New Found Passions

Have you ever just had that moment where you can block out everything, all your fears, upsets, drama, and just for that moment you are calm? It's like absolutely nothing can bother you. Well I had that moment. When ever I sit down and start painting... I feel a rush of happiness and am immediately calm. When I went back to LSU, I had to put the brush aside for a while and hit the books. This became so overwhelming.. So one day, I decided to paint a quick sign. You wouldn't imagine how relaxing it can be. It's becoming a true passion of mine :) Here are a few of my newest projects.

Homemade Gifting for me this year!

GIFTS

-probably one of the most difficult things to pick out even for your closest friends.

SO. This year my friend Lizzie and I decided to make them. What could be a better gift for your friends than something you make?  Nothing. Because when you're inspired by that person you make something that would be perfect for them in every way.  When I got home for the Christmas break Lizzie taught me everything I needed to know when making signs and then we started making some.  She's great and I'm just learning.  Without her I wouldn't be where I'm at today! Check her out at Vendimia Maria!! Let me know what you think :)

Bible Verses

Personal Gift (I said this to my parents every night)

Name Gifts 

Quotes

Alcohol Related (my brothers favorite!)

This is probably my favorite. I took all of my brothers favorite teams and put them together.

The Damask End Table

The finished Product!! 

After all of this, I am very happy with the ending product.  Comment if you have any questions, I'd be glad to help.  I will say this was my first decoupage project and I LOVE it. Enjoy!

First off, I purchased this little end table at a garage sale for 3 dollars. It was very simple and unfinished wood, which I was VERYY happy about.  Unfinished wood is much easier than finished wood, because it requires very minimal sanding.  I began priming with Kilz 2 Primer.  Be sure that you remove the furniture of all dust first.  As you can see below, I primed all of the table. 

After finishing priming, I did some light sanding.  Next I painted the table a teal-ish color called Cozumel by Behr.  After that I used mod podge and spread over the table. Then I took the fabric and spread it over the table. After drying, I did more layers of mod podge, sanding between each with very fine paper.  I finished the table with Royal Coat by Plaid and some Polyacrylic finish.  Above, shows after the first layer of mod podge.

Project: ROOM MAKEOVER

I am just so excited, I couldn't hold it in any longer!! I am getting a new apartment next year and over the summer I am refinishing tons of different furniture! I am trying to put together a color scheme as of now.  I think I am going with a black and white theme with pops of color.  I recently bought a desk, hutch, chair, and dresser. All for under 100 dollars! I'm all about the bargains.  I also have a night stand at home that I am going to paint. I can not wait! I will be posting picture soon of all the items I've purchased.  Then, over the summer I will post tutorials and step by step pictures of what I've done. :)

OHHH the excitement!!

A Little Sneak Peak

SO, I wanted to start refinishing a piece of furniture a little bit on the smaller scale before I attempted my desk, hutch, and dressers.  So I went to a garage sale in my neighborhood and bought this small table for 3 dollars.  I forgot to take a picture before I primed, but I bought it as an unfinished wood piece of furniture.  I was very happy with it.  Very simple and very cheap.  The first step was picking a color of paint for my dresser and table.  SO DIFFICULT!!! I stood in Home Depot for like 20 minutes staring at samples of paint.  I ended up deciding on a teal like color called Cozumel by Behr.  I LOVE THIS COLOR!  It is ABSOLUTELY perfect.  So for starters I used Kilz2 primer after a little light sanding. This is pictured below.  Trust me, the primer will not look great, but this doesn't matter.  It isn't the finished product.

After priming, I started to paint.  I started with very light coats on the legs and bottom edges of the table.  After each coat, I let the paint dry, and then added another thin coat.  Keyword here is THIN.  Thin coats will last longer and look better in the long run.  I didn't paint the entire bottom because most of it will not be seen.  

After painting all of the table I decided to decoupage fabric to the top.  The picture below is the beginning of  the process.  The white on the fabric is mod podge.  First, I put mod podge on top of the table and then began to smooth the fabric on. At this point, you are able to move the fabric where you want it placed.  Next, MAKE SURE you smooth out all the bumps and also look for loose strands of yarn coming off the fabric!! This is VERY important, because if you don't notice it, it will be highly difficult to remove after the mod podge dries.  I used a foam brush to apply layers of mod podge to the table and fabric.  Also make sure the mod podge attaching the fabric to the table dries COMPLETELY before putting the new layers of mod podge on.  

I'll be sure to post the finished product soon!!  Let me know if you have any questions. And remember this is just a sneak peak of what is to become of the rest of the furniture for my new apartment!! :)))) Enjoy!

Silly Alphabet Movie Goal

This may seem like a very silly goal to some, but I honestly have loved it so far.   It's fun to have goals that really have no meaning, along with the ones that matter, right?  Not only has this been fun, but I've also watched a ton of great movies that I would have never thought to watch prior to my goal!  Although, I have also found some movies I could've lived without.  So here is the goal:

Alphabet Movie Goal - Watch 26 movies you have never seen, all starting with a different letter of the alphabet.

Exceptions 

If a movie starts with "the", it does not have to be a T movie.

I made a sign on the lid of a shoe box to keep track.  The underlined letters are the movies I have watched and on the inside of the box lid I have written all of the movies I have watched so far.

I am going to list the movies I watched and what I thought of them, I recommend if you are also doing this goal to choose your own movies. It makes this much more fun!

Right now I have accomplished 10 movies!

Movie List

A - Alice in Wonderland

I'm not talking the old cartoon one, this was the new one with Johnny Depp. I absolutely LOVED it. Very happy with this choice for A.

B - Big Fish

Also an amazing movie for me! I would have NEVER thought to watch this, because I saw the title and thought... Boringggg. But this is surely not.  It stars Ewan McGregor and is a movie about tall tales and fantasies! Loved it.

C - 

D - Drive

This movie starred Ryan Gosling.  So, me being the big fan I am, just rented it! Well, I figured this was a car movie with stunts and such, kinda like Fast and the Furious. It surely is NOT.  It's about the mafia and overall just a very silent/awkward movie.  I didn't completely hate it or anything, but I wasn't a huge fan.  I most likely will not watch again.

E - 

F - Field of Dreams

This was such a refreshing movie, I loved it.  It's an older movie so the movie isn't crazy with graphics and such, but was just a great movie.  It's a great story. Overall great movie!

G - Game Change

This movie is about Sarah Palin and Mccain through the election in 2008.

H - 

I - Inception

VERY mindboggling movie. I think I understood most of it, but do NOT watch this movie when you are tired or drained from work or school.  You have to be in the zone for this movie or you will get so unbelievably lost.  haha.  But, I liked it.  Not to mention I loveee Leonardo DiCaprio.

J -

K - Kung Fu Panda 2

A very cute movie for the family and kids. I liked it a good bit, Jack Black is funny as usual.  I still think the first one was better though.  Great kids movie.

L - Love, Wedding, Marriage

This movie stars Mandy Moore and Kellan Lutz (Emmett from Twilight).  I went into this movie thinking it's be alright.  Mandy Moore has always been one of my favorite actresses.  BUT, I am not a fan.  It was kinda a slow movie, annoyed me, and I had to fight myself from getting up to do something else. I mean it is not a terrible movie by any means, but just not one I plan on watching again.  The acting just wasn't that good. 

M - Moulin Rouge

I had been meaning to watch this movie for years! Just never found the time and I wish I had.  This movie is amazing!! I love it so much.  The music and acting was amazing.  Ewan McGregor has a voice that will leave you breathless.  Nicole Kidman also surprises you with her amazing talents.  I can't wait to watch this movie again!

N -

O - 

P - 

Q - 

R - 

S - Something Borrowed

Amazing movie, one of my favorites. I also read the book, which is a very quick easy read.

T - That Thing You Do

This was a very cute movie.  I liked the story.  I would watch it again.  Has some big actors in it, probably before some of them hit it big.  Overall good movie.

U - 

V - 

W - What's Your Number?

I absolutely loved this movie! It stars Chris Evans and Anna Faris. All over great movie for a night in. It's funny, but still has the romantic/drama side. Great acting, great movie. 

X - X-Men First Class

Pretty good movie. Kept me paying attention. I liked all the different languages spoken throughout the movie!

Y -

Z - Zookeeper

I loved this movie! Great movie for Z.  Kevin James is hilarious as usual and this movie kept me laughing.  Great movie for the family or just by yourself!  If you have already seen this and need another Z movie try "Zoolander" with Ben Stiller. Very funny movie as well.

Fact or Fiction: 7 Day Diet

Link to the Diet

While I was browsing around pinterest I stumbled upon a diet that lasts for seven days. After completion of this diet, one should lose from 10-17 pounds. This seemed VERY unusual to me... SO I'm going to try it. Throughout the week I will post what I did, and record my weight loss (if any!) By the end we should see whether this diet truly works!

Day One - February 23, 2012

This day is a fruit only day! Eat any fruit except bananas on this day. Drink water. That's it. It's a good thing I love fruit though, because this would be awful if not. The diet says to drink as many as 8 glasses of water. With this mix of fruit and water, you will most likely have to pee more than usual. Haha. I'll fill you in about weight loss and tomorrows journey to day two (baked potato and vegetables).

Day Two - February 24, 2012

This day is a vegetables and potato day. I started the day off with half of a baked potato and some broccoli. This is the best part of the day in my opinion. During lunch I had an assorted mix of veggies, but I couldn't finish it. I like vegetables, but not enough to have them for a whole day! Haha This is why I'm saving the rest of my potato for dinner. I'm half way through the day, having cravings and feeling hungry. This is normal though. Weight wise I've stayed constant, not a serious loss. But, it's only the second day and I'm not finished it yet. I'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow, so I can have fruit too! I'm also drinking a lot of water, that's important!

Day Three - February 25, 2012
This is a fruit and vegetable only day. No potatoes this day. I basically only ate fruit this day and a little vegetables.  By this day, I started losing my appetite for sweets and vegetables.  I could not wait to move to the next day.

Day Four - February 26, 2012
Today is the Banana, Milk, and Soup.  Sounds disgusting I know, but it actually isn't! Today is actually my favorite day so far! You are supposed to consume as many as 8 bananas and 3 glasses of milk, along with your soup.  How I made this day turn into my favorite?  I made a smoothie for breakfast! Cut up, and freeze your bananas, add the milk and BLEND.  It is actually pretty good! I also am in love with bananas, sooo today wasn't too bad for me.  The soup isn't bad either, I added some Tony's, garlic, and onion powder. Weight loss wise I woke up 3 pounds less today.

Day Five - February 27, 2012
Today was Beef and Tomatoes day, soup too if you want.  Nottttt really my favorite!! BUT. I am sticking to it. Yuck. I am noticing a difference in my body though. My waist is a little smaller. I used ground beef with some seasonings today and diced the tomatoes and mixed it in.  Not the most appetizing meal, but not too bad either.

Day Six and Seven - February 28/29, 2012
So, Day six was beef and vegetable day, which I followed.  Then, day seven was brown rice and vegetable day.  I SERIOUSLY felt like I was starving myself. SO, I gave in and ate more for dinner.

SO. Fact or Fiction you might ask!?  WELL. honestly I am sure it is a fact that this "Diet" works.. BUT, to me, I feel it is highly unhealthy.  Each day I felt incredibly hungry.  And, I honestly feel like you don't get enough nutrients. But, I definitely have learned from this diet.  To eat only until I'm full, not past that. Eat good portions.  And most importantly, I tried a lot of new things which I came to love.  They will definitely start to be an every day part of my diet.  In the end, I don't necessarily recommend this to anyone. Yes, I lost a good bit of weight, BUT who's to say when I start eating normal again the pounds won't come back.  In my honest opinion, eat right, exercise, and you will lose weight.

The End!