Flea Market Finds - upcycling of an oldie but a goodie *choo choo*

About 6 months ago, I found a Thomas train mirror in the Op Shop.  It was $5.  I bought it.  Put it away to save until my nephew's birthday - which is this month.

It was in desperate need of a new paint job - and to remove the hand print of it's previous owner... 

I started it's transformation earlier this week.  I had a little paint each evening after work, and have finished it today.  Sorry i forgot to take a picture before I started painting it.  I thought of it a few paint strokes in.  Here's it's transformation..

Not bad I say.

Pop over here for more finds. 

Blogger Butt Update - I could be considered a slacker.

 

It's been an interesting week.  Another loss though.  That's all that matters.  Lost another 0.4kg.  I'm happy with that loss considering how shocking I've been at keeping to my points over the past week.  Let's just say I took a more lazy casual approach.  We were busy moving back into our unit and unpacking and re-arranging.  I was feeling annoyed and couldn't be bothered counting properly.  BUT I still lost weight which proves to myself that even though I didn't count everything little thing I put into my mouth, I still have learned how to eat a balanced diet.  

Thoughts for the week:

- Hot chips and wedges are good, especially with sour cream (it was lite!)

- IBS has it positive effects - the food isn't inside your stomach long to make you fat (i know, TMI)

- Moving furniture is DEFINITELY a work out

- I have a great love of hot dogs, and had one this week - luckily for me it was on one of the few days I actually counted points this past week so probably why I still had a loss

- Dim sims are still amazing.

- All I ever write about is food in this section

- Water is still amazing, but I've lost my gusto desire to drink it often resulting in slight dehydration.. oops!!

- Came to the realisation that I have to get down to 80kgs before I have a baby because it's likely I'll put on at least 10kgs post baby and I never want to be over 100kgs again.

- My jeans are getting even looser 

- Even though the skin on my face has it's teenage moment, it's overall alot nicer and clearer.

- I need more rest since I've cut back on the sugary junk foods that gave me lots of fake energy.

- My hair has been less oily 

- I still didn't exercise (on purpose)

All in all, not my best week but I'm pleased with myself that although I had a few bad days I haven't just thrown my hands in the air and given up.  I've been doing this for over a month now and I am finally getting somewhere with re-programming my mind and body and it's desires and cravings*.

You can find more bloggy butt stories over here.

*except I'm still craving pizza.. dammit!

My creative space - celebration organisation.

Remember how I stayed at my parents for a week and went a bit card crazy?  Well it was for a reason!  And I actually doubled the amount of cards I've made since writing that post.  The month of March is a big one for celebrations in our family.  Within 10 days of each other is, Mum's birthday, my birthday, my wedding anniversary, and my Nephew's birthday.  So you see, one must be organised.  Since I knew what I wanted to give mum I have started on her's first.. and today finished it!

It's a little box FULL of cards.  Mostly birthday ones, but a few others in the mix just to be safe.  Mum is always calling me after cards for someone.  This pack of 20 should keep her going for about a year!  She's gonna love it!!

More spaces here.

Softies Revealed!

Ok I know I've been slack.  Well maybe not slack, but I've definitely had to work on some other priorities in my life.  

BUT...

I am SO pleased with all the beautiful softies that I have been receiving in the post.  Gosh some ladies are clever!!!  First up, here are all the finished softies from the activity I ran with the girls from church that I posted about here.  It's a cute and unique bunch of monsters.

And then there's the cute little elephants my sister made...

Dianne has been busy sewing me these gorgeous little creatures...

Shannoah has been busy too, to see more of her work check out her Facebook page "Huggable Creations".

And then this is a two in one doll.. Cinderella the maid, turns into Cinderella the princess.

I also received this gorgeous Babushka & Birdie from the talented Tiff.

This gorgeous owl came from the lovely Tina.

And last but not least, Vanessa from Flower Photography did not disappoint!

Pretty impressive huh?

There are a few more that I have made, but I might save them for another day.  Thank you SO MUCH ladies.  They are all adorable and will be loved.  

The search for the softies new owners continues.  There are MANY great opportunities.  It's all a matter of figuring out which one works best!!  Don't forget, it's not too late to join in if you want to.  Go here to find out all the details to our Softies for Smiles appeal.

Disasters, dye & doily's.

Well I'm back home again after the completion of the painting of our house.  When I returned home last Friday night I expected to be amazed.  Let's just say I am less then impressed at the quality of the paint job.  I could have done better, and I certainly wouldn't have gauged the wall each time I moved my ladder... but it's not my problem.  

So my craft room unpacking is getting there.  I decided to use the experience to re-do my room again.  I can't craft on a trussle table forever.  Here is what I came home to...

And after a few attempts to re-arrange, and then after a day today of focusing on finishing up as best as I can (because once again it's a temporary setup until we pick up the new table), this is what I've come up with.  

This is my husbands old study desk.  Husby and I had a great idea in our heads to use this and put the desk hutch on it, and get rid of the desk it used to be on.  The idea was better in our heads.  I have half the room, and hate it!  So luckily for me I remembered my Nan has this giant sturdy table she is trying to get rid of.  So we will be going to pick the table up soon.  Will probably keep the hutch on, but both desks I think will be going.  

This desk will go.  The table from nanna's will go along this wall like the trussle table used to.  Sigh.  Forever work in progress.  I borrowed the bedside table from mum and dad to store my patterned papers and cardboard in the meantime.  The paper will eventually go into a set of drawers that my husbands clothes are living in.  We are getting a new bedroom suite at some stage this year and will get the drawers then.  

Is everyone's craft room a work in progress and mess like mine is??  I have no idea how I want it.  Every time I get an idea, I end up not liking it!!!  Oh well.

Onto dye & doilies.

Over the past two days I have been soaking my doilies in Nappy-San and they look fantastic.  There were a few with rust stains, and i dabbed them with some bleach and all but one came up good.  I don't know what I'm going to do about the one with rust just yet.  While I was dabbing away and rinsing doily's I was thinking about playing around with dying them.  I also remembered that I had some black fabric dye under the laundry basin.  So I pulled it out and mixed up some dye in a bucket and had some fun.  

The one on the left I put in the dye for 2 mins, the middle one for 5 mins, and the small one on the right I just dipped it in for a few seconds.  I love how they all ended up being shades of purple.  I am definitely going to look into buying more fabric dyes and having more fun with dying doily's. 

Flea Market Finds - successes keep rolling in

I've had such good luck with my thrifting lately.  I've eased off on my visits which makes them more enjoyable.  I have been spending longer sorting through piles and digging through boxes.  I've also spent ALOT less money which is always a bonus.  I've been more particular about what I buy.  I refuse to pay more then it's worth and have learnt that there is no point in asking for a cheaper price - they will NEVER give it.  I read alot about other's thrifting adventures and am always ginormously jealous how HOW CHEAP your goodies are.  I have started to come to terms with the fact that all of the op shops in my area, are expensive.  I just have to hope that the day that the grandma dropped her doily supply off to the op shop, that the nice Salvo's lady decides to price them at a reasonable price - not at $3.50 each (go jump lady).  This week I found that exact stash of doily's that grandma dropped off and the nice Salvo's lady priced them at $1 each.  (that's the cheapest I've ever seen doily's go for around here).

So I bought a couple more...

... and I was talking to Wendy over at The Textured Leaf and she suggested a few ways to clean them and make them nice and bright and look new again.  They are currently hanging on the line drying.  I will do the same with all my existing doily's because they look 100% better!

Yes it's a mug stand, no I don't drink tea and coffee....  I heard this neat idea lately (my brain is a sift and I've ALREADY forgotten who's blog I saw it on.. SORRY!!) to use a mug holder to hang scissors, double sided tape... all those little bits and pieces you work with and lose easily, will now be found on my mug stand, which I intend on painting white or something more attractive.

I sifted through the patterns pile as i always do incase I find a cute vintage kids clothing pattern, this time I found this...

... I can't wait to have a play with these!  Adorable.

A couple of baby blankets - perfect for quilt backs maybe?

And then I found this mini cutting mat.  I have a decent sized one that I use on my craft desk and whenever I go somewhere else to sew or craft and need to take it, it's kind of awkward to transport.  So I found this smaller version to travel around with me.

And last but not least...

A queen quilt cover and pillowcase set.  Isn't it divine?  Will be perfect for my guest bedroom (if we ever have one haha).  Absolutely gorgeous and I'm almost certain it's never been used.  It has that lovely stiff new fabric feel to it.  SO pleased with this find.

Well that's it for this week.  Link in over at Sophie's!

Green challenge

I've joined into a Green Challenge over at Really Reasonable Ribbon's Ramblings.  I love green, but didn't want to all psycho obsessive green or anything!  I made a card, and one of the conditions was that I needed to use ribbon as part of my creation.  Here's what I came up with.

 Hope everyone has a fun weekend!

Blogger (reduced sized) Butt Update

BACK ON TRACK LADIES!!  I'm not going to dodge the bullet on my weight loss this week.  Straight to it.... 1.2kg!!!  So stoked with my efforts.  After two dismal weeks, finally a result I am 100% happy with.  Well, that's a lie.  I would have preferred to lose 50kg this week, but we all know that won't happen.  It's now been a month since I officially started WW.  So here's my progress (I can't believe I am telling you all this - I am hugely embarrassed but need to do it so I don't do this to my body again).

Weigh in: 129.9kg

Week 1: 125.8kg (4.1kg loss)

Week 2: 125.5kg (0.3kg loss)

Week 3: 125.3kg (0.2kg loss)

Week 4: 124.1kg (1.2kg loss)

Total weight loss: 5.8kg

So that's the digits.  Now you know just how heavy I am.  My goal is to get down to 80kg.  I don't care what anyone says, but I will never get down to 65kg which is my supposed healthy weight.  I have a big frame.  If I got down to 65kg, I'd be borderline anorexic, seriously.  So my goal is 80kg.  80kg is achievable.  And maintainable. 

Anyway, enough of that.  My thoughts and experiences of the week:

- I didn't do so well at not eating my exercise earnt back points.  Oops.  

- I exercised a buttload, but not on purpose.  Our house is being painted and had to move our lives into boxes and move everything to the centre of rooms.

- I did go on the Wii Fit one day for a bit though!

-  I made delicious vege & ham pizza last night and finally crushed this annoying craving I've had for pizza all month.

- I was slack at writing down my points again - resulting in less then desirable dinners due to lack of points to work with.

- Useless fact:  I learnt that picking your nose can result in breathing difficulties through your nostrils.

- Started putting lime juice/slices in my water to make it more exciting.

- I made chips - moutain bread, cut into triangles, spray oil, sprinkle salt, hot oven, 2 minutes, DELICIOUS and low in points!

- My husband recognised that a pair of pants were baggy on my reduced butt size.

- I realised I am borderline obsessed about steamed dim sims (they're delicious and low in points = dangerous).

- I forced myself to eat breakfast at breakfast time.  Not after I got to work around 10am. 

- Tried to be better about getting up earlier, to encourage me to go to sleep earlier to get back into a healthier sleep pattern.

And that's about it for this week.

Except the jeans I'm wearing at work today are loose :)

My wonderful WIP... card making mania

Since moving into the parentals house I've been making cards like a crazy lady.  I don't have much to do and have all my supplies here ready to go.

I have plans to make cards for my mum for her birthday.  She is ALWAYS calling me up to buy a card for someone.  So I'll give her a years supply ready to go.

I made two of each design.  

And am keeping one of each for myself!

Because my stash is getting rather low.  

And I'm sure a few will make their way into the shop.

I've also been watching a buttload of Desperate Housewives whilst making them.

It's been a relaxing week, and I'm trying my best to enjoy it because I know next week won't be so fun...

And I probably won't have any time to craft...

Cause I'll be unpacking my house!!!

Which is still not finished being painted.

But I will try and not think about it.  

And enjoy the freedom of housework for just a few more days.

And keep making cards!!!

Don't forget to link in over at The Clip Cafe.  And vote on my poll!!!  Top right hand corner.  It's looking lonely!!