Author: Yarrowhouse

The Stars Were Almost Aligned.

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I don’t know how it happened or why for that reason, but today was the true testament that my scales are unbalanced.

I’ve been waiting since June 6 for a package from Bulgaria. I love to travel and collect art and since traveling is out for a while, my daughter suggested I visit the etsy stores. To my amazement, I fell in love with a canvas painting from shop owner angel Angelov, Bulgaria, Europe.

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I was afraid to order it but I stepped out on faith and purchased this unstretched canvas for hardly any money as far as paintings go. The shop owner expedited the delivery and it came professionally packaged all the way from Bulgaria in 13 days. Oh joy was I excited!

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Then, guess what, Michaels had a coupon in the Sunday paper for 60 % off + $10.00 off. Double oh joy!! I’m at the store but can’t make up my mine on a frame, so I decided to take a picture and go home and sit in my room and then finalize my decision. After all my coupon is good until 7/17/13.

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I don’t know how it happened or why but somewhere between leaving the frame counter and home, I lost the canvas!!!!! All I could say was WTF! How could shopping in a craft store with my daughter and granddaughter be so distracting that I put down my newly found treasure. Or did someone take it out of my car at Target where we stopped to change the babygirl’s diaper? I wonder, did I lock the car doors?

I must of looked devastated because when I got home my husband asked what was wrong and he never notices anything! I should have took a picture of my face for future references in case I have to fake devastation. I did almost cry though before I reminded myself that it is only a picture, Denise. It just wasn’t meant to be but the stars were almost aligned in my favor.

There’s still a chance it might turn up though, the cylinder the canvas came in has my address on it, Target is looking at their surveillance tapes and Michaels is doing a double sweep of the store. If not, I believe in Karma, justice and God. Either way I’m covered.

7 days in (30 day challenge)

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Grocery shopping done for week 2 of the challenge. Thank you Girlonthecontrary for challenging me to join. I’m wondering are you having fun yet? Still haven’t weigh myself yet but time is moving hopefully so is the fat.

Trash to treasure #2

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On with project #2 The Reading Table.

I have this slated to go in my bedroom also, so I have to do it up real nice to get that accomplished or it will end up in the downstairs bathroom. I love the book pockets on the sides of the table. I think it would be perfect nestled between two chairs with a lamp in a cozy corner somewhere. Hmmmm I wonder what kind of finish would be best, any suggestions?

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Trash to Treasure

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I love junking. When I was a kid my dad would go to other neighborhoods and bring back the best stuff. He would repair them, clean them and claim it as his own. Well I guess I have inherited the gene also. My dad calls it trash digging, I call it treasure hunting.

Whatever you call it, my husband has put up the caution tape, literally. I came into the garage and there was yellow caution tape surrounding all my fines. I have a vanity, two papasan chairs and what I like to call, a reading table. The caution tapes means ~ Caution, get this stuff out of here or it’s going to the dumpster! He likes to give me hints without really saying it verbally.

So I started on the vanity. Which costs me $15.00 at the local Goodwill. Originally I thought it would look nice in my bedroom, but the roommate (hubby) said no. So I sanded down the top because it had cup rings on it and I was only going to restain the wood. Sometime during my trip to Home Depot, my mind drifted to off white acrylic paint. So I decided to chalk paint the vanity for my granddaughter. Chalk paint is latex paint with Plaster of Paris mixed.

J is only two so I am wondering if she’ll be a diva and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

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Day 4 (30 day commitment)

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Oh joy! I’m gonna change my challenge title to “The Better Eating” challenge because I’ve been eating some good food the last couple of days.

I told you day 1 I was hungry but I’ve overcome that obstacle. If I actually lose weight I’m gonna be surprised. I’ve decided not to weigh myself until the 30th day.

I’ve been following an emeals clean eating tutorial. It gives you the grocery list, recipe and time frames to prepare the meals. I actually bought it as a groupon back in January and I am just getting into it.

Here are two dinners I made this week.

Crab cakes with lemon sauce
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And …
Chicken, Corn and Avocado Salad

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I just might get an added benefit out of this challenge. I might become a gourmet chef! Just wondering.

The better health challenge (30 day commitment)

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Okay folks as you know I started the 30 day challenge with Betty Rocker today. I did my healthy groceries shopping yesterday and drank plenty of water and rested all day Sunday. I set my circuit timer this morning and awaited instructions to get started.

At 7 a.m. I get the email and Betty is suggesting take a picture of how we look now. I say we because there are over 7000 people in this challenge. Well, I don’t take pictures regularly but because we didn’t have to post it decided I would do it.

Because I am such a good mom, I put my daughter and my husband on the challenge too. Of course my husband thinks I did it because I don’t want to cook several different meals because I’m eating one thing and their eating something different and you know what, he’s right! Everybody is on a clean eating diet. If I can do it they can too. As proof we had veggie Pitas for lunch with a slice of watermelon. Now I’m sitting here at the kitchen table drinking water because the nachos are calling me. I knew I should have bagged up all the junk food. Everybody must be feeling the same way because my husband is questioning whether he can have coffee and Nena is down here eating watermelon again.

Anyway, as a commitment I decided to post my picture for the challengers to see. After all, its my journey to better health and since it’s my journey I thought I’d post it for you too, in case your wondering if the challenge works!

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Recapping this week

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I love James Franco. So I went to see Oz, The Great and Powerful, Why James, why! I’m not sure I liked the movie. I really would like my dollar back. As my father-in-law is fond of saying, “I don’t know what it was about but it was deep!”

I joined Betty Rockers Fat loss challenge. Those of you that know me, I know that your laughing. It’s only for 30 days and I’ve already gotten all my vices out of the way. I had breakfast at McDonald’s one day this week, lunch twice; been to Dunkin Donuts, Sweet Frogs and had a 50 cent ice cream cone at Burger King. I plan on going to the pancake house with Alex tomorrow. Sunday I’ll rest, the challenge starts Monday. Care to join me?

The highlight, drumroll please, I met some really nice folks blogging.

Why I don’t have a pet

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The question was raised. Alex came to me this morning wondering, Aw Mom Mom, why can’t we get a dog?” The only response I could come up was because of Vinnie.

Vinnie was a cat my son and daughter-in-law forced on me a few years back. A full tuxedo cat, beautiful. I didn’t want a cat but I fell in love.

First let me say I live in a small town one that only has one vet. A vet that I could never go back because of PDST (post dramatic stress thinking).

See I had Vinnie microchipped when I first got him. When we were at the vet’s office for that first visit I racked up a bill over $300 for all the things They suggested he should get. The chip was one of them. About a year later Vinnie was gone.

While I was on vacation the person I left him in care let him out. I don’t think I’ll ever get the full story on that one. Just working out the therapy!

Anyway, I worried myself to death about that cat. For about two weeks I checked the shelters, visited with all the neighbors within a mile radius, did posters and cried, cried, cried. Until one night while dreaming about Vinnie I remembered I had him microchipped. I shot straight up in bed and got so excited. I couldn’t wait to call the vet in the morning.

When I did I explained the situation and reminded them he was chipped. The girl on the other end of the line asked me my name and told me to hold on. I’m thinking their looking up my baby but no, she gets back on the line saying something like this, “Let me see, you think I can see Vinnie like on GPS trekking down Cherry Road?” Of course I said I did. The phone went silent then I realized I was on speaker phone because I could hear them all snickering. I was so distraught I was not even upset that I had made a full fool of myself. First by getting the shot without understanding what it meant. I mean he was a beautiful cat. If anybody found him they would keep him.

I wondered about him for months until I saw him at my next door back field neighbor’s house. I hope she knows I’m canceling her reward (from me) in heaven.

Sorry Alex, I’m still not over it!!!

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Room With a View

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I’ve never been an outdoors person. I’ve never even like the word picnic unless it was from hearing Yogi Bear pronouncing picinic basket. My idea of ruffing it is continental breakfast at a 5 star hotel. So I’m wondering what made my husband think I wanted a patio built in the back of my new home. I never went out on the deck of my old house or the porch of our first home. What could have possibly been the clue?

Could it have been my love to take naps in the sunshine of a window? Or maybe sending my grandchildren outside to play? Maybe it was my disdain of being in the grass at anytime or not being able to see bugs or anything else lurking in it. Maybe.

Now, even though it may sound like it, I am not complaining. How else could I have come up with such a gorgeous view without him building this patio. So as I lay on the couch about to take my sunshine nap I just started wondering. How did I get to be so lucky? For Mother’s Day my sensitive husband built himself a patio but gave me a room with a view! It’s all in how you look at things I guess.

Thanks honey, love you too.. Just wondering.

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Share The Love Giveaway Thank You Response

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If you’ve come my way via Prettyladybaby’s blog, “Thank you for viewing and good luck!”

Now on to the blog!

You might be wondering why I started blogging? I actually started awhile ago by force I might add by my daughter Kerrie. She is my strong willed child and always has been. She is a great kid but if she gets something in her mind, there’s no turning back. I know you might know she has it in her head that I am going to learn how to quilt but I’ve been learning to sew for the last 45 years on and off and have managed not to get it yet. Now that it is her mission, the 46th year my get the prize. You can look forward to me blogging about the journey!

Now since she is so set on my blogging, let me tell you 5 fun facts about my baby. You know moms love bragging ( and taking credit) about the good things their children do.

1. She’s generous to a fault (and modest too)! I had to buy about 15 hat, scarves and glove sets at the beginning of a new school year because she would give hers away to anybody she thought was in need. Still doing that I see! Hint-giveaway.

2. She thinks everybody is a friend. When she was a kid, she’s the only person I know that could walk on a playground to a bunch of new kids and by the time she left everybody would be her friend. That’s the dormant gene I passed on!

3. She loves to talk!!!!!! I used to ask her to be quiet for 5 minutes. She could only hold it for 30 seconds before she would ask, “Mom, guess what?”

4. She always excited about being excited. That’s the basis of her strong will. It didn’t go well at school though. My coworkers used to place bets on how soon the school would call during the first week of school. Usually the first day!

5. She told me the day after her birth that she was going to do something great with her hands someday. Who would have known it would be quilting?

Thanks Kare I will do my best to make you proud of me too!

Love, Mom

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