Hemp & Beaded Jewelry

Some of my new hobbies, beads and hemp... Here are a few of the bracelets I am making. I love these.
These are made using large wooden beads, smaller seed beads and some interesting beads that I think are made out of some kind of resin.
Haha! It's hemp, let's make pretties!!!
Not sure when I will be putting some of these on Etsy, I have to take some better pictures.

:-)

It's Summertime and it is HOT!

Hello blog friends, it seems I have not blogged in over a week. Shame on me. In my defense, I have been busy with the kids and last week was VBS. So it was VBS in the mornings and working outat the Rush in the evenings. I have also been making hemp jewelry and beaded bracelets to sell on Etsy (pictures to come). The arrival of summertime has also brought with it some HOT weather here in the Piedmont of NC so we have been suffering through the on again off again functioning of the air conditioner in my Volvo.

My attempt to lose weight and look better is still ongoing. My abs are finally starting to shape up really well. My husband and I have been doing ab excercises all last week together and he has showed me one floor excercise using a medicine ball and balancing on your rear with knees off the floor moving it from side to side. This really works the core out and I am seeing results....Woot Woot. And I also was able to button a pair of jeans I have been wanting to wear again. While I have resigned myself to not having lost all of the weight I had planned on using, I am happy with my results so far and I am still committing myself to keep up my workout regimen.

Last week I took my kids to VBS Monday through Thursday. I know some of you are rolling your eyes thinking about how your parents used to drag you kicking and screaming to the church building for a whole week during the summer and I too used to think the same negative thoughts whenever VBS was even mentioned. BUT, boy and girls has VBS changed, at least from what I used to suffer through as a kid. OK, ok I say that jokingly, because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings...but seriously we never had a smoke machine, bubbles, cool videos of songs with dance/hand moves and prizes. I think the most we ever did was sing some songs, maybe "If you're Happy and you Know It" was the most exciting it ever got. Which is not saying a whole lot. The adults did such a great job of decorating the church and making it fun for the kids. I had no problem getting them to get up early and go to church for a few hours, which is difficult at best on Sundays. I'm so happy for change especially when it is uplifting and exciting.

Oh and VBS was in the mornings and unlike old school VBS did not require the parents to attend some kind of adult VBS so after dropping the kids off I had a rare few hours of alone time. I will be eternally grateful for that too. Only a mother can appreciate shopping without kids whining and screaming or fighting the whole time.

Our beach trip is coming soon. I am really looking forward to it. One way I am hoping to make a little cash to spend at the beach or have when we return is selling some hand made jewelry on Etsy. I am going to begin listing it hopefully today and there will be pictures and links so take a look. Some of these pieces I really like so much I want to keep them for myself, but if I want to keep this hobby alive I will also have to make enough money to buy supplies to make more. So far I am experimenting with beaded jewelry and hemp. I think hemp is summery in style and looks great with bathing suits and sun dresses. I've had so much fun picking out my beads and trying to find new patterns, knots and techniques for making this type of jewelry. It is definately more laid back and youthful looking. I think some of the nicer pieces can be dressed up though with the right outfit. Anyway more coming about that.

OK, well it seems everyone has finally made it out of bed this morning so I need to get motivated and back into our regularly scheduled Monday. You guys have a great day and stay hydrated because as I mentioned earlier, it is HOT...

Wednesday Wickedness

Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness. We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of our questions will be based on the quotes. Got it? Great! Let's begin this week's meme!

Today we picked Bruce Springsteen. Here's Wednesday Wickedness!

1. “When it comes to luck, you make your own.” Do you believe you have that type of control over your luck? Not really. It wouldn't be called luck if we were able to control it...duh!!!

2. “You've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above.” What is something you have had difficulty rising above? Ugh, having to deal with my oldest son's father. I'd just assume not deal with all of his drama.

3. “Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings, and a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything.” Would you want to be rich? Of course...but if it never happens I will try to be happy with all the blessings I already have.

4. “The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.” Tell us about a song that helps you "face the world." It's Five O'clock Somewhere by Alan Jackson

5. “In America everything's about who's number one today.” Have you ever been a fan of someone you thought would last but turned out to be a flash in the pan? No because I am pretty right on with what is going to last and what is not.

6. “Is a dream a lie if it don't come true, or is it something worse?” Has any dream of yours come true? Yes, several times.

7. “Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting.” What would you change if you became the president? I think we see what happens when certain presidents promise so much "change"... Americans will have to change themselves because we can obviously see that no one leader is going to do it for all of us.

8. "Yeah, I had gay friends. The first thing I realized was that everybody's different, and it becomes obvious that all of the gay stereotypes are ridiculous." How do you feel about gay rights? I think people have the right to be gay if they want...however this is one of those questions that I feel I am not the best person to answer. Being a heterosexual, I cannot imagine how it is to be gay or have someone hate me or treat me differently because of my sexual preference.

9. " It's a sad man my friend who's living in his own skin and can't stand the company." Have you ever been disappointed in yourself? Oh boy and how.

10. "The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with." What's your favorite type of music? What's your favorite band? I love many different types of music. One of my favorite artists is the late Bob Marley. His music and lyrics still have meaning today as they did decades ago.

Thanks for checking out our Wednesday craziness. We hope you join us again. Please visit our other player's posts and make a comment. Join us next week for our next meme!

Getting to Know You

1. If you could have one of Superman's, powers which one would you want? Superhuman strength..Flight..Superhuman speed..X-Ray vision..etc
Superhuman Speed, so that I could get anything and everything done...imagine being able to clean the whole house and do the laundry in like 10 seconds.


2. The best thing I ever won is....?
I never EVER win anything. Why do I keep buying lottery tickets? One time when I was a kid, I called a radio station to request a song. I was the 107th caller or whatever and won a Miami Vice album. Yes, a vinyl record with the Miami Vice soundtrack on it. Yay me!


3. Have you ever skyped with a bloggy friend?
No


4. What is your favorite Summer month?
June, because by the time July and August gets here I am already tired of the hot weather.


5. Pool, Lake, or Ocean?
Ocean, but not to swim in. I'd rather be at the beach, plus there are pools to swim in at the hotel so BONUS!


6. One of my favorite Summer memories is.....?
Going to the beach when I was 20 with my whole family, my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. That year I drove my Volks Wagon and got to do a lot of fun stuff independently of my parents.

7. What's your favorite secret bargain?
Since we have 6 people in and out of the house, I'd have to say anything that I can find on sale and freeze.

Third Day - Revelation

Hey, have you ever been listening to a song that is really cool and realize that it is a Christian rock song? Well, Third Day kind of hit me that way. Not that I am complaining.

Just want to share this with all my friends who are into music and those of you who are Christians will probably love it. Hey, I am an equal opportunity offender...so you guys that aren't into Jesus, I'll invite you to have a peek as well but I want to warn you that despite the rock and roll sound, this band is a Christian rock band. So please don't hate on me - the message is one that I believe will inspire some that really need a dose of inspiration today.

Give me REVELATION...because I want it and need it.

Wednesday Wickedness

From a new meme called Wednesday Wickedness...check it!

"Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness. We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of our questions will be based on the quotes. Got it? Great! Let's begin this week's meme!"

Today we picked Frank Sinatra. Here's Wednesday Wickedness!

1. “I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day.” How often do you drink alcohol? Dr. Oz says that it is good to drink a glass of any type of alcohol every day because the ethanol is good for you. That being said, I have a hard time just having one drink so maybe every day is not the best. However, I do enjoy glass or two of wine three or so times a week. ;-)

2. “The best revenge is massive success.” Have you ever gloated or wanted to over success? Why yes, I have gloated over successes. However, I believe the best revenge is to be left up to God or the universe or whatever. Kharma is a what? You know that's right!

3. “You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the [butt].” What do enjoy most about your life? I love my husband, my children, my family, my friends, good food, good drink and being spiritually filled. That being said, I live life as if each day might be the very last. Always making sure to tell the one's I love that I love them and doing my best never to go to bed angry.

4. “I'm not one of those complicated, mixed-up cats. I'm not looking for the secret to life.... I just go on from day to day, taking what comes.” Do you ever overthink a situation in your life?
I could have not said it better...I am not complicated at all. However, I think there are times when I actually get stuck on a situation and fall into the trap of obsessing over a problem. However, I am striving to let things go...and not get so uptight about stuff. Everything will pass.

5. “I would like to be remembered as a man who had a wonderful time living life, a man who had good friends, fine family - and I don't think I could ask for anything more than that, actually.” Tell us about your best friend. I actually have several people I consider to be "best friends". My husband, my friend since jr. high, Amy, and my mom round out the top three...not in any particular order...LOL. Something similar about all of my best friends is that they are all strong figures in my life...people who I look up to and admire. They know me and love me for who I am and we all laugh and cry together on a regular basis. Also people who I can tell just about anything in most cases without feeling judged. There are a few other people who I consider best friends or life long friends and you know who you are and this applies to those people as well.

6. “I like intelligent women. When you go out, it shouldn't be a staring contest.” How important is intelligence when picking (or having picked) a s/o to you? Very important...but lets not confuse being a nerd with being smart. You don't have to be a rocket scientist but it is nice to be able to enjoy an intellectual conversation IMO. I hate it when people try to talk over my head as well. It is the well rounded individual who impresses me more than simply having brains. Plus, it helps if they are charming and handsome...LOL.

7. “I drink to the confusion of our enemies.” What's the closest situation that you've had to dealing with an enemy? There are too many times I have had confrontations in my life... Once I slapped a girl in fifth grade who would not let me use the crayons. That being said, I have a short temper and do not deal well with angry people.

8. “Orange is the happiest color.” What's your favorite color? Well it is not orange...LOL. I like red, black, purple and blue.

9. “Dare to wear the foolish clown face.” Are you ever a clown? No way...clowns are scary. Have you ever seen "It"?

10. “Don't get even, get mad.” Have you ever tried getting even? It's better to let people reep what they sow. Most of the time they will get back way more than I can ever dish out.

Thanks for checking out our Wednesday craziness. We hope you join us again. Please visit our other player's posts and make a comment. Join us next week for our next meme!

Super Stoked

It will be exactly one month from today that we embark on our long awaited summer vacation. If all goes as planned I will be well on my way to the beach with all of my family, including mom, dad, Ian and Laura and their kids on the 9th of July. This is our annual beach trip to N Myrtle beach SC, which has become a sort of family tradition.

This year I had hoped to lose 20 lbs before our beach trip. Despite the fact that I am looking better and have really strengthened my core, I have not dropped that 20lbs yet. This is frustrating as I have worked out every day except for three in the past two months since I joined the gym. I have made an effort to change my diet and eat more chicken and fish instead of red meat and pork. The plain truth is that this is going to take more time and I may still be wearing the "mom" bathing suit this year.

Oh, but don't think for one minute that I will quit or that I am in any way going to back off. Now I am more determined to "kick it up a notch" as my favorite chef Emeril would say. I'm increasing my cardio workouts to 40 - 60 minutes a day keeping my heart rate in the fat burning zone. Oh and I am going to sacrifice even more in my diet - which doesn't mean I am not going to eat but it does mean that there are certain things I haven't given up yet. What I figured was that when I wanted this weight loss bad enough I would give up those unhealthy things. Here we are at that point...and now it will get very interesting.

Perhaps with a little more weight loss this month and a killer tan, I will ROCK the "mom" bathing suit at the beach instead of simply hiding under it. Now I must go charge my ipod and get ready for some workout time.

Getting to Know You

1. If a person has a booger in their nose. and you can see it, do you tell them? If it were a close friend or family member yes. If it is a random someone no.
2. What are you passionate about? Life, I like to live each day as passionately as possible.
3. How long have you been blogging? I've been writing first on Myspace and then Facebook for several years. Now I have this blog which has only been up for about a month.
4. What is your favorite "summer" drink? Well most of the time I drink water, especially during the summer because it is important to stay hydrated. Of course a cold beer is nice every once in a while.
5. What is your favorite type of music? Rock and especially electric guitar.
6. Something I do before I go to bed is......? Kiss my husband goodnight.
7. My Summer vacation plans are...? Going to the beach in JULY and it can't get here fast enough.
8. My favorite must have, can't live without, beauty product is? Lipstick

Zachary and His Mof (Moth)

Zachary caught a new moth. He calls it Mof. Every few days or so he finds a new creature to befriend. We have some rather large moths around here. Anyway, I took some pictures of Zachary and his new Mof buddy.

Let It Be....or NOT!

"There will be an answer Let It Be...." The Beatles

Life is, at times, pretty messed up but I guess it could be a lot worse. I have much to be thankful for and really need to sit back and take deep breaths and just like the song says "Let it be..." But I really need a good cleansing RANT today...yes let's talk.

My youngest children have been screaming and whining much more than I ever thought was possible. Even driving across town is nearly impossible without a fight breaking out in the back seat over a silly Happy Meal toy.

OK, my ADD kicked in and we have to discuss this right NOW...What is so Happy about a Happy Meal anyway? I mean, it doesn't make me happy. They cost too much and all you get is a crappy plastic junk toy that ends up cluttering up the house even worse than it already is. Oh and I have decided to just buy chicken nuggets off the dollar menu from now on. When I was a kid my parents didn't buy us Happy Meals every week. We ate our peas, and sometimes I swallowed them like pills with my tea because I hated them so bad.

Speaking of feeding my children...it costs a FORTUNE. And they are always hungry. Always....I feel like I am a slave in my own kitchen. My kids march around the house chanting "HUNGRY, Hungry, HUNGRY!" like little heatherns. I tell them (just like my mom told me), "This isn't the Taj Mahal." Oh and they are picky, PICKY, picky. If I make them anything that is not PB&J, cheese pizza, chicken nuggets or hot dogs, they look at me as though I threw up on their plates and asked them to consume it. Otherwise they will pick up a Cheeto off the floor at Wal Mart and put it in their mouth...WHAT is that?

Answer this? Why are children obsessed with being so wasteful? My daughter Aeryn took a bite out of all the apples in the fruit bowl while I wasn't watching and then put them back in the fruit bowl. She was really sneaky about it too. She arranged all of the apples so that the bite marks were hid and then when I went to make lunch for my husband I discovered all the apples were ruined. What the mess was that all about?

So yes, I am taking my daily breaks from the children. Today I took a water aerobics class and it was very relaxing. Guess what I talked about to the other ladies in my class? My kids of course.

Love them to pieces the little booger heads. Even if sometimes I feel like getting through a whole day without having to be committed to a mental institution is a small miracle.

"let it be?" Ugh...I guess so.