Monday, April 28, 2014

The easiest diet ever aka Intermittent Fasting

Dieting is lame but for some people it is necessary. I am one of those people. If I don't monitor what I eat I tend to get into trouble because I don't always make the best choices lol. I need to restrict myself for my own good. Most recently I have done this by practicing intermittent fasting.

My breakfast, tea cup from Home Goods :).

Intermittent fasting basically means that you go on a mini fast each day which most often equates to skipping one or two meals a day. I've heard that you can even eat the same amount of calories as you would be eating 3 meals a day in one meal and you will still lose weight. I don't do this, I just eat till I'm full but as I become more athletic again I might. 

On most days I just skip breakfast and try to eat healthier food for lunch and diner. If you love breakfast you could skip dinner instead. I've been doing this for a little over a month and it has worked out really well for me. Already I feel less bloated and my clothes have been fitting better. I lost like 7 pounds already and I haven't changed anything else really other than moving to a second floor apartment lol.

I have also been trying to follow the blood type diet's food list for my type but I don't follow it to a "t". I do drink tea in the mornings but I have nothing else. Occasionally I will have a day where I do not skip breakfast and it feels weird now. In fact everyone fasts intermittently because not eating during your sleep is a form of intermittent fasting.

I have tried many different diets during my lifetime, but I often get tired of eating the same kinds of foods over and over again. Once I am tired of something, I usually don't eat it again for months which irritates my hubby because he likes to eat the same foods lol. Thankfully this eating pattern doesn't tell you what you have to eat although of course we should all eat healthy, it just tells you when to eat. I bet a lot of people do this already without even noticing!

Things to think about:
-gives your body more time to digest food.
-works best if you also take probiotics, I have been using PB8.
-helps you realize when you are really hungry.
-other diets like the Bulletproof diet utilize similar principles. In that one you only have fatty coffee for breakfast.
-it's probably in our nature because in days of famine throughout history we couldn't eat 3 meals a day.
-please do not try this if you have diabetes or if you are still growing. Also be cautious if you are an athlete or have had eating disorders in the past.

<3 KM


Friday, April 25, 2014

Storybook Shirts

I love drawings from The Golden Age of Illustration. There is a shop on Ebay and Amazon called Yizzam that is selling t-shirts printed with these illustrations. I think they are super cool with the all-over print. I kind of want to cut one up and re-sew it into a block-print dress. I just can't decide which one I want!

Arthur Rackham

Edmund Dulac

Warwick Goble


Some other illustrators to check out if you enjoyed these:

Helen Stratton
Louis Rhead 
Virginia Frances Sterrett

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Coursera Free Berklee Music Course Update and Mid Way Review


I know, I know... I really need to learn how to draw ovals lol.

My first Coursera course is already 1/2 way complete. It's only been 3 weeks but I already feel like I have learned quite a bit. I have a pretty solid foundation when it comes to singing, especially in choirs, but this course has really helped me develop my understanding of chord structures and further my ear training and keyboard skills.

In my current course, Developing Your Musicianship, I have learned about major and minor triads, major seconds, major thirds, perfect fourths and perfect fifths and how to identify them by ear as well as other important concepts. The Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do method works best for me when identifying these. For example, a major second is Do - Re, a perfect fifth is Do - So and so on. I feel like this course is really helping me become a better musician because I am learning things that I would not have thought to study on my own.

So how do the classes work?

In this particular course a set of video lectures are delivered online each week. The students then watch the lectures, take a quiz, practice on their own and submit an assignment for peer review.

The system has worked really well for me and I like the video lectures a lot. One nice thing about the quizzes is that they incorporate sound clips from Soundcloud to be evaluated which makes it more like a face to face exam.

If you are interested in this sort of thing I highly recommend Coursera and my instructor George W Russell Jr. The platform works well on mobile devices and regular computers which makes it really easy to complete wherever you may be and the content is very relevant and valuable. Also, the Berklee student performances that they share each week are ridiculously inspiring!

<3 KM






Friday, April 18, 2014

Ernte

Ernte is my favorite designer hands down. I would faint if I ever found one of their pieces and I don't think I've ever fainted in my life. Born from Burning Man and the Circus subculture on the West Coast, Ernte's details fill my mouth with drool. Sadly, their main designer died, so there will be no new patchwork of awesome to covet. Maybe one day if I collect enough old olive-drab stuff I will be able to make my own poorly executed knock-offs. 

Monday, April 14, 2014

Blow fish dress shirts and other men's wear

Every once in awhile I find men's clothing that I totally want. I have a few men's dress shirts and t shirts but I don't always wear them because of how billowy they are. On me they tend to be loose in the top and tight on the bottom which would probably take some major alterations to tailor but in some cases it may be totally worth it. Here are my latest men's wear covets from one of my recent Target trips.

I'd love to see someone wear this and actually pull it off. I adore the puffer fish but it also reminds me of wallpaper that belongs in my grandma's bathroom. 

Also very wall papery but I love the thin blue pinstripes!

More blue stripes!! The sleeves have thin blue stripes like the pocket. <3

I want a softer lady version of this coat so bad.

I want just about every black car shirt that I see, just 'cuz.

<3 KM













Friday, April 11, 2014

Blood Moon on the Rise

As you've probably seen on your Facebook, there will be a lunar eclipse early Tuesday morning for North and South America. I love lunar eclipses when the moon turns a dark red making everything a little more creepy. It's so beautiful. I am really hoping that it isn't cloudy, even though that is what's in the forecast where I live. There are three more lunar eclipses coming, so it has to be clear for at least one, right?

Anyway, here are my two favorite moon songs for you to enjoy while you watch the eclipse:




And for kicks and giggles, an eclipse inspired hair fork:
Many Horses

Monday, April 7, 2014

in Love With... Lauren Conrad bedding


Lauren Conrad's clothing line at Kohl's has some cute pieces but her new bedding line is just adorable. I want every pillow!!

Such a cute bedding set. I only wish that the comforter was softer, but the pillows are the cutest.

Love the texture on these.

The pearl pillow is even nicer in person. 

<3 KM





Friday, April 4, 2014

Game of Thrones Dresses

I spent a good portion of the past week curled up sick marathoning Game of Thrones. The costumes in this show are awesome. I love how flowing and dramatic they are.


Sansa's wrap dresses seem easy to wear and are always made of sumptuous fabrics in pretty colors. I thought they appeared quite comfortable until it was shown that she wears a corset under them... what a disappointment.  


Cersei's metal belts were my favorite accessories worn on the show. At first I just thought they were an extension of her guarded and sharp personality, but she later explains that she wears them as armor because she is afraid of being stabbed. Beauty and functionality!



And of course Daenerys Targaryen, who has the best costumes in the show. Flowing silks, metal belts, excessive seams: it's all there! The dress she acquires in Quarth looks so simple when it is given to her, but when she puts it on it turns magnificent!



The whores also had beautiful, easy-access dresses. I was continuously amazed how fast they could remove their clothes.