Going Green!

For my birthday I got this cute hanging planter with my own herbs.  I am so excited to use this fresh basil, mint and oregano.  YUM!

A Step Closer

Last week I heard from the Rachael Ray show again and over the weekend I took a major step closer to POSSIBLY making the show!  Now waiting and crossing fingers that I'll be able to show off my Double Duty Tip!

Uh oh - Don't Drink That!

Here's my newest project I created using my Cricut and come etching cream!

This truly was a necessary project.  A while ago when I had first moved into my house.  My mom stopped over while I was still at work.  She couldn't find any of my light switches and got a little stressed out but was relieved to see a bottle of wine corked on my sink and took a BIG gulp!

Yup, it wasn't wine.  It was a bottle full of DISH SOAP!  Oops.  So, to hopefully prevent anyone else from making that mistake, I made a stencil with my Cricut machine on sticky vinyl.  I stuck it on my wine bottle and spread on a thick layer of Armor Etching cream. 

The instructions say to leave it on for 5 minutes, but I kept it on there for 10 just to be sure there weren't any flaws.  I was really happy with the finished project.  Here it is!

I hope no one drinks any more soap around here!

Furniture Makeover: Margarita Bar

After moving out of my parents house, I 'inherited' some lovely items from family and friends.  Basically got stuck with a bunch of old stuff that they wanted to throw away.  Among those items was this amazing TV stand. 

This beaut is equipped with 360 degree wheels so you can push your TV anywhere in your house with ease.  It also must have had doors on the front at one point. 

At first, I did use this as a TV stand, then it got moved to the basement to be used as a storage shelf.  Recently, I decided to resurrect this hideous piece and turn it into a hip Margarita Bar!

I first slathered on 2 coats of Martha Stewart Precious Metals paint in Copper Kettle.

The wooden box in the upper right corner is my grandmother's silver!

The Cactus Margarita glasses were $1 each from the Dollar Tree.  I got such a great deal, I bought 12!

The tequila set, drink stirs, and bottle opener all came straight from Mexico.  I collected each one from a different place and a different trip.

Next Season on Rachael Ray...

ME!  That's right, yesterday I got a phone call from one of the producers and she wanted some information on my Double-Duty Tip I came up with.  I told her all about it and she invited me to come on the next season of the Rachael Ray Show.  The next season starts filming in September.  I'll get a call once they finalize their schedule. 

The segment I will be participating in is called Double-Duty Tips.  I can't say what my tip is, but some examples are using a frying pan instead of a meat mallet, a bottle of vino as a rolling pin, or a broiling pan for bacon. 

I'm SUPER excited for this opportunity and I want to bring a gift for Rachael and the producer.  I'm thinking maybe a bottle of my favorite MI wine.  Let me know if you have any ideas!

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Happy Valentines Day!

For my whole life, Valentines Day has mostly been all about my sister's birthday.  She is out of state this year, so it was a little weird not doing a family thing today - but, it was still a pretty awesome day!  I got a beautiful bouquet of roses and I sent my guy THIS

It's a cookie bouquet from Cookies By Design.  He was thrilled and this pic is hilarious - totally worth it!

Baby Belly or Broccoli Belly?

I have to tell you about my diet.  It is extremely restrictive, but I am never hungry or feeling unsatisfied.  I am not always excited about what I'm eating, but I can get over it. 

In my every day life, I seriously avoid BROCCOLI because of the... ummm affect... it has on my digestive system, if you know what I mean.  That being said, when Jason emailed me my diet plan, I was not enthused about the amount of broccoli on the menu.  However, I reasoned that I don't have any roommates or a boyfriend, so why not just go for it and eat the damn broccoli!  Well, eating broccoli about 5 times a day all week did not go so well. :(  The broccoli affect actually prompted the question, "Are you sure you're not pregnant?"  UMMM YEAH I'm sure!  I just ate broccoli! 

This is obviously not good.  My belly was seriously huge and I was incredibly uncomfortable.  So, I had to figure this out and get my belly back to normal.  In the deflating process, I have learned that the human body is lacking an enzyme to properly digest broccoli, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, onions and many other vegetables.  The only solution is to eat your food along with the enzyme.  HELLO BEANO! 

Beano is the only way to defeat broccoli belly, seriously.  I'm happy to report that the distended situation has been taken care of and I will NEVER eat broccoli or any gassy veggies without Beano ever again! 

This post is probably why I'm single. ;-)

Camarones del Caribe

I was excited and sooo nervous to work out with Jason again.  He pushed me really hard, which I was thankful for and afraid of!  I learned some new ways to strengthen my core and he showed me how to use the elliptical without bouncing around like a Sorority girl - much more difficult and EFFECTIVE!

I just did cardio this morning because I was expecting to be hurting pretty bad from training last night, but I actually feel great - a little tight but not incredibly sore. 

I'm excited about my meals today - shrimp!  Shrimp is not the BEST alternative to my chicken breasts because they are high in cholesterol, but they are not the worst alternative either.  I seasoned them with Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus.  Yum!

Day 76

Got a pretty late start to my day today, but I did Jason's workout plus 25 minutes on the treadmill and 20 on the elliptical.  So, I decided to treat my self to an awesome smoothie for breakfast.  Not really on my diet, but it's packed with protein so I don't think it did too much damage.  Here are some of the ingredients...

Yes, that's broccoli slaw!  Can't event taste it.  I also added a frozen banana and a little bit of honey.  Sooo GOOD!  It tasted like butter pecan ice cream.  So, I put it in a bowl and ate it with a spoon.  Mmmmmm :)

Yesterday I ordered tons of possible pageant clothes.  I'll be waiting anxiously next to my mailbox.

Day 78

I ALMOST didn't get up to workout this morning!  My bed was so cozy but I pulled together some willpower - from I don't know where - and made it to the gym for a quick workout.  Just a mile and a half on the treadmill (walking half of the time) and pull-ups.  I am supposed to do Jason's workout 3 times before we meet again and I haven't done it ONCE yet.  So, I've gotten started.  The pull-ups are the only exercise we did that I can't do at home. 

I got my meal plan and it looks like I'll be boiling a LOT of chicken...  On the plus side, baked sweet potatoes are also on the menu!!

So, on Monday I got a surprise invitation to the Common Ground Music Festival for today.  I'll be in the Sky Box with tons of food and delicious DRINKS!  I'm just guessing, but they probably won't be serving boiled chicken...  I'm going to try my best to stay on track tonight, but I should get a little room to stray, right?

Still on the agenda for today - squats, lunges and push-ups.