{Revamps & Great Finds}

I don't like to spend a whole lot on things - I am the "Queen of Cheap" according to my husband - but love to have things that have personality and style and look like they may have cost alot.

I have been looking for a console/hall table thing for my livingroom to house the game systems and all the various games and try to get some of the horrible looking cords out of the way. I scoured craigslist and finally found something that would work and right before I called it was gone *sigh*, so off to the local thrift stores I went *hi ho, hi ho, it's off to the stores I go* 


I went to several and the last one I went to had exactly what I was looking for, I got him to drop the price from $20 down to $15 because it needs some work (like peeling top & missing knobs). So behold one of my project for this summer:

(ignore my messy home)

(notice the retro tower off to the side? It's got a 3.5 floppy drive)

A few weeks back I picked up a mirror from out of my Uncle's storage unit, it was a flashback to the late 60's early 70's and it's made from some cheap plastic for the frame but with a bit of spray paint & some dry brushing it's got some flair. Take a look at it now:

(super fun and exciting now)

At another thrift store I found a couple prints by Danny O'Connor for $8.50 per framed print and I must say I  got a great deal considering they are just prints of his original work and framed which would run $140-500 each print. They bring a nice pop of color to the kid area in my livingroom.

(Danny O. prints of his original collages)

I have lots of things I want to finish up this summer, the dresser/sofa table above, my desk & dresser in my room all need to be refinished this summer - I am really looking forward to my various projects! It's going to be a great summer!

{2011 Weigh In: Week 6}

All I can say is *UGH*! I have been stressed out lately (no excuse) but have been emotionally eating all the wrong foods and it shows as I gained all of what I have lost starting in January and even gained back some of what I lost last year - can you say *UGH* with me....

I really need to get this emotional eating under control and I need to keep reminding myself that food is not a comfort but something to help keep me living and not something I need to be over doing in any way!

I have been working on exercising and trying to work myself up to 6 days during the week (Sunday's off) and I am getting close but still not there yet. It's a work in progress and I am working on it one day at a time - same with my emotional eating. Some days I am doing great and other days I just fall flat on my face and it hurts bad when I smack my nose on the pavement and I feel like a huge failure.

(really how am I supposed to be wonder "Mom" if I keep gaining weight and my costume won't fit)

 (image found here) 

Well below is my weight gain and it's so very frustrating for me...not only did I gain back the 7 lbs I lost this month but added another 6 on top of that...*sigh*

Week 3 weigh in: 275.5 pounds

Week 4 weigh in: 273.5 pounds

Week 5 weigh in: 273.5 pounds

Week 6 weigh in: 286.5 pounds

total weight loss/gain: + 6 pounds from week 1 (+13 lbs gained this week)

I know some of this is because I have been extremely bloated and gassy lately (too much info, I know, but it's true), so I am hoping that when it gets gone some of that weight will be gone because that's alot of weight to pack back on in only a week. *sigh*

{2011 Weigh In: Week 5}

I can't believe it's week 5 already! Time sure has flown by and I have stumbled and failed many times over those 5 weeks but always got back up and tried again. Each day is fresh and new and we can make them anything we want, right?

This week was the end and the beginning, not only because of the end and begin of months but the end of very little exercise and the beginning of new active me!

I joined the YMCA on the first of February and the reason I choose them over the many other option I had, and believe me I had lots and all wanting me (so they said), was because they were family friendly and had options for my WHOLE family not just for me and they had pricing on their website and were so upfront about how much everything was going to cost and I didn't have to sign a contract. Even before joining they made me feel welcomed and made my family feel welcomed!

So now while I work out, my kids can go to activity rooms/child care, where they get to play and have fun and get just as much out of the experience as me. They can be in the pool with us because they have an awesome pool area that not only caters to what William and I need but for what my kids need too!! And have I mentioned how great their customer service is?? Well it is, and it's not just lip service like I got at the other gyms but they were genuinely happy to help me and my family if we had any questions. It's been a great delight to come and use the facilities whenever we want (during their business hours of course) and it's the best gym experience I have ever had!!

My eating has been pretty good, stumbled a bit here and there but it got right back on track, I have been using the "My Fitness Pal" and it's been a great support for me along with Angie's "Healthy Me" blog. I use the my fitness pal to help me keep track of what I eat and how much I eat so I can adjust my eating to what it should be (been doing it on my own but it helps to see it on paper, which I have never done).

I am happy to be moving again and feel motivated to keep it up not only for me but for my whole family. Sure, eating healthy helped me lose 25-30 pounds but I have just been stalled and in just the few times going to the "Y" I have lost inches around my waist and that is a big deal to me!! I went swimming with hubby and I did 9 laps (to one end and back was 1 lap) and I felt the burn but it felt so good to be out doing rather then sitting on my butt!

I went to Target to get some more workout clothes, mind you I shop the plus section and they have most of the women's plus stuff sized 1 (16/18), 2 (20/22), 3 (24/26) & 4 (28/30) now.  Well the yoga pants I got BEFORE I was pregnant were size 4's and after having MJ I was in a size 3 and when I went to get another couple pairs because the 3's were too big for working out I found I am now in a size 2 and they don't hug me (I hate when clothes are too snug fitting on me - show too much of what I want to hide)!!

I have also noticed that the jeans I had before I got pregnant are huge on me & even the jeans I bought after having MJ are now too big and they are size 24's. All the skirts I have are size 26 and they are all too big too!

(image found here)

Anywho, on to the measurements and the weigh in:

Week 2 weigh in: 280.5 pounds

Week 3 weigh in: 275.5 pounds

Week 4 weigh in: 273.5 pounds

Week 5 weigh in: 273.5 pounds

total weight loss/gain: - 7 pounds lost since week 1

 now for the measurements:

NOW (this week)    -    BEFORE (last week)

49" Bust 49" (same)

55" Hips 57" ( - 2")

46" Waist 48" ( - 2")

16" Arm 16" (same)

{One World One Heart World Tour}

This is my 2nd time participating in this event. Lisa at A Whimsical Bohemian has been keeping this going for 5 years and sadly this is the last year. If you would like to participate please check out the rules page at OWOH.

The Rules:

This giveaway is open to bloggers across the world and to win all you have to do is leave a comment. How easy is that?!? Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in your comment (email or blog address). NO anonymous comments will be allowed.

If you're the one who wins my "door prize" (which  will be choosen by random.org) I will contact you via the contact info you leave in your comment.

The give-a-way will end and a winner will be chosen February 17th. I will contact the winner as well as post it on my blog.

A little bit about me, I am a wife to my loving husband of almost 12 years and mother to our four beautiful children. I have a small photography business that has been on the back burner for a short while  but now I am moving it to the front burner. I have 2 spunky and crazy cats as well as 2 wild and insane dogs. 


We just bought our house this past September and it's a bit surreal that we actually own the place we are living - no landlord to call when a problem arises - kinda scary but exciting at the same time! I am in the process of losing weight to get myself down to a more manageable size and so that I can be more active with my children and hubby. It's been a struggle but once I get into the groove it will be AMAZING!


My life has become a bit of chaos and as I sort it out I am finding that it's not really as chaotic as I once thought and things are doable and if I just take things as they come life is so much more manageable and if I remember the next day is new and fresh and the old one is behind me I can keep my focus...


Now onto my "Door Prize":

I will be giving away a 5x7 print matted to an 8x10 of my art shown below (minus the watermark) and it will be signed by me. This is a photograph that I took and turned into a digital painting using photoshop. It's one of my favorite works of art and it makes me smile every time I see it and I hope you do too.

Because I don't have a place to pull out my tangible art supplies because of my children's need to "help" me with my creative process I find I am using the computer to help me release some of my creative energy. I hope you enjoy and please remember to check out the other bloggers who are on the One World One Heart journey! When I created this post there was 722 bloggers participating in the journey!

**Note: I have decided 2 lucky bloggers will win a print & 2 will win a magnet of this print for their fridge or other metal object**

{How I am doing so Far}

Below are my goals for the New Year...Lets see where I am at now - a month later:

1. Lose 42 lbs : I actually changed this to 76 lbs that needs to be lost by the end of December 2011 - I wanna get down to 200. I am at 279 lbs right now and will start at the gym today (just later since it's 1:07am right now).

2. Become more Domestic. I am making more meals at home (we only went out/take-out a few times in January - hope to make it zero times in February). Still working on the chore chart thing - it's kinda a pain in the rear end...

3. Do more crafts with the kids.  I have done some crafts with the kids (see my new header, I turned it into a coloring page for them and they loved it) They even drew me a picture of our house & the family. Not exactly where I want to be but I am getting there.

4. Spend less time in front of the TV. I am working on this, but most days the TV is off for the majority of the morning and afternoon - it's not exactly where I want it but it's getting closer to being off all the time now.

5. Take a photo a day.  Ok, this one I completely failed on and bailed on doing it around the 15th or 16th day. But it did jump start my love of my camera again and now I reach for it more to capture those special moments.

6. Get all our debt paid off.  working on this and hope to have the car paid off & most of the student loans done by the end of the year...had to rework for some trips coming up this summer - thinking about getting a part time job after this summer is over with (maybe MJ will be taking a bottle by then).

7. Go to Reunion this year. We are still planing on going - it's not til July.

8. Make a trip to see Family. We have months set aside this summer for visiting family.

9. Become my husbands "Girlfriend". Not quite where I want to be on this but working on it and trying to be a much better "girlfriend" and wife.

10. Be Happy. I am starting to see more positive through out the day then negative and I am trying to keep things more upbeat and positive at home...doesn't always work but I am a work in progress when it comes to most things and especially being happy.