Playing Tag

I've been playing a lot with tags lately. For this page I thought it would be fun to layer them to create a banner and then sew it to the page. Then I started adding different ribbon and twine to include some texture. Finishing it off with a few buttons and brads for a hard/soft effect. 

Loving the way it turned out... and the colors that are trending in products right now are right up my alley.

Project Weight Loss Update

Time to catch you all up on my weight loss news.
So far I've lost 46 lbs. since having Dezmond.
31 of it since buckling down January 1st.

How am I doing this?
Blood. Sweat. Tears.
Ok, not really. Really it's just a ton of meal planning to set myself up for success. Trips to the gym. Crowbarring in workouts whenever possible. Saying no to temptation. Making consistent healthy choices. Eating regularly. Allowing myself one "free day" a week to eat/do whatever I want (and limiting this to one day only). Switching high calorie/sugar foods out for healthier versions. Telling myself that I am worth all of this hard work and dedication. Believing that I can be the best possible version of myself... and that I'm the only one who can make it happen.

If you've been following along you know that I have the Bluegrass Half Marathon this Saturday (bring it on baby!). I've been training hard and this will be my third half (I've also done a full marathon and a couple of 5k's). I feel so ready.... even though due to a high ankle sprain a lot of my training has been off the road and on machines and weights and in the zumba studio. :) I can't believe how much stronger and prepared that has made me feel for this as compared to my previous races. It will be interesting to see how it plays out on race day........

Yesterday I ran 10 miles (in the FUH-reezing cold rain) and today.....

I'm not even sore! Not one bit!

Here's some pictures of my progress....

I took these in the first week of my new healthy lifestyle....

These were taken yesterday....

When I started this process on New Years Day I remember feeling like I really wanted to lose 40, but like that would be really hard and maybe not even possible. So I focused on smaller weight loss chunks. I took it five pounds at a time and eventually it all began to add up. 46 lbs. is a huge loss, but honestly my goal is to lose another 20 to be at the fittest/healthiest weight possible.

Over the next couple of months I will focus on dialing in and fine tuning my nutrition. Balancing a work out plan that is fun, builds muscle tone, and is most importantly doable with my role as wife and Mom. I feel really incredible for what I have been able to accomplish this far... but really I can't wait to see how much further I can take this.

not "the one" but so much better

If you're a Mom I'm sure you can share my plight in the endless pursuit of, "the one." You know, the one good photo of your kids that you just happened to be lucky enough to capture. The one where they look all perfect and harmless and not rotten at all..............

When it comes to my kids I take several (or even more than several) photos of them in an attempt to get the one. Let's be real though, people. Pulling this off is rare. These squirly little sprites get distracted, pull on each other, tickle, look at each other to make sure the other one is smiling properly at the camera, pick their noses (whose kids are these anyway? so gross)... and even sometimes end up falling down and giggling their fool heads off, forgetting what they were supposed to do in the first place. (Um. Helllloooo, trying to take a picture here!) 

Sometimes when I'm on the hunt for that perfect photo I get something so much better. Photos infused with unmistakable personality... so utterly them right now. Much like the outtakes at the end of a movie they become my favorite part.

Maybe one day I'll get a perfect photo of all four of my kids smiling sweetly and calmly at the camera without any dirt on their clothes or food in their teeth......  hair perfectly coiffed, shirts tucked in, outfits matching..... sitting up straight and being still.... they won't be bugging each other or annoying me at all (and then I'll know that it was totally rigged.)

ironic side note: Ev's shirt says "No Pictures Please."

Going Mad

My Mom is in town and is a HUGE college basketball fan. More specifically, a HUGE Gonzaga basketball fanatic. And when I say HUGE I mean: googles obscure video footage of the Zags, buys every single shred of printed material involving the Zags, and rests her head on a bulldog pillow under a Zags comforter set at night (but only this week since she is staying in Nakiah's bed) :). Her fan-mania knows no bounds. Well. Long story short, the NCAA March Madness tournament started today so we are, and will be, watching a lot of basketball in the next couple of weeks.

We've already managed to scream at the tv so loud (my Mother is best known for almost breaking her ankle while jumping up and down for a Denver Broncos regular season game........ while watching it at home in her own living room. Let's just say she gets really into the games...and maybe even thinks that she's actually the one coaching them....)(Not gonna lie to you.... she's a little cray)(Don't worry, she doesn't read this crappy little blog... so I could pretty much write anything I want to about her right now)(did I mention she's kinda nuts?) that Dezmond got totally freaked and cried louder then I even knew he was capable of. Poor kid. (He better get used to it because the further the Zags advance the more serious this tournament gets.) It's madness.

GO ZAGS!

So You

Thought I'd share a quick layout today. This is a great example of getting lots of photos on a single page.. I find myself snapping several photos in succession whenever the kids are making funny faces or telling a story. I love how you can look back at the photos later and they are just so "them," infused with unique personality.

Nakiah made the observation that sometimes looking through my iphoto is like flipping through a flip book. You see the slightest movements creating an action. I might play with this idea soon and do something with Dezmond rolling in slow motion. (He rolls from back to front in about .2 seconds now! I swear he's going to be crawling, like, tomorrow. yikes.)

(PS-I can't stop using that black and white Echo Park patterned paper! I am down to one last little strip. Does that ever happen to you?)

Toofers

Forgot to tell you... this little dude got his two bottom teeth.

He's really thrilled about it. I think that's because he knows he's a big boy now and any day he'll be graduating high school and off into the world on his own..... 

I am not thrilled. Mostly because it means he's biting me at the end of nursing now as a friendly little signal that he's done.... or as a signal that he is much too busy for this nursing thing and wants to play whenever he hears his sister making noises (constantly)(seriously. he's like a dog. even when she's in the basement he perks up cuz he hears the fun happening in the distance.).

So. I'm pretty much constantly getting bit on the nipple people... and shouting (NO! OUCH! and other things I'm not proud of) at my baby like a crazy person and dreaming of the day when I can finally ship him off to college.

But in all honestly, his teeth are pretty cute..........

and I will be weaning soon.

Enjoy the Ride

Something that my little family has in common (well, we don't really know about Dez yet, but I'm guessing he'll be on board) is the love of a good thrill ride. The crazier the coaster, the better. Even Evareaux gets in on the action. I could not have been more jealous over the summer each time the four of them hopped on to enjoy the fun together. But... the one good thing about being on the sidelines is that I got to take lots of photos to document..... Love this photo of the four of them with giant grins plastered on their faces.

Lately I've been doing a lot of rainbow colored mist splatters and sequins strewn across my pages. It just takes the glitz to a new level. haha. Hopefully this summer I can get in on a few thrills since I don't have a passenger of my own. Maybe I'll teach Dezi how to use a camera. :)

My Scrappy Reward

I recently reached one of my weight loss goals and earned my first reward. (Forgot to tell you all about that... basically for every five lbs. I lose from here on out I have set a predetermined reward. Something to keep me extra motivated....) This incentive was a "day off"... you know, from my job.... which is taking care of the kids and the house........... poor Hottie assumed a day off meant from diet and exercise and I was all, "NO! That defeats the purpose of a healthy prize!" So we compromised and instead of ditching the entire family from sun up to sun down (as I had originally envisioned) I took Dezi and headed to Louisville for some shop shoppin'..... and did some serious damage at Achievers.................

Wanna see what I got?

Tons of the new Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper Line.

Amy Tangerine and Dear Lizzy American Crafts goodies.

Patterned paper that's recently been released, including some with journal spots that I plan to use on project life here and there.

I might have been so excited about these bows that I had to use one on a page before I could even snap pictures. and I may have to buy 4 more packs... seriously the cutest....

From the second I stepped into the store I knew I was in trouble. I saw all the "NEW" signage and "FRESH FROM CHA." I was texting Hottie like, "uh, oh. This could get ugly. They have all the stuff I've been waiting for." Luckily he understood. :) So it was an awesome reward and I can honestly say even though I spent a lot of dough I will use every single item... and hey, I worked my butt off for that stuff! 43 lbs of it so far!

Washi Wednesday

Last week I was sitting at my desk totally uninspired but wanting to create. I had at least 30 min. before someone would need a butt wiped or a juice cup filled (it's reality people... and don't worry... I wash my hands first)... Then I looked over to see my tapes sitting all pretty and organized in the little rainbow rows I've arranged... and it hit me. Washi Wednesday! It's been forever! So I grabbed a couple of rows worth of colors and got to it.

Oh Washi Wednesday, I have missed you so...... 

Here's What I made....

I took some pictures along the way to show you how it came together.
First I tore a long piece of tape and then doubled it over so that it would stick to itself.
Next I cut the upside down v's.
Then arranged the pieces in the order I wanted on the page....

 You can see faint pencil lines I drew on cardstock to serve as guides for the banner placement.

Once I had enough tapes cut and arranged to fill the page I slid them off to the side out of the way (still in the order I want)....

Then I added one row at a time to the paper to be sewn on.

I used the tiniest dab of adhesive towards the top to keep them in place for my sewing machine....

Then I began adding the rest of the rows.
Sewing right on top of the row underneath as they overlapped....

Here's what it looked like before the photos and embellishments were added....

Then I searched for the perfect fun photos to match... (usually I do this in reverse. I start almost every layout with a photo first and then pull supplies accordingly.. but when you're stuck in a creative rut sometimes reversing your normal process works wonders! and the washi was calling to me.)

I found this photo booth strip of me and Hottie that I have been wanting to scrap forever and I must say I feel it's the perfect fit!

Then I dug into my stash for some layering options, sparkles, stamps, finishing touches.

Here it is again...

And here's to hoping that I can complete some Washi Wednesday posts more regularly in the future! God knows I have enough tape to post for the next year.

Color Me Rad

Last Saturday I ran the Color me Rad 5k with my sister in law, Amber. It was SO MUCH FUN! And FREEZING. It literally snowed (the tiniest bit, but still.) while we were running. brrrrr. These Cali girls almost froze their Wonder Woman socks off!

Here's us before.....

I'm tugging on my shirt... probably because I'm not used to working out in shirts that are so tight... and honestly I was wondering if I'd look fat in the photos and if this was my best angle.... then I switch it up and inform Hottie that if I look fat in these photos it will be all his fault.....

We laugh that we were both making these little shifts... hand here, leg here, hip there... to look as skinny as possible....

(side note: luckily I feel like we were looking prettttttty good. hard work paying off!)

Then after waiting around at the start and bopping to some rad tunes to keep warm(ish)(ok. not warm at all, we were freezing.) we started the run. 

Hottie and the rest of our crew were at a couple of the color stations....

How cute are we?! (I'll answer for you... we are super cute) With our Wonder Woman socks flapping in the wind and our matching hairdos.

Here's after....

We didn't get as bombed as I thought we would. and froze. and ran in the mud. and our kids got a bit tooooo cold. But. I love this stuff. I live for fun races like this. I couldn't stop smiling from ear to ear. I feel proud when my kids see me running in the crowd and crossing the finish line. It was super cool to have a running partner to complete the race with... and dress all matchy match and cute with. So glad Amber and her family made the drive from Virginia to do this with me.

It feels pretty cool that on any given day I can get up and run a 5k like it's no big thing....

(and a medical update: My niece is doing fine now. They left yesterday afternoon after staying an extra night to make sure she could travel safely. She's still not 100% but is getting rest and is breathing a lot better. Thank goodness for that. So glad they are in tune enough with her to realize there was a big problem and taking her to the hospital before things got really ugly. Parenting is rad.)

Party of 5. and a half.

Here is a throwback photo (wow, belly. Just. wow.) on a recent layout. 

While I was prego I just kept thinking how strange it was that we were about to be a family of 6. SIX! Yeah. We take up so much space at restaurants, ya'll. It's bananas. I still get totally weirded out when we load up the car to go somewhere or are walking around as a family. There are just SO many of us! haha, I'm a weirdo. Maybe one day I will get used to being a party of six.

On another note, I ran a really rad 5k this morning with my sister in law. It was so much fun and I have pictures to share so I'll do that soon. Sadly my little niece came down with croup overnight and they are with her in the hospital now (she's doing ok. just scary. and needing breathing treatments and observation.) so we have a house full of kiddos and only two adults..... lets hope they don't realize we are outnumbered. needless to say we have our hands full. ... and I can't stop worrying about poor Cambry.... isn't it the worst when the little ones are sick?