I'm just in the habit of eating what is in front of me or saying, "I'm hungry."

I have only had three times so far, where it slightly bothered me that I couldn't just eat what I wanted. Two of those times seemed so silly. I really wanted to try the new Cheeseburger pizza from Papa John's and the Chicken Enchilada Sub topped with Fritos from Subway. Man, those commercials made it look so good! And then Thursday at work, the whole building around lunch time smelt like a combination of Taco Bell, Jimmy John's, and sugar. They even served a cookie cake at our staff meeting, which had me pining a little. But I got over it fairly quickly.

That is such a win for me, free food is not something I could ever easily turn down. I love free food. Once I went to Taco Bell and their debit card machine was broken, so they gave me my meal for free! It ranks as one of the best moments of my life. I kid, I kid, but it was pretty awesome.

The one thing I have been struggling with is people telling me they are "proud of me." Part of me feels like my stomach is doing all the work. Sometimes I feel like I should have been able to do this the old fashioned way. 

I've been watching my 600 lb life on TLC lately. It is a show about extremely obese people getting weight loss surgery. One of the women on the show, continues to gain weight in the days/months/year after her surgery. I find this astonishing. It was so hard to even sip water in the beginning, I have no clue how she was still eating fried foods so soon. You would feel so sick. Of course, I read the comments about the show on twitter, slaying her, and bashing fat people in general. But my heart goes out to her, her food addiction is soo strong.  

I was telling my own therapist about this show, and later I told her how I didn't feel like people should be "proud of me." She pointed out, that not everyone who has the surgery, does what they are supposed to do (like the woman on 600 lb life), and I am doing what I'm supposed to do.

And you know what? She is right. I am proud of myself for that.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

He Said, She Said


Just a few conversational nuggets from the last few weeks:

Brittany: I feel like I will be doing stupid things for the rest of my life.
Adam: And I will spend the rest of my life reprimanding you for it, that is our journey.

Brittany: Did you play cop and robbers when you were a kid?
Adam: No never, I played Ninji Turtles.

Brittany: (joking) that is what a heretic would say
Adam: I'm not a heretic, I'm a Lutheran

Brittany: I'm watching this show where they are giving these people weight loss surgery. It is neat to see what they did to my stomach, you can even see the laparoscopic tools they used that made my incisions.
Adam: I hope they didn't put a government chip in you.
Brittany: I kind of hope they did.

After seeing the sorry state of my closet last week:

Adam: (Adam comes running down the hall) There was an explosion in the bedroom and there are clothes everywhere!! Are you alright?
Brittany: Shut Up!
Adam: I want to jump in your closet and make a clothes angel!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

The Norman Rockwell Exhibit



Today my mom and I went to the FRIST (Frist Center for the Visual Arts) in Nashville to see the Norman Rockwell exhibit. When I woke up this morning, I truly did not want to go.  I was tired (although I slept crazy good this weekend) and it was rainy outside, which is the perfect weather for staying home, but not so much for going out.  We almost didn't go, but then I thought, "Might as well." 

I had been to the FRIST once before when I was much younger. I remember seeing some famous paintings, but I did not remember much about the building itself (probably because I didn't care about those kinds of things at 15). But the building is BEAUTIFUL inside. It is the old Nashville post office, and the inside is full of 1930's touches.

My mother and I bought one of the fancy schmancy audio tour gadgets and immediately headed upstairs to see the exhibit. I was so happy to see it wasn't too crowded. I guess we have the rain and Superbowl Sunday to thank for that.

(Note to self: Superbowl Sunday is an awesome time to go to an art exhibit, but the Saturday night before the Superbowl is an awful time to go to the grocery store. That place gave me high anxiety. All those people blocking the items I needed to get, making me have to pretend to be staring intently at the items next to the items I actually needed. And really lady, it shouldn't take that long to pick out a flavor of yogurt).

The exhibit was so engrossing. I knew I had always liked the Norman Rockwell paintings and illustrations I had seen in the past. But I had no idea the history and meaning behind them. I had never before noticed how detailed his paintings truly are. He had a reason for everything he added to his paintings!

I loved learning about his process for creating and how he used his models (which often times were his children!). I even think I have discovered a few new favorite paintings (the one pictured above topped the list for me)!

After the exhibit, we went to the gift shop and I bought a Norman Rockwell coffee table book, American Chronicles of Norman Rockwell. I really just can't wait to read it all!