oh yum*

i know, 2 posts in 2 days.  what's gotten into me?

thank you for all the lovely happy anniversary wishes, we had a beautiful day in the desert.

my dress got lots of attention.  it's one of those things you either love or hate.

it pretty much got lots of love yesterday.

so now on to todays post...

a big thank you to my friend noelle who told me about this recipe.

here is the original from dr. oz.

it just so happens that they are practically giving butternut squash away this time of year.
this soup is full of protein, vitamins and antioxidants.
the next day i thinned it with some vegetable broth and added leftover brown rice.  delish.

i made a couple of changes so here is my recipe

in a soup pot...

saute 1 t olive oil with

1 t curry powder for 1 minute

add

1 small diced onion

1 small yellow or red bell pepper

1 can rinsed and drained garbanzo beans

2 c rough chopped or diced butternut squash

3-4 c vegetable broth

simmer until squash is soft (about 30 minutes)

blend until smooth being careful to not overfill blender

garnish with red pepper flakes

*enjoy knowing that no animals were harmed making this thick, heart-warming soup,

xo
janet

$10 outfit challenge #7 or happy anniversary darling

the calendar says february but the temperatures say june.

vintage maxi dress $2

naturalizer sandals $5
sunglasses .99
total - $7.99

actually we are headed to palm springs for the day to celebrate our wedding anniversary with friends over lunch. 

if i get lost, i don't think larry will have a problem finding me.

thank you my dear friends for following, for your lovely comments and mostly for being so awesome.
you make every day special for me.

xo
janet

my $5 closet makeover

what my closet used to look like...oh so lovely.

please don't get real excited because with $5 you know it's not going to be that fabulous but i'm kinda in love with it.  after participating in project 333 for a year and still purging almost every day, my wardrobe is small and i like it this way.  for me, less choice means more freedom.  i emphasize "for me" because this isn't for everyone.  as you can tell from the fashion posts i do, my clothes are pretty basic and dare i say...mediocre.  99% of my clothes would classify as weekend clothing. 

so even though my one and only closet is small, i wanted it to be prettier.  

at a recent yard sale i found a box of old ralph lauren wallpaper for $5.

wallpaper and a little spray paint were all i needed for this project.

so after i emptied the contents, i got my compadre to remove the rods and we started wallpapering.

a couple of hours later...

after lots of measuring, crazy matching and absolutely no cursing...we only had enough to do the back wall but that was ok with me.

aww look, now it's pretty

and organized

i'm well aware of just how weird it is that i spray painted my shoeboxes and labeled them.

i know you do weird stuff too.

that's why we get along.

xo

janet

workwear

j.crew workshirt, old navy pants, gucci bag, sperry topsiders, ralph lauren sunglasses

nothing special here.

just an average outfit for an average day.

i like simple outfits like this.

and lately i'm not even wearing jewelry.

everything can be tossed in the laundry and nothing needs ironed.

that's good b/c i don't iron.  well hardly ever.

still working hard on my closet post.

well, not hard but kinda hard.

i hope you are having an absolutely wonderful week.

see you in a day or so with my finished closet.

xo

janet

a love list*

february is national heart month

eat oatmeal with bananas, walnuts and maple syrup in the morning.

your heart will love you for it.

if you want more things to love pop over to jane's small but charming blog and see my complete
love list.

love ya,
janet

*no animals were harmed making this love list.

let's build a home

while i'm without camera i thought i'd go through my files looking for posts i had written but never pushed the publish button for one reason or another.  here is one of those.
there are lots more where this one came from so you can take that as a warning.

this is little video of the renovation of our cottage.  it's not great or anything but it was kinda fun to put   together.  looking back at it cracks me up.  i didn't have a blog when we started this project so the before pictures are not that great and really the afters aren't much better.  but it does bring back good memories of 16 hour days full of back breaking work.  we (and when i say we you all know i really mean larry) with the help of a couple of craftsmen finished it in 8 weeks.  and while we did not actually build this home we did save it from certain demolition.  and why not bore you with the thinking that went behind our choices that we made in materials when renovating it.  we knew this cottage was built for the gardening staff of the adjoining estate.  we also know that it was built using all the leftover building materials of the main house.  so every time we were faced with a decision on materials we would think what would they have used in the main house.  i copied the kitchen as best i could of kimberly crest mansion, which is next door.  also, this house inherited a lot of hand-me-downs from the estate in the way of lighting fixtures, hardware, roses, etc.  sorting through the basement and underneath the house unearthed all kinds of treasures that we put to use.  so the house is a mix of castoffs which i think suits the place perfectly..

you may want to turn down the volume because it is set to the white stripes, whom i love but you may not. 
 i personally turn the volume up but suit yourself.

you can watch it...

here

i'll be back in a day or so with another reject post!

xo

janet

 

humane, healthy, hot*

fresh strawberry salad

mixed garden lettuces

strawberries

cubed baked tofu

walnuts

balsamic dressing

Everyone knows that being humane and healthy is hot, so this Valentine’s Day, treat your sweetie to a romantic day packed full of animal-friendly aphrodisiacs. Vegan aphrodisiacs—from chocolate and strawberries to tomatoes and peppers—are famous for their reputed carnal qualities, but did you know that there’s a scientific reason that meat-free fare is the recipe for romance? The cholesterol and fat in animal foods slow the flow of blood to all a man’s vital organs—not just his heart—but healthy vegan foods will leave lovers full of energy and vitality.   via PETA

well hello,  just one more reason to be vegan, as if we needed one!

and to dispel the myth that vegan men are wimpy, i give you this...

hot vegans



happy valentines day!


xo
janet

*no animals were harmed making this salad

a pretty pink necklace

my dear friend and talented jewelry designer, julie lorusso is giving away this beautiful pink pearl necklace (look at that clasp!) to celebrate valentines day, good news re a lump she found  and also her blog birthday.

go say hello and enter her giveaway here.

in other news...
my son hijacked my camera the other day so my blog is kind of at a loss without it.
i'm working on my closet and am looking forward to sharing that with you.
also, i have found some amazing pieces for my spring and summer wardrobe that i think you'll love.

so alex if you are reading this (which i highly doubt) i need my camera back!

xo
janet

real simple

you know, my friends, it takes work and a strong will to continually hunt down good stuff that is hiding in piles of junk.

but the thing is, i believe not having a lot of money is no excuse to dress poorly.

take this skirt for example.

the j. peterman company - $3
i wish i knew the jaunty storyline that went with this skirt.

the skirt includes beautiful, box pleating, gorgeous, heavy linen fabric and deep pockets

paired with a crisp white shirt

leopard cardigan

black kitten heels

some days it's just real simple

today i need to not over think everything and keep it as simple as i can.

xo
janet

this outfit would def qualify for a $10 fashion challenge because the shirt and sweater were a gift but i think that may be cheating so i didn't.

the worlds fluffiest vegan pancakes*

hello everyone!

i rarely post on saturdays so what a surprise.

i'm up early for a day of hiking in palm springs where it is going to be sunny and 74 degrees today.  i wanted to share this great pancake recipe with you before i go. 

so while you are out running errands today you can get the ingredients and make them for your family on sunday morning.

i follow the recipe exactly.

i swiped the recipe from here.

they are so good and so easy.

they are truly fluffy.

they are truly yummy.

oh and btw, quite a few of you have asked about my wardrobe now that i've lost weight.

i'm cleaning out my closet and selling some things on ebay.

here is the link for that.

i'll be adding things all week.

don't hesitate to email me if you have questions about anything.

wishing you a most beautiful weekend.

*no animals were harmed making these delicious pancakes.

xo

janet

what i ate*

quite a few of you asked for a sample of what i eat each day.

so here is what a typical day of eating looks like for me.

steel cut oatmeal with...

apples

dried cranberries

walnuts

brown sugar

also, toast and tea

garden lettuces
oranges
avocados
kidney beans
chopped jalapeno
walnuts
trader joes goddess dressing

brown rice

trader joes baked tofu, sauteed in a tiny bit of vegetable oil - Absolutely Delish!

organic broccoli

organic mushrooms

for dessert i will usually have fresh fruit with some soy yogurt, a homemade cookie or dark chocolate.

i hope this helps those of you who asked.

thank you to everyone who commented on my last post.

i learn so much from you.

*no animals were harmed making any of these dishes.

xo
janet

how i lost 15 lbs

boy has this post been hard to write.
weight issues are so personal.
i was receiving a lot of emails asking if i had lost weight and so i decided to share this with you.

i know right off that a lot of you are going to say that i didn't need to lose weight.
but i thought i did...and so i did.
i emphasize that this is my story because i am not an expert on dieting, in fact this is the first time i have actually been on a restrictive diet.
but what i did worked for me and maybe it can work for you.




four years ago, when i turned 50, i was 5'6  and weighed 120 lbs.  i was a confirmed vegan and pretty much ate what i pleased and was not bothered by the fact that i had gained a pound or two.  fast forward to six months ago at my most recent check up i measured 5'5 and was now 130 lbs.  i was shrinking and growing at the same time.  i hated how i felt in my jeans.  skirts were hard to button and  tight and i was looking to size up again.  despite my vegan diet, my energy level was dropping and the dreaded middle age spread that everyone says is inevitable was upon me.  tabitha wrote a very interesting and funny post last month on the way women's waists have gotten larger over the last 60 years.  and you know what?  it was happening to me.   you can read her post here.

i really didn't want the middle age spread and so i took this as a challenge, and you know how i feel about challenges.

so the first thing i did was make up my mind to lose 5 lbs.  for 3 days straight i wrote down every single thing i ate and figured out just how many calories i was eating in a day.  this was a huge eye opener for me.  i had no idea that i was consuming so many empty calories.  remember oreos and potato chips are vegan.

  i had slipped into a pattern of eating when i was anxious, bored, breathing and maybe even sleeping.  

next i educated myself about calories.  you have to eat 3500 calories in order to gain 1 lb.  so i figured that if i could cut out just 500 calories a day, i could start losing a pound a week and that sounded sensible to me.  so i looked at my diet that i had written down and was able to see just what needed to be cut out.  i will tell you that the first week was awful.  i was starving!  i started substituting some low calorie snacks for when i was hungry but that wasn't enough.  i couldn't stop thinking about food, i was obsessed with it.  i had to get busy to take my mind off eating.  i started taking an afternoon walk and would even fabricate errands to run just to keep me busy.

i also wanted to keep my diet in alignment with my values of compassion, health and eating local.
  this little tool, sustainable table,
is invaluable for that.  all i have to do is enter the area of the country i'm in and bam...a whole list of vegetables and fruits that are in season in my area appear.  this made menu planning much easier and it continues to inspire me to want to eat fresh everyday.

another thing i needed to do was to slow down my eating.  by the time meal time came around i was pretty much starving and the urge to wolf down my food was overwhelming.  i started by concentrating on each bite and taking a drink of water between bites too.
i think this is called mindfulness.

oh and btw, i cut out all alcohol and switched to sparkling water at dinner.

and i made sure that we used our small dinner plates that measure 8" across instead of the newer 11" dinner plates.  this way the plates looked super full instead of skimpy, which believe it or not was comforting.

by the 4th week my system was adjusting and my energy was beginning to return.  that's when i decided to really get crazy and ramp up my exercise routine that had served me pretty well in the past that was obviously inadequate now.  so i threw in an extra mile in my morning walk, bringing that to 3, and added a strenuous 2 mile hike in the afternoon and i just generally became more active.  i started becoming aware of just how much i was sitting, so i'd grab a rake and go rake up leaves or sweep down the driveway. 

i'd do anything to keep moving. 

i learned a lot of these tips from
my calorie counter
i signed up online and they send me all kinds of great tips and information.

so it's 6 months later and i'm still 5'5 but now i weigh 115 lbs instead of 130 lbs.  i never, ever thought i'd weigh this again.  it feels great and being lighter makes all the sports i play a lot more fun and a lot easier.  we just got back from vacation and i skied 7 days straight.  i couldn't even do that in my 20's.

clothes fit better and i honestly feel younger.

and with all the extra physical activity, i'm sleeping a lot better too, which is an amazing benefit.

so in a nutshell i...

found out exactly how much i was eating

figured out how to cut 500 calories a day

stepped up my exercise program and activities

ate local, fresh vegan foods

slowed down my eating

ate off smaller plates

as you can see, nothing is revolutionary here.
i ate less and moved more.



lovingkindness to you all.

xo
janet






xo

janet

old things

so here are a bunch of old things.

1.  me

2.  my pendleton

3.  the belt

4.  the boots

5.  the handbag

 

a few of you wanted to know about this bag.

i got it at a junk store in the desert.

a super good looking version of ralph lauren sold it to me.

really, you should see him.

it's a genuine gucci with loads of patina and style

it was $40.

also, here is my old hair.

you can see it is getting pretty gray.

those are ralph lauren collection sunglasses.

alex gave them to me.

it pays to have people in the right places.

next post...my weight loss, if you are interested.

this weekend just may be fabulous.

xo

janet



$10 outfit challenge #6

hello everyone.

i'm feeling that heavenly combination of physical exhaustion and being so refreshed.  that happens after skiing 7 days straight.

i had very little internet access so i'm way behind in my blog reading.

i'm going to try and catch up today.

i know you asked quite a few questions in my last post and i promise to answer them this week.

but first...

on my way to the market to load up on fresh veggies and tofu i stopped at a yardsale and broke out of my ralph lauren self, channeled vix and bought this beautiful, maxi dress from the 60's or early 70's for $1.

i fell in love with it the minute i saw it.  i had a bikini in a similar print when dinosaurs roamed the earth or when i was about 14. 

the lady i bought it from couldn't believe i wanted it.

i'm fairly certain i have a split personality when it comes to style.

on one hand i adore my herringbone jackets and on the other i have a hard time resisting bright, cheerful kate spade-like colors.

dress - $1
sunglasses - .99
total - $1.99



i wish you all a wonderful week.  i plan to be my best.  you in?

xo
janet

fast and furious

i'm away skiing and have limited internet access so i have to type fast and i'm probably not going to make much sense.  but here it goes anyway.

#1

first of all happy new year to you.  you are all an amazing group of people and this blog would not exist without you.  long story short...i love you all.

#2

ok, yesterday while in the market at this ski resort i noticed the most beautiful, older woman shopping.  she stood out because most people here dress in puffy parkas and uggs which makes sense b/c it is cold.  anyway, around the corner comes this gorgeous woman wearing the most beautiful long cardigan.  i wound up following her down a few aisles checking her out.  i finally went up to her and asked who made her cardigan thinking for sure it was something like prada or some other high end nonsense and she smiled and said...forever 21. 

so here it is for $45.

so if you want to look elegant and attract stalkers in the market, order one.

#3

my new years resolutions.

1.  stop sneaking into movies.

those are two movie tickets in larry's hand.

it was hard to do but i did it.

2.  stop cursing.  no grandmother should curse as much as i do.

this is going to be way hard for me.

#4

whoever said giving sweaters is a bad idea for christmas gifts was wrong b/c i got this leopard sweater for christmas and i love it.

ok so while i'm connected i'm going to catch up on as many blogs as i can.

see you soon and i hope this made sense b/c i'm not going to waste time and proofread it.

xo

janet

a christmas eve house tour

i don't think i've ever spent so little time getting my house ready for christmas.
and yet i love the way everything looks.

our fake tree escaped the donation bin again and is decorated with my old christmas postcards and fresh magnolia leaves from the garden. 

santa dropped by and left me this ottoman.

thank you santa.

turns out he shops here.

if you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know how long i've been bemoaning my big leather ottoman.  i bought it back when i was clueless to the cruelty inflicted on animals to create fashionable goods for us.  i actually had no idea that cows were raised just for their hides. 
i thought they used the hides from cows slaughtered for food.
when i became a vegan and learned the truth it just made me sad as it sat in my living room.

it was snatched up on craigslist in a day.
i don't know if you can tell by the picture, but the new ottoman has casters!
  so english, so delightful.

 a view from the front door

total decorating time, 10 minutes flat.


as this season of high expectations comes to a peak tonight,
i hope you all have the best christmas you can.
some of us are missing loved ones, some are facing financial problems or health problems.  if you need it, you have my permission to be kind to yourself.
as with all holidays i will try to be on my best behavior and not kill anyone.
no one has a perfect life.
and as a very good friend always reminds me...nobody has it all.
it's just one day for goodness sakes and we will all live through it.
tonight i will go to midnight mass and express my deepest gratitude for all i have and all i don't have.



see you next year.

xo
janet

delivering jam clothes

in case you were wondering,
this is what i wore to deliver my jam today.

 

that's a lot of ralph lauren ruffles there.

my friend steve just won a contest for best christmas tree.

those judges were smart b/c his tree is awesome.

go see the whole contest at

the adventures of tartanscot

i went to payless to pick up my red satin vegan kitten heels and they were too big.

so now i've got to start the whole ordering thing all over again and i'm not sure i'm up to that.

i'll be back as soon as i have something good to say.

xo

janet

christmas goodies

tomorrow i will be delivering my Christmas gifts to my neighbors.

assorted jams...fig, peach, apricot and strawberry.

i made them during the summer while you were probably having fun at the beach.

i'm linking to

ethical fashion bloggers diy

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

xo

janet

a corner of christmas

my charming neighbor dropped this beautiful poinsettia off today and i thought, holy cow, it's getting close to christmas.

actually i still have 9 days left.

seriously, i've been enjoying myself by being a bystander and reading all the posts on
my
 beautiful bloggers list.

  it's been nice watching you all decorate and bake and go a little nuts.
you guys are good.

i could get used to this though.
it's way easier reading blogs than writing one.


i'm so excited to see just what is in store for me this weekend.

aren't you?

xo
janet