I have been dying to post this layout! Sketch #15 by Karan at Sketchabilities just ROCKED! I had a blast working with it! Stitching seems to be my thing lately. I cannot seem to create a layout with out it...whether I use machine stitching, hand stitching, or both as I did on this layout. I used the negative space of a scallop, versa ink, and embossing powder for the green scallop areas. I really wanted to mist that area, but I couldn't find the right color.
Journaling reads: I cherish these everyday moments. Kelly, you waited 3.5 years to be a big sister. The moment you met Max, you loved him & being a big sister. You two have been great PALS ever since. Holding hands, sliding down the slide and posing for photos.
Inspired to scrap? Need a little inspiration? Well, then come visit Challenge Masters. We started our NSD crop today and the challenges are rocking the house!
Yep...I must confess...I'm not doing this alone! LOL!!! I think I mentioned in my very first post that I found this program "Skinny Jeans" at a gym near where Kelly practices for gymnastics. I joined the gym even though I cannot participate in the program. The class times do not coincide with Kelly's practice times. But the gym, Body and Balance, has an AWESOME manager! Deb has come to my rescue! She has been doing the program for 6 months and has achieved her own incredible results. So, she is helping me figure things out! Thanks Deb...you rock!
Yesterday she helped me with some questions about the diet. First that my hungriness might have been caused by the craisins...dried fruit...too much sugar...DUH! No craisins today and I am doing much better.
Wheat...Rachel Cosgrove left wheat products off her shopping list, but did not really explain why. Wheat, or gluten, seems to be something we have had too much of. The clients Deb has worked with seem to do better without it. Also, it is difficult to get these products without added preservatives and other chemicals. So...no wheat.
Mayo...I really wanted to use mayo for chicken/tuna salad. The ingredients look good...except for added sugar. GRRR! Why do they put sugar in everything. Deb suggested making my own mayo or make a dressing from the Greek yogurt that is out.
I think my body is going through a major de-tox. I woke up thirsty at 3 am! LOL!! How can I be thirsty after 2 days of 100+ ounces of water and NO diet coke. I'm not complaining. Years of unwanted chemicals are going to take a while to get out of my system. So, I'm drinking my water! And, I don't know if this is wishful thinking or not, but my skin is already feeling softer and smoother...go figure!
I did Rachel Cosgrove's Base -A workout yesterday. MAN OH MAN!!! Even the warm-up kicked my behind. I am soo out of shape!! Oh well...Anyway...here are the photos I promised. I cannot believe I'm posting these. LOL!!! Yet, how can I say I'm proud of myself and what I have done up to this point and not. I will not regret the journey that got me here...I will honor it and learn from it. So here I am...
Tonight I will be using a SPLURGE! We are celebrating Max's 2nd birthday and I will be enjoying some birthday cake. Did you know I have not had any chocolate since Sunday?!?!? Have I said how proud I am of myself! I'm eating healthy, exercising, and still feel like I'm supporting my family. DOH! I can do both! I don't have to be last! What an incredible concept!
And for my scrappy friends...Sketchibilities reveal is tomorrow!!! Plus, Challenge Masters NSD crop starts tomorrow! It is going to be a blast.
Oh yea...a little harder yesterday. I was HUNGRY ALL DAY LONG!! So, I kept drinking water and eating protein and veggies. I need to figure out how not to be hungry. I must not be eating enough protein during my meals.The eating plan is simple. Eat non-processed foods, a protien and fruit and/or veggie, every 3-4 hours. No wheat...so normal bread, even whole grain is out. Bread is usually what keeps me full. The problem was that I did not start the day with enough protein. I had a yougart and oatmeal with craisins. I need a "bigger" protein...I think. I tried something different today.Also, the goal is to eat this plan 90% of the time. Which means, 10% of the time you get to "SPLURGE"! I LOVE that term. SPLURGING is part of the plan!!! Every other plan I have done, there seems to be no room for error. Or it becomes a game...counting points. Here, no counting calories or fats and 3 to 4 SPLURGES a week! That means every other day I can SPLURGE! How cool is that!I ended up using a SPLURGE last night. I teach on Tuesday nights and I used to "treat" myself to fast food before class. How silly is that! Fast food is NOT a treat! LOL!!! Anyway, I did not have a meal planned before class, so I thought I'd get a fast food salad. Well, I'm salad rookie. I ordered the salad thinking I'd get grilled chicken...it was fried. There was cheese on the salad and a dressing I don't like. GRRR!! But, I was HUNGRY...so I used my SPLURGE! I enjoyed the salad, croutons, and chicken. Had a dressing I liked and topped it off with a Diet coke! YUM! I took care of my hunger and didn't feel DEFEATED for going off plan!!! You know why...because it is PART of the plan.I also got in my 100 ounces of water yesterday. It was WAY easier than I thought! I have a red water bottle that is about 30 ounces. So, I know I need to drink 3+ water bottles of water. So, I kept drinking and viola...I think I actually drank 4 bottles worth. Way cool!Tonight I go for my second workout. I'm going to start Base plan A that is outlined in her book. I'm really excited about the workout!Oh...I took before photos this morning. Well...had Kelly take the pictures...she was so cute. I'll get them up tomorrow.Now...off to scrap!!!!!
I am sooo PROUD of myself! Yesterday, I followed the basics of the eating plan....protein and fruit/veggie every 3-4 hours and completed my first work out. Yahoo...No diet coke...no wheat products (this will be hard). I was even away from the house for 2 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening...still got all my nutritional, non-processed meals in! And, for the first time in a long time I am soo committed to myself! It feels soo great.In case you are wondering...I'm following "The Female Body Breakthrough" by Rachel Cosgrove. I'm just over half-way through the book. It soo makes sense to me. She talks about strength training vs. cardio and why strength training is better for fat loss! Oh yea...I hate cardio...boring! No matter what kind I do. LOVE strength training. Muscle burns fat. So many studies have been done to validate this workout!Today is a 15 minute stretch day and fine tuning my eating. I got through that chapter this morning. Did you know you should be drinking half your body weight in ounces to be properly hydrated! For me, that is 100 ounces of water a day. I don't think I have ever drank that much or even the 64 ounces of water in one day! I'll be focusing on that today!Oh...and as part of being a B.I.T.C.H. I feel I need to be PROUD of my current body. This body and what I did to it brought me to this point. I can't moan and groan...drown in a daily pity party anymore. Attitude is everything...So, I bought tight fitting workout clothes yesterday...tank top and shorts and strutted my fat self into the gym. Being proud of myself starts NOW, NOT when I'm a size 8!
LOL!!! Did that get your attention? Sorry, but I am sooo stoked!!!!! Let me explain.... I have been miserable for a while....don't know why, I have a great life, husband, kids, etc. But I have been. Adding the second child at 16 months of age was very difficult. It brought issues I had with me, my hubby, and life in general to a boiling point. I finally exploded a couple of weeks ago! Maybe a month ago already.
But, what I realized is that I lost myself somewhere along my married/mommy journey. For some reason I thought it was a good idea to immerse myself in my marriage and totally support my husband, leaving my needs as secondary to his. I did this with my daughter also...I waited so long for her and wanted such a different life for her than mine...my needs became secondary to hers also. Then add the second child...Well you can imagine were I ended up on the list...rock bottom. I thought I was doing the right thing by supporting everyone else and leaving me last. But, all that created was a miserable, bitter, and resentful woman! Nobody was happy...not even the people I was trying to make happy.
I started the year wanting to create more of a balance...my one little word to focus on. But what I didn't realize was the balance was about my needs...not everyone elses.
So...me first...and with that I HAVE to focus on my health and fitness. But how...I was a gym rat...I know what it takes to be a size 4, but I am NOT willing to go through that regime again. There are too many other important things in my life now.
So, here is where B.I.T.C.H. comes in. Kelly is on team gymnastics in Iowa City/Coralville. 45 minutes from here. So, I stay with her. I thought this would be a good time to work out. One of Kelly's teammate's mother is a trainer at a gym up there and they have a program called "Skinny Jeans" --> lose 2 jean sizes in 8 weeks. She says the women are doing it! My interest is peaked!
So, I checked out the gym and program on Friday! The program is based on Rachel Cosgrove's book...I don't' have the title at the moment. I'm only through the first five chapters so far. But bottom line...it is about being a B.I.T.C.H...Becoming Inspirational, Totally Confident, and HOT! Attitude is everything! So true! I LOVE what I am reading...she was a ton of experience, stories, and everything is backup scientifically.
I busted my behind yesterday to get ready to start today. And well...attitude is everything. I feel different just making this commitment to myself! I bought a pair of jeans 2 sizes smaller...I can't wait to fit into them. I have also modified B.I.T.C.H. I don't like the word becoming...it is not strong enough. I am going to focus on what I am! Also...Hot...not a big thing for me...but Happy...oh yea! So for me...B.I.T.C.H. Stands for Beaming Inspiration, Totally Confident, and HAPPY!!!!!!
So here are my starting points...publically...I have been wearing size 14 jeans, but they fall a lot. So I tried on the 12's...tight with the belly roll, but wearable. So my skinny jean goal size is 8! I'm hovering around 200 pounds.
So scrappy friends, I hope you don't mind. I will be documenting my skinny jeans journey on my blog. My little accountability piece. I'll title the posts appropriate if you don't want to come with me on my journey.
I did get a layout done this weekend. This is one I started at class last weekend. I found photos, modified the design a little, and viola...Family. Journaling reads: Owl will always love my family. From my honary step-mom, to my awesome hubby and beautiful daughter. And of course, my generous father who is always taking photos for me!
Most materials are MME. I don't remember the manufacturer of the cloud paper...it wasn't MME. MM did the tag frames, BoBunny the acrylic arrow. Of course some stitching. I can't seem to have a layout lately without it. In fact...I meant to stitch on the tree also!
Woohoo!!! I can post one today, but the other you will have to wait until my reveal on April 30th...or maybe I'll try to do a little sneaky peek!
First is for the Scraplift challenge at Challenge Master's. July picked an awesome layout by Lady Grace...make sure you go check out the original. Anyway, this layout is a miracle...you want to know why? I did it in an HOUR start to finish!!!! WOOHOO!!! Gotta love an occasional quickie! It is the cover page for Kelly's 6th year album. I LOVE the simplicity of it and the Fancy Pants paper I used!
Ok...here is an attempt at a sneak peek! I probably should have taken a sneak peek photo, this is just a crop of the original photo...but, I think sneaky enough! LOL!! It is for Sketch #15 over at Sketchabilities. The reveal will occur on April 30th. So make sure you come back then to the entire layout!
Yep, I'm sooo doing the happy dance right now! I'M GOING TO BE PUBLISHED!!!! I obviously can't spill the details. It has been a LONG time since I was published. I had 3 layouts in the very first Scrapbook News and Review e-zine. But this one is going in an actual magazine.
Oh yeah...Happy dance...still doing it! LOL!!!
Today is the day! Here is my first layout for http://sketchabilities.blogspot.com/I just Love working with sketches...Next reveal will be on the 30th! So, stay tuned and make sure you check out the blog for the sketch and all the other designer's take!!! There are some WAY cool layout up!
The journaling reads: Kelly...I hope you always find JOY in nature like we did today. We had a blast with all the broken branches and fallen tree limbs from the horrible storm that happened yesterday. 
I was using these cute glossy dimensional stickers by K & Company for my zoo layout. I thought the bunny would be perfect on an Easter card...So...viola...I even used the packaging. The cream papers are actually from the packaging the bunny and other stickers came in. Go figure...I reused!!
