Week 3

This week started out a bit rough. After I posted last week my weekend was a bit emotional. I hit a wall. Not literally, but I just couldn't function. I had no desire to craft, to get dressed, to leave the house, no anything. I analyzed my entire week, and while I had a busy week running here and there, I just couldn't figure it out. But then it hit me.  I was counting calories with my app and I had been undereating everyday all week. I had 0 energy, had not lost weight, and on Saturday binged all day. I felt horrible. But. This week I stepped up and have done much better. I'm down 1lbs and figuring out my food much better. 

That being said I'm getting busy this week. I felt like crafting so I am doing a little bit at a time so I don't get burned out. I have sheep, chicks, and rabbits in the works. 

Then today I drew out a hooked rug pattern. I want to do a hit or miss pattern with the hearts, but keep going back and forth how I want to proceed. I like tohave other things to do other than painting. Sometimes Bill and I will binge watch Netflix so I sit and hook or whatever in front of the TV. I can't do that with my painting. Plus I don't want to get burned out.  I also cut some wool last weekend hoping to get inspired and it helped.  I have so many ideas swimming around just not enough time to draw them out. The story of my life. 😊

Stay tuned for more updates. 

Week 2

 What a week! It has not gone as planned and I haven't gotten as much done as I had hoped.  Oh well, life happens and I'm learning to roll with it.  I'm trying to do what I can and not beat myself up over it.

I have been keeping up with eating better, but the exercise didn't happen this week. I truly just didn't have time.  Monday I took my Mom to an eye doctor appointment where the office motto is "hurry up and wait."  Once I brought my Mom back home I had to do a few odds and ends for her and my Dad.  I got home at 1:15pm just to turn around eat lunch and leave for work.  Tuesday my daughter and I had hair appointments.   We didn't get home again until after noon.  I ate lunch and left for work.  Wednesday was grocery shopping day.  Yesterday was my first day completely at home before work.  I baked a loaf of banana bread, laundry, loaded the dishwasher, and all the other stuff that I couldn't do before.

So, here we are Friday morning.  I'm going to look at the things I have been able to do.  I have learned to meal prep for work.  (This blog may be more for me then some of you because I am trying to track my journey. ) Anyway, this is a chicken and rice bowl with cilantro lime rice, taco seasoned chicken, peppers and onions , and kidney beans because I didn't have black beans or pinto beans.  I don't mind eating the same thing a couple days in a row, BUT by the last day, today, I'm ready for something else.

I have tried overnight oats before and wasn't a fan.  I have been looking for recipes and ideas to make it better. So far, using oats, almond milk, chia seeds, honey, and salt have made it better.  I don't care for the yogurt in it at this point.  I come home from work at 11:30p and prepare my oats for the next day.

Today I added some fresh berries and it was really good.

I also had time to make a salad in a jar.  I am new to this bandwagon.  Normally I just throw everything in a Tupperware bowl and go.  But I like the idea of prepping it ahead and just grabbing and going.  There is a method to it so certain things don't get soggy.  We'll find out if I did it right.  I did forget to put my eggs in the jar and didn't realize it until the end.  Guess I'll just take them with me and put them on when I dump the salad out on the plate.

I had originally bought these jars to craft with, BUT... don't they look pretty?  

I'm hoping to do some molding of some chcks and rabbits today so I'm going to cut this short.  Have a great day and stay tuned.

What IS Helping

 I know it's only the first few days of the year and everyone is gung ho on resolutions.  We start out strong and as time marches on we fizzle out.  So, I am not calling them resolutions.  These are goals I NEED to reach.  It's not a race to see how fast I get there.  In my heart I know this.  However, I'm very impatient!  I don't care what it is in my life I have a hard time waiting. I want it yesterday.

Things I have accomplished since Jan. 1

1. I have walked on my treadmill 3 days in a row.

2. I have cleaned out most of my kitchen cabinets.

3. I cleaned out the bottom of my dry sink.

4. I cleaned out under my basement stairs.  This will all be donated. YAY!!!!

5. I have made 1 trip to the thrift store.  I just need to load my most recent things from today. See above.

6. I am tracking what I eat and cutting back. This is actually a serving of soup. 1 cup... ugh. I'm going to starve before I get my house organized.😂

I think I have made great strides so far.  I only work an hour or so a day on it so I don't get overwhelmed. I think that planning my day, before I go to work is helping immensely.  I now work 2nd shift so I get more done during the day before work then I ever did working 1st shift.  I never felt like doing anything after getting dinner for everyone in the evenings.  Weekends were always spent running around doing errands and I still got nothing done.  

Tomorrow is a new day to make progress. I'm so proud of myself so far.  I am now going with my Dad to doctor appointments so I need to plan accordingly.  

Motivation

 Some people have a lot of motivation and some don't.  I think I'm in the middle somewhere.  Some days I can get a lot done and others I sit on the couch endlessly scrolling through my phone.  How do find motivation?  How do you make it last?  I wish I had an easy answer.

I can tell you watching videos of already fit people telling me how to lose weight doesn't work.  Obviously I know lose weight quick schemes don't work either.  For those who follow me on FB know 2 years ago I went on WW (Weight Watchers) and lost quite a bit of weight.  What was my motivation?  I was getting ready to buy new pants in a larger size than the current 16 I was wearing.  I walked into work one day and told my coworkers I needed to do something.  I found out our insurance covered part of the WW fee and I signed up.  A couple other coworkers did as well once they found out.  I did great... for awhile.  I stalled out after I lost about 35lbs.  As of today I have put a few pounds back on and need to get back at it.  So, today I got back on my treadmill.  I just need to be consistent. But what will help me do that?  I listened to old country music while I walked and let my mind drift.  It helped pass the time.

Yesterday, I cleaned out under my kitchen sink.  I felt so accomplished.  So, after walking away from doing that I remembered a video I saw about organizing and cleaning out clutter.  Listen I know you should break big jobs into smaller tasks, but that is hard for me.  I tackle the big thing and get burnt out and then it sits undone.  Back to the video.  The woman took a single cardboard box and filled it with stuff to get rid of.  Then that was it for the day.  Right now, I have a lot of boxes around here.  You'd think I was moving or something.  Anyway, I got myself a box. 

I began with one cupboard.  The one that has all of the drinking cups, glasses, mugs, travel mugs, and all that sort of stuff. I have my favorite mugs, cups, and glasses I use all the time.  I loaded up my box with those I haven't touched in YEARS.  What is my motivation?  HOPEFULLY my son will get this house to rent and he needs kitchen stuff. 

I ended up gaining momentum and did all the cabinets EXCEPT the plastic Tupperware/Rubbermaid cabinet.  That is a very overwhelming task that I will have to do by itself. I ended up with all kinds of stuff and told my son and his girlfriend to come look through it before I loaded it into my car to donate.  As I type this the box is sitting next to me and has not been loaded into my car. I have to run into town so I will load it and take it or else I will end up changing my mind and keeping it. 

I guess the point to this post is find something, someone, podcast, music, book, or whatever it takes if you need a push to be more motivated or productive.  How do you get motivated?  What helps you get things done?  I'm always looking for new ideas. I have got to clean the clutter out of here.  I am drowning.

New Years Eve 2022

Last night we had Christmas at my parent's home.  My Dad is now pretty much home bound for the winter since he now uses an electric scooter to get around.  Here in Ohio the winters get pretty rough with snow and he and my Mom are 80 and have no need to get out with the exception of eating out occasionally.  He also does use crutches to get in and out of the car and fears falling.  I don't blame him.  But I digress.

My sister and I came together and bought my parents new dinner ware for Christmas.  Since family gatherings will now be at their home they didn't have enough to accommodate everyone.  This is what we found for them.  Corelle wear has come along way.  My Mom has had the white with green around the edge for a very long time.  Of course pieces get broken over the years so she had bought plain white to use.  Aren't these the cutest?

Well, this year we added a girlfriend of my son to the mix.  It's been awhile but he is now 23 years old in case you've been with me for awhile.  Hard to believe I know.  Anyway,  he and his Dad and grandparents have been looking for a house for him to purchase so that he can begin his own life.  They haven't had much luck in that department.  I have stayed out of that picture, but told him I was here if he needed me.    Well, there may be a home to rent on the horizon instead.  In my opinion I think this is a better choice, but have kept my opinion to myself.  Well, my son called me and asked me what my thought was on this option.  He had a few reservations about the landlord and the situation.  His Dad had the some reservations.  I was able to talk to him on an adult level and helped him realize that all he needed to do was to talk with the landlord (he knows him quite well and works for him occasionally) and lay it out what the expectations would be.  My son actually thanked me and said he didn't think that the conversation would have gone as well as it did.  Up until now I have told him the choice was his and I couldn't make the decision as to what was right for him.  So, I think by the end of next week we will know some answers whether he will be moving out.  Where was I going with this?  His girlfriend asked if they could have my Mom's old dishes for when they do move.  I like her already. LOL.  She is not opposed to using hand me downs.

I think 2023 will be an interesting year for us. 

Wooly Tree Tutorial... Sort Of

 

For those who follow me on Facebook know I finally made a wooly tree.  Oh I bought everything I needed a couple years ago in great anticipation of doing it.  BUT, I never got to it.  So, in between molding and painting my paper mache Santa's and snowmen I did it.  Is is time consuming? YES! Is it hard? Absolutely NOT!  Is it fun? Definitely!  

I got asked on Facebook to give directions on how to make them.  Well, since I have never made them before now I will post exactly what pattern I bought and what videos I used to learn.  YouTube is a wonderful thing!  There is no need for me to reinvent the wheel and I respect the ones who sell the patterns for them so I will not give out their directions.

I bought the pattern from Searsport Rug Hooking. For $5 you can make all sorts of sizes of trees.  I started with the smallest obviously.  I didn't want to waste wool if I screwed up.  Next, I followed the YouTube videos from Two Old Crows.  I believe they too have a pattern/kit, but I can't say for sure since the video was done awhile ago.  I mainly bought the pattern so I had measurements for the branches.  I could have read the directions, but I am a visual learner.  I have to see it to do it.  I watched multiple videos of different people and found these ones most helpful.

So, enjoy.  Happy tree making.  

P.S. I plan on making a couple more to add to my collection.

Two Old Crows Part 1

Two Old Crows Part 2

Two Old Crows Part 3

EDIT...

There was a question as to what kind of scissors I used.  I just used my trusty old Fiskar scissors.  The trick is to be sure that the tips of them are sharp.  If your kids or hubby used them to cut paper then you might need to sharpen them or use something else. 

 

Primitive Painting Technique Using Latex Paint

 I feel like my blog has become a DIY place recently.  To be honest I don't mind.  I don't do much exciting in my life other than to craft and do DIY projects since COVID and before actually. LOL.  This tutorial may be a bit premature because I'm not done with my project, but it does explain my process I used on my repurposed cabinet.  So far (knock on wood) I have spent $0 to do this.  

Many moons ago I bought this cabinet with the intention of redoing it.  Let's just say I ended up using it to store my crap on.  It had a bit of an odor to it somewhere between musty and cat pee.  I didn't notice it until I got it home.  Needless to say that's why it sat.  Keep in mind this is made from old plywood that in places was broken and gross.  It is also a mint green color that doesn't necessarily go with my primitive home though I love the chippy crust it has.  

I have to start from the beginning so you can see where we end up. First step was to rebuild the front of the cabinet and put a top on it. It just wasn't my style the way it was.  

 I happened to have a couple pieces of 3/4" plywood in my shed from when I moved into this house. They were covered in fuzzy mold and damp.  I cleaned them with bleach water, but later realized I should have used white vinegar.  Oh well.  I cleaned them then let them dry in the sun and in my garage. Bill said that if I would have had to buy plywood it is quite expensive.  So, yay for me!

I told Bill I wanted to be the one to redo this cabinet, but he insisted on cutting my boards for me since they were going to be long straight cuts.  I don't have a lot of experience with circular saws and I don't think he likes blood, so I let him cut the boards and then pin nail them on.  He kept telling me we needed to use glue AND nails and I disagreed and well, we used only nails. I am loving the way it looks already.

I knew I would be using a paint finish because the shape it was in and being made of plywood the value of the piece was non existent anyway.  I decided to use my favorite Minwax  GEL ( I love me some gel stain) stain Dark Walnut on the new wood so that when I distress it the bright wood wouldn't show through.  Please bare with me as I am working at night with a single LED bulb above me.  I let this dry for a couple hours.  It was still a bit tacky, but I moved on.

In order to make this $0 I am using what paint I have at home. Most of what I have in my arsenal is latex, acrylic, and 1 bottle of chalk paint.  So, I am using outdoor paint, indoor paint, and chalk paint (only because I love this color not because it is chalk)  This process worked great with all of my paints.

Alright.  Now that the 1st layer of stain is dry the first coat of paint went on.  I used a roller and brush to coat the entire piece.  Again the lighting is horrible, but it is a chocolate brown. I used this color on my window shutters last year.  Notice I didn't do the inside because I'm still deciding what I'm going to do.  It may stay as is.

I let this dry overnight because it got late and I'm old.  I need my sleep.  Fast forward to this morning.  This is the most important step in this whole thing.  I spent quite a bit of last night trying to figure out a way to make my latex paint "chip".  Almost every tutorial I found was using milk paint or chalk paint and they chip themselves.  That stuff ain't cheap and I'm cheap.  So, I continued researching.  I kept coming across using wax.  Yes, candle wax.  I watched videos of people using old candles rubbing it on with tons of muscle.  I then saw someone using furniture wax which is a paste consistency.  I used all my furniture wax and I'm not going to buy any.  Then, I came across a lady who used her Scentsy wax tarts.  Well, I have tons of those, not Scentsy, but tarts.  They are just the right size.  The white thing is my wax.  It is a softer soy wax.  I highly recommend using a softer wax.  It even smelled good as I put it on.  MY daughter told me it smelled funny when she came to the basement. LOL.  Btw, you will need a putty knife, sand paper, and an old towel or sock as well.

After your base coat is on take your wax and rub it all over your piece.  It doesn't have to be a heavy coat especially if you use soft wax.  Pay close attention to edges and places where people may have put their hands as this is where the paint would have rubbed off. That film you see is the wax.

Once I covered the piece in wax I painted my next color which was black.  Don't wipe the wax.  Just leave it and paint right over it.  I used a brush for this.  I then let this dry less than an hour.  The sheen was gone and dry to the touch.

  

This is where the magic happens.  Take your putty knife and run it over the surface of the piece.  Hold it at a 45 degree angle and scrape.  You will start to see the brown or stain underneath depending on how hard you scrape.  You don't need much force if you use the soft wax.

uh oh.  The mint green is showing through.  Oh well, extra character.

It kinda looks good just like this BUT.... I need color. Use a rag, towel, old sock and wipe off all the paint that you scraped off.  You could leave pieces if you want to make the paint look chunky. You could definitely leave it as is with brown and black, but if you want another layer keep reading.

Once you have scraped and you  like the way it looks take your wax and rub it all over the piece again.  Now, yes, I used chalk paint BUT you can see regular paint works.  I absolutely adore this pumpkin color.  It was either pumpkin, red, or cream and I decided I didn't want Farmhouse cream.  I dumped some of my paint from the bottle in to a paint pan, but a paper plate would work just as well.  I initially started with a sponge to put the top coat on.  I threw that to the side quickly and decided to use a brush and I dry brushed the orange on. With dry brushing it is a tiny little bit of paint on your brush.  Don't immerse your brush in the paint.  Then just paint here and there letting your base color show through.  The wax actually helps extend the paint a bit.  I went up and down side to side with paint to get the coverage I wanted.

The chalk paint dried pretty quickly. If you use latex I would let it sit 15 to 20 minutes before you go back to it.  After it has dried go back with your putty knife and start scraping away.  You will be able to scrape clear down to the 1st coat of brown paint. The harder you push the deeper you go.  The lighter the touch the less paint comes off.

Whoopsie! I went a little to deep and mint green is showing.  Oh well.  It just adds to it.

So, as of right now here we are...  I used my sandpaper on the edges to make them smoother and look more worn.  I normally don't like to toot my own horn, but I am in LOVE with this piece.

There will be a sequel to this because now I have to figure out how to seal it so the paint doesn't continue to come off.  I am toying with the idea of a dark stain or polyacrylic.  I need to do a little more research. I am also still debating on the inside of the cabinet.  I just love the stained, dirty, crusty look of it.  I may just add polyacrylic to that so whatever I put on the shelf doesn't have anything rub off on it. So, stay tuned....