What I've Been Up To Lately

Soooooo...for like the past 8 weeks or so I have been on a weightloss journey..I know a couple of months before this I had started the South Beach Diet and I was doing okay on it but I was CONSTANTLY tired from not having carbs. Now this is just my personal experience with SB I know alot of people who were very successful with the plan, but I couldn't take the draining feeling I was having after 4 weeks of it. Sooooo with that being said, an opportunity came up at my job for a 6 week weightloss program for a new product that will be coming out in January 2011. I have been wearing this product since November 1st and all I can tell you is that IT WORKS!!! I love it! So far I have lost 20lbs in 8 weeks and I am SO HAPPY! I have been watching my calories and also working out everyday which is something I never imagined myself doing, maybe 3-4 times a week but never wanting to do it daily. But with this product it is so motivating!! I wrote down on my calendar in my office everyday that I worked out and I am SO PROUD of myself! I want to continue until I reach my goal weight and I know that this will help me. YAY! GO ME!

This Has Been My Motto

...Or at least I have tried to for the past couple of days since I have been on my Winter Break from work. I actually want to get alot more accomplished this week and kinda relax next week before its time to go back. So hopefully you will see alot more posts from me now that I have a couple of days to do so...Smooches!!

I Miss you Blog!!!

Will be back tomorrow with some new posts!! And hopefully pictures to share as well :)

Ummm, Yeah It's Been a Minute...

Between work and school, I have not had time to even think about you my dear blog. I haven't even had time to do my passion (Scrapbooking =( )Oh well, I guess it will be like that sometimes..Soooooo what have I been up to lately you might be wondering??? Hmmm?? Well let's start off with pictures of my nieces and nephew from when they came over to my house two weeks ago because Auntie had a free weekend and she wanted to spend time with all of them (Although I couldn't fully enjoy them because I was sick, but that's another story) Anyway, here they are:


Please Sister don't kill me for posting my nephew with Sierra's shoes on, I just couldn't resist!! LOL Plus when he is a teenager, Auntie will have to show this to him ;)




Awww, my favorite with Lorin giving Tavia some lovin!! {HUGS}

Hee,hee even Saks had to get in on the photo session...

As you can see this picture was in color because I had to show you the color wig my niece was wearing..

Okay so I was craving something...

SWEET!! And felt a little something like this:


Well of course on South Beach you can only have a sweet treat that is 75 calories or less so look what I found:

Oh My Goodness Gracious! LOL..These things are so G Double O Good!! Especially the Caramel one which is my favorite! I'm so glad I found something to satisfy my sweet craving. Yay!

Interesting Project....

That I am starting...you guessed it..Making a Scrapbook using Paper Lunch Bags..I got the idea from a Scrapbooking show that I DVR (Most of the shows are REALLY old, but every now and then they will have a project that still seems cool). Anyway, what you have to do first is take the paper bags and paint them whatever colors you like (I chose brown, green and a mustard color) Next, you glue on scrapbook papers of your liking, and then after that you have to glue all of the bags together. And then you can add your pictures, embellishments, etc. So far I have gotten up to everything but adding the pictures and embellishments. I want to finish this project before the end of the month, but seeing how my classes are kicking my boo-twah, we will see...

Turbo Jam...

Mannnnn..that tape kicked my BUTT!! LOL..it was 45 minutes and I endured to the end! (Although I did punch myself in the chin when we had to do a spinning move like your hitting the boxing ball at the gym though LOL)So after almost knocking myself out and learning the moves, I think I actually like it! LOL..So now I'm doing South Beach and working out..Whoo Hoo! Hopefully I will have lost enough weight to buy me some new winter clothes in November ;)

Working On My Art Journal

So I picked up a Composition Book from Michaels awhile back (It was only a $1) and I decided since I have been on a paint kick with my scrapbooking that I would also start an Art Journal. You basically start with all white pages and paint them all different colors using watercolor crayons, pencils or paint. I love getting my hands dirty with the different color paints and using brushes, sponges, bubble wrap, etc. to create pages. Hopefully this won't go into the incomplete pile of projects that I have going on, because I really like this project...

Up Late Studying Again...

Started taking classes again for the Fall Semester. So ready to finish this degree already. The classes this semester are kinda hard, so I'm up late working on my assignments. Thankfully, they are only 8 weeks long instead of 16 weeks so I will be done soon! (Whoo! Wiping Forehead)...

Started South Beach Diet...

on Wednesday..It's actually not bad at all. This is what I had for dinner tonight. For breakfast I normally have some egg whites with mushroom and scallions, then for a snack a have a mozzarella cheestick, then for lunch I will have chicken with broccoli and sometimes the same thing for dinner with some Jello for dessert. Even though its only been 3 days I can already feel a difference in the way my pants feel. The book says you lose weight in your stomach area first (Whoo Hoo! Cuz that's where I need it LOL).

Anyway, I lost my exercise buddy, she moved out of state last week, so I'm by myself. It's okay though at first I lost my motivation last week, but then I realized I am strong by myself and that I have done it before and I can do it again. Which made me pick up the South Beach Diet book and start from scratch..

Currently....

Watching: Date Night the Movie
Eating: Had half a meatball sub from Subway
Drinking: Bottled Water
Wearing: My Jammies
Feeling: Tired
Weather: Just Finished Raining
Wanting: To finish reading my book
Needing: Some extra hours in the day
Thinking: I need to lose weight
Enjoying: Doing my mani and pedi
Wondering: When will this week be over already?

New Inspiration Blog..

Ever stumble across another blog while reading ANOTHER blog? Well that's what happened to me today while I was reading one scrapbooking blog, I ended up on about 20 other blogs just looking at all the different creations that people come up with about scrapbooking or just Art in general. Anywhoo, I am came across a blog called I Love to Create and it was using paint that looks just like spray paint but without the smell. They said you can purchase it at Michael's, Joann's or Hobby Lobby so I am going to have to go and check it out. Their video tutorials were amazing! It made me want to do a non traditional scrapage, so I took out my water color paints and markers and created this page

Not Feeling Well Today..

and I have homework and discussions and tests, etc and I feel terrible...So I'm laying in bed with my fuzzy slippers on in my jammies with my books and my laptop...Uggggghhhh...

Almost that Time Again..

For the Annual Car Show..I like to go every year to see the latest cars that are coming out every year. My favorites are the Dodge Ram Truck (although I have to almost run and jump to get in it LOL), the Buick Enclave, anything by Audi and of course my Jaguar X7. Last year Jaguar wasn't out there but I hope they come this year. Most of the cars they will let you sit in, but the really expensive ones are roped off and you can only lean in with your camera and get a picture of it. Anyway, I always enjoy it every time I go and can't wait to go again this year. Here I am at last year's Car Show:

My Dog...

LOVES MY BED!!! I mean HE LOVES MY BED...he actually tries to take over the whole bed when he gets in it. If I get up to go to the kitchen or bathroom or whatever, when I come back..He is in my spot LOL..Once he goes to sleep then it is truly over. He turns over on his back with everything up in the air and to the wind LOL..everytime he does it, I just have to take a picture because it is hilarious to me!
Saks, you crack Momma up!

Just...

Sitting here at my desk studying and thinking about how I get my creativity from my Mom. She has inspired me to do so many great projects, just from watching her as a young girl create things that you just would not believe. To this day I have many items that she has created and I will always have them and cherish them. I remember when she used to decorate t-shirts and pants and even shoes. Then she moved on to potting planters and plates and canvases just to name a few. It was funny I have always loved to scrapbook, but it wasn't until I was invited to a Making Memories party back in the 90's did I REALLY pick up my scrapbooking desire even more! Well as I started buying papers and supplies and they started opening up scrapbooking stores, one day I asked my mom would she like to come with. She was like "Well, I'll go but I don't think they would have anything in there that would interest me." Ha! That was all she wrote!! She has been hooked and going with me ever since! LOL..It turns out that the same things that I use to scrapbook, she can use in whatever she creates too which lately has become greeting cards (Wow Mom, you are truly talented) Anyway, starting to ramble here, just wanted to say thanks Mom for giving me your creative side. YOU ROCK!!!

Scrapbooking Away...

It's funny how whenever I start taking classes again, my need to scrapbook increases LOL. Well I guess it calms me down after all of that reading and writing papers, participating in discussions and taking tests. Whoo! That's enough in itself. Anyway, I did this layout of me and my niece last night, I scraplifted it from and Ali Edwards page she did on her son years ago. I think I want to go back though and put black lines around the edges to make it look complete though...

Currently:

Every now and then I like to do a good survey, and since I CAN'T GO TO SLEEP RIGHT NOW! I will do a small one...



Listening: Till it happens to you by Corrine Bailey
Eating: A Ham Sandwhich
Drinking: Green Tea
Wearing: My Jammies
Feeling: Sleepy but Content
Weather: Raining
Wanting: Some sleep
Needing: Some sleep LOL (Go to bed Erika!!)
Thinking: I love my family
Enjoying: Talking to my mother everday
Wondering: Will I go to bed soon? LOL

My First Really Fast....

Scrapbook page. Normally it takes me a while to complete a scrapbook page, but last night in the middle of me writing a paper for class, I get this urge to do a scrapbook page really quick! (I know right? weird huh)So I grab the first picture that I see which happens to be a picture of Saks, and I just started grabbing paint and stamps and stickers and punches and went crazy! LOL..Anyway, this is what I ended up with. Maybe I need to start doing that every now and then, just create a page as fast as I can, because this only took me about 10 minutes when normally it takes me anywhere from 30min to a couple of hours or sometimes I even leave it undone and come back days later and finish it up...Hmmm mind is flowing....

Okay so every now and then...

I get these youtube videos sent to me that just have me rollin, such as the woman who caught a bullet in her weave and the weave saved her life, etc. Well this video was sent to me about a woman who woke up to find an intruder in her bed. Now in no way do I think that is funny at all, but when you watch the first video LOOK AT HOW HER BROTHER reacts to the situation. Once you have seen the first video THEN WATCH THE SECOND VIDEO. Now that one is hilarious!!! Especially the guy at the end on the piano. Man the things people can do nowadays with technology...
FIRST VIDEO:


SECOND VIDEO:

I would like to dedicate this video to all the Dad's out there including mine, my brother-in-laws (Especially you Joel)this video is hilarious!! Check it out..

My Next Project

As if I need one, seeing how I just started two of my classes this semester. Anyway, still working on my Mini Album, but I wanted to start another Week in the Life Album as well. I tried it about a year ago and it was very interesting to see or look back on I should say, at the pictures of things that I did throughout the day. You get a better take on it by looking at the pictures AND telling the story instead of looking at the pictures and asking, "What happened in this pic?" So I am looking forward to starting this project pretty soon. Here I just posted a video tutorial of the overlays that I want to use in my album by Ali Edwards. Love her blog!!

Week In The Life : Collage Layered Template Tutorial from Ali Edwards on Vimeo.

Ellen and Twitch on So You Think You Can Dance

I stopped watching this season very early on when they cut off my favorite dancer. I was SO upset!! LOL. Well I went over to my parents house to workout and Mom told me that I had to see this video. It is hilarious! Plus the fact that Ellen can hang and dance. You Go Girl!!


I also like the dance routine by Lauren and Twitch.

Work In Progress

Okay so I didn't finish my minibook this weekend, was too busy doing other things. Anyway, I completed a couple of pages (If you are wondering why the pictures are blurred out it is because of the request and respect that I have for my family who do not want to be posted on the Internet and like I said I respect their wishes :) Anyway, it looks like I am going to have to keep chipping away at this book...Until next time...

Shoe Alert!!

If you read my blog, then you KNOW I have a thing for SHOES. I was in the mall the other day looking for another cell phone because mine is slowly dying a painful death. Anyway, as I was heading to the little kiosk in the middle of the mall, I happened to pass by Charlotte Russe store (LOVE thier shoes!!) Anyway, they were having a sale where all of their shoes in the store were $25..I couldn't believe it!! So I got a regular $100 pair of shoes for $25. Whoo Hoo! (Okay I didn't get a phone but WHO CARES?? I got shoes! LOL). Now watch my phone klonks out on me this week.