tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82072724283057708562024-03-21T07:09:08.352-05:00Apple Loves OrangeAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-38260339561049748582013-02-20T19:19:00.000-06:002013-02-20T19:19:23.887-06:00WOW... it's been awhileIt's been almost a year since I've posted. That's just crazy... Life is crazy busy and I just don't have the time (or energy) to blog anymore.<div>
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I've been getting a TON of spam comments lately, so I figured I would jump on and fix that problem. So, I disabled comments. I was planning on shutting it down completely, but I know there's some links floating around.</div>
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For anyone interested...</div>
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The house is FANTASTIC. We love it! We're finishing up having all the carpet (except in the bedrooms) replaced with tile.</div>
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Mom is doing well, but it's been a LONG journey (and it's not over yet). After chemo didn't completely obliterate things, she started radiation and then ended up in the hospital where she had another surgery and they found more tumors. She recently finished radiation and is waiting for another PET scan and consult with the oncologist. She's made it this far, I know she can beat this!</div>
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Thanks to everyone and anyone for listening to me ramble about stuff! I love you guys!</div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-88805354639348984642012-04-16T16:19:00.000-05:002012-04-16T16:19:25.460-05:00Blue cabinet with a SURPRISEFinally decided to sit down and post about this cabinet. You can't really tell in this pic, but this thing is pretty ragged. There were holes in the top, like someone had screwed something in it. Just generally in sad shape.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuzEkC-kygyb1vyNo_783ATScl0KR2SfyHgirFDwqXm64oTomlrqdgMw-QFltZhKCWSEhAexBU4bZGHp0d1WhuixiGTMn2qs379lruq5i8KfR3nBtg-HVm967hbxJaGMhWiq6UnscSrWF/s1600/bluecabb4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmuzEkC-kygyb1vyNo_783ATScl0KR2SfyHgirFDwqXm64oTomlrqdgMw-QFltZhKCWSEhAexBU4bZGHp0d1WhuixiGTMn2qs379lruq5i8KfR3nBtg-HVm967hbxJaGMhWiq6UnscSrWF/s640/bluecabb4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So some sanding, wood putty, paint, distressing, glaze and wax later (sheesh)...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVkpD10F4cpeN74j7tEh_IESjWPbGOW94-rEQKyRGCwzwRiJxn0_on_saliTCex2dJPkdcZC5fDB-QNUZ-M1ceOA2trrhD8pevpoYiIb19dZjSsROAgwYXhKnhaL-TK3eS4s36Ahl8jFq/s1600/bluecab1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVkpD10F4cpeN74j7tEh_IESjWPbGOW94-rEQKyRGCwzwRiJxn0_on_saliTCex2dJPkdcZC5fDB-QNUZ-M1ceOA2trrhD8pevpoYiIb19dZjSsROAgwYXhKnhaL-TK3eS4s36Ahl8jFq/s640/bluecab1.JPG" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is a really pale blue, though it looks pretty much white in this photo. Should've took pics outside before I brought it in, but I didn't...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0r8KxKILmXG1qmxVgE-FiqVoWXDzOQIiRGfvDyk5GKR1gP2KhsNAOHeySWzP9ba3Lk0SrN9JnhY01vzJGxLkNuJv-joP8QR9odSzDGeaEjCuVT0hFxNYOigMBkkbUfx3X-3Llcenz-AV/s1600/bluecab2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii0r8KxKILmXG1qmxVgE-FiqVoWXDzOQIiRGfvDyk5GKR1gP2KhsNAOHeySWzP9ba3Lk0SrN9JnhY01vzJGxLkNuJv-joP8QR9odSzDGeaEjCuVT0hFxNYOigMBkkbUfx3X-3Llcenz-AV/s640/bluecab2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got the knobs from the $1 section of Michaels... and they were on clearance... paid like 30 cents for them!</td></tr>
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So what's the surprise you ask? I've had this heavy duty fancy wrapping paper laying around for awhile. Sometimes I use it (if it's for someone really special!), but mostly it's just kinda sat around. So...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgp_334nkuPqmz7KNshjQ4H_nyy-rmatBN7iK0tk2uHfiCtYkKKbny-_5FZzvPpTvJ4R0UkZhvKQmR15yp2gtDThC2YOzUm9zzHtXcIG9W6Px4cgiv4MAS56YizRnvGabralYkNQPydME/s1600/bluecab3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihgp_334nkuPqmz7KNshjQ4H_nyy-rmatBN7iK0tk2uHfiCtYkKKbny-_5FZzvPpTvJ4R0UkZhvKQmR15yp2gtDThC2YOzUm9zzHtXcIG9W6Px4cgiv4MAS56YizRnvGabralYkNQPydME/s640/bluecab3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside back and shelf!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsS2OI_qKN71yartVAcSvvAN-ViqoI0OaX5RoyBAKtzAjqfWedRw1LiJ7FO8Q9rS6C9_USKLHP0cmaoGs73BVOMc_uUu6QsKP7DFkovGHMrQt_gKflSjgf485CubFSjzHCywcWq2Y1NfF/s1600/bluecab4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsS2OI_qKN71yartVAcSvvAN-ViqoI0OaX5RoyBAKtzAjqfWedRw1LiJ7FO8Q9rS6C9_USKLHP0cmaoGs73BVOMc_uUu6QsKP7DFkovGHMrQt_gKflSjgf485CubFSjzHCywcWq2Y1NfF/s640/bluecab4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of the door!</td></tr>
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It's a little bit of POW when you open up the doors! I just thought it would be fun!</div>
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And since the painting doesn't ever seem to end... Keeping in the same idea as the headboard and nightstand from my <a href="http://thisapplelovesorange.blogspot.com/2012/04/isnt-that-pinteresting.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, I used a doily! So, now I have a bright orange doily to craft with, and a pretty cool side table!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5RCiHS7MN4enQ5gL8Gx8R44OhFcLwDMmO5x3uvsFHGNMxS1quPRnAT_HD6EVaqYDufgcFCj0iQZ7dbfUvpUFbHdNDT2NeRJsB-iiViG1bgqskqZ90aPGjgsgSP1dvV_G7kwwpqKIWt9f/s1600/doilytable.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5RCiHS7MN4enQ5gL8Gx8R44OhFcLwDMmO5x3uvsFHGNMxS1quPRnAT_HD6EVaqYDufgcFCj0iQZ7dbfUvpUFbHdNDT2NeRJsB-iiViG1bgqskqZ90aPGjgsgSP1dvV_G7kwwpqKIWt9f/s640/doilytable.JPG" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love orange and gray together!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-81460296330320117732012-04-09T09:00:00.000-05:002012-04-13T19:29:26.334-05:00Isn't that Pinteresting!I'm frantically trying to get as many DIY projects done before moving day arrives. I'm not quite sure how moving, unpacking and organizing a new house will work with DIY! I have a feeling things will be a "work in progress" for a bit.<br />
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2 of the items needing attention were a headboard for M and a nightstand for A. I was NOT looking forward to the sand, prime, paint routine. Thankfully, I've got Pinterest and a plethora of pins on DIY chalk paint (not to be confused with chalkboard paint). Had Hubs bring home some non-sanded grout to make my chalk paint. I chose <a href="http://asundayafternoon.com/makin-it-on-monday/" target="_blank">this method</a> (you can also use plaster of paris and calcium carbonate) because, well... he got the grout for free! For A's nightstand, I mixed it with some of a mis-tint $2.50 quart of almost white paint. The grout got mixed in with some lovely purple for M's headboard. Then I came across <a href="http://karapaslaydesigns.blogspot.com/2011/02/mini-makeover-lackluster-to-lacy-looker.html" target="_blank">this pin</a> for using lace over a dresser drawer. Looked kinda cool, so off we went to the thrift store. They each picked out their own lace, both VERY different! Everything kinda sat around for a few weeks. We all got sick and just generally busy. I decided I was just going to go for it yesterday!<br />
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I'm the worst at remembering to take before pics, so I searched the computer and came up with nothing. So, I'm going to require you to use your imagination here...<br />
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Before:</div>
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a grody, dark brown thrift store find (it was 99 cents)</div>
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After:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOxz3RYaFDznlqHR04z_LY2JZj2AsWRo5wq9fjh73iNcKB1_ipGMHztip7xuur9ky1TBPzLBdB6Xg2MmWKesPtuZnr_62n_poeiNo_rq0TQWDSiD3RNtJiGHygsVD4YdtL_ZHOP9buMbi/s1600/nightstand1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOxz3RYaFDznlqHR04z_LY2JZj2AsWRo5wq9fjh73iNcKB1_ipGMHztip7xuur9ky1TBPzLBdB6Xg2MmWKesPtuZnr_62n_poeiNo_rq0TQWDSiD3RNtJiGHygsVD4YdtL_ZHOP9buMbi/s400/nightstand1.JPG" width="398" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzTmBpcKNCF7cWRwU5Pazjl_ZnHhTVo4Yqf_SXsrVT2_-yoCWudEMzzzI0LFXo_Zkt2qd2B_MsraTuzpPMv2HXUP4Z_OJfXLfVb0Wl2LoSL_-j4mEW4XOre3XmzNAKPbIDXoH6JMZ4KiA/s1600/nightstand2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzTmBpcKNCF7cWRwU5Pazjl_ZnHhTVo4Yqf_SXsrVT2_-yoCWudEMzzzI0LFXo_Zkt2qd2B_MsraTuzpPMv2HXUP4Z_OJfXLfVb0Wl2LoSL_-j4mEW4XOre3XmzNAKPbIDXoH6JMZ4KiA/s400/nightstand2.JPG" width="398" /></a></div>
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I was going to stop at just the drawer fronts, but I loved it so much I did the whole dang thing! Of course, I finished it after the sun went down. Drawer fronts is all you get for now.</div>
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a plain, Jane VERY poorly painted white headboard</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_ms4PQLQjwZBqnj9jepmAmwJr1quBlwZr1eXdanrgeXDOqk5KtuEhaaVrLh9XKUK4uOAnZBYjdB5s-6uYVxRc-92jcyFrvbBfwd3Qs25aL8ww-air8R6K6CapyqxfhomWSWLV_B2s_tr/s1600/headboard1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_ms4PQLQjwZBqnj9jepmAmwJr1quBlwZr1eXdanrgeXDOqk5KtuEhaaVrLh9XKUK4uOAnZBYjdB5s-6uYVxRc-92jcyFrvbBfwd3Qs25aL8ww-air8R6K6CapyqxfhomWSWLV_B2s_tr/s400/headboard1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOSnc1vOw86EqOffqHVeoAuJwLm7AUM7HGXnwihojhbBE6cVDNmWqpQOeBIUDx1DeGMS1Z3KjZw1Rs_A4tUOEXEjMcAOS6pWHq8RCqW4_FugiiNBFzcpTcUHH54KkVb3SynIK1yI_CqId/s1600/headboard2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAOSnc1vOw86EqOffqHVeoAuJwLm7AUM7HGXnwihojhbBE6cVDNmWqpQOeBIUDx1DeGMS1Z3KjZw1Rs_A4tUOEXEjMcAOS6pWHq8RCqW4_FugiiNBFzcpTcUHH54KkVb3SynIK1yI_CqId/s400/headboard2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The headboard was a little tricky with getting the draping right. The first side didn't look fantastic, but Hubs helped me tape and clamp and hold. I am going to go back with some black paint on the very top edge, just to make it look more finished.</div>
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My overall thoughts... I LOVE how this turned out. I'm gonna give it a couple days and then use finishing wax on both pieces. I did have some problems with the top of the nightstand and the chalk paint. I didn't sand or prime at all and I had problems with the second coat of the chalk paint lifting off. I think partly due to not letting the first coat dry completely and the fact that the top of that thing had a wicked glossy sheen. So, I would suggest giving anything you're planning on painting with chalk paint a light sand, just to scuff the surface a bit.</div>
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One of my other major furniture projects is complete and I think it's pretty fantastic too! I did manage to come across a pic to do a proper before and after. So here it is before...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBAgUR1BkqSAXToMWkEkzg8CfvVJjzTprbe12QI_S3xAbBdg4yVAqljEROT4gWqk4Gi326TcU9BmZkGBq3t951-8fFOJvUFBoHJK594h99iK8cQWWTp9cK2UOGstzDMwP31IGbC8v0s5c/s1600/bluecabb4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbBAgUR1BkqSAXToMWkEkzg8CfvVJjzTprbe12QI_S3xAbBdg4yVAqljEROT4gWqk4Gi326TcU9BmZkGBq3t951-8fFOJvUFBoHJK594h99iK8cQWWTp9cK2UOGstzDMwP31IGbC8v0s5c/s400/bluecabb4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think I paid like $5 for it. I was in desperate need of some storage and it was cheap and functional. I didn't have the time or budget to search for pretty. I'm not going to share the after with you just yet. I don't know if you could handle any more awesomeness!<br />
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Sharing here:<br />
<a href="http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/04/tuesday-talent-show-32.html" target="_blank">Chef In Training</a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2012/04/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-thistles-home-and-gift-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FOivM+%28Tatertots+and+Jello%29" target="_blank">Tater Tots & Jello</a></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-32922303109748127492012-04-04T09:00:00.000-05:002012-04-04T09:00:05.794-05:00Wordless(ish) Wednesday - House updateWe're about 30 days out from closing on the house. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!! We go out every weekend to see how things are coming along. It's been very interesting watching it being built.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzyJwg7rZ7DU1kYvosZLWm9X2fNfxuu3MH0u1E-PCUnQNY4fgxmPj1HDJI1BRM_zd-f86OWn5VblWAIW3Il3tsBL9qEmI8W-CCtUq41dYsIZ4Y92-7DlorvnDqhMfJN0EDWr2D2CjCQ8l/s1600/kitchencabinets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfzyJwg7rZ7DU1kYvosZLWm9X2fNfxuu3MH0u1E-PCUnQNY4fgxmPj1HDJI1BRM_zd-f86OWn5VblWAIW3Il3tsBL9qEmI8W-CCtUq41dYsIZ4Y92-7DlorvnDqhMfJN0EDWr2D2CjCQ8l/s640/kitchencabinets.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AXx_Uerf26nszC-Kf0QMeZOGRh2wzoYXGjZg84nCCUEyGfIjtIkpKX975xOmpoP3lxh7IgCk9Q_iHNFLLeAiiUe29QCwYlVUPagWR6ty2nJ8Ix6TRVa2zskW4EtDIWfRwrAipxwmtrnK/s1600/hardsurfaces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8AXx_Uerf26nszC-Kf0QMeZOGRh2wzoYXGjZg84nCCUEyGfIjtIkpKX975xOmpoP3lxh7IgCk9Q_iHNFLLeAiiUe29QCwYlVUPagWR6ty2nJ8Ix6TRVa2zskW4EtDIWfRwrAipxwmtrnK/s640/hardsurfaces.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-38885526935529881242012-04-02T17:33:00.001-05:002012-04-06T16:04:44.376-05:00If it's free it's for me...and for you too!I decided that I was gonna fill the new house with art and what not on the cheap. Like use what I have repurpose redo get creative with crap and avoid spending money if at all possible cheap. I took everything down off the walls and asked myself, "Self, do you like this or is it lame?" for everything I touched. If I liked it I put it in the SAVE pile, if not...well...<br />
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If it was in a frame, it got taken out of the frame (repurpose/reuse). If it wasn't it got put in a <strike>mountain</strike> pile of things to be donated. I've been ALL about purging. Think I've watched a few too many episodes of hoarders. I stacked up all my frames and started going through the SAVE pile. Let's just say the empty frame to available art was seriously skewed. I think I could've opened up a frame shop!<br />
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I turned to Pinterest (duh!) for ideas and resources of things I could make. A few things I tried were major fails, some worked ok and some were great! I also remembered the awesomness that is <a href="http://www.graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/">The Graphics Fairy</a>. This site is a DIY goldmine! I discovered a similar site, <a href="http://vintageprintable.com/wordpress/">Vintage Printable</a>. It's kinda hard to navigate, but if you're patient you can find some really cool stuff. <br />
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I also decided to take a whack at some "graphic design" of my own using PSE. After some frustration trying to figure out things here and there, I had a couple things I thought were pretty cool! Since I love free stuff so much I decided to share! These were made with various images and some digital papers I got on Etsy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a "http:="" -161z_zxb2lg="" 4.bp.blogspot.com="" aaaaaaaacy4="" bikeprint2hello+copy.jpg"="" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8207272428305770856" imageanchor="1" m6q6e53umew="" s1600="" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" t3onqrhzhxi=""><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88y5yVPIwEPL95OkCl5wNcJ9PYBNP0vwObwFyH6Bj8nqpK5JpmyAEldP-Saf-TTiKbuXWozRtRuuYJd5bnkQH6MUYg5bNRYTENcBnByzJbNA2kh3y4c-FYqmUUAaMw42NlRI8Fubh0VxG/s640/bikeprint2hello+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">click here to download<br />
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I find this kind of thing VERY addicting, so this probably won't be the last one of these to come from me! Enjoy!<a href="https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4Bb2FIFXgNIdXhLQm9XNC1SUzJ1UnJXWUktc1RRQQ" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B4Bb2FIFXgNIdXhLQm9XNC1SUzJ1UnJXWUktc1RRQQ</a>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-16348269506385689552012-03-05T18:13:00.001-06:002012-03-05T18:13:32.130-06:00Isn't that pinteresting!!My friend Krystal made me become obsessed with succulents. That's right, I said she made me do it... She's got a bunch at her house and I started pinning them when I saw them, then realized I thought they were pretty fantastic! I picked 2 pins and a bunch of succulents and... VIOLA!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gGVyVn6yAShnMdKZYRXngo7ejm9-vg0UaDW2-R__r1UYbBTPq2uEuTOVclzCrNBOgglLJg4lrDkkKx4I5tabd-Yy1nh4qmFGaiNsksYa4xhvt5zKB8uohpnClxXpghP4ueBkDkgj3ik0/s1600/floursiftersucculent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gGVyVn6yAShnMdKZYRXngo7ejm9-vg0UaDW2-R__r1UYbBTPq2uEuTOVclzCrNBOgglLJg4lrDkkKx4I5tabd-Yy1nh4qmFGaiNsksYa4xhvt5zKB8uohpnClxXpghP4ueBkDkgj3ik0/s640/floursiftersucculent.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This flour sifter was my Granny's. It's been kinda hanging around in various places for awhile.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_hy7orVqY57EbCxbxiZ_zR8m56U0zOcre_y7Hmv-eWXffAsPUrJ44RUXaqUhxSpN27EMxaO9ZJ503nIPv7Anoa8g3OwcDtiqEcOTY8F61I80rF3kKJhio4CtDkFMx-p3yfGUIwVaNudm/s1600/succulentgarden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_hy7orVqY57EbCxbxiZ_zR8m56U0zOcre_y7Hmv-eWXffAsPUrJ44RUXaqUhxSpN27EMxaO9ZJ503nIPv7Anoa8g3OwcDtiqEcOTY8F61I80rF3kKJhio4CtDkFMx-p3yfGUIwVaNudm/s640/succulentgarden.JPG" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This pot had been hidden in the bushes near the front door with some poor dead plant in it for a LONG time. I'm going to add rocks in to cover the dirt. It's going to reside at the front door of the new house!</td></tr>
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You can follow all my pins <a href="http://pinterest.com/alo/">here</a>.
</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-81856714047846701322012-02-27T20:56:00.000-06:002012-02-27T20:56:13.458-06:00The most foul word in the English language...Cancer. It's worse than the worst curse word, worse then stringing every curse word together. I never imagined it would touch my life so deeply. My Grandfather had prostate cancer. Although I wasn't very close to him, it made me take more notice of fundraising and research. Then on February 13, words were spoken that I never thought I would hear...<br />
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I mentioned in a previous post (that has somehow decided to delete itself) that my Mom has not been well for some time. After endless tests with inconclusive results, the doctors decided it was severe colitis and that surgery would be necessary to remove a section of her colon. Surgery day came and when I checked in with Dad I could tell before he even really spoke any words, something wasn't right. She was out of surgery and in recovery, but they had found something unexpected. One tumor attached to and partially in her colon and another attached to the wall of her pelvis... they were malignant. She had a clear colonoscopy just over a year ago... I had just left work (like barely out of the parking lot) and had to pull over. My whole body went numb as I realized that my Dad just told me my Mom has cancer. I somehow managed to make the 25 minute drive home to get the girls. I really don't remember much of anything other than crying. I called my Dad back to try and get some better details and then started to figure out how I was getting back to Florida. I got packed and ready to hop in my car, thinking that another set of airline tickets wasn't in the budget. Luckily we have some pretty fantastic work "family" and I was able to get reasonable tickets leaving early the next morning. Not knowing the full prognosis (pathology was still trying to determine what kind of cancer it was), we decided I would stay for about a week and a half. I spent a flight from San Antonio to Dallas, then Dallas to Tampa trying to wrap my head around what I was going to be facing.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FLDK1MCEhhPt_eyCf-9m0ndXzYiY6Jx1MGLpPXnNZRP_rbE4_Yj2U_zSI-KQVsL-32sRLG3UGsS3IgKwlYjk5f11B51JyLKDQTMrSEK2gHN8QvrozievCP0km5rbR57AwzaXMftT0iY9/s1600/sisters(mom).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FLDK1MCEhhPt_eyCf-9m0ndXzYiY6Jx1MGLpPXnNZRP_rbE4_Yj2U_zSI-KQVsL-32sRLG3UGsS3IgKwlYjk5f11B51JyLKDQTMrSEK2gHN8QvrozievCP0km5rbR57AwzaXMftT0iY9/s400/sisters(mom).png" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom is the second youngest. That's her resting her head on her sister's shoulder</td></tr>
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Dad and my brother picked me up from the airport. When we got to the hospital, Mom seemed strangely calm. My aunt was there. I hugged and kissed Mom, then hugged and kissed her a few more times. We all kinda danced around the "C" word and came up with a game plan for the next few days. We decided that I would stay in the hospital with her until she was released. We were bugged by the nurses constantly, saw the doctor and the surgeon once a day and even had a bit of a consult with an oncologist. Everybody anxiously waiting for the pathology report. The surgeon decided late Thursday that she could be released, then Friday late morning he came in with the pathology report. The cells were endometrium and/or ovarian in origin. Wait... what they found in her colon was female reproductive cells? How was that possible? She had a hysterectomy in 2004...when they did pathology then there was no cancer. The surgeon explained that the may not have tested everything that was removed in the hysterectomy and missed it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-2ucac1_XepBAE_L4b5QspiLEzhA0l-1jYmVCqlsolO9NiisWhXZsvcj093OXgCy0d8oTvgLBzm765E5p_LQkfRtkBWUHQuNevTzK60iaanfoVYJGGe61tK63fGeLDG7ckMHpE8YnFK0/s1600/momhospital.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-2ucac1_XepBAE_L4b5QspiLEzhA0l-1jYmVCqlsolO9NiisWhXZsvcj093OXgCy0d8oTvgLBzm765E5p_LQkfRtkBWUHQuNevTzK60iaanfoVYJGGe61tK63fGeLDG7ckMHpE8YnFK0/s400/momhospital.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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I spent the next few days "purging" all of the clutter in my parent's house. It was oddly calming. I also made a vat of marinara sauce and some chicken broth in the crock pot. I even baked a sour cream pound cake the morning of my flight home. It was VERY hard to walk out the front door when it was time to go to the airport, but I was there for the initial shock of diagnosis and assisted in the first step of treatment - recover from surgery. The first in office consult with the oncologist is coming up, but we know they won't start any treatment until she's recovered. One day at a time, that's how we're going to get through this. My Mom is the strongest woman I know, she will beat this.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31r4px9xmoF61xQEa9kiN6p99-z_KNO2QFOrGHSFrPx8Uow5Ym6zchhhOdVbvNGn1iV8HVghejvwBFzKpG02xiOIG2dBSJpxxqOTGBG1Vf2B3pnqgfU-RzgfdBqlkAIOSQJqcnrNPedLB/s1600/park2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31r4px9xmoF61xQEa9kiN6p99-z_KNO2QFOrGHSFrPx8Uow5Ym6zchhhOdVbvNGn1iV8HVghejvwBFzKpG02xiOIG2dBSJpxxqOTGBG1Vf2B3pnqgfU-RzgfdBqlkAIOSQJqcnrNPedLB/s400/park2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom & Me</td></tr>
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-40824979473990155252012-02-08T09:00:00.000-06:002012-02-08T09:00:13.670-06:00Wordless(ish) Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL7Fqz1NTUOwBu2LO8PfRiAU_5u2CQLjdslhyphenhyphenHdh6eO-wyWMVDBzcL9wHbuS8AUrRbwmwH1toIP6hrR7G4rr1xs4f0WazGp4rJP74rrqqTZq-lLYuuBZxiWgmDglbHZZ1_g8FSiSlpKna/s1600/ground3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXL7Fqz1NTUOwBu2LO8PfRiAU_5u2CQLjdslhyphenhyphenHdh6eO-wyWMVDBzcL9wHbuS8AUrRbwmwH1toIP6hrR7G4rr1xs4f0WazGp4rJP74rrqqTZq-lLYuuBZxiWgmDglbHZZ1_g8FSiSlpKna/s640/ground3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS9o2wD95nbIuszsYJ1yj-YpwDBgWOVaIdr8xVY4_NbFNAK8Ka5Yo9LVvEI7LxqPtgpULBmJCkQ-vdLCgzV0cFGzaTmbDc1xBEEoHlRNcemjzTV4bEACPodGgc8gk2abzPPjfFSztpScx/s1600/ground4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPS9o2wD95nbIuszsYJ1yj-YpwDBgWOVaIdr8xVY4_NbFNAK8Ka5Yo9LVvEI7LxqPtgpULBmJCkQ-vdLCgzV0cFGzaTmbDc1xBEEoHlRNcemjzTV4bEACPodGgc8gk2abzPPjfFSztpScx/s640/ground4.JPG" width="638" /></a></div>
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We decided to go out to the (soon to be) new neighborhood on Saturday. Imagine our surprise when we turned down our street and saw all this!!! Let's just say we were a little giddy! I never imagined some pvc pipes sticking out of the ground could make me so happy!!!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-18085294713823615562012-01-06T09:00:00.000-06:002012-02-07T18:02:56.320-06:00And just like that...2011 ended with things that we thought were gonna happen, NOT happening. <br />
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First off, the whole cupcake thing in the coffee shop fell through. The planets were just not aligned for it to work out. I'm not real sure our family is in a place that I could justify being away as much as I would need to be. So, the cupcake dream gets pushed to the back burner... for now.<br />
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Then, just when we thought we were going to be closing on our home/land package the rug was pulled out from under us. At first, I was REALLY upset about this. After a lot of talk and reflecting, we decided that it was for the best anyway. The distance from home to work was just going to be too much. The girls would be in school an hour away. If something were to happen we would not be able to get to them fast. Not to mention the cost of gas and wear-n-tear on the vehicles. We've gone back to the drawing board and have decided a part of town that we're going to focus our home search on. We're going to hold off about 2 more weeks before we start really looking.<br />
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I elected to not make any resolutions this year. I never keep them anyway. I am making myself do a 365 Project though. Basically you commit to take at least one picture EVERY day for the whole year. It's actually a 366 this year, what with it being a leap year and all. I've actually managed to keep up so far, haha! My page is <a href="http://365project.org/babeecakes/365">here</a>.<br />
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And, just because no post is complete without a photo...<br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-46125512451417869062011-12-21T09:00:00.000-06:002012-02-07T18:03:06.568-06:00Isn't that pinteresting!I've been Christmas crafting like a mad woman! Pretty much everything I've made has been inspired by something I saw while browsing pinterest! So, without further ado, here's my project dump!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxVzFHExYLILkpzZodl13JaUNkMFTqwF2J0aqQHGDAv190A2lT0IYkEB-ZvA0hk_gKNzHL3zfDl0Q32PGH7XP3Kyq3vcGKDv8c-XD2lfPTicxaJekjPVT6RPikAelCekctaHKGLmF4Y9C/s1600/treeskirt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxVzFHExYLILkpzZodl13JaUNkMFTqwF2J0aqQHGDAv190A2lT0IYkEB-ZvA0hk_gKNzHL3zfDl0Q32PGH7XP3Kyq3vcGKDv8c-XD2lfPTicxaJekjPVT6RPikAelCekctaHKGLmF4Y9C/s400/treeskirt.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ruffled tree skirt - <a href="http://anwjohnston.blogspot.com/2011/10/diy-no-sew-ruffle-christmas-tree-skirt.html">inspiration</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkuuHVktvBApoS_cFwkIVA6qgEkBpnRvRy_LxaAFayPHj2E3wSmjKLF-G8YeWvau1MU36QeWpp0jCSbknQaZJrH2o88qeSlnUavkpLXFDjeruuxLUuUr6isHSvAEHcroqxelJb86Eb18r/s1600/wallhang2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkuuHVktvBApoS_cFwkIVA6qgEkBpnRvRy_LxaAFayPHj2E3wSmjKLF-G8YeWvau1MU36QeWpp0jCSbknQaZJrH2o88qeSlnUavkpLXFDjeruuxLUuUr6isHSvAEHcroqxelJb86Eb18r/s400/wallhang2.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">embroidery hoop art - <a href="http://www.52mantels.com/2011/12/oh-christmas-tree-wreath.html">inspiration</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI913t5I9cJsUR85MAIAri2KmpmginYFh5BNkIBCmyHOBucDjCPs6S4OJ3Q4rBcxhkQbito-0NbFBeB4ffRblj3l02dy7M4_eLvMEooUtFLPKrvqrstBiOJt2o1MtDQmpSsPsMi3QkPkIo/s1600/ornie1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI913t5I9cJsUR85MAIAri2KmpmginYFh5BNkIBCmyHOBucDjCPs6S4OJ3Q4rBcxhkQbito-0NbFBeB4ffRblj3l02dy7M4_eLvMEooUtFLPKrvqrstBiOJt2o1MtDQmpSsPsMi3QkPkIo/s400/ornie1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cupcake and glitter ornaments - <a href="http://artsyvava.blogspot.com/2011/11/cupcake-ornaments.html">cupcake</a>, <a href="http://thegreenbeanscrafterole.blogspot.com/2010/12/all-that-glittersminus-mess.html">glitter</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0RO0OfTe4ZPyjnlcV89Yw_PEGLouOsNz56m-FgrExTR_50z35bpZftHjUJ_dU3qCfaJYfqF_WmaF8xYmPAIUgnCuMRuieypOT-lmBKGJsyXZczhsnpKXK3VaBcFE3jhBMDQqcoqdRrrr/s1600/globe3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0RO0OfTe4ZPyjnlcV89Yw_PEGLouOsNz56m-FgrExTR_50z35bpZftHjUJ_dU3qCfaJYfqF_WmaF8xYmPAIUgnCuMRuieypOT-lmBKGJsyXZczhsnpKXK3VaBcFE3jhBMDQqcoqdRrrr/s400/globe3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anthropology knock-off globes - <a href="http://tidymom.net/2011/waterless-snow-globes-tutorial/">inspiration</a></td></tr>
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I've got ideas for a few more globes, just need more supplies. I'm also working on <a href="http://matt-and-becky.blogspot.com/2009/12/12-days-of-christmas-crafts-day-5.html">this</a>, gotta fill in a few gaps and it will be finished! There's a few other things I'd like to do, but they may have to wait until next year!<br />
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I haven't been keeping a very good record of what Trevor's been up to, but here's a few snaps I did manage.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcXRg60bJdouftVAcHOgseeFH7j2DKFg6-dLlRd0dO5snsZGQG91mxtC9QLWYa5ERg6EaWOPyAWQCI2flbeUicQ1QGi6U5TQCLIJzDrcmmcW1BXd8SXekOnsoo0Biw_qj_VO45Lybp_gB/s1600/trevor3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwcXRg60bJdouftVAcHOgseeFH7j2DKFg6-dLlRd0dO5snsZGQG91mxtC9QLWYa5ERg6EaWOPyAWQCI2flbeUicQ1QGi6U5TQCLIJzDrcmmcW1BXd8SXekOnsoo0Biw_qj_VO45Lybp_gB/s400/trevor3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding some cheer to the sheet music wreath</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWk82FpkAlBWB5sIKifBfvz0jmJ73BpAG_zBdNNp88F7k0MLVk6-oXjBGDRg8Fmlygb4CVng9Kkvywhb_WtC-qdB4u107YNaIZJE9qcSypSGnfjuue8KxGKOoq7jt9CKw68Cts8HlxfIpR/s1600/trevor4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWk82FpkAlBWB5sIKifBfvz0jmJ73BpAG_zBdNNp88F7k0MLVk6-oXjBGDRg8Fmlygb4CVng9Kkvywhb_WtC-qdB4u107YNaIZJE9qcSypSGnfjuue8KxGKOoq7jt9CKw68Cts8HlxfIpR/s400/trevor4.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Racing Chuck's with a Lala Loopsy.</td></tr>
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-10328045762032594122011-12-07T09:00:00.000-06:002012-02-07T18:03:17.162-06:00Wordless(ish) WednesdayWhat's this??? A post 2 days in a row... Don't have a heart attack!! Here's some fun photos from last night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXvegaIikYnJoj_AUp-vt1fzMSwHMm53fDC4e600hb9zL05jup_fu9YXRBQ6KTBLVHmIeSWtJivwEqkgcvF4LCCQog3zwyu7jzYz0u7uspMwcIqr4Uz6NulpGptsL5hOF1-tJEidlDPWD/s1600/squiddog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXvegaIikYnJoj_AUp-vt1fzMSwHMm53fDC4e600hb9zL05jup_fu9YXRBQ6KTBLVHmIeSWtJivwEqkgcvF4LCCQog3zwyu7jzYz0u7uspMwcIqr4Uz6NulpGptsL5hOF1-tJEidlDPWD/s400/squiddog.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor squid-dog... he's "swimming with the fishes"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwiuDEQ5X9rXvSBhrRVjadC77IueCctYPRYsWQp_cDYdRHp86fzCUhgvfHYHTwe_atBO-ZRI7Ev3XgsgPSiHRl6YN6yHZM6qKxxV1Nk4G8Y_ISwOGmNX11swEhuQHp4L_G2vIKfcXsiBm/s1600/tree1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwiuDEQ5X9rXvSBhrRVjadC77IueCctYPRYsWQp_cDYdRHp86fzCUhgvfHYHTwe_atBO-ZRI7Ev3XgsgPSiHRl6YN6yHZM6qKxxV1Nk4G8Y_ISwOGmNX11swEhuQHp4L_G2vIKfcXsiBm/s400/tree1.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little, dinky white tree! I kinda love it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pbCNpIWjuo_0fppiGgpPhcm0MYWzCsEgIHCo51WJ0qglRVwmY2vHyphMShf3HugsPo0-VtGjNUxpkEBeG5-DP4nwVNGSWpVQ3SXtuDFFNyBlE-lrsJc9NA44F8qMPve-2c-TM1IIOX8Y/s1600/tree2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pbCNpIWjuo_0fppiGgpPhcm0MYWzCsEgIHCo51WJ0qglRVwmY2vHyphMShf3HugsPo0-VtGjNUxpkEBeG5-DP4nwVNGSWpVQ3SXtuDFFNyBlE-lrsJc9NA44F8qMPve-2c-TM1IIOX8Y/s400/tree2.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look Mom, I made bokeh!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhrcslpO1dFtWWuoTqZF3NPERJRsCPsqlRfQv33qaj-ZgOgh3DuQIKedR0ozDd5SFmeG8kY73xUtHG6V6WghYZ7JORfobN-EPinEDaV2m5Wlc-9rMSScMel-cKkq03OoroKIvZ5Y3Pt4f/s1600/trevor2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhrcslpO1dFtWWuoTqZF3NPERJRsCPsqlRfQv33qaj-ZgOgh3DuQIKedR0ozDd5SFmeG8kY73xUtHG6V6WghYZ7JORfobN-EPinEDaV2m5Wlc-9rMSScMel-cKkq03OoroKIvZ5Y3Pt4f/s400/trevor2.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trevor decided to help decorate the little tree in the dining room.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-47016701711082080172011-12-06T09:00:00.000-06:002012-02-07T18:03:31.596-06:00Very MerryI was having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit. Things are nuts around here. We're on our third extension of the land contract. We're waiting on confirmation of closing, hopefully any day now. My parents and brother (and fam) were here for Thanksgiving. We went out to the property to take some family pictures. I've been procrastinating editing most of them, but loved how this one turned out. If I had gotten my self together in time to do Christmas cards, this would have been the photo I chose!<br />
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We decided we were actually having Thanksmas instead of Thanksgiving. We did the turkey dinner and all, but decided to exchange gifts too. Breaking out the wrapping paper started the shift in my Christmas spirit. Then I started see all these FANTASTIC things on Pinterest... Things I HAD to do! So, we got the new tree down I got on clearance last year... It's a little 4ft white tree. It's soooooo dinky looking, but I think it's cute. I've been trying to figure out a tree skirt for it because the one I used last year (on our regular tree) is WAY too big. I'm still working on that...<br />
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If you Pin, I'm sure you've seen some things about Elf on the Shelf. I was intrigued, so I did some research and decided that I wanted to make this a new tradition for us! Meet Trevor! He decided roasted marshmallows sounded good for a late night snack, but didn't realize the candle was flameless!<br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-18773117744771377322011-10-27T09:00:00.000-05:002012-02-07T18:03:58.463-06:00I shouldn't be allowed to operate heavy machinery...and other fun stuff.Tuesday seemed like it was going to be a normal day. Get up before the chickens, go to work for 8 hours, pick up the girls, blah blah blah. Then I realized that I was supposed to donate some things to their school for the fall festival on Friday. We finished up homework so we could run to Target. I bet you're thinking this all still sounds pretty uneventful. But this is where it all started going wrong... <br />
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My garage door opener doesn't like to stay on my visor, especially if you want to pull the visor down to keep the sun out of your eyes. When we got in the car I took the garage door opener off the visor and stuck in it the little cubby under the AC controls. Shopping was quick and we headed home. I pulled into the driveway and went to push the garage door opener, but it wasn't on the visor. I looked in the cubby, in the cup holders, on the passenger seat, on the floor... Ummmmmm??? I backed out of the driveway and headed back to Target in the hopes that I might find it in the parking lot. No luck. As I was getting back it the car, there it was sitting in the driver's seat. It was under my butt the WHOLE time. Things only got worse... Let's just say dinner making was a disaster that resulted in this plate and 2 burned fingers.<br />
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In other news... Our loan papers for the house are in underwriting and we're expecting to "close" so construction can begin around Nov 20! We're most likely looking at being able to move late Dec or early Jan. Not sure I can be patient, but I'll try! We went back to the property on Sunday to do some trash pick up and more exploring. We walked it from the street to what we think is the back line of the property. I should say hiked, cause there's quite a bit of elevation change! We even saw an armadillo (that wasn't squashed on the road)!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurry, he's getting away!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The explorers choosing walking sticks.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_yqXzPioyGKQnuuhTLy9dGbF1XlQznVCNXsxYBgOodrIamN08elWDALp3eQ9K_HX0dHi-teSrsvJF1VXuqpbeEQ_o2bFx1YsJfVNQeNV7axH6l0FqISTxsu4nroJPRSln2AUV4B_5EN8/s1600/land1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8_yqXzPioyGKQnuuhTLy9dGbF1XlQznVCNXsxYBgOodrIamN08elWDALp3eQ9K_HX0dHi-teSrsvJF1VXuqpbeEQ_o2bFx1YsJfVNQeNV7axH6l0FqISTxsu4nroJPRSln2AUV4B_5EN8/s640/land1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-81427220265448497502011-10-20T20:01:00.001-05:002012-02-07T18:04:06.761-06:00spookyI kinda forgot I took this picture. We had some plants on the window in the kitchen that died (RIP poor plant) and this little guy was hanging out when we disposed of the plant. I'm trying to come to grips with the fact that Halloween is around the corner (rapidly followed by Thanksgiving and Christmas). Just a little edit to help the spooky mood!<br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-18386577149693774972011-10-06T09:00:00.000-05:002012-02-07T18:04:21.926-06:00Letting the cat outta the bagWell, things haven't gotten any easier since my last post. I'm pretty sure things are crazier than ever! But here's a few things you should know...<br />
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While I haven't managed to get back to exercising (yet, I'm make a promise to myself to make it a priority) and my eating habits aren't always fantastic, I am still losing weight! I wish I had more recipes to post, cause I've discovered some yummy things, but I don't. I have subscribed to Cooking Light and Clean Eating. They both have fantastic websites to grab recipes from!<br />
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Ok, now on to what I hinted at in the previous post... We are far enough into the process and feel confident that everything is going to work out, so I'm going to spill!<br />
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By the end of the year we'll be homeowners again! The last time we sat in a closing, signing our hands off was in 2003. That's a LONG stretch of being renters. In true "style" of us choosing NOT to do things the easy way, we're not just simply "buying a house". No, see that would be waaaaaaaaay to simple. We simply must complicate things... It all starts with this<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pardon the neon green phone number blur!!</td></tr>
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This, my friends is the 3.71 acre chunk of land we are going to be calling home!!! It's nestled in the TX Hill Country near Canyon Lake and it's really quite lovely!<br />
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We've got cactus, ground cedar, some oaks and LOTS of rocks.<br />
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Standing at the first elevation, straight from the street, this is "the view". Which will be roughly what I see when I look out the kitchen windows!<br />
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Speaking of kitchens and windows, we do not plan on "roughing it" out on the land! We're having a modular home from Palm Harbor built. Right now we're waiting for the construction manager to gather up the numbers of just how much it's going to cost to get the land ready for the house. Then we get a commitment from the loan company, the house gets placed in the build que and they start land prep. It's going to be quite a process, but it will be SOOOOOOOO worth it in the end!!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-57236897562084114512011-09-19T09:38:00.000-05:002012-02-07T18:04:32.848-06:00There's a first time for everything...Well, hello there strangers!! Yeah, I know it's been almost a month since my last post. Things have been a little bonkers to say the least.<br />
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I'm having a hard time adjusting to my earlier wake-up time (so I get home pretty much as soon as the girls get out of school). There doesn't seem to be much sleep happening. I <strike>was forced</strike> had the opportunity to go through a 2 week training course at work that all "new hires" are required to complete. I've been there since February... Suffice to say, pretty much nothing that was covered those 2 weeks has ANYTHING to do with my day to day job. I'm pretty sure I lost a considerable amount of brain function! We're embarking on something as a family that has been keeping us extremely busy on the weekends (I'm not at liberty to discuss this "something" yet). I'm still doing pretty well food wise. My obsessive calorie counting has ceased, but I've got a pretty good grasp of the calorie content of the things I eat. I haven't been quite as strict with my food intake, due to the above mentioned craziness. The really, really bad thing is that I haven't been exercising. I need to change this SOON. I just can't seem to get back into the groove. In spite of everything, I'm happy to report that my total weight loss is now at 30lbs. I'm hoping that things calm down some in the next few months, so I can get back into my food and exercise routines!<br />
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In amongst all THAT... I decided that I wanted to attempt to eliminate the use of plastic baggies. I decided the best place to start was with lunches. I have become a little obsessed with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bento">bento boxes</a>. Well, the basic concept of the bento box, anyway. I don't have any intentions of getting <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cuteobento/1808867592/in/gallery-bunnyfrogs-72157624910264949/">all crazy</a> with mine! I figure that in addition to minimizing waste, I'll be getting the girls to eat healthier too! I ordered some supplies and tonight made the very first bento box lunches! The girls are totally into this and are even looking at new recipes to try and are willing to help make lunches! Here's what we packed last night! They'll have the option of water or milk in their reusable bottles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A's lunch is bologna and cheese stick kabobs, carrots, pear chunks and a goldfish/pretzel mix<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M's lunch is ham and cheese stick kabobs (with half a flat-out wrap), cucumbers, pear chunks and goldfish.</td></tr>
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I got a couple different types of food containers to try (A's is a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sassy--Go-Feeding-Set-Colors/dp/B003JHREL4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1316398430&sr=8-3">Sassy</a> and M's is an <a href="http://www.easylunchboxes.com/">Easy Lunchbox</a>), found silicone baking cups at the thrift store, and a few other bits to get us started. I would like to get each of them a "real" bento box at some point (birthday's and Christmas are coming!). I'm going to be ordering some reusable food picks and more silicone cups soon. If you're interested here's a few sites I found to have some really good info about how to get started and places to get your gear!<br />
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<a href="http://www.easylunchboxes.com/">Easy Lunchboxes</a><br />
<a href="http://wendolonia.com/blog/">Wendolonia</a><br />
<a href="http://www.anotherlunch.com/">Another Lunch</a><br />
<a href="http://lunchinabox.net/">Lunch in a Box</a><br />
<a href="http://mollyslunchbox.blogspot.com/">Molly's Lunchbox</a> - this Mamma is the whole reason I wanted to start doing this! Lurve you, Shan!<br />
<a href="http://www.allthingsforsale.com/">All Things For Sale</a><br />
<a href="http://www.jlist.com/category/819">J-List</a>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-33289633295801353482011-08-25T09:00:00.001-05:002012-02-07T18:04:43.973-06:00"Diet" food and the search for my mojoI hesitate to call what I'm doing a diet, hence the quotes around diet. I'm not going to stop eating this way once I lose all the weight. This is my new lifestyle, plain and simple. I think I may have a slight advantage over other people who do "diet" or are trying to make a similar change. I'm not an overly picky eater. There's not many fruits and vegetables that I don't like, so incorporating more into my diet has been relatively pain free! I will say that it takes a little bit more time and thought to prep but it's well worth it. Another thing is that I really don't care for egg yolks, especially when it comes to breakfast eggs. Scrambled, cooked hard or hard boiled I'll stick with just the white! The thing that has made this even easier for me is getting to try new foods. I'll try (almost) anything at least once!<br />
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Has anyone seen my mojo wandering around lately? I was feeling all good about the fact that I've actually been wanting to take food pics lately. I've taken quite a few... and they're pretty much garbage. A blog post is not really a blog post with pictures. A blog post about food without pictures is unacceptable (ok, maybe that's a tad dramatic). I've come across some really good recipes to add to my new healthy arsenal, but most of the pics just aren't doing the food justice. It is what it is until my mojo returns...<br />
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One of my new food philosophies is getting the most bang (flavor) for my buck (calories). I'm finding myself really reading recipes, paying attention to ingredients and passing on a few that I wouldn't generally pass on! So, here's a few things I find worthy enough to enter my body!<br />
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RANCH DRESSING<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=118898">original</a></span></div>
Before Ranch dressing, a salad for a young April consisted of a bowl of lettuce, some carrots and some cucumbers... Yeah, I know. I've tried LOADS of times to make my own version of Ranch and it just never comes out right. I found this recipe and figured one more try couldn't hurt. Imagine my shock when it actually tasted good... REALLY good!<br />
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1 cup low fat cottage cheese<br />
1 cup low fat buttermilk<br />
1 packet buttermilk Ranch dressing mix<br />
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Whiz it all up in a blender until the cottage cheese is broken down. Pour in into a resealable container (thrifted ball jar are pretty much perfect) and store in the fridge. You're looking at about 14 calories for 2 tablespoons.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1y3Cy4OQrL-379rQwn1O-zDjB9SDu2O3shoQlc1zSPts_JqU25e2GU2lXsKv8UVlbCHqSiFVjdSFZPGbjIpMfdwX6pRus2fsUNF0igVdYSyakWYl6UdrQRSBjABb3lLMKQww1uI40fMKU/s1600/ranch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1y3Cy4OQrL-379rQwn1O-zDjB9SDu2O3shoQlc1zSPts_JqU25e2GU2lXsKv8UVlbCHqSiFVjdSFZPGbjIpMfdwX6pRus2fsUNF0igVdYSyakWYl6UdrQRSBjABb3lLMKQww1uI40fMKU/s400/ranch.JPG" width="398" /></a></div>
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BANANA NUT OATMEAL COOKIES</div>
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Yeah, that's right COOKIES! With oats, nuts and nanners you can't go wrong! This is one of the gems from <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/">Gina's Skinny Recipes</a>. A serving size is 2 cookies and is around 176 calories! That's pretty great for a cookie, if you ask me!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKm_BbicLP2KOtw0o94wR4865CIUhNRwprBeZxdQIAlGgoWGl_ZJ0VknpnH-v44Qu2jqmNoIaeYDABILC1NoMXRt7RMPQPUqv4nx865yAShVxpmEvk2NUuFEOk-l4M3y3_rQ6dU8hZoQB/s1600/bananaoatmealcookie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKm_BbicLP2KOtw0o94wR4865CIUhNRwprBeZxdQIAlGgoWGl_ZJ0VknpnH-v44Qu2jqmNoIaeYDABILC1NoMXRt7RMPQPUqv4nx865yAShVxpmEvk2NUuFEOk-l4M3y3_rQ6dU8hZoQB/s400/bananaoatmealcookie.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/chewy-low-fat-banana-nut-oatmeal.html">click for magical transportation to recipe</a></td></tr>
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CORNY BREAD</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1011991">original</a></span></div>
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This is quite possibly the easiest and BEST cornbread ever. All you need is three ingredients, a pan, a 400 degree oven and about 25 minutes.</div>
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1 box of Jiffy</div>
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1 can creamed corn</div>
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1 egg</div>
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Mix together and let it sit for about 4 minutes. Spread it into a greased pan (I usually use an 11x7, but 8x8 or 9x9 would be fine). Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes. This makes 9 pieces at 45 calories each. If you under bake it just a bit, it's all nice a gooey like a spoon bread.</div>
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PONG PONG CHICKEN</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=734091">original</a></span></div>
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This recipe caught my eye because I thought the name sounded funny. Let me tell you something... This is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. It comes together fast and is fully endorsed by a certain 9 year old soux chef!</div>
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1 tsp olive oil (I've been using a mister, so this is a guestimate)</div>
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1 onion, sliced thin</div>
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1/2 hatch chili, diced (use some jalapeno if you can't find hatch)</div>
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1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into chunks</div>
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1/2 bag broccoli slaw</div>
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1 1/2 C bean sprouts</div>
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4 tbsp lite soy sauce</div>
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1 tsp agave (or splenda)</div>
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1 tsp sesame oil</div>
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1 tsp hot sauce</div>
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4 tsp spicy brown mustard</div>
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1 tsp fresh grated ginger</div>
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4 tbsp peanut butter</div>
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1/2 C hot water</div>
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Heat a skillet and 1/2 tsp olive oil over med-high heat. Saute onion and chili for about 4 minutes and remove from pan. Add the other 1/2 tsp oil and chicken chunks and brown until cooked through then remove from pan. Add the broccoli slaw, bean sprouts and about 2 tbsp water and saute until crisp tender. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl for the sauce. Add the onion mix and chicken back into the pan, stir in the sauce and heat through. This makes 6 servings of about a cup. The original recipe calculated 255 calories, but with my changes I'm figuring around 240-250, maybe less (I was too lazy to recalculate). </div>
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Eat up everybody!</div>
</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-74187811708299324732011-08-24T17:23:00.000-05:002012-02-07T18:06:34.386-06:00Zoooooooooooooooom!!!I may have mentioned before that the hubs is a bit of a car freak. Well, ever since it was announced that <a href="http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2010/5/10824.html">F1 racing was coming to Austin</a> he's been like a 5 year old boy with a new toy! We got tickets to go see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424432/">Senna</a> this weekend (it was supposed to be last weekend) and he heard rumors that Red Bull Racing was going to have one of their F1 cars in downtown Austin filming something. We were all set to get up early and go check it out and it was announced that the film crew couldn't get permits and they were only going to be displaying the car. THEN... Friday night around 9ish it was released that they got the permits and were going to be filming! We woke up at 4 AM on Saturday (that's before the chickens if you weren't completely sure) and drove into Austin for a once in a lifetime experience! It was amazing to say the least!! I think it's safe to say we're super fans now! If you were to ask M right now what she wants to be when she grows up, your answer would be "A race car driver or designer"! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">learning about the car</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1panyqcR03FZb34o1v3VnG9KaMwx86Meb4lYQXYcDdWZpJqR79iP8u43CJMER5XF8VnOXSX9-puJpvGCfqoywx4JIw6MGYcsV5Ftus0jjyroJrhD7Z-4WnK8HYoYvz8qruFdqg3ut24Y2/s1600/impactwrench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1panyqcR03FZb34o1v3VnG9KaMwx86Meb4lYQXYcDdWZpJqR79iP8u43CJMER5XF8VnOXSX9-puJpvGCfqoywx4JIw6MGYcsV5Ftus0jjyroJrhD7Z-4WnK8HYoYvz8qruFdqg3ut24Y2/s400/impactwrench.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">now that's a wrench</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoQNr2rj3Y2j9kVwkQj4VpeT4SaLhQwuYhVuCBEHqkzT41ZEQ_-zQqWMZW1eOAag4vrRw5fQsnp5V30EVUQ9XbnPJ0PUnW_I_tkXABGkyO0DQPRBQ0KVGli15aeLq3Dqy77rD0PexTJ7a/s1600/dc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLoQNr2rj3Y2j9kVwkQj4VpeT4SaLhQwuYhVuCBEHqkzT41ZEQ_-zQqWMZW1eOAag4vrRw5fQsnp5V30EVUQ9XbnPJ0PUnW_I_tkXABGkyO0DQPRBQ0KVGli15aeLq3Dqy77rD0PexTJ7a/s400/dc2.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ready to roll</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76vtfuTXLxDDhsU5U2bTJBDCeIi6oE3m6REct8-vdAfdBOYXzdxxFlok6uKG2iHQdc5HFzWllxTA2X6BJtxxXJuf1s84QK6LNhKNNB9O3Wyzh1n0IdFd1JbirZzfYmpaD8FqjYWHQFipl/s1600/filmcrew2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76vtfuTXLxDDhsU5U2bTJBDCeIi6oE3m6REct8-vdAfdBOYXzdxxFlok6uKG2iHQdc5HFzWllxTA2X6BJtxxXJuf1s84QK6LNhKNNB9O3Wyzh1n0IdFd1JbirZzfYmpaD8FqjYWHQFipl/s400/filmcrew2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">setting up for shooting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsko-beyeBcLHCDsMX4eCL6S_lxRqS_YLUnDJn51dn91ykDGh7ca2wQohENFhHmiTR_G2cFuGjzgmQr270dXAUJCaSDgdyHvP0oxUghyphenhyphen0tekAAmuMv6IOwzLm5wzdOxXTE3TUR0ZK96C2h/s1600/roadcamera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsko-beyeBcLHCDsMX4eCL6S_lxRqS_YLUnDJn51dn91ykDGh7ca2wQohENFhHmiTR_G2cFuGjzgmQr270dXAUJCaSDgdyHvP0oxUghyphenhyphen0tekAAmuMv6IOwzLm5wzdOxXTE3TUR0ZK96C2h/s400/roadcamera.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">yes, that's a camera taped into a pot hole</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">zoom</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">burn out</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">zooooooooom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtl6dpgf3KlLon7QWtfTuevBkhPADxtfT2WlBDlVBVkqQ8d0WYOOcu1pRZ2QlUCid7QYOmIO2qY4Ls2YAdrnc8Z8Z9XJl2toPzl-AzF_anQ9_mw1_uUrvUuZscZFaXzXcrb0dRJXOm7144/s1600/behind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtl6dpgf3KlLon7QWtfTuevBkhPADxtfT2WlBDlVBVkqQ8d0WYOOcu1pRZ2QlUCid7QYOmIO2qY4Ls2YAdrnc8Z8Z9XJl2toPzl-AzF_anQ9_mw1_uUrvUuZscZFaXzXcrb0dRJXOm7144/s400/behind.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not something you see every day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Coulthard, driver</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDMWX-V8G3GU2LoKrBEpe5J2tAfkzD5wZchgehV7kEey-TP4v3s6wL_NZorWHlp0uiWKZ1mhdtGPxhhOeKDe2NSYraDatzunqFnT7UPIZhAHTfUc_672i7iYFVD_MqwZBThf7XaJAAF7r/s1600/prouddaddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDMWX-V8G3GU2LoKrBEpe5J2tAfkzD5wZchgehV7kEey-TP4v3s6wL_NZorWHlp0uiWKZ1mhdtGPxhhOeKDe2NSYraDatzunqFnT7UPIZhAHTfUc_672i7iYFVD_MqwZBThf7XaJAAF7r/s400/prouddaddy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's one proud daddy!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-69166156029380403192011-08-22T21:28:00.000-05:002012-02-07T18:06:48.355-06:00Not babies anymoreSchool started today in SWTX. For a number of people that's not really such a big deal... Well for this house it was! Today my smallest "baby" started kindergarten and my biggest "baby" became a 4th grader. My brain just does not seem to be processing this information. While I did not shed any tears, I have this really weird feeling of void. I took the day off work today and got to hang out with my best gal pal, so my mind was pretty preoccupied. Sitting here now though, I'm really trying to figure out where all the time has gone. I'm proud of my babies and I know they're both gonna rock this school year!<br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-86757389472123634252011-08-16T09:00:00.001-05:002012-02-07T18:07:00.376-06:00Oh, yes I DID!!!I try to weigh in once a weel to check my progress. I do it in the morning before I shower because "they" say that's the best time to do it. Sometimes I remember to, sometimes I don't. This past Friday I remembered...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG1tgieaD0d8GPwz0Woi-nfMyCd_zP0zb_qCw1SnFQPa3c26qs8se0SZISQYxTQYWxxqXEMZBf2lN41MJJzslfOmuw8rbyN25PfoY7OlTUtB4RKoWPyp0A9lgfRi-HvjTGvQiD1XJWQ-3/s1600/shebelievedtat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlG1tgieaD0d8GPwz0Woi-nfMyCd_zP0zb_qCw1SnFQPa3c26qs8se0SZISQYxTQYWxxqXEMZBf2lN41MJJzslfOmuw8rbyN25PfoY7OlTUtB4RKoWPyp0A9lgfRi-HvjTGvQiD1XJWQ-3/s400/shebelievedtat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taken with my trusty phone and Hipstamatic</td></tr>
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What's that you ask? Oh, it's only my newest tattoo! Which means I've reached goal #1!! Yep, I've lost 20 lbs!!! I am so proud of myself and so thankful for all the support from family and friends!!!<br />
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I originally planned on getting a mermaid, but she's a large half sleeve. I decided that she needed to be my final reward when I reach my end goal. I saw this saying on Pinterest (I think it was a print from an Etsy shop) and thought it would be the perfect reminder of my accomplishment and motivator to keep going.<br />
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Now I'm trying to decide what to get when I've lost another 20 lbs!!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-47333255805193156042011-08-06T09:00:00.001-05:002012-02-07T18:07:11.524-06:00PurgeWARNING: I'm going to be all over the place with this post. I can not guarantee it will make much sense! I've got a lot to get out!!<br />
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Ok, so I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... I've been prepping for vacation, on vacation and trying to recover from vacation. We drove (yes drove) to FL for a week to spend time with our families. I rode the whole way with both of the dogs in my lap and didn't have room to keep Betty close by, so I relied on Hipstamatic on my phone for on the road shots.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLfRwCBRcGtWmRAnKAUuUfnAO5wcn_4xIlwirPyzy8VQ3DjLR7D8XYnHgVIKxtFDU8ZNxEzavFud-mjshdd9MT_HUt_nBbX40NlizKkpHLl-YFy0aVfUc97YInyRkFNkVvF9Gz3QRo6rs/s1600/IMG_0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLfRwCBRcGtWmRAnKAUuUfnAO5wcn_4xIlwirPyzy8VQ3DjLR7D8XYnHgVIKxtFDU8ZNxEzavFud-mjshdd9MT_HUt_nBbX40NlizKkpHLl-YFy0aVfUc97YInyRkFNkVvF9Gz3QRo6rs/s400/IMG_0441.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We lost 3 hours on the way to FL due to rain and bad traffic.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZPeC1iyk7QpnMwN9fuAFqt8x1tLJTjr8TKOLrSdD4lSJNfLOvSzd1WDAqvMp3ln00rX_rMB2rpzD9_vd56aFx-bqqIBs0ueOA6ufH5CZi1N4eLQxzH1lMLuvzkRTPZ4ujSxf3YeixYPB/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZPeC1iyk7QpnMwN9fuAFqt8x1tLJTjr8TKOLrSdD4lSJNfLOvSzd1WDAqvMp3ln00rX_rMB2rpzD9_vd56aFx-bqqIBs0ueOA6ufH5CZi1N4eLQxzH1lMLuvzkRTPZ4ujSxf3YeixYPB/s400/IMG_0446.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I big puffy heart, big puffy clouds!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX-H7XkLRLr4fEuVzYvT6juuvCrGw9lf2zb6nHa57RmgLVjfHyYdEgv6lyuyO0dS7m9ry8-dxRLb5n2WXH6XV0_wkIHOTzActe1BeL1PDcGojbU6CKC_r3-x4zIaYaQjG3WEC1qAPzrz6/s1600/IMG_0456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyX-H7XkLRLr4fEuVzYvT6juuvCrGw9lf2zb6nHa57RmgLVjfHyYdEgv6lyuyO0dS7m9ry8-dxRLb5n2WXH6XV0_wkIHOTzActe1BeL1PDcGojbU6CKC_r3-x4zIaYaQjG3WEC1qAPzrz6/s400/IMG_0456.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightning is COOL! Trying to capture lightning in a moving vehicle, with a cell phone, while 2 dogs are on your lap is not so cool!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0KekOFQWL80juO4R_8SI0I1iyOgZuaKRjr3hpA-gX3DX57GJAUm8JRCYKTFOX_1wlHhD2fPXt8zLZtRDlQyeUgwBLqzGjuCnLCpf0w2iW086DhUc5b4sq5zX0nZtOrzhMt9-6lObHzJ0/s1600/IMG_0448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0KekOFQWL80juO4R_8SI0I1iyOgZuaKRjr3hpA-gX3DX57GJAUm8JRCYKTFOX_1wlHhD2fPXt8zLZtRDlQyeUgwBLqzGjuCnLCpf0w2iW086DhUc5b4sq5zX0nZtOrzhMt9-6lObHzJ0/s400/IMG_0448.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dogs on my lap</td></tr>
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I did good taking pics with Betty the first half but failed to take ANY pics the second half of the trip. I'm pretty sure I'm the worst (wanna be) photographer ever...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0YRzaLiTGZvXk5F3xy_eN_LC6ExS1Z-q5lqpLW8KgBw8eHE_M3B_ho-mpD97nWBCLNulGrErq0atH8imDq5qtTWJ1Q9hZD2UsSVwViX_vxISy9yn56h39P-r8Kq-LeZzorPng7O8adMG/s1600/olivia1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0YRzaLiTGZvXk5F3xy_eN_LC6ExS1Z-q5lqpLW8KgBw8eHE_M3B_ho-mpD97nWBCLNulGrErq0atH8imDq5qtTWJ1Q9hZD2UsSVwViX_vxISy9yn56h39P-r8Kq-LeZzorPng7O8adMG/s400/olivia1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My newest nice! She's a little peanut!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwrzquAsx9mHeLFYasmNC8xMXdWYwbd7_Pion_km1vMjGUNnHsEFCyH1TVha-dMM4giMI7zRJ4KnoDME4mjY4NIfOZKxShFMNSzYBI3ryzvp3-4Zce3znl_A-23cnTR_n8bLNXi0NeEQJ/s1600/olivia2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwrzquAsx9mHeLFYasmNC8xMXdWYwbd7_Pion_km1vMjGUNnHsEFCyH1TVha-dMM4giMI7zRJ4KnoDME4mjY4NIfOZKxShFMNSzYBI3ryzvp3-4Zce3znl_A-23cnTR_n8bLNXi0NeEQJ/s400/olivia2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I processed this with <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/2010/08/pioneer-woman-actions-for-photoshop-elements-2/">PW's Heartland action</a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAFde4yVErYF5s9vMABiu0IBvL7RRbAkmm0KTXQ6XlcOpmjBED_tvW-JCfoljlUXOmy8mvNmZUt1d4h6cHSP95YTYyVxYc1wQT5J05gsrQHiCvYYnv3iTEYMxDflkJL2w_SrWLRTejpp-/s1600/hannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAFde4yVErYF5s9vMABiu0IBvL7RRbAkmm0KTXQ6XlcOpmjBED_tvW-JCfoljlUXOmy8mvNmZUt1d4h6cHSP95YTYyVxYc1wQT5J05gsrQHiCvYYnv3iTEYMxDflkJL2w_SrWLRTejpp-/s400/hannah.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The peanut's big sister. I love her freckles dearly!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3z7JYXRHRX_eg9_Na4o_pWtnfe1ylHRSeucnHKBRU1Sh6aX1zoaIb-LH5nkXgPa4wwuyFmbobPtcw_PvVjzkm3Y7jWRVGqwWtA9t8Ppqqy3r6ZE-z_BCda6CUogp3kzrNoWU37qYzOOG/s1600/clouds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3z7JYXRHRX_eg9_Na4o_pWtnfe1ylHRSeucnHKBRU1Sh6aX1zoaIb-LH5nkXgPa4wwuyFmbobPtcw_PvVjzkm3Y7jWRVGqwWtA9t8Ppqqy3r6ZE-z_BCda6CUogp3kzrNoWU37qYzOOG/s400/clouds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, clouds again!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt9OV0peSaZeGYSzKSVoqZYPsO8NWKi7p9RUhd1vYT-UfUs3t4UiCIN5NI1r2BD5acvJ6Oo_Rwdge4FaJ-9KsWxLz0kMND14-vOvV7YywN5daYQZEfyyiwugCmftIfRlCEbkDFM6CqVIk/s1600/girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt9OV0peSaZeGYSzKSVoqZYPsO8NWKi7p9RUhd1vYT-UfUs3t4UiCIN5NI1r2BD5acvJ6Oo_Rwdge4FaJ-9KsWxLz0kMND14-vOvV7YywN5daYQZEfyyiwugCmftIfRlCEbkDFM6CqVIk/s400/girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even though this is WAY over exposed, there's something about it I just LOVE! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my children are sitting next to each other and NOT trying to kill each other!</td></tr>
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I was pretty much terrified of what being away from home and normal routines was going to do for my eating and exercising. We packed a cooler full of fruit, lunch meat and cheese for lunches and I stuck with salads when we got dinner. I tried to make the best choices I could, when I could. Food turned out to be the easiest part. There wasn't much exercising happening aside from an afternoon in the pool, walking around Ikea and couple laps with my Mom in her neighborhood. I decided to chance the scale the Friday before we headed home... I was shocked to look down and see that I had actually lost weight! As of that weigh in I'm only 4 lbs away from my tattoo!!!!!! I think I'm getting close to the stack of jeans in the closet that have been collecting dust for a year or so! I love grabbing a pair that fit fine a few weeks ago only to realize that they are now too big!<br />
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I'm struggling with making time for crafting. REALLY struggling... Between work and food planning and exercise there just doesn't seem to be time. My poor Etsy shop hasn't gotten attention in ages. This is my work table... It's terrifying...<br />
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I don't recall the last time I sat down and created. It's sad, really. I simply have to make time to get back to it. I think I've been "working" on an embroidery hoop wall grouping for about 2 months now. All that's left is simple finishing and hanging, but I just haven't done it. I've got a MASS of vintage buttons that are begging to be turned into earrings!! Not to mention the mountains of fabric for flowers and cupcakes and key chains (something new I've not been able to fully develop). I'M ADDING CRAFT BACK INTO MY LIFE!<br />
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What else... Getting ready for school to start. Kinder for A and 4th grade for M. These kids seriously need to stop growing up so fast. I'm on a mission to purge the house of all the excess crap that we have that we don't ever use and don't really need (sometimes run-on sentences are fun). We're contemplating our next housing move. All we know for sure is that we are NOT staying in this house or this side of town. We have until Spring 2012 to get all our ducks in a row.<br />
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I think that's quite enough for one post. I'm still (ugh, still) working on a post of some of my favorite new recipes. Hopefully that's coming sooner or later...Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-17362289255201255672011-07-14T09:00:00.002-05:002012-02-07T18:07:21.193-06:00A Hobbit's mentalityYou're probably wondering where in the world I'm headed with a title like that! Let me 'splain...<br />
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Upon discovering that I wasn't eating enough calories, I was trying to work out the most effective way to add more in. I stumbled upon <a href="http://thecorneroffitandfat.blogspot.com/">Alaythea</a> and took notice of what she was eating. I've always heard that you should eat smaller meals more frequently through the day to really boost your metabolism. This is where I REALLY wish I had started this before going back to work full time. I'm thinking it would be frowned upon if I stopped what I was doing every few hours to eat. So, I started thinking... and Lord of The Rings came to mind (yes, I am a nerd thank you very much). Specifically the scene where Pippen asks if Aragorn knows about second breakfast.<br />
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I knew then that I had my solution! I get up at 5:30am (ugh, I know), get to work at 7am, get a 9:30am break (it's like a mandatory 15min pause), go to lunch at 12:30 and I'm out the door at 3:30. Being that I'm generally in a fog in the morning, I thought I would borrow from Alaythea and have some sort of meal replacement shake-type-thing to start the day. I've been drinking a Special K version and I found a Jillian Michaels version at the store the other day. I prefer Jillian's, but I think I may give the slim fast a go too. Then, I have second breakfast at 9:30. I think I may need to change my lunch time to 12, to balance out the time between meals a little better. Around 2:30 or 3:00 I have some kind of small snack (Greek yogurt or a light cheese stick). Dinner is around 6ish and then I top off with another small snack at 8:30. This seems to be keeping me from getting overly hungry.</div>
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Here's an idea of what my days look like (this day I decided to have my shake-type-thing at second breakfast, trying to keep from getting food bored)</div>
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Breakfast</div>
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Better Oats Blueberry Muffin oatmeal (160)</div>
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1/2 cup coconut milk (NOT the stuff in the can, it's next to the almond milk - 45)</div>
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1 clementine (35)</div>
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Second Breakfast</div>
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Shake-type-thing (190)</div>
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Lunch</div>
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Salmon salad with (homemade, yes the recipe is coming!) mango dressing (193)</div>
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1 cup bing cherries (95)</div>
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Snack</div>
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Light cheese stick (70)</div>
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Dinner</div>
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<a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=57759">Crustless Spinach Ricotta Quiche</a> (264)</div>
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slice of whole wheat bread (70)</div>
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Snack</div>
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Oikos strawberry yogurt (90)</div>
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I thought I would also share some of my recipe resources. Probably the one I use most is <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/">Spark Recipes</a>. They have a free iPhone app that has been sitting on my phone, unused, for who knows how long. It gets plenty of use now! It has a feature that allows you to enter ingredients from a recipe and calculates the nutritional information for you. <a href="http://www.skinnytaste.com/">Gina's Skinny Recipes</a> is another good one, I pinned a BUNCH of her recipes the other night! Allrecipes.com has a <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-cooking/main.aspx?prop24=PN_2.4.4_SN.Healthy">healthy section</a> with some good stuff too.</div>
</center></center>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-18716902806410403142011-07-12T09:00:00.001-05:002012-02-07T18:07:31.514-06:00Revelations, realizations and resultsI promise that this isn't going to turn into a health and fitness blog, but it's important to me to keep a record of this. I gotta make this my focus in the early stages to make this part of my "normal" life.<br />
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<b>REVELATIONS</b><br />
-First off, I wanted to clarify the start date of this epic undertaking. June 28 was the visit to the doctor where the scale read 198. I think that and the high BP was the catalyst. <br />
-Oh, and this is not, I repeat NOT a diet. This is a new way of thinking about food and movement and what is does to and for my body. Food is NOT the enemy. Food is my friend and I LOVE food! Not a foods are created equal. That is something I think about before I put anything in my mouth.<br />
-I seem to have pretty much given up caffeine (specifically coffee). This was not something that I planned to do, it just kinda happened. I've been drinking a lot of green tea. If I could drink coffee black, I probably would still be drinking it.<br />
-I was subjected to a sleep study Saturday night. It was... interesting. The doc thinks I may have sleep apnea. Wires all over my head, chest and legs...<br />
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-Goals are always important to have. My first goal is lose 20lbs, cause I get another tattoo when that happens! Next will be to weigh less than the hubs. I'm not completely sure where he's at right now, but I know it's less than me. My long term is to be 130-135. <br />
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<b>REALIZATIONS</b><br />
-I should have done this LOOOOOOONG before I got to 198. It would've been easier when I wasn't working a full time job too. But I didn't, so now I just make a point to do some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes a day (I generally go for about 45 minutes though).<br />
-I knew this was serious when all I could think about at work the other day, was how I would rather be at home working out!<br />
-After some research and calculating, I discovered that I actually wasn't taking in enough calories a day. Hmmmm, you mean I get to eat MORE food??? Sounds good to me!! I'm pretty sure I'm even more obsessed with food now than I ever was before. It's like a game to find what's going to give me the most nutritional "bang" for my calorie "buck". My favorite new discovery is spaghetti squash!!<br />
-I don't really miss any of the "bad" foods I was eating before. I always thought it would be impossible to not have bread, pasta and sweets all the time. I just don't need that stuff.<br />
-I'm not sure how it happened, but I seem to have latched on to Jillian Michaels. It all started when I got interested in podcasts and found hers on iTunes. I've never watched Biggest Loser before, but I knew she was tough. Then I discovered some of her fitness equipment at Wal-Mart and heard people talking about her 30 Day Shred DVD. I got her newest DVD Ripped in 30 (haven't done it yet, I had to buy a sports bra before doing anything too vigorous!) and got a free 30 day trial of her website. I started the circuit training from her website last night... True story, I almost died! She is the devil! I (barely) made it through and I'll be doing the next set tonight!<br />
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RESULTS<br />
-I feel the need to add the *Results are not typical disclaimer to this next statement... I've lost 10lbs already! I was terrified to get on the scale, even though I could tell that my clothes were fitting better. I'm halfway to my tattoo!!!<br />
-I feel better, plain and simple. You put good stuff in and your body is happy! I really don't feel deprived of anything.<br />
-My kids are actually trying new things! M is generally pretty good about tasting pretty much anything. But A (the picky-butt) is even trying things!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWa62cMDUcTe7WXS-IQ95FwUKFW-idcyeCB47rosubI0b5gs2tHl8n-7a4uWCYxVFmhFW_TcGP9huMMJILClxHdVPZuoMrISmph18A9xGwyb1xHi7w1JI6nEpYgA2TnQgrdEU1XX-JdbwU/s1600/shebelieved.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWa62cMDUcTe7WXS-IQ95FwUKFW-idcyeCB47rosubI0b5gs2tHl8n-7a4uWCYxVFmhFW_TcGP9huMMJILClxHdVPZuoMrISmph18A9xGwyb1xHi7w1JI6nEpYgA2TnQgrdEU1XX-JdbwU/s400/shebelieved.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/49384523/she-believed-she-could-so-she-did-print?ref=v1_other_1">source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-38908015570720257942011-07-04T08:00:00.000-05:002012-02-07T18:07:49.854-06:00Today is MY independence dayI know I've been pretty much non-existant around blog-land. I've got some issues that I've been trying to handle and I decided it's time to hold myself accountable. I'm declaring today my independence day! I'm about to get real here for a minute..<br />
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I'm 34 and (I can't believe I'm typing this) almost 200lbs. If you've seen me in person, you are aware of the fact that I am "height challenged", so I am roughly 70lbs over weight. HOLY CRAP HOW DID THAT HAPPEN????? My body is not handling this mass well. I am an emotional eater. I soothe myself with food. I've GOT to make changes. I've got a husband and 2 kids that need me around.<br />
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Before I continue, let me give a little back story on some things you may not know about me. In 1997 I had a breast reduction. I was NOT overweight at the time and I was between DDD and E. This was the first "best thing" I have ever done for myself. About this time last year I had a hysterectomy after YEARS of issues with my period and trying just about ever kind of birth control known to man. Without getting too graphic, let's just say I was on my period WAY more than I was off. This was the second "best thing" I have ever done for myself.<br />
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I think I started struggling with with weight around 1998. It was always very roller coaster for me. I was in a really good place, weight wise, right before I got pregnant with A in 2005, things have gone downhill ever since.<br />
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I started noticing some strange changes once I went back to work. I was CONSTANTLY nodding off at my desk, I even fell asleep on the toilet one day. Always tired and no matter how much sleep I got (even Ambien induced sleep) I had no energy to speak of. I decided that I really needed to start some form of exercise so I started riding the stationary bike for 20+ minutes a day. After almost 3 weeks, while I didn't expect any drastic change, I had gained like 4lbs. Then came the pain in my left breast... After seeing the GYN, a mammogram and an ultrasound there's something there. The radiologist is pretty confident that it's just scar tissue from the reduction. I go back in 6 months for a re-check. I'm still trying to decide if I should push for a biopsy. With all these doctor visits I was getting comments that my blood pressure was a little high, so I made an appointment to have a little chat with my primary doc. We came to the conclusion that I do in fact have high blood pressure and he thinks I may have sleep apnea (I get to do one of those fantastic sleep studies). So, now I'm on BP meds and another med that keeps me awake. I'm starting to feel like a new person already! But this is only the beginning of the battle.<br />
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And now the part where I make a promise to myself to start eating better (I don't really think I eat THAT bad, but I can make better choices) and keep exercising. Today will mark the first ever great fridge and pantry purge in this household! One of my best mommy friends is working on turning her (air conditioned) garage into a home gym of sorts. We're gonna be work-out buddies! I'm dead serious about this... I WILL DO THIS! <br />
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As an incentive (and major motivator), when the first 20lbs are gone I get my next tattoo! So there it is. All spelled out for anyone to see. Happy independence day to ME!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8207272428305770856.post-35116141640127460912011-06-15T22:12:00.000-05:002012-02-07T18:08:00.139-06:00Change is goodI've been trying to make some changes... I started getting up at 5:15 (AM people...AM) so I could ride the stationary bike before work. I've made myself sit at my craft table (ok, I did have a wedding flower order to fill) and work on some new stuff for my poor neglected <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/applelovesorange?ref=si_shop">Etsy shop</a>. I reorganized my extensive collection of buttons into mason jars. I seem to be obsessed with those, can't pass them up with I find them in the thrift stores! I've come with a way to recycle my leftover business cards from shop migration. There are some new items in the planning stages that will hopefully be in the shop soonish. I figured I might as well give the shop a face lift while I was at it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New banner</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New avatar</td></tr>
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I tinkered is PSE9 a bit and decided to go with a vintagey feel (thanks to <a href="http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/">Rita's</a> actions!!) Now if I can just work in more time taking pictures...Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10851959492193759814noreply@blogger.com