I stink at blogging..

I quit...



for now :)

I kicked Week 1's butt!

With week one of Insanity under my belt I do feel much more motivated to continue. I lost 3.5 pounds this week and I couldn't be happier. I am still struggling with getting fully through the workouts but each day it becomes easier and easier. This morning is the first day I skipped a workout but I am hoping to get something else in tonight. I'm almost positive my upstairs neighbors were bowling in their bedroom until 1 AM so I didn't get much sleep last night. :(

Life has kind of taken a 180 for me lately. I keep changing my mind on what I want to do with my life. I feel like I am stuck between "21 year old party girl" and "25 year old grown up"... I feel pulled in both directions. I see old friends on their facebooks with a beer in their hand and a total wonk eye and there is no way I want to live like that every night... heck I don't have the liver to measure up! But on the other hand I feel like a total bore when I am in bed by 10 PM on a Saturday night because I have a Vendor show to be at the next morning. I am having trouble balancing the pros and cons of each side... I don't want to look back and wish I had done things differently. I'm stuck and I'm not sure which road to take. Not that I want to a drunken idiot every day but it's nice to go out and have fun but to what degree does it become a problem or a habit?


*sigh* decisions decisions....

It's only Day 3?!

Wow... It was really hard to get up this morning knowing I was about to hate life for 35 minutes! But I did... I dragged my butt out of bed and did my workout.

There are 3 sets of each exercise all done back to back with a 30 second rest between each of the 3 sets... then it starts all over with 3 different sets of moves. Each set you have to push harder and faster. Pretty much... I fast forward through two sets. :D Don't judge. It was so exhausting and I am no where close to the level as the people in the video with their toned bodies and shorty shorts!

None the less... I pushed through what I could and collapsed on the couch.

I like that the sessions are only 30-45 minutes but you are constantly pushing hard every second. It also comes with a meal plan but for my life schedule it just isn't realistic for me. I am basically sticking to grilled chicken and steamed veggies for dinner and whatever is leftover for lunches. I still need some major tweaking on my diet.

I think my biggest challenge will be staying clear of alcohol. I'm 23 with no kids... I enjoy a drink dang it! But if I want to be successful I HAVE to avoid it at all cost. Considering I had 3 margaritas last night... lets start that task today! ;)


57 days to go...

Bandana Dress

I am still in the process of perfecting my sewing skills, but practice makes perfect right??

My latest project is a bandanna dress. I have seen different versions all over blog land and I figured it would be an easy project. For a beginner sewer it was super easy!! I still have a few kinks to work out but I love how it turned out! I am making a few more in small sizes for my sister's neighbor. By the time I am a mom i should be a champ at sewing... we'll see ;)



This week I will attempt to add elastic at the top instead of having the ribbon do the scrunching. Stay tuned :)

Annnnd I'm back

I know I have been completely MIA but for the four people who read this blog... you can now breath easy.

I have had a lot going on but I am trying to focus on more important things and put some less important things on the back burner.



Today is day one of my Insanity training. It's from the same makers as P90X and seems to be about a bagillion times harder. It has lots more cardio and there are no weights you have to buy or any junk like that. I have started the program a million few times and failed miserably. I don't think I was in the right mindset and wasn't ready to give it my all. Today I feel different. I feel like its time... so does the scale :)

I want this blog to hold me accountable and keep me on track... we'll see how that goes. :)


Have no fear, I do have a few projects I am working on and lots of new things to share.

Have a seat and check back soon to see my progress and projects!

Happy Tuesday!!!

Hair Bow Holder

I will be doing a Vendor Craft Fair in September so I am embarking on a new "business"--- I use the term loosely since I am the furthest thing from a "business person" :) I just figured I should make a little money doing the things I enjoy... like making bows!

So my new "business" is called "Missy Lissy's Bow-tique: Fashions for Baby & Mommy"--- cute right?! I googled and didn't find anyone with the same business name so for now its legit! I am still trying to get the hang of making children's bows, so hopefully I am a pro by September (otherwise my booth with have ZERO customers!).

My blog will be filled with lots of tutorials on bows/headbands/junk and shameless bragging about my awesome skilllls. ;)

First up... a Bow Holder to hold all my products. Everyone and their dog has made one of these out in this bloggly blog world. Its a no brainer... but if you are lacking in the brain department (much like myself) then here is a tutorial for you! Enjoy!

First I grabbed one of my unused canvases I got on sale at Hobby Lobby. Nothing fancy just keep it simple and cheap.

I laid the canvas flat and cut each side about 2inches bigger than the canvas. (I also got this adorable fabric at Hobby Lobby where they have the 'oopsie' cut fabric for around half off).


I hot glued the fabric all the way around so that the front was pulled tight and secured at the back. My back isn't too cute since I like to cut while I am starring at the TV. Either way... nobody will ever see this side.


Then I got some green ribbon from my stash and cute strips that are about 4 inches longer than the canvas height.Starting from the middle I glued each ribbon on across pulling tight as I glued.


Let it dry and attach a cute lil' ribbon flower and you're done!! Simple and cute!

Gosh I Love a Good Deal!!

I was browsing through Ross the other day during lunch... wasting time :)

Ross always has amazing deals on stuff... dresses, shoes, home decor (no I am not getting paid for this). I get all sorts of giggly when I find a good deal!!

I came across some aviator sunglasses for... get this... $3.49!! Heck Ya! I loooove aviators, but they are so hard to find sometimes and I broke my last pair (Walmart for $5). Weeks before I found some Steve Madden sunglasses for $7.00!


Bask in my glory with me... :)




(yes I drive and take photos of myself... multitasking!)

Pirate Door Hanger

Because my camera died in the middle of my nephews birthday party, I am STILL waiting on my sister to upload the photos of the entire shindig. *cough* Hurry UP! *cough*

Not that I'm impatient or anything but I can't wait any longer to share another door wreath I made for my sweet little nephew Anthony's 3rd Birthday!

I started with just a wreath form that I had used previously. I try not to make my wreaths permanent so I can use the form again.

I got and old black dress the I haven't worn and probably never will again. I cut strips of about 2 1/2 inches thick and wrapped them around the form and kept them in place with a little dab of hot glue and push pins.

Then I wrapped burlap around loosely and again held together with a little dab of hot glue and some push pins.

I found some pirate embellishments in the unfinished wood section of Hobby Lobby for about $0.60 a piece. I grabbed a simple white "A" for a little over a $1.00.

On the "A" I just painted some black polka dots with a round foam brush. Then I hot glued the "A" and the embellishments on and viola!!

A wreath fit for a Pirate! :)

Oh Friday, How I Adore You!

I have never wanted a a Friday to come so soon! I am so exhausted from this week and have zero to show for it!

Well I can't say zero... I did make some cute lil bows for my niece. I will have that tutorial next week. I am still trying to get the hang of it and not be SUCH a copy cat of all the bows I have seen online. My creative juices are lacking these days. :(

For now I am leaving work, going home, and possibly passing out by the front door.

I have a weekend full of Cowboys, a Wedding Shower, and a Graduation Party for my good friend Lindsey (Congrats Girl!).

Hasta La Vista!

Hair Bows for the Wee Ones

I will be completely devastated if I don't have a little girl when I start have kids in 10 years! I had so much fun making these cute not-so-little hair flower thingies... technical term. Each one took less than 10 minutes and cost nothing since I had everything already. As far as the flowers go I bought a few bundles at the Dollar Tree for $1 each. (Side Note--- Dollar Tree is amazing!! Everything is...get this... a DOLLAR!! Simply Amazing!)


So until I start having wee ones, I will just make junk for myself my niece :).


For the Ribbon flowers I did the same technique as I explained in a previous post. You just do a loose stitch up one side of the ribbon, secure and then pull the thread until you get a much ruffling as you'd like. Then just wrap in a circle around some felt and Tada!! Easy Easy.



I had an extra piece of felt on the back of all my bows to make it interchangeable. I can add a hair clip, headband, or even a bracelet!

Pirates Teeth AKA-- "Corn Dip"

My FAVORITE appetizer to make for any get together is Corn Dip. It is ALWAYS a huge hit! We had it this past weekend for my nephews Pirate themed party so I thought I would share it with y'all! I have made it a few different ways but the original recipe my sister gave me a few years back has always been ol' faithful.




3 cans of Mexi Corn (drained)
3/4 cup of Mayo (NOT miracle whip)
3/4 cup of Sour Cream (I use daisy Light)
1 small can of diced green chilies
1/4 cup of diced jalapenos (more or less depending on your taste)
1 cup of diced onions (less if you don't like that much onion)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate about 30 minutes.
Serve with Frito's Scoops (a must! Other chips don't taste the same)

I usually just eyeball everything as it goes in so those amounts might not be exact. :) I only measure when I bake.

I can sewwww!!

I totally suck at it but I can sew none the less!! My future children will hate thank me one day for starting to learn now!

I know its been over a month since I purchased my sewing machine but I felt like I needed to find the perfect time to focus and give it an honest try. And that's exactly what I did! Before last night that sucker was still in its original packing.

I took it out...
starred at it...
grabbed the manual and started reading.

I'm very much a visual learner so I am SO lucky it came with pictures! I followed each step... some of them twice... and finally got the hang out it. I tried out a few different stitches to see what they looked like.

Gorgeous huh!!

I was impressed how easy it was to use.

Than I started on my first attempt at a sewing project... the "easy to use" quickly flew out the window. I found a tutorial for a t-shirt apron from Ruffles & Stuff that seemed SUPER easy, and probably was for someone who has been sewing for more than 30 minutes. So away I went to chopped up my green, horribly wrinkled, t-shirt.

So this:


Slowly, but surely became this:



Not bad for my first time! Just please don't closely examine it... or flip it over. :)

I won't give up, but don't expect me to be selling any of my great creations... I don't think I could GIVE them away at this point!

I'm a Big Kid Now!

With age comes a lot of other things...
responsibility (barf)
new outlook on life (ha!)
BILLS (gag)
gray hair (not yet!)


and New furniture!!!

Since I have moved out of my parents house 5 years ago (seems like MUCH longer but whatevs) I have accumulated a lot of hand-me-down furniture. I was very thankful to receive each and every piece! I had a couch & a bagillion accessories from my mom; a bed from my sister; a TV from my brother; a kitchen table,armoire and buffet table from my dad. I have never purchased a single piece of furniture on my own (unless you count my $20 Ikea coffee table). I guess you could say I had it pretty easy because every piece was in GREAT condition and matched my style to a T! Lucky ME!

Well my couch had been to H-E-double hockey sticks and back! I would hate to see any kind of lab test results done to that couch... dogs + children + plus lots of spilled drinks= nastiness! It was time to upgrade!

So I did!! I bought myself, with the help of financing the boyfriend (but still paid by me),a brand new living room set that includes a couch, love seat, an overstuffed chair, and an ottoman! LOVE! It's gorgeous and comfy and a-MAAA-zing!

See!





Oh and those cute lil wall hangings? Ya I made those too :)

But lets focus on history in the making right now. I have made my first adult purchase and I couldn't be happier!!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Channgesss!

LOTS of new and exciting things have been happening in my life. I have been neglecting my blog but I had some more important things to do... like build an Ikea bookcase (more on that mess later).

By far the BIGGEST change I have made...


Drum roll please....



MY HAIR!!!!


YES! I chopped it all off. Lets recap with a before picture:


I have had long hair basically my whole life... it was time for something new!
I at least made the best of the situation and I am donating my luscious locks to Locks of Love.


I know some people think "it's just hair" but to me, it's not. I am happy I made such a huge change and I look forward to many more changes in my life.

So stay tuned :)

Miss me yet?

Don't worry I miss you too ;)


I'll be back to blogging shortly... just have to deal with all this chaos I call "Life"!


ha! get it?.... ok I'll stop


Have a great week!!



XOXO

Happy Friday!

TGIF! I am so ready for the weekend!

Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter! I am looking forward to spending time with my family. :) And of course my two favorite kiddos!



I am also dyyyiiinng to make this adorable center piece from Mix Mingle Glow!

Try This Tuesday!!

I bought some cheapo unfinished frames from Michael's a couple months ago and couldn't figure out what I wanted to do. All the frames in my apartment are boring and bland soooo I kicked it up a notch and added some scarp book paper!

Supplies:
wooden unfinished frame ($1 at Michael's)
scrap book paper
scissors
modge podge
sanding block

First I outlined and cut my paper to the size of the frame


Then I just modge podged the back of the paper and pushed out any bubbles.


Then I just sanded the sides to make my uneven cutting more even :)



Lastly, find a cute photo of your mother and niece to display in your bedroom and voila!


Easy! (as most of my projects are)

A Poem for a Loving Mom

My Mother has so graciously kept a file folder for me of memories, pictures and the sweetest poem a child could ever write. I thought I would share this poem with you and allow you to understand just how sweet I truly am...

It goes a little something like this...

"Mommy
I love you with all my heart
Even when you have some stanky farts
They may be smelly
But oh welly
You make my sun rise
When you bring me home a surprise
That may not happen a lot
But at least you give it some thought"



:) I have NO idea how I will ever top that poem... Mother's Day should be interesting this year.


XOXO Love you Mom!!

Try This Tuesday!!

I know I have been totally MIA, but like I said... this whole "job" thing is getting in the way of my blogging! BUT it pays the bills and I love it sooo I guess I'll stick around :D

Anywho! So I was rummaging through the clearance section at Hobby Lobby and came across and frame for $1.80... it didn't have any glass but for $1.80 how could you beat that?! SO I scooped it up and made this out of that little beauty...


Supplies:
Chunky/Cheap frame
old cork board (or you can buy new cork board at HL near the unfinished wood)
ribbon (clearance at walmart)
twine/wire for the bow
your imagination


I cut the cork down to size and just pushed it into place from the back of the frame. No glue should be needed unless you cut it too small or just want extra support.



Then I just tied a cutsie ribbon and hung that sucker on the wall!

Instant cute cork board! easy easy EASY!



I actually made this to hold announcements (like my buy 2 get 1 free Uppercase Promotion) for one of my Open Houses and I got more compliments on it than all of my products displays! Women! :D

i sowwy....

I know I am not THAT high in demand but I promise to have a few tutorials and other random post soon!

Those things that mature responsible people have... what are they called...


oh yes.. JOBS! Well I have one of those and I am swamped! Bare with me till tomorrow MONDAY! :)


XOXO

Busy Busy Bee!

Happy Friday Everyone!

This weekend will be a bit crazy for me! But I am suuuper excited! I had my friend Shannon's bachelorette party last night (pics soon-- well, only the appropriate ones. HA!) Tomorrow I have a bridal shower for my cousin, then Shannon's wedding, THEN my friend Jenni's bachelorette party... I'm pooped just thinking about it!!

But my camera is fully charged and I will be loaded up on 5 Hour Energy!

So folks, I leave you with a quick lil' "how to" on reusing what you have. I originally made a door hanger for my Niece's birthday party... it basically involved feathers, ribbon, and the letter "T" with glitter, SUPER easy. For the bachelorette party last night I wanted a door hanger to coordinate with all the pink & zebra decor so I transformed it from this:


To this, with just a little ribbon!:



I did not have to hot glue like crazy or anything, so I will be able to reuse the ribbon. The feathers are miniature boas that are held on by wire, so the actual wreath can be reused as well.

I love being cheap thrify!

"Try this!" Tuesdays

Sorry for the long delay... I've been overwhelmed busy lately.

But I am starting a new routine (hopefully) every week called "Try This" Tuesdays! Each week I will show something I have tried from another blog or something I have seen that I wanted to try. I encourage everyone else to join in and post or email me your results!

Without further delay...

Today I am showing you my version of Lynette's, from Get Your Craft On, ribbon flower head band. It was SUPER easy!

First I cut two pieces of felt into two circles about 2 inches in diameter. I used brown since I didn't have any black leftover.


Then I sewed a loose stitch up one side of a piece of about 1 1/2 feet of ribbon. and pulled the thread to make the ribbon ruffle.


Then I hot glued the loose end of the thread and ribbon first in order to keep the ribbon in a ruffle. I made my way around in a spiral with the hot glue until the entire ribbon was curled into the middle.


I then added a little black jewel to middle for some flare. :) On the back of the flower I glued the second piece of felt so that there was an opening in the middle for me to slide my headband in... I forget to take a picture of that. But here is the final project.


"oooooo, ahhhhhh"



Easy Peasy!