Pages

Friday, April 29, 2011

Link Roundup


I am very late with this. But, I wanted pictures of the winning prize(s) before posting links to them. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
  1. FLIRT Aprons from Purple Bee Designs


  2. {photo credit: Dan}

    Isn't it the cutest thing? I love aprons and have quite a collection of aprons now.

  3. Vintage Upcycled Silverplate Spoon Bracelet


  4. {photo credit: Dan}

    This is the cutest bracelet ever! And, they are recycled from old silverware! How cool is that? I LOVE wearing this bracelet as it fits me rather well and stays put. In other words, it does not go round and round and round on my wrist which can drive me batty.

    {By the way, you can see me wearing it in the picture for the apron too.}

    The maker of these things have a variety of upcycled bracelets in her Etsy shop.


This is a very short list as I was busy with life earlier this week. And, I'll be busy with life again next week.

I hope you all will have a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Wordy Wednesday


Gracie has learned to use her hind leg in place of her missing front leg. I finally was able to capture her via video last weekend as some of my friends wanted to see her in action. I am constantly amazed with my little girl as she does not let a missing leg stop her from doing anything. So, without further ado, here is Gracie:



Friday, April 22, 2011

Link Roundup


You alone are the God for us — because You alone are the God who has been one of us. ~Ann Voskamp

I have won and received a couple prizes; but, I have not taken pictures of them yet. The prizes are something I can wear. I would like to do self-portraits which are tricky. So, I will come up with something and post them next week.

This Friday's Roundup is larger than normal. I did not post any the last two Fridays due to being out and about with life. I shall endeavor to not let this happen again because I know large lists can be overwhelming.


  • Ribbon Organizer Crafts; Organizing; Frugal
    I’m going to be doing something similar if I ever get a place to call my own

  • Abstract Art Wall Art using Paint Chips

  • Make it Nice Christian; Inspirational
    Anyone else need to stop muttering, “Must be nice” and instead put their big girl bloomers on and ‘make it nice’ instead?
  • And they shall become One Inspirational; Christian; on Marriage

  • What Do You Want to See? Inspirational; Christian; Women

  • Roasted Peep Smores Food


  • Somebody is Going to Hate Your Dream
    The next time someone throws a rock at your dream, I want you to remember one thing.

    You’re in great company.
  • Make Your Own Postcard Recycling; Frugal
    Using cereal boxes or other package goods

  • Tin Can Caddy Tutorial Craft; Organizing
    Another cool crafty organizer. Note: I would make sure that sharp edges do NOT exist before messing around or using tin cans.

  • Honestly Christian; Inspirational
    Nothing changed until I made the choice to change. I had to want it, spiritually, physically and mentally. The battle really is in all three areas.
  • Somebody Else’s Passion Can’t Fuel Your Dream
    And one of the greatest ways you’re guaranteed to fail eventually is to chase someone else’s dream instead of your own.
    So as you dream, as you work on your thing, honestly ask yourself, “Whose dream is this?”

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
John 19: 28 - 30
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
1 Thessalonians 5:9-10

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Going Weight Watchers® Alone


I decided at the first of the year to restart Weight Watchers®. I was successful under the old program and maintained my weight for over five years. The one thing I liked about Weight Watchers® is that it is not really a diet; but, a lifestyle change. The emphasis is on eating right. And, you do it all yourself (with support of course). In other words, no meals are done for you. So, you learn while doing.


When Dan lost his job back in 2009, my life slowly went to Helena Handbasket from there and I fell off the bandwagon. When I talked to Dan about rejoining Weight Watchers®, he said he would do it with me. It will help tremendously with Dan coming along for the ride.

I started going to the monthly weigh-ins once again. I do not go to the meetings because I am profoundly deaf and miss too much of what is being discussed. However, I wanted the monthly weigh-ins as an accountability tool. I also wanted the new PointsPlus™ membership kit; but, the two times I went (January and February), they did not have them in stock. So, I did not start the “diet” because I did not have the materials I needed to learn about the new system.

After the last monthly weigh-in in February, I just could not put up with the ladies in charge of the meetings anymore. They are the reason why I originally stopped going when I first moved here and tried to continue doing the weigh-ins. These people are rude towards me and ignore the fact that I am profoundly deaf. They will not pay attention to my request to look at me while talking even though I tell them to do this for me. It makes me feel crappy and it is so frustrating. So, I quit.

I am not going to lie. The ladies are so much nicer, friendlier and helpful where I used to live. It’s no wonder why there are not as many Weight Watchers® meeting places in this city.

Anyway, I decided a few weeks ago that I did not really need the weigh-ins to lose weight on my own. I searched for the PointsPlus™ kits online. I found one on eBay at a bargain. I also found a PointsPlus™ calculator on eBay. They both arrived recently.


I started recording what I have eaten along with their point values this past Monday. I am not stressing over details just yet. I remembered to weigh myself Tuesday morning and put that down in my book too. I was surprised because the last time I weighed myself, I was between 161 and 162 pounds. Tuesday’s weight was 157.2 points. So, I guess I lost a little between then and now. Of course, it helps that I was sick too.

I am barely 5’ 8” and have a small bone frame. All this extra weight on me does not do my body any favors. And, my knees are suffering from the extra poundage. So, I would like to return to about 135 pounds, which means I need to lose 22.2 pounds.

I am starting to read all the materials I obtained to understand the new PointsPlus™ program. The seller of the kit also sent me extra stuff that she no longer wanted. I absolutely love her for sending me those materials. I hope to absorb all that I need to know about the program and really get started on it soon.

A sister-in-law of mine is also doing the Weight Watchers® PointsPlus™ system. So, I am hoping that I can call upon her should I need help if we (Dan and I) fail to understand something in the materials.

Is anyone else doing Weight Watchers® or some other program/diet on their own? If so, how are you doing?

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Wordy Wednesday



Im Hangin Out Teasin Ur Kat

On March 15th, Gracie went bonkers attacking the windows and blinds in the office. I looked up from the desk and much to my surprise; this squirrel was resting on the fence outside the window. Fortunately, I had the camera on the desk all ready to go and captured him in his repose. I had to switch to manual focus to get this shot because the window was dirty.

Several months ago, Gracie was in the open window (with screen in place) gazing out. This squirrel was walking along the fence which is approximately five feet away and parallel to the wall. He noticed Gracie and froze. He turned to look at her more closely. And then, he started bobbing like he was going to jump to the windowsill. I panicked and hollered which scared him away. I am telling you, that is one brassy squirrel.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

DIY Tuesday


[Note: I do not know what to call Tuesdays. Sometimes, it is fabric and/or sewing related and other times, it is crafting. And, for the first time today, it is DIY projects. If you have any suggestions as to what I can call Tuesdays, please let me know. Thanks!]

We stopped in Comfort (Texas) on the way home Sunday. We shopped in an antique store, had lunch in a nice little café, and shopped more antique stores. I enjoyed myself immensely. I think Dan did too looking at all the old tools and junk.


We Specialize in Stuff

This sign made me laugh!


And, this sign was in the storefront window. Too funny!

We wandered inside and looked around at all the ‘stuff’.


Closed Viewpoint

I discovered this beat up old desk. It appeared to be the right height for what I was looking for (to use as a nightstand). I loved the look of the whole piece of furniture. The opening where a chair would normally go would be a perfect spot for a cat bed.

It is just a beat up old rinky dinky desk with no value whatsoever. When I discovered the price of the item, I knew we had to have it because it was a bargain! No, a steal!

And yes, my cats had to check it out.

Open Viewpoint

It is the cutest little thing and looks like it was put together by a very good amateur woodworker. It is obviously very much used. I wonder what memories it contains within the wood. I will never know.


Back View

We are planning to literally take it apart, replace the backing, sand and stain it, and put it all back together again. If we discover that it is not stainable, then we will paint it a dark color. Not black. I dislike black.


This is the reason why we are replacing the backing. It suffered major damage.

I am documenting what the desk looks like before we tear it apart this coming weekend. And, we may need pictures to refer back to just in case we cannot remember how it was put together. I hope not; but, it will not hurt to have these pictures.


Side View

Top: Water and Ink(?) Damage

Closeup of Open Desk with Drawer

That reminds me, we will be replacing the drawer handles (or pulls) as I hate them.

I am excited because I finally found something that will work as a nightstand. I am also scared that we will destroy the thing in the process. If we do, we will not despair. After all, it was only $38.50.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Pictorial Monday


On March 15th, I was outside with Dan while he was working on his classic Mustang. Actually, he had me take pictures of some boring old stuff for him.

While I was out there, I noticed that there were hundreds of bees around a flowering bush. I decided to try photographing them with my Macro. I got extremely close to some of them while bees flew all around the bush and me. I have no fear of them. I suppose I should; but, I do not. For the most part, honeybees will not bother you as long as you do not threaten them.



Fact: I adore bees and would love to have a beehive or two; but, it is just a pipe dream.

I also noticed a fly zipping among the flowers. He was super fast! It was tough to capture the little sucker. I do not have a perfect picture of him. However, I do like this one and think it's good enough to share.


Metallic Fly

Edited to add: Dan did a little research and discovered that the fly is actually a Sweat Bee. I found that extremely interesting!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

17 Years


How in the world has it been 17 years? Wow! It will be 17 years this Saturday and we have known each other for about 20. I find it unbelievable. Where has the time gone?

Dan has been my steady rock throughout the years and I love him so very much. We are not perfect by any means; but, we have survived many trials that would have wrenched many a marriage apart. But, love and commitment towards one another sustained us throughout the rough times.

We normally do not celebrate big on our anniversaries. However, this year is going to be an exception. I snagged a Groupon last year for a free night at a bed and breakfast in the surrounding area. So, we are going away for several days beginning tomorrow. I am so looking forward to going!

Dan created the following video two years ago for our 15th Anniversary. I still enjoy watching it very much from time to time. Some of you have already seen it; but, many of you have not. So, I am sharing it here. Enjoy.




Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Wordy Wednesday



Such lovely pretty purple gloves.

I love purple.

I wonder who is wearing them?

Want to know?

Shall we find out?


Oh my! It's Dan! Is he going to have to turn in his man card now?

Bwahahaha

haha

ha

Ahem.

He was cleaning parts for his Mustang and using cleaning chemicals. He could not find a pair of chemical gloves; so, he borrowed mine. Actually, I let him keep them because there was no way I was taking them back. I need to find him a pair of decent manly chemical gloves. In the meantime, I'm going to keep smiling every time I see him using these.


Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Fabric Tuesday: Quilt Shop Hop


My sewing machine died last Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Dan took it to the shop for me as it is located near where he works. While there, he found out it will be at least two weeks before I get my "baby" back.

Say what?!?

I then drowned my sorrows in M&M minis.

But, my mood lifted when I remembered that I was going Shop Hopping on Thursday.

I had this written down in my calendar and plans was in the works long before my machine broke. I had no plans to buy anything in particular nor did I specifically shop for certain things. I wanted to explore the quilt shops in the area. I thought that this was a good way to go exploring and hide in the crowds at the same time. I also set a personal limit to what I could spend. All in all, I think I did rather well.

Here is my loot. First of all, I got all these Fat Quarter fabrics

FREE!

Each shop gave out a free fat quarter to the hoppers. How cool is that?

I was doing fine money-wise until I fell in love with a line of fabrics.


I bought the top six fabrics at the first shop I saw these. The bottom two were bought on the second day at another shop. The line is called "Max & Whiskers" by Basic Grey for Moda.

{By the way, after I looked at the above picture, I thought the dog word fabric (bottom left) might not be part of the line. So, I looked at the selvage and sure enough, it is from a different line called "Man's Best Friend" by Leanne Anderson of Whole Country Caboodle for Henry Glass & Co.}

Isn't this just too cute?

When I got home the first night, I had to go online to my favorite online quilt shop to see if they had more fabrics in that line. Yup, they did. So, I ordered more! Ha! I'm also going to look for and order a few more that this particular shop did not have.

Anyway, moving on.

I found this fabric in the last shop on the second day.

The picture doesn't do justice to the colors. I loved the paisleys and the colors. But, as I debated on it, I could not justify spending money. What would I use it for? So, I wandered the shop and then suddenly, I realized that the colors could very well match the line of fabrics that I purchased. So, I went back and examined it and came to the conclusion that it will match. I ended up buying some. It is called "Priscilla's Paisley" for The Alexander Henry Fabrics.



Perfect Match! I'm not so sure about the dog words fabric. I will wait until the rest of the fabrics in this particular line comes in and then make a determination on whether or not to keep or reject it.

That is all for now! I will post the fabrics for the entire line once I get them all in. I hope you enjoyed this silly smiley loaded post!




Monday, April 11, 2011

Pictorial Monday...


One Sunday (March 27th), I went for a walk out in the fields nearby where we live. I would not have gone out there if Dan was not with me. It's a little too scary to be out there all alone as there are wild animals not to mention stray dogs. There is beauty to be found among the sparse vegetation.

Bluebonnet

Tube Tongue



Ladybugs


I believe these butterflies belong in the Pieridae family. For the life of me, I cannot remember what the name is of this particular one.

Grasshopper

Primrose

Silver-leaf Nightshade

A friendly stray female dog starving for human attention. She was with two other dogs. One had a bad back leg (sex unknown) and the other was a male. If she had been alone, I might have tried to convince Dan to take her home and give her more than just attention.