C25K & Weight Loss

For those who may not know, C2k5 means "couch to 5k". It's a program that pretty much trains you to go from being a couch potato, to being able to run a 5K.

I recently decided that I am going to sign up for a 5k this coming May and I'm going to use this program to help get me there. It's a nine week program that starts out with you running one minute intervals and works you all the way up to being able to run 30 mins straight.

Day 1 of this program will start tomorrow for me.. which, should be pretty interesting considering I'm battling a pretty nasty sinus infection at the moment. I'm not going to let that hold me back, I've downloaded some podcasts for some other people that used really great music (in my opinion) with little signals as to when you should walk and when you should run.

This program has also really helped people lose weight and I'm hoping I can see results with that as well.

So.. come May, I'm going to be participating in a 5k (and then eventually move up to a 10k and so forth)..

I may end up looking like this at the end....

...but dangit, I'm going to do it!

Also.. I forgot to do my "Lose Big Monday" update. I'm proud to say that during the Thanksgiving holiday I was able to stick with my diet and exercise (although, I had to miss 1 day at the gym because I was just too sick to function). And... this week I've lost 3 more pounds!!

So, my three week total brings me up to a total of 10 lbs lost! Heck yes!

I probably should have taken some before and after pictures.. but, I didn't. Oops.

Dress Help!

I keep going back and forth on a dress piece and I could really use the opinions.

As many of you know, I'm getting my wedding dress custom made that is inspired by a Maggie Sottero dress. (I think I've decided to scratch the big bow on the shoulder and just do the crystals.)

Anyways.. this is the dress that inspired it (for a reminder).

All photos courtesy of Maggie Sottero.

Now, my new debate (since I settle the bow or no bow debate.. I think).. is the bottom of the dress. It's not going to have that little train on it and the corset back is going to be high, but I'm not 100% sure if I want to leave the bottom the way it is in the picture of if I want some added pizazz.

My new bottom inspiration (photos courtesy of Maggie Sottero and.. google images, lol).

Please just pay attention to the bottom of the dresses (I know, there are 5 of them, but I wanted to get the full feel of them.) And here is a picture I pasted together of the top of the dress and bottom (plus excuse the hack job of cutting and pasting, lol.. it was a lot harder than I thought!)

So... to ruffle or not to ruffle.. that is the question...

The Could Have Been...

When I originally booked my photographer, I had really wanted to have engagement pictures taken this month. Why do you ask?

Because of a picture like this that is taken back towards my hometown:

See those twinkle lights and the building all lit up? Yeah, that's what I wanted (but maybe with like.. a black pea coat and a little bit of snow falling (LOL!)) You can't tell me that wouldn't make an EXCELLENT Christmas card!

Buttt.. my photographer is preggers with twinsies and has been on bedrest for over a month now and is due to have her two little boys anyday. Which means, I don't get to have my engagement pictures done until April.

And this picture will always be the "could have been" picture in my life. *sigh*

Fool Me Once..

Why is it that certain people feel the need to try to scam you out of money when the word "wedding" is associated. As most of you know (if not.. it's back towards the beginning of this blog), I'm having my bridesmaids dresses custom made. I searched high and low for a brooch that would look the best for the dress.

A woman on etsy actually contacted me saying that she makes these brooches that are pretty much what I'm looking for and she'd give them to me for the low low price of $22 each....

Pretty, right?

It's okay to drool, I did a little, too.

Anyways, she was kinda fishy about it all and never had these brooches that she claimed to make in her etsy shop. Plus, she said she only had 3 of them and would be a couple weeks before she could make more and tried to sell me ones I didn't like.  Not to mention, I thought the price seemed to be pretty steep considering I saw ones that were almost EXACT as these on e-bay for about $8-12 a piece.

So.. I contacted the seller on e-bay and asked if they had any brooches like these since they sold some that were very similar.

Know what they said?

THEY DO!  They told me that they carry that brooch but that it's currently out of stock. BUT.. if I were ordering more than 3, they could put a request in at the factory and the lead time would be about 2 weeks. Not only that, but they told me the price on the would be $10.95 each and that was INCLUDING the shipping! The lady on etsy was trying to charge me DOUBLE that and say that she handmakes them. PSH!

Needless to say, I have ordered my bridesmaids their brooches for their dresses from the e-bay seller (who has a SUPER high feedback number!)

Anyone else have people try to scam them when purchasing items?



Holiday Depression & Lose Big Monday!

Bear with me, this is a two in one post. lol.

The holidays are a very hard time for me since my mom died when I was two and over the past 5 years I've lost all my grandparents. I kind of just shut off the world around me and become anti-social. I feel like I'm constantly putting on a happy face but inside I'm dying. I've also been going through some wedding blues lately, too, but I won't bring you all down with that right now (I'll save it for a future post).

I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving holidays and I promise I'll be back soon... bright and cheerful with lots of DIY projects!!

Does anyone else suffer from depression during the holidays or can relate?

Also... I wanted to update you all on my weightloss for week two.

As of today, I've lost another 3lbs which brings my two week total to SEVEN pounds!! WOO!

I really need to get up off the couch and pop in my Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and drag out the treadmill, but I'm having a hard time getting motivated today. (I.E. see post above).

How are all of you doing with your weightloss?

Yes, I'm THAT Crazy!

I have lost my mind.

I've found some pictures of some beauties and the wheels in my head started turning. (Well.. they started turning AFTER I was quoted for over $300 for ONE bouquet!..)

Ready to ohhh and ahhh with me?

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Oh yes.

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Ooooo!

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Ahhhhh!

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Squuuueeee!

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OOOOOO!

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AHH!!

And guess what those are? Oh yeah... CLAY FLOWERS! Aren't they amazing!! Yeah, I thought so, too. And I also found THIS bouquet, that I actually got the quote on...

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So, what did I do since this was WAYYY out of the budget? I googled. And then I googled some more.

Know what I found? TUTORIALS!! OH YES! I actually realized that they really aren't all that much different than my crepe paper flowers that I have mastered over the past couple months. They are practically the same thing, if not a little easier since it's clay.

I thought to myself.. "Self.. you could TOTALLY do that and make your own bouquet and bridesmaids and bouts.. OH MY!" And you know what, I can! I know I can because I've actually made a couple clay roses in college!!

So.. I ordered some clay today. That's right.. it's ordered, there is no stopping me now! Except, now I just have to wait for it to arrive here from Hawaii. lol. But best believe that as soon as I get that package.. I'm ripping it open and giving it a go. Then I'll be right back here posting pictures for you all! I'm awesome like that.

You can thank me later for the bouquet porn. =D

Lose Big Monday!

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As many/most of you know, I'm on a mission to lose some weight. Since I just started my diet a week ago from today, I decided to I would do "Lose Big Mondays" and blog with my updates.

So, how did I do this week you ask?

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That's right, I lost 4 lbs this past week!!! WOO! I really wish I would have done measurements before I started since I go to the gym and also do weights. But, I couldn't find my tape measurer. Oops.

I'm not going to lie, I still have a LONG way to go and I'm not at all happy with the number I see on the scales, actually most days.. I see this:

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But, I'm proud of my 4lb loss for the week and it makes it easier to stick to it.

I've been going to the gym 4x a week and eating very clean and smaller portions. I've also been drinking ALOT of water, as well. This week, I plan to start phasing in Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred or P90x (I'm going to alternate between those two) to do at home in addition to going to the gym 4x a week and sticking to my diet.

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Also, I know I told you all that my fiance is working out with me and dieting (not that he needs it, seriously.. ) and he's lost 3 lbs this week!! WOO for him!! I'm proud of him and he pushes me to achieve my goals.

For any of you that are on a weightloss journey, I hope you're doing great with it! I feel like we should make a Biggest Loser Club on here, lol!

Busy Bee

I have a confession.. I've been a bad, bad blogger.

I haven't been putting much effort into my blog and I'm kinda missing it. I've just been super busy with different projects and just haven't sat down to type my thoughts out (really.. it would have been a jumbled mess if I had tried.)

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I have a lot to upate on, so definitely be looking out for my weight loss diet one week update, my diy yarn balls reveal, a post about the 1 year mark (and how none of my family or bridal party really cared but like 1 or 2 people) and all kinds of other stuff.

Other than being a busy bee, I've also been in a wedding planning funk due to multiple things going on.. don't worry, I'll be sharing that all with you as well.

Not only that, BUTTTT.. I also picked out the design I'm going for for our invitation suite! I spent two hours yesterday making the main invite for it and I LOVE it. My friend is actually re-working on it for me again because I'm actually going to gocco it and I need the colors seperated for when I burn the screens. She's also working on the inserts for me as well, because I spent a few hours trying to get my words to curve inside a circle and it just wasn't working for me.

So.. I'll do a sneak peak of those one of these days and I'll also be sure to post the finished project when they are done (which won't be for awhile.. I'm still a year out, ya know, lol.)

Anyways, I pinky promise to start posting in my blog more and also I pinky promise to read and comment on all those blogs that are in my reader!

Excited yet? You should be!

Take the Vow to Be A Real Woman.



I've noticed throughout the blogs on here and as well as other sites that it seems that everyone is trying to get healthy and lose weight. Don't get me wrong, I am, too, and I fully support those that are seeking to be healthy individuals.

But sometimes I feel that we all get too wrapped up into what we WANT to look like and sometimes we don't stop to celebrate the things that we DO love about ourselves. I know when I look in the mirror, I focus on all the bad things about myself and often (okay, everytime) I overlook all the things that make me me, those things that I love and wouldn't change about myself.

We all do it, we see a picture of a model or celeb in a magazine and think to ourselves "I wish I could look like that".. but what we need to realize is that what we are seeing is, in most cases, a photoshopped version of somebody.

We all have our own body issues, but I think we need to celebrate who we are right now more often. We need to take a vow to be a real women and to realize that we ARE beautiful. It makes me sick to my stomach when I read stuff on the internet about how in today's society Marilyn Monroe would be considered "plus sized", "overweight", full figured".. .really, google it. She had curves and she wasn't afraid to rock them, you can't help but admire that. There is a reason that she is still to this day considered such an icon.

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So, will you take the vow with me? Will you vow to be a real woman with real curves and real confidence? Spread the word to promote genuine confidence, positive ideas and happiness about who we are as we are. Lets help each other to become the positive role models to those younger girls that are growing up around us.

I would love for each and every one of you reading this post to comment with at LEAST one thing that you like/love about yourself. Help us support each other in becoming truly happy with who we are.

 

 

Rock the Frock/Trash the Dress??

I have fallen in love with trash the dress sessions. Not the ones you see where the dress is caught on fire on gets paint all over it. But, the relaxed ones in the woods or rustic areas.. more importantly, the water ones.

Now, I don't really want to trash my dress, after all.. I'll be spending all that money on it, I don't want to just throw it away. Plus, I'd rather donate it to someone who really needs it vs trashing it, ya know? So, I'd rather "rock the frock" and it could just be dry cleaned after. Or purchase a $99 sale dress at David's Bridal.. but I'd rather have on my dress.

Derrick and I plan on going to Hawaii for our honeymoon, Oaho and Maui to be exact. I've read about people doing trash the dress sessions on their honeymoon and they are BEAUTIFUL. We don't live anywhere near the ocean, so if we chose to do a trash the dress session in Hawaii, I think they would come out so beautiful.

Just seriously, look at these:

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Aren't they so beautiful!?!

Now, I just have to try to convince my fiance to get on board with the idea. Hmm.

What about all you ladies? Are you planning to do anything with your dress after the wedding?

DIY SNEAK PEAK! - Stiffened Yarn Balls!

I just LOVE doing sneak peaks, lol.

I started a new project just this past weekend. It's a little more difficult that I had anticipated at first, but now I have a system and it's going smoothly.

Anyways, it's stiffened yarn balls (LOL! Get your mind out of the gutter!). It involves blowing up ballons, rubbing them with vaseline (YUCK!!) and wrapping yarn around them. Then you put on some fabric stiffener (which I was doing with a paint brush, but my new way of doing it is soaking the string in the fabric stiffeners and then wrap it around the ballon.)

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I know you all are just dying to see how it turns out, so be sure to check back for the outcome and instructions!!

Here is the inspiration picture for this project (thank you, weddingbee!)

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I Want It, I Need It..

I found the cutest, most pefect garter to go with my dress.

And, I will buy it.. eventually.

Just look at it..

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*Sigh* It's dreamy. I can't wait to buy it.

That is all.

Lets Get Physical!!

After having a long talk this morning with my fiance about how unhappy I am with the way I look and how hard it is to diet when I'm doing it by myself, he agreed to diet with me.

He use to train to be a bodybuilder and was on a diet that really leaned you out and helped drop fat. After telling me about it, I realized it was JUST like the Paleo diet and was just clean healthy eating.

 

I tried the Paleo before and didn't stick with it (even after losing 7lbs in one week) because it was too hard to have to cook two meals everyday (one for me and one for Derrick since he works long hours). But now that he's doing this along with me, I'm going to make sure I stick with it.

In addition to the diet, I'm starting up P90x again. I did it for a couple weeks back in July and was loving the results, but because of some medical reasons I had to stop. So, I'm going to start again in addition to going to the gym 4x a week. I have already gone about 3 weeks without pop and fast food!

I'm determined to be happy with myself and get healthy not only for myself, but also for my friends and family.

Wish me luck!! I'll definitely keep you all up to day and may even take pictures of my progress!! =)