A Day in the Country

Here are a few pictures of my kids, nieces and nephews from our "Day in the Country".

























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GOT MY CRAFT ON!!

I stayed up very late tonight getting SEVERAL projects done!!! As you will quickly see I got all of these ideas from Ashley at Make It And Love It. She has some GREAT ideas and AWESOME tutorials. Even someone like me that doesn't sew was able to whip these up!!!!

First I made this sippy cup leash, that I saw at Make It and Love It. I think it turned out great and I will surely be making lots more for Christmas gifts. This will be great in the car, shopping and just about anywhere we go!!!



Then I finished this project from Make It and Love It, that i started last week for my daughter's room.




Then I took one of my old shirts and turned it into a dress for my daughter. I have been wanting to try this one for a LONG time. I have several sweaters saved that I want to try this with. I think it turned out great, especially since I have only sewed a few things in my LIFE!! This was my first time to cut and sew sleeves. I think they turned out cute..can't wait for her to try it on tomorrow!!!! I also made her a headband, you can see the tutorial here which is ALSO from Make It and Love It!!!




I still have a lot of work to do in my CRAFT ROOM to get it organized and "operational". So that I am not having to move big loads of stuff from one table to the other just to have work space. I am really ENJOYING my time in my art/craft room! Its a stress relief for me and I have REALLY missed it. So hopefully there will be more coming soon!!!!

Personalized Art

I searched and searched for this blog post at LIL BLUE BOO. I knew it was on one of the blogs I visit regularly but could not remember which one. I bought some boards today with this project in mind. We will see how it goes....


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October 10th 2010
Well I tried one of these...it was a bust......

Friday!!

Well I did not get my run in this morning BOOO!!!! But I will try to get it in this weekend. I had to take my baby boy to the Dr. this morning. He has yet another ear infection-although this time it's mild-and he basically has the "head crud". Yep, thats what the Dr. said-"head crud". So we have antibiotics and eye drops, hopefully he will be feeling better by first of next week.

Tomorrow morning is also our neighborhood garage sell. I have been busy all week preparing for that, and it appears I may be up ALL night finishing up since I haven't done much the last 2 days. I still have tons of clothes to hang and sort and I haven't even unpacked the boxes of junk and toys that are in the garage. I guess I could do that early Saturday morning since it's stuff I really don't think will sell. I have never done a garage sell on my own. I remember having one in junior high and then several years ago we had one at my in laws-but I was pregnant at the time so everyoen else did most of the work. I have clothes priced at $1 each...I am starting to wonder if thats a bit high. A friend said she does her's for 25 cents and another girl does hers for 50 cents. So we will see. I don't have much other than the kids clothes and I am going to let my kids bake cookies tonight and try to sell those!!! Maybe I will even make some coffee to sell, HA!!

Lately I have gotten back into geocaching. We started off strong back in 2006 and then kinda dropped off after we had our second child in 2007. We have found a few here and there since then but now that the kids are all walking I think it would be some great family time to get out and cache with the kids. I have found several the last 2 weeks before going to work. There are three that are driving me nuts though. I have been to them twice and cannot find them!! That really bugs me!!! So hopefully Sunday morning I can get my run in, get the kids up and dressed and we can head out early and try to find a few before people start getting out and about. If you've never done geocaching you should check it out. It's a big treasure hunt and it's fun, challenging and can be educational as some are hidden in areas with history.

Week 1 RESULTS ARE IN..........

after one week on Atkins and limiting my diet sodas....I have lost....9 pounds!!! I am so ecstatic!!!! All the hard work, watching what I ate, staying away from the diet sodas, and I only ran once last week and lost 9 pounds!!!

Today was Day2 of Week1 of my C25K training!! It went well but it was harder today than Monday. Maybe because it was later in the day, which meant it was warmer, plus I had not eaten anything yet other than a Slim Fast low carb drink.

Week 1 Day 1 of C25K (couch to 5k)

I have heard about this program before but recently found a blogger that was doing the program with great success. I haven't been running consistently since I played college soccer-over 11 years ago! I recently started running-I was walking the neighborhood and would run the dead ends-wasn't much running at all but it was a start. Anyways, I started the C25K program today and I did GREAT! No I am not the fastest runner, but I ran all the running intervals. I was so proud of myself. I mean 60 seconds of running doesn't seem that much, but for someone that hasn't exercised much in the last 11 years....I think I did wonderful.

Tomorrow will be one week since I have been on Atkins, although I did have a Newk's Q on Saturday!!! I also had TWO Diet Dr. Peppers Saturday, and have had 2 other diet drinks. However, considering I was drinking 1-3 diet sodas a DAY, 4 in 7 days isn't too bad!! So I am very interested to see what the scale says tomorrow!!!! I have weighed everyday!! YES I AM CRAZY!

So we will have to wait until tomorrow to see the results...........


Today I had the day off work!! YAY ME!! I really needed the down time to get some stuff done around the house and to just get away from work. I haven't had a vacation since maternity leave a year ago.

So today, as you have already read, I...
1. Started the C25K program,
2. Called the roofers, they came out and fixed 2 leaks
3. Went through baby girls clothes and began getting them ready for a garage sale 4. Organized the boys toys-AGAIN
5. Cleaned-a little-didn't get nearly as much done as I would have liked
6. Started a project for baby girl's room
7. Ran to Hobby Lobby and Babies R Us for a few needed items-used gift cards! YAY!
8. Laundry-still working on that too
9. Geocaching!! got two today, one was missing-I think

So all in all a very productive day. Tomorrow I am volunteering at my son's school until about 10am, then its more garage sale prep, more creating!!! (hopefully not much more cleaining)

GEOCACHING!

I am back at it. We did a few runs back in January, but haven't done been caching consistently in three years!! We are WAY behind, saw one cacher had found over 4k!!! WOW! I have only found 209. sad sad.

Anyway, I went on a quick run this afternoon while hubby had the kids at the in laws. (I stayed home to clean out the garage and afterwards went for a cache run!) So I realized after I got out and about that my SWAK has not been updated since January, so I figured some of the caches I was hunting may have been archived. Sure enough when I got home and checked one of them had been archived, and one I just came up empty. I am hoping since the cooler weather is getting here we can go on cache runs as a family. One of the challenges is getting kids in and out of carseats, so I will have to search for several within walking distance-which is tough.

Anyway, it was a great day for caching. I am off the next three days and hope to get a bit of caching in each day.

Recent Projects and Finds

I found this rounded square chipboard album at Michael's, I have a TON of these chipboard albums in all kinds of shapes. One day I will get around to altering them!! Anyway, so I got this cute baby boy paper and I am working on making a little brag book chipboard album for a family friend that just had a baby boy. I have already applied the paper and painted the edges, now its time for all the little details!!! Pictures to come later!


Here are some CUTE stamps I found in the dollar bin at Michael's!! I am a stamp fanatic!! I just LOVE stamps!! So I just HAD to have these!! I think they will be so cute on cards!!!


I have been racking my brain trying to come up with some cute way to store ALL the spooled ribbon I have. I have SO much ribbon its crazy!! I have been trying to make bows for my daughter so I have been stocking up when its 50% off at HOBBY LOBBY, plus I bought a TON on clearance after Christmas (are you noticing a trend? I cannot resist clearance sales!!) So anyway, here is what I have come up with so far. Once I paint the bases I will cut these rods shorter and sort the ribbon by color, but you get the general idea.

Paint class #2

I am taking a painting class during my lunch break. This was our second class, we supply our own paint, brushes and canvas and provide a donation the the Christmas Village. Its been a fun class so far. This month's "theme" is crosses, so for both classes we have painted crosses. I painted the first one to match my daughters room. This one I just went with some colors, I wasn't really happy with the color combination once I got it on the canvas, but I did enjoy painting. I still have to go back and outline all the shapes once they dry, then I might add some fabric paint for deminsion-we will see. So we will see where this little jewel gets hung-my house? your house??

NO CARBS + NO DIET SODAS: DAY 3

Today is day 3 on my diet. I am going strong on my Atkins and have only had one diet soda in three days!!!! I really think I was drinking too many sodas, even though they were diet drinks, they were preventing me from losing the weight I needed to lose. So I started on Tuesday. I am anticipating a BIG loss next Tuesday. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

34 before 34

got this idea from ELAINE


34 things I want to accomplish before my 34th birthday.....

34 before 34

1.run a 5k
2.buy a backup camera
3.buy backdrop equipment
4.do a studio photo shoot
5.go backpacking again
6.go kayaking
7.take my kids camping
8.take my kids canoeing
9.sew something cutesy for my daughter
10.make wall art for the boy's room
11.paint a canvas for the mantel
12.photograph “alphabet” art
13.“trash the dress” photo shoot
14.lose the baby weight
15.organize my art room
16.organize my art closet
17.re-organize the kid's art closet
18.scan old family photos
19.have a garage sell
20.vacation in the mountains
21.pay for someone else in line
22.find a letterbox
23.find 100 caches
24.plant an herb garden
25.go to a drive in movie
26.decorate my grandmother's sewing box
27.take my kids fishing
28.design my own blog banner/tags
29.knit a hooded baby cocoon for portraits
30.finish knitting my daughters scarf to match her hat i made last winter
31.knit my boy's hats
32.be happy with myself
33.design my tatoo-will decide later if I actually get it!!
34.build my photography website

LEAD ME

FAILED!!

I went walking/running again this morning. I did fine until I got to the last stretch of running and I punked out. I just couldn't go anymore. I walked the rest of the way. Oh well, at least I got some exercise in today.

I had a GREAT dinner at bunco last night. It was FABULOSO!! Of course none of it was healthy but that's ok, today I am starting off great. Trying to stay away from the diet soft drinks-been drinking my Great Value brand of Crystal Light and stayed away from the carbs at breakfast!! I forgot my low carb wraps so I guess it's turkey dogs for lunch.

Jace's First Birthday!!

I have finally gotten around to posting some pictures from my baby boy's first birthday party!!! Actually I am stealing these from my sister's facebook page, I will have to upload mine later. He had such a great time, he was so cute biting into his cake. I remember Jacob's first birthday party he didn't want anything to do with his cake. He also loved getting into his birthday presents, which was too cute!!

Do we REALLY need this much peanut butter???

A few small projects

Here are a few projects I was able to get done this week. I found these binder clips on clearance for ten cents a box. I have seen them used as picture holders before and thought they'd be cute. I think next I will try modge podging some patterned paper on them and see how they turn out. I think they are cute but don't really care for them standing alone.


The second is an idea I got online (I should really keep up with where I get these ideas so I can give credit where credit is due). I modge podged tissue paper onto glass jars, then cut out the faces in black cardstock and modge podged it. I am still working on a hat for the witch-but I think its well on its way to cuteness!

Walking/Running Day2

I walked/ran 2 miles again today. Second times this week. I did a little more running today. I walk around the block and there are two dead end streets on the circle-they are perfectly spaced. I walk the circle and as I get to the dead ends I run to the end and back. It's still not much running but it is a start.

I MUST TRY THESE!!

Make it and Love it

my baby boy turns 1!!!!

Baby Ella

I saw photos of this baby on Sugar Photography's blog-the photos of her mom and dad holding her for the first time brought tears to my eyes. I cannot imagine having to wait 2 days to hold my baby, having to see my baby going through surgery, not being able to hold my baby whenever I wanted.....

Here you can follow her progress....Ella's Journey and below you will see the video that is posted on the blog-so cute!!!

My first bike ride

I bought myself a bike almost a month ago and FINALLY took it for a spin today, a VERY SHORT spin-wow was it rough. I totally enjoyed it but wow it was tough on my legs. Its just what I need!

Some of my favorite memories as a child are of my ENTIRE family-dad, mom with younger sister in tow, me and my brother riding bikes around the neighborhood. I remember stopping at the end of our street and getting honey suckles.

I want my kids to have those memories too. Yes my parents were a little younger than I am now and much more active, but I have always been an active person-I've just gotten lazy the last few years. So here is to getting back into shape so I can enjoy the great outdoors with my kids. And its the perfect time of year-it'll be cooking off.....well in about a month. But that gives ME time to get into a little better shape. I know there is NO way I will be able to tow any of my kids right now anyway.

So here is my beautiful (cheap) bike...

another fun project I just HAVE to try...

very cute teacher gift.

This weekends project

Ok this is what I want to do this weekend!!! My oldest started kindergarten this year and although Ia m 2 weeks behind I think we can fudge a little. This is super cute and super easy. With the husband off this weekend and my mother coming into town, SURELY I can get this done!!!

Headwear!

I tried my hand at some headwear for baby girl. First I made this cute flower out of an old t-shirt I had left over from another project. I added it to a hair clip. Very cute for my first flower.


Then I just added a ton of buttons to one of her headbands. Easy, cute and she loved it.



So add that to my list of completed projects this weekend...now if I can be this productive every weekend I might can get my craft room organized!!

Another weekend project!!

Ok I got brave and linked this post to "Today's Creative Blog"! Its a day late but oh well.


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I found these dragonfly plaques at Hudson's for 99 cents!!! Thought they would be the perfect size for the space above the towel rack in the main bathroom. So I brought them home and painted them. I think they turned out great. Excuse the wallpaper, I am hoping to get that painted soon.

Here is the "before" actually I had painted one already, but you get the idea...


AFTER: the colors are a little off in the photo. The plaques are beige, orange, turquoise and brown.

Knotted T-shirt

BEFORE

I bought some shirts Old Navy t-shirts at Hudson's tonight for $3.15 and couldn't wait to get home to try a few things. Here is the first one, a knotted t-shirt. Very easy and no sewing. The pictures don't do it justice but this is where I got the idea from... Brassy Apple

AFTER


I think it has a slimming effect also!!!

PHOTOGRAPHY

I LOVE these portraits!!! Especially the ones near the end, of the couple laying in the long grass!!! AMAZING!!!

WEEKEND PROJECT

OK hopefully I will be able to tackle one project this weekend.....

Found these for 99 cents each at Hudsons. I want to paint them each a different color and hang them as a foursome. I am thinking I will hang them in the main bathroom. There is an empty space above the towel rack that could use some decor......