Sugar Free Day 14

It's been 2 whole weeks since I last tasted sugar! The first week was pretty rough - headaches, tired, irritable. It was like an entire week of PMS. The second week - so much better!

I have more energy than I've had in years and I'm going to bed at night with that "good kind of tired" feeling; not exhausted because my body feels like it's failing me, tired because I am accomplishing so much during the day.

The second huge change is in my head. I was really beginning to think that I had adult ADD-seriously; I just couldn't focus and seemed to move from one project to the next without completing a thing. It was driving me nuts. The fuzzy feeling in my brain is gone. I am so on task, it's almost ridiculous.

So, I know I said that I am not going to have sugar until Christmas, but I've changed my mind. I am going to have a piece of pie on Thanksgiving, because I make a really, really good apple pie. But will I have a second piece after everyone leaves? No. Will I have another the following morning with my coffee? I will not. Because I really like the way I'm feeling.

Mantle Reveal

I pretty much love my mantle.  The pics just don’t do it justice; it is really, really hard to get a good picture when a mirror is the backdrop!    The wreath has a nice antiquey feel, thanks to the coffee staining.  Thanks again to Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for the great idea!  Check it out…

and yes, that is a ceiling fan with GOLD trim in the background.  We are in the process of updating our 20-year-old home with all new fixtures. It’s a pricey endeavor.  Look for posts on the updates in the near future!

What are your fall decorating projects?

Black Shutter Backdrop

I found these great shutters at a garage sale last weekend for only $3 bucks!  Don’t you love it when that happens?!  I thought they would make the perfect addition to my boring mantle, but the color was all wrong.  Great for shabby chic, wrong for Fall mantle.

So, of course I decided to spray paint them.  I used Krylon Indoor/Outdoor #51602 in Flat Black. I love Krylon paints, they have great coverage and their sprayers never clog!  I sound like a commercial, but seriously, I love their products.

Here’s a sneak peek of how they look on my mantle.  I’m not in love with the candle holders for this – I may change them.

Check back soon for my complete mantle reveal!

Fabulous Book Paper Wreath

I love this wreath!  Gina over at Shabby Creek Cottage gave me the idea to turn her Book Page Garland into a wreath.  It was so much fun to make!  Be sure to check out Gina’s blog; everything she makes is super-cute, plus she’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how to make the paper “flowers/ruffles/goodness.”

I started with a wreath form that I picked up at Michael’s for $4.  Because I am hanging the wreath on a mirror, I didn’t want the staples to scratch.

Then I made a whole bunch of book page “flowers”

I hot-glued 2 pieces at a time per glob (technical term)  of hot glue.

I am thrilled with the results! I hung it from a piece of burnt-orange satin ribbon.  I used a 3M Command Strip hook to attach it to my mirror. 

Disclaimer:  It is really difficult to take a decent picture when a giant mirror is the backdrop!

The mantle reveal is almost here.  Be sure to check back!

My Succulent Garden

Succulents are the perfect plants for our Southern California heat. When the temps reach 100 plus degrees, they are one of the few plants still standing. I recently sent a bunch of succulent clippings to Maggie over at Gussy Sews. I hope she’s ready; I went a little nuts with the clippers. While in my garden, I thought it would be nice to snap a few pictures of my favorites and share them with you. I don’t know all of the names, but I love them all!

I tried for several summers to grow strawberries in this pot, but they always cooked. The succulents thrive in here!

This used to be home to my vegetable garden, but when it got too shady I planted a succulent garden instead.

Some of my favorite “color bowls”.

This is my favorite pot. It’s a super-heavy, rusty cast iron kettle – LOVE!

The one’s shaped like flowers are some of my faves!

A little cactus/succulent medley.

What’s going on in your garden? I’d love to hear all about it!

Glittery Stacked Pumpkins

I’ve been wrestling with my boring mantle for weeks. It just isn’t the fall splendor that I’m looking for. I found these stacked pumpkins at a craft fair. I thought they were perfect until I got them home and realized they were way too bright-orange for my décor. The putty colored pot didn’t do a thing for them either. So, I decided to modify a bit. Check it out…

Before…

I brushed each pumkin with Mod Podge. You could easily use watered-down white glue, but I like Mod Podge because it’s already the perfect consistency for brushing.

Next I sprinkled it with glitter. I love Martha Stewart glitters! They come in the coolest colors and are super-fine texture. This color is Fire Opal, the stem is Peridot.

Voila! The finished product is exactly what I wanted. I spray painted the pot using Krylon Flat Black Indoor/Outdoor #51602.

I’ll show it to you on my mantle in the next day or so. Be sure to check back!

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Sugar Free–Day 5

I can’t believe I’ve gone 5 days! What surprises me the most is how often I was gravitating towards sugar. I’ve stopped myself several times from grabbing something sweet. I walked in the house and without even a thought, reached for a cookie from the cookie jar. Now I’m not talking about sitting down with a couple of cookies and a glass of milk and savoring the experience. I’m talking about mindlessly going to the cookie jar and grabbing a cookie – just out of habit, or boredom, whatever. It’s been very eye-opening. I can honestly say that I feel better. I can also say that I still want something sweet. Every. Day. But not as much as I did on the first day, so it is getting better. And my headache is finally gone. I’ll let you know how my week progresses. Please feel free to comment; I'd love to hear from you!

Sugar Free–Day One

I’ve decided that it’s time to get serious –seriously. I wake up thinking about my weight, I go to bed lamenting about my weight. Whether you have five or fifty unwanted pounds, I know you get it. I think Oprah said it best: “after all these years, I can’t believe I’m still talking about this.” “This”, of course, being her weight. One of the richest and most powerful women in the world, and even she can’t get a grip.

Why am I blogging about this? I’m really not sure. It’s a deeply personal battle – one that has been going on for most of my adult life. I don’t think I’ve ever been comfortable with my body. It’s sad – I look at old pictures and want to scream at my young self “why are you wearing that baggy sweatshirt?!” If I had that body now, I promise I would appreciate it more. Really.

I’ve been on Weight Watcher’s since March and I’ve lost 19 lbs. I know, “great job!” Um, did you hear me? I said since March. That’s 8 months! I should be at my goal, but like Oprah, I’m still talking about it. The thing is, I know it works so I’m going to stick with it. And I’m actually going to follow the plan – every day. I’ve also come realize that sugar is a huge trigger for me. No, I’m not sitting around eating cake all day, but I do like some sort of sweet at some point during most days. The thing is, it tastes good but it almost always makes me feel crappy. And it makes me want more. So, I’ve decided to eliminate sugar from my diet until Christmas. I’m normally not a fan of any sort of deprivation, but I think this will be good for me. Call it a sugar detox.

Today was my first no-sugar day. I have a screamin’ headache, but I will not cave. I have the Def Leppard song “Pour Some Sugar on Me” stuck in my head. Coincidence? I think not.

So, if you’d like, you can follow me on my journey. Comment if you’d like, or not. I will post as the need arises and keep you updated on my quest. Wish me luck and say a prayer!

Boring Mantle Rescue?

I came across this awesome garland idea from Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage. If you haven’t seen her, then you are missing out! She is crazy-creative!!

She made this garland from book pages that she coffee-stained and stapled together. I love this! How do you think it will look on my (currently) boring mantle? I think I’ll give it a whirl. Thanks for the idea Gina!

“Fall” in Love

Fall is by far my favorite season. I love the cooler weather, the turning leaves, fall decorations, soup on the stove, fire in the fireplace – I love it all. Check out my dining room table centerpiece. My friend Joy made it for me; she is a true talent!

I think my mantle needs a little help. What do you think? I dig the center floral, but I think I need something running along the length of the mantle. Check out the sugar pinecones in the bottom right. Brad (hubby) risked his life to grab these off the side of the road for me – on a hairpin turn! I need to figure out a way to display them more prominently because I really, really, love them!

Just in case you can’t see them clearly above…

What are your favorite fall decorating ideas? I’d love to hear them!