happy halloween

Source: tumblr.com via lise on Pinterest



guess who got her craft on this weekend...

I DID!!
 Girl Cousins
2 girls layout sketch

silent saturday


fill in the blank friday

Join in with Lauren's questions HERE!


1.   When I was a kid I wanted to be      a fashion designer    when I grew up.

2.   As an adult, my dream job would be   travel channel host (hehe)      .

3.  W hen I was younger I wanted to be just like  my mama... i kid that she's june cleaver, but she really did her best to raise my sister and i in a loving and safe place. she is amazing.   .

4. The childhood Halloween costume that I remember most was when I was    a roaring 20s flapper girl. my mom made my sister and my costumes (they were blue) and can you believe it... i STILL have the costumes (now passed down to my daughter and then my niece)  !

5.  
My favorite childhood toy was    barbies, duh (especially the sundae shoppe) .

6.  The time I got into the biggest amount of trouble when I was a kid was when I     brought a nail file to school (because i thought i was sooo cool, filing my nails, lol) and i got sent to the principal's office for having a 'weapon' at school (because you know, i'm hardcore. lol) !

7.  I get daily inspiration from    my surroundings, be it family, food, tv, smells, nature. whatev's  .

you are what you eat



You know the saying 'you are what you eat'?
Well, I don't want to be a soggy bun, mayonaisse loaded 600 calorie heat lamp burger with a side of limp salt coated french fries from the high school kid in the fast food lane. I want to be a leafy green spinach salad with radiant red bell pepper slices, shreds of orange carrots, roasted bright yellow corn kernels, crisp slices of cucumber, fresh broccoli florets, topped with chopped hard boiled egg whites and drizzled with tangy basalmic vinegar and fragrant olive oil and a few slices of creamy avocado that I took the time to prepare with love and patience.


What do you wanna be?

playing on picnik

Thanks to a very sweet girl... Miss Indie, I have found (and am now obsessed) with Picnik! Seriously... check out the cool stuff I've been doing today (instead of *actually working, lol).





Yep... the coolest thing since sliced bread, I tell ya! lol
(PS, pics were from this weekend's 50th Anniversary Party that the hubs and I attended. More on that later!)

Disney Love

Real Life Disney Princesses... swoon!

i've lost 50 pounds



Yep. I really have. I'm just (finally) putting it out there. In black and white, for all the world to see. You would think that this is something I'd be screaming from the rooftops, but I'm kinda blog-shy when it comes to weight and all that. I think it's funny how girls are silly about weight. It's a touchy subject. Even the skinniest of girls have body 'issues'. But this is about me. A girl far from skinny, and totally content with that fact.
So, how'd I do it? Well, to know how I got here, you gotta go back to the beginning....

Way back when... at the beginning of 2010 I made the decision to 'lose some weight' and 'get fit' for my upcoming 30th birthday that August (2010). I did all the right things. I got in with a local nutritionist, and got a personal trainer at the local gym. I'd set small goals, and one by one, I'd attain them. By the time my birthday was here, I was down to a reasonable weight, but more importantly, I felt good.

Then, of course the worst day of my entire life occured, and I gained 30 of the 45 pounds lost, and to be quite honest, there was a large period of time that I can not remember. Therefore, I have no clue what I was eating or drinking, although I do remember boxes (literally) of chocolate, and lots of Del Taco burritos (Daddy's favorite), and perhaps some vodka spiked crystal light (just keepin' it real, folks).

As the new year began, I came to the decision that I had to pick myself up out of the black hole known as grief. I knew that Daddy wouldn't want me to mope around, so I made the decision to turn it around. I took my sadness of missing my Dad into my drive to make him proud. I re-dedicated myself to living healthy, getting fit, and eating clean. But something was different for me this go-round. I didn't have a goal set, a date to meet. Instead, I just wanted to focus on learning as much as I can about clean foods and exercising the mind and body. Pretty soon, it all clicked!



I am no longer rushing to a finish line. I'm changing my life. I'm choosing to live healthy every day, not just for the next (X) amount of days before I reach my goal weight of (Y). By choosing to eat clean and stay fit and healthy, the weight has just come off. Sometimes very noticeable, other times not so noticeable, but always healthy.
Now, please don't misunderstand. I still have goals. I think setting goals is an incredibly important step in any journey, be it weight loss or otherwise. My goals are specific and attainable, and always challenging. In fact, I just read a wonderful blog written by Tabitha over at Recipe For Fitness about Goal Setting. (Read it... totally inspiring!) 

This change didn't happen overnight, it has taken baby steps to get to where I am now. I'll share more in future posts. It is not my intention to make this a weight loss blog. This is a personal blog. I have blogged about my life, and right now, changing my lifestyle from "typical-working-mom-picking-up-fast-food-and-crashing-early-from-stress-and-exhaustion-due-to-lack-of-nutritious-foods" to "working-mom-who-loves-her-family-and-herself-so-much-that-she-chooses-to-prepare-clean-and-healthy-meals-giving-her-the-energy-to-exercise-her-mind-and-body". 

Lastly, I have to give credit where credit is due. My success is always made easier with the love and support of my family and friends. Without them, this journey would not be nearly as informative or fun as it has been. Because of them, I have had to courage and the strength to make daily decisions to better myself mentally and physically. So, thank you.

And thank you, oh dear blog reader, for making it to the end of this long but personal blog post. Now that this is 'out on the table' I would anticipate more blog posts regarding my new but permanent lifestyle! :-)

fill in the blank friday


1.   Nothing says fall like      pumpkins, apples, and weather below 100 degrees, lol  .

2.   My favorite autumnal tradition is   taking the kids to pick out a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch, or gathering before trick-or-treating at Mom and Dads house     .

3.  My favorite fall treat is   spiced pumpkin lattes   .

4. Fall makes me think of   vacation    because    the weather cools down and we are able to take week-long vacations   .

5.  Autumn free form word association, go!    pumpkin, hot apple cider, sweaters, books, crisp mornings .

6.  My go-to outfit in the fall is     pants, long sleeve shirt, cardi or sweater, and (as always) cute shoes   .

7.  My favorite fall holiday is (Halloween or Thanksgiving)    Thanksgiving. Family time is most important to me. And one of our Thanksgiving traditions is tamale making .

Link Up At Lauren's!

not sweet, but...

sweat!



that's what i've been up to lately... how about you?

fill in the blank friday


1.   The most selfless thing I've ever done was      become a Mama. Daddy used to always say that the day you become a parent you give up your life for theirs, you put your wants and needs after your childrens' wants and needs .

2.   When it comes to working out    I love it and I try and it do it all the time. I love to mix it up, try new classes as the gym, love working with a trainer (or even the hubs or my Ma), and I especially love my yoga and my cycle class    .

3.  A woman should always   remember her voice. You need to be heard, and paid attention to, and respected. Don't be afraid of saying what you need to say  .

4. I wish I could   run long distances    and then I'd    enter a full marathon (right now we're good to get through a 5K, lol)   .

5.  A best friend is    a necessity, not an option. You need someone(s) (I have more than one) who will love you for you, support you (even your bad decision) and still put you in your place when you need it .

6.  I can't get enough of     CHOCOLATE! (lol, what's too funny is that I've read a handful of FITBF and most ladies are saying chocolate, lol. that's hysterical to me)  .

7.  This weekend I am    practicing yoga, shopping for a petticoat, going to a really fancy-schmancy business dinner, watching football, and hopefully getting some laundry done and the loft (my crafty room) clean  .

Link It Up People... over at  Laurens

just promoting craftyness

so, just about everyone is familiar with Etsy. They have amazing craftsmen (and women) and artist who sell the goods, totally promoting all things good and whole in the world. Well, I gotta highlight Barberry and Lace!
Seriously, she has some beautiful pieces of jewelry! Her necklaces are absolutely to die for (and I want quite a few of them... hint hint. lol)
So, you can only imagine my elation when she blogged about her $100 Giveaway! I about lost it! Seriously party people, go visit her blog and enter! Or don't and just keep your fingers crossed that I win! TeeHee!

whats up with me whats up with you


life has gone from super busy to slowed down enough to breathe. gotta love that.
i'm borrowing this (list) from the always-talented Elise...

developing a new workout/cardio routine
accepting the fact that I have to soon give up my trainer and go-it-alone
sending positive thoughts and prayers to some family friends who desperately need them right now
writing this email, dispute letters to insurance companies, and checks to pay the bills
wearing a zip-up sweatshirt for the first time this season
lamenting the fact that Daddy is not here for advice
enjoying the cooler weather, especially the mornings
dreaming about taking some time off of work and spending some 'Me' time up north
returning a dress I bought online (just can't buy clothes online... I'm a hands on kind of person)
celebrating the end of my 13th summer in Arizona
planning my wardrobe for our cruise to Mexico in November
embracing clean eating as a lifestyle
drinking pumpkin spice coffee, black
loving the people in my life, always

So what have you been up to lately?

cool new finds

i've been stumbling around the glorious world-wide-web today and came across some pretty cool things...

Tires aren't just for cars...
lion figure made out of recycled tires
rhinocerous head tire sculpture
Artist Yong Ho Ji


Celebrity Face Symmetry... Wow....

YouBeauty


Speaking of celebs....


Iconatomy by George Chamoun


Teal braid... yes, please...
Pinned Image
Beautylish


Made this last year... can't wait to make it again...

Martha Stewart via The Kitchn


I like lasagna in all different shapes and sizes...

The Food In My Beard

Can You Stay For Dinner


I don't like clowns... but this (to me) was fascinating...
Hurricane Katrina killed this clown
Infrequent diversion abandoned Six Flags - New Orleans
Creepy Crusty Crumbling



fill in the blank friday


1.   Something popular that I can't stand/just don't "get" is      Lady Gaga and her 'costuming'. It was one thing growing up with Madonna who seemed to reinvent herself every few years, but this costuming (like wearing meat, really!) and Nikki Minaj trying to follow along. I'm all for being eccentric or different, not wanting to go with the crowd, but come on... arriving in an egg, (to me) stupid! I just don't get it  .

2.   Something unpopular that I secretly love is    riding in limousines. I know for some it's totally uncool, but I still feel pretty cool sitting in a long car. lol     .

3.  When I've had a bad day I   try to get to bed early. Otherwise I try and fit chocolate in there somewhere. lol  .

4. I'd prefer    quiet time    to    houseful of guests     any day.

5.  Something that makes me nervous is    flying (in an airplane) .

6.  Something worth fighting for is     God and his infinite and wonderful Love   .

7.  When people think of me, I hope they think    I'm nice enough to talk to, strong enough help, and silly enough to laugh with .

Link up at Laurens
© something Big is coming...
Maira Gall