Photo contest!

Since my last post was so serious, I decide to lighten things up and post some pictures of my awsome baby and enter a photo contest!  I have always loved photography and found this awesome site by Katie Evans, who gives amazing tips and has helped me improve on my passion! Thanks Katie! So here are my entries don't forget to stop by and vote for me on pintrest:

Entry #1

Entry #2

Entry #3

Peace, love and a 24"waist

Sounds perfect to me! So I picked up this book by Deborah Low Peace, love and a 24" waist. No no silly I didn't buy it, I actually made it to the library and borrowed it. I am done buying those dang books and wasting money! So I made it through the first couple of chapters and she asks some tough questions to open your eyes to evaluate how badly you are discriminating against yourself. Here are my questions/answers be nice this was brutal!

Do you often look in the mirror and cringe at your appearance? Yes. I have mentioned before that I will avoid the mirror for as long as I can. The last time I looked in the mirror and felt good was when I was pregnant. It's been 7 months since I gave birth.

When you encounter more fit or lean individuals do you feel inferior or envious? Yes. But I cover with humor and sarcasm. You guys can't tell can you? or can you?

If there were less of you, would you be more loved? No. I am so very loved by my husband, daughter and family. I don't know that I could be anymore loved. It's all about how I feel about myself, not how they feel about me.

Do you avoid certain social situations that may draw attention to your body?  Sometimes. I try to make excuses and I always change my outfit several times.

Do you associate your level of happiness with your weight? Yes. Even though I know I am loved, I often think if my clothes fit better I would be happier. Sometimes I think if I just left the house and became more social I would be happier and that would lead to weight loss but then I get dressed and nothing fits so I stay home.

Do you believe that by losing weight your life will become perfect?  Sometimes. I know it won't fix everything (the ex wife will always be there lol)

Do you feel that you will never be satisfied with you body? Yes! I have been before, many times. I know that I am not a stick thin type. I love my curves, I just don't love having curves and bumps where I never have before and is more obvious and unattractive. I loved being a size 8, I want to get back to that!

Deborah Low says "yes" answers reflect the damaging, judging and unloving beliefs that we hold about ourselves. She says this type of harsh self-judgement leaches joy from our lives. I believe it! I have been struggling with this "leaching" of joy since my body took on a life of it's own. I have struggled to balance the joy I have in life with my husband and children and this "leaching"

Well I did it. The first round of tough questions answered! On to the next chapter....

Dollar store craft #2- creepy wreath!!

So I saw this idea on the dollar store craft page but they used a feather boa! That was excellent but she mentioned she wondered how it would look with moss. I was hooked. I also now wondered how it would look with moss! Pretty creepy cool if you ask me!

My dollar store did not have any wreaths but they did have a foam ring so I figured "hey I can work with that!" they also had the moss, google eyes and fake roaches!

Plug in the glue gun and rip open the packages!

Lay down some glue and pat on some moss, cover everything!

Place google eyes at random...

Add ribbon and a few well placed roaches!

Hang on door and be awesome.

Halloween!!!

I have been avoiding talking about my weight because I have not lost any. None. Not a pound. So we are joining the family rec center near our house but not until rent is paid! So in the mean time.... Halloween is coming!! I love decorating for halloween. I have found some very cool decorations that I am going to make based on the dollar store!!! I will post them as I make them!

So my cousin is getting married and wants floating pearls in vases as her centerpiece. I think they are beautiful!

So I went to the craft store and found everything I needed to make them. Then I went to the dollar store and found they had the same things! But for a dollar!!

Pretty vase=1$

Aqua beads in a jar=1$

Beads=1$

Cool.

Once I got the elegant wedding centerpiece done, I had alot of stuff and nothing to do with it. So then I got creative. I decided to put these to use and make decorations for my house for halloween.

I went to the dollar store and picked up some skeletons and eye balls and this is what I ended up with!

The aqua beads are tricky to work with you have to find just the right amount of water vs aqua beads. However, my kids both think its cool with just the aqua beads or when the aqua beads start poking up ontop because they are getting dehydrated. It's also alot easier if you put the beads in and let them soak water for about half an hour then try to position your floating items!

Hello reality. I have been expecting you.

Me? Avoiding you? No No no reality you got it all wrong! I was not avoiding you.....I was going the long way around is all.

Okay yeah I have been avoiding the truth of my situation. I am, dare I say, over my weight limit. I have reached the cusp of my sexy and can go no further. I must recede the flood of fat that has overtaken my body and soul.  I meant to write the terms of my surrender but instead started picking on Disney and doing dollar store crafts. I'm not saying I am going to stop I'm just saying it was a good distraction!

I bought a pair of pants. I bought a pair of pants online and they don't fit. Return them you say? NO. I will not. I bought pants in a size I thought I would never wear and you know what? I still can't wear them but for all the wrong reasons!! My bootie is not so cutie.
So back to my original plan of action. Small changes. I must get back to the basics.
1. I will start drinking water instead of soda
2. I will wake up at 7am Tuesday thru Saturday and take the dog on a walk, someday a run.
3.No more brownies at midnight. Seriously I eat brownies at midnight and if there are any left over? I eat them for breakfast. It would be a shame to waste them after all.
4. I will try to limit my breads to one meal a day. I am a carb whore but I can be reborn again!

I begin, tomorrow. If not tomorrow the next day or the day after but someday and soon.
Just kidding I will start Friday. Okay okay I will start tomorrow, geez get off my back!

dollar store craft #1... magnets

SO I googled Dollar store crafts and I found a wealth of information! Needless to say I have been obsessed ever since. The possibilities are endless! Ouch. Brain Freeze. I saw this awesome post about making your own magnets from little toys the kids leave around the house! How freaking cool!I knew I had to do it! Of course, when my kids leave little toys around the house I just throw them away (don't tell the kids) so I had to go to the dollar store and buy some little toys! I saw some Toy Story toys and some little cars so I gave it a try! Pretty cute but they have a hard time holding on so I don't think they will be holding anything! I made these and thought of my nephew's birthday coming up and I think these will be in his gift! (don't tell) So many secrets, so little time! Enjoy!
Here is how I did it.

Totally cool right?

Lesson from Toy Story...

Here is what we learned today from Toy Story. Sometimes it's better to play dead and pretend you don't know what's going on.

We tried several different facial expressions to see how to blend in better. Let me know what you think!

This is our wide eyed, non blinking stare.

Our sleeping pose

Oops! Busted. Classic.

She got creative and thought it might look more authentic if she had a tag also

Got a little grumpy at the end but so cute.