I hit 30!.. a card...and our anniversary!!

Well, I know it has been a while since I posted, but, better late than never as they say! I have some rather sad news today. I was supposed to play volleyball tonight (the last time until Fall) but it was cancelled. Don't know why it was cancelled, but now my evenings filled with bliss are through. We did play on Monday, so that was officially my last night until September. Sad, sad, sad. Bring on the tennis. I hope it works out. I hope it is all I have been wanting it to be. I need to be able to replace volleyball with something that I will look forward to doing and something that still gives me a good workout. I think it will be great! A lot of my friends are interested in playing as well, so it should be fun.

In my weightloss journey, I am now at 30 pounds lost. I lost 2 last week, and this week I stayed the same. Hopefully this coming Monday will bring me a good number. I have started the Biggest Loser at school. There are 17 of us (I think) signed up and the grand prize is $400!! I am going to really kick my butt into gear so I at least have a chance at winning some of the prize money. 2nd prize is $300. 3rd is $100 and 4th is your registration fee back which was $50. It will go by percentage lost so I really have my work cut out for me because I weigh more than most of the participants. I am pretty excited about it and really want to win. I will spend all of my winnings on clothes probably.

An exciting thing happening to me this weekend is it is my 12th Anniversary!!! Chris and I are heading to Jasper this weekend to celebrate it. WITHOUT Adam! We have never been away from him like this. Of course, he has gone for sleep overs and stuff, but we have never been AWAY from him. I think all will be fine. He is spending the weekend with our good friends BJ, Darren and little Hayden. I think he will have a great time and I know we will. I really hope the weather is nice so we can get out and see some sights. I love Jasper and can't wait to take some pictures.

One more exciting thing going on is I have been asked to join a Relay for Life team for this June's walk. I really need to start training and fundraising for it. Gotta hit those trails in town to build up my stamina. Can't wait for it actually.

I thought I would include this card I made. I made it for one of the teachers at school, it was her birthday on the 9th. I forgot to take pics of it before I gave it to her, so she had given it back to me so I can take them. She can't wait to get it back as she said it is on dispay somewhere in her house and it is looking rather bare with out it. I figured I should get it done so I can return it to her on Monday.

So, that is all that is going on in my life these days. I have a lot more to blog about, most of which I am waiting on pictures to do so. Well, thanks for looking, and have a great weekend...I know I will..wink wink!!!

Adrienne

Plus sizes BE GONE!!!

Sorry, no pics to go along with this quick post. Thought I would just chat a bit about my weight loss journey. I have to start with a HUGE thanks to those who are following me on my way to being happier, healthier and skinnier! It really means a great deal to me that I have so much support from my friends and family. It's interesting getting used to hearing the words small or skinny in a sentence referring to me. CRAZY!!

Another interesting thing to chat about is I am able to shop at a store that is NOT a Plus Size store. I have been banished to the back corner in so many stores that I was beginning to feel like a second class citizen. Even though there are stores out there that cater to plus size and you can shop freely in them, you are then forced to pay these disgustingly high prices. I went to our local Mark's Work Warehouse and I bought some clothes. To be able to walk into a store and shop freely among regular sized clothes and not have to chose the from only1 or 2 racks, but the entire ladies section!! Truly thrilling! I think Chris thought I was crazy because I was so excited when I got back to the van. Now that I have tasted it, I WANT it BAAAAAD!!!!

So, I hope I didn't bore you too much! Weigh in is tomorrow and I will keep my fingers crossed. I have been really active this week. I think I went for a walk EVERY day except Monday and Thursday which I have V-ball! Wish me luck!

Have a great week everyone!
Adrienne

New junk, old junk, good junk!

A junkin' we will go, a junkin' we will go, hi-ho the merry-o a junkin' we will go!!! I hit every second hand place in town last Saturday with my partner in crime, Teri! I think I have her to blame for turning me onto Funky Junk Interiors! and all that is 'junk'. We hit VV, Sally Ann, Goodwill, a garage sale at the Elks, and the place where I found my latest treasure, the Habitat for Humanity rebuild center. I also found this bag of 'mostly' brass house numbers in different sizes and fonts that I have plans for. This summer is going to be good! Just think of all the junk I can find. Things pop out at me and I have this way of seeing what it's potential is. Teri's words, not mine!!! I have always been kind of a junk lover. I made my headboard out of an old panel door that I got for free from a garage sale about 7 years ago. Usually, my problem is follow through. I come up with these great ideas, and then never get to them. The headboard, on the other hand was done quite quickly. I will post about that later, once I get some more pretty pillows for my bed.

On a different front, I am up to 28 pounds lost as of this past Monday!!! I somehow GAINED last week...BOOOO! So I carefully stepped on the scale, saying a little prayer, and YIKES!!! 5 pounds this week! I went up 3, but then down 5! Not too shabby I must say. I am shocked at the sizes that I am buying at the stores and can't wait for more! We'll have to wait for Monday to see if it likes me again! Let's hope so!

Have a great weekend,

Adrienne

One quarter and a list

I have had a great week. Let me count the ways................

1. School was the easiest ever this week. Grades 2-5 kids were off to the Leisure Center to take swimming lessons throughout the day and I got to stay and work (play!) with the Admin. Assistant who I love spending time with. A super quick week, plus a short week. That, in my books is the makin' for a great school week.

2. I got to play volleyball on both Monday and Thursday this week. Thursday was a little tough with only 7 of us. We started out so strong and now everyone is ditching us. I did get a great workout though. The gym was like a sauna so yes, I did meet my SWEAT quotient that night.

3. I am up to 26 pounds lost!! Hence the title of my post. I am 1/4 of the way to my goal and feeling great. Need to shop for clothes again. I have been hanging onto a couple pairs of jeans and they are just about ready for the too BIG bag. Can't wait to go down another size!

4. It is a long weekend. Not just a regular long weekend, but a 4 day weekend. Love those!

5. I picked up some great stuff at Value Village last week and I am super excited to see what I can do with them. I have a few plans in mind. I have bought my weight in spray paint this week and now I have to get to work.

6. The sun is shining and we are staying above 0 degrees Celsius for the whole week. The snow is melting and now I have a lake in the middle of my yard. With this warm weather, I should be able to spray paint my goodies and then post about them when they are done.

Take care and Happy Easter!

Adrienne

It's been quite a week!!!!

So, a lot has happened in the last week! I don't know where to begin. Things are pretty exciting in my little weightloss, exercising, getting out there world. Last week, I was told by my school principal that I was to go with the grades 5, 6, & 7's for their ski trip. Me??!! I don't ski, I told him. I have never even been to a ski hill. I WILL NOT ski! I will just be there for supervision. OK, fine, so I knew I was going. No biggie. Right! Until I got up last Friday. I started thinking about it. It might be nice for the kids who have never skied to have someone with them. "If OLD Mrs. Harris can do it surely I can!" I could see them thinking. So, I got ready for school and packed my stuff for skiing. Totally scared to death. Who do I think I am? I am no spring chicken. I am at least a late summer chicken. Ok, so we got to the hill and I got my skis. I took the 1 hour class just like the rest of the kids and I did really good. It's funny that I kind of forgot that I was an adult surrounded by all those kids learning something new, totally out of my element. Until, someone would say, "Way to go Mrs. Harris, you're doing great!" So, I did it. I skied!!! I almost cried when I got to the bottom of the bunny hill the first time. I had this overwhelming sense of accomplishment! I was so amazed that I made it down the hill, and all my bones were in one piece. I will definitely be skiing next year with Adam. That is exciting thing #1.

Exciting thing #2: I went boxing last night. I have been talking about this for about a month now and I finally went. It was different than I thought it would be. There is a lot to learn about how to stand and punch and move. I thought it would be more intense, but I will have to work up to that. You gotta do it right. I can't wait to just wail on that bag. The guy who runs it is really nice and he has a lot to teach. I think I will be buying my own hand wraps and gloves though. They were pretty 'ranky-stanky'! I feel pretty good today. Not really sore or anything. I think I might actually be getting in shape. I am sure after all this new activity, I would be bed ridden if I hadn't been so active for the last few months. I will probably go back tonight and get some more training in.

Exciting thing #3: I have now lost 22 pounds and I have had to buy some new SMALLER clothes! I went down a size and it feels great. I have been trying to get dressed for school these days and nothing fits, in a good way. Everything is huge and baggy and I hate it. I went through my closet the other day and filled up a garbage bag of clothes that are too big! a few others are lingering in there that are just about too big and hopefully I will get a chance to wear them again before they are destined for the garbage bag.

So, in my world, this has been a pretty great week! I thought I would include something I made quite a while ago. I made something similar to it at my weekly stamping club at least a year ago and this is what I did with it. I took some envelopes and stapled them down the center and cut off the ends so that both ends were open. Once that was done, I made sort of an outer shell for them with a flap and a velcro closure. For each section (there are 12) I inserted a card, each with one of the 12 months on it and made a little tab. So, here I have made a little birthday/anniversary organizer. So, when I am making cards, I can pull out any month's card and see who's birthday or anniversary it is. Hope you enjoy it!

Can't wait to see what this next week has in store for me!

Adrienne

Take that 20 pounds!!!!

I have made it! I am now the proud 'loser' of 20 pounds!!! It has been a long hard haul, but not that long and not really that hard. I think 'this' time, I am actually ready for it. I found that exercising really gets me excited and I feel a bit blue if I don't partake in some kind of physical activity. Is that weird? I know that years ago I LOVED working out. Heading to the gym as I stepped off the skytrain. Getting on the stairmaster, and pumping iron. When Chris and I first met, I worked out 5 days a week. Now, 15 years later, I can say the same thing. I love working out and feeling more energized. It's totally true that the more you exercise, the more energy you have to burn. BURN BABY BURN!! Oh, ya... dun dun da da... volleyball tonight!!! Very excited!

Ok, now that's all said and done, here are a few more cards I have made. I have been dying to try this technique I learned about layering stamps and I must say I think I have mastered it. Ya, I kinda got a big head here (gotta compensate for the 20 pounds!). I thought they would make nice Mother's Day cards or anything for that matter. So, I hope you enjoy them.

Take care, have a great week!

Adrienne

Let the creative juices flow!

OK. I made this card rather reluctantly because of the materials used. I purchased this amazing hymn book from Value Village a couple of weeks ago. As my cohort and I perused it, we realized that it was almost 100 years old. My friend Teri, being an English teacher, wanted to buy it just to save it because it was so old. I, on the other hand, not having read a book in I'd rather not say how long, didn't really care how old it was. It's only a book. Right?

Well, she decided she did not have to get it and I the opposite. Thoughts of cards danced through my head. Oh, the beauties I could make with this little gem. I could even make flowers and other embellies with it. So, I got it home and couldn't wait to tear into it. Sorry Teri!! I know it hurts, but think of all the beauty that can be made from it.

This second card I made just this afternoon. Again, I had someone in mind when making it. I wish this person had a couple more birthdays so I could give her more cards. Yes, I know, I don't have to wait until some one's birthday to give them a card. I think she is wonderful and beautiful and is obsessed with all things 'Robin's Egg Blue'!! Ya, you know who you are! Yes, I will inevitably give it to you, but it will be when you least expect it!

On a completely separate plane, we bought a new van. We upgraded from a tiny little hatchback to a monstrous Grand Caravan!! We love it. Can't wait to take a trip and really take advantage all the space it has.

Hope you enjoyed my rambling today. Take care and keep creating!

Adrienne