Wedding Pics.....

July 29, 2012

I took some photos while all us ladies were getting ready for the wedding....




I think they came out so cute!! (Can you tell I am also addicted to Instagram??)

Reality......The unforgivng MOTIVATION

July 28, 2012

It's amazing how time flies....even though some time has past I'm stuck in this painful "reality". My son will be two months old on August 4th and I am no closer to my "ideal" body weight. I can honestly say that I have been trying, but I have such a long road ahead that I fear I will loose focus and give up....
Yesterday was one of my good friends wedding day...A day that was (supposed) to be an all out happy, fun day was far more upsetting for me. It was a beautiful day and the bride looked absolutely GORGEOUS as did my fellow bridesmaids....... I came upon a picture of myself and the wedding party and I could just cry. Every time I saw my reflection I shuttered.... Such a cruel reality to finally realize that my weight has taken over my life once again.... I have put on 50lbs with my second child that will take me over a year to take off and that reality is just to much to bear knowing that I have to face the world each day at this most unattractive weight..... I fear what others think of me and I am not the person I want to be and who I know I am deep down inside.
I am much to familiar with this type of "pain" growing up a heavy little girl with a beautiful face.... When I finally did take charge of my weight I always feared deep down that one day I would gain all that weight back......And now that is my painful reality. I fear my struggle will continue to take me down..... The finish line feels so far away, yet I know it will creep up to me.
So now it's time to face my fear head on. As sad as it is I'm more concerned as to how the world view's me at this weight....I feel judged at every moment and it was so hard for me to walk down a long church isle with eyes on my large figure. I simply just smiled and pretended that I was the skinny girl walking down the isle on my own wedding day...... I didn't even dance or have as much fun because I just felt like the "fat girl" in the room. It's crazy to me because I am a grown thirty something woman with a loving husband and two beautiful children, but when I look at myself in the mirror all I see is a freighted fifteen year old with a letter to her mother asking for help to loose weight and be a normal, happy young woman......
So my journey continues.... The scale has yet to move in three weeks.... I guess it's time to fighter harder and get my act together. The hardest part? Admitting to the world the harsh reality that I am overweight....That is my first step...Stop hiding and taking responsibility for my weight and who i am at this very moment and start doing something about it. So when those wedding pictures pop up on Facebook I will just have to cringe and realize the woman I see in those photos is who I am right at this moment and the only person that can make her change is me......

My New Favorite Fashion Blog

July 25, 2012

Once again while getting my daily (ok hourly) fix on Pintrest I came across this AMAZING fashion blog Outfit Posts. This blog is filled with the latest fashion and she gives you the "budget" or affordable version of each and every outfit! It's truly amazing and is now my #1 fashion go to blog!! Here is one of my favorite outfits on the site. She also gives you a detailed description of where she found each piece and prices!! Not too shabby!!
The dress is from Black and White Market and the shoes are Betsey Johnson.

Gracie's New "Big Sister" Room Inspiration


We recently turned our upstairs space into two new bedrooms; one for our new baby boy JJ and the other for our daughter and "big sister" Gracie. Gracie's old room was a color pallet of pink and brown and was filled with lots of "baby" items, so I wanted her new big sister room to be vibrant, updated, yet cozy and fun. So once again I went to trusty Pintrest for inspiration and ideas and here are the ideas that made my top five list.
This I found here. I love the pink and aqua blue and the wall gallery above the crib. I really want to replicate the wall, but Gracie's bedroom has very narrow walls so I will have to modify it some how.

This next room I found here. I love the window treatments. Now I just need to find someone to make them for me!
Now, I just adore the fabric in this picture. I couldn't find the exact print, but I did find some thing very similar on my other favorite site Etsy.
I plan on having a comforter made in this fabric

I also had pillows made like the one above with coordinating fabric like this
That's pretty much it. I'm still trying to find the perfect little mirror for her desk and a frame for the letter "G" to go over her bed..... Stay tuned!

A Little Motivation.....

July 24, 2012

....Good Night All

Cute Calendar Onzie Tutorial






I wanted a really cute announcement for our new baby boy. I wanted something different that wasn't your standard, cookie cutter "infant photo shoot" announcement picture. So I went to trusty Pintrest for some inspiration and I found this. The only problem was the picture was uploaded by user onto Pintrest which meant that I couldn't find out where or how the onzie was made. So I adored this idea so much that I decided to DIM and this is how I did it.


I purchased plain white onzies from Carters (you can also get cheaper ones at Micheal's or Babies R Us)  I was in a bit of a hurry and I can walk to Carters from my house and I had a coupon so Carters it was! I also stopped at Staples and purchased Avery 3271 Light Fabric Transfers iron-on transfer paper for ink jet printers. Then I created a calendar on Word. Now here's the tricky part. In order for you to print the calendar the correct way onto the iron on paper you have to adjust you printer so it will print the calendar in reverse. Simply go to your printer options in your print preview and there will be an option to reverse (or flip) the print. Then you simply use a warm iron with no steam, iron on and your done!! You can do this on T-shirts for gifts or birthday parties!! Not too shabby!!


Cranky Old Man....

I came upon this poem on Facebook this morning..... Inspiring and eye opening....
 
 
When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meagre possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old m...an's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM (originally by Phyllis McCormack; adapted by Dave Griffith)

Addicted to Pinterest!

July 23, 2012

I am offically addicted to Pinterest as you can see here. Ever since I discovered this site (thanks to Melanie) at My Sweet Savannah I have been inspired to create and bake things I would have never imagined had it not been for Pinterest. If I could make "pinnig" my full time job I would be a millionare!!

July 19, 2012

It's been a crazy few months around here...... Between the new baby and all kinds of parties and getting ready for my friend's wedding (that I happen to be in!!) it's so hard to keep up with posts (not to mention this is all very new to me).
I've decided to chronicle my weight loss journey. After having two kids and being put on bed rest for high blood pressure with my second I am back to where I started 15 years ago. I am currently 10 pounds heavier that I was when I decided to start loosing weight and taking better care of myself. I was a junior in high school and struggled with my weight all through childhood. And now I find myself feeling the same fears and challenges. This is the starting point I vowed NEVER to let myself get back to..... and so here I am, back at the starting line.....Here is a picture of my goal that is my motivation....... Me on my honeymoon.
Wish me luck!!