Jo-Ellen's Summer LookBook!

OK, so this week’s blog (I’m going to try to make this thing at least weekly, we’ll see), is going to be “Jo-Ellen’s Summer LookBook!” There are a number of trends surfacing this season that I have a fierce desire to have, and I will have them, because if I want it, I get it! Some of these things have been around for a while, but now that I have a job where I can wear makeup/dress cute/look like a woman again, I have use for them other than just on days off!!! And I’m really trying to embrace my style, and really perfect it. Which seems to be all over the place most days!!! If I had to label it, I’d say preppy with an edge. I like that.

I’m digging the Nautical thing, kind of always have been, but this season there are actually cute stuff to choose from, so clearly I’m PUMPED!

Probably the first thing on my list will be these killer leopard sequin Sperry Topsiders. Seriously, you really can’t get more yuppy than a pair of boat shoes…but they’re also leopard and shiny!!!!!  

Sailor style shorts and pants. Now that I’ve lost weight, these will probably look cute on me, I’m embracing shorts more, and don’t cry in the dressing room any longer because nothing fits my massive thighs! I’ve always salivated over the high waisted pant look…but it usually looks off on me (maybe it’s the fact I have curves? Or maybe because I have this illusion I’m taller than I am, and can pull these things off? But it’s probably my imagination…). This season, I am determined to rock a high-waisted sailor pant! I can just see Derek and me going out to a nice dinner on the Cape, him in the plaid shorts I keep buying him, and my in a sexy ass pair of sailor pants…SWOON

Colored denim was pretty much #1 on my list since those bad boys appeared on the market, and especially since I saw my hot sister in law, Angela, rocking the best colored ones out there! That fun pinkish orangey color. They looked so amazing on her, it was the nail in the coffin, really. So I tried to find some at GAP, but they were very thin, and legging-ish, and NOT flattering, this made me sad. But I DID find some at the GAP Outlet (My favorite store in the world) that are legit jeans, and look awesome. Shamless plug, Size 4, loose in the waist! Probably wearing them tomorrow for work. But wishing my Topsiders would get here faster since they would look FAB with these pants!

A maxi dress. Any Maxi dress really, that doesn’t look frumpy or make me look 2 feet shorter than I am. I’m determined I will find one for this summer.

Fun headbands. I always try them on in stores, and Derek tells me how cute they look, but I NEVER buy them. I have no idea why. And considering I plan on chopping my hair pretty drastically, fun hair accessories may turn to be a must (especially come wedding season, when there won’t be much else I can do with it! Faux Hawk anyone?!) (What a horrible picture I chose)

Last but not least, aka all I can come up with at this moment, BRIGHT POLOS! I used to have about 15 different polo shirts, all fun shades, but they were mediums from Abercrombie Kids…and I’m 25 and don’t wear belly shirts anymore, I also have big knockers now…so you know, time to replenish the stock!!! Bright polo, skinny jeans (oooo maybe white jeans!!!!) and my topsiders, and I’m good to go!!!

My Weight Loss Journey

Something that a lot of my friends don’t realize is that I got pretty fat for a while.  At my heaviest, which seemed to be around November of 2009, I topped the scales at 150lbs.  Keep in mind that I’m only 5’3, and most of my life I spent weighing [significantly] below 120lbs.  I’m still not entirely sure how it happened.  I do think that living on my own played a HUGE role in it.  At my pre-employment physical, I weighed 136 clothed, still heavy for me, but seriously not too bad.  That was in May.  Somehow between May and November, I put on ~15lbs.  That’s HUGE when you lack in height the way that I do.  15lbs on me is like 30lbs on someone who’s 5’8. 

Unfortunately the best pictures to display me at my heaviest were from a friend's baby shower, and I looked more pregnant than her :( Also, I had my hair dyed red that day. (http://i.imgur.com/aoGyM.png Link for bigger photo)

I was living a pretty sedentary lifestyle at that point.  For some reason I wasn’t working out regularly, which is strange for me, since I’ve been working out very regularly since I was 15.  Work was slow, so I was sitting at my desk most of the time, and I’d come home, eat dinner, and sit in front of the TV or my computer, and talk to Derek until I fell asleep (we didn’t live together yet at this point).  I just led a boring, sloth-like lifestyle.  And that HAS to be what did it. 

Once Derek moved in, late November 2009, actually, we started to make some changes.  We both started watching what we ate WAY more, working out more, and even got a WiiFit to play at home to get some fun exercise in instead of sitting and watching TV all night.  This actually helped a lot, weird as it may sound.  I think I got down to about 138 at my lowest during that point in our life, and it didn’t take THAT long.  Just a couple months, but it goes to show you what finally getting off your ass can do!  …And then we bought our house and my weight fluctuated between 138 and 145 for about a year L

Seriously, it was like my body did NOT want to get any lower than 138.  I was miserable, and depressed about it.  After we got engaged we really started to try to get into wedding shape, we were P90X’ing regularly, eating “healthy”, I kept my daily calorie intake to usually at or a bit under 1000 calories a day, but nothing was happening.  Granted, I was probably gaining muscle and losing fat a bit, because I was noticing my tone starting to come back, THANK GOD.  But the scale wasn’t moving. 

I reached the breaking point at my first wedding dress fitting, I was SO excited to try it on, and when I did, it just wasn’t right.  It wasn’t too small, or like I couldn’t fit into it or something, it just didn’t look as good as the samples I tried on.  It didn’t fit right, and it didn’t look nearly beautiful enough for me to wear at our wedding.  I almost started crying on the drive home.  I had to try something new.  I needed to figure out a way to get back to kind of shape I used to be in.  I needed help.

Enter Dave.  Dave is a good friend of mine who was in Costa Rica with me for 2 months in 2007, and for some reason still talks to me.  He knows A LOT about nutrition and exercise, so I tend to ask him for advice often, while also getting angry at him because he gives out advice when I don’t ask for it either!  But that’s just Dave, he’s a good guy.  Anyhoo, I turned to him.  I told him I needed to lose 10lbs asap.  Like, in a month, before my next dress fitting, asap.  And I told him he had to help me, and no was not an acceptable answer.  He warned me I wasn’t going to like what he had to say…but it would work.  There is really no way it wouldn’t…Keto.  A Ketogenic diet.  What the fuck is that?  No carbs.  Stop eating fruit every damn day.  He got mad at me because I tried to make him make me a meal plan…he refused.  So instead he pointed me to r/keto, and I did my homework.  Shit looked easier than I thought!!!  I love meat and veggies!  Tuna, eggs, steak, TACO BOWLS, cheddar, I could DO this!  So I did, and so did Derek.  By managing to keep my net carb intake to, on average, under 20g a day, the weight melted off.  For the first time in years, I was starting to feel a sense of accomplishment.  I was still working out also, so the weight was coming off, and I was toning, and I was finally starting to feel good about myself again.  In about a month, I lost around 7lbs.  I got down to just above 130.  I was happy, my next dress fitting went SO much better, and the dress looked gorgeous.  But I wasn’t done yet ;)

 I kept it up, and by the wedding I got to 127.  I hadn’t been that weight since early senior year of college.  I was ecstatic.  Derek was around 200lbs also, and looking pretty trim and sexy I may add!   This “diet” really is easy to maintain.  You allow yourself cheat days once and a while, where I usually shove pizza or nachos in my face, or Melting Pot the shit out of myself.  So it’s not like you say bye bye forever to some of your favorite things.  They are just SO much better when you get them now. 

Fast forward to now.  It’s been 8 months since the wedding, and my weight was fluctuating again.  +10lbs from the honeymoon (I drank fruity sugary drinks and ate fried plantains with every meal, sue me), lost about 5 of it, then came the dreaded Holiday season, impossible to keep weight down…teetered from 130-135 mostly.   I needed to change things again.  Enter gym nut Jo-Ellen.  I wanted to turn back into what I used to be, the “If I don’t work out today I hate myself” Jo-Ellen.  Plus, I was getting boobs soon and knew I’d be out of commission for a while, had to get in shape.  So with the help of my amazing, sexy, loving, supportive husband, we started gyming it up about 5X a week.  Doing some workouts together as well.  So right before my surgery, I was 129, with some killer abs.  I was pumped.  Until now.  I thought THAT was great. My goal weight for years has been 125.  Well, I’m 125.4 and should probably take a picture of myself in my yoga pants and sports bra, all flexing and shit, because I look fantastic and I’m not afraid to brag.  I have been working SO hard for this, and the fact that I’m finally getting back to where I can be comfortable with myself is absolutely fantastic.  I’m proud of me, so I don’t care if I may come off as being obnoxious or bragging or whatever, because I feel good about myself again. 

Since it was requested, here is a repost of me at 129, right before my surgery.  Quite a transformation thus far!

Yes, I did get a Boob Job.

So I didn’t feel like actually coming out and saying it on Facebook, but I THOUGHT it was pretty obvious…But I guess not!

YES.  I GOT A BOOB JOB.

On March 20^th, 9:00AM, I went under the knife.   Stats are as follows:

450cc, Silicone, High Profile implant, under the muscle, crease incision. 

Yes I can still breastfeed, yes they will “drop” and look very much like normal boobs, yes most of my clothing still fits, and yes we can afford it.

For those of you who feel the need to ask why I did this, what better reason do you need other than “Because I wanted to”?  What better reason is there for ANY action someone takes?  I am a 100% supporter of plastic surgery and think that if someone is not happy with an aspect of themselves, then who says they can’t change it?  Society puts too much of an emphasis on accepting yourself the way you were born.  Well what if you were born with an unsightly mole on your face?  Or a big honking nose you can’t breathe out of?  What if after years of worrying about others, your face is left with wrinkles?  What if you have tiny boobs which aren’t proportionate to the rest of your body?  Who says you can’t fix these things?  Why do you have to “accept” the way you were made?

You don’t.  Because you can be anything you want to be and look any way that you want to look.  So now I have big boobs.  Perfect boobs that are perfect for my body.  AND I LOVE THEM.  My husband is a fan too (although of course he fell in love with small-boobed Jo-Ellen, but really, what guy doesn’t like big boobs?).  I love the way I look, I love the way I feel.  I have been wanting to do this for 10+ years now and I finally did it, so fuck you haters, I’m gorgeous.

For anyone who thinks I did not need them, haha fooled you!  I have been wearing crazy padded bras for years that made me look ~C cup size.  No, I was like a 32A.  Not OK with broad shoulders and an ass that won’t quit!  So now I rock D’s or DD’s.  Haven’t quite figured it out for real yet.

So without further ado, here are my before and afters.  After is about 1 week post op, and before is the morning of. (Disregard my lack of a face...I used these pictures on a breast implant forum also, plus I was making weird faces)

Before, day of the surgery, 20Mar2012.  Bra size I was wearing: 32B NO PADDING

 Above and below were both ~1 week post op.  Also wearing a NON PADDED bra.  Still can't get over that that is ALL ME!!!

Derek and I have named them my "Ba-Bombs"

Fuck You JetBlue - A Honeymoon Tale

Honeymoon Adventure!

Long time coming, here is our honeymoon story!!!

Friday night after the rehearsal dinner, I got an email (followed by a phone call) from JetBlue telling us our flight to Punta Cana Monday morning was cancelled.  FML.  I finally got a real person on the phone to try to reschedule and see what we could do, and she turned out to be a crazy bitch whore and yelled at me for assuming my honeymoon was more important than someone else’s vacation.  Which it obviously was, at least to me.  She tried to say the earliest we could get out there was Thursday…no fucking way.  I said something had to be done, switch me to another airline (which she refused) and then put me on hold for a good 20 minutes, decent hold music though, put it on speaker and drank with friends.  When she finally got back on the phone, she had a proposition.  They could fly us out at 11:15PM Monday evening, and arrive in Santo Domingo at 3:30AM Tuesday morning, then figure out on our own how to get to Punta Cana, which was like 100 miles away.  No, they didn’t offer to provide us with transportation or anything, but at that point, I was done fighting and took what I got. 

Fast forward to Monday night, our “town car” (My Dad in his Caddy hahahaha) drop us off at the airport, we had rented a car for our drive across the Dominican, and we figured everything would be fine.  NOPE.  We assumed by the fact that we were the only non-Spanish speakers on the plane, that Santo Domingo wasn’t exactly a tourist area, and was probably not so safe…but you gotta do what you gotta do. 

So we flew in, got our car, and headed on the adventure.  Mind you, there are NO street signs, route signs, highways signs, signs to indicate which direction you’re traveling in, in the DR.  We learned that the hard way.  Occasionally there would be a little sign on the side of the road saying something like “Rt . 6”  real helpful…So we went the wrong way, got lost, and ended up on the “wrong” route 4?  This is all in the wee hours of the morning mind you.  How is there a wrong route 4?  And it WAS wrong…so very very wrong…We ended up on dirt road (seriously DR?  Dirt road highways?) surrounded by corn stalks and locals on motorcycles with no lights.  I seriously thought some crazy Dominican Ed Gein was going to throw tack lines under our tires, and proceed to torture and eat us.  I was not being paranoid, if you saw where we were, this was a LEGIT fear to have.  We eventually turned around, and found our way back to the more normal highway, just in time to hit cities at rush hour.  Did you know that children hitchhike their way to school in the morning?  That’s safe.  I think hookers make the rounds at breakfast time also.  Fun place. 

Around 7:30AM we made it to where we had to return our car, and finally made it to our hotel around 9:30ish.  When we explained to people what we did (locals who worked at the Elegance) no one believed us.  Apparently they don’t even drive and they live there.  Apparently driving from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana at 3:30AM is highly dangerous, and we’re pretty lucky to be alive…

The rest of the honeymoon was much less awkwardly eventful and dangerous.  We spent 8 amazing days in the sun and the sand, drinking and eating, and even made a couple friends, Jen & Mike and Corky & Tawana.  We did get some more nasty JetBlue attitude at JFK during our layover.  I thought that was supposed to be the nice airline?  If it weren’t for the comfy seats and TVs, I’d probably never fly JetBlue again…thanks for almost killing us on our honeymoon!!!

Sullivan-Duval Ceremony

As promised, for those interested, I'm posting our ceremony.  I wrote it myself, so I obviously want to brag and say, "Everybody come see how good I write!!!"


Family, friends, we have come here today to celebrate love. 

Jo-Ellen and Derek stand here now to pledge their everlasting love to one another, and have chosen to do so in front of you, their closest friends, and dearest of family.  

Jo-Ellen and Derek met almost 6 years ago. Though the date, place, or time of their initial meeting cannot be pinpointed, it’s not so for when their friendship changed into something more.  3 years later, after life’s many losses, changes, and surprises, Derek showed up on Jo-Ellen’s doorstep (literally), as he was back in town for a fraternity Christmas party, and they have been together ever since.  

And now, they face each other today to take another step forward in their relationship, and promise to one another that the love they share is unlike any other, and will stay true, forever.

Jo-Ellen and Derek have opened their hearts to one another, and in just a few moments will share their vows of marriage together. We are deeply grateful to them for opening their hearts to us as well, inviting us to witness and share in this precious moment.  Their marriage is being entered into reverently, with the recognition of a true union which has been discovered.  For what greater joy is there for two souls than to join together to strengthen each other in all their endeavors, to support each other through all sorrow, and to share with each other in all gladness?

Jo-Ellen, are you ready to enter into this marriage with Derek, believing the love you share and your faith in each other will endure all things?

Jo-Ellen: I am. 

Derek, are you ready to enter into this marriage with Jo-Ellen, believing the love you share and your faith in each other will endure all things?

Derek: I am. 

Will you please join your hands.
(Maid of Honor [take bouquet also] and best man hand vows to bride and groom)

Derek:

Jo-Ellen, I promise to encourage your individuality,
Because that is what makes you unique and wonderful.
I promise to nurture your dreams,
Because through them your soul shines.
I promise to help shoulder our challenges,
For there is nothing we cannot face if we stand together.
I promise to be your partner in all things,
Not possessing you, but working with you as a part of the whole.
Lastly, I promise to you perfect love and perfect trust,
For one lifetime with you could never be enough.
This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things.

 

Jo-Ellen:

Derek, I promise to encourage your compassion,
Because that is what makes you unique and wonderful.
I promise to nurture your dreams,
Because through them your soul shines.
I promise to help shoulder our challenges,
Because through them we'll emerge stronger.
I promise to be your partner in all things,
Not possessing you, but working with you as a part of the whole.
I promise to share with you the joys of life,
Because with you they will be that much sweeter.
Lastly, I promise to you perfect love and perfect trust,
For one lifetime with you could never be enough.
This is my sacred vow to you, my equal in all things.

Jo-Ellen, do you take Derek to be your husband, to love him, to cherish him, and to continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion?

Jo-Ellen: I do. 

And Derek, do you take Jo-Ellen to be your wife, to love her, to cherish her, and to continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion? 

Derek: I do.

(Best Man hands rings to bride and groom)
 
May these rings be blessed as a symbol of this unity. Your two lives are being joined today in one unbroken circle.  Wherever you go, may you always return to one another in your togetherness.  May you find in one another the love for which all men and women desire.  May you grow in understanding and compassion.  May the home which you establish together be such a place of sanctuary that all who are here today and others through the years will find there true friends. May these rings, soon to be on your fingers, symbolize the touch of the spirit of love that is in both your hearts. 

Jo-Ellen, in placing the ring on Derek's left hand, please repeat after me: Derek, I give you this ring as a pledge of my love, and as a symbol of our unity. 

Derek, in placing the ring on Jo-Ellen's left hand, please repeat after me: Jo-Ellen, I give you this ring as a pledge of my love, and as a symbol of our unity. 

Jo-Ellen and Derek, you have whole-heartedly consented together to marriage before this company, pledged your faith and declared your unity by each giving and receiving a ring, and, as you are now joined together in mutual esteem and devotion.  It is my greatest of pleasures to now pronounce you Husband & Wife.  Derek, you may now kiss your bride!!!

Come on Irene!

So for anyone who is not aware, I got married in a fucking hurricane.  And it was the best day of my life, wouldn’t have had it any other way.  It wouldn’t have been our wedding if something crazy didn’t happen, so we will take a hurricane! 

The day of the rehearsal was one of the most gorgeous days on the Cape, sunny, warm, light breeze…our rehearsal went great, rehearsed in both the outdoor and indoor location, just in case, and then finished off by having a delicious dinner catered at the In-Laws rental on the Cape!  Friends, family, lobsters, chowda, snake cake and brews!  It was great!

However…

When we left, and headed back to my family’s Cape house for a little “after party” I saw an email saying our FUCKING FLIGHT WAS CANCELLED on Monday heading to our honeymoon due to Irene…HELL NO.  Alright, I’ll fix it, I figured.  So I played that game with Jet Blue, stayed on hold for ~30 minutes, fought with the inconsiderate service woman (you’d think they’d be a bit more courteous…) and managed to get us a flight out at 11:15 Monday night (since their offer of no earlier than Thursday was NOT OK), however it flew into fucking Santo Domingo, at 3:30AM.  And we’d have to rent a car and drive to Punta Cana…whatever.  Better than Thursday…and it’s only 3 highways, it will be easy…yeah you’ll learn how “easy” it was in the honeymoon post!!!

After that was all settled, I was sure to leave my soon-to-be husband before midnight (or else I’d turn into a pumpkin, obviously), and headed back to the main house to get my beauty sleep before the big day! 

As far as the stress factor, for the wedding, it was a level zero.  I just wasn’t worried about it.  Even waking up, I never had that, “HOLY SHIT I’M GETTING MARRIED!” sensation.  I did however check the weather every 20 minutes!!!  Liz and I just hung out with my family, and the kids, and got ready to head to the Wequassett, it was a really low key and laid back wedding morning!  We met the other girls there, and started getting our hair done, and my make-up, and then I did a few other’s make up (because I’m an amazing bride), drank some champagne, and had pictures taken by the BEST photographer EVER!  Nanci Harran, with Click Chick Photography, could not have asked for a better photographer to capture the day!

All in a sudden, it was like 5PM, and I seriously needed to put my gown on…time flew, and we were having a blast.  At this point, we had decided the ceremony would be outside, and it was beautiful.  The rain held out for the ceremony, and then for pictures, and right at the end it started raining.  I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect outcome.  I asked my Mom the night before to please make sure the rain holds out for just those times, and she listened.  I think there were a few of us that asked her for that favor, and she listened!  I know it sounds weird, but that’s just something I do…I did it for Liz’s wedding too, asked her to make sure it didn’t rain so it would be outside, and she pulled through.  She’s looking out for us no matter what.

The ceremony itself was short and sweet, I’ll post the ceremony for anyone interested, and I wrote it myself!  We had some great pictures, and then headed to the reception, where there were 2 amazing toasts from Liz and Paul, and then EVERYONE danced.  All night.  No one stopped dancing!  I seriously think if we were on that show “Four Weddings” we would have won.  It was absolutely amazing.  Everything was beautiful, the venue, the people, everything!

To everyone who made it through the hurricane to come spend our day with us, you have no idea how much it meant to us!  We love each and every one of you very much!!!

I know this post has been pretty much ALL over the place, so, apologies!

Honeymoon details to come!