Construction

I should know better.  Well, actually I am started out right on this one.  Hired someone!!  Good thinking if I do say so myself.

This one needed to be done.  As I mentioned before Sis and I are going to flip flop apartments, and we are fixing up the attic to make it part of the house instead of being the construction zone on the way to the bedrooms. Good idea to do it, yes.  Good idea to hire someone, yes.  It still seems to take forever.

Hopefully it will be done by Friday.  I will post pics then.

Immediate gratification

Refinishing projects is great for my immediate gratification problem. I woke up on Saturday and decided that it was time to update my faded, scratched, crusty looking front door.

I have really been into grays lately, and I love the muted blue that is the undercoat on the door.

I got this done in one day all by myself!

I love pinstripes

Need I say more?

Blue

It is getting easier with each one I make. This one may be my first one fire sale. I opened an account on etsy.com.

Change is-a-comming

Big changes at the House of Temptation.  Sis and I are in discussions about changing apartments.  With her having a bigger family and I not having room mates any more, it is only sensible that they have the apartment that is larger.

It is a bitter sweet feeling.  I have done a lot of work in that apartment, the floors, the painting, decorating... I obviously do not need 4 bedrooms, but when we were talking about some of the changes I got a little emotional about giving up my place.  It was short lived, and the emotional response really surprised me.  Sis and I talked about it, and I am now ready to make the changes!  I mean really who could turn down a new project like making a new apartment my own?  I think it will be fun and I have some ideas already.  Implementing them is a different story, we will see how it goes.

Anyway, there is the news... you saw it here first.

Shoe update

This is taking sooo much longer than I thought it would.  I have totally been slacking on the shoe making.  I have run into a few hurdles, and I take a few days to stop and think about what I need to do instead of just doing something to figure it out.

This is what I have accomplished so far...

• made the mold of the shoe to make the last (shoe form that I will build the shoe around)
• sanded down the last so it looks like a shoe
• drawn the pattern for the shoe (wrong)
• cut out the materials for the top part of the shoe (wrong)
• went to the shoe maker store and bought stuff to make the sole - that was an interesting place
• sewed all of the top of the shoe together (wrong)

And, then I was surprised when it didn't work out.  Hummm. Back to the drawing board, literally.  I had to redraw the pattern.  That is where I am now.  I am going to have to start from there and try it again.  What took the longest was figuring out where I screwed it up in the process.  

I think I am back on track now and ready to try it again with only minimal wasted materials.  Hopefully I will have more news soon and pictures of my cobbling adventure.

Oh, and if you want to know where I am getting my information from, I got this book about how to make shoes.   http://www.marywalesloomis.com/

Going on week 3

Yea, so I said I was going to go a few days wheat free... Well, I am starting on my 3rd week.  I had a couple of minor slip ups, and ate something that I wasn't supposed to, but I have to say that I am not really missing the wheat and grains a whole lot.  Instead of a sandwich, I am having a meat and cheese roll up.  I am doing a lot of grilling, and there is no bread involved there, and even pan frying, the breading I am using is a parmigiana crust with coconut and garbanzo bean flours.  I do feel like I have more energy, and surprisingly more time on my hands because I am not constantly in search of food.  I just haven't been as hungry.  Actually, I go to the store and pick up fresh fruit and veggies, and I don't use them all up in time before they go bad.  I have had to adjust my buying habits a bit.

As for the sugar... I haven't cut it out completely.  I am eating sugary fruits, but not processed foods.  Also, I am indulging in dark chocolate and that helps to kill any craving I have.  I do feel my belly going down, and that is a great thing!!!  I didn't originally start out doing this to loose weight, I started doing this to see if it decreases the inflammation and pain in my knee, and because I know so many people are having problems with wheat products.  Truth be told, some of the things they were talking about in the book Wheat Belly were scaring me. I don't have most of those problems, but I don't want to get them either.

One area I have had a little bit of trouble in is going out to eat.  I don't do it much, but when I do, it is somewhat difficult to find things on the menu to get.  Everything seems to be breaded, even the salads often have some sort of wheat product.  And, truth be told,  I am not a big fan of salads.

I have been keeping a food diary of what I am eating, and it doesn't seem like I am eating a whole lot. Don't worry, I am not starving myself by any stretch of the imagination.  But then again I am not listing all ingredients in everything I eat either.  I figure I just kind of know what is in it.

That is where I am at with it.  My family has been really supportive of this food change for me too.  Sis is making more stuff on the grill if she is cooking for all of us, and Mom has been pretty careful too.  Thanks guys!  I am down 6lbs, and I fit into my pants a lot better!!!