My Royal Family 4

We are 4 women bound by blood, 3 sisters and their mother. Our goal is to help each other become the best we can be. Helping each other we can improve our intelligence, image, health, wealth, talents and abilities. We are each magical and powerful when we stand alone, but we are amazingly powerful when we stand together, and the results are out of this world. We talk about our natural hair, our weight, fashion, food, parties and living well. We make the ultimate Mother Daughter Team.

Showing posts with label Events. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

Fear and Love; Diet and Food

Love Yascone with Jonathan Goldsmith at Astral Tequila bottle signing
and a Food collage
These are just some of my repeat meals this year

Fear and Love

Yes, I realize the irony and the play on my name. I am only going to talk about my fears with dieting and my love of food and how they get in my way. I am one of those people who refuse to let my dieting affect my feelings for food. I love food. Love and fear can’t be together when I have food. Unfortunately for me, diet and fear go hand in hand. Over coming my fear of starting a diet means, for however long, I will be spurning some of my food loves.

Fear and Diet

Days before I start a diet I come up with a plan. Once that plan is made it takes me days before I start.

Fear #1 Stickler Love: Once I Start I don’t stop.

This is especially true when I do low carb or the Keto Diet. Keto is the highest performing diet I have ever done. It is better than HCG, low carb, Intermittent Fasting Only, Carbohydrate Addict, Beverly Hills Diet, Sadkins and yes, plant based diets. (Why Keto? I don’t lose muscle and I am never hungry.) Keto is the strictest of all the diets. Mistakes, at least for me, cannot be made. Therefore when I start a diet I set a goal and/or a date and I can’t break my diet until that goal/date is reached. It is because of this I usually start with a plant based diet or Intermittent Fasting if I have a lot of events to attend.

Fear #2 Missing Events and Cool Moments

Yes, it always seems I start my diets the day before some celebrity chef has an event, or there is a major bourbon or tequila tasting, or it is the most beautiful pre-summer day in years and it demands tacos or ramen with friends. (I know I can make low carb versions but I want to be out enjoying someone else's food.) It is because of fear #2 that I ate tacos at El Taco Luchador three times this week. It is also the reason my diet plan starts plant based and ends Keto. I will post a video for my summer diet plan. (Note: I started my period this week so the Tacos may be because of PMS.)

Fear #3 Failure

Part of success is picking the right diet at the right time and having the right frame of mind. I am going through a lot these days. Literally I was just interrupted to deal with negative energy again. It is enough to run out the house and have a nice glass of wine while looking at the river. So depression causes failure. If I am losing weight this usually doesn’t happen but sometimes I can also feel isolated when I am on a diet, so it depends. The worst of the worst, is if a negative outside force comes after me. Like at this moment. I am innocently writing you and someone negatively impacts me. Well, I haven’t started my plan yet. I should just give up today. Failure hurts me. I have major events to go to on Friday and Saturday. Going to these events looking the same way I look today would also make me feel like a failure. I need to do a video on this, too. I fear coming up with plans because once I have a plan I need to start it. If I don’t start that is a failure. Worse, if I start and quit due to some reason or other, it is a bigger failure. The absolute worst failure (and this has happened to me) is being a stickler on a diet for two months and not losing an ounce. I was suffering on a very strict diet missing Hollywood parties while my sisters went out and I did not lose a pound! The failure never left my heart. It was an event that colors all my dieting fears. I have an allergy to sugar substitutes including the natural ones. I can use sugar alcohols (without a migraine) but, my body will not lose any weight. I won’t gain but I won’t lose either. It was a horrible lesson and I reconfirmed the lesson when I made my Keto pound cake. The cake was wonderful and I did not gain weight but I did not lose either. Other people don’t have this problem but I do. It is a built in failure😢, but knowing is half the battle.

Once I start my diet for real I am confident. I know the goal. My love for certain foods are ignored. Although I do look at food porn a lot. So what does food do for my life? Let’s explore.

My Love Of Food

To me, food is art. Food is the emotion enhancer. Food is a mood setter. Food defines the moment, the season, the event and the person. I happen to be an eclectic individual. I can be the French woman with the simple frock and a joie de vie. I can be the Neet who has binged all the episodes of My Hero Academia. I can also be the woman going club hopping with friends. I know the clothes I would wear to make each moment picture perfect. I also know the food I would eat and the alcohol I would drink. I realized for the longest time I have not been enjoying my summers. Why? I never took that summer has started let’s have summer food moment. Yes, I know the saying, “Do we eat to live or live to eat?” To me it is a bullshit phrase to over simplify a great issue. What is life to YOU? To me life can be art, even the most ugly moments make beautiful pictures. Food is art and so is the sample size dress I want to fit into. Do you want to live your life as a function or as art? Is life a task? Or is life a string of positive and negative emotions telling one kick ass story? I love how food can enhance and change a moment.

I really want to change the moment I am having now. But to tell the truth diet food is a moment too. I have had my fill of food. I also know Saturday and Friday are going to be good days. What my plant based diet shake says about me is that I am in the challenge of my life and I intend to win.

(I failed horribly, I never started because I started my period, lol. The cravings were too strong and I just did not need the added stress. So I will start after Memorial Day. Yes, I will be posting a video on youtube and you can watch my past exploits there too.)

Fat Bomb Soup

my Favorite Keto Diet Recipes

(If you want to see more of my food follow me on Instagram and YouTube and Snapchat.)

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Family and Success: UBUNTU "I Am Because We Are"

Love Yascone at the Omni Hotel
She will always hold a place for family
UBUNTU

It has been hard for a lot of families this year. Actually, it feels like family relationships have been challenged for the past few years. It has been more than a year since I posted on this blog. I knew since last year what I wanted to say but I could never find a good jumping off point. Over the last two years I noticed there were so many things I wanted to share with my family. So many things I have learned, experienced and enjoyed. I wanted to really share with my mother, sisters, grandmother, aunts and all the rest. I noticed that even when we all attended the same events my family would miss something that to me was a major moment. I found that when I tried to explain these moments and experiences a lot of times they would fall on deaf ears. It was then that I realized one of the purposes of this blog. It was to share with my family. I wanted to share what I discovered and let’s face it a lot of times we forget the most interesting things we learn. Still, why is it so important to me?

On Facebook I discovered a way of life that explains my need to share. I found this pic (I Think on Earth Tribe). Its teachings are very clear. Cross the finish line together.

I am one of those people who could have easily crossed the finish line of life alone. In fact, success can find me easily when I am alone. The problem is I always felt the way of UBUNTU. Since the day I was born I knew being the one with all the toys was not true success. I also knew that getting to the top and reaching back, was for me anyway, not a true victory. I always saw my life as walking hand in hand with my tribe. There is no need for a savior if you all go together. In America UBUNTU is not a way of life. We are taught the opposite. Someone with my particular nature here in the USA at best can be viewed as naïve and at worst…crazy. In fact I did not know that this way of life was a real thing until last week, when I needed to see this the most, UBUNTU.

I don’t know if I felt this way due to cellular memory or if it is just my spirit nature. What I do know is that I am not crazy, I am not naïve, but I am a person in a country that does not understand the meaning of UBUNTU. I need to adjust. I need to learn how to hold open a space while I move forward. It is my intention to hold open a space for my tribe so that whenever an individual is ready they can join me. This blog is just one of those tools. It is one way to bring my tribe with me. “I am because WE are.” For me success is impossible if I forget that.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Halloween and The American Horror Story Election: We Are Caught In The Middle of a Fun Holiday and a Terrible Election

I was going to talk about how my family is divided between Halloween and the election. I was going to say that Mom & Faith are focused on our party. Joy is focused on making the best contacts for us and of course I am focused mainly on saving our country from the reality show American Horror Story: Election. Mom and Faith just walked into the house and guess what? They had a two hour "discussion" with a Trump supporter. Faith is vowing to not go out again unless absolutely necessary. For her, running into another Trump supporter would be a real nightmare. And there you have it, even mom (Glenda the Good) and Faith Hope, who have been the only two fighting to enjoy Halloween got pulled into this horror story today.

We have an election with a p**sy groping hand, claims that the Central Park 5 aren't innocent (even though they are), Putin digging around in American politics, and racism becoming mainstream! It is a nightmare and for a while mom and Faith did their best to keep this election in the far background of their lives. We are all voting for Clinton. We all watch the debates. I unfortunately spend almost every moment online and watching CNN and MSNBC. Don't get me wrong Halloween is like my favorite holiday. My ringtone used to be the theme song from the movie Halloween. I really wish I could relax and enjoy this time but I can't. I am worried about my beloved country. We are a proud melting pot with many beautiful holidays and traditions including Halloween. We are a divided family because we can't agree on how we need to spend our time. We are all voting but I feel we need to do more than that. The rest of My Royal Family 4 would like spend more time enjoying this beautiful Fall weather, of course they can't really because the election is everywhere and they are very concerned.

I want to have a good time but the election is literally ruining what would normally be great moments. When the four of us go out to a bar we hear awful things from these Trump supporters. When we watch the debates we scream at the TV because of the ridiculous, racist, sexist and just plain wrong things that Trump says. We are even disagreeing on how to respond to this living nightmare. I say we vote early and go to a battleground state on election day. Mom says we should vote and just live our lives. Mom and I had a major argument. She raised all of us to be active in defending our rights as women and as black women. I know that our energy will help get at least one person to vote that may have skipped the polls. I think we should be in a battleground state on election day. Joy and Faith are remaining neutral. They both think our energy needs to focus on our businesses but they also want to be part of the festivities election day.

Tomorrow is the last debate. I had planned to have a party but after the last debate I am afraid. We will watch but we may not invite people over. Then again we may. We throw last minute parties all the time. The first debate Faith made Korean food. The second debate we went to Clinton's Louisville, KY headquarters. Tomorrow we will stay home. I think the theme should be comfort food. We need some comfort right now. I intend to vote this Friday. I intend to be in a battleground state on Nov. 8, 2016. I must admit I am tired of it all. This Saturday Halloween will have my focus. I will try my best to make sure the rest of the 4 feel great and energized. I will do my best to make this nightmare of an election our best HALLOWEEN EVER! I don't know how but it starts right after the last debate and I can't wait. If I get Joy, Mom and Faith really happy maybe they will help me on Nov. 8th. I'm not asking them to work all day, just maybe 2 hours and then we'll explore the city. Maybe spread some early Holiday cheer. I added a poll asking what city we should visit, please vote. It will help me persuade them.

Click here to tell us which Battleground city is more fun and needs our help November 8th!

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Glenda, Her Home Garden and the Magic Beauty Beyond Flowers

Note: Most pics will be at the bottom of the page

Glenda Yascone The Placement Artist
Designed Garden
Venus

Last weekend many of Louisville’s best neighborhoods had garden tours. Our mother’s magic was featured with not one, but two homes on the Old Louisville Hidden Treasures Garden Tour. One of the homes featured was our family home and the other home belonged to my mother’s Airbnb client. Watching hundreds of people walk in and out of your back yard you start to hear things like, “Your garden is the best on the tour.” After hearing the many praises mom received I decided I must give her props. Gardens, are not just pretty flowers, herbs and vegetables, truly beautiful gardens are designed. My mother works visually and whatever she sees in her head she can make happen.

Koi
Glenda Yascone The Placement Artist
Designed Garden
These Poor Koi were eaten in May by The Crane

You would not expect a home garden in the city to feature four fruit trees, two Koi ponds, lap pool, herbs and of course flowers. Our home does exactly that. The herbs planted by Faith are beautiful and they add a little kitchen witch feel. My mother has a name for every tree and every section of our yard adding to that magic. My mother’s true love happens to be the Koi ponds. Imagine her horror when a magical crane ate her magical fish. (I have pics of the offending crane. Thank you TwoFish for saving my mother’s pond right before the Garden Tour.) Our garden was created for serenity. The flow of water from the ponds and pool make our garden sing a peaceful song. Our Family's garden is unique because it is Asian, Victorian and Roman/Greek inspired.

Magic Crane who ate our beautiful Koi

If my mother had a huge budget she would have been able to create this look in a matter of months. Because our financial reality what my mother did for our home took years due to a shoe string budget and the fact that trees take time to grow. Mom is the idea woman, the artist, Glenda The Golden- Glenda The Good. Yes she built up the garden with Faith Yascone and Bryan Scichilone’s help. (To tell the truth I planted three of the trees in the front yard that are also named Love, Joy and Faith. Bryan decided to be on strike that day). That said even in the final weeks mom kicked it up a notch and got quite a bit of help. She knew how she wanted the finished product to look. We had no budget but my mom has this way of inspiring others to help her. I must say it helps when you have a clear and beautiful idea in mind. I guess mom paints a picture that everyone wants to see in reality. So, in the end, even when we daughters tap out, she always is able to finish her vision. My mother is The Placement Artist. She works with what she has and she inspires others to help make her vision real.

Glenda Yascone The Placement Artist
Designed Garden

There is no renovation, decoration, garden or any other project for that matter that Love Joy & Faith work on that doesn’t involve Glenda The Golden-Glenda The Good. She can fix any problem working with what you already have. She can find materials that you can afford and make the world think you spent a fortune. A home, a garden, an event and frankly any form of art that we do benefits from her input.

Glenda Yascone
Glenda The Golden-Glenda The Good
The Placement Artist

Glenda Yascone The Placement Artist designed the gardens in the pictures. I know she would love to help anyone design their dream garden too (Yascone007@icloud.com). My mother worked with a team of people to add the finishing touches before the garden tour and I would like to take this time to thank all of them.

Two Fish (502.777.4114) Glenda Yascone (The Placement Artist) highly recommends them for anyone who has or wants a pond.

Nance’s Florist (812.945.9950) provided beautiful flowers adding to the magic

Moor Electrical Contracting Ron Weaver (502.457.0975) outdoor entertainment center install

C & C Masonry (502.544.0597) Outdoor Fireplace

Richard’s Renovations 701.520.0271

I will be adding more pictures of both gardens periodically.