Homegrown Hospitality

The Breakfast of Champions=2 points

Add 1 banana, 4-5 strawberries, a handful of blueberries, 1 non-fat vanilla yogurt from Trader Joes (yum!) 2 scoops of protein powder, 1/2 C. cranberry juice and ice....

 
Blend...

 
enjoy.... 
2 points...and Happiness!

One Down...

In Brave Girls Soul Restoration 2 we are setting goals....and setting them the right way, not just because it is something we are supposed to do, you know, like on January 1st.

 
THAT NEVER WORKS..at least for me. 

In Soul Restoration, we are taking steps...at taking steps...make sense? and what better way to take a step than with new shoes...

 
yep, momma got a new pair of running shoes...and on sale, praise the Lord and...today, I am confident enough to share that my Goal #1 is....

 
Healthy Eating + Daily Fitness = Better feeling..Better Living..Better Mind..Better Body!!

You see, my problem has always been that I do one and not the other.....either eat great and not exercise...or exercise great and eat...well...like crap...and it does not work..

duh.

I know I am not the only one that does this and I even know that it does not work...yet year after year...I do the same thing even though I know that it only works when you do it AT THE SAME TIME...

"Pickin' up what I am puttin' down???"

DUH!

Totally reminds me of this verse from Romans 7:15

 "...I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate."

So I joined Weight Watchers last Wednesday. 

I have a goal....and Weight Watchers is one of my steps. 

 
It keeps me accountable...keeps me on track...and after one week...

I lost one pound!

Okay, so not thrilled about only one pound BUT....one is better than none..or better than gaining...and I have to tell you, the reward for eating good & healthy and staying on track AND EXCERCISING at the same time makes me feel like I have lost 10 pounds!!!!

So one down...many to go....goals that is...and pounds...amongst other things...

work in progress...

we all are, you know!

 

Today I am....

Creating my Soul Restoration 2 projects and really, I mean REALLY loving itReading a book and struggling a time bit to get through it...but highlighting, underlining and quoting from it...

Workingon a new project with the Women's Ministry leadership team at Church for the Fall..I am blessed to be part of such an incredible team with an amazing leader...

Exercising every day..and tomorrow completes week one of Weight Watchers!!!!  I had a bag, yes, an entire bag of microwave popcorn last night..with M&M's in it..and it still was under my point umbrella...but this morning I am feeling a little crappy...like a popcorn hangover..I do not even really like popcorn that much...won't be doing that again!

Designing new stamps for Purple Onion....yippee!

Trying to keep Ben busy with random things....cast cracked on the bottom last night, so I am seeing a new cast in our future...again...

Going to this event in the fall and kinda excited that I am going to be a student...and not a teacher (I have NEVER done that!)

Harvesting more zucchini than a neighborhood needs...feeling so proud, it is really dorky how we( yes, that Valentine & I) go out everyday and look at them!

Scheduling classes for the fall using stamps, ink, flower, fabric, muslin, paint, stitches, Prima...details sooooonnn!

 
Ordering photos from Snapfish so that I can pretend to scrapbook...grrrrr!!! 
 
Going to go put on my brand new pair of running shoes now and hit the road!

Have a great day whatever you are Doing!

Inspired by Red

I made a HUGE creative mess yesterday based on the color red...and it reminded me how much I LOVE red...especially RED barns...in PA

RED doors...and RED bricks...also in PA...
 RED hearts....RED cabinets (& my mom making gravy)

RED motorcycle gear on little boyss named Ben (& Kawasaki green on bigger boys named Jack!) RED felt..and things made from felt... and a few others things..

 
what Inspires you??

Think about it...journal about it...create something..

It does not have to be a color...

It could be a place...a person..a smell...a season....

Just think...

and create! 

Homegrown Garden

If you hear the phrase "Oh my Gosh" and you are not sure where it is coming from..it is me...in our backyard....looking at our Homegrown Garden...specifically at the zucchini....

 
I wish you could see how HUMONGOUS these are....it is ridiculous, in a good way.  It is hard to tell from the photo but the flowers are just a big (petal span of about 18"!!!!)

 
 and "from big flower come big squash"(in my best Indian Chief voice)

 
I put a penny on the biggest one so that you could see how big they are...I know I keep saying that, but they a really are!

so now what??

We have given a ton away....

I "grated/shredded" a couple, packaged them up and placed them in the freezer...

 
Tip: do not grate them on a paper towel because it is a mess...use a real cutting board or slick surface, duh!

I baked a "zucchini oatmeal" cake yesterday...it was "okay"...nothing to boast about, non weight watcher approved and no anything I would bake again.

 
We have BBQ'd them a few nights and they were sooooo good! (ate them before I could take a picture!)

I wish I could tell you that we have magic soil, but we don't.  Just good soil, decomposed ick mixed in, water...and love.

"...Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”Mark 4:20

eek!

This concludes Zucchini 101!

You are welcome...Have a Great Day!!!!

 
 
 
 

STAMP of approval...

yippeee..look what I am seeing out there...

 Jenn Biederman
                                                                               Joy Taylor
 
http://www.moxiefabworld.com/2011/06/moxie-fab-stamp-of-approval-purple.html

 
http://carlyrobertson.typepad.com/paper-in-bloom/2011/06/a-little-fun-with-wall-art.html

http://purpleoniondesigns.typepad.com/my_weblog/

 Here is another look at some of my "works-in-progress":   
They make me happy...and I hope they make you happy toooooo!

OH...

Check this project out...http://rondapalazzari.typepad.com/helpmeronda/2011/06/a-loving-heart.html#comments

it is amazing..and she is using one of my older fav's..which is awesome..USE WHAT YOU HAVE...

 
a HUGE thank you to the Purple Onion Design Team for creating AWESOME projects and for making my heart smile!!!!

Happy Friday!

p.s. make sure to leave a comment at Moxie Fab..they are giving away some stamps!!!

Today

is one of my most favorite days and I am certain that if I could bottle up the emotions, energy and excitement from June 23, 2007 and sell it...I would be a BILLIONAIRE. 
 
Happy 4th Anniversary Babe..I LOVE you (I am pretending that he is reading this!!!)

 
Thinking I should cut my hair short again....

Summer Break...

Today Ben had his last day of Elementary School and I am pretty sure that he just started Kindergarten...  
Not too sure I am digesting the flying time very well..I am going to take a little summer kick-off break...like two days...to get things in order, "make a plan" and get a grip!

Super Random Creative Countdown

One hundred and eighty seven days till Christmas(and I am thinking these RED flowers have to be somewhere in the tree...)

 
Fifty Eight days till Pennsylvania and my TWO DAY "Kick-Off" CLASS of Random Creative based on CHRISTMAS!!!

 
 
Two days till school is out for the summer...(insert Hallelujah chorus) and then long creative filled days ahead....non-stop!

 
Thirty more days until Ben gets cast #2 off... and then we can hit the beach...with a bag of felt and a umbrella, of course!   
Fourteen days till 4th of July...(new fabric to make something!) 
Looking forward to the long creative days of summer.....

Happy...

Father's Day to all you dad's out there who are reading this...and to my dad

 
to my Father-in-law

 
and to one of my favorite dude's in the whole wide world..

 
(I still get butterflies when I see that wedding ring on his finger..because it means he is married to me!!!)

Have a GREAT day!!!