No more sweatshirts!!

(unless they're really cute, am I right?)

So...Before I begin my originally intended post (hint: it has to do with sweatshirts and clothes) I thought I would share one little thing. You see, today is day two off trying to get crafts and things done around the house while I have a couple days off from work. Yesterday, I showed you one of my completed crafts: the new and improved gumball machine! I also happened to make a pair of anchor earrings.  I like simple jewelry and  I've always loved the nautical theme, so these turned out to be just what I wanted.

And here is the end result:

So now that I'm finished showing you my second finished craft, I'll get to my original post idea.  Besides crafts and getting things done around the house, I've also been watching a lot of  What Not To Wear, much to Aaron's chagrin.  He hates the show with a passion..but I digress. I, on the other hand, love the show and have since my dear friend Amy and I used to watch it together.  For those not familiar with the show, I'll catch you up.  It teaches women (who need a little/ a lot of help) to see what clothing, hair and makeup decisions they should and shouldn't be making via a wardrobe and physical makeover. I've always loved clothes and shopping, and have A LOT of clothes busting out of my closet.  But this show holds a special place in my heart because I've never really been sure what I should and shouldn't be shopping for. It's simple.  I buy a lot of what I like (like sweatshirts...) and have noticed I have a lot of repeats in my closet (like sweatshirts). But, because of this show, I'm finally figuring out what I should AND shouldn't be keeping in my closet and shopping for. What I mean is, I need to find more age and body appropriate clothing to wear for me instead of what looks great on everyone else.

At this point, my closet is bulging at the seams because I love so many of my clothes and have had them for years.  Some of them don't fit.  I'm sure some of them aren't even in style anymore, but I can't seem to get rid of them.  Because of that, my closet really is stressful and overwhelming!

So, I've decided that it is time to raid my closet (AGAIN) and be critical, but in a good way! I will ask myself: Does it fit? Does it flatter me? Does the color look good on me? Have I worn in within the past 12 months? Is it age-appropriate? The last question is a big one for me, because I'm used to dressing "cutesy".  But just recently, I realized that not all of my clothes work for me anymore. I'm 32 and still have some outfits that make me look 12.  Oops.

So, in an effort to simplify and unclutter and de-stress my life, I'm off to clean my closet so that I don't end up in a humiliating and amazing future episode of What Not To Wear.

I'll cover my hair and makeup on another day.  That's a whole other issue!

Gettin' my craft on!

Not much to report here, as I have been sick the ENTIRE MONTH! What is that all about? I had a few days here and there where I thought I was getting better, only to get worse in a couple days. So I did A LOT of lying around and catching up on past series of TV shows of years past on Netflix. I had no oomph and no desire to do anything at all.

But finally, FINALLY, it is over now. And I just bored myself to tears (probably because I didn't blink for like, a solid minute) while I wrote the last paragraph! So I'll cut it short by reporting that I have felt much better the past two days and even embarked on a crafty project or two! My first craft project? An antique-style gumball machine makeover. 
First, a little history on why I chose a gumball machine. One day I was wasting an afternoon on Pinterest (surprise!!) and stumbled upon this picture of a gumball machine that had been painted white instead of the traditional red.  It even had white jelly beans inside.

How cute!!  It was love at first sight!  I knew I had to find a gumball machine to make mine so that I would have a constant supply of snacks as I crafted!! I don't ask for much, do I?  So I started to search. First I searched Ebay and the likes, but it was difficult to find one under $50.  I really didn't want to pay that since I knew the lady from the blog (mentioned above and where I got the idea) had only paid $25 for hers.  There was also the fact that I was going to take it apart to repaint it anyway.  So my search continued.  Then, earlier this year I spotted one for sale on a neighboring town's Cragslist a co-worker snagged for me for....TADAH!.... only $25!!

The top portion was in pretty good shape, but the base and feet were a little dinged up. So I took it apart, cleaned it and painted it. I liked the idea of painting the entire machine white, but chose to stick with the original black base and feet for more contrast and flexibility of where the ol' gumball machine could be placed.  Right now, I'm planning on putting it in my craft room, but who knows where it will end up!

 And.... Here is my version:

Also on Pinterest, I saw the idea of putting Jelly Belly's or pistachios instead of gumballs (which I don't really like anyway...). I'm so excited to actually start AND finish a craft project! It has been too long!

Next up for craft projects? Earrings.....

Outfits of the day

 Thought of the day: It turns out I have a lot more clothing in my closet than I thought (surprise!), but because of Pinterest, I've been able to put pieces together that I never would have thought: brown boots with black?  But when you look at it all together, it is still very reserved (almost boring?)...just like me.

Blazer: Lauren Conrad- Kohls; Tank and skirt: Old Navy; Blouse:Rue 21; Boots:Payless Shoes; Tights:Target

Ramblings...

I think it has to be said, that I am indeed getting worse at this blogging thing. I mean, it's been two whole months (AGAIN) since my last entry. Throughout this time, I've thought many times that maybe I should give this blog up, since I'm not really doing the job. But then I decided that since Fall is already here and Winter is right around the corner (it is already cold!) I will have plenty of time to do projects, make improvements on the house and possibly, just maybe write about them! And it's not a job for me. After all, it's supposed to be fun.

So today I felt like reconnecting with you and my blog. It's not because I have a lot to say and not because I have a lot to share, but because I miss keeping an account of what I've done: both small and large. And I miss hearing from my friends and family that I don't often get to see or talk to face to face. So this is my "Hello, how ya' been ?!" to everyone and everything.

You see, I think a big reason I've been quiet for quite some time is because I've been in a funk...An I- don't -want -to -do -anything funk. My life has been (and felt) very mechanical and boring, and who wants to share that. Lately, something has changed.  I don't even know what.  But now I want to move ahead and make as many improvements in as much stuff as possibly can. Talk about a 180!

As I haven't done anything (project wise) just yet to write about, I decided instead to catch us up (at least on my side). Since we last left off, I had injured my leg riding bikes. That actually rendered me pretty useless for close to 3 weeks. I had a lot of swelling, I had a lot of pain and I was not a nice person to be around. Needless to say, it hurt to move and I so I did as little as possible. That caught up to me. It's amazing the terrible shape you can get into by sitting around and eating everything (okay, no it's not...). So now I'm a little heavier(like I needed anymore weight added to my short stature...), a little more scared of riding bikes (mountain biking specifically brings me to tears) and have a pretty good size scar on my calf (I'm sure you'll see it in future outfit posts).

A couple of weeks ago, we took our bi-annual trip to Portland, this time to see the Lumineers.  It was one of the best, if not the best concert I have seen yet! They were so entertaining and GOOD live! They even came into the audience, set up a makeshift stage and played a song that way.  They even played some new songs from their new album they will be releasing. But first, there were two opening acts: Nathaniel Rateliff (pretty good!) and Dr Dog (not good at all....hated it!).  By the time the Lumineers got on stage we were ready, but sadly, my camera was not. I was only able to snag a couple pictures before it died. Here are a couple I did get (although one is blurry...)

 On that same trip, we also met up for brunch with my cousin, her hubby and new baby, went to several breweries (there are SO many in Portland!) and visited the Portland Japanese Gardens. Those gardens were amazing!

 

The gardens were peaceful and beautiful and made us want to incorporate some Japanese art and arrangement into our house and yard....so we'll see how that works out! Haha.

Then, just last weekend, Aaron participated in a bike race, called "cyclo-cross." Wikipedia explains it as this: " Cyclo-cross (sometimes cyclocross, CX, CCX, cyclo-X or 'cross) is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is October–February), and consist of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5  km or 1.5–2  mile) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike while navigating the obstruction and remount.^[1][2] Races for senior categories are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions. The sport is strongest in the traditional road cycling countries such as Belgium (Flanders in particular), France and the Netherlands."

It looks a little like this:

 It was rainy and cold, but a lot of fun to watch. Aaron had fun riding as well. I think we will both be there next year again.

And that is it for now! Today I'm home from work because I'm already sick and trying to get better before this weekend! I have things to do! Take care until next time.....