Standing in my Beauty

When I was on my road trip last week, I had a photo shoot.  Not something I ever had thought of doing in the past.  I am overweight.  Kinda not happy with my looks most days.  Uncomfortable seeing me in a photo.

But God told me otherwise.  He has been impressing on me lately to "Stand in my Beauty".  As a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter (harder than you would think), and as a business woman.

I hired a friend who is a photographer and away we went.  We did some more formal head shot poses for work and then had fun.

I can't say that I love them all.  I do think though that I look pretty in some of them.

I can't wait to look back a year from now and see the changes in me.

One of my favorites

Work shot!

This one was inspired by a painting that I own called "Standing in her beauty"

Look ma! No spanx!!! That was hard to do.  It is all me.  Not hiding anything.

Another favorite

And then she does scrinchy nose.

I had red ants crawling on me here.  Ouch.

So there they are.  There are over a hundred more! But you get these ones.

Yup.  That is me.

15 lbs heavier than when I stopped the diet.

On the road to being mentally and physically healthier this year.

Leaving the past behind and standing in today.

Thank you Ruth.

Worth every penny.

Life Change in 3 days!!!!

This blog is about to change a little.  I will still randomly post recipes and decor stuff as I finish it (wainscoting should be done this week!!!!!!) But on Friday? My 13 year old nephew is moving in with us for the next 10 months.  I will be a parent.  UM yeah.  He is a hurting little man (life before adoption was enough to make you want to commit murder) and we want to challenge him for a year and try to help out.  Sucks when you love someone so much :)

I will call him Punk.  Or Red (he has shoulder length flaming red hair).  I have not decided yet.  Husband and I made a room for him this weekend.  As soon as some finishing touches are made I will post some more.

I will post more later today.  About the road trip I just came home from, Husband and his amazingness, my fears and excitement at this next year, and life in general.  Oh, and maybe the new lifestyle that I have started and am losing weight on! I have not told a soul I am doing this and so we will see what happens.  I am feeling good though and the scale is moving and it is really healthy so I am happy.

So yeah.  I am back and will probably be on here more than usual in the next few months as I adjust to a kid and homeschooling and life in general!

See you later!

Wainscoting from hell...

So, I have these crazy ideas some times.

And then have to find other people to help make them :)

Wanna be my friend???

I bet not.

I do have a lovely friend though that is willing.

Helps that she is a finish carpenter by trade and loves doing it!

So when I phone her and say "Hey.....wanna do something crazy?"

She jumps at the chance.

Here is the start of my latest project!

Wainscoting! Here is the stencil that I designed, my amazing friend K and the start of a long process!

Before pictures.  So plain and beige.

All the furniture is stacked in the room in the middle.  We have company coming tonight.  Huh.  Might have to move a few things!

First stencil piece is up!

Don't you wish you could do this?

And it starts!

A part of the finished wall!!!!! 

I love it so much.  It is amazing and beautiful and will add so much texture to this room! It was a boring box before.  We are hoping to do down the stairs as well.  We will see! Too many projects on the go this month.  Husband is starting to get a little pissy :) He will survive.  He loves it too.  I am planning on painting the whole area white.  The top stripe might get the final wall color.  I am not sure yet.  We cannot agree on a color at this point so we will see what happens! it might stay beige for awhile longer. Not happy about it but as soon as this is done? I will be happy.  This is the big part of the whole project.

Huge shout out to K.

You are an amazing friend with skills beyond my wildest dreams! You have made my vision come to life and you are completely selfless in doing it! I owe you huge.  

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I will post more pictures as it gets closer to completion!

Original Art

I have always been a buyer of lame art.  Let's be honest here.  Art from Urban Barn (while I love it), IKEA, Walmart etc is kinda lame.  Everyone has it and it is not meaningful at all! I decided last year that from now on? All my art would be kinda or crazy special to me/us.

I have added a few pieces to my collection and am loving them.  They are worth every penny.

Here is the inspiration wall in my office before:

And now:

This is a print from Bernadette McCormack.  Isn't she amazing? She lives on Vancouver Island.  Check out her website:

www.BernadetteMcCormack.com

It is called "Watching the Storm Blow Away".

Kind of feels like my life lately! I was immediately drawn to the colours and the design but the name was what sold me on it.

This one is part of a trio by Giselle Denis.  She is incredible! Both in spirit and talent.  We have been hanging out lately and I adore her.  So fun! And seriously? Crazy talented.  You should see some of her stuff! No, you should see all of it! I kind of want it all.  Like ALL of it.  One day...

www.GiselleDenis.com

This is another one by Bernadette.  This is an actual canvas original.  It is called "Standing in My Beauty"

This one has a story.  Years ago, I was struggling bad and was praying one night with my cousin.  I was praying that God would show me how he saw me.  Not how I saw myself or how others saw me but how I looked in his eyes.  He gave me a clear picture of me standing in a mirror in this exact position with him standing behind me as a bright light.  I was surrounded by flowers.  He kept saying to me "Stand in your Beauty"

Needless to say, when I was at an art show and saw this? Cried my eyes out and had to buy it.  When I explained it to Husband, it was not an option of if just how to buy it.

It is directly beside my computer and I stare at it often.

I love it.

I am hoping to add more original art over the next few years.  I love it.  I love the meaning behind it and knowing that it is just mine.  Special.  And mine.

Budget Purse

Budgeting Sucks.

Can I just say that?

One of my biggest problems with budgeting is the procedure of the whole thing.  

Jars? Suck.  Then you have to plan every time you are going to shop and heaven forbid you have to stop at the store for milk on your way home.  You are now screwed.  You have ruined the system.  You are a failure.  Or at least that is how my brain thinks :)

Envelopes? Suck almost as bad.  The problem? Here in Canada, we have decided that we like to pack 50 lbs of money with us everywhere we go.  When all your one and two dollar bills are big huge coins, it makes things kind of a pain in the butt.  In this country? "Throwing your change in a dish" can amount to a large amount of money end of the week.  Just today? Thought I was out of money to buy groceries due to the fact that the bills were gone.  $26.92 in change.  Yup.  And don't get me on the fact that every time you pull an envelope out of your purse, other papers/business cards/receipts/who knows what comes out with it.  And the envelopes get ruined.  Or they tip out and now you are trying to put it back in the "correct" envelope.  Not my type of system.

What I can figure out? What I spend my money on, how to spend it and cute fabric! I decided there had to be another option.  And so I designed one.

I call it the Budget Purse.

These are my pretty fabrics.  They make me smile.  Thinking I want to make more in different color combos now! Poor Tammy (my amazing cousin who guided me through this process)

My items are: Food, Eating Out, Beauty, Activities.  My allowance goes in another wallet.  The one with my licence and other cards.

The letters were done on a different fabric.  Then ironed on to my pieces.  Then I stitched around them to make them fancy.

Me sewing.

The best of the stitch around that I did!

Stopping for donairs for lunch

Attaching the zippers to the ends.  Don't want my coins falling out!

Me and the Fabulous Tammy.  She is an amazing sewing genius who lets me buy her skills with food and love.

Outside piece.  We put plastic in the outside parts to keep it somewhat stiff.  The loop? Her daughters hair tie that was lying around.  Watch your crap kids! I will include it in my genius ideas!!!!

The finished product.

From the outside.

I hand stitched this bad boy! Please understand my lack of skills when it comes to this sort of stuff.

The finished product.  Stuffed with money and love.  Squashing the envelopes.

So, what do you think? Do you budget? Do you have a system that works for you???