The body image versus weight game.

Left: 205 lbs Right: 173lbs (30+inches lost over my entire body!)

Last night, my friends convinced me to post this comparison photo that I posted on Facebook in November of last year. It was such a stark reality for me, to finally see the reality of all the hard work, the blood, sweat and tears I had endured in 2011 to get down to 173lbs. My body is a rock. It doesn't respond to exercise in a 'normal' fashion. It took me a full year to lose 32 pounds. I remember almost wanting to starve myself silly to get to the 30lb mark. I was so tired of hovering around 26-28lbs lost. It didn't seem like enough, it still doesn't.

However, looking at these photos helps me to see how far I have come. A few weeks back I decided to do another round of p90x. I got 3 weeks in, and after watching the scale creep up 8lbs...yes, 8lbs, I decided I needed another workout for me. While I had gained 8lbs I had lost 3" off of my total body (nothing got bigger...just small, tiny losses over my body over the 3 week period) I decided that it was time I tried to really focus on eating and on a more cardio based workout versus a full weight lifting workout like p90x is. While I love p90x, stepping on the scale and seeing that number going up to 181lbs was so depressing, so hurtful to all the hard work I was doing. I started Slim in 6 three weeks ago this coming Monday. I love it. The entire workout is just under an hour and I feel it targeting every single muscle in my body. I hurt in the morning, I don't dread doing it, I work up a sweat, and I dare say I *almost* enjoy it.

I talk to myself each day. I tell myself, "You lost three inches! That is SO amazing! Focus on that!" I haven't stepped on the scale since day one of Slim in 6. I feel happy about that. I worry I am creeping up, but my body feels better. I feel happier, I feel thinner. I have to realize that I may never hit that 'goal' weight on the scale. I may never see the number 140lbs ever, ever again. My body is just that, mine. As long as I am feeding it right, exercising, and doing all I can to reach my goals, I need to love myself for that. I need to love my image.

I am trying.

I can say this much though, I love that girl on the right a lot more than the girl on the left. I can't wait to love the girl on the right much more than the girl in the middle when and if that photo ever comes.

Here is to a new girl standing in the right in 2012.

Obsessed with Apple Crisp | Recipe

Forgive my photos. (Walgreen's One Hour Photo...equals, poo looking photos. What can I say? Also, I should iron my table cloths, you know, in my spare time. While we are at it I will let you know these were taken on my Nikon N80 with my 50mm 1.4 lens at f1.4. My shutter speed was LOW...maybe 1/20.)

However, don't forgive this recipe, it is delicious and to die for, and everything that screams, "Winter! Stay at home in front of the fire! Delicious! I shouldn't be eating this on my diet! Who cares?"

Needless to say I have made this quite a bit in the last few weeks. I can't get enough of the caramely (not a word), crunchy, cinnamony (also not a word) goodness of this dessert. I also consider it a great breakfast, lunch and dinner if you feel so inclined.

I claim this recipe as my own (my first ever?), because I concocted it after looking through a number of recipes, and not liking any of them, or feeling like there wasn't quite enough 'crisp' this is what I came up with. Try it and let me know what you think.

Kimmie's Apple Crisp

Topping:

1 cup wheat flour (it makes it feel healthy)
1 cup quick oatmeal
1/2 cup melted butter (the real thing)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix the above ingredients with a fork until well blended and crumbly...the bigger crumbles the better.

Apples:

4 small sliced Granny Smith Apples (we use a peeler, corer, slicer dealio, the kids love to help)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix the apples and lemon juice. Lay apples on the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle apples with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Sprinkle topping mixture over the top of the apples.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. The crisp should be bubbling when you take it out.

Let cool slightly then serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream. (We get something with 1/2 the fat, doesn't taste as good but then I don't feel quite as guilty for eating the entire pan by myself.)

Have a happy weekend.

xoxo

Kim

Life

The last week has been intense. I feel like I joined the rest of the world when I flubbed my new year resolution to keep my blog updated every week day. 'They' say that most resolutions are forgotten by February 14, and it just seemed like I was joining ranks.

Things have been busy. I took on extra hours with work, and I have been trying really hard to make sure my computer is still turned off at a decent hour so that I can be a mom and take care of all the things that go with that job. Sadly, my blog got put on the back burner.

I had some time today however, to just blog about life.

It has been crazy. I always seem to say that, but truly it is. We just go from one thing to another to another without a breath in between. Last week I told you how my Christmas present was stolen on Valentine's day. I love my new found understanding that things are just things, however I dearly miss my 'thing'. I didn't realize how much I used my iPad, and I still have half of Tina Fey's book to read, which will now have to be done on the computer. I am okay with that. Truly thankful that Flav is okay. His mouth was pretty swollen and bruised for days...but we are all mending and putting that behind us. I just have a word for Karma. Do your thing. Okay? Pretty please. Thank you...Kim.

Then there is this girl:

Who always begs for her photo to be taken during the day while her brother and sister are at school, that is why there always seem to be so many more photos of her...I don't play favorites...promise. However, if she sees the camera she instantly says, "Smile Mom?!" Meaning, "Do you want me to smile Mom?" She completes my heart in every single way, even though she is the single most crazy thing in my life, I can't imagine my life for one second without her in it.

Life is challenging, but it is good. It feels good to be living and pressing forward, even through the hard, it just makes the not so hard feel all the better.

xo

Kim

**Get geeky: All photos shot on a Nikon N80 with a 50 mm lens at 50mm at f1.4 on Kodak Portra 160 Film. Developed and processed at Walgreen's.**

Simply Thankful

Today I am simply thankful that those big hands on the bottom are safe.

Our iPad was stolen from Flavio yesterday. We are all pretty shaken at the story. Although we hope that our story will turn out similarly to this one, we are pretty sure it won't. However, there is nothing like this situation to put us in our place and realize the things that are important in life are not 'things'. They are the ones we love. As long as they are safe that is all that matters.

Take time today to love on the real people in your life. Put the 'things' away, and focus on them.

**Get geeky: Shot on a Nikon N80, 50mm 1.4 lens at 1.4 with Fuji 800 Consumer Film processed at Walgreen's**

City Creek Center Sneak Peek Gala Event

Thrilled would perfectly describe how I felt when I was asked to tell you about the new City Creek Center in downtown Salt Lake City. Flavio and I have been heading down to the new area since Deseret Book and the Blue Lemon opened last year. I adore eating at the Blue Lemon for lunch or date night and take anyone I can for any special opportunity.

City Creek Center will hold a Charity/Preview Gala on Wednesday, March 21, the day before City Creek Center opens, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. I can't help but think how awesome this center will be for our city, and people, there is going to be a Tiffany & Co. Utah is getting all grown up. I am stoked. Now, to convince Flavio I need a gift from Tiffany & Co. this year for our anniversary. (*Hint*)

Adult tickets are $50, but each person will receive a $20 VISA card for ticket purchase. Each ticket purchaser will also receive deals at the shops, along with being one of the first to shop at City Creek Center before it even opens.

The night will include complimentary parking, continuous entertainment, food and refreshments throughout the center and shopping throughout the evening.

I think the most amazing thing about this night is that all of the proceeds are going to benefit people and animals in need in our city. City Creek Center Charity Gala will 100% benefit local charities, including The Road Home, Ballet West, Junior League of Salt Lake City and Utah’s Hogle Zoo.

Information about this event, as well as how to purchase tickets can be found at City Creek Center’s website http://www.shopcitycreekcenter.com/charityevent.asp.

I have been so excited to share this night with you, and I hope beyond hope to see you there, that I went and photographed a few of my favorite things about City Creek Center. Enjoy:

More information about the Gala Benefit:

CITY CREEK CENTER TO HOST “SNEAK PEEK” GALA BENEFITING FOUR LOCAL CHARITIES

SALT LAKE CITY — City Creek Center, the new shopping and dining destination rising in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, will host an exclusive charity gala and shopping event on March 21, 2012, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, the night before the center’s official grand opening. Tickets are now on sale, benefiting four local charities.

The approximately 700,000-square-foot shopping center, with nearly 80 stores and restaurants, will host an evening filled with live entertainment, food and drink crafted from local ingredients, and an opportunity to shop and preview the center’s stores, which will open for the event.

“The gala is an exciting opportunity to experience City Creek Center for the first time and also support local charities that are important to the community,” said Linda Wardell, City Creek Center general manager. “One hundred percent of the ticket price will go to these deserving charities to help accomplish their missions.”

Tickets can be purchased for $50 directly from the benefiting charities, which include the following:

Ballet West
Ballet West ranks among the top professional ballet companies in America, with 36 company members, 10 second company members and a thriving Academy that trains dancers of all ages. Each year Ballet West's extensive community outreach and education programs serve over 100,000 Utah students, teachers and special needs individuals, free of charge, as a part of its commitment to the people of Utah. These efforts are supported, to a large degree, by the generous contributions of individuals. Established in Salt Lake City in 1963, Ballet West boasts a rich and varied repertoire with elegant and versatile artists and has become an American pioneer in the world of dance. Visit www.balletwest.org.

The Road Home
The Road Home is a private non-profit social service agency whose mission is to help people step out of homelessness and back into our community. On any given day in Salt Lake County, Utah, The Road Home provides emergency shelter for 700 people, gives emergency assistance to 150 people, and case manages nearly 500 households in housing throughout the community. The Road Home administers more than $400,000 in tenant based rental assistance annually, manages 26 transitional housing units, and operates Palmer Court, 201 units of permanent supportive housing for families and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Visitwww.theroadhome.org.

Utah’s Hogle Zoo
Established in 1931 and located at the mouth of Emigration Canyon, Utah’s Hogle Zoo is open all year and is one of the most visited attractions in Utah. With natural terrain that covers 42 acres of tree-lined pathways, visitors can view more than 800 animals. New in 2012 is Rocky Shores. Reflecting the look and feel of historic Cannery Row on the northern California coast, Rocky Shores features expansive new homes including an underwater viewing for bears, sea lions and harbor seals. Other animals include river otters and bald eagles. Also visit Asian Highlands, a re-creation of a Himalayan village featuring five endangered Asian cat species, and Elephant Encounter which spotlights African elephants and white rhinoceros. Hogle Zoo’s mission is to nurture respect and appreciation for the natural world by providing diverse educational, recreational, and conservation opportunities. This is accomplished through imaginative exhibits and programs, professional animal care, and a commitment to excellence. For more information, visit www.hoglezoo.org.

The Junior League of Salt Lake City
Serving the Salt Lake community since 1931, the Junior League of Salt Lake City is a charitable organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving the community. Since 1990, the League has been involved in critical issues facing the environment, women and substance abuse, mentally ill adults and health care issues. The League is comprised of more than 550 women, including career women, working mothers, stay-at-home moms and full-time and part-time volunteers. Visit www.jlslc.org.

About City Creek Center
City Creek Center opens March 22, 2012 at 10 a.m. Bordered by South Temple, 100 South, West Temple and State Street, the center is located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, just blocks from I-15 and I-80, and a 10-minute drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. The centerpiece of a sustainably designed urban community, City Creek Center features a unique shopping environment with a retractable roof, a creek winding through the property, a pedestrian skybridge and more. Anchored by Macy’s and Nordstrom, this world-class fashion and dining destination will offer approximately 80 stores and restaurants in a casual, walkable environment. Visit www.ShopCityCreekCenter.com.

CONTACT:
Leigh Dethman, Intrepid, 801.481.9482, ldethman@intrepidagency.com

**Disclaimer: I was given two tickets to attend the City Creek Center Sneak Peek Gala in return for writing this post. However, my love of the beauty of the new shopping area, as well as the views, restaurants, and stores are all my own.**

**Get geeky: All photos shot on a Nikon N80 with a 28-70 mm lens at 50mm at f4 on Kodak Portra 160 Film. **

Personal Work

I was chatting with some good friends this morning about 'photo failure'. We as photographers get really down on ourselves sometimes. If color isn't right, if the shot isn't framed perfectly, if we happen to get a glimpse of some other work that is supremely amazing...we cringe and we beat ourselves up for it, and so we get down.

I hate feeling down. I decided a long time ago to not look at what other people are doing. I decided to focus on my own work and work hard at it, improve what it was I was seeing through my own lens and find who I am, and who I want to be.

The problem? I don't like a lot of the work I do, especially personal work. Oftentimes, to save money I shoot my personal work on off brand film. This usually means the color is kind of whacky and the grain is chunky chunk, or I have a local 1 hour lab process my film, so the photos aren't as clear or sharp as my client work.

So they sit.

They sit also because I am busy with all five of my jobs as Jothan likes to calculate them all for me.

Then today, the discussion with my friends got me thinking...and looking...for awful photos. You know what? It was hard to find some. I found photos I loved. Even in bad lighting and off film and horrible processing. I still think they are lovely, they are personal, they are my heart, and I love them. I love the way I see through the lens and these photos only make me want to capture more and more.

Hope you enjoy these today. They were taken for SassyScoops at Sammy's Cafe in Pleasant Grove I truly feel all of my work shot for SassyScoops is personal, and I love the opportunity it gives me to shoot products, food, and people in a new light. You will see that the film stock and color as well as processing are very different from my client work. It is almost night and day...and yet I still love. It is a messy kind of love, and artistic kind of love and I am going to embrace it forevermore.

Here is to more personal work shot in 2012, and more showing it on a regular basis.

Oh, and I miss summer. You?

**Get geeky: Shot on a Nikon N80, 50mm 1.4 lens at 1.4 with Fuji 800 Consumer Film processed at Walgreen's**

Simar Newborn | Utah Newborn Photography

I would love to meet you and photograph your newest addition in a similar way. These moments are all too fleeting. Let's capture them forever. Contact me: kimorlandini@gmail.com to set up your appointment.

View the entire session and order prints here .

Love Stitched

When I was contacted by the creative mastermind behind Love Stitched last year, I was thrilled. After a few emails, it was decided that we were a good fit for one another, and so, I was given the task of photographing the fall line of beautiful one of a kind headbands and necklaces.

Brittany is a stunning lady inside and out. We hit it off instantly, spilling secrets, sharing life stories, we had so much in common. It was nice to find someone with whom I work so well with. As we discussed both of our visions for her pieces, we came to an awesome consensus and above is the fruit of that labor.

I am so excited and thankful to meet with Brittany again to discuss her spring line and photograph some of her newest creations.

Check out the Love Stitched Etsy Shop to snag up some of these delightful one of a kind, hand made pieces for yourself.

**Get geeky: All photos shot on either a Nikon N80 with a 50mm 1.4 lens at f4, or a Nikon F100 with a 28-70 mm lens at 50mm at f4 on Kodak Portra 400 Film. **