The Stonybrook House

Whole30 Challenge Complete ~ I did it!!

2013-05-14T09:08:00.000-04:00

I really really did it!!

I can't believe that I actually completed the

Whole30 Challenge!

Whoo Hoo! What and adventure it was!

I honestly feel like this has completely and thoroughly altered my way of thinking about food.

I feel fantastic! I dropped a total of 13 lbs!

Veggies and I are now bff's and I'm trying to find creative ways to put them into everything!

I've cooked things I've never dreamed of making.

And they were good! :)

Even my picky eating college aged daughter has been eating and trying some of the meals I've made. Yay!

Hubby was on board from day 1 and has continually encouraged me! When he would cook, he would make it Whole30 for both of us!

He's always so right there! for me!

About sugar.... I'm not entirely sure if I trust myself yet.

Sugar is sooo addicting and I don't want to find myself back into the perpetual cycle.

This is interesting!

(Source)

Crazy, right??

Not saying that I won't ever have sugar again, but I want to completely informed and aware about what I'm eating.

Carbs?? eh.... I haven't really missed them too much. Maybe tortillas, like in enchiladas. But bread for sandwiches...nah, not really.

Oh, I'm going to try some just to see how my body reacts. I'll probably have a sandwich now and then, but I really don't want to go back to how I used to eat.

Dairy?? Yes, I did miss dairy.

Not cheese really, I missed yogurt.

So, yesterday was day 1 after Whole30, and I had a

greek yogurt/spinach/banana/blueberry smoothie!

It was wonderful!!

So healthy and delicious!

I'm not sure where I'm going to go from here, but I definitely don't want this good feeling I have to disappear. So, I'm probably going to just keep on eating the way I have for the last 30 days, just not so strictly. I also have a good friend that just started the Whole30 Challenge and it's been fun to share recipes and experiences.

Have you ever thought of trying the Whole30 Challenge? You should!

It was an amazing experience!

If you want to read about my journey check out these posts:

I'm hoping to share more recipes in the future.

Blessings,

Lori

Whole30 Homemade Mayonnaise

2013-05-08T22:05:00.001-04:00

I have been incredibly busy lately and

I have so many things to share with you all.

I just need more hours in the day... :)

Today, I'm going to share the homemade mayo I

made for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I just made

another batch and this time I made the full recipe.

This is unbelievably good!

I never dreamed it would taste so different and better store bought.

I pinned this recipe from Pinterest.

I really like this recipe it called for mustard and cayenne pepper which really added so much flavor to it!

I must give credit to Whole Family Strong for this amazing recipe! You must check out their website, they have so many delicious Whole30 recipes.

Here is the link for the recipe.

"Our Favorite Homemade Recipe"

This was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

It can take a bit of time for all of the oil to be blended, but it is definitely worth it!

I also used a funnel to pour the oil through.

It also prevented it from splashing out of the top.

So.... don't wait. Try this out!

You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blessings,
Lori

Whole30 Meal Ideas

2013-05-01T22:13:00.000-04:00

As you know I've been doing the Whole30 Challenge.

Don't worry, I certainly haven't forgotten about my overbearing gallery wall. I'm really thinking I might finish most of it this week.
I'm talking on the wall and everything!

Anyway.... I've been asked to share some of the things I've been eating.
Most mornings include eggs, but there are so many variations you can make!

For lunch I've noticed I really like tuna!

Here are some of the things I've been eating for dinner.

My favorite right now is Kale Chips!
They are AMAZING!!!
Plus soooo easy!
The photo doesn't do them justice!

Kale Chips:
Clean and rinse 1 bunch of kale
Set oven to 300 degrees
Tear kale into pieces and place on a cookie sheet.
Spritz with olive oil and salt lightly.
Bake for 20 minutes.

They come out so light, crispy and delicious!

The energy I've been experiencing has been phenomenal. I love the fact that I'm not dealing with the afternoon slumps.
This has been so good for me.

If you want to see my Whole30 Challenge Adventure, you can read all about it.

My Whole30 Challenge {Part 1}
My Whole30 Challenge {Part 2}

There are so many other new recipes I've tried.
I'll be sharing more of those soon.

Enjoy!

Whole30 Challenge {Part 2}

2013-04-29T20:01:00.000-04:00

Ok, Here we go with Part 2.

There really is no preparing to start the Whole30 Challenge. You just need to jump in with both feet and go for it. Like I said earlier, I wasn't sure I would even be able to complete it. But here I am on day 18.

The first day, of course, you are all GUNG HO!

AND, of course, on my first day, we're having friends over for dinner and I'm making enchiladas rice and beans. Then I made dreamsicle cupcakes. I didn't realize how hard it was not to lick the spoon or bowl when I was done! Ahh!!

But I didn't! And I cooked some veggies incase anyone else wanted some.

I think the next morning was the toughest, when I went to pour my first cup of coffee.

Well, let's just say that I thought it tasted like I licked the bottom of an ashtray. Yuck. But I sipped on...

I think by day 9 it tasted less like an ashtray.

Cravings were pretty intense the first couple of days. Especially wanting something with sugar.

Day three I made this delicious concoction.

Sooo easy to make!
Chocolate Nutty Banana Puddin!
1/2 C. nuts (Walnut/almond or a mix)
Grind up in mini processor
Add Banana
Add 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder.
Perfection! Even better cold!

During the first week my energy dived.

I was very tired and was trudging through the day.
Working out made me dizzy and exhausted.

But I knew that was my body reacting to my new way of eating,
plus losing so much weight so fast.

Then I read, that I should be eating within an hour of waking up! Uhhh! No! Not this girl, I don't usually eat breakfast til 9-9:30am. I like my coffee. I also take thyroid meds that I have to wait an hour to eat. But since I didn't like how tired I was feeling I tried it. I ate right at the one hour mark. It actually wasn't horrible. I had A LOT more energy for working out!
I guess my tank was out of gas. :)

Cravings started to subside after the first week.
Thank God!
Another thing that has been an adjustment for me is cooking.
I don't really like to cook, but the quick stuff isn't cutting it anymore.
So, I've been cooking up a storm!
I even made homemade mayonaise. It was amazing!!

I've had veggies all kinds of ways raw, steamed, sautéed, roasted, mashed. There really is a lot of variety.
I'll be sharing a bunch of Whole30 recipes. I also have some pinned on Pinterest, if you want to check them out.
I've really started to listen to my body. I'm more aware of my hunger, thirst, desires for certain foods.
I had a hankering for steak the other day. I don't really EVER eat steak. But I wanted some, so I bought a small one and grilled it. Yum!

Fruit tastes soooo much sweeter and delicious!
It's like dessert! My tastebuds have definitely awakened.
Being on day 18, I can tell you that my energy levels have leveled out and are consistent throughout the day. Which I love! I feel better.
My clothes fit better.
I have 12 days left.
I'm really liking this.... will I go back to regular eating?
Not so sure....

Recipes coming next time!
Blessings!
Lori

My Whole30 Challenge In Progress {Part 1}

2013-04-27T09:03:00.000-04:00

Has definitely been an adventure!!

I'm not finished. I'm only on day 15.
I wanted to make sure that I was going to "really" do it
before I blogged about it.

You can read more about the Whole30 Challenge here.

The book is called It Starts With Food. I didn't even get the book until I was on day 7. That's just how I roll. Basically, the idea is to detox your body. To get back to the basics of good food and to find out what food triggers unhealthy reactions in your body.

For me, I was overwhelmed with sugar cravings and grain/BREAD cravings. Seriously, I wanted sugar ALL THE TIME!! Of course, it was even better with some sort of bready thing.

I'm not kidding....

So, I've been hearing about this Whole30 thing. It's a lot like Paleo eating. I've followed Myra at My Blessed Life, she did the Whole30 Challenge. I read a few other bloggers who did it too.

They said that their sugar cravings just disappeared. Right....
They're just saying that.

I wasn't buying it. We shall see!

Ok, I'm going to get a little personal here...

I've struggled with food most of my life. Not with food disorders, just eating too much of it. Grandma always rewarded with food. And, yes, I was part of the clean your plate generation. My weight has fluctuated up and down. After I had my son, I lost almost all of the baby weight. Yet, after my daughter.... I didn't lose ANY of it! I gained! Of couse, I kept it on for quite a while, too.
My daughter is 7 in this picture.
I can't believe I'm going to do this, but I am.
I looked like this!

Let's not even mention the horrible hair cut! Blech!

Unbelievable! In 2004, I decided enough was enough! I worked hard and lost 40 lbs. It was definitely a start! And I kept it off! Then in 2009, I did some Weight Watchers at home and lost another 10 lbs.
Last year, when hubby lost 50 lbs. I lost another 10 lbs.

Now, that last 10 has fluctuated over the last year. More up than down.

I had no problem with the working out part.
It's the food part.

My addiction to sugar, Oh, and I forgot soda!
Did I mention that I LOVE Diet Mt. Dew? Yeah.
Let's just throw that one in the mix, with the sugar and the bread.

I've been praying that the Lord would help me eat healthier. I believe this was His answer for me. I was drawn to read more about the Whole30 Challenge and thought now was the time. I mean, I'm 47, I'm not getting any younger and I just want to be healthier.

This challenge is pretty drastic. Not for the faint of heart. I really wasn't even sure I could do it. But I can! I am doing it!
First off, I had to drop practically everything out of my diet.
No sugar/sugar substitute
No grains
No dairy
No legumes
No soy
Let's face it, all of that was pretty much what I put on my plate most of the time. I did eat veggies and fruit but not like I'm eating them now.
My plate now is filled with things like eggs, meat, fish, veggies and fruit.
Yep, that's pretty much it.
I've been doing this challenge for 15 days.
I'm doing this kinda "loosely".
I'm definitely not all "organic" and not all of my meat is from "grass fed" animals. I did get some cage free eggs from a local country market.
If I've had one of the "no's", it was probably in something that I didn't check the label, or wasn't able to. I'm not hung up about that.
What I am hung up about is how I have been feeling.
In this second week, my energy levels have NOT been crashing in the afternoon like usual. I feel steady throughout the day. That is good! I would usually start to crash in the afternoon and reach for my Mt. Dew.

This is turning into a very long post so I'm going to do this in parts.... I plan on sharing more on the challenges/changes I've experienced and what I've been eating. I guess, we'll just see where this takes me.
I'll end with this.
In the book, it says you aren't supposed to weigh yourself. Well, because of my weight problem in the past, the scale has been my friend.
I knew I would loose weight, that was a no brainer.
Yet, I have mixed feelings about this, because for me the weight isn't as
important as the healthy changes I've made.
But, in the past 15 days, I've lost 10 lbs.

More to come....
Blessings,
Lori

DIY Laundry Detergent ~ New & Improved!!

2013-04-25T22:02:00.000-04:00

New & Improved!!

Most Definitely!!

I really liked my older version of detergent,

you can check that out here, but this one

I LOVE!

I honestly didn't think it would make that much of a difference, but it does!
I only added two extra ingredients.

Yes... I had too much fun playing with the sparkle on Pic Monkey... :)
And...No, that is NOT shredded cheese on the paper plate.
It's the Fels-Naptha soap grated.
If you want more details on how I make the detergent,
check out my earlier version.
I'm just going to run through the ingredients here.
All you need:
1 C. Borax
1 C. Super Washing Soda
1 Fels-Naptha bar soap grated

Here's the new ingredients....

1/2 C. Oxi Clean
1/3 C. Unstopables or Crystals

I mixed them all in my mini food processor.
It chops and mixes everything up really well.
That's it!!
I usually use 1-2 Tablespoons per load.
Great for HE and front load washers!

With my old mix, sometimes I would find tiny pieces of the soap in the front rim of my washer. Now, I never see any residue and my wash smells wonderful! The Oxi Clean just boosts the colors and gets more stains out.
Hope you all like it as much as I do!
Blessings,
Lori

Bamboo Photo Mat/Spray Painting Mats

2013-04-22T10:04:00.001-04:00

I know I've been a bit MIA lately...

You know where I've been. Do I really need to say it?

Okay... our apartments. It's the nature of the business.
So, I just gotta go with it.

But today, I'm here to show you how much I've gotten done on the gallery wall. This has wall has been such a trying challenge for me. But I really
r-e-a-l-l-y see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I had a spray painting frenzy about a week ago and got

about 10 frames painted. Then the other day I worked on

getting all of the pictures in the frames.

For our family picture, I wanted to do something a little different.
While I was down in the basement, grabbing some photo mats, I found some bamboo placements.

I thought they might look cool on the mat.
I disassembled it into individual sticks.

I tried using my glue gun, but the glue kept drying to fast.
I couldn't place it quick enough, so I cut up the sticks to make the pieces smaller, making a brick like effect.

I just kept going around and around.

Pretty cool and fun to do.

This is what it looked like when I was finished.

Next, I wanted to spray paint it white.

LOVE it!!

I thought it would look nice with our family picture
that has an outdoor setting.

I really like the way it looks!

Hubby and I were talking last night about this picture, I believe it was taken in the summer of 2011. That was only 2 years ago, but we all look so different today. It might be time for an update.

While I was putting together the picture and frames, I found some mats that would work, but were the wrong color. Hmmm, my answer? Spray Paint!

They were all sorts of colors. But I figured I had nothing to loose. I wasn't sure how the mat would take the paint. Would it ripple or warp? It seemed to just soak it in. This is after one coat of primer.

I only used cheap flat paint after the one coat of primer. It took a couple of coats, but they came out perfect! See!

Almost finished! I wanted to double mat their graduation portraits, I found some more that would work. Wrong colors again,
so I spray painted them black. They came out perfect!

Simple and classic. My babies...

They've grown up so fast....
Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful years I've had raising them....
This gallery wall is definitely one I will be cherishing!
Now, I only have 3 more items to complete! This week, I'm going to start making newspaper templates of all my frames. Let the designing begin!
Blessings to you all!
Lori

Frames With Stripes

2013-04-10T21:46:00.000-04:00

Just a quick little post about my latest spray painting frenzy.

I was able to get all of those frames painted!! Yay!!

I have to say...I am getting extremely impatient with this gallery wall.

It is taking FOR--EVER!!

Patience is not one of my strong points... I know it doesn't help that I'm working at our apartments everyday again. Lot's of work to do there. It's just that I have so many other projects I want to start. Patience....

That seems to be coming up a lot in my life right now. I guess, I'm going to learn this whether I want to or not... I honestly feel this is what I need,

not easy but good.

Ok... back to the frames. This was supposed to be quick and easy,right?

So, you know that I'm trying to make some of my frames a bit unique. I thought I'd do another version of a stacked frame. Hubby had some scrap wood, and I asked him to cut out a couple of squares for me.

He is always so willing. :) He was a bit frustrated because the wood kept splintering when he cut it. I told him I didn't care. I wasn't looking for perfect. I sanded them a bit, primed and painted them white.I wanted to do something simple. Stripes. Stripes are simple. I dug out my Frog Tape.

I just eyeballed it and slapped them on. I'm kinda liking the yellow stripes...

Oh, yes! Nice... But it will have to be somewhere else in house. Yellow won't work on the gallery wall. So, then I spray painted them with my favorite paint.... Heirloom White. :))

Ooooo lovin this! Now they are ready for prints.

Aren't they precious? I just glued them together. Easy and simple. Love!

2 more done! Hopefully, more pics will be in those frames I spray painted! Then comes the fun part of arranging them all on the wall. I cannot wait!!

Blessings,

Lori

DIY Fridge Mats

2013-04-03T20:44:00.000-04:00

These fridge mats are so adorable!!

I love them!

They just dressed up my plain ole fridge.

Well, it is just a fridge...

Am I so desperate to decorate something, that I decorate my fridge?

Yep! I guess so!

I have to tell you that this was not my plan for tonight's post.

The plan was to do another awesome frame post! I had this idea, but I needed Hubby to cut something out for me.

Well, that plan was supposed to happen this afternoon when we got back from working at the apartments.

When we got back I showed him everything I wanted. So good, so far!
He said no problem!
Oh wait!

The saw is at the apartments! Really? Are you kidding me? We were just there! Ugh! (I'm sure you can tell how disappointed I am by all of the exclamation points!!!!)

Ok, another day.... Hubby's overnight two nights a week, so that means, it won't be happening til this weekend. (If I'm lucky.) We'll see.

On to Plan B. Not that I actually had a Plan B...

But these things

have been on my counter since we went to IKEA back in February. I know, I know. And when I realized how EASY this was.
Ugh... I don't want to talk about it. :P

Anyway, they are just plastic placemats. The neutral ones on top I picked up
at the Dollar Tree, but I was going to have to cut and tape them
together to fit my fridge.

So, when Hubby and I saw those bright and springy ones at IKEA it was
a no-brainer, plus they were more square like my fridge shelves.

These will be nice and easy to clean. If there's a spill, I can just take out the mat, clean it up and slap it back in.

I took a peek in the fridge, to start this little project only to find this nastiness... yuck!

I don't even know what that is. I don't want to know .

So, I guess I'm cleaning the fridge out tonight too.

That's fine.

The first shelf I did, was super duper easy.

Cleaned it up took the sticker off the back and slapped it down. It fit perfectly! No kidding!

The first one was so easy, I only had to do a bit of trimming on the rest.

All I did was mark it, measure it, draw a line and cut.

I'm sure you are overwhelmed with the difficulty of this project, but trust me if I can do it you can! (Oh, did you note the hint of sarcasm?? :D)

Okay, all done! Awesome, right??

I really love the way it makes the fridge look so clean and fresh!
The items seem to pop off the shelves.
Maybe Hubby won't have such a hard time finding things in the fridge?
One can hope. :)

Now, do you think I'm nuts for decorating my fridge?

Grab some placemats and freshen up your fridge!
Thanks for reading!

Bye for now...

Blessings,
Lori

Pineapple Sponge Cake

2013-03-27T18:05:00.001-04:00

This is delicious!

I made this on Sunday for our Bible group and it was demolished!

Plus this is one of the EASIEST cakes I've EVER made!

2 ingredients!

Yep, you heard me right! Only 2 ingredients total!

So easy and so delish, what more could you want?

Go run to the store and
grab a box angel food cake mix and 1 can of crushed pineapple.

Preheat your oven to 350.

Then mix those 2 whole whopping ingredients together.

When I started mixing, I was thinking....

Uh, I don't know if this is going to work. There doesn't seem to be enough "wet" ingredients.

Oh, but hold on....

This thing began to grow and froth. It was kinda cool.

Can you see the frothiness?

Easy peasy... Spray your 13x9 dish with oil spray.

Pour it into the baking dish and pop it in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Wa La!

Done, Yum! And DIG in!!

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Lori

DIY Mini Tulip Wreath

2013-03-25T20:26:00.003-04:00

Well....

After waking up to this...

I knew I had to do something "springy" around here.

I still can't believe that it snowed! I mean really... It's March 25th!

We're supposed to be seeing crocus and daffodils. My favorite are tulips.

So, once the roads cleared, I headed into town to one of my favorite places...Dollar Tree! :)

I've been pinning some really pretty tulip wreaths on Pinterest.

I thought I'd give one a whirl.

I purchased 7 bunches of tulips and a flimsy grapevine wreath.

The grapevine wasn't going to show, so I didn't really care. I bought it because it was the right size.

So, after spending a whopping $8 and I was on my way home.

Pretty, huh!

Next, I snipped the flowers off the main stems.

Honestly, this was one of the easiest crafts I've done.

Next, I plugged in my glue gun and just laid the tulips out to get an idea of how I wanted them.

Super easy!!!

So, I dumped them off and just started gluing them on. I weaved a bit of the stem into the wreath. I couldn't believe how quick it went.

Then I wove a ribbon through the back and hung it above the mantle.

There you have it!

A Mini Tulip Wreath!

I finally worked on my spring mantle, but it definitely needs some tweaking.

Hopefully, soon we will have some true spring like weather!

Blessings,
Lori

Photo Collage Complete!

2013-03-20T19:29:00.000-04:00

I just finished a photo collage for the gallery wall.

It all started with the photo collage frame that my brother and his wife

gave us at Christmas.

I really liked it, except for...

Those nasty looking flowers.

Are those like the U-G-L-I-E-S-T flowers you have ever seen?

I thought they were awful. Something had to be done about them.

What was cool, was they were just bolted on with a nut on the back.

Easy to take off and paint.

So, that's what I did. I got out my trusty Heirloom white spray paint and doused them!

Ahhhh... so MUCH better. I felt relief immediately after painting them.

Easy enough, put them back on and screw the little nut on. Wa La!

Whoa! Much better, but....

I'm so overwhelmed by the white flowers I can't see anything else!

Nope, this isn't going to work.

Next step, I brought out my arsenal of paints!

I picked out black, a titanium gold and regular gold.

Let's play! :)

I tried some of the titanium gold first.

Hmmm, not bad, that helps a little.

Let's try adding a little black.

Well, okay, better....

Let's add more black!

Oh, yeah! I like!

So, I decided to do three darker flowers like that one

and the rest of them lighter.

Then I tried adding the regular gold.

Ooo la la! I like it sooo much more!

Now, that doesn't seem so overwhelming.

I can focus on the pictures much easier.

Yay! I'm getting there.

I love family pictures, to me it brings life to a home.

I really like the saying on this photo collage.

"We do not remember days, We remember moments."

That is so true, I remember so many swim meets, football, volleyball, and lacrosse games. Wins and losses, sweat and injuries, fun times and friends.

I am sooo enjoying putting this gallery wall together!

Blessings,

Lori

Gel Nails ~ 14 Day Update

2013-03-18T17:21:00.003-04:00

Time to do a little update on the Gel Nails.

You can check out my "tutorial" on the gel nail system I used, here.

I have to say that they were FANTASTIC, especially for the cruise!!

Here's a quick comparison of the 14 days.

From first glance, they appear lighter, which may be true, but that could

also be the lighting of the picture.

I felt that the shine really held up for the two weeks.

The edges were worn a bit, but no chips. I also thought it was great,

that I didn't break a nail either!

My nails always seem thin and brittle, which means they tend to break a lot.

In the close up, you can see nail growth, which is normal and good!

Growing and not breaking!

Now that's what I'm talking about!!

So, I wanted to re-do my nails, but I got called into work and when I work

at the school cafeteria, it's a no nail polish rule.

This would be my first attempt at removing the gel nail polish. I did my reading up on this, and I got out the cotton balls, foil and nail polish remover.

Putting the soaked cotton ball on each nail and wrapping them with foil, was harder than I thought it would be. Sorry, no pics here of that.

When I removed the foil and cotton balls, the polish was still on. It doesn't come off like regular nail polish. I got my orange wood cuticle pusher and began "scraping". Yep, I actually had to scrape it off. It kinda just flaked off. It was strange. But it worked and I didn't feel like it affected my nails at all.

It felt like some of the base coat was still on, so I used a 3-2-1 nail buffer to smooth it all out. Then they felt fine.

I worked for 3 days at the school and no broken nails. (yay!)

So, then I was finally was able to re-paint my nails. I bought this sweet pink color. I was in the mood for spring! I did the whole system and was extremely pleased with them.

Then 2 days later....

this happend!

Are you kidding me???

Ugh! Nail Fail!

I think I know what happened. For one, I was working at the apartments

and was heavily sanding cabinets and walls... yada yada yada...

Second, I did one thing different when I painted them. I "capped" them differently. (Capping is basically painting the tip of the nail edge.)

The very first time, I capped them before I painted the nail. This time, when I painted the pink I capped after I painted the nail.

Look, at the picture closely. Don't the ends appear a bit thicker? The thicker the polish the less it "cures". I think I painted them too thick in general.

So, after that peel. I decided to re-do all of my nails.

This time I just soaked them and scraped. It definitely was easier. They peeled more than flaked, I think because of the thickness of the polish.

This time, I painted much quicker and thinner, and capped first. The results were much better!

Even after the nail fail, I am extremely happy with my nails. I love that the polish doesn't come off easily. I've continued to sand, paint, do dishes, clean house, type, etc. and no chips and no breaks.

Here's the quick compare again, I love it!

This make me smile!

Blessings,
Lori

How To Mod Podge Photo Plaques

2013-03-16T08:47:00.000-04:00

Hi there!

Yes, I know it's been awhile...

My baby girl has been home for spring break! :)

But I have been working on these...

Let's look at my options, hmmm.... sitting at the computer for a couple of hours OR have fun shopping with my baby girl....

Shopping!!! :D

So, now it's the crack of dawn and everyone else is asleep.
This is my best time to write. I'm a morning person anyway!

If you remember, I said in my last post that this one was CHEAP!

I got these 2 plaques at Hobby Lobby. They were $2.49 a piece.

Perfect! To me that's cheap!

First... Let's get a bit distressed, these guys were looking too perfect.

So, I just hit them up with a hammer and another piece of wood.
I wanted a bit of an aged look, so I painted the edges black
with some acrylic paint I had.

Definitely coming along... :)
Next on the list, was to use my FAVORITE spray paint in the world!!!

This is an older picture, I really don't care what primer I use...
But the Rust-Oleum Ultra Cover 2X is the BEST!
I can only find it at Home Depot.
I never have to use more than 2 coats.
Plus, Heirloom White is the perfect white! L-O-V-E!
Ok, Lori, get back in the game!
Here's a little rabbit trail... You all talk to yourself, right? I mean, I do it all the time. I figured it's normal. Yes, I also answer myself too. Well, at least I only do it in the privacy of my own home. It would be a little weird, if I started this up, in say... Walmart.
Haha! It might actually be acceptable there....hahaha. Ok. I'm done. :)

Look how great these came out!!
I already sanded the edges and I love how the black came through.
It did just what I wanted. Yay!

Now to work on the pictures.

I took their baby pictures and scanned them in to my computer and printed them on some paper I had laying around the house. It was thicker than copy paper. More like resume' paper.

Omg! Isn't he the cutest little bundle? This is my son at 3 months, and the picture of my daughter is also at 3 months, they are too adorable! Where did the time go??? As you can see, this gallery wall is taking me down memory lane. I'm loving it...
Next, I traced the shape of the plaque onto the copy.

Easy enough.
Then I just cut it out.

As you can see, I'm about ready to glue (Mod Podge).

I wasn't really happy about the proportions on the plaques. They seemed too big. (Those are the ones scattered in the background) So, I resized the picture and printed out new ones. But now they weren't big enough for the plaque and I was left with some areas that were cut off.

So, I just cut some extra and added it in.

Perfect? No, but neither is our family. We all have a few flaws here and there.
So, here we go! I just went for it. Didn't put a lot of thought into how I was going to glue them down. I slapped on a bunch of glue, and layed the picture down. It wouldn't move to adjust and it had all kinds of bubbles.
It looked awful!

So, I ripped it off before it dried.
Baby girl's came out pretty good! I took more time. I put a bit of glue on the wood and smoothed it out, then lifted the picture and added a little more, and so on til finished. It worked SO MUCH better.
The second one came out even better! See!
After I glued them down, I painted Mod Podge all over the top.
It was weird, I guess because it was paper, the color started to bleed a bit.
I did 2 coats. Baby girl's bled a bit more. I started to do it quicker on baby boy's. After it was all dry, I sanded the edges to complete the look. You can see the difference it makes.

There are done! Except for hanging them. I thought they would look precious to hang them with some ivory ribbon.

Omg! Precious!! I still can't believe that these beautiful babies are now 22 and almost 20! Life is flying by! I haven't hung any pictures, yet. I'm still working on more frames for the "gallery wall". I can't wait for this wall to be complete.
I'm loving the process though!
Oh, and for those that have been waiting for the nail update...
That's coming next!
Blessings,
Lori

Customize your Plain Frame

2013-03-08T18:12:00.000-05:00

Here is another frame DONE!!

Yay!!

This one is for the button monogram.

That frame was hiddeous! Skinny, boring, plain it did nothing for me!

See...

This needs MORE character, don't you think?

So, here's what I did....
Went to Lowes and bought an 8ft. piece of molding.
Kinda measured and cut. I'm not much of a perfectionist when it comes to measuring. I usually like to just eyeball it.
Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
I started with the miter box and hand saw.... That did not last long, wwwaaayyy to slow and it was killing my shoulder. I spied the power miter saw on Hubby's work bench. Hubby was actually taking a nap, so I couldn't ask him to do it for me. I thought, I can do this! He showed me how to use the miter saw....once...
Just go for it! And I did! :)

Did the miter corners come out good?
Well, they were good enough for me.

Later, when hubs was awake, he helped me glue the corners and the frame. Those clamps helped out a lot.

Once that was done, we got out the nail gun and nailed the corners for more stability.

There were a couple of ooops nails...

Hubby just got out his cutters and snipped the end off.
A little putty will fix that up!

Plus you can see that my corners did not meet up too well.
So, all the corners got filled in.

I also used some paintable caulk to seal around where the two frames meet. Can you see that gap?

All primed, ready to be painted.
After it was painted, I inserted the button monogram.
I liked it but it was kinda plain, it just needed a little "something".
Of course, I forgot to take a picture of that! Ugh!
Oh, well.
So, I decided to paint part of the molding black.
You can see the what a difference it made.

Now, that's a little better...

Much, much better!

This didn't come out perfect, but I like it that way.
Families aren't perfect either, so neither will my gallery wall.
This just makes me smile!
I would love to say that this was cheap... I don't think it was. The molding was about $12, I thought I could get 2 frames out of it. Nope!
And I didn't use any extra. Oh, well.
This next set of frames I'm working on was CHEAP!!
I hope they come out good!!
I'm half way through the project. I'm on a roll!

Blessings,
Lori

Crusin' the Bahamas

2013-03-05T20:48:00.000-05:00

You may have been wondering where I have been.

Well...

Hubby and I have been on a cruise to the Bahamas.

It was a wonderful time.

We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.

I'm going to share some of the highlights.

Here's us freezing in Baltimore, MD.

That's the cruise ship behind us!!

Here's a few pictures of the ship.

I didn't realize they use ocean water to fill the pools.

Hubby would have loved to play chess...

I really don't know/like to play.

The inside was pretty "opulent"...

The elevators were cool!

I didn't realize how chilly it was going to be.

I wish I would have packed a few more warmer clothes.

The second day of our cruise it was pretty rocky out there.

I think everybody was getting a bit sea sick.

50+ winds will do that. Hubby did better than I did.

There were a lot of white caps out there.

Wednesday, we docked in Cape Canaveral.

It was a beautiful day there. We stayed on the boat and lounged by the pool and played some mini golf. I actually won! That never happens!!

Loved the warm weather.

On the ship there were two "elegant" nights we got some pics taken of us.

The one, top right, we were cracking up because we were so close to each other it was all a blur. (We both wear reading glasses.)

Now here comes the fun... Bahamas!

Docking into Nassau.

Hubby had to feed the birds. :)

Typical tourist photo!

On our way to parasailing!!

Boat Captain and all the cruise ships in dock, I thought that was cool.

Parasailing was amazing!

The take off and landing was so smooth.

You felt like you were truly flying and it was so quiet.

The view was breathtaking!!

Yep! That's us up there! Very cool!

We had the most time to spend in Nassau, so we went back to the ship to change. Then we headed back out see the town and collect a few souvenirs.

It's a tight squeeze in the streets...

We thought that conch serving dish was soo cool!

It's going to be my new salsa dish!

Leaving Nassau and heading to Freeport.

Good morning, Freeport!

We only had about 4 1/2 hours here and we are going snorkeling!

This is a panoramic shot of the harbor.

Freeport is more industry than Nassau.

We took a bus to the other side of the island.

The "Seaduction" is the boat we took for our snorkeling adventure.

I have to admit, I was a tad bit nervous about snorkeling.

This was hubby's idea, so was the parasailing.

Is it too hard to figure out whose the more adventurous one?

Yes, I did this! I snorkeled!

I'm going to share with you how this little trip rocked my world.

As I told you earlier I was nervous. I'm cold for one, and the water isn't much warmer. I'm in the middle of the ocean, wearing these huge flippers and a mask and snorkel. I wish I had a picture, but then maybe not.

I get in the water and immediately I start hyperventilating. This is not a good start. Hubby gets in and swims to me. I don't think I can do this. I'm swimming so hard but going nowhere. I grab onto hubby like he's a life preserver. I believe I'm having a panic attack. I can't touch bottom, the boat seems like it's moving farther and farther away. I am scared!

Thank God, for my wonderful husband.

He tells me to look at him and to calm down, just float, you are fine.

I keep telling him, I don't know if I can do this!

So, I start floating on my back and he just keeps talking to me,

while I've got a death grip on him.

I calmed down long enough that I wanted to put my mask on. Once I did that and put the snorkel in my mouth, I could hear myself breathing and immediately I calmed down completely. Thank you, Lord!

Yes! I can do this. So, we started swimming to the reef, hand in hand.

There was no way I was letting go of him!

The reef was spectacular... breathtaking.

There were so many tropical fish, coral and sea fans. I actually enjoyed it, and stayed out there for about 30 min. I just got too cold. Hubs stayed out there for another 20 min or so. I couldn't have done it without him!

I have to say I've never had a panic attack and I never want to have one again. I do like being in control and there, in that moment,

everything seemed out of my control.

It made me realize how much I love, need and trust my sweet husband! God is so good!

Would I snorkel again? Yes, only if it's A LOT warmer!

It was a quick day in Freeport and on our way back to Baltimore.

Most days on the ship we just hung out, or we did trivia games the ship hosted, worked out in the gym, and spent time in the hot tubs. In the evenings, we listened to singers in some of the lounges, went to family friendly comedy shows and saw all the wonderful musical shows.

Ate TONS of food! Probably gained 5-10 lbs.

It was a really great week.

So, that's were I've been.

Vacations are funny, so excited to go.

Yet in the end, glad to be home.

Blessings,
Lori

DIY Gel Nails {10 Day Nail Test}

2013-02-21T22:56:00.000-05:00

Have you seen those at home gel nail kits?

Well, I've been eyeing them for awhile.

A friend of mine had her nails done at the salon, and she loved them.

It wasn't cheap at $30 a pop.

Why pay salon prices?

Not me... I'm too cheap...

Knowing that I'm leaving on a cruise in 3 DAYS!!!

I wanted my nails to look pretty and I didn't want to have to deal

with them for the trip.

So, I went out and bought this kit. It was about $50, but it should do 10 manicures!! Do the math...$5 per manicure! Now you're talking!

I love painting my nails,

but I don't like the fact that they chip within ONE day!

Now, read where it says up to 2 weeks of "dazzling, damage-proof wear".

Well, we shall see.

By the time I get back it will have been 10 days.

I'm hoping they last!

The kit is pretty easy and self explanatory.

This is what came in the kit:

A nice card, that explains each step.

A file, wood cuticle pusher, lint free wipes, "nail cleanser" (basically rubbing alcohol), a primer, base and top coat, nail color and

that pretty led lamp.

Ready, get set, let's go!

Start by pushing your cuticles back, and buffing the top of your nails.

Done. Ack! My nails are ugly!

It's all that work at the apartments and subbing at the high school.

(Bahamas Cruise.... take me away!!!)

After buffing, you need to wipe them down with the lint free wipes and nail cleanser to get all the oils and stuff off.

Next, apply a thin coat of primer.

I did my thumbs first, that kind of gave me a test run,

before I did the rest of my nails.

Then paint a thin coat of the basecoat.

Cure for 30 seconds.

Cool, right?? My nails are glow in the dark!

The lamp beeps at 30 seconds then turns off at 60 seconds. Very easy.

So, I pulled them out at 30 seconds. Then I painted a thin coat of polish.

Love the red!!

Cure for 60 seconds.

Then repeat the polish, and cure again for 60 seconds.

If you can paint your nails, you can do this. It's really easy. Of course, painting with the left hand is always a challenge, but it came out good!

They caution A LOT about not getting

the base/top coat or polish on your skin or cuticles.

Well, I'm sure I did. We'll see how it affects it.

Last part, is to seal it with a top coat and cure for 30 seconds.

After that last 30 seconds, your nails are hard and DONE!

The last thing is to wipe them down once again with the cleanser.

You can touch them, bang them, type, whatever!

I LOVE that!

Look how pretty now!

They are so shiny. They don't even look too bad being short.

I soooo hope they hold up!!

Cruise leaves on Sunday and we'll be soaking up the sun for 7 glorious days! We are celebrating our 25th Wedding Anniversary! Yay! Can't wait!

So, have any of you tried this Do-It-Yourself gel nail kit?

How were your results?

Blessings,
Lori

(All opinions are my own, no one paid or compensated me for anything.)

Stacked & Stenciled Frame

2013-02-14T19:25:00.001-05:00

One frame completed for the gallery wall!

Only about 15 more to go....

I think I'm finally on a roll here.

To be honest it has been intimidating me.

It's not, that I don't think I can't do it, I just don't want it to mess it up.

I want it to look AWESOME!!!

In order for the awesomeness to take place,

I'm working on making each frame unique.

It's going to be a gallery wall that I'm going to call "Through the Years".

Starting with a wedding photo.

I LOVE the way this came out!

Easy peasy!

I spray painted two frames, which I didn't take any pictures of, sorry.

Try to imagine two old wood frames that are dusty and an orangy oak color.

Soooo 80's!

Ha! Take a look at my wedding dress!!

Oh... we gotta do a close-up of that!

Look at that handsome man! Gosh! We look so young!

Can see my hand taking the picture? Haha!

Now, look at that poof of a veil? And those poofy sleeves!!!

Princess Diana all the way!

Not bad, considering I made my wedding dress and veil.

I think it's appropriate that I'm doing this on

Valentine's Day,

AND our

25th wedding anniversary is in 14 days!

Yay!

Anyway....back to the frame...

I wanted the two frames to kind of look stacked with

a mat between them.

I didn't want the mat to be plain, so I stenciled it.

Using those amazing Martha Stewart stencils again.

I've used them so much, they were definitely worth the money. :)

So, I am actually faking a mat here, because this is just paper I had around the house. But it has a nice linen texture to it.

Then, I got out my handy dandy glue gun and glued

the corners of the inner frame to the paper, just to secure it.

I knew that a little glue on the corners of the paper

wasn't going to hold that frame.

So, I put the cardboard backing on under the paper and

put three tiny screws in.

Going from the back into the wood frame to secure it.

There's one of them. It's not going to come off.

Then I just put another piece of cardboard in the back and

pushed the little staple thingys down.

Wa La! Done!

Here's a few more pics of the finished product.

I like how the woodgrain came through.

Now I need to get working on the others.

The pics of the kiddos are so adorable!

I'm so glad I'm doing this!

Here is the completed photo again.

If you have any questions, please ask.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Blessings,

Lori <3

Pretzel Bottom Reese's Chocolate Cookie Pie

2013-02-11T20:54:00.002-05:00

Ok....

This was insanely chocolate!

Insanely fattening and buttery!

But ohhhh so good!

If you need a chocolate fix this is it.

We were having our Bible group over on Sunday, and I was in the mood to bake something sinfully delicious!

I asked hubby look at my Pinterest board called "Sinful Pleasures".
It is filled with all kinds of gooey, chocolatey, sugar filled treats!

Anyway.... He's looking and looking.... and drooling... (just kidding)

There are so many delicious yummies to choose from!
You can check out my boards here.

He picked the Pretzel Bottom Reese's Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie.
This is not my picture....

(source)

Mine did not come out nearly as beautiful.
But just as good if not better! :)
You can check out the recipe here.

I tweaked it a bit.

So, I'll show you how I did it.
I crushed some pretzels I had.

Added sugar and butter.
I could have just ate the crust by it's self!
In hindsight, I probably should have "crushed" the pretzels more.

The pressed them into a 8x8 dish.
I thought it would be easier to serve a group
instead of a pie dish.
Then I baked it for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.
While that was baking I mixed the "cookie" filling.
It's your basic chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Nothing real fancy.
Cream butter, add sugars...

I just love baking. Especially when I get to make brown sugar mountains.
I just think they are cool looking.

I also would have loved to use my Kitchen Aid mixer, but hubby was taking a nap, so that was out of the question... :/
I needed more therapy for my shoulder.

It called for milk chocolate chips. I don't usually have those on hand, but hubby had brought home some chocolate pretzel candy bars.
Perfect. I just chopped those up.

Glad to use up those candy bars...
Who needs those around the house?? Not me!
Now add more chocolate!
Is your mouth watering yet?

Stir it all in...

Yum!!!
Yes, that spoonful is for ME!
Don't judge me!
In our house, it is the privilege of the cook to get a spoonful.

And yes, I'm eating it raw with eggs...
yada yada yada...
We always have and probably always will.
We know the risks...

Now, I know that this is not a recommended practice and I'm not suggesting you try it.

But for us.... we LOVE it!

Ok. Ready for the oven.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
This is what mine looked like when I pulled it out.

It looks beautiful and filled up the dish nicely.
But when I cut into it.... It was mush in the middle.
Now, I wouldn't have minded too much,
but I was serving it and not everyone likes cookie dough.
So, I baked it some more.
I thought it was funny that the part I scooped out of the middle disappeared.
It got dark, but not burnt at all.
In fact EVERYONE loved it!
The kids couldn't get enough.
They finished it off for me!
I was VERY glad there weren't any leftovers.
I have one last pic of it, although not really a very good one.

See, it's a bit darker, but it was cooked all the way through.
The pretzel bottom was AMAZING!!

If you want the recipe just click here.

If you are wondering how the gallery wall is going.
It's getting there. I have most of the pictures picked out. Now it's just the process of framing them.
I was actually working on one of the frames yesterday.
It's a slow go, but I'll get there!

Blessings,
Lori

Pointille Heart Art

2013-02-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

This was so much fun to do.

I felt like a little kid playing in paint.

I'm working on some frames for the gallery wall, but this was so quick and easy I just had to squeeze it in before Valentines. :)

Isn't this adorable??

I used my iPhone for most of the pictures and I'm surprised how well they came out.... Works for me!

Pointillism is a technique of painting in which, small distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image. Have you ever seen this type of art? I've seen it done with tiny pictures that then create a larger picture.

It's really neat.

Anyway, you won't believe how easy this was....

I thought I'd do a test run before I started on the canvas. Who wants to mess up a perfectly good canvas? So, here is my first try at it.

I wasn't sure if I wanted a painted background or what color I wanted to use. Definitely didn't like the painted background. The more I thought about it, I decided to use orange. That way I could still display it after Valentine's Day.

So, here goes.

I didn't want to have to stay in the lines.

So, I used some old contact paper I had on hand, and used it as a stencil.

I traced and cut out a heart.

The contact paper didn't stick well to the canvas,

but it didn't move around much either.

Then all I did was get out my tangerine acrylic paint and a pencil

with an eraser on the end.

Dip and paint... Dip and paint.

I wanted a pretty crisp edge, see how I painted right on the contact paper?

More dipping and painting...

I'm getting there. Doesn't it look cool?

Almost done....

Isn't the pattern interesting.

Man, I love orange... It just makes me smile :)

Then I just popped it in a frame.

I still need to do a little Valentines display.

I'll be adding this little piece.

Fun, right??

Do you decorate or do a display for

Valentine's Day?

Blessings,

Lori

Easy Button Monogram

2013-01-28T19:21:00.001-05:00

I actually finished a little project!

I have been so busy with the kiddos being home for a month, subbing at the high school cafeteria and working at the apartments.

It's really hard to carve out time for projects.

But, now the kiddos are back in college until spring break and I think I'll be done with the other "stuff" soon.

The gallery wall in my pool room is still my main priority to finish. Even though, I'm dying to start work in my family room and kitchen.

I will finish this!

I want this wall to be different and interesting.

I don't want to just throw up a bunch of pictures.

So, I'm working on a plan.

It's definitely not going to happen overnight.

Here is the first project for the wall.

I've seen so many of these on Pinterest.

I think they are so adorable!

Our last name is Leeper,

so I thought it would be cute to make an "L" for the wall.

I liked the look of burlap for this project,

so I went and purchased a yard of it for about $1.

I wanted a somewhat interesting looking "L".

The Times Roman font works for me.

Printing it out, I realized I didn't make it large enough, so I just free handed it a bit larger and cut the letter in half and added paper to lengthen it.

Then I traced it onto poster board, in case I want to use the stencil again.

It was easy to cut out with the exacto knife.

I centered it on the burlap and traced it.

A bunch of cool buttons, I just happen to have them on hand.

Hubby asked me where I got them.

I really have no idea... maybe my mom at some time?
Who knows...

Anyway...

I used a permanent marker to fill in the initial.

I wanted it to appear completely filled in.

Plugged in my glue gun and got to work.

This was the fun part :)

I started with little buttons outlining the entire letter.

Then I stacked them with more interesting buttons.

That's really all there was to it.

Very, very easy!

I'm really happy with the way it came out!

At least the monogram, I'm not thrilled with the frame.

But I wanted to finish this.

I have WAY better plans for the frame.

Remember I said I wanted the wall to be different and interesting.

Well, that frame is common and boring.

So, let's just look at the initial...

Love it!! :)

Hopefully, I'll have some time to work on the frame project this week...

Blessings,

Lori

If you like it Pin It!

Happy One Year Bloggy Anniversary!! Yay!

2013-01-21T18:28:00.001-05:00

Happy Bloggy Anniversary to Me!

Wow! I can't believe it's been one year since my very first post!

This was from my birthday...
A little too happy don't ya think? :)

Writing that first post was a HUGE step of faith for me.
I remember being scared to death!

Well, okay, I'm exaggerating...
Yet, at that moment, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
But I also had no idea, that I was going to meet some incredible and awesome people through blogging. Some, I have met in person, and some are email friends.
They have all been such a blessing to me.

You can read my very first post, I called it
"To Blog or Not to Blog... That is the Question"
I was concerned about the time commitment
and would anyone even want to read it?
I decided I didn't care, and I was doing this for me.
And to be honest that is still why I write.
I really enjoy it.
I like being creative and
I feel like I'm sitting down and talking with a friend when I write.
Surprising enough, there are some people that really do like to read my blog. (yay!!)
I remember when I would have 20 or so people read my blog a week. I was so excited! Now, I usually have around 1,000 to 2,000 per day.
I still can't believe that!!
Back in March 2012, I wrote a post called the
Messy Desk Dilema

That little project put me on the map, so to speak...
If you click on it you can read it.
I wasn't even going to write about it,
I actually thought it was kind of a corny idea.
Thinking no one is going to read this one...
Well, I was wrong!
I just checked it and 176,506 people have stopped by little ole post.
SHUT the FRONT door!!!
Unbelievable....
I am truly thankful.
I've had a few other popular posts...
You can check them out on the side of my blog.
So, what's in store for this year?

I'm trusting that the Lord will give me direction.

Definitely MORE decorating!
And MORE crafting!
And MORE sewing!

Blogging has been such a great outlet for me.
2010 and 2011 were tough years for me and blogging throughout this past year has helped me heal, grow and discover more of myself.
Thank you for reading, thank you for commenting, and thank you for listening.
Most of all THANK YOU
for the incredible support you have all been to me.
Looking forward to an AWESOME year!

Purse Makeover!

2013-01-15T09:26:00.000-05:00

I am definitely back into the groove!

Now that I feel better, I'm motivated to finish

and get moving on some projects!

I'm going to show you my Purse Makeover!

I started this project about 2 or more weeks ago.

If you follow me on Facebook,
(you can check it out here)

you might remember one of my photo-a-day pics.

Can I just tell you, I'm hooked on this photo-a-day thing. Almost every month, I think to myself... Maybe I won't do it this month... Then I see the list and I just want to! I don't know why, but I love it!

You can check out the list I follow here.

Also, if you want to follow me on Instagram, look me up!
My user name is ll33p.

Now for the Purse Makeover!

How I deconstructed and reconstructed this old purse.

It's a cute purse, but no zipper at the top.

I'm really into wristlets. I've had trouble with my shoulders in the past,
and purses were something I struggled with.

Now, I only use them occasionally.
Plus, if I need a bigger purse, I usually just throw my wristlet in it.

It's so much easier to shop, or run into the grocery store with a wristlet.
All I need are my cards, phone and Blistex and keys.

These are my essentials.

I cannot do with out my Blistex. I probably have about 6 of them around the house, and one MUST be in my purse. Usually, I'll throw a lipstick in there too. I really really like to wear lipstick. :)

Ok... time to veer off this rabbit trail and back to the wristlet/purse. I'll probably refer to it as my purse here and there.

So, I took this thing apart with my seam ripper.

Then I guesstimated the size I wanted it to be and started working with the lining. I wanted to add credit card slots and keep the zippered pocket.

I have tons of fabric scraps and chose a lime green, just to be different.

Ironed the slots and sewed them up.

I have to say, I didn't take as many pics as I probably should have. And lately my pics have been turning out awful...Ugh, sorry! Plus it doesn't help I'm sewing in the basement where there is terrible lighting, hence the flash pics. There are some awesome tutorials out there on how to make a purse, with great pics.

But this is a purse makeover! :)

Anyway, here is the lining. I sewed in the slots and re-located the zippered pocket. Also, I attached the lining to the center zipper.

Then I cut the actual purse down to size to fit the lining, and attached it to the center zipper. Sorry, no pic. :/

Once that's done, then it's just a matter of sewing all of the edges.

I started at the top left and sewed all 3 sides, finishing at the top right.

Then I pulled the purse through the opening at the top.

Almost finished!
I sew the lining closed at the top and push it back into the wristlet.

Now for the strap. I wanted to use the handle from the purse. It just went well with it. So, I took one of the rings off and reconnected it, like so.

I stitched this onto the side. It was pretty thick, so I had to sew slowly,
and I still broke a needle! Oh well.

That's it!

Here's what the inside looks like.

I'm really pleased with how it came out!

I'm on this reconstruction kick!

I've been pinning all sorts of things.

I want to try to make over some clothes.

But next on the agenda is that gallery wall, I promise!!
I'm actually excited to get started on it!

If you like it! PIN it!

On The Couch Crocheting...

2013-01-11T23:00:00.001-05:00

Well, Hi there!

I feel like I'm finally getting back on my feet again.

Whew! I had a mild case of the flu that hit me like a train! I don't even want to know what the "regular" flu would feel like. I hate getting sick and I can't even remember the last time I was sick, but this one knocked me down.

So, basically, I've been on the couch for the last week. No energy to do much. But enough to do some crocheting. I really enjoy crocheting.
Last year, when I had surgery on my thumb, I was concerned whether I'd be able to crochet again. You can read about that adventure here.
Well, I can! It was difficult at first and my thumb would get sore, but now it's getting stronger and stronger. :)

I wanted to crochet something that was quick and easy.
I saw some really cute scarves on Pinterest!

You can follow me on Pinterest here.

So, this is what I made.

It came out ok. My daughter didn't care for it.
I wont tell you what she thought it looked like... :/
Well, okay, you talked me into it...
Intestines! Yes, that's what she said.
Hey, at least she's honest!
So, basically, I have intestines wrapped around my neck.
Oh, but hubby had his input too. He said it look like some sort of tripe. Great... :)
This one will probably just get stuffed in the back of the scarf drawer.

Maybe in a different color... maybe a different kind of yarn.... maybe...

Anyway, I like the way you made the center of it.

Instead of making a long chain and crocheting from there.
You made this back and forth loopy strip.

Then you crochet loops down one side and then the other.

It was actually fun to crochet.

Then back around with another set of loops.

I didn't add the last row, it was getting too big.
I might try it again.
This was where I got the pattern from.

It's called Liliacious Scarf Pattern.

I think I'll try a different scarf pattern.

Hopefully, next week, I'll be up to speed and attack that gallery wall in the pool table room.
I'm just glad I'm feeling better.
And baby girl is going back to college tomorrow... :/

If you like it, PIN it!

A Brand New Year {Plus a little Intimidation}

2013-01-03T21:11:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

Did you ring in the new year with a bang?!

We were blessed to have several friends and family join us in

a night of fun, food and games!

And we had a wonderful Christmas.

My favorite part of Christmas got cancelled, the

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.

Snow was the culprit, but that meant we were going to have a white Christmas. :) So, we had a little service of our own. It was different, but memorable. My 4 yr. old niece started us out with Happy Birthday to Jesus followed by On Top of Spaghetti, I thought it was perfect.

Then as we were reading Luke 2, somehow the iPad got flipped to Luke 1.

I thought something didn't sound right... :)

Definitely not like our church service, but it will be one we will all remember!

Another wonderful memory this Christmas was seeing my nephew, his wife and their sweet daughter! They came up from North Carolina.

I just wanted to eat her up!

I loved all the time spent with family.

I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas!

So, here we are 2013.

2012 just seemed to buzz right by.

I'm ready for what the new year will bring.

Well.... I think I'm ready....

Maybe not...

I'll take my mom's advice.

One day at a time! Yep, that will work!

I've been thinking about this lil ole blog of mine.

I'm kinda intimidated by some of these perfect mega bloggers, where they have all the time in the world, to do all the projects they desire and their houses look pristine and perfect. Ugh!

Ok, I feel a little better I got that off my chest.

Because most of my counters and tables look like this..

I don't have a perfect house...

(and I'm sure they don't either)

Time is a factor too...I get pooped out and just want to gel.

I love doing projects around the house and I know I have a TON of them to do.

Sometimes, I know exactly what I want to do and charge ahead and do it. But then, some projects... I get intimidated by them, I don't know what I want, and I question whether I'll like it or not.

Let me give you an example...

Here's the Pool Room. See that big wall? I have 3 of them I need to do something with. I want to do a gallery wall, but I'm having the toughest time getting started on it. I admit it.... I'm intimidated...

Another example...

I just finished putting Christmas away and this is what I'm left with....

Stark and boring. I want to change the fireplace and paint.

Here we removed two of the brown units. They used to expand the entire wall, but we felt it was too dark and heavy in the room. Now the empty shelves are floating over awkward space.

All of this is intimidating and frustrating to me.

Hubs and I will probably go over this and over this for a month or

so til we figure out what we want.

I've got a few ideas... we'll see.

Look, I'm not trying to be a downer...

I'm just trying to keep it real here.

I really can't wait to get going, I've just got to be patient.

Plus we are working on another apartment and I'm substituting at the high school in the cafeteria right now.

Patience... not something I'm really good at. :)

That could be changing....

Thank you so much for reading...