Monday Inspiration

1. "The only way of catching a train I ever discovered is to miss the train before" G.K. Chesterton, 2. EthnicEsthetic, Latest Look: Anarkali Blues, 3. Hugo's room: DIY Upholstered kids chair, 4. guestroom

Mmmm nice blues!!

I forgot to put in my post yesterday (about the 30 day shred) the link to see what I wrote about the other days. To see all the days so far, click this link and scroll down: Losing Weight. All 30 Day Shred posts will be labeled "Losing Weight", which is also a link on the left side of my blog under "Common topics".

I will again say it's hard! But I already see some inches gone, so this really does work!! Even if you can't do all the moves! :) I'm almost done with it. This Friday will be day 30. After that, I will still need to keep exercising but I think I will start alternating the exercise bike on some days with a workout like the shred on the other days.

30 Day Shred: Days 18-24

18. Phew! This is still hard. ;) If you do this, I wouldn’t expect to do all of the moves unless you were fit to begin with.
19. Husband doing it with me the past couple nights, oh and Kavi too! He is not happy if we do it when he goes to bed, so we have to do it before that! 11 days left!!!
20. We went back down to Level 1 today to see how it would feel. I felt stronger in some parts but it was definitely a challenge still! While some moves are less intense than level 2, I find the cardio harder than Level 2 for some reason.
21. Level 3 started! More challenging in some ways yet easier feeling than level 2 in ways. Hard to explain.
22. Level 3 again, some moves are just still so hard for me! 8 days left...I can do it...
23. I don’t like you, level 3.
24. Argh! I am so happy to be near the end because level 3 is hard with those plank moves. I really cannot do most of them, but it’s the trying that counts, right?

Vintage Thursday: more bedding

Ever since I got my awesome $10 quilt made of vintage fabrics(but in new condition) last November, I have been loving that look. I thought I took a picture of it on my white Ikea bedspread which we used during our coldest nights, but it looks like I didn't! I loved the way the bright colors looked against the bright white. Above is just a picture reminder of my quilt, but not on the white. :\

Here are flickr images that convey the same style. Click images for source:

Complimentary linens

Now I have to go rush to get ready to go out and later it's Thai time for hubby's birthday!

What inspires me + Share what inspires you!

Today I need to go to the store with Kavi to buy a birthday card for the hubby and maybe some birthday decor. We are planning to go to a Thai restaurant tomorrow evening for his birthday meal. (Kavi going too) Yum!

I also wanted to share some creative things!

I have been eying this cute clay village:

It's only $12 for all those pieces! From happycreations4u. Would look so cute on a little shelf.

Ooh pretty decor:




I think sometimes I get stuck in a pattern of things I like.

So for anyone reading:

If you have a link to room decor or an outfit on flickr or elsewhere that you love and would like to share with me, please leave a comment with it and next week one day I will post all the images and say who picked them out!
It'll be fun to share.
(The only guideline I'd have for the fashion is nothing provocative. :P
Not that I am expecting that, but this is open to whoever reads and wants to comment!)

Priorities

I have had to switch around and evaluate priorities lately!

My priorities right need to be keeping up with my exercising, planning Kavi's 3rd birthday party(it's on Feb 6th), getting needed things for the trip to India, and trying to keep my house in some sort of order. It needs to be put in order in so many ways! I am not a neat freak and I sometimes wish I was! Then maybe I'd stay on top of things better. I get into organizing or cleaning moods once in awhile, when I've finally had enough of the piles of laundry(clean too) or scattered junk on counters. But keeping things in very good order on a daily basis just does not happen.

Things getting majorly neglected are jewelry and pillow making. I have to stop thinking of the shops in a certain way and just keep them open, even if I am not doing much, in case something in there sells. I have to stop comparing to other shops when I don't currently have the focus needed to make a lot of things.

Oh, and my husband's birthday is in 2 days! Kavi's birthday is Feb 1st so their birthdays are very close.

30 Day Shred: Days 12-17

I passed the halfway mark last week! I don't actually have anything I am training for, but I am training my body, so I used the hamster photo!! I feel like him. You can do it, chubby little hamster!!

Day:

12. Felt tired out after the exercise, but I didn’t do some of the last few minutes and went to cool down instead, because my favorite TV show was coming on and I don’t have a dvr, haha!

13. Really worked hard during level 2 tonight. I was able to do a plank move better than a couple days ago, but still - so hard! Can’t do all the moves.

14. I feel good! I still cannot do certain things - plank moves getting better for me but it will take awhile for me to do all those plank moves.

15. Two weeks since I started the shred! Plank moves improve day by day, I can’t believe one day can make such a difference! My stomach, while still flabby, feels tighter inside.

16. Rested today, had a horrible night of sleep the night before. Exhausted!

17. Continued with level 2 tonight. Even though it’s tiring, I always feel good at the end of the workout. It feels like an accomplishment.

And, I have lost a couple pounds since starting!

Almost time to start level 3, eeks! Even though I find it all exhausting, the thing I really like about the 30 Day Shred is the variety of movements.

To read the other days' entries click here. :)

Botanical Garden

We don't get outside as much as I think we should. The weather will be nice and then in a day become really chilly (for FL standards) or rainy, and getting the right kind of outside day can be tricky!

On Wednesday I decided to take Kavi to a local, almost hidden, botanical garden/nursery. There is no entrance fee and it's open every day from dawn until dusk. It's off a main road here but it's not at all noticeable unless you know about it! We were the only people in the entire place. Not even those who come to take care of the plants were there. It's right next to a residential area, but still, it's so quiet and peaceful(and slightly creepy since you feel all alone there, I feel like I need karate skills).

We hadn't been there since two years ago! That's crazy since it's so close. I was surprised by how much greenery was still alive there, since we have had several sub-freezing nights in this area.

A little train track, but the train wasn't running! :( Part of the track is broken.

We spent about 30 minutes there, until Kavi got spooked by squirrels in the trees, and then a tripping incidence occurred, making him really want to leave! (hehe) I had him by the hand and was trying to get him to walk with me, but he wanted to be held since he got spooked. While I was trying to convince him to walk with me on the trail, the tip of my shoe got caught in a small tree root. I almost fell down but caught myself, but my momentum hurled Kavi to the ground!

After we left, we stopped at "Cupcake Heaven" for a soul healing cupcake. ;)

Vintage Thursday: Bedding

Bright and Funky(from flickr)

Soft with burst of color (flickr)

I felt lost about which vintage items to share today, but then realized I never
really did a post for all bedding items or blankets!

I found this cute, newly listed quilt on Etsy just last night, very reasonably priced(I think it was $30-40?), and it's already sold! But I want to show you anyway.

Vintage Pink Candy Flowers twin flat sheet $10
And looks like I found matching fabric, made into two big pillow covers! $15

Booked!

Last night, we booked our tickets for our trip to India! I am excited but also nervous. It was just a tough trip last year and I am praying this year is better. Last year, the main issues were how Kavi handled the time difference and that he kept getting diarrhea(we figured it was from the milk, so we had him on soy milk for the rest of the trip). There were some other issues too but I don't want to dwell on them. India's time is 10.5 hours ahead of EST right now(but when daylight savings time starts March 13th, they will be 9.5 hours ahead of EST). So nights and days are opposite! The first couple days of the trip there are zombie-like from getting adjusted. So even though the trip is about 5 weeks from now, I am already praying it goes well. :)

We head to the Mumbai(used to be called Bombay) area of India. I am not sure if people remember the terrorist attacks there in Nov 2008. I know it was covered on CNN and other news channels, right around Thanksgiving that year. It was horrible. The targets of the attacks being the city's nicest hotels, a cinema, a cafe where westerners frequented, the main train station where families were getting ready for their trips, and several other targets.
I don't usually feel unsafe when there though, because we don't stay in the busy city area of Mumbai. My in-laws live an hour away in a newer area, which seems very peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of the city. I know that we don't only have our own prayers of safety but the prayers of my family and friends too. I have already been there twice since the 2008 attacks, so it's not a new that thing we are doing. The first time I went to India in 2003, it was to New Delhi, India's capital. That was the most fun trip of all the trips. My post is not meant to make our trip sound so scary, but it's just the reality of India. I hesitate posting it because I find that some people have an idealistic view of India in their minds.

After being there, it's even more different than I ever imagined it'd be and the social structure is very very different than here. To accept India and love it, as an outsider, I have to look past what I find to be continued discrimination against their own fellow man, parents having a strong hold over their adult children to guilt them into decisions, a caste system that is still used (even if it's denied that it is), a dowry system(which is also supposed to not happen), and a lot of social pressure. I have experienced some of the issues first hand now, marrying an Indian whose family never expected him to marry an American. And other issues within the family, which I won't share for their privacy. These kinds of decisions can cause huge problems within a family and in their local community. And I am seeing it happen myself. And I can't understand it, since it's very different than the way I grew up.

On the other hand, the beauty can be found in the simple things like how passionate people are for what makes them unique, their food which is now my favorite kind in the world, creating beautiful textiles, valuing respect, a strong work ethic, and the humble spirit found in the downtrodden. I just wish I could snap my fingers and make everything better though. I know I should look at my own country first and what needs to be fixed here, and not point fingers. But the differences between here and there are so striking at times, not just money-wise but socially. It's hard not to notice.

The Belt

1. Rambla de Catalunya, Barcelona, 2. Midweek Blues, 3. À bout de souffle, 4. Recovered

When I was picking out some of my favorite looks the other day from the wardrobe remix group, I only later realized that each outfit featured a belt. That is a look I would really like to do. But as of now, I don't feel like it looks good on me. I need to get rid of some bulge that would be above the thin belt line. The last thing I want to do is accentuate the flab. Remember how I kept talking about "skinny jeans" months ago and finally got myself a pair? Now I own three pair! haha. They are all from Old Navy. One I bought full price with birthday money for around $30 and the other two were $15 each during different sales. So I guess this whole belt look should be my next style goal, but I don't think it will come until I lose more weight.

Taking care of you

Here's a medical science-y sounding post.

I recently got routine blood work done to check my cholesterol, thyroid, Vitamin D and I guess some other things(no glucose testing). I am 30 now. I know that isn't old and it's especially not these days. I am sure I am not the only one who gets nervous about getting things checked out. I hadn't had my cholesterol checked before, to my knowledge, although it could have been checked along with all the other things whenever they took my blood when I was pregnant. My obgyn prescribed the blood work during my routine visit to them.

I hadn't gone to a Dr's office for myself in probably two years, but between Dec 14th to Jan 6th I went to four different medical facilities! Saved it all up for a short amount of time! First Dr visit was because of my chest cold and very sore throat, thankfully I didn't have strep throat. Next visit was routine to obgyn, then I was given an RX for the blood work plus an ultrasound for pains I have been getting. So I went to a lab, and then a week later to an imaging place for the ultrasound. (Still waiting for u/s results, I assume things are ok since they didn't rush results?)

Anywayyyy
My cholesterol was fine! It could always be better, and I'd like it to be, but when the obgyn's office called with my results they said everything was fine except one thing - my vitamin D level was too low. I am now taking 2000 "units" of vitamin D, two times a day. Until when? I don't know, they didn't say and I forgot to ask! (I will, don't worry)

And that is what I really want this post to be about! I have heard about vitamin D deficiency but it's not something any of us seem to be concerned about usually. But in reality, vitamin D deficiency is very widespread! And what's the big deal? We might ask. But I found out that Vitamin D is necessary for things like strong bones and a healthy immune system, while it also has been studied to help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The beauty of this all is that it can be easily remedied by taking vitamin D supplements. The dose I am taking is WAY over the suggested amount of daily D, but it may be because I need to build it back into my system.

The sun can cause your skin to make vitamin D, but with skin cancer being a real concern, we are avoiding the sun more often. It's also found in milk, salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, cod liver oil(ew?) and other foods but in small amounts. I had been having milk almost every day and that is obviously not enough. Getting 10-15 minutes of sunlight is supposed to be enough, but I haven't gotten that lately either! Plus, I read that during winter months, areas north of Atlanta, GA don't have the right angle from the sun to even get the needed UVB rays to make your skin make vitamin D!

I'd definitely encourage everyone to get routine blood work done even if it's scary! Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets, a softening and weakening of the bones. I would say to take Vitamin D, but it's not good to take a lot unless you know you are deficient. 70-80% of our population is deficient though! And it's as simple as taking vitamin D pills. And it's really important!

30 day Shred - Days 6-11

6. A little more stamina today. Recovery time after exercise is much faster! I cannot do push ups.
7. The first set of jumping jacks are still a killer. I think I need to warm up even more before putting on the dvd, she does a very short warm up. My husband joined in with me tonight. He has been jogging lately and still finds this dvd very challenging.
   
8. Still pushing through! I think I can...I think I can...
9. I have more stamina for the “butt kicks” now. I was really tired feeling today but I did the work out anyway. After I was done, I peeked at level 2 and 3. Scary!
10. I decided to be crazy and started level 2 tonight! I feel like a cooked, floppy noodle in my arms and upper legs. It’s very tough!! The plank moves, which are holding yourself up on your arms in a push up looking move, are so hard that I can’t do all those moves consecutively. It’s pretty bad when the people on the video, including Jillian, look really tired out at the end. Those people, who don’t seem to have any flab jiggling around during the moves, with extremely toned muscles, versus me who has much too much flab. I sure have a lot more weight to lift off the ground than them! But- at least I don’t feel pukey. :)
11. Day of rest mostly, did a tiny bit of strength training moves. I thought I would be more sore today.
    

I will be doing level 2 again tomorrow! If you missed what I wrote about days 1-5, you can read here.

Quotes I like

Quotes from my favorite author, C.S. Lewis.

Hope Through a Window, mixed media art on a vintage window

I found the above on Etsy, art on a window using text from one of his quotes.

"No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond."

"Crying is all right in its own way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later, and then you still have to decide what to do."

"I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time- waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God- it changes me."

"To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art.... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival."

"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it." (hehe from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)

"Write about what really interests you, whether it is real things or imaginary things, and nothing else."

Vintage Thursday: Globes

Globe Sharpener $3.99

Globemaster Replogle Globe $23

Parchment colored globe $54

Set of 3 globes $99

I think a globe of the world needs to be in my house. Not only for decorative reasons, but becuase it's fun to just look at the world and see countries you never hear about.

I finally put together a new treasury on Etsy. It had been awhile since I made one. My theme is Tea for Two Valentine Date.

The Blue Room

I had talked about painting our sons room, and it was finished New Year's Eve. We still had to arrange things, move some things out of the room, and there is still work to do in there.

So here is just one corner as it is right now. It's a little blurred, sorry! I need to get better pictures of the room.
We want to get simple curtains for the room instead of the green curtains he has now.

Last night during the 30 Day Shred, I could tell I had more stamina for the cardio. Two things I feel like are impossible right now are push ups, even the girly kind, and bicycle stomach crunches. I can hardly dip down at all during the push ups. And it really hurts my tail bone to lay on the ground and lift my legs for crunches, even on the carpet. Even though I have so much padding on my body, there isn't enough at my tail bone or something!! I gave up that part for now. I just move around or do regular stomach crunches during that last minute.

Thank you for the encouraging comments yesterday!!

30 Day Shred - I'm doing it.

My exercise news is that I started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred last Thursday night, Jan 6th! I had read about it several times but didn't have the guts to try it out until just after the New Year. Since I know I am going to India again, in maybe just 5 weeks time from now, I figured what better time than now to start it? A 30 day(or so) program that's supposed to make my muscles more toned, and hopefully help me lose more weight. Yeah, I got some of that holiday weight on me.

Well, the shred workout is really hard. I knew it would be! I want to say that I don't think I will be able to do 30 consecutive days in a row of this. Whether you are even supposed to is unclear. I googled it! Jillian was quoted as saying you need 2 days of rest a week when exercising, yet this 30 day shred seems like it's supposed to be 30 days with no break.

Let me just say, I had to take a break already. I used my once a month womanly card to sit out on Sunday. I don't want to take another day off, but if I do, it's ok. I am not competing, I am not expecting to become skinny in 30 days. I am just testing this out and it's a good workout. And I think it's already working! On my legs at least. They were the most sore and now they are hardly sore at all. I read horror stories about how sore people were the day after doing the 30 Day Shred for the first time. It wasn't as bad as I expected - BUT I was not able to do every single jump. I guess if I did every...single...jumpy move, it would have been worse. I did maybe 85% of the movements, I couldn't do 100%.

I took my measurements so that if I didn't see the scale moving, I could see those results instead. I will let you know how it turns out. I like that this is a 30 day thing, not too long right? I can do it...I can suffer these 30 days!

I started a little journal document with how I feel each day after doing it. Short entries to remind myself of the process, and I will share them here until it's over! Numbers represent the day.

30 Day Shred, Day:

1. I couldn’t keep up with every movement. So tiring!!! Felt like puking afterward(literally), but I didn’t. This is hard...Next morning, I am sore but not as bad as I thought it’d be.
   
2. Still can’t do every movement. Felt less pukey afterward. Still very hard.
3. Less exhausted after today, but I can’t do every jump and such. Still sore. (days 1-3 done in evening)
4. Woke up less sore, much less sore than the night before. I took a day of rest today.
5. Did it a little while after lunch today. I had more stamina for the cardio, but I can’t do all the jumping movements continuously, still. All that matters is that I am moving at least.

So I am trying to shift to doing it before showering each day instead of in the evening. And this has to be the year that I get rid of the weight I have wanted off for the past almost 2 years! I lost weight after Kavi was born, for about a year. I got down to a nice point, still overweight but better than before, but I gained a little of it back and didn't reach my final goals. I want to!

Inspiration on a stormy day

It's raining here today and will be in the mid 70's for a high. Meanwhile my family in AL got snow last night and took beautiful pictures! But here in Florida, it's just rain. I enjoyed my coffee even more this morning to get myself awake feeling. It is darker than usual because of the rain.

I looked on www.polyvore.com and found some "sets" to share today. There are some very talented people there, with the way they put things together! My sets are usually simple since I don't like to spend a lot of time on them.

All the sets today were made by the same talented person.

I'll start with one that has umbrellas in it:

Ginger and Wellies by MelissaKaye featuring wellies boots

If you are somewhere with snow instead of rain:

Oh the weather outside is frightful by MelissaKaye featuring ribbed socks

And this one is just very charming, even if it was probably meant for Fall:

Honeycomb by MelissaKaye featuring stud earrings

(I'm unable to center them for some reason!)

I started a new exercise thing that I will write about tomorrow!

Flickr favorites

1. Found!, 2. zelman's 25, 3. yard sale treasure, 4. Blurry Espresso

Vintage Thursday: Black and white

Dropwaist Dress $38

White Leather pumps $32

Wool Peacoat $42

Suede Oxford Fringe Heels $68

Ruffle blouse $28

A Refocus on Creativity

CREATE collage art print

Sometimes I struggle with switching back and forth between making jewelry and then making pillows. Yet I am not willing to give up either! I have thought about it before. Sometimes my jewelry sales are not great so I have considered closing that shop eventually. But then I will get a burst of sales and I change my mind. Right now, sales are very slow in both shops. But maybe it will change soon!

It's time I make some new pillows. I have a lot of ideas, templates drawn, but none made yet. I have a lot of fabric I bought months ago to make into pillow covers. I really should make those!

So I hope today is a creative day. I drew some outlines for felt pieces to cut out to put onto pillows. Kavi was painting in one of his coloring books. So it's looking like a good day so far.

Sometimes days are hard, socially. I went from a whole month of activity and being around family members to having almost nothing to do now. I have some friends around here but making plans is not as easy as you'd think it would be. One of us isn't available on a certain day, or last minute things come up, or the weather is bad for going to the park, etc. So, I get socially lonely during the day. I am glad to have this blog and to read others' blogs too. It helps! I am not trying to sound like a downer but just being realistic. I like having a social life, and it's usually lacking. I feel like who I am is just never going to be content with a lacking social life.

So I have to stay focused on positive things like the fact that my life is very blessed in other ways. I have a wonderful family, and a stable life. And I need to put my energy into creating things not just for trying to sell but for friends, myself and our house, too. It always feels good to make something new!

Pastel Create print

New things

New, really cute and comfy flannel sheet set for our bed! $10 at Target after Christmas. They are perfect for winter! Although, winter left us suddenly last week but maybe our nights will be colder again soon.
I love everything about these new sheets. I don't care that they are Christmas stockings since it's not a traditional Christmas color palette.

New items in Coffee and Cream

(key brooches+key necklaces in the shop)

...and I made myself a new shop banner, again:

I really need to work on new pillows too.