::ANNA::

Seattle Danskin Triathlon 2011

It's been a week and I'm still smiling, in spite of losing all my photos from that weekend. 

The memories made that weekend completely outshine that loss.  

You'll remember this layout from January in anticipation of completing my first triathlon.

I pledged to train hard but inflammation in my knees plagued me from March through to just 3 weeks before race day.  I just felt grateful to be able to complete the course.

This triathlon, just like the other races that have come before, are a big deal to me.  I am not athletic naturally and have worked really hard to get where I am today, and it's only by pushing outside my comfort zone and attending these events, that I have realized just how far I have come.

I signed up originally with the intent to prove something to myself, and perhaps to others, that I can succeed even in the face of doubt.  The truth is that I have learned so much more.  It's not about winning and times but about being part of something so much bigger than just myself.  

The whole day just oozed positivity and possibility.

Ali talked about the huge smiles, of which there were many, but the big theme for me was human connection.  Making GOOD memories with GOOD people.

 3 girls from 3 different countries, and differing walks of life, came together to take part in an event with 2033 other women, and I think I can accurately speak for all of us, when I say it's an experience that none of us will ever forget.

We formed a friendship that day that I will always treasure.

[One of Ali's photos taken by her Mom and Dad]

The following photos were taken by Brightroom Event Photography who photographed the event.  These are the ones I'm ordering in order to enshrine my very first triathlon experience.

 

   

Will I do it again?  Definitely.  

I think everyone should totally tri like a girl, even those of us who doubt ourselves.  

Here are my numbers: 

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Creative Team Applications

Please return all applications to anna_aspnes@yahoo.com no later that 5.00pm MST today if you would like to be considered for AnnaTeam.

Ella's in surgery this morning, so I will be away from my desk for most of the day.

4 weeks

That's how long it's been since I had my surgery and it's looking pretty good.  The last of my black eye is fading and soreness is slowly being replaced with numbness.  I'm still hoping my eyebrow might grow back but all in all, I'm thankful.  It could have been a lot worse.

NewART + Free Quote Download

Five new digital products coming to the store this weekend.  You may have noticed that new products are now being released on Saturday morning.

The following Artsy Template is Adapted from the 100 Year Tribute layout and post.

A couple of customer requests:

And some new edges...I feel like I've been using all mine up lately.

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National Eating Disorder Week + Free Title Download

Today marks the end of a week of awareness for National Eating Disorders.  I had an eating disorder in my teens, and anyone who knows anything about them, knows that you never really recover from them.  You learn to manage them, but that urge for control always remains.

Did you know that supermodels are thinner than 98% of American women?

These are the women that our daughters aspire to, a standard that is just not realistic.

Ella has demonstrated lately that she's becoming acutely aware of the societal pressure to be thin.  I'm not sure where she's getting it from.  I've always been careful to promote diet and exercise as a part of a healthy lifestyle.  We try not to use words such as fat or thin, but she's almost 9 years old and she is beginning to grasp what's going on in the world around her.  I'm working on an  approach that strikes a  balance between addressing topic, yet not making it a big deal..  

 I really love Operation Beautiful as a great starting point.  I think we can all benefit from a bit of this philosophy in our lives.

Digital Supplies: ArtsyBlendz Origins Paperie, ShearedBlooms No. 1, DifferentStrokes No.6 BrushSet, AnnaBlendz Artsy No. 1 BrushSet, 12X12 Distressed Edge Overlays No. 9, MultiMedia Flowers No. 1.

Here's a free Beautiful WordART download to make your own layout.

I hope you have a great weekend

After Surgery

Thank you everyone for the emails, Facebook post and comments here yesterday.

I just wanted to check in and let everyone know I'm doing fine.  In fact, it looks a lot worse than it feels.

A little sore, but not enough to take the pain meds they gave me.

The surgery was painless, bar the injection for the local anesthetic, and took about 3 hours.

They removed the birthmark and and only had to go back in one more time to remove the remaining parts of the tumour.

Very happy it's done, and in the knowledge it could have been a lot worse.

Now I just have to be patient while it heals.

Never Say Never

I'm not very proactive when it comes to my health.

I don't like hospitals.  I don't really care for doctors and therefore I have to be REALLY sick, and have exhausted all other options before I make a doctors appointment.  I guess sometimes I think I'm a invincible.  That nothing serious will ever happen to me.

I have a birthmark in my eyebrow.  I used to get teased at school because it looks like a little dab of ketchup.  I started to change shape last Summer.  It was itchy and then it began to bleed and would not heal.  My Mum urged me to have it checked out in the Fall.  I procrastinated.  When I finally made an appointment, it was cancelled.

I finally visited the Dermatologist in January who didn't think it was anything to worry about.  He performed a biopsy anyway, and so you can imagine the shock of discovering, this birthmark I have lived with for the last 35 years of my life, is now classed as skin cancer.

I'm visiting a *face surgeon* today to have it completely removed.

Just a little reminder to be smart when it comes to your health.

Wear sunscreen.

Listen to your Mum, and never say never.

Just Hello

I took a few days away from the computer to spend with my friend from Alaska.  It was SO good to see them again and their visit was perfect timing.  Not only did it ease the transition of Eric being gone for all of us, but Allie also happens to be a bit of a guru when it comes to Naturopathic health. I have had a series of health issues this year which has culminated in chronic muscular pain in my neck and shoulders, all a result of stress.  Apparently I have exhausted my adrenals, and having done the research, it makes sense with everything that is going on with me at the moment.

A few days on Adrenal support as well as a slew of other supplements and I'm feeling semi-human again. This is such a relief after almost 2 months of pain. There's hope I may get back to moderate activity in the near future, but in the meantime I have to figure out how to *chill out* a bit more often.  I will be working on that over the next few months.

In the meantime, please be patient with me regarding Summer Project 2010.  It coming. Perhaps, just a later in the week.

And another quote for you, that seems fitting for todays post, free to my first 200 readers.  Enjoy.

Dangerous Grains

I read this book while in Florida a few weeks ago, and it pretty much cemented in my mind what I already knew.  Gluten sensitivity is real and can cause a wide variety health issues.  

Some of what I learned in this book, published in 2007:

• Human Beings have only been eating grains for 1% of their evolutionary existence.
• Gluten sensitivity increases the risk of cancer by 200-300%.
• Gluten will attack human tissue when placed together in a petri dish.
• Gluten can attack other organs in the body other than the intestines.
• An estimated 90 million Americans are gluten intolerant, most of which don't know it.
• Gluten releases opiod-like peptides during digestion which is what makes them so addictive.
• Gluten intolerance can cause peridontal and gum disease.
• Documented evidence of Gluten Sensitivity exists from the late 1800s.

This book was a timely read for me.  I have been Gluten Free for several years now.  Just recently we've also placed Ella on a gluten free diet.  She's always been behind the curve in terms of development, but toward the end of 2009 she had incessant leg pains that would wake her up in the night crying/screaming for literally months on end.  I consulted her pediatrician who did a full blood work-up without any results other than chalking it down to growing pains.

At the beginning of the year, we decided to try a gluten-free diet just to see if it made a difference.  Having gone through the process of eliminating gluten from my own diet, I knew this had to be Ella's decision, if she was going to stick with it.  It needed to be a choice and not enforced, otherwise she would feel deprived. So she's been on and off the diet several times over the past 4 months, and has been allowed to *cheat* freely.  However, she quickly discovered that every time she cheated the leg pains came back, as did a new-found tummy ache.  Perhaps, she always had the tummy ache or perhaps she had just built up a level of tolerance.  She decided the week before we went to Florida that she wanted to be on a gluten-free diet.  She didn't want to hurt anymore.  I was sure she'd waiver during our vacation where she was bombarded with junk food stands at every destination. Nope.  She stuck with it and is still doing so.  We've noticed whiter teeth and her teacher has seen improvement since we returned from vacation. 

This is very real.

[supplies + journaling]

With big companies such as General Mills debuting gluten-free Bisquick and Hamburger Helper and Betty Crocker's new gluten-free cake mixes already on the shelves in my local Target, I am optimistic that others will follow suit and increase awareness of gluten-intolerance and celiac disease.  I often wonder if and how many cases of breast cancer could be attributable to gluten-intolerance?

Check out the Gluten-Free Challenge here.

It seems apt at this point to share a gluten-free recipe.  

This was lunch today: Sesame Ginger Maple Tofu by Averie, at Love Veggies and Yoga, over Asian Slaw, by Jenn Cuisine.  I tweaked the latter recipe to taste by adding a higher ratio of Peanut Butter, adding GF Habanero Hot Sauce + Agave Nectar, substituting Apple Cider Vinegar and adding some water for a runnier consistency.  Funnily enough, Elana's Pantry was thinking along the same lines with her own rendition. These two recipes are Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan and Low Carb, and I can attest, very yummy!

Generally Flat, NewART, Scancafe Friend Discount + JO food Revolution Begins

Enjoying dinner with friends on my birthday last week, complete with jewelry gifted from E and L, plus one *yummy* sundae with candles amidst a chorus of *Happy Birthday to You*.

This week, in spite of an unexpected snow day and very little to complain about, I've been feeling a little *flat*, and therefore creatively challenged.  

It's my greatest challenge of working in this industry: Keeping myself positive and inspired.  Basically, if I'm not inspired, it's pretty hard to work.  So the desire to scrapbook could not be any further down my list of priorities, and I'm waiting, no so patiently, for that creative spark to return.  

I'm sure it will.  At some point.  Hopefully soon.  Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I have spent all the creative energy I do have on a few new products for the store this week.  Some Birthday WordART in honor of my birthday last week, and DesignerDigitals upcoming birthday celebration on 1 April 2010, as well as some *cooking* inspired products, to name a few.

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I also have a 40% off coupon for an order of $300 or less *for a friend* from Scancafe.  At the beginning of the year I sent in about 1000 heritage photos for the tedious job of scanning.  I was a little dubious about parting with my *treasure* but I am glad I braved the process.  My photos were returned safely and all my heritage photos are now in digital format ready to go. It was a painless process and a job well done, though the process did take about 8 weeks start to finish.

Email me at anna underscore aspnes at yahoo dot com or leave a post below if your interested.  First come first served.  

Note: Order must be place by 28 March 2010.

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Ella eats the same thing every day: Veggies + Ranch Dip, a fruit, a protein (usually cheese, turkey or peanut butter), a gluten free carb (GF pasta, crackers or rice cakes) and something sweet such as GF cookies, chocolate or similar.  

Last year it was such a chore to put a lunch together after dinner.  Hate is such a strong word but I really did dread it.  Lately, after watching Food Inc. and in anticipation of JO Food Revolution, I see this task I have of feeding my children in a whole different light.  It's no longer a chore but I see it as being important. 

Thank goodness I have at least one child who loves to eat healthy.  Luke is getting there slowly.  There used to be a time when nothing green would pass his lips but these days he's catching on.  Proof that you just have to keep trying.  Last night he scarfed down a salad of lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, edamame and black olives, with 1/2 avocado on the side doused in balsamic vinegar ( or soy sauce as he calls it).

The Jamie Oliver Food Revolution 2 hour Premiere begins tonight on ABC 7/8C.  

I know what I'll be doing after bootcamp tonight ;)

Sandwich Petals in Action

I just discovered an photo using of the Sandwich Petals I mentioned in Friday's post.

This is the Agave Grain variety stuffed with the previous night's leftovers a.k.a Fish N Veggies with Tahini Dressing.

New Layouts, a Party, Sandwich Petals GF Tortilla/Wraps and a Petition.

A few things on my mind this Friday afternoon.

As I type, music is blaring in the background as we gear up for our St. Paddy's Day party tonight, so it seems appropriate that I post these new pages using my ArtPlay Palette Lucky to be released in the store this weekend.

I've shopped for food, friends have helped me decorate and Eric's now working on the lights.

Looking forward to getting together with our friends tonights.  

Hoping I won't be too worse for wear for my birthday tomorrow.

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Super-excited about a recent food discovery that I thought I'd share as they've fast become a staple in my breadbox.  I know, odd I would have a breadbox when I don't eat bread in the conventional sense, but i do.

Enter Sandwich Petals:  The Ultimate Gluten-Free Flatbread. 

In their words, and mine.

I've searched high and low for a good and affordable Gluten Free and Dairy Free substitute for tortillas and wraps only to be disappointed with plastic tasting versions that break apart when handled.

My bootcamp trainer picked up a pack of the Agave Grain flavour from an event that she attended a few weeks ago, and I've since ordered a Variety Box and tried the other two flavours, Spinach Garlic and Chimayo Red Chile. 

Tip: Order on a Monday you get 2 boxes for the price of one (12 wraps in each variety for a total of 36 wraps) making them a very affordable $.35/wrap.

Sandwich Petals with it's 10 grain blend are made by Raquelita's Tortillas located here in Denver Colorado and were created for Celiacs, Diabetics, Athletes and are virtually allergen free.  Not only are these wraps GFDF but they are also Soy and Nut Free.  You can read more about them here or there's a video about them here.

I eat them for breakfast stuffed with eggs and turkey; for lunch with stir-fried veggies or salad; or for dinner as a pizza base or cut-up, toasted and served as chips.

If you live locally they are available at Paradise Bakery and Cafe.  6 of their locations are carrying them across Denver.

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On the topic of food, you'll remember this post about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, which will premiere on ABC on 26th March.

Jamie Oliver has now started a petition that he'd like to take to the White House after the TV series airs. You can check it out here.