WEIGHT LOSS, ART, DOLLS AND WALLS.....

Such was the monthly anniversary of my surgery date 6 years and 6 months ago on 8/5/2007... How can I not celebrate this awesome date ... for life, for health, for wellness and youth even as I grow older.... With all life's ups and downs and challenges and blessing I am rocking this awesome never ending journey with zeal and much gusto... celebrating each day... each month... each year ... in life and in love ....I am forever grateful for second chances. Grateful for pressing on with courage and determination to live life to the fullest and to live it well I am so blessed with family, friends and peers in real life and in cyberspace that make everything so much more meaningful....

I celebrated my monthly surgiversary being an auntie to my awesome niece Ariza visiting from Panamá, the daughter of my youngest sister ... I have her here with me to enjoy her until next week before she returns ....

and like her auntie she is an ART LOVER too .... so what better place to hang out for a bit at the Yale Art Museum??? Slender me and my skinny niece of 26 years of age?

We had some awesome fun ... with my son, her first cousin, as our guide...

We took tons of pictures with our flashes on 'off' as required by the rules ... and I shared with her my AWESOME WALL AND DOLLS ... WOOT ... not only did my son bless me with another BEAUTIFUL doll for my collection my husband got me the MOST beautiful doll too and so did my DD ... now they are trying to convince me to get rid of my broken doll ... NO WAY! I am keeping her ... and I am firing up my kiln when I feel confident and will pour and bake and paint her a new face because I now have the mold.... I love love love my art and crafts and I love love love love to paint on walls and on canvas .... this is my latest mural and my doll display ... CELEBRATING MY 6 YEAR 6 MONTH SURGIVERSARY.... I used to weight 327 pounds ... and now I am maintaining a total loss of 203 pounds and loving it!

This is me today...

and these beautiful doll a gift from my DH is HEAVY ... OOPS she is big too LOL...

on the day of my monthly surgiversary on 8/5 I left for work before returning home to my awesome prezzies ... totally celebrating a new day on my journey ... I rocked a short summer dress ...

and I continued working on my latest  canvas that I named "TAMBORITO IN HEAVEN" ... Tamborito is the name of Panamá's folkloric dance and we grew up dancing folklore and wearing Polleras and Montunos  the national costume ... tradition started by my mother and totally enjoyed until her death by my beautiful sister Mela (RIP) ... I shared on here a picture of her and my mom in their Polleras on my last post and I painted them on canvas as a gift to my sister on her birthday ....

this was the original picture...

OMG and my niece bought her auntie refrigerator magnes in Polleras from Panamá how awesome is that? I am soooooooo happy to have a piece of my own blood visiting and staying with us for a few days...

Celebrating with ART, DOLLS, and walls .... I painted, I sewed, I ran, I swam and I love getting totally creative ... these have been some AWESOME aids on my weight loss and maintenance journey ... the paintbrush instead of the fork ... a swim and a run instead of giving up or giving in ... I AM EMBRACING JOY AND MAKING IT HAPPEN TO ME....

Looking forward to another day. another month, another year these are SNIPPETS of my JOURNEY .... today and yesterday... Thanks for allowing me to share...

MY BEFORE.... and my NOW! ... IT IS ALL WORTH IT!

Thank you OH!!! I am forever grateful for the space you freely provide where I have been able to grow from all the shared experiences and be inspired from so many wonderful life stories.... 

I agree--you need to keep your broken dolly!

SO glad your are getting to have fun with your niece!!

Thank you!!!! My daughter and a couple of her girlfriends took her into Manhattan today ... she has never been there .... they will show her around and after visiting all the VIP places they will have some fun at the wax museum followed by a visit to an awesome restaurant in the Times Square area ... they are hoping to be home by midnight since we have Bokwa and Zumba followed by Body Pump in the morning then we go up to Mystic for more fun and eats .... okay ... I need a double dose of multi with iron or a geritol shot after reading all that we are going to be doing LOL LOL LOL ...

You are so talented and beautiful! Congrats!

Your posts make my day! So joyful and full of life:) Thanks for always inspiring!!!

I LOVE your Tamborito painting!!! I bought a folkloric blouse in Costa Rica when I was bigger and could never wear it, too tight, made for Ticas flaquitas - now it's too big!!