Making the Treadmill a Little Less Ho-Hum

My race bibs & such face me for added inspiration

I've always had music videos or movies playing on our computer while I run on the treadmill but that was with them on mute while I had my iPhone playing on my earbuds since I run after my daughter goes to bed and blasting anything is not an option. That all changed with the purchase of our iPad. Now I scan MTV.com and watch random music videos to keep me occupied during an otherwise boring run. I wish I knew of a site that allowed you to make music video playlists (without purchasing them), and it's honestly not something I've looked into but this works for me, for now.

Tonight's entertainment included:

B.o.B. feat. Lil Wayne "Strange Clouds" - I feel I have to clarify that I have never used narcotics in my life and I don't find their use amusing. I do however, like the beat of this song. I actually didn't watch the video since I was just beginning to warm up and I was focusing on my posture but I'm pretty sure it runs along the same lines of any other rap video.

Katy Perry "The One That Got Away" - *girl crush alert* my goodness do I find her gorgeous in this music video?! Also, I thought the video was stunning and I love the Johnny Cash playing at the end. Perfect.

Beyonce "Countdown" - this song wouldn't normally set my running vibe in motion but the video is super cute and unique, it's very fast-paced and kitschy. 

Katy Perry feat. Kanye West "E.T." - an oldie and I don't care for the video as much as I do the song [for running].

Paramore "Misery Business" - another girl crush: Hayley Williams. The girl is so pretty to look at and her energy is magnetic. My husband teases me about how I went to their concert back in '08 and still claim it as one of the best I've been to. Oh yeah, and I definitely thrash my head around at the hook, even while I run.

I got hung up on Paramore and watched a few of their unplugged videos as a cool down. Hayley has one of my favorite voices, right up there with Adele.

I'm so anxious for winter solstice to come and pass so there is more opportunity for me to run outdoors but I am very thankful to have the option of my treadmill in the meantime. 

Less of a Cray Cray

I'm stressed as much as any other mom trying to hold herself together during this tumultuous time of the year. I'm on vacation this week and I'm still having a hard time relaxing! You see, I have BIG PLANS for 2012 and that means I'm making lists, OH THE LISTS! One of my plans is to keep my cool a little more in check. Some who know me may not think I've been un-cool but that's because I internalize a lot. So much that I feel like I'm meeeeealting. Organization is lacking in my life and thus; I feel all spinny and like I'm flying by my ass and not in control. I've been forgetful and tired a lot more than I should be this year and I blame most of it on poor planning on my part.

So, without further adieu, I give you my list of things to incorporate more into my 2012 schedule in order to keep me more sane-feeling:

1. Yoga: this sounds all mother-earth, granola but the stretching and breathing really help me focus on my body and what it is capable of instead of all the things around me that I have no control over.

2. Running: I guess I can include working out in general due to the endorphins released automatically and naturally altering your mood, but running makes me feel strong and powerful and I know I can do great things, I know I can go further and longer and faster if I keep it up (I am woman, hear me roar - ish like that).

3. Burning Hot Baths: I grew up taking baths; therefore I grew up using it as a mechanism for winding down and getting ready for bed. Nowadays baths are fewer to come by but I still love them all the same. I don't do any fancy bath salts or a candle; my only requirement is the hottest water I can tolerate. In the heat of the water I can feel my muscles relax and the day just melt away.

4. Get a Planner and Use It: I always buy a planner each year with great intentions of mapping out each day and I do well for a while until I miss too many homework goals or workout goals and it just gets too overwhelming to erase it all and start over again. So, planners usually get jammed under the seats in my car with other toddler accessories to never see the light of day until I muster up the energy to take inventory of the floorboard nonsense.

5. Maintain a Clean House: it is hard to add house chores to schedules that are chalk-full of work, school, and raising a child. Everyone knows that if you go ONE DAY without cleaning, your whole house can turn into [what feels like] a HAZMAT zone. If my house is chaotic, I feel chaotic. I cannot relax with a mess around me. Yes, I can sit but I am not relaxing, instead I am freaking out about the war zone my kitchen has become and I am itching to get up and fix it.

6. Sit Down With a Cup of Coffee and ENJOY IT: This goes in hand with #5. I'm usually trying to get everything that I could not get done during the week done on the weekends and my Sunday morning coffee ends up getting chugged while I map out a grocery list and chuck the dishes in the dishwasher.

This is an ongoing list of a few things that help me be less of a crazy person, I'm sure there are more to be added as 2011 draws to a close.

Tell me what helps you to relax; I'd love to compare notes.

{Wordless Wednesday}

Last day of work until Thanksgiving and Black Friday craziness - LET'S DO IT!

Giveaway Winner

I used random.org to choose the winner of my MOLO Designs giveaway, and the lucky lady is:

Brandy!

Send me your email and I'll get you hooked up with Beth for your free holiday card design. Congratulations to B and a big THANK YOU for those who participated and helped spread the word about this giveaway! I had fun hosting this event and I hope to provide my readers with more in the future.

XOXO

Stacey

My A,B,C's

I straight-up stole this from one of my favorite people in zee world: Morgan. This is fun, it’s like those blurbs celebrities fill out in Cosmo. I always liked those…

A. Age: As Daniel Tosh says, I’m on the wrong side of 25 (I’ll be 26 in February).

B. Bed size: King and we sleep with separate covers. Cover-stealing problem solved, people!

C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning the toilets, obvs.

D. Dogs: We have two dogs; Xena is 8 and she’s a German shepherd mix and Bradley is 4 and he’s a Pomeranian. I hated having dogs when Laila was a baby because as she was crawling on the floor I was made very aware of how often I should be vacuuming. Now? Their fur is a pain but they are an important part of our family. We will always have a big dog and I’m really fond of having a little lap dog.

E. Essential start to your day: Washing my hair, I feel like I can conquer the world with clean hair.

F. Favorite color: MUSTARD YELLOW! Ugh, I love just saying it because I get an image of it in my head and I’m instantly happy!

G. Gold or Silver: Silver – or white gold.

H. Height: 5’[almost] 9″

I. Instruments you play: Straightening iron & curling iron. I’m not musical but I have relationships with the music I listen to.

J. Job title: Customer Service Extraordinaire a.k.a. the person who gets screamed at over policies and procedures that I clearly made up JUST to piss you off. Oh, but I will make you smile before you leave my office!!!

K. Kids: Laila, Monster, Goober, Bun, Bunny Roo (all one child).

L. Live: FL born and raised. I told my husband I want to move somewhere interesting, he asked what I meant, I said anywhere but here. A change of scenery would be nice!

M. Mother’s name: Gaela Jean

N. Nicknames: My dad called me Bumpkin when I was little. My husband calls me Babs or Little Miss. Some of my best friends call me Stacers, Roo, or just plain Stace.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Once when my sister broke her arm when she dove off a couch at our aunt’s house and once when I had Laila.

P. Pet peeves: There are so many… People who don’t teach their child manners so their kid is a jerk to mine on the playground. People who put leashes on their kids. Oh, and bloggers and/or YouTube people who give the vibe that they think they’re famous and too good to communicate with little people.

Q. Quote from a movie: “Take that vest off, you look like Aladdin.” –Superbad. This isn’t my favorite of all time but we saw this movie three times in the theater because it made us laugh so hard. I’m not one to remember quotes, just how a movie made me feel.

R. Right or left handed: Right.

S. Siblings: A brother who is 21 and a sister who is 19.

U. Underwear: Whatever doesn’t cut into my hips, cuz mama got back.

V. Vegetable you hate: CILANTRO! Gah! If butt tastes like anything, I imagine it tastes like cilantro.

W. What makes you run late: Making sure I have all of my daughter’s accoutrements in tow.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Besides my teeth? My knees. I had really bad knees growing up and there were a couple times when I dislocated them that I had to get them imaged to see if I tore ligaments. I never did have anything torn but moving my crazy-weak, crazy-sore knee around in odd angles was a blast!

Y. Yummy food that you make: Beer-battered shrimp/fish, and ceviche is my newest obsession.

Z. Zoo animal: Penguins. I like watching them waddle on land and then glide so gracefully in the water.

A Pinterest Rant of Sorts

I wrote this upon seeing a picture of a girl who clearly has an eating disorder pinned on Pinterest. I didn't have to click on it to know why it exists. There are sick girls out there who look at these images as motivation and nothing makes me more sad. Soon after seeing that picture (several times) I saw a picture of Emma Stone, which I pinned as well (because I adore her), but I changed the caption that previously read: could I just be you, please.

This subject of confidence pains me so much. I've come a long way from the obese child that I was and I still have days when I don't feel great about myself, I think we all do. I pray to God that I can instill confidence and strength in my daughter. It scares me to death to think that she may be so insecure that she wants to be someone else or resorts to an unhealthy lifestyle. 

'Tis the Season for Giving

I've joined up with my friend, Beth from MOLO Designs to bring one of my lucky stalkers loyal friends your choice of a holiday card design from her shop. Beth has become my go-to girl for design. My blog banner is a custom MOLO Design and the brain child of Beth after I requested she make a banner that mimicked the style she created for my MOO mini cards.

As far as holiday cards go, photo cards give me a real kick in the pants. I've used photo cards for our family for the past three years and I love hearing feedback about how cute our little one is, it's the stuff mamas like me just eat by the spoonful. I'm a little nutty for the honeycomb design Beth has whipped up for me, so I'm a real sucker for this particular card in the MOLO shop:

The beauty of ordering through MOLO Designs is that you can have as many cards as you want printed and if you're a frugal girl like me, you know you can get prints on the cheap from either Snapfish or Walgreens (depending on promos and codes).

Enter to win your choice of a MOLO Designs holiday card by visiting Beth's shop and then commenting the link to your favorite design below along with a blurb on what your favorite thing about the holidays is, a winner will be chosen at random in about a week. You can earn an extra entry by subscribing to my blog.

My favorite thing about the holidays is making them special for my daughter. We've made new traditions, just the three of us and it's enabled me to let go of the pressure of trying to fit into other's traditions. Seeing everything through her eyes makes my world magical. Truly. 

My Morning Hair Routine

It was recently suggested to me that I should do a hair tutorial when I was twittering away with Brandy and Alicia. I have reservations doing this because I've learned a lot of what I do from well-know YouTube guru, LolaMarie7. I think Jess rocks and would never claim her ideas as my own, I decided to post this just to let inquiring minds know how I usually do my hair in the mornings.

I also have anxiety about being on YouTube full-blown because I've seen people get so nasty towards the girls who make videos. So, for now, this video can only be viewed through my blog (and maybe my YT channel).

I hope the video isn't too long or redundant, it's my first. Let me know if you'd like to see my version of a quick wavy 'do.

{Wordless Wednesday -iPhone/Diptic edition}

Sequins found while thrifting always remind me of this...

...wait until the 31 sec mark!

Some Hussy

Some hussy hit on my husband last night and lives to see another day. Long story short, my hubalicious (real nickname – he loves it) went out with his friends to eat, drink, and collect their copies of MW3 during the midnight release. Hubs was texting me while he was at dinner, telling me about the amazing mozzarella sticks he was eating, blah, blah. I usually stay up when he’s out just because we’ve slept together so long that I cannot fall asleep without him next to me. Last night was an exception, I was exhausted and I knew he was safe due to the texts, so I fell asleep while my lectures played on the iPad and the TV hummed in the background. Side note: if he isn’t home, the only way I can fall asleep is with the TV on.

He got home around one in the morn and must’ve thought I was awake, because all I remember him saying was, “I actually got hit on tonight.” In my sleepy haze I can remember responding, “I don’t like that!” I believe I repeated myself a few times and then proceeded to need to know all the details. You see, I don’t doubt that my husband gets admired or hit on more regularly because I, myself am still wildly attracted to the man. I think his day-to-day run-ins are probably more subtle therefore he doesn’t realize what’s happening. Most men are oblivious, or at least that’s what they lead their wives to believe.

I’ll admit, I had a twinge of jealousy and while I’ve joked with him about it a bit, I probably won’t anymore and that’s as far of a hard time I’m going to give him. Jealousy isn’t cute and I know if I let it get to me I I’ll just end up going all psycho mutant wife on my husband and that definitely ain’t adorable and it doesn’t draw a man closer. Besides, who could blame a guy for being smoking hot in his motorcycle jacket, just trying to get his grub on?

Sorry little miss waitress, but you only reminded me that my hubby is hot, he’s all mine, and it’s been a while since I’ve rode on the back of the motorcycle with him. Cheers to you in your endeavors! I’m actually more jealous of these phenomenal cheese sticks I have yet to experience, maybe you can serve them to me…

Professional stud muffin 

Am-ba-lance

I did this here video:




The Words:
Aunt, Roof, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught, Naturally, Aluminium, Envelope

The Questions:
1. What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
2. What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
3. What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
4. What do you call gym shoes?
5. What do you say to address a group of people?
6. What do you call the kind of spider (or spider-like creature) that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
7. What do you call your grandparents?
8. What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
9. What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
10. What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

"Are you talking about Ceviche?"

It's when Christina Yang uttered those words on Grey's Anatomy in season 6* that was the first I had ever heard of ceviche. I had to google it to understand the reference the insensitive, yet hilarious doctor was making about a woman who got into a fight with a boat propeller and lost.


Fast forward to the present and my coworker trying to recreate the fabulous dish she had on vacation with her family in Miami. It was shocking to find out that ceviche is raw fish that is essentially cooked via the acids from citrus. Being a sushi nut, I was skeptical but willing to give it a try. I was hooked on a single bite.

The beauty of ceviche is that you can put any spin on it you'd like.

My version pictured was made as so:

(this was a single serving that I ate on it's own for lunch)

One tilapia fillet (4oz or so)

Three limes

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 cup tomato

::These measurements are estimates, I did not actually measure the ingredients out when I made it, use amounts that suit your taste::

Juice limes into a plastic or glass food container that has a lid to seal it. Chop fish into bite-sized chunks, add to lime juice. Add chopped onion to juice and fish. Mix in basil. I let my ceviche marinate in the fridge over night. If you're eating it the same day I'd let it rest for a couple hours and take note of the color change from pinkish to white, more cooked appearance. I added the tomatoes a couple hours before I planned on having lunch so they wouldn't be too soggy. Just add them with the rest of the ingredients if you plan on eating it the same day. That's it! 

It's so neat how the juice transforms the fish and even begins to break down the onion into a sweeter version of it's raw self.

More on the beauty of ceviche:

• You can mix/substitute citrus - oranges, limes and lemons - Oh my!
• You can use any spice that you prefer. This dish is typically made with cilantro but I hate cilantro. 
• You can mix in any veggie that strikes your fancy.
• You can use the marinaded meat to make fish tacos! NOM, NOM, NOM!

* I had to look the info about what season of GA Christina said the ceviche comment. I'm not a freak who just knows trivial things like that.

Flashback Friday!

Today I introduce my daughter to the blog, her name is Laila, she is my world.

Halloween 2009 "Laila bug"

This year I was able to reuse the red tutu I made two years ago for Halloween - without a single adjustment!

Halloween 2011 "Olivia the Pig"

So what if only one person knew who my child was dressed up as, without us explaining it to them (if you don't know, google it, it's a cartoon pig with very big ears)! My kid is cute and that trumps the fact that her pig ears resemble bunny ears any day.

We had a lot of fun taking Laila trick-or-treating for the first time. Our community has an older median age range so we were disappointed in the amount of people giving out candy. We got the scoop from some neighbors and we're prepared to go where the action is next year. This year served as a good warm-up.

For now I'm glad there isn't more candy in this house. Laila asks for candy several times a day, most requests are denied. The good thing is that she is dealing with rejection more and more positively.

TGIF, loves!

New name, new look... Still me

Through my own assessment I've embraced the fact that I've been blogging with only my big toe in the pond instead of jumping right in. Blogging can be intimidating. Should I post this or that? What will people think?

There will always be a bit of me who desires to be liked, but I'm getting more comfortable that I may not be everyone's cup o' tea.

I've changed my title because I felt that the last title gave an air of pomp that doesn't resemble what I am about. Part of me would like to be considered a Charlotte York type who has a spotless NY penthouse but I forgo all that for a day of baking in our messy galley (fking tiny) kitchen with our daughter and then saving the mess for tomorrow because we have important things on our agenda, like going to the playground.

Bottom line is that I plan on sharing more of my life and will always be genuine.

XOXO

Stacey

{Wordless Wednesday}

There are no words besides, "GIMME!"

Running Playlist Link Up

Hi there! I know it's been a while since I've posted and I want those who follow this blog to know I appreciate you hanging around. I have some changes that are in the works and once I figure out the logistics of it all I will be revealing a whole new look, name, and I'll be featuring more of my personal life.

Enough on that for now...

I've been meaning to link up with Brandy of mannlymama on a couple of passions we both share: running & music, but thoughts of changing my blog kept me lagging and I also took a running hiatus due to an injury. I finally set an appointment with myself to get back on the pavement while I was dragging ass through work today and I "let" myself download some songs I had been tagging through Shazam (app for iPhone, if you don't have it, GET IT - it will change your life). Running is the best medicine for me and my playlist really kicked my run into high gear. I usually run closer, if not over 11min/mi when I'm getting back into my groove after time off but tonight my average pace was 10:09, with my first mile being sub 10's. So without further ado, the jams that kept me pumping:

Linkin Park - "Waiting for the End," "When They Come for Me," & "Wretches and Kings"

The first song reminds me of things that make me angry and I'm pretty sure I look like I'm running to beat someone up while I listen to it but it gets my adrenaline pumping so hard. The latter two songs have crazy beats that are fun and make me feel badass, and again, I probably look a little nuts.

AWOLNATION - "Sail" {New Download}

This is a song my husband and I both reached to crank up in the car last night, it's just recently got play on the radio and I've only heard it a couple times but it's addicting and unique.

Dev - "In the Dark" & "Bass Down Low (feat. The Cataracts)" {New Downloads}

I typically want a running song to evoke either anger, badass, or sexy feelings. Dev's songs are blatantly sexy and for that, I thank her. Oh, I'm also thankful that she doesn't just say "it's The Cataracts" for the hell of it in her song "In the Dark," I was very confused by that for the longest time.

Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem - "Forever" {New Download}

I'm pretty sure I'm late on discovering this song because I've heard bits and pieces for a while now but I finally heard the whole thing on my way to work last week and HAD TO HAVE IT!

New Boyz - "Better With the Lights Off (feat. Chris Brown)"

This is a guilty pleasure song for me, I really wanted to hate it but the cheesy 80's beat has me hooked for life (maybe not, LIFE, life). The song is about telling a girl she "looks better with the lights off" which is just rude, but I do believe they spend the rest of the song explaining why that's a good thing and she's "actually more poppin.'"

I hope ya'll  enjoy and please link your favorite running playlist as well!

Simple Baby Shower

I hosted a baby shower for one of my coworkers and dear friends last week. It was a small get-together of close friends and fellow coworkers so it was held in a little cafe here in town. The cafe is already so quaint and perfect in and of it's self  so I didn't do any decorating but I adorned the tables with treats to snack on before, during, and after our meal. I also included chocolate covered pretzels for each guest as a thank you for attending.

I really appreciate the new trend of "build a library" showers because I'm not a fan of greeting cards but I am a fan of the message they can send; therefore, why not give a child a book that you loved so they can make new memories? After I knew I would hold a library shower I was in search of a vintage-y feeling invite to match the ambiance of the cafe the shower would be held in... Etsy to the rescue, once again! I came across lil Mop Top and had to have these invites! Jen was amazing and made sure every aspect of the invites were perfect, I'm positive I squealed when I got them in the mail. Jen also has a lil Mop Top blog, stop by and leave her some love!

I was in love with these invitations from "GO!"
They've been edited by me for privacy purposes.

Fancy two-bite brownies & mini red velvet cupcakes

Favors

"The Daddy Cake"

I'm starting a new trend for baby showers (at least the ones I host) in what I call "The Daddy Cake". Let's face it, we don't want men at our baby showers (any more than they want to attend any kind of shower) until it's time to haul everything home but I think it's nice to show appreciation to the father of this new bundle he helped make possible : )

Ceramic Egg Cartons Make Me Happy

...that's basically it. I bought two of these ceramic egg cartons at Ross this week for $2.50 each. I would have bought more but two is all they had. There is no name on them and I couldn't find a version like them when I checked eBay and Amazon.

I just love looking at them in my fridge or on my counter.

I was making EatingWell.com's vegetable fried rice when I took these pictures. The recipe is fantastic, a couple of my omissions include: the ginger & the hot red pepper sauce. I used less garlic and I will use less soy sauce next time (coming from a lover of soy sauce).

Fancy Two-Bite Brownies

Cheap & Easy!

I went to good 'ol Wal-Mart looking for a silicone brownie-pop maker I saw just last week, to my dismay it was nowhere to be found. Instead of the brownie-pop maker I settled for a mini muffin pan that makes a whopping 24 "muffins". I'm really happy that I couldn't find that flimsy silicone pan because this mini muffin pan makes a perfect little two-bite brownie, it makes twice as much as the other pan, and it cost half as much (right around $5)!

I chose the easy route for batter

Dollop 1 heaping Tbsp in each 

I had to adjust the bake time for the brownies to about 22 minutes. Just keep a close eye on them to make sure they don't burn. Remove the brownies as soon as you can insert a toothpick in the middle of one of the brownies in the middle of the pan and it comes out clean. 

During bake time you can melt almond bark and then add oil until you get the consistency you desire. Thanks to my friend Kristy for giving me that tip : )

I made my chocolate runny enough to drizzle easily

Let the brownies sit for a few minutes after removing them from the oven, then take them out of the pan and transfer them to a piece of wax paper on your counter. Now you can drizzle your chocolate over them or dunk their tops in the chocolate... I did a little bit of both.

If you were only going to do one kind of topping you could just put the brownies in the fridge for a little bit to harden the chocolate. Since I did some with vanilla topping on them as well, I used the freezer to harden the layer underneath quicker. The freezer worked fast but that also meant that the brownies got a little hard and had to thaw back out. I would just suggest to take them out of the fridge an hour or so before you plan on serving them so they aren't cold or hard. I plan on serving these at a party next weekend and since my husband (the pickiest person alive) likes them, I think they'll be a hit!

When Going on a Beach Trip

I have a hard time figuring out how to pack when I go certain places. I'm getting better but I've learned a lot by struggling through situations that I was ill prepared for. My little family of three recently took a weekend trip to stay with some of our friends in a condo right on the beach. This was after Fourth of July weekend where the healthiest snack we toted to the beach were my husband's home made boiled peanuts and fruit kabobs accompanied by marshmallows. The kabobs were not very easy to transport and after we polished off the peanuts I ended up noshing on chips for the rest of the day - not good!

So, this time I was determined to have easy to eat snacks prepared for the whole weekend that were also more on the healthy side and this is what I came up with:

• Snapea Crisps -a good alternative to cheetos, can be found near lettuce/salad packs
• PB&J Crackers -I meant to get just PB crackers but the kids loved these and they were an alternate to messing with sandwiches
• Goldfish -not the greatest but better than chips in my opinion and I get the whole grain version to feel better about it too!
• Cherries -just make sure you take a baggie for the pits
• Grapes -perfect no-guilt snack
• Apples w/dipping sauces -dips include yogurt, PB, & caramel and none were too high in calories

I hate how some packaging can get glommed
up at the beach so this was the solution for
the Goldfish and crackers.

I have a great cooler tote bag I got for donating blood that I shoved all the fruit in with ice packs. I love that tote and will covet it forever. (on a little side note: I highly advocate giving blood, it is one thing we can give that doesn't cost us anything but time and you can get cool garb on top of it! win/win!)

I found similar totes while I was browsing Big Lots today that came with one big tote like mine and a mini one for $20. Worth the investment, you will not be sorry!

Big Lots - $20

The cooler tote fit in a big old Victoria's Secret beach tote along with the dry snacks and we were good to go. Once we got to the beach I ran down to the gas station and got a little styrofoam cooler to fill with ice, water, and juice which would have been cheaper to have gotten before we went to the beach, but there again, you live and learn! I should probably go back to Big Lots and just pack drinks in a separate tote with ice packs (so long as the drinks are pre-chilled)...

House Warming on a Budget

My childhood BFF recently bought her first home. She is one of the most amazing people I know and I really wanted to make an extravagant wreath for her housewarming party but it fell in line with my finals; therefore, I had not a lot of time but I still wanted to do something more thoughtful than a gift card. While browsing Pinterest I ran across a moss letter hanging on a door by a burlap bow, and bam! I found what I could manage to make my friend with the time (and money) I could afford. This project cost me roughly $5 per letter and about an hour of time per letter.

Now, I have mentioned Morgan, one of my favorite bloggers, here before and I feel obligated to mention that she has done the moss letter as well and her's is fabulously from her own brain. Me, I need inspiration.

I already had this light cinnamon paint, sponge, and
random piece of bubble wrap.

The letters I found at Michael's were white so I brushed the
paint on them dryly with the sponge brush so there was
practically no dry time.

Each letter was about $3.50 and I also used a 40% off
coupon I printed from Michael's' web site.

All you have to do is use a glue gun ON LOW (I can't stress this enough, I tried using the high setting to rush getting the "P" done at the end of the night and burned the snot out of my palm) and just glue and pat, glue and pat (the moss on, that is).

I bought moss from the Dollar Tree for $1 per bag and I only used a little over a half a bag for both letters combined. I got the black satin ribbon on sale for $1.99/spool at Michael's and thought it added a bit of sophistication to the "green" nature of this project. 

I used a staple gun to staple the ribbon to the back after I tried the bow where I deemed appropriate.

"D" for BFF's last name & included
a 3M Wall Hook w/ Command Adhesive
strip for no-muss hanging and removal.

"P" next to our front door
(I still had a DIY wreath from last year up)

Viola, friends! Enjoy!

Relics of Workout's Past

I was obsessed with Minna Lessig (blonde on the left) back in the day. She was my Jillian Michaels of 2000-2004, I did her tapes religiously and actually saw results. I can't believe it's been so long since I've visited her. 

As I was finishing up day 3 of the 30 Day Shred (again), I found myself reminiscing about the VHS tapes of yore that I used to get in shape during high school... I'm not one to save things so I was pleasantly surprised to find these two in our stash of movies we don't watch! 

I think my best friend Jill actually gave me these tapes and I knew I had bought another tape of Minna's but quickly remembered that I wore that sucker out, so... Amazon to the rescue! For $2.99 flat I will have my missing VHS by Tuesday, I can hardly wait! In the meantime I plan on doing Minna's workout through Quick Fix: Arms & Legs tomorrow morning ; )

My missing tape. $2.99 on Amazon,
free shipping with Amazon Prime trial.

A Tweet & A Post

Hey all! I just tweeted this picture of my newspaper nails and got many requests for how I did it. I am not the pioneer of this technique at all and I'd feel bad if I took any credit for coming up with it.

I used Sally Hansen "Made You Blush" and Sally Hansen
Hard as Nails for my top coat

I am subscribed to nguerriero19 on YouTube and she is the first glance I had at this technique. Happy polishing! Oh, and check out the rest of her vids and subscribe, she's super cute and positive : )

Friday Fancies: Food & Jewelry

This is going to be a shorty, I have a Finance exam on Tuesday so I'm freaking out!

First of all, I've been a smoothie maniac for the last month, averaging one every other day. Smoothies are a great meal filler when, frankly, I have no time to think about making something for myself. I decided to share my favorite thus far with you, I'll call it the Bodacious Banana Smoothie : )

Ingredients:

1 & 1/3 bananas (this is only b/c my daughter had a piece of leftover 'nana)
3 heaping tsp. peanut butter
1 scoop Jillian Michaels' Whey Protein in vanilla
1 handful of crushed ice (sorry no specific measurement, just add enough ice to make the smoothie cold and a little thicker)
Milk (no specifics on this one, I usually use less than a cup of 1% milk because I like a thicker consistency, more like a milkshake; it just depends what thickness you prefer)
Blend!

There was more leftover from after I poured this in the glass. I drank all of it.

Secondly, I have found that I have to force moderation on myself with any "snack" food I buy because I'm a student who munches non-stop when studying, I have zero self control, and I will polish off a container of anything in one sitting. Not good!

Craisins are BOGO @ Publix, making each
bag about $1.25. Thrifty snack alert!

Five servings in ea. bag = 10 snack bags @
$0.25 a pop!

My solution is to split up snack foods immediately so I do not have the chance to keep going, and going, and going... until I have to have my test-proctor-man come and give me my exams at the house because it's too expensive to cut me out of it! 

Finally, the pretties! I've been reaching for these pieces of jewelry that are bargains yet fast becoming staples in my day to day look.

Cupcake earrings from Forever 21: $1.50

These are sweet (haha) and not too bold so the people who would criticize them haven't even noticed and the people who love them have. I love how that works! I looked for them on the site tonight and couldn't find them but I encourage you to look at the rest of the $1.50 earrings on F21's site, they're darling and you can't beat the price!

Crisp White from The Prim Trimmings shop

Not to be cliche but I really do wear this ring quite a bit, it seems to go along with a lot of my wardrobe. I'm also really loving white for the summer, it's so refreshing. 

Well, wish me luck on this mother of an exam and I'll probably post shortly after. Have an awesome weekend!

Throwin' It Back to the Old School, Because I'm so Cool

My daughter and I were singing before bedtime and after repeating the ABC's and Twinkle Little Star, I whipped this gem out of my back pocket... The song made my daughter crack up with laughter, especially with the silly hand movements. After we were done laughing my husband asked what show the song was from and I admitted I had no idea but I remember it from my childhood. With the beauty of YouTube, I give you "Skinnamarinky Dinky Dink," circa 1986 (the year I was born):

Apparently we used to watch Sharon Lois & Bram's Elephant Show. I vaugely remember the elephant but I do not remember all the creepy adults skulking through the woods, weird! 

Hair Fail

I like trying new things with my hair. I get bored very fast with the same "look" so I'm always switching it up. My work is somewhat conservative so the customers get a kick out of anything different. Most of them enjoy seeing what I'm up to, some tend to poke fun... What's life without a little fun though?

Today I attempted something I've never done before: a side swept chignon. I'm usually not a fan of anything having to do with your hair off to the side since you can look off balance or a little to cray-cray... BUT after seeing this tutorial on Pinterest, I just had to get her a whirl because it looks so darn elegant.

Front view

I thought it looked good from the front, especially considering that I've been out of hair spray for a few weeks now! I procrastinate about buying certain things in life and I'm not sure why. They are things that feel like a waste of money but are kind-of essential such as: razors, shaving cream, new toothbrushes, mascara, AND hair spray apparently!

Back view.
Love my coworkers for taking photos of the back
of my head, it's not rare for me to ask.

The problem was the back. I didn't do very well with the placement of my pins so it didn't look as polished as I would've liked. I will say that even sans hairspray this 'do held up all day and even looked better as it dropped lower and a few strands came loose. I think next time I will attempt to achieve the look I got by the end of the day by loosening some strands and going back over them with the curling iron.

Ut-oh.

On a silly side note, I always try to make sure I either take my t-shirt off before I do an up-do and have an outfit I can step into or button up or already be in my outfit but for some reason (I call it Monday morning) I forgot. This is me realizing my mistake : )