Around the Yard

Work is still moving steadily ahead on the backyard shenanigans I’ve been doing but we’ve been a bit delayed by a string of rainy and chilly days recently. I’m finishing up moving the last of the 16 tons of gravel into place. I’ve also started on a hand-poured cement border that will edge the gravel areas and walkways (you can see the start of it in the top “Progress” picture below). We have a team installing a privacy fence right now too. And construction has started on a deck for the pool. So lots of work happening and even more to be done.

Starting Point

To illustrate the ch-ch-changes, here’s a few pics of the yard when I bought my house last year.

Some Moody Progress Shots

And here are some progress shots (all taken with my Fuji X100F). Making progress but still have a lot of work ahead of us.

Fall To Do List

Here’s what I’d like to knock out this fall, before we get into the bitter cold of winter:

  • Finish all gravel work - the patio, the path around the perimeter of my house.

  • Finish the cement border - I’m about 30% done. The cement needs 24 hours to dry before it’s weatherproof, so I haven’t been able to work on this recently.

  • Complete privacy fence - will be finished this week

  • Install pool deck - will be finished this week

  • Build a fire pit - I have the design and materials; just need the gravel and deck completed before I can begin construction.

  • Get comfortable chairs for around the fire pit - Still on the lookout for chairs that are durable but you can snuggle into on a chilly night around the fire.

  • Get an outdoor dining set - Looking for a set that seats 8-10.

  • Clean out and organize the studio - install shelving to house pool supplies, toys, towels and make room for a kitchenette with prep space, a refrigerator and microwave. Make a defined changing room for quick changes into suits.

  • Build phase 1 of the outdoor kitchen - I have the plans and materials to build the bar-height counter with storage on the inside.

Spring To Do List

Here’s my goals for Spring 2020, before we open the pool for the season.

  • Landscaping - Planted medium-height decorative flowering plants around the perimeter of the pool. Fill in the gaps, plan and plant around the deck and the remainder of the yard.

  • Lighting - I have outdoor string lights, lanterns, path lights and spotlights to install after the winter months have ended.

  • Outdoors games - Cornhole and other games for the side yard.

  • Paint - Paint the exterior of the studio apartment behind my house and the Studio/storage building between the two. I’ve chosen appropriately beach-inspired colors to bring the space together.

  • Build phase 2 of the outdoor kitchen

    • Add a second side to the bar built in phase 1 so that the grill is surrounded.

    • Add bar stools for seating. Build an awning over the kitchen.

    • Mount a Smart TV to the studio wall behind the kitchen.

Longterm Goals

  • Build a custom shed behind the studio apartment - room for storing all of the yard equipment, pool supplies, pool toys and Christmas decorations.

  • Renovate the studio

    • Complete overhaul that relocates the stacked washer and dryer

    • Add a bathroom with a shower

    • Update kitchenette

    • New flooring and paint

    • New insulation

    • Replace door with large French doors

    • Lots of concealed storage

    • Complete with sofa bed, TV and other furnishings to make it into a guest space and pool house.

  • Solar cover for the pool, so that we can enjoy it year round.

  • Outdoor sound system - install a permanent outdoor sound system.

  • Finish it all just in time to sell the house and start over. LOLJKJKJKJKJK

You guys should see my Pinterest lately; it’s overflowing with ideas for the yard, the pool, games, seating and everything in between. We love swimming, spending time outdoors and entertaining our friends and family. I think that’s why I’ve been so excited about this project; it’s creating a space that’s all about community and making memories. It’s also given me a chance to put in a ton (or 16) of sweat equity and to learn new skills along the way.

We have a lot of projects wrapping up in the next couple of weeks. I’ll share some pictures of the finished fence and deck before we wrap everything up for the season.

Don't Forget About Christmas!

I have a few more slots available for these custom mixed-media portraits. They make a great Christmas present! As a reminder, 100% of the proceeds go to benefit my sister’s family. They are about $2,000 short of their goal for Grayson’s memorial, so every penny helps.

Here are a few examples of the portraits I’ve made so far. I can’t share them all because Santa told me some had to be kept secret until December 26th. :)

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. I know we can get across the finish line and help complete Grayson’s memorial together.

Work in Progress

I’ve been, to quote Fergie, “working on my fitness” for awhile now. I’ve been eating cleaner, hitting the gym several days a week and working with a trainer to get targeted results on problem areas I struggle with.

My goal was to improve my overall health, strength and flexibility. Losing weight was important, but I was equally focused on building muscle mass and improving my athleticism.

I had the initial burst of weight loss and visible results but lately I’ve felt like I hit a wall; I wasn’t seeing as much visible progress and was starting to feel like I’d plateaued. The scale wasn’t changing either.

It was starting to bum me out.

My trainer gave me a challenge: take progress photos every two weeks. Share them. Keep myself honest and accountable by tracking my results. But, also, transforming your body happens in phases, so you have to adjust your expectations. The first phase is a big boom, where you see immediate results as you burn off the “winter coat” of chub. But, after that, progress can be so subtle and steady that you won’t recognize it looking in the mirror every day. Charting your progress in biweekly photos helps illustrate the changes in your body that are easy to overlook on the daily.

Here is a “before” picture from over a year ago. When I started working out, I was actually about 15 pounds heavier than in this picture.

Before

Taking the Dad bod to the extreme. Aside from the gut, I had no upper-body strength and it showed. The fact that I have a longer torso for my height (and shorter legs) just made the lack of muscle mass all the more noticeable.

And here are a couple “Progress” shots (I’m not calling them “After” pics because I still have a long way to go to meet my personal goals).

Progress

The gut is still there (I heart carbs) but it’s more proportional and there’s muscle supporting it. I’ve made substantial progress on adding muscle and bulk to my entire upper-body.

My bestie calls this my “Call me Daddy” photo. :)

(I’m only sharing upper-body progress pics because that’s been my problem area and where you see the most progress. Thanks to genetics, I’ve always had a well-muscled lower-body. So, while I’m not skipping leg day and the lower half is getting equally toned and bulked, I think I’m more proud of the top side progress.)

I haven’t been seen shirtless in 5 years, so posting shirtless pics on the internet is daunting. But I’ve worked hard to get to this point and I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. I also hope that maybe this will serve as encouragement for anyone who’s thinking about making a lifestyle change. Or to the folks out there feeling like they’ve hit a wall on weight loss or progress. Hang in there and keep putting in the work. Take pictures every two weeks and compare; you’ll be amazed at the subtle changes you see in your body (and the benefits to your overall wellness).

Some Milestones

My trainer also recommended a smart scale that tracks more than weight; it provides all sorts of measurements that are equal parts horrifying and helpful. Your total weight doesn’t even begin to tell the story when you’re working on a transformation. If you’re building muscle and losing fat, you’re probably going to gain weight, which is discouraging if you can’t see the accurate picture.

Measurement

Starting

Current

Progress
Height: 5'11" 5'11" No Change
Weight: 265 lbs. 231.4 lbs. Loss of 33.6 lbs.
Body Mass Index (BMI): 36.7% 31.5% Loss of 5.2% BMI)
Body Fat: 36% 29% Loss of 7% Body Fat
Visceral (Abdominal) Fat: 19% 13% Loss of 6% Visceral Fat
Muscle Mass: 130.5 160.3 Gain of 29.8 Muscle Mass
Bone Mass: 5.6 8.9 Bone Mass gain of 3.3
Max Push-up Count: 9 28 Gain of 19
Max Plank Interval: 25 seconds 63 seconds Gain of 38 seconds
Max Bench Press Weight: 45 lbs. 125 lbs. Gain of 80 lbs.

I’ll be honest that I don’t fully understand all of the numbers above - I just know the ones that should be going down are going down and the ones that should be going up are going up.

Losing 33.6 pounds is obviously a huge deal, but most of that happened in the first month when I cut out sweets, soda and scaled back on other junk foods. It hasn’t gone down much recently; in fact, it’s increased the past two weeks, which expected but still caused anxiety. :)

I figure sharing this journey with you guys is a good way to remain accountable as I’m in the slower progress phase now. I don’t know that I’ll update every two weeks, but I’ll be tracking my progress with updated photos and measurements. I’ll probably update you next time I hit a milestone.







Grayson

My nephew, Grayson, lost his battle with adrenocortical carcinoma, an extremely rare form of cancer, on Tuesday. I still struggle to find the words when I think about what my sister and her family have had to deal with since Grayson's diagnosis over a year ago. No family should have to suffer this sort of anguish.

Out of a sense of helplessness, my niece, Ariel, and I decided to each do a portrait of Grayson in the hopes that we might help Jill and Cody raise funds, and hopefully raise awareness for families dealing with childhood cancer. In addition to the stress, anguish and loss this past year has brought, it's also placed a substantial financial burden on Jill and Cody's family.

When we talked about how to approach this, Ariel and I decided on two portraits. I would do one of Grayson at the beginning of his battle with cancer. Ariel's portrait would show the reality of what childhood cancer looks like. I'm sharing both with you today.

In addition, I'm going to be offering individual portraits similar in style to my portrait of Grayson to raise funds for Jill and Cody. To get a custom portrait, just donate $75 or more via the fundraiser listed below and send me a message. Turn around time will depend on response but, if you have a hard deadline or immediate need, please list that in the message.

If you are able to donate, please know that every single kind word and donation makes a difference to Jill, Cody and their girls. Please share this post if you're able to. No one should have to worry about finances at a time like this.

Donations can be made via:

Thank you, friends. And thank you for all of the support that you've shown Grayson, Jill, Cody and their daughters over this past year.

Here is my portrait of Grayson:

And here is Ariel’s portrait of Jill and Grayson.

Meet the Artist


Hi there. This post is about me because I always love the #meettheartist posts but I’ve never taken the time to do one. Until now! You’re welcome. 😂

LIKES: RAISING DION is my current favorite Netflix binge. JENNY LEWIS is playing Tulsa this week and I can’t wait to see her! SWEATER WEATHER who remembers that SNL skit? So glad it’s finally here tho. WORKING ON MY HOUSE has been a constant theme lately. I’ve put in a gravel patio and now I’m doing a hand-poured cement border around the patio and paths. Fall is the time for WEEKEND TRIPS with the people you love (and like). TEA & A BOOK my favorite part of the season: curling up under a blanket on these cool, rainy days with a glass of tea and escaping into a book. .

DON’T LIKES: I love going to the gym but I loathe LEG DAY even though these legs are fire. Never liked ONIONS on about anything; even worse when they are surprise onions. Tagging on to my likes above, the worst part of reading is the END OF A GOOD BOOK. And, in general, not a huge fan of PEOPLE WHO ARE JERKS.