Molly Lolly Loo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 May 2014 15:36:00 +0000

A "Prettified Version" of the Do it Yourself Strawberry Tower

So Here is the Cute one!!!

Total Cost $25.00!

So if you joined us Yesterday, You got to see the "Proto-type Redneck Version"! It is Fantastically Functional- but Oh-So-Ugly!

I made it out of an Old Laundry Basket- for just the cost of the Strawberries:)

Once I got my Feet Wet- I decided to try one that I could put Proudly out in Front of the House. So I started the Search for a Container.

I SCORED these brand new wheeled Trash Cans for $11.95 each at Ace Hardware....I was so excited I bought three!

The advantage is I can 'Roll' them into the garage over the Winter! BONUS!

Next....I gathered my supplies!

You'll need:

A Drill

a 1/4 inch Drill Big

1 Ruler

Duct Tape

A Sharpie

A Circle-Cutty-Attachment-Thingee for your Drill...Mine is 2 1/2 inches

Some Recycled Plastic Gallon Containers

A Long 'Pipe'....I used a 4 inch PVC pipe from the Trash:)

Compost

I Actually went out and Treated myself to this Circle Saw thingee....Be advised- you need a 'Base' for these...I had to make a 2nd trip to town for it. Thank Goodness my Ace Hardware Guys speak "Clueless Chick Speak"

My First Step was to Drill a whole bunch of 1/4 inch Holes in the Bottom of the Barrel. At least 20 of them.

Next- I had to Decide where I wanted my Holes. I chose a 2 1/2 inch Circle and LOVE that it looks so Clean and Uniform....well worth the $20 for the Drill Attachment.

I started at the Front/Center location. I kept the holes at about midway up the Barrel with fewer holes on the bottom row. I used a Strip of Painters Tape- I marked off the distance between the circles AND where the Center of the Hole would be so I could mark where the Center of the Drill bit would go.

I messed up a few times....so be sure to "Measure Twice, Cut Once"!

Make sure to wear safety glasses when you Cut your holes- those little Plastic Bits go Airborne!

They looked like this at first....

So I grabbed some Sand Paper and smoothed it out. I think it was "80 Grit".

Notice I didn't go ALL the Way around- I left at least 1/3 of the Back of the Barrel solid for Structural Integrity. And I learned my Lesson from the Ugly One..I taped the liner down so it wouldn't blow all-the-heck-over-the-place...

Now- the FUN Part!!! Girl- you know I love Spray Paint!!!

It took TWO good Coats:) I was suprised how easy the Paint went on.... It's starting to Look like Something!!

So Next- I lined it with some more of my Weed Control Fabric. I had it laying around- you may want to get a Roll as it is Great for a Lot Different Uses.

NEXT- Thanks to the Marvels of Pinterest...I filled the Bottom 1/3 of the Barrel with Empty Recycled Milk and Detergent Containers!!! Brilliant! It makes the whole thing Lighter and uses less Precious Compost! Woohoo! I filled the back area where there aren't any holes:)

NOW- the Coolest Part of a 'Tower System'...the Central Watering Tube. I picked up a Broken Piece of 4 inch PVC Pipe with an end cap at a Thrift shop- free...it was 'junk' to them.....(Score!) I got all of this for $5.00...and yes- that's an 'Already-A-Cute-Color' Trash Can just waitin' for some Love!

I Put a few well spaced 1/4 inch holes along the lower half of the Pipe and then spaced some on the Parts that faced the Holes.

I filled it up to the base of the first holes. Then it was Strawberry time! I was Lucky and was able to get 3- 6 packs of Strawberries so I didn't have to break up the roots like with these. Forgot to Snap a pic of those! If you have the Larger Pots- you'll need to seperate the Wittle-bitty Roots...

Next- I made a Horizontal Cut in the Center of each hole and pulled the Weed Control Sheet out a bit to make a little "Shelf"....then I stuffed the Little Roots in and kept the Leaves on the Outside. The roots were just lying on the top of the Compost on the inside. Then I added some Potting Soil around the roots for Moisture Control and then more Compost up to the base of the next row of Holes.

And Here is what She Looked like All filled Up!!!

Woohoo!

Then I planted some more plants on the very Top of the Barrel and Voila! Done!

Here are a Few Tips I would do Differently Next Time:

1. I would make the Central Pipe Shorter- This one went almost to the Bottom and I felt like it drained too fast- so I filled it up a bit with Sand and Gravel and that slowed it down a bit- but I would go with a Pipe that was Half as Tall as the Barell to maximize Watering on the bottom holes.

2. Put your Barrel in a somewhat 'Shaded' area for a few days while the roots take. Our Arizona sun was a bit too much and I lost a few Baby Plants from Scorch.

All told- it was a really Fun Project and I was able to do it All by Myself! AND- I could even move it because of all the Empty Containers in it:) AND- I can Roll it into the Garage and Cover it up for the Winter and Bring it right back out next year!

So- what do you think? Would you try this one out?

Let me know!

Love to all!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 29 May 2014 16:04:00 +0000

"Redneck Strawberry Tower" Tutorial

Hey everyone! I know it's been a while! We Freibott's have just been enjoying life 'Chemo Free' and getting our youngest boy all Graduated from High School! Woohoo!

If you've been wondering what I've been up to- I'm gonna give you a tour of my Gardening adventures for the next few days.

You know I am a Pinterest Addict- and when it comes to Gardening- It's just as fun for me to be 'Researching' Gardening on Pinterest as it is to be out in the dirt:)

I read about Strawberry Towers and decided that up here in the High Desert of Arizona- they are definitely the way to go. BUT- as I am very Frugal (Read Cheap) I wanted to try it without spending the $247.00 plus shipping that they wanted for the Fancy Shmancy one online.

SO- Gather your supplies and Let's get Dirty!

Behold the 'Seen Better Days' Laundry Basket of Much Recylable-ness...Ya- it's Ugly!

The black stuff is left over Weed Control Cloth from another failed project.

I had to lay it out to find some straight pieces- but if you have to buy it I think its about 20 bucks for a 30 foot Roll.

The "Fancy Tower" had holes on the side for the Strawberries to stick out adding more Square Inch space. SO- Here is an old cup I found while pulling weeds- I grabbed a Sharpie and a Ruler and Drew some Circles.

Perfection was Obviously not the Goal...the Circles are about 4 inches apart:) I Grabbed my Trusty Scroll Saw Thingee....

Here are the results- Again- I was NOT looking for Pretty! I worked as quickly as was safe.

Yup- again the goal is Function! Next I just drilled a bunch of holes in the bottom with my biggest Drill Bit....the ones that come in the little round holder container-y thing...

Next I decided I needed bigger holes on the side for my Plants to stick out of. I roughly chose a few "Windows" on both sides leaving at least inches between them for 'Structural Integrity'.

Yup....Just Get 'er Done there girl....

Ok so here I lined the inside with my Weed Control Sheet. In the Interest of spending as Little as possible, I would have used an Old Sheet if I hadn't had this. It's Water Permeable, but will help keep the soil in.

Ok- BIG HINT- Duck Tape that Liner in!! It blew all over the place while I was trying to fill it and BUGGED the HECK out of me!!!

Here it is again...Flapping in the wind...

All the Pinterest 'Towers' had a Central Watering Tube which I think is Stinkin' Brilliant! I had this Tupperware thingee that I got for a BUCK and have never found a use for....Excellent Repourpose Fodder!

So I just Grabbed my Drill and a 'Medium-ish' Drill bit....there's my little Drill Bit Holdy-Thingee....

I filled the bottom with some Gravel so it wouldn't drain out so quickly...

Just about this time I lost my Safety Glasses and Had to waste 10 minutes looking for them....

Next, I mixed me up some Real Good Stuff....Finely Aged Organic Goat Compost....ya baby! If you don 't have your own Goatie Goat- you could use this stuff...it's at that Store that starts with a Wal and is under 5 Bucks...

So I put some Compost in the bottom and then set my "Water Tower" in there so the top would be just above the top of the soil line.

So here are my Strawberry Plants. I REALLY wanted the little 6 packs, but we live out in the 'Plutacrats' as my Auntie M says....So this was the best I could do- I literally bought them out.

I was SO stressed out dividing their little Roots- I felt like their little Plant Selves were screaming...:( If you can, get the 6 packs!)

I just added Soil up to the Bottom holes, then Cut Holes in the Liner and laid the Wittle Baby Plants in side ways. This was very stressful...I hear their little screams....The Seed Block Fabric is heavy enough that you can make a little ledge to catch water and support the plant.

After I added each layer of plants I added more compost/soil till it was filled to the top with the Water Cylinder in the middle.

Here it is all filled up. My compost has straw in it so that will help with Water Retention too. I left the lid on to keep things from Making a Home in the middle....:)

So there you have it folks! I got a Large Boy to move it to my Front Porch....we live in the Country so there are no Associations or Nosy Neighbors...

Realize this is just the Proto-type. Proof that you Can

"Use what you have". Total Cost was Under $15.00 including Strawberry plants and one bag of Organic Compost.

Join me Next time when I use what I learned to make

This Pretty One!!!

How is your Garden Doing? If it was Cheap- would you Grow some of your own food? Let me know!

Love to All!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 01:39:00 +0000

More Barn Yard Critters

This Sheepy really reminds me of the one down the Street- but I kind of put my Dog Bear's Face on it:)

I can't tell you how excited I am to make my very own Barnyard Sketches. It's something I have always obsessively admired! To tell you the truth, I was always too afraid to try. It just really goes to show you how crippling Perfectionism and Fear can be....I wouldn't even try!

The Lord has used Art to teach me so much. I have learned that Anything worth doing is worth doing Badly for a long time! Sometimes Very Badly. It's taught me that the Process almost always is more important than the Outcome. And to Just Stinkin' get over Myself and Do it!:)

This Goatie looks a lot like my Baby- but mine has Horns....cuz she's 'street' like that....

And finally- this one is from a Facebook Post that might have been a Pinterest Pin. It is by "ouap", I hope I am referencing it correctly- I wanted to include the original pic for you cuz it's so cute!

I think I might give this some Water Color Love this week:)

I've decided to start playing around with Water Color this week:) It's something I can do while you I'm on the couch with the Fam watching old Columbo Reruns:)

What are you'all working on this week?

Love to all!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Mar 2014 02:03:00 +0000

Barn Yard Full of Sketches

Hi All! I've finally gotten back in the Studio to sketch and paint. I've been a bit obsessed with Barn Yard Animals:) I've always loved and admired Barn Yard Art- but was always too intimidated to try. So I decided to just jump in. I had a Blast:)

As you know I am in Love with my Scarlet Lime Roller Pen....can't live without it, am going to order them by the dozen this time! I am just obsessed with the Inky Goodness! Right now I'm not real confident in Acrylics yet- so I am trying really simple stuff.

This one is Acrylic background, then an Ink Sketch with a little bit of grey shading. Not too scary to try and I love the piggy!

This is "Jose the Rooster"...it's collage. I drew him out and then cut up the shape and added a little acrylic over the top. Outlined in Scarlet Lime Pen....still think I want to add some White in there- I would love any suggestions:)

Here's my first Sheep...it's actually the Face of my Doggie Bear. I tried to draw him and it turned out terrible...so this is Bear's expression in a Sheep Face:) It's Gesso swirled for texture, then Acrylic paint and Scarlet Lime Pen...I think I love him:)

I am hoping to make a whole Flock of Chickens:) Here is the sketch from a picture on a Calendar...

I was too nervous to try Acrylic yet so I decided to use Water Color Pencils- I just kept layering things up and then used a little water to blend. I feel like the Pencils really let you control where the color goes and I like the 'slow pace' of it- you can add a little at a time:)

This one I'm gonna keep as just Ink....dang I love that pen! I just sketched it out a bit with a cheap mechanical pencil and then...Scarlet Lime Pen Baby!

I am having a great time just Sketchin' away. I've been watching Psych Season 7 and old Columbo Episodes on Netflix while I'm working- it's been really fun- but now I am expecting someone to be Murdered every time I turn around...I think I need to switch to something other than Crime Shows...however silly:)

Well- that's the news that's news! I am hoping to be 'Deep in Sheep' this weekend:) We'll see what appears:)

Love to all!

Doggie Dayz

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 17:47:00 +0000

Dog Dayz

I am so glad to be back to sketching! I don't know if any of you hit dry spells but sometimes I just can't seem to get enough momentum to break through the 'whatever it is' that seems to sit like a cloud on me.

So I brought out the Big Guns...Old detective Movies on Netflix, Diet Pepsi and a Scarlet Lime Pen and just decided to draw what was around.
If you've been around long you'll know...we always have lots of Doggage around the Freibott House.

So Dogs have always been a big part our lives and we believe Very

strongly in 'Applying Dogs' both for Therapeutic and Relaxation Purposes.

Now that we are home more, I am really enjoying spending time with our Fur babies- and Walking Dogs helps me quiet my ADHD Mind and Body and helps me relax. My dogs have "Walk the Mom" on their agenda every day.

I hadn't really ever sketched Doggies before, but I really wanted to try this last Christmas. After a few tries I made these little Canvases for my In laws

It was SO much fun! I was really nervous, but when I relaxed and decided to do a more 'Cartoony' version I felt a little better:)

I have always wanted to draw my own doggies...but if you Say you are going to Draw your very own Doggies- it behooves you to make something that looks Something Remotely like them! Let me tell you there have been a lot of 'Dog-like' Critters in my Notebook- but none that you would Recognize!:)

On one of my recent trips to the Thrift Shop I scored a National Geographics Issue with Lots of great Doggy Pictures in it. For some reason, drawing "Dogs in General" is not as scary:)

Ok- so there have been LOTS of sketches that did not look AT ALL like any of my dogs:) Trust me that will be another post! Pig-dogs, Dogs that look like sheep...Goat-dogs...:)

Anyway- here are a sketches that Finally seemed to look like the Original...:)

Here's our Chug-a-bug at the lake:)

And here is Her Royal Highness Spot....she is quite Regal...

OK- so I'm getting closer at least!

Now- Bear is our Quietest Sweetie- but getting a Realistic Sketch of him has completely eluded me.

So I decided to just try to catch his expression when I told him we weren't going to watch another Episode of Psych:)

Anyway- I am hoping to one day do little paintings of my Own Doggies....we shall see how it goes!

So...when you fall on asleep on the couch...how many wet noses do you wake up to?

Love to all!

Collage Sign Project

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 17:49:00 +0000

Quick Collage Project

My Dad asked me to make him a Sign for his Fabulous new Patio/Back Yard.

He handed me the Wood- Just a piece of Plywood....but this way I knew it was exactly the right size...

I had a General Idea of what he wanted it to say. It was going to go on the "Buffet" area of their Cute Patio and he wanted something to Welcome guests.

So Here's what I chose:) I played around with the Size a bit- and then just printed it out on regular Paper.

Then I painted the whole thing the Green Acrylic there in the upper right hand corner there..

I Mod Podged on some "Masculine" Scrapbooking Paper and kept the pallete kind of 'Greeny Neutrally'...

I left the inside with just the Green and added another Good Coat of my Mod Podge Gloss.

Next I decided to indulge my Burlap Obsession and Covered the Center with some Christmas Left Over Christmas Burlap Ribbon.

I used a whole lot of Mod Podge on the Burlap to make sure it was saturated. Then I cut out my Words....more Mod Podge and let it all Dry.

Next I used India Ink in Sepia around the edges of all the Paper, Burlap and Lettering. I ended up going over it again with some Brown India Ink Marker and Good Old Fashion Mom Spit:)

I Mod Podged everything One More time and Voila! I did have my Mom put a Good Coat or two of Clear Coat Varnish because it will be Outside. I'll find out what kind she used.

I got to give it to my Dad on his 71st Birthday:)

Had a great time with this one and it was kind of 'Out of my Norm' so a good Challenge all around:)

Looking forward to their next Patio Gathering!

Love to all!

February Catch-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 20:34:00 +0000

Quick February Round up!

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to catch up a bit!

We all kind of took turns with the Flu Bug that went around..which led to much Sick Day Boredom...

This led to some very weird sketches...

Here we have my Very First Chickens...

I always imagined my Chickens would be a little bit Edgy...

This is what my Doggie Bear looked like when he found out I wasn't going to let him sleep on the couch after a 'Sick Day Psych marathon"...

Fortunately we were almost better by Valentines Day:)

These are my two Cyber Cats...the only kind we aren't allergic to:)

So now we are all back to as 'Normal' as we get around here:)

I've got a couple of Projects in the works-

How is your February Going?

Love to all!

Another Cancer Free Check Up for Nick!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 00:48:00 +0000

This month was Nick's eight month Check up. We are blessed with an "All Clear"! Woohoo! We celebrated with Starbucks...Nick is drinking Hot Chocolate...the Gateway Drug....:)

We also made the final arrangements for Nick to Graduate and walk in Cap and Gown this May, so it's been a big week around the Freibott House!

We don't have to go back down for testing again for 8 whole weeks! Woohoo! Thanks to everyone for all your prayers and support! I look forward to taking Goofy Cap and Gown Pics:)

Love to all!

Back from a Break!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Feb 2014 00:24:00 +0000

Back from a Break!

Hi Everyone! I have had the awesome opportunity to start Personal Training again so I have been a happy little gym rat for the past few weeks. I am working with such a great group of people and having a great time.

We've had a bout with a Flu bug but are finally all back on track again.

I have had some time to do a few sketches and have had a really good time drawing Doggies lately. I've been able to spend so much more time with our own Doggies now that we aren't travelling down to Phoenix all the time and it's been fun:)

I saved a few National Geographics that had some really cool Dog Pics so I've been sketching them...it's much easier when they hold still for you!

Love to all!

What does Molly eat? A Grain Free Day...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 03:39:00 +0000

Ok- here it is...the No-Grains Food Blog I promised:)

I know it's the first of the year and we are all working on cleaning up our Food Plans. So- when I posted a few things on Facebook about my struggles with going Grain Free people sent me a lot of messages wanting to know what the heck I DO eat:)

So- I posted some pics on Facebook- which is probably a no-no because they were in no way 'Pretty Food Pics'...so I promised I'd put them here so as to avoid appearing that I need everyone to 'Like' my Rice Cakes:)

So, I've been Gluten, wheat and Oat free for about 6 years. I was on 14 different medications mostly for Asthma and Reflux so after multiple Hospital Visits and testing- I took myself off wheat and Oats.

I am now on Nothin'. For Asthma that is- yep, totally free- no wheezing, no Reflux, No allergies- just the Excercise Induced Asthma I was born with but that it is totally manageable naturally.

So- for a while I tried eating "Gluten Free" mixes and baking supplies- and I would be ok for a day or two...and then BAM- doubled over for 5 days. So I discovered that I am indeed allergic to most of the things one might use in 'Gluten Free' stuff. Spelt, Amaranth, Quinoa, Millet, Barley, Rye....ya all those guys. I was completely in denial about Corn- even though I had a stomach ache and was nauseaus EVERY time I ate Popcorn...I just wasn't able to give it up.

So, as you know we have been doing chemo with my youngest son for about 6 years...living out of hospitals and Mc Donald's House and travelling a whole lot- so I just basically did what I could and avoided the 'Majors'. Now that he is done with treatment- I am HOME....yay!...and I can have a Lot more food options.

Normally I exercise for about an hour a day- it's been the Stationary Bike for the last 2 years. I usually run a Marathon in January- but this year I just didn't feel like it :) Trust me- if you don't really FEEL like training for a Marathon- you Won't. Also- I discovered that long distance Running was my Stress Coping Mechanism and to tell you the truth- I'm just not as stressed:)

SO- I did NOT run Marathon this year-so I had to adjust my Food Plan to my Current Activity level. As I am now in my 40's, it's time to convert a lot of my Cardio to Interval/Weight training. We are P90X-ers here at Freibott house. Someone is always doing at least one of the programs at any given time. I've done the original program twice, P90X Plus once- and well- I was pretty Buff...I felt a bit like "Helga the Barbarian" and put an inch and a half of muscle on my waist and legs....ya, not into that really.

ANYWAY- Short story long- I did not Marathon Train- so I didn't have that 'Program' in place and we were finishing chemo so my Food was just kind of all over. When I started doing Personal Training again this Winter- I was analyzing and writing everyone else's food plans....ya, you know where this is going...I thought "Hey- maybe I should check mine out".

When I am running, I weigh more, my Body fat is lower and I eat like Crazy:) My Carb intake is higher, my Upper Body doesn't stay as muscular and believe it or not- Marathon training is NOT a good weight-loss program. Your body stores lots of muscle and becomes really effecient at burning fuel.

So- I was at my top weight last January at 127 which is fine, I am 5 foot 4 inches...but my Body Fat was at 18% at the time of race. This year- I've been maintaining and kind of just 'treading water' and enjoying not being stressed. So my weight didn't change very much but my Body Fat % went Up and my Muscle Mass went down.

When I heard there was a new P90X program- P90X3....I knew I was in. After all- I couldn't let my Son beat me at who finished the most P90s...

It's only a half hour....I was SURE I'd have to add on another 40 minutes of Cardio- because I am a Cardio Diva- love me some Cardio.... I had been slowly adding weights and it was helping- but my Muscle Mass was just not coming up. So I gave it a try.

AND.......it kicked my Butt.....seriously!

Ya- this is my sad Butt laying on the floor with the Doggie 5 minutes after P90X3's 'Accelerator'...

I didn't realize how much core and Stability Muscle Strength I had lost after years of running and not focusing on Strength training or Flexibility.

So- at first I was doing 30 minutes of Cardio on top of it...that stopped soon...now I'm just walking the dogs for about 2 miles.

I also took a look at the P90X3 food plan and MY current actual food intake and realized I was WAY under. I was only getting an average of 1200-1300 calories and a lot of that was from Rice Cakes and Gluten Free Waffles and Sugar Free this and that,'Fake food' really- which is fine if you are running marathon- but not if you want to Increase Lean Muscle Mass:)

Remember- a pound of Muscle Burns between 50 to 100 calories per pound every day....a Pound of fat burns less than 4...I want lots of expensive Muscle to increase my Metabolism.

So- I revamped my Food- Upped my protein to a slighlty Ridiculous 114 grams....and took out....sigh....Corn and all other "Grains". Unfortunately...I felt Fantastic....sigh.

Ya- I am focussing on Plant based Carbs- with Brown Rice as basically my main Complex Carb. I'm not eating a lot of Brown Rice now because I'm not doing a lot of Cardio...but I'm doing lots of Squashes, Sweet Potatoes and Green Leafies.

In about 3 weeks, my Body Fat went down 2%, which on my frame at 127 is about 2.5 pounds of fat...and my Muscle Mass went up 2 pounds- so I put a pound of muscle on each leg and lost almost 3 pounds of fat. My WEIGHT basically stayed the same...which is FINE. Weight is NOT a good indicator of Fitness, obviously- if you can lose and gain 2 and a half pounds of fat with no change in weight:) I also lost inches off my waist, hips and thighs but gained some Biceps:)

So- I felt really good the first 3 weeks...that was the "Build" portion and I started having fatigue so I added in some more Carbs...1/3 Cup Brown Rice here and there and it helped. I am really suprised how HARD this is! I have a lot of Core Muscle to get back!

Here is a day of Food in the Life of Molly at home, P90X3 Intense Interval/Strength Training for 30 minutes and about 2 miles walking quickly: It's about 1500-1700 calories depending on the day.

I'm not counting Calories- I just want to give you a ball park:)

You know I do Reliv all the time- I skip the Vitamin Aisle...I need Simple all in one.

the Classic there is the Basic "Everything you need" and the Innergize is a Hydrator...Plus a shot of Protein Powder...then

Breakfast- 5 Egg whites, 1 Yolk, Lots of Spinach, an orange and some Honey Dew

Here's a Mid Morning Snack:

Carb/Protein plus a Fat

Lunch:

Fish...And YES- OK...this one has some Corn- sue me:)!

Sweet Potato, Veggies, an orange and Pistachios

Afternoon Snack:

Reliv: Innergize, Fiberstore and Pro-vantage is Reliv's Sports Protein/Soft Tissue drink. It's actually quite tasty:)

Dinner:

Turkey and Bean Chilli on Spaghetti Squash...there's another Orange...I love them, and yes, Pistachios....again...I'm Lazy ok- I just needed a Fat in there...

Ok- so here are a few alternates...I really am a creature of habit- so I have to work not to eat the same thing over and over.

5 Egg white 1 Yolk salad on Rice Cakes- Pea Pods and Fruit...I think I had a nut or two in there too.

This was an 'Emergency' one- I was at my Mom's and she served Spaghetti and Meatballs...so I did Rice cakes, and some Turkey lunch meat. Not the greatest- but what can you do? I did 2 veggies and some Pistachios when I got home.

So- I am feeling excellent- my Brain Fog has lifted...my ADHD is better and I am no longer craving Popcorn or fake foods...and seriously- if I want Popcorn- I'll eat Popcorn....:)

Anyway, that's just about all of it- wanted to get it all in so I didn't bore you with more than one "What Molly Eats" post at a time:)

Please leave me questions and I'll get back to you- hope it was somewhat helpful:)

If you have any 'Grain Free' recipes- please share a link!

Love to all!

A few Ink Sketches

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 22:28:00 +0000

Just a few Ink Sketches

So I have been back to work as a Personal Trainer and Nutritional Consultant and enjoying it very much:) I will get a better 'balance' soon and will be able to Blog a bit more:)

Here are a few Ink Sketches I've been working on. I've been having fun with Doggies lately- in life and in art:)

This is the breed that always wins the "Ugliest Dog Contest"- this one was not so hideous:)

A big Ole Great Dane...

Very Fluffy White Dog...hardly any contrast:)

And this is just some Journaling I was fiddling with:)

So- that's what I've been up to sketch wise. If you are on Facebook with me- you have been following my "Life without Grains" saga:) I am, and have been for a long time, wheat, oats, dairy, sugar free. But in the Gluten Free world- they have managed to find a Bunch of 'alternatives' to wheat- all of which I still can't do:(

Those include Amaranth, Spelt, Quinoa and...the hardest of all.... Corn.

I've been eating a little Corn hear and there as I had to survive in and out of Hospitals, Mc Donald's House and Car trips- so now that we are home I'm finally adjusting my diet to a No Grains basis.

I've been asked if I could list or show what I actually eat- so my next post will be some pics and explanations about what a 'Grain Free' Food Plan looks like.

So- please forgive a quick excursion out of the Art World and into the "Nutrition World"

Hope to hear from you!!

The Document Life Project

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 18:37:00 +0000

I love The Documented Life Project!!

So- I am a bit behind, but yesterday I finally had some Studio Time and was able to do Both the Week One and Week Two Challenges. They post them on The Documented Life Project Facebook Page.

Week One was "Your Front Door"...

It just so Happens that DOORS have been an image that just keeps coming up. I think of the New Year as a Huge Open Door to New Changes.

Also, my Dad is a Huge Jigsaw Puzzle Lover and when we visited him a few weeks ago he was doing this Awesome Puzzle that was made of Photos of all kinds of Front Doors!!! Loved it!

Here's a Close up of some of my Faves:

I asked him to save the Box and the small pic that came with it:)

So, this Christmas- he suprised me!!! He had it Framed! I absolutely LOVED it! It's going up in my studio!

So- I took the smaller version, cut out my Faves and ended up with this for my "Front Door Assignement":

You know I am obsessed with Small Houses...I think it stems from so much exposure to Dr. Seuss- I always wanted to live in his Houses!

I love Graffiti...reminds me of home:) I'm just Molly from the 'Block'...

The Next Assignment was to do a 'Selfie'. Most everyone took Lovely pics of themselves and made awesome pages. I will do just about anything not to have to See a Pic of myself...

SO- I decided to use 'Symbolism'...sounds pretty mysterious right?

The term "Be the Bunny" is Secret Code for No one but ME and Jesus...ok- and maybe my Hubby who is the Sharer of all my Secrets:)

Since our own Pet Bunnies have gone home to Heaven- I had the Awesome Opportunity to Research some "Bunny Love" and let me tell you- it was the Cutest Research I have ever done!

I found a Cutie and sketched it out in Pencil...the Cheap Mechanical "Got-a-pack-for-a-buck" Kind:)

Then I finished it off with the Really Fine Sharpie...it's what was sitting in my Pen box:)

I kind of LOVE him!!!

So that's the story of the "Selfie" so far:)

Tomorrow I am working on making Tabs in my Planner so I can find the Month/Day/Week I am looking for.

This means more "Research"....Yay!!! I love scrolling around on The Documented Life Facebook Page and seeing what everyone is doing!!!

So have you started using a 2014 Calendar/Planner yet? This is my first year Making one- it usually takes me a week or two to find one I like.

Let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

Love to all!

I Cleaned out the 'Beer Fridge' AND.. Made my Own Day Planner!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 04:14:00 +0000

Sneak Peak at My Planner/Journal/Sketchbook!!!

I feel a "Tada" is in order:)

There is a Huge Group of Amazing People Helping each other and Sharing their Tips and Ideas at the Facebook Page "A Documented Life Project"...it's so COOL!

Ok- so I have been so Busy Lately that I haven't been keeping up on Pics of my "In Progress".

Today I worked really hard to get the Clients Trained, the Groceries shopped, the Laundry done and the Fridge Cleaned out before the Sun went down so I could at least get some decent pics! The Fridge proved a Daunting Task indeed...

Here is the formally "Terrifying" Beer Fridge, now returned to it's original Immaculate-ness:) I decided I absolutely MUST have a 'Beer Fridge' when we became 'Red Necks'. None of us actually drink beer...but when we do use it for Nick's Mac and Cheese Recipe...it's Dos Equis...

I have two Full Grown, Large Teen-age Boys armed with Sticks and they were Hard Pressed to deal with the Left overs that had gained Sentience and begun to form a Military Revolt in our Spare Refridgerator...

But I digress....

Back to the Planner!!!

Ok- so here is the Front so far. It's a little Wacko- a little 'Over-stimmed'...a little all over the place...It's Me!!!

Here is how it started....It's just a Mixed Media Sketch Book. The Front and Back were heavier Cardboard than a regular Sketch book so I splurged a bit there...used my 40% off at Hobby Lobby baby!

The Exciting part is that I have given it a Trial Run these past few days and it is Working!!! Today it went from the Gym, to the Groceries, to Coffee and Journalling and Back home to Receipt Logging/Book Keeping all in one Place!!!

The great thing about making your Own is that you can take all the Best things about the Planners you like and put them all in one place! Here's what one of my Weekly Pages looks like:

I have my Appointments on the Left and some room for my "To Do Lists" I also like to keep my Word of the Year/Month/Week and my Memory Verse for the Week.

On the right is my ever Evolving Grocery List...I feed an army...) The "Go To" is the ADHD Kick in the Butt to remember that I need to drop by the Post Office...

And Here is where I keep the Master List of what we are eating that week...and I added my Exercise on the Bottom. I think I will fill in the Exercise as I do it...

To tell you the truth- I end up Drawing these Calendar 'Shapes' into whatever Notebook I am making Lists in- so I just "Cute-r-ed" it up...Cute-r ddd it up?? Anyway- I made a bunch of copies... It's just Glue Sticked in. I tried Mod Podge- but too much work and too messy:)

I also REALLY needed to get my Receipts for my several Businesses stored and organized. So far December and January Receipts have been Crumpled up in the bottom of my purse with the Gum Wrappers and empty Lip Gloss Containers...my Accountant loves me:)

SO- I added in some Envelopes...which I LOVE!!! I just used some 5x7 ish Manilla Mailing envelopes that I scored somewhere and 'Gussied' them up a bit. I added some 'Accounting Sheets' to them so I could track the receipt as I put it in. These two are on the Back Page- so it's really sturdy and easy to find.

That's just Washi Tape all over to hold down the paper and 'Prettify' it:) So far I've kept up pretty well. Top ones for Household (Groceries, Groceries...and more Groceries...) and the bottom is for Biz.

I liked them so much I made two more:

The Book is sideways here...sorry! And there's my Fabu new shoe in the left corner...I cut the tops off of these two.

I put them on the inside of the Heavy Front Cover. This is just Paper Towel Left Overs that I used to blot other things in my Art Journal:) I Mod Podged them on, then stuck only the back of the envelope down. I use one for Contacts/ Biz Cards and the other for 'Everything Else':) It still needs more Decorating:)

I am having SO much fun with My new Planner that even scheduling Seven Loads of Laundry on Tuesday is Exciting!!!

Next Stop- Adding "Tabs" so I can find which Week/Month I am on:)

If this looks like Fun...go ahead and click on over to The Documented Life Project

You'll find the Class by Lorainne that I took and all the Info and Inspiration you need!

Careful....it's addicting!!!

What do you use to stay 'Organized'? (I use the term loosely!)

Are you a Calendar Girl? Planner Person? Notebook addict?

Let me know!!

Love to all!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 05:01:00 +0000

Happy New Year!!!

I hope you all had a Fantastic New Year's Eve! We had a great time just Hanging out, watching old "Eureka" Episodes on Net Flix and playing Board Games:) My boys all made it to Midnight...me? Not so much!

But I did manage to Wake Up just in time to watch the Rose Parade!

Ok- so you may not know..... but I am a total Rose Parade

Geek-a-Saurous!

Seriously...I grew up in Duarte which is about 20 minutes East of Pasadena. AND my Dad was a Civil Engineer for the City of Pasadena- so it was a BIG deal in my Family. Christmas...then Rose Parade- that's how it goes in the Holiday Food Chain...

I'm also a Total All-Around Band Geek... Ya- that's me in front there..

I was THE Band Geek Baby...Co-Drum Major Duarte High School Marching Band Band! All 22 of us!

Every year we visited the Floats being made in Giant tents in Pasadena by thousands of Lucky 'Petal Pushing' Volunteers. I've submitted many 'sketch ideas' for the "City of Duarte" Float...because it always stunk...seriously...it always stunk.

And we even went to see the floats on display after the Parade...well, the Cool ones...not Duarte's because it always had to be towed...

I even auditioned for the the 'Rose Parade Honor Band' a few times:) I rocked the Flute, the Piccalo and Occasionally the Base Drum when Sergio couldn't learn his part...

If I was able to actually Freeze my Butt off and sleep on the sidewalk, we'd see the Parade in person. But we would Never miss it at Home. We would wake up early...6:00 am- because you CAN'T miss the "Pre-show".. and we watched in our Jammies:)

My Mom would make 'Scotch Eggs'...which are basically Hard Boiled Eggs wrapped in Sausage:) Here is a very Bad...but Non-Copyrighted Photo:) My Mom's are MUCH better...although they Do look mysteriously like Dinosaur Eggs..

I have no idea if anything Scottish is actually involved... Needless to say- they are great memories. My Mom made them this year for our Annual Christmas Breakfast Feast and I sat in the Corner Hoarding mine...like Gollum...

Ssssscotch Eggsssesssssss....

This year I was thrilled to stumble upon the Property Brothers who were hosting a "We-promise-not-to-talk-or-run-commercials-over-the-band-music" Broadcast- I was IN!!! Go HGTV!

Normally I am a staunch Bob Eubanks and Stephanie Edwards die hard...but come on Bob, the Bands aren't just a fill in between the floats! And the Property Boys had Great Sound...ok, let's admit it- they are Fun to look at...am I right? OH- and there was some other girl on there too...:)

Ok- so that was my Awesome New Years day!

What greater Love has a bunch of Teenage Boys and their Dad than to sit through an entire Rose Parade listening to their Mom add Live Commentary every time a Band went around the Corner of Colorado Boulevard?!

(Did you see the Marines do it this year??? OOO-rah baby...)

Ok! Geeking out aside...I feel like getting through Christmas- although Lovely and Wonderful- was a bit stressful. So I really hadn't even had time to take a breath and really Plan for the New Year.

As Moms- we are Constantly Planning, Scheduling, Listing etc...and it's not like I don't have a plan...I just don't have it all Dolled up in a Fantastic Artsy Planner!!!

Which is what the "New Years Fantasy in my Head" said I should already have had Built, Decorated and Ready to Use promptly at 6:00 am this New Year's Morning.

BUT! Progress has been Made!!!

I was ~~Obsessing~~ following my Fave Artsy Friends throughout the Holidays and stumbled upon The Documented Life Project! You Guessed it!!! A bunch of Artsy, Art Journaling, List making, Schedule Junkies just like me all Making their Very Own Customized Planners!!! AND I get to join ANOTHER Facebook Group!!!

(Cue Happy Dance...Disco..Party on the Dance Floor style...)

So Join me over the Next Week as I learn How to put together The "One Planner to Rule Them All"...yes, my Precious...A Planner/Calendar/Sketch Book/Journal/List Storing Masterpiece! Bwah ha ha ha!!!

Here's a Sneak Peak!

Are you A Planner Junkie? List Lover? School Supply Addict?

What are your Plans for "Planning" this year?

What Scheduling Devices do you Absolutely have to have on your person at all times???

Let me know!!! We Love Commentssessss.....:)

See you Tomorrow for More 2014 Dreaming!

Here's Sophie enjoying the Post Christmas Art Binge...

Love to all!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 23:06:00 +0000

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Garlands!

So, as you know, I was able to ~~Steal~~ "Aquire" some Really Nice Garlands from my Sis-in-law's December Wedding:) Woohoo!!!

Here's one of them...it has Pine Cones and Berries wired in, White Lights and a variety of different 'Greens'. It is much Nicer than the ones I've had in the past that looked really Artificial no matter what I did to it.

I actually have Five of them!!! I know! - Lucky Me!!!

So my Advice is...wait til the "After Christmas Sale" at Hobby Lobby/Micheals/Jo Ann's, or the European Version:) for all my Over Seas Gals and get yourself One or Two Nice Ones per Year at 66% off. It really does make a difference.

Now- if you have Young Kids- Honey, just grab sometime Long, Green and Cheap- because it's going to be Pulled on, Yanked down and Ridden like a Snake:) Seriously- until my kids were 12 and 10, we had the Flashiest, Brightest, Most-Plasticy Decorations we could find. It wasn't until they stopped using them as Weapons that I started "upgrading":)

This image is from Sodahead.com

The last few years in the Interest of Simplicity, we have just hung them "As Is" on the Mantle and on the Curtain Rods above our Big Windows.

This Year....I decided it was Time for Color!!!

So Here are the Supplies:)

I splurged this year and bought some Decorations before Christmas...I only Dressed up two of them and I'm going to wait for the "Season of the Fabulous After Sale' for Supplies for the other Three.

All told...the two Big Tubs from Walmart were about $5.00 each and the Silver ones were a Buck a Tube.....so I'm saying around $12.00. I added some Burlap- about 1/2 a roll- so around $2.00....so just under $15.00.

I used the "Rule of Threes" that I learned from my Stint of being the Helper for 4 Interior Designors who Decorated our Large Church Building.

I also used some Green Wire and that little Cutty Thingee there...

I just grabbed Three different Ornaments...aiming for one of Each Color and tried to Vary the Sparkley and different Shaped ones.

Then I just wired the three tops together and Voila!

Here they are all Piled up and ready to be Wired into the Garland...This time to Several Season 3 Psych Episodes:)

So Here it is with the Color and the Glitter Balls wired in....Just needed to add the 6 inch wide Burlap Ribbon.

Here's the Final Product....this one is up on our Mantle and the Second one will be Over our Big Window in the Living Room.

There's there's the 'Naked One' Peeking in there in the Upper Right...

I'll hit that one soon and get Y-all a Pic:)

Tomorrow I am going to Brave the Terrifying, yet Exhilerating "After Christmas Sales" in search of a few Decorations to add to our Sparkly, Bedazzled Hoard:)

I'll be the one with the Helmet and Elbow Pads....I've seen the You-Tube Videos People!!!

Love to All!

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Little Things

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 16:46:00 +0000

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Little Things:)

This Year- we actually had Time for some Fun Little Things!!!

Such as a long time Dream of mine...A Second Tree!!! Ok- it's only 18 inches high....but it Counts right?

I think He's Adorable!!! His name is Melvin.... Is it weird that I named a tree?

Ok- so I got Mel for a Buck a Buck a Buck!!!

I had the Fabulous Hot Pink Star already...

That's one of my 45 Cent Glittery Word Ornaments...

The Sparkly Balls fell off another Wreath I bought....score!

And those Blue Snowflakes were 25 for a buck....so ya,, not much:)

I felt like it was a little 'dorky' looking on the bottom- so I grabbed one of the Wooden Wreaths that I stole from my Sister-in-Law's Now Famous Wedding Decorations....

So Melvin joined our family for 'bout- a- buck- fiddy'... as we say here in the Country.

We re-purposed some Wee Little Snowmen Hats for Chicken-Winter-Wear.

We Be-decked a White Topiary that Summers as a Plant Holder with shiny 45 Cent Ornaments...

The Photo Bomb Elf says that the Blue Sparkly Star at the top is "Toads Amay-May"

You may have to Google that one...

We added in an Adorable Polar Bear Family that we Scored at Nick's Last Radiation Treatment...Keep your Eyes out for Little Christmas Hats...they are great for everything from Polar to Poultry!

And Last but not Least- a Christmas 'Epic Fail'...

I've 'Toads' seen this done before- and it was really Cute.

I even picked out some Cute Paper- but HERE is where my Cheapness bit me in the Boo-tocks...

I got the Paper at the Dollar Store, so it was really thin...I also got the Ribbon for a Buck and This Time, it just didn't hold it's shape:(

I think that a Big Beautiful Bow would have saved them. If I knew someone that could make a Big Beautiful Bow...

Ya, six U-tube videos and an Hour on Pinterest later and it was just Me, Sophie, 9 empty Cans of Diet Pepsi and 12 yards of Crumpled Ribbon...

I just couldn't pull these off! I think the Trick is Really Nice Thick Paper and Bows...I'll watch for those in the 'After' Sales:)

I was just about to 'Unwrap' them when my Husband walked out of Bedroom, past Melvin the Tree, past the Well-Dressed Chickens, Past the Sparkly Topiary...straight to the Wrapping Paper Pictures and....He loved them:) So here they are! Bowless, Imperfect and Beautiful:)

So those are our 'Little Touches' and they have been so much fun. Even though I have a House full of Boys- they really enjoy the 'Festiveness':)

What Little Touches do you add that Make all the Difference?

I'd love to hear about them!

Love to All!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Dec 2013 02:15:00 +0000

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Christmas Cards & Mailing Envelopes!

Well, I have to say that in my head, my 5 x 7, Professionally Printed, High Quality Christmas Cards have already been sent out to Everyone I know:)

In Reality- Ya...it didn't happen...obviously or you'd be reading one Right Now!:)

I Did Manage to get a few done so that in my Heart I felt like I accomplished 'The Dream'... But I have to tell you that the Main reason I did ANY of them is because I was told by a Local Printing Guy that it was "Basically Impossible".... or at least so "Difficult" and "Time Consuming" that he basically couldn't "even think of doing it right now."

What did I ask him to do? To slap an 8 x 10 canvas on his Scanner and make into a 5 x 7. I know- Nothing like this has ever been done in the History of Mankind...

So, I came home- slapped that puppy on my HP Printer...set it to 76% and pressed Copy. Ya- it worked just fine. Needless to say this guy missed out on a Lot of Biz and Referrals. So if you're in the Prescott Valley Area, please contact me before you go 'a-huntin' for a Printer Guy...

Ok....so here is the Canvas. It was from Last year and I didn't give them away because I realized after looking at them that they all looked like the Kids on the Unit with us....barefoot- in Hospital Gowns...:)

Here's another one...:)

Ya...see what I mean?

But, Time was of the essence, so I tried to choose the "Least Hospitally and Most Angel-y" one and did the Impossible...printed it in a 5 by 7...ya...amazing:)

I had bought some really Ugly, Late 80's, Mauve and Forest Green Cards and Envelopes at the Thrift Shop a while back. Fortunately they were only ugly on the Very Front, so I just Mod Podged my Angel right over the top, we'll call it 'Upcycling'. And then I made a full size one and slapped it on a Mail Envelope. Tada!

I will admit they are NOT professional Grade and Definitely not Etsy or Pinterest worthy:) But I think the people I love that I sent them to were ok with that:) And a Little Love, and Mod Podge, goes a long way...

So here they are... Just some Christmas Fun without the Big Christmas Commitment:)

So...the Cards were like 10 cents....for all of them:)
The Mailing Envelope...25 cents, same Thrift Shop...
4 Color Copies I'm going for 50 Cents- but I'm not real sure- there's probably an App for that...

So, like, under a Dollar....Yay! Postage on the Big Guy was $1.75 and I filled it with the other little ones and Gift Cards so it was all going to the Same Place:) Under $5.00!

AND- these were all Accomplished while D.O.L. (Dog on lap)

Sophie was just about done with Crafts for the night...

Next year I definitely want to go with something more 'Thought Out' and Professional looking- but it's nice to know that in a bind...you can Make it happen:)

So grab some Mod Podge, an Ugly Greeting Card, Several Assorted Beverages and a Print of one of your Favorite Pics. You've got all you need for some Holiday Magic....

All you need...except Popcorn...you do need Popcorn:)

Love to All!

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Home Made Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Dec 2013 22:03:00 +0000

Christmas Fab On A Budget- Hand Made Ornaments

Here's a sneak Peak!

I'm kind of in love with them:)

They are Scrap-a-licious and Probably the Messiest Craft I have ever done! Consider yourself 'FairlyWarned'!

So this year I Really, Really wanted to make a little something for Friends, Fam and Neighbors. As you may have already guessed, I am a bit Obsessed with Collaging Scraps of Paper....

I pretty much do it in my sleep...

SO! When I scored these Clear Frosty Ornament Packs for a Buck a Piece on my Epic Thrift Shop Run, I knew that Mod Podgey Messiness was in my Near Future.

So Here we go!

First I grabbed a bunch of My Favorite Scrap Papers. I wanted to go Tan/Neutral and a wee bit of Pink and Pale Blue. Mine did end up pretty "Country" but you could use any Color Scheme...even Go Glitter-tastic...Use what you love!

I used this Plastic 12 x 12 to kind of keep the Mess under Control....Ya...it didn't Work at ALL!!!

Look at this!!!

Ya- that's my Coffee Table. I waited til the Hubby was asleep to Minimize the Chaotic-Impact but again...Messy IS my Middle Name:)

Here is my Supply list:

1. Glossy Mod Podge...a lot of it:)

2. A cheapy 'Pastry Brush' type brush...or Foamy thingees.

3. Pre-torn papers

4. TV Clicker for watching Old Christmas Movies

5. Assorted Beverages

My son Nick is my "Personal Beverage Consultant". I rarely travel anywhere without at least 4 different beverages- so I retained his services to keep me Supplied as I worked.

In this shot, Nick was in the process of bringing me my Frosty Diet Pepsi....I don't recommend you Ever begin Crafting without Securing a Goodly Supply of Diet Pepsi. Consider a Beverage Consultant/Technician...they will often work in exchange for Baked Goods...and you are worth it...

First of all take all the tops off. You can stand the Wet Ornaments upside down on the tops to dry.

Here- I am beginning the process with Covering Half of the Bulb at a time in Mod Podge. I thought I'd just stick on a bunch of scraps and then cover them again with more Podgey Goodness.

It wasn't quite that easy. I ended up having to coat each paper scrap top and bottom and then apply it...SO my hands, and most of my Upper Body, were covered with Mod Podge. If you fear the Messy...perhaps this is not the craft for you:)

But they are "Todes Adorb!!!"

Here they are- it took me approximately One and a Half Episodes of Psych to finish these.

As I said- I dried them upside down balanced on their tops.

I added back their Metal Tops and discovered that the tops actually pulled off Much too easily. So I put a spot of Hot Glue around the Neck of the Ornament and then another dot on top at the bottom of the wire where it inserts. This made it Much More Sturdy and ready to add Ribbony-Goodness later on.

I stored them back in their little Box while I attempted to scrape enough Mod Podge off my Right hand in order to Partake of Popcorn.

I decided to make one of the Bigger ones. In Hindsight I wish I had just done them all, but I was pretty 'Collaged Out' at that point.

Next I decided they needed a little Focal Point...so I added the Word Peace to each of them...

I just printed out the Word "Peace" a bunch of times and then Used a Brown Ink Pad around the edges. I just Mod Podged them on each one.

I decided to Continue the Burlap Obsession by Cutting 1/2 inch by 12 inch strips of white Burlap to use as the "Hanging Ribbon"

I also Cut some Brown Burlap Ribbon in 1/2 inch by about 8 Inch strips and made little Bows which I Hot Glued on at the Base of the Metal Tops.

I dug through my Ribbon Supply which has Grown Pretty Considerable thanks to Donations from My Sis-in-Law Laura:) I just tied some at the very top of the Hanging Loops...just a simple knot. I used Lots of Different colors so they were all different.

So here they are Altogether:)

So if I was going to put a Cost on them....here's what I would say...

Ornaments- 12 Small $1.00

Ornaments- 4 Big $1.00

Mod Podge- 1/4 Jar- 40% off 6.99...around $1.50

Burlap strips Less than $1.00

Paper Scraps Already Had 'em

Ribbons Whatever I had on hand- Nothing:)

So for 16 Ornaments...about $4.00 ish.....Whoohooo!

And if you Take advantage of the After Christmas Sales you can Score some Serious Deals!

I had a Lot of Messy fun making them and they were Great to hand out to Neighbors, Clients, Church Friends and Family:)

What are you making this Christmas? I would love to hear about what You are 'Craftin' up' this Year!

Remember, Keep it Simple and Keep it Fun!

Love and Blessings to you All!

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Our Sweet Little Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 17:01:00 +0000

Our Sweet Little Tree

I'm Back! Good Grief did I ever Over Estimate what I would be able to get done this Season! I am chalking it up to End of Chemo, My Mom's Surgery and a Crazy Flu Like Something that just wouldn't let go of me...

Fortunately we are all back in the Swing of things! Nick, my 17 year old, is Cancer Free, My Mom's surgery went More Wonderfully than we could have imagined and after 4 weeks of Yucky Flu Like symptoms, I am finally feeling better:)

So- How the heck are you doing on the Holidays? I am Fluctuating between a Glowing Happiness that I got to do some Home Made goodies this year and "I am so stressed out that next year we are going on a trip to Guam for all of December. What about you?

I finally got all of my Home Made Goodies in the mail, did a few Christmas Cards and got a Couple Dozen Cookies passed out. So I am Loving being back to the 'Home Made' Tradition that I love- even if it's only 'Half way':)

Here is a little glimpse at our Tree this year. As we have been all over the place the past years, we have Simplified our Tree to just the Basics that we love. The smaller size lets us move it to the Hospital, or the Apartment or a Room at Mc Donald's House.

This year- I added my New Addiction.....Burlap Ribbon. I stole this tip from my Interior Designer Friends and I think it really 'Classed up and Filled out' our little Baby Tree:)

I used my Collection of Disney Ornament Stuffies and my Favorite Ornaments from my Sis in law. We added a few of Each Family Members Faves and that was it! Simple, but Meaningful:)

Wooops- the Photo Bombing Elf strikes again!

I think Next year we might go for a Full Sized Tree. I told all my Boys that this was their next tree... Hobby Lobby's Extra Girlie, Sparkly, Fabulous Inspirational One:)

They were less than thrilled...

WELL!! It is actually Snowing right now at this very minute! So I am going to go grab my Hot Chocolate, my Kindle and Enjoy a Few minutes of Snowy Blessings:)

Love to all!

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Rocking the Mantle

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 17:51:00 +0000

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Rocking the Mantle!

Welcome Back! If you missed my Previous Postings you can Jump over right Here:)

My First Door Wreath

Sparkly Table Centerpiece

Ok- Today I need to confess my recent Crush....it's Burlap. I'm pretty obsessed. I have it in Dark Brown, Light Brown, white, off-white, ecru.....well...you get the picture.

What do you think happened to me when I was trying to survive Walmart on a Saturday in December??? There I was trying to avoid the Creepy Direct TV guy when I caught it out of the corner of my eye...

Burlap Ribbon!!!

I know, I know you've seen it before...but not for $3.49 for 20 feet!!! I KNOW right? It was the Holy Grail of Burlap!!!

I swam through the General Populace and Grabbed one before the Current pushed me onward...

So- that leads me to Today's project. It was one of the first ones I put up.

The Mantle Piece:)

For two years in a row I have the Great Honor of Decorating our Church for Christmas! Now- before you get the wrong idea- I showed up to not One- not Two- but Three Professional Interior Designers...all of whom had volunteered their Busy Beautiful Selves to make the Room Amazing. I was the Grunt of the bunch:)

They literally spent HOURS making two Wreaths. They were Amazing! They looked, well, professional:) My job was to run around with tape, wire and cutters and just Soak it all in.

I am aiming at Far More Casual than Professional:), but

one of the things I watched them do is take a perfectly ordinary garland and make it look really Full and Fabulous.

Here is what it started like- It was a pretty nice one that I am pretty sure I stole from My Sis-in-law's wedding...

Here's a Close up- it had some cool Pine cones and Berries on it. I think this is the nicest one I have so I put it in the Most 'Looked at' Place.

So I can pretty much sum up all of the Awesome Tips I learned....

"Fill that Sucker up!!!"

Here are my Top 3 Tips:

1) Wire more than one Ornament together! It seems like a simple thing- but making sets of Three makes it look FAB-u-lous!

2) Weave a Big thick Ribbon through the whole thing.

And this is where I broke out.....my Burlap!!!

I just literally twisted it around in there. It was a really wide ribbon so it filled in all the gaps and made it look really Expensive if I do say so myself!

At first I wasn't too sure I liked the 'Country Vibe' and the 'Modern Vibe' together...but it grew on me. And it kind of tells our story. We are City Folk turned Country Folk.

3) Use Pointsettias, Pine Cones and Other Natural Stuff or Sparkly stuff...

They now make Poinsettia's in Every Conceivable color. But they were a little too Pricey for me at this point. I just tried to use a different style of Ornament here and there.

Maybe next year we will spring for some Turquoise Sparkle Poinstettias....they grow around here you know..

4) Use what you Have!!!

These girls scour the Thrift Shops, Antique Shops and Consignment Stores weekly so they have a lot of Cool stuff at their disposal. They use things over and over again and are always Repurpousing.

So, I used my 45 Cent Glittery finds to make this Tower that is always there a little more Festive.

It felt so much more Luxurious and full! And it was so much Fun! My house used to be very French Country- mostly Red's and Yellows and Toille-ey Goodness. But as I usually paint my house at least every other year- and since we were going through quite a bit of stress- I opted for fun and fabulousness:) We have all kinds of Bright Colors and fun, quirky things.

So our Christmas had to be just as Quirky:)

Tomorrow we are on to the Tree:) And YES- Burlap IS involved!!!

Love to all!

Photo Bombing Elf...

Christmas Fabulousness on a Budget- Table Centerpiece

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 01:58:00 +0000

Hey Everyone!!!

Welcome to my "Christmas Fabulous on a Budget" Series where Sparkly on a Shoe string is not just a clever alliteration:)

So, yesterday I shared that I Totally SCORED at the Thrift Shop!!!

Here is just Part of my Stash...the stuff I Haven't used yet...

Look at all that Sweet Tasty Second Hand Love Baby!!!

Ya!

So...here's today's Project. I wanted a Table Decoration that was cool- Zazzy and Not to Tall that we couldn't talk over them.

Warning!!! I do Not do 'Arrangements' at all! My idea of 'Arranged' is throwing a bunch of Pine Cones in a bowl....ok, I guess that's pretty much what I did here....hmmm....

Ok- so the Very first think I saw was this Awesome glittertastic Bowl. Ya- it was a Buck:) That's how I roll....

Then- I scored these brand new White Linen Napkins for Fifty Cents Each. Since I had a Dark Table I wanted a contrast and I didn't want to Mess with a whole Table Cloth.

Add the Pre-requisite Pine Cones (Free)....Some Banged up, Backwards, Pink Ornaments that Fell off Tomorrow's Project and Voila!

Ok- so all the Froofy-Fabu Sparkle Fun there on the top came later... I wanted to try to keep it under $5.00.

So...Here's the Tab so far:

Beady Bowl $1.00

Pine Cones Free

White Gauzy Stuff Stole from a Wedding

Wonky Pink Ornaments Fell off an old wreath- free

White Napkins 50 cents

Green Circle Had it for a while:)

Silver Balls- 10pk Dollar Store 50 Cents

$2.00 Total!!!

And so...I Splurged and got 3 Sparkly, Indulgent Add ons.

Fortunately the Glitter-gods were smiling and I hit Another Half Off Sale, this time at Hobby Lobby

So..

Sparkly Blue and Green Ribbon Thingee $ 2.99

Green Ball Bendy $ 1.49

Blue Bendy Ball $ 1.49

An Outrageous $6.00....

But half-off brought me to $3.00

for a Fabulous

$5.00

Here it is in all it's Glory:)

And Yes...that IS an Enormous Coffee Filter Lampshade there.

I'm thinking next year we might go Bigger....

Thanks so much for Playing along with me:)

Love to all!

Christmas Fab on a Budget- Our First Door Wreath

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 20:19:00 +0000

A Wreath for the Front Door!

Hey Everyone- It's December 8th....do you know where the Floor of your Craft Room went? Me neither....

So as you know- we are Home for Christmas and Feelin' like Decking the House out:) As we have been 'Extreme Minimalists' in the past, we are Very Low on Christmas Decorations.

I haven't been able to be Crafty at the Holidays for so long that I am Really excited to actually Make Things again:)

In my Fantasy Christmas- I am singing Christmas Carols in a Handmade Frilly Apron...Making 120 dozen Cookies and packing them in Hand Made Adorable Receptacles. All of my Hand Crafted Gifts are wrapped in Handmade Recycled Wrapping paper under a Fresh, Extravagantly decorated Tree...the Fire is lit and I am serving my Husband Fresh Chicken Parmesan which I managed to make from scratch while I baked....

This is what I look like to my Adoring Family....

Ya....you can see my dillema. If I'm lucky I will be able to Pull off Rice Krispie treats in Paper Bags with Hello Kitty stickers on it while ordering Pizza:)

SO!

I have given up on 'Perfection Expectations" and am focusing on Fun, Simple steps and giving myself Lots of Credit for Each little Creation.

Being the Dollar Store Diva that I am, AND also currently Reigning as the Princess of Thrift Shops- I knew what I had to do....

I made my Usual Rounds at My Favorite Thrift shops but at first I really wasn't finding much...I was on my way home and on a Whim stopped at Hope's Attic...

BEST SCORE EVER!!!

Everything in the Store was half off!! Half Off!!!

First of all I scored a Bunch of awesome Brand new Thermal Tops.....for a Buck! We've been in Phoenix for the last 5 years so I was Freezing to death! Then...scored these Boots for $4.00...

OH yeah...

And then...I turned the Corner and BAM- Christmas stuff - Fresh off the Truck! I had first Pick!!!

So all the things that you will see over the next few days are from this One Haul- I'll be breaking down the prices for you so you can see what it all cost.

Here is My First Project!!!

I have always been pretty nervous about making Wreaths- so the Only time we've had one is when my Mom-in-Law sent me a Fresh one many years ago.

So when I scooped up a Naked 14 inch wreath for a Buck- I thought What If??? What If this year we had....dare I say it....a Wreath On the Front Door!!!! I even scored two Door Hangers for a Buck a piece!

Ok- I know it's not Fancy- but it does have to survive Outside, a mile back on a Dirt Road, in Rain and snow and Javalinas....So it had to be Sturdy and relatively Weather Proof.

Ok- so I scored these Glitter-Tastic Ornaments for 45 cents a piece.. I used two Silver Snowmen and a Sparkly-red Raindeer....

I had the Silvery Spikey thing already from Years ago- so I stuck that on. The Pearls were left overs from My Sis-in-Laws Christmas Wedding several years ago:) The Red Snowflakes were 12 for a buck and I got some Decorator's Wire at the same Thrift shop for a buck.

Here's our Totals:

Hanger- $1.00
Wreath- $1.00
Glitter Ornaments- $1.35
Snowflakes- about $.40
Stuff I had already- Zero

So all told- this Wreath with the hanger was under $4.00!!!

Woohoo!

Here it is on the Door!

I wired everything in there real well so I am hoping it will stand up to Teenagers and the Occasional Big Foot. I'm so excited for my one neighbor to drive by every day!!!

So here's to a great start!

What are you working on? Are you remembering to keep it simple and being very, very kind to yourself?

Hope so!

Love to all!

Christmas Fabulousness on a Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 21:45:00 +0000

Fabulous on A Budget

Welcome to my New Series- Christmas Fabulousness on a Budget! Join me as we Revel in the Joy of Thrift Shop Find Makeovers and make the best of those Dollar Store Ornaments! I LOVE the Thrill of the Hunt!

First of all- a Few Ground Rules:)

1) No Perfectionism Allowed:)
2) Everyone's Style is Different- and that is OK! If it makes you Happy- it's Wonderful:)
3) Use what you Have
4) Only keep what you LOVE
5) Less is More

Christmas Decorations done Imperfectly Still bless your Family!!! Unless you are a Professional Designer- Perfection is just not a Need or an Option. Just get in there and use what you Love:)

I have Purposely not gone on Pinterest or looked at other people's Decorations because I feel like I'm in a bit of a "Fragile State" and would Easily get Overwhelmed, take on too much or just Stress in General. Thus the 5 Rules!

After lots of years of Enjoying Ronald Mc Donald House and Phoenix Children's Hospitals Awesome Decorations- we finally have time to Decorate our Very Own House! We have Stripped things down to Just the things we Love and the Bare Minimum. But now that we are done with Chemo- we are looking to Deck the Halls once again:)

Just like you- we are workin' on a Budget here...so I am hoping that you will take a deep breath, stop Worrying whether your Creation is "Pinterest Worthy" and just make something that Blesses your family by Creating that a little bit of that Christmas Feeling:)

And Watch out for Photo Bombing Elves!!

Love to All!!!

Socks and Sandals, Frozen Yogurt ...and Big Foot

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 02:42:00 +0000

What the Heck have I Been Up To?

Hey all! I was Totally Planning on keeping up with my Blogging through the Thanksgiving Holiday....ya that worked out!:)

We have been 'A-Visitin' and 'A-Hospitalin' these last 2 weeks:)

Here's me and my Adorable Momma:) Sorry about the pic quality- I'm sittin' here in the Hospital Room with her.

She just had Back Surgery for Spinal Stenosis...this is the end of Day 2. She's been on Morphine for the last 2 days so I expected her to Pass out like Nick does...we can literally count to 35 with Nick and he is OUT! But my Mom was chipper and chatty and we just kept having the Same Conversation over and over again:) Today she has Graduated to Hydrocodone- so she actually remembered my Name:)

She's feeling MUCH better tonight...we have been Giggling so loud watching "America's Home Video's" from the 1980's that people keep peeking in the door to check on us- we know how to have fun in a Hospital man...

As she is only in for 2 nights I decided to skip the 'Traditional Hospital Wardrobe Protocol for Moms' and went straight to Paint covered sweats, My Fuzzy Hot Pink Hello Kitty Jammie Shirt and the "Peez day Resistance" ....Hospital Socks and Sandals. Normally you need to wait until at least day 3 for this kind of Fashion Freedom.

I also realized that I was rocking the Racoon eye Mascara smudge at 1:30 am when they briefly open the Cafeteria...

I saw my Reflection in the machine as I was trying to shove as Much Frozen Yogurt as possible into a 32 ounce Coffee Cup...Everyone knows that you can shove in as many toppings as you want as long as it's in a Coffee cup and it doesn't count....that's Hospital 101 people...

Perhaps I need to back up a bit....so you can see What Kind of events have to Happen to a woman before she is Ready to sport Hospital Socks and clogs...

Cue Flashback....

First of all- we travelled and had a great time with Family out in Californ-I-A:)

Here we are Celebrating both Boys Birthdays- Nathan is 19 and Nick just turned 17:) There's Kale in the Middle:)

We got back from several days of Fabulous Food and fun and BAM- Nick needed to have his 6 week Blood Check as he has been off Chemo for Leukemia now for 6 weeks.

Needless to say, there is some Anxiety around this even for us- although we were expecting Great things:) SO-Nick had his Appointment at 10:15 two hours away in Phoenix....then I brought him home- then drove an Hour the Other Way to Prescott for my Mom who had Surgery that Morning.

The Wonderful News is Nicks Blood was all clear- Cancer Free:)- and we dont' have to be in for 8 weeks. BUT- I turned around after a bit-o-the-not-sleeping-while-worrying-about-counts...and spent the night trying to sleep on a Folding Chair...and Let me tell you- Steve the IV Pole was not friendly- He beeped and wailed and 'occluded' all night long:)

Thus the Racoon Eyes, Socks and Sandals....and 32 ounces of Froyo in a coffee cup...

SO fast Forward to tonight...and 32 hours of Hospital later...

As you know, I am a Huge Big Foot fan. I am pretty Positive that there is one living in the Golf Shack in the Country Club in Dewey...

This is an Actual picture here... the Arizona ones are Purple....

Although I am WAY more into "Mountain Monsters"...because they SERIOUSLY almost caught one...I did find that watching "Finding Bigfoot"- late at night- in the dark- when you are hopped up on Morphine (or Way too much ~~Coffee~~ FroYo) is SO fun!!:) And my Mom doesn't remember a thing!

As I said she is feeling So much better! She has a perfected the 'Flying Dismount' from her Hospital bed and has made Several laps around the unit- I think they have her scheduled for a 5K tomorrow:)

Ya- this is pretty much the view around here:) He's only been here a day- so no Socks for another 24 hours...

So I will leave you now...as the Cafeteria closes in 17 minutes and there is a Coffee Cup with my name on it...

Love to all!

Creative Because I Wanna Be

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 18:23:00 +0000

A Break Through- In which I finally Create because I WANT to...

Hey Everyone! When last we talked I had made a Major Organizational Score in my new Paint Storage/Kids Toy Shelf! Woohoo!

Before- I had my Paint up on a shelf- which was OK- but I ended up having Baskets of Paint all over the place and could never find the one I wanted. AND- I was very tempted to just leave them here and there while I used them.

Now It's SO Much easier- and having all my Ink etc all in one Place makes things Faster and Less Stressful.

So Speaking of Stress- Since the whole Craft Fair/Christmas Gift/Get the Etsy Shop stocked Saga began I've had a bit of a Block creatively- I just, well, stopped creating new things. I think it was because I felt like I had to be 'Doing something that fit in one of those Catagories' or I wasn't being 'Productive'.

This always Snowballs for me into a bit of a 'Creative Paralysis' and I end up not Creating just for Fun and for Relaxation. Which continues the Cycle of Stress...

So finally...after Sophie staged an Intervention and said Point Blank-

"Girl- what you doin?- Ain't nobody got time for that!"

I took a Big Breath- drew on all the Caffeine fueled Memories of my time with my Honey in Sedona...

And just got in there and 'Got 'er done'!

I got the Paints all organized, grabbed a Thrift Shop Rescue Board and started Working on something I've had in my head for awhile.

I had just read Somerset Workshop Autumn 2013 Edition and was really inspired by Junelle Jacobsen's work. She has a project called "Camera Canvas"- its an Awesome Mixed Media Tutorial and I decided her Techniques would help get this 'out of my head' and into the real world.

Here are some ways you can find her:

Her Awesome Blog

Her Website

and this Great Blog Post about her!

So first I primed the 'Previously used' board with Turquoise and then used my Fave Collage materials- Old Books, Music, Hand painted and Ready Made Collage papers and arranged them in Heart shapes and Mod Podged them down.

Then I covered it with Black and added more Bright Paint here and there...loved the colors!

I added even more 'stuff' on top- Sophie said to call it 'Ephemera' but I'm not feeling quite that 'Fancy' today:)

Then I added some Doodling and shading and more fun stuff like Buttons, wire and a Cute little Clothespin....

I was a little intimidated about the Wire thingee- but it turned our really fun and easy! That is until I tried to trim it and cut the Wrong Wire and the whole thing fell apart...:) This is the Second Try..

Buttons Buttons Buttons!!!! I love them!

And here it is! Not sure whether it will be a Gift or in the Etsy shop:)

Since then I've Burst into Happy Random Creating- Sketching, Painting, Collaging...Ahhhhh....it's good to be Back in the 'Swing of things'...

How are you doing with the Holiday Hectic-ness? Are you creating just for the Love and the Joy of it? Do you need to Sequester yourself away for a bit and just Play?

Let me know!

Sophie says...Okay- she fell asleep... The Diva is down for a nap...

Love to all!