DIY Paper Flowers

I saw these a while ago and fell in love with them, so when I was on Pinterest

last week I pinned a lot of tutorials. 

Here are some pictures:

 

Making some of these for fall and the holidays! 

Seriously?! The Movie*

I know, I know, I know, this movie is my life! 

I am tempted to hire a body double until I reach my goal weight! 😂😂😂😭😭😭

I have been in this series since I reached a "particular age" lol.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? 

"Could you pulleease get another obsession?!" 

So for the sanity of the rest of you, I will rotate me obsessions. 

And this is only because I don't want to hear it.

Oh, but quickly before I change the subject; eating cleaner, working out, drinking water 

are working wonders (in my sing-song voice).

My secret weapon intermittent fasting. 

Calorie deficit works, but I do not want to slow down my metabolism, 

so giving my gut time to empty and forcing my body to use reserves is the best option.

Steel Cut Oats

Wow that picture is way smaller than I thought it would be.

I found this on Pinterest and thought I would share.

http://pin.it/DGW3Nr0

Side note: I tried the link and it took me to Pinterest, but not to the recipe.

Search: Steel Cut Oats Slow Cooker.  

Recently, I tried steel cut oats. I loved the flavor and the texture, but could not

stand the amount of time it took to cook. I almost gave up until I found the above.

(Can you hear sing?) 

I've eaten rolled oats my entire life up until this point. I could eat oatmeal everyday.

But steel cut tastes better. It's taste is similar to that of brown rice and walnuts (in my opinion),

and I love both of those.

The down side, it takes 30 minutes or more to cook, 30 minutes of watching and stirring - 

time that I can never get back.

Many of you would say, "it's just oatmeal." No it's not! It's nutritious and delicious. 

And, and get this - because it takes the body longer to break down, you stay fuller

longer.

Drum roll please! The time in a crockpot, 7 to 8 hours overnight! 

I'm done, have a nice morning.

DIY Beanie Slouchy Hat

So, I crocheted my first hat. Let's just say it did not turn

out the way I envisioned it would be. It took me more than ten hours.

So now, I am going for the cool DIY hat.

That's right folks. I am going the easy route. Why?!

Because I can and I am saving several old sweaters from the landfill.

FYI Goodwill has a 99 cent section, IKR?! 

I found two cool sweaters one for day and one for night. And I watched the following video

as a guide:

https://youtu.be/0jg9DWUqTnw

 

I am excited that the hats will take me less than an hour to make.

Even though the directions say glue (10 mins) or sew (30min to 1 hour), I am sewing them

as I do not want to have to retouch them after I am done.

So take an opportunity to recycle some clothing and save yourself some time.

Happy DIY'ing.

Blog Thoughts

I love to write, create, share, and inspire. However, there has to be balance. 

Oftentimes I watch YouTube. I love listening and watching people be creative. 

But what inevitably happens, is other parts of their lives creep into the dialogue. 

Most of the time it's not a problem, but once that happens, the audience "feels"

the need to encroach on the host personal life as well. That is why I like the you tubers 

that keep certain aspects of their personal lives private.

My Blog invites readers to come along with me in the things that I share.

If you look through my blog, you would think that I have always had a weight problem.

I have not.

I freaked out when I hit a size 8. After that, I started yo-yo dieting and messing up my system. 

I am happy to report that I have calmed down "A LOT" and educated myself about the female 

maturing body.

Now I am free to shed my unwanted pounds while being kinder to myself. 

So back to blogging. 

I have found balance and will start contributing to my blog again.

Some of the things I am working on;

 Bullet journaling (still)

 Knitting and crocheting

 Reading books

 Crosstitching

and becoming a minimalist.

Looks like a lot, but I am working on dedicating focused time to each endeavor.

I still have many interest and will share some of my favs.

Ciao!

The Holy Spirit Leads Us Into All Truth

Proverbs 24Amplified Bible (AMP)

Precepts and Warnings

24 Do not be envious of evil men,
Nor desire to be with them;
2 
For their minds plot violence,
And their lips talk of trouble [for the innocent].

3 
Through [skillful and godly] wisdom a house [a life, a home, a family] is built,
And by understanding it is established [on a sound and good foundation],
4 
And by knowledge its rooms are filled
With all precious and pleasant riches.

5 
A wise man is strong,
And a man of knowledge strengthens his power;
6 
For by wise guidance you can wage your war,
And in an abundance of [wise] counselors there is victory and safety.

7 
Wisdom is too exalted for a [hardened, arrogant] [a]fool;
He does not open his mouth in the gate [where the city’s rulers sit in judgment].

8 
He who plans to do evil
Will be called a schemer or deviser of evil.
9 
The devising of folly is sin,
And the scoffer is repulsive to men.

10 
If you are slack (careless) in the day of distress,
Your strength is limited.

11 
Rescue those who are being taken away to death,
And those who stagger to the slaughter, Oh hold them back [from their doom]!
12 
If you [claim ignorance and] say, “See, we did not know this,”
Does He not consider it who weighs and examines the hearts and their motives?
And does He not know it who guards your life andkeeps your soul?
And will He not repay [you and] every man according to his works?

13 
My son, eat honey, because it is good,
And the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 
Know that [skillful and godly] wisdom is [so very good] for your life and soul;
If you find wisdom, then there will be a future and a reward,
And your hope and expectation will not be cut off.

15 
Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous;
Do not destroy his resting place;
16 
For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,
But the wicked stumble in time of disaster andcollapse.

17 
Do not rejoice and gloat when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad [in self-righteousness] when he stumbles,
18 
Or the Lord will see your gloating and be displeased,
And turn His anger away from your enemy.

19 
Do not get upset because of evildoers,
Or be envious of the wicked,
20 
For there will be no future for the evil man;
The lamp of the wicked will be put out.

21 
My son, fear the Lord and the king;
And do not associate with those who are given to change [of allegiance, and are revolutionary],
22 
For their tragedy will rise suddenly,
And who knows the punishment that both [the Lordand the king] will bring on the rebellious?

23 
These also are sayings of the wise:
To show partiality in judgment is not good.
24 
He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Peoples will curse him, nations will denounce him;
25 
But to those [honorable judges] who rebuke the wicked, it will go well with them and they will find delight,
And a good blessing will come upon them.
26 
He kisses the lips [and wins the hearts of people]
Who gives a right and straightforward answer.

27 
Prepare your work outside
And get it ready for yourself in the field;
[b]Afterward build your house and establish a home.

28 
Do not be a witness against your [c]neighbor without cause,
And do not deceive with your lips [speak neither lies nor half-truths].
29 
Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay the man back for his deed.”

30 
I went by the field of the lazy man,
And by the vineyard of the man lacking understanding and common sense;
31 
And, behold, it was all overgrown with thorns,
And nettles were covering its surface,
And its stone wall was broken down.
32 
When I saw, I considered it well;
I looked and received instruction.
33 
“Yet a little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest [and daydream],”
34 
Then your poverty will come as a robber,
And your want like an armed man.

Footnotes:

1. Proverbs 24:7 See note 1:7.
2. Proverbs 24:27 Establishing your priorities and proceeding in an orderly manner brings its own reward.
3. Proverbs 24:28 I.e. anyone who comes into your life, not necessarily one who lives nearby.

Amplified Bible (AMP)

Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

It's been 16 Hours and 81 Days...

Since I blogged (not 100% exact, but pretty close).

So why am I back? Because writing is cathartic. 

So, I thought I'd share my new hobby, I'm so excited, bullet journaling.

I know right?! 

Journaling helps me organize my daily, weekly, and monthly habits. It also

helps free up my time to do other things.

The above is part of the reason why I haven't blogged.

So adding blogging to my schedule will help organize my thoughts and 

blog consistently with interesting topics.

If there is actually someone reading this blog, feel free to suggest topics.

Researching is one of my favs and learning from everything around me is fun.

It's Sunday and the God of all creation is to be praised.

 Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God;

  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

God is awesome and terrible. He is all knowing and everywhere. People get angry with

Him and one time, I was tempted, but I ended up praising Him instead. 

Enjoy, your Sunday!

Celebrating And Mourning

Wow, 22 days into this quarter and several shockers have happened.

Today is Earth Day! 

4/20 celebrated "Weed."

On 4/20 reigning women's pro wrestler found dead.

And Prince, awwww...PRINCE passed away 4/21. 

Drugs are bad, okay?! 

We, John Q. Public, are shocked, but I know that the people 

in their circles were not surprised.

I could write something scathing, but why? I don't know the facts surrounding 

their deaths.

All I,  truly, know is that these two will be greatly missed.

It's surreal, that is all.

Success Story

I forgot to post! 

I vowed to give up "laziness" for Lent.

I accomplished more in the first quarter, than I did all last year! As far as home organization goes.

IKR?!

I managed to go through all of the closets. Purging and organizing is very therapeutic, let me tell ya'. 

The final frontier, office supplies and clothing.

I love pens, pencils, markers, paper, crafts and all things DIY. This years' goal, pare down

and plan DIY's for each quarter.

Becoming a minimalist is not easy, but it's worth the freedom from stuff.

Wanna become a minimalist? Below is a link to start you on your way.

http://www.twolessthings.co.uk/free-ebook-download-page-link/

No Excuses

I'd like to say I was super busy and had zero time to blog, but

that would be a lie.

I know better than to do that and I will do better.

Several things I am and will be doing this year:

Bullet journaling

Cleaner eating (I will share pics and recipes)

Conditioning and resistance training (building muscle)

More juicing (getting my detox skinny on) 

Bargain Fashion look book (my frugal finds)

DIY (super fun projects with pics)

OMG, how could I forget adventures!

I will totally be planning more trips to see this world we live in.

Here are some pics from my latest adventures:

So all in all I was not super busy, but I did neglect to post lots of cool happenings.

UPDATES 

Lent went well, I did not reach any weight loss goals. 

However, I learned more about what not to do.

Easter was enlightening.

So starting today, I am bullet journaling my fitness journey and will share the highs, lows and successes in June. 

In between that time, I will post exercises, recipes, Fitbit victories and all things that turn the page in my life.

TTFN

14 Days in Lent

I've been juicing, but my body has plateaued. 

The right mindset works in any endeavor. 

My only struggle is having to cook regular food for my significant other.

Went over some scriptures yesterday. 

Proverbs 4:23 

Guard your heart, for whatever you do flows from it.

And Ephesians 6:10-18

In my opinion, these are foundational scriptures. So every once in a while, I will meditate 

on these to strengthen my faith in God and to remind myself of my responsibility to guard 

what has been entrusted to me.

Life and Peace!

Juice Fast

 Yippee!

Right?

As you can see, there are 23 days left in Lent.

This has been challenging and rewarding. I did sneak a couple bites of meat,

but in two days I am going all in. 

Juice, juice, juice! I am almost ready. I have to pick up kale and bag it with

napkins, so it lasts for more than three days.

I purchased some yellow pea protein, which tastes pretty good in carrot juice.

And I have no excuses.

On a serious note: this has been a time of reflection, stops and starts, hard self 

talks and finally surrendering to a process that will bring healing, deliverance, 

and success.

Remember to love yourself through the change.

Life and peace.

Crossing Paths

Yesterday, I found out some sobering news.

An old boss had passed. I will call him, John. He would find that funny.

I liked him as a boss. I did not know if he liked me. 

I was fairly new to the field and he had been there a while.

He taught me something very valuable about perception and customer service.

(That's why I was not sure if he liked me as a person.)

I think he gave me a chance because we were both veterans.

Veterans can be stoic and by the book. He knew that I needed to develop some 

survival skills if I were going work in the civilian sector.

He was my sandpaper and I will be forever grateful to him for giving me

a foundation from which I could build.

I don't know if he knew I respected him. I did. 

Did I tell you he was a sniper?

Cool huh? 

I've only met a couple of soldiers that were exceptional with fire arms, he was one of them.

I curtsy to you Sir and hope you are in the arms of Jesus.

Umm...Happy New Year!

I forgot to say that this year.

I was and am so excited about the new year that I did not post.

So this is my catch up.

 You have control over your happiness.

 Everything is new at first. Cherish and nurture the new beginning.

 You 365 days to write this years story, write a best seller!

Cheers!

Mardi Gras!

I actually wrote this before MG and forgot to hit save instead of publish.

Fat Tuesday. It's a day to celebrate in excess before you give "it" up

for 40 days.

The idea behind the mask is fantastic, but then you know

who you are and what you did, so why the mask?

Hmm...so no one else knows. 

I love the meaning of the main colors - 

Purple - justice

Yellow - gold

Green - faith

Since I do not drink IKR?!, I will not be doing that in excess.

I will be posting more on Mardi Gras later.

What I Gave Up For Lent 2016

This is my year!

I hope this is your year too!

To lose weight is simple, but not easy. It's as simple as changing

your mind. Follow through is the key, everyday, to any permanent change.

At first I was going to juice for 40 days, but my mind quietly freaked

out about that one, so now I am going to juice for 21 days.

Oh, I decided to give up "laziness"! IKR?!

Actually, I am not lazy, I just know that I could do more things in 2016

to accomplish my goals.

Posting about weight loss is easy, but what about those life changes that need

to take place? The body, mind, spirit, and soul needs pruning as well.