Sew you did what?

I'm really trying to achieve this learn-to-sew goal. So far I've had fun with it, which helps. On my lunch breaks at work I'm reading this book I've had for over a year now, S.E.W. Sew Everything Workshop, by Diana Rupp.

It's just the guide for me because I'm a visual learner and like everything pretty much spelled out for me, so to speak. In chapter 2 she warns that the thing to do before moving on to Chapter 3 is to learn all the parts of the sewing machine. Being that I'm such the visual learner, know what I spent my Thursday evening doing?

Yep, that's right...I labeled every part of the sewing machine.

The impatient side of me wants to skip all this beginner stuff like playing with all the different kinds of stitching patterns and pop out the best pair of pants ever. However, that kind of thinking always gets me no where. SO...back to the book I go.

Wish me luck!

P.S. I may attempt to make my own D.I.Y. dress form. There are several video tutorials on YouTube. Now I just have to try to convince my mom to wrap me up. :)

Watch the Threadbanger's tutorial here. (Search "DIY dress form" on YouTube for more ideas if you don't like this one.)

Me Time

Tonight I finally sat down and enjoyed some much needed Me Time.

I lit a candle, made some green tea, grabbed my journal, a book, turned on the Garden State soundtrack and curled up on the couch. Ahhh.... I had been needing this!
(I recall this was the best way for me to write essays in school because it was the only true way I knew how to clear my head.)


I have begun reading Beauty for Ashes by Joyce Meyer. It was a book my mother gave me several, several Christmas' ago and, like many of my other books, has remained on the shelf collecting dust.

It's a great book about overcoming abuse and a dysfunctional past and tries to help you begin your emotional healing. Granted, it is a Christian book and is covered in scripture, and I know I have a lot of friends that don't care for that stuff and may scoff at the fact that I'm even reading it. For me it's okay though. I was brought up in a God believing family, so honestly reading this book is like talking to one of my family members. I can take what I need and leave the rest as I see fit. For me it's all about the message behind it. The lesson to be learned.

So I read some chapters of that and then wrote in my journal for a while to get out some of the stuff that has been going on with me lately. I'm really glad I did that too because it has been too long since I truly wrote in a journal. I used to journal almost every day, but these days I find myself too busy, or I pick up the phone and vent to a friend or family member. Tonight, I wanted to write out what I was going through and try to figure things out on my own...or at least attempt to start. Again I'm really glad I did. My sister has always reminded me that it's often helpful to get it out on paper and see it for yourself.

All in all, it was a good night. I might just do it again tomorrow.

New Headboard & A Book You Should Look At!

So I am now the new proud owner of a headboard. I don't think I've had one since I was a small child (with the exception of those years with a daybed). I bought this large, Broyhill, solid wood headboard off of Craigslist last night for only $60. It was a steal! It just so happens to be stained in a cherry finish which matches my nightstand and my dresser (not pictured). However, I'm going to be painting all 3 pieces black next weekend. I can't wait! I'm sure I'll post before and after photos because by the time the pieces are painted, I'll be moving into my new apartment and I'll be wanting to show that off. So, I can now scratch "get headboard" off my To Do List. Woohoo! :)

My new blue duvet will be delivered either later today or Monday, so I'm excited about that as well.

In other news, I came across this post on Apartment Therapy today that really intrigued me. I would sum up what the post is about, but I'd just be reiterating what they're saying and trust me, they say it much better than I ever could. So please click on "this post" and check it out yourself.

I couldn't have said it better myself when AT said:
"If you watched the endless footage of flooding in the Midwest on television last night, you probably wondered - as I did - if this was a freak of nature or the shape of things to come. And then you might have thought - as I did - that if it IS global warming what the hell is going to stop it."

I worry more and more every day as I watch the evening news what this world is coming to. I wonder if there will even be a world for my children to live in. Should I start building my underground bomb shelter now? Ironically it'd be to protect me more from floods, dangerous UVB rays, low air quality and poisonous food more than it would be to protect me from a bomb. How weird that feels to say and yet, it's our reality.

What is this world coming to? And how are we going to rise up and stop it?

Eckhart Tolle

What a beautiful name, Eckhart Tolle. It's one of those names you must say in it's entirety. Just saying his first name alone, or the last, just isn't as beautiful or special. To grasp the joy and beauty of it, you have to say it all. Eckhart Tolle.

As for his teachings and his books, I don't have a personal opinion because I have not experienced them...yet. I have heard many good things though. First from Tam at Willowing. (A video I posted earlier.)

His follow up to 'The Power of Now' is 'A New Earth' and was just recently declared Oprah's new Book Club book. Watch the video below to hear more about the book and why Oprah chose it.



I personally am looking forward to purchasing 'The Power of Now' and 'A New Earth' soon and can't wait to share with you my thoughts.

If you've already read these, please share your thoughts with me.

turning pages

So after my last post, some might have thought I was encouraging becoming vegetarian or vegan. For the record, I am neither. The book was great, and I still recommend it. However, all I promote is being healthy. And that means different things to different people, which is cool with me. I admit, after reading the book, I thought about becoming vegan, but as Andrea says, it's too 'hardcore'. :)

The good news is that I have been making better food choices. I've been to the grocery twice since and have bought only organic. My checkbook isn't smiling, but my peace of mind is. :)

Tip from Jenny R. (a friend and co-worker): If drinking water alone is boring and you like to jazz it up with a slice of lemon or two, a cheaper alternative is to get a bottle of organic lemon juice. It's cheaper, last longer and less of a mess! (Of course you can do this with lime too.)

Thanks to Jenny's ingenious, I've been drinking my tasty lemon water like its beer. I sure hate those long walks to the company bathroom every 10 minutes though. :)

So it's Saturday and I spent 2 1/2 hours at the bookstore on a high. I've said it before but I love bookstores. It's like one of my favorite places to be. Unfortunately, I have to exhibit self-control and not walk out with a bag full of books and a dent in my bank account. I also know that the sad thing is that I have so many books at home that I still haven't read and yet I keep getting sucked in to buy more.

Tonight I picked up several sewing books. A goal of mine is to start making my own clothes. I have the sewing machine, just don't have the 'know-how'. And I'm not going to learn through osmosis, so I might as well start trying to teach myself. I looked at several and I really liked Sew U by Wendy Mullin of 'Built by Wendy'. However, I decided not to fork over the $25 and instead spend some time researching on the net to see what books others really recommend for beginners. So, yeah...I'll be doing a lot of that in the next week. If you have a recommendation, please let me know.

What I did end up forking my money over for, however, was this book:
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I have heard a lot of great things about this book and I even noticed myself getting lost in it when I started to read the first chapter, so I had to get it. Even the lady at the cash register said she loved the book, so I'm excited to dive in.

So tell me, what books have you been reading lately?

Skinny Bitch by Freedman & Barnouin

So the book has been out quite some time now, 2005 to be exact, but as usual, I catch on to things pretty late. I first saw this book at Target while roaming the isles for something that looked worth reading. I didn't intend on picking up a book about losing weight, but it caught my attention.

The book isn't really a diet book, but more about changing your lifestyle and being smart about the food choices you make. Sounds like all the other books out there, right? Well, it's not. This book's sassy, in-your-face, bad mouthed attitude is very refreshing in my opinion. It's like reading a jazzed up summary of a clinical science diet journal. (And I tend to have a "potty" mouth myself, so the language doesn't offend me what-so-ever. If anything, it gets me right on their level.)

My friend Andrea is turned off by the book because, as she says, it's hardcore. And I agree; it is hardcore. The two authors Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin strongly suggest you take up their lifestyle choice of being Vegan. But if you aren't interested in becoming vegan, all hope isn't lost. They offer you a ton of information about the foods we are eating and being sold and the stuff the FDA is approving even though it's bad for us. I myself was shocked to find out all the information and resources they have to back up the fact that "governmental agencies don't give a shit about your health." (That's chapter 9 by the way.) It's scary stuff.

I could say it's simple to summarize the book by saying, "Stay away from sugar, coffee, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, meat, dairy, eggs, soda, alcohol and etc. Do go organic and exercise!" But don't you want to know why? Sure you know most of those things are bad for you, but just knowing they are bad for me usually doesn't keep me away from them. I usually say to myself, "oh well, another pound or two won't hurt", but what this book is showing me is that what does hurt is that some of these foods have chemicals in them that cause a ton of other problems and how some foods can rot and ferment in your stomach and etc. That's the kind of facts that are going to keep me away from the stuff!

So, if you're at all interested, I strongly recommend this book. Be warned though, it's not for the faint at heart or good girls who are shocked when they hear a curse word. Consider this the boot camp of all other books its kind. It's very 'in-your-face'! That's why I love it! :)

Check out these goodies:

• The Vegan Store (Yes, you can still go there if your not vegan!)
• Good Baker. Vegan gourmet baking mixes.
• Allison's Gourmet for chocolate, chocolate and more vegan chocolate.
• A natural bakery at Nutrilicious.
• Mail-order catalog for healthy eating.
  
• Organic, No Sulfites Added wine from Frey Vineyards. Yes...wine that is good for you!
• And last but not least, GoVeg.com.