4/29/11 They're Coming To Take Me Away

I'm losing it...No, not weight (still in my 155 holding pattern). I'm losing my mind.

I went to see my surgeon, but I'll get to that in a moment (stay tuned for some LB info. below). I've been working on making pillows for the great room. I found the same fabric as is on the new recliners at JoAnn's. So I made four throw pillows for the couches.
Then I recovered the bench cushion for the church pew to match (not shown yet). I stood back to admire my work and realized that I'd gone all Maria Von Trap with only one fabric...and it was the only fabric in the room (no window treatments in this room)...more than a little too matchy-matchy.
So, back to JoAnn's for some more pillows (I decided to try my hand at some fancy pillows for the pew, since it's not sat on unless we have a crowd) and after bringing home lots of swatches I picked four new fabrics. Off to the fabric store once more and I found three of them and put them in the cart to be cut. Half-hour later and I still couldn't find the fourth fabric, so I asked an employee for help...in answer to the her question 'No, I have no clue which section of the fabrics I got the swatch from'. She found it in minutes and put it on the cutting table for them to cut for me.

Home again and I start cutting my shapes for the pillows...hmmm...this fourth fabric has some snags and looks like it wont hold up very well...I start pondering going back for a different fabric...and then...

...the lightbulb goes off...

...I'm looking at the backside of the fabric!

...OMG, no wonder I couldn't find the fabric! It's solid, but more golden on the back and has a totally different weave (of course, stupid). I curse my blonde hair. So I also decided to make pillows for the recliners.
And here are my fancy pillows and cushion for the pew (I just looked at images on Google to get some ideas to copy). Tons of work with different trims or beading on each one, and I'm not sure I even like them (the contrast of the cream fabric bugs me), but I'm hoping they'll grow on me.
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4/27/11 Happy

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4/26/11 One Million, Fifty-One Thousand, Nine Hundred Minutes

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4/25/11 Ketchup

...or should I say Catsup...no, make that Catch Up...

So much going on here that I didn't get a moment to even post my already completed posts...my Bandiversary, my scheduled visit to my Surgeon, my new projects...

...but those will come this week...

...let's catch up on the other important other stuff...life!

It's the last day of Spring Break here for DS2, and DH took off a few days last week, so thus the busy week. He's got a crazy schedule the next two weeks, so we (OK, my 'honey-do list') needed to get lots of things done...he's got a late dinner today, off to Italy tomorrow with three guys from China, gets home late Saturday night and then has to catch a flight about 4 hours later out west for the week...ugh...I don't miss work travel. He's going to miss my Birthday and his this week *sigh*.

DD spent the weekend with us, but DS1 had some big projects due and finals coming up, so unfortunately he couldn't get home from college.

Saturday was our 29th Anniversary...we were supposed to go out Friday, but I had a stomach bug...and since DD was home Saturday night, we spent it with the kids and made a pact to do something big next year for our 30th.

We had fun dying eggs...DS2's eggs...can you tell he loved the 'tie dye' kit best.

We had a great time watching movies together and playing games...DD peed her pants laughing (she must have gotten my incontinence genes) when we played 'Just Dance 2' on the Wii and DH and I did a duet dance (DH has two left feet, but he beat me anyway because I was laughing so hard).

DD and I did some girly things...painted our toenails...we dyed our hair in honor of Easter...mine turned purple...well a gray purple (I swear, wish I'd thought to take a pic), and not on purpose...and then we fixed it...and I let DD trim my hair for the first time for fun (it kept getting shorter and shorter...and I had to get out the scissors to even a few things up this morning). I gave DH's hair a trim for his trips (I started trimming people's hair in college, so you know I'm a professional LOL...besides, as he would say, there's not much left to trim LOL).

Here are the kids...DS2 hamming it up after finding his hidden basket...

DD opening her 81 eggs after the big hunt. Yes, we still hide an obnoxious amount of eggs for each kid (the older they got, the more we hid) in different rooms in the house...and yes, they still love the hunt...I'm sure we'll still be doing this until they have kids of their own.

I made a great Easter brunch (OK, pick your chin up off the floor...yes...I cooked)...with a new recipe for a toasted crusty bread and savory egg casserole...YUM. We had the traditional Easter ham dinner, with some new appetizers (the Pittsburgh potatoe perogies were a little bland...I need to look up a sauce for next time).



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4/13/11 Getting It

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4/8/11 Friday Facts (Food Pusher, Land Of Oz)

It's in the 40's now and we had hail and snow this week, but we're supposed to see 80 degrees on Sunday for the first time this year...com'on spring! -Had a great visit with my middle sis, her DH, and her youngest (of four boys). Here are some pics from downtown one day; visited DD's apartment, ate, and took a trip up one of the inclines (steel mill workers used to ride these down the hills to work at the mills on the rivers).

• 'Martha Moment' of the week: helped my Sis sew four new pillows for her Living Room (and she helped me pick fabrics for DD's old room).

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• Weight: 154, down 2. Even though I was in line with meals, no, I don't deserve a good weight loss this week...did I mention that I bought the Costco 'big chocolate cake' and the 'cheesecake medley/variety pack' (and had a slice of both)? I sent the rest of the giant cake out the door with DD's BF and my nephew (chocolate = trigger food...and I don't even like cake).

• I'm going to send my daily meal list/amounts (OK, not this past week) in to Dr. Oz (*Note: Sent the show an email with specifics that they got wrong.). If you didn't see his show on LB (mainly regarding the new ruling for lower BMIers), videos are on his site
• HERE ...the LBers they had on were either lying or malnourished; 5 teaspoons of yogurt OR a cup of broth is a meal?!...and aren't both those sliders (this gal is a full 6 months out from surgery)? I was mostly angry with the bariatric Doc who didn't point out that their meals shown are NOT what is recommended and that none of them had enough protein. Thank G*d I didn't see this before my LB or that would have scared me off.

• Off to find my meds...head thumping, shaky, nauseous...I feel a migraine coming on...or maybe it's a sugar detox?

Happy Weekend All!

4/1/11 Friday Facts

- I've decided to start dieting to get these last pounds off (Atkin's as that was my most successful diet, several times). YAY...all the bacon and cheese I can eat!


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- You know that first bullet up there...April Fools! And no, I'm not making fun of those that follow Diets with the Band (do what works for you). Hey, I knew I couldn't pull the pregnancy card again.

- I started work on our Study I showed you (and DD's old room). I love blogging as it often helps me think things through and get new ideas (many from you)...I decided to "go shopping" in my own home and moved out two big pieces and moved in four smaller ones. DH got home late Saturday (poor guy/geez work...and it's a Sunday return this week), so Sunday I put him and DS2 to work moving all the furniture around to see how we liked it. When DH saw everything and where I was setting the small old TV (note here; this is not our main 'TV' spot-we have a nice flatscreen in the great room and a huge big screen in the basement), he decided he wanted to make his stamp on the 'new' room and went shopping.... I swear if 'She who dies with the most fabric wins!', is the women bumpersticker, then just replace 'Fabric' with 'TV's' for men!

I've got lots of furniture and shelf painting ahead of me, but I'm excited about the final plan (pics to come when it's done).

- My 'Martha Moment' this week:

• Remember the lamps for the Study I made, and that I noticed that the dried sheet moss had faded over time to a 'dead looking' brown? Well, I went out and bought new moss, but it wasn't as green as I wanted. I decided to try dying it with green food coloring in water...it worked...I started out covering (glue gunned on the moss) these topiaries that are also for the Study.
• I was dreading the lamps as I'd have to take all the glued on moss off the Styrofoam and replace it...and I wasn't sure how that would go (aka I was feeling lazy and knew it would be a ton of work). Then I had an idea...dye the faded moss that was already on it! A foam brush to dab on the solution...and voila! Think outside the box! (I wish being a 'green thumb' was always that easy!)

- I've been 'Spring Cleaning'; kids rooms and my art closet for the past month...have a huge pile for charity, but I let my kids decide what they wanted to keep and box up (mainly toys they aren't using anymore). I think they all got the 'hoarder' gene from DH and I. I now have boxes of trophies (that they'll never look at again, but don't know it yet) and sets of their favorite toys...hey, it's a small price to pay not to be 'that Mom' (the one that threw away all their things). I've still got lots to finish up.

- My middle Sis and her family are arriving tomorrow for their 'Spring Break' (I've been busy getting DD's empty/now 'guest room' back in order...shopped my house again and moved some furniture in)...'cause doesn't everyone want to vacation in Pittsburgh for their Spring Break (not much 'green' in sight herd, but hey my Snow Crocuses are blooming, and it's snowing...now who's playing the April Fools joke...snow in April?!!)? And no, I didn't know they were coming when I started the 'Spring Cleaning' so my house is a wreck and I'm cleaning like a wild woman. I'm so excited to see them!

- Had a 'drinking girls' lunch yesterday with a neighbor (somewhat like a 'working girls' lunch, but without the working)...no, I only had one glass of wine...I SO needed the break from the housework and DH doesn't get home until early Sunday morning, so no help in sight LOL! Back to work!

- 156 lbs., down 1 (again).

Happy Weekend Fools! I'd recommend the rubberband on the kitchen sprayer (if you have a separate one from the faucet)...lined up just right...gets 'em every year!