A different kind of muffin

I love muffins! I rarely bake them, but when I see them in a bakery they are hard to resist!

So nice and fluffy that they poof out around the edge of the cupcake liner meant to hold them in.

But, the sad thing is…..when you eat too many then you get THIS version of the muffin showing up on your OWN BODY……the DREADED “muffin top”……..

A few years ago I did the “Body for Life” work-out and eating plan and I was strong and fit.

But, somewhere along the way I started getting pre-occupied with my rug hooking business and I started spending all of my free time dyeing wool and hooking and working and eating comfort foods because I was pretty stressed out most of the time (not all bad stress mind you…..a lot of it was the good stress of success).

Then one day I woke up and found that my body had created this “muffin top”! Oh I tried to disguise it….and I’ve been doing a pretty good job…..I gave away my skinny, low-rise jeans and went up a size….I quit tucking in my shirt, I wore “busier” printed tops…..you know all the tricks just as well as I do…..don’t you?

Well, the tricks worked fine for my psyche until I came across this photo on my camera…..

Kenny had been taking pictures of the garden and also snapped some pictures of me cleaning out the pool (this was taken in May)…..It was just one of those moments when I was a little horrified….granted it was the first of summer and I am pasty white which doesn’t help matters.

At that moment I called my hairdresser and got in to get my hair cut short again…..I think the longer hair was dragging me down….I just feel more powerful with my short hair….so yes, my hair is short again. I made a decision to stop doing my rug hooking business so I had more time to focus on a lot of things that had started getting neglected along the way…..things like my home and my health. (I’ve been fortunate to be “healthy enough”, but I mean FIT and healthy)

I think this is when I started dabbling with the yoga…..I think the yoga has helped me find my center and gave me time to think about what other changes I wanted to make in my life.

But, I digress, the “muffin top” was still haunting me…..taunting me, even over the edge of my scrubs that I wear to work everyday.When you have a muffin top over scrubs…..that’s a bad, bad thing!

This past weekend I signed up with Jillian Michaels

…..you know her….the kick-ass trainer from “Biggest Loser”?!  I have never watched “Biggest Loser”, but I did discover her earlier this summer on “Losing It With Jillian”.  I liked her hard, but empathetic personality with the families she worked with. Below is a video of my favorite episode.

I have to say that the food you get to prepare and eat is delicious and fresh and REAL food….there is no processed food on her eating plan…..and the workouts are HARD…..I mean, sweat dripping off of me in the first 5-7 minutes…..I want to quit…..this is too hard…..that kind of a HARD workout…..but anything is worth doing to get rid of this muffin top and get FIT again!

Here is my favorite new move that I’ve learned……I like it because I can feel it working! Goodness knows I’d LOVE to have a nice round booty instead of the “shoebox butt” I was born with :)

One-Leg Pelvic Thrust

Step 1

Lie on your back in front of a bench or platform with your knees bent and your heels on the bench. Your legs should form a 90-degree angle with your knees directly above your hips, and your arms should rest on the floor at your side. Keeping your knees together, exhale and extend your right leg up toward the ceiling. Now, exhale and press your left heel into the bench.

Step 2

Lift your hips, pressing your right leg straight up toward the ceiling. Inhale and slowly lower your body back down to the floor, and repeat on the other side.

I’ll check back in with you in a month and let you know how it’s going…..so far I’ve lost 5 pounds in 1 week! YAY!

I’m back

Having a great summer here in Missouri despite how hot it’s been.

The GOOD thing about the heat is that Kenny’s more tropical plants are doing brilliantly!

He has a cactus that is in bloom…..

There is a bloom on one of the banana trees…….yes, right here in land-locked Missouri!  The bananas are the little things poking upwards….still pretty small…..they never get big enough or ripe enough to eat, because it just doesn’t stay hot LONG enough here, but it’s always a treat to see them!

Every time I swim in the pool I always feel like I’m in the middle of the jungle…..

There are also hibiscus….

Lots of cactus….

 

Have a great weekend!

Ahhhhh

Tonight my auctions on eBay finished up….I think I have sent out invoices to everyone and have been able to get a lot of things in the mail.

Feels good to know that rug hooking accessories and supplies are so in demand.  Are there many other arts or crafts where you can keep magazines for 10 years and get as much or more than you paid for them originally?

Hopefully, now that most of THOSE loose ends are tied up I’ll be back to blogging on a regular basis until I do another space clearing in about a week.

Will there be more rug hooking items…..yes….plus who knows what else this time.

Okay, time to hit the sack…..

Sugar, Silly Bandz and Shows

Yesterday, I spent the day with my niece, Madison, as well as my mom, grandma, and a friend of my mom’s Judy.

It was a trip to Branson.  We left at noon and got back at midnight!

First we headed down to see  Joey Riley.  He played on my grandparents country music show in Eureka Springs, Arkansas back when I was probably a freshman or sophomore in college.  He’s even funnier now than he was then! Here’s a little clip of what you can see on his show. Click on banner to see a video.

Kind of a blurry photo of myself and Madison with Joey after the show.

Next we headed to supper at

…..my mom and my niece LOVE “The Cracker Barrel”……of course you put together a big gift shop and food and what’s not to love?!

Now that we were fueled up we did a little Outlet Mall shopping…..didn’t buy much, but we had fun looking! Mask anyone?

I got educated on “Silly Bandz”……they are all the rage, in case you didn’t know…..they come in all kinds of shapes from butterflies to dolphins and everything in between!  Here are the ones that I got……anyone want to trade theirs for mine?

That’s what you do with them!

Oh yeah, then there was the orange cap on the M&M’s…..bought the orange cap at the outlet store and then we had to find a big bag of SOMETHING, so we could try it out. Kind of a cool way to keep bagged items fresh and convenient…..you know, dark chocolate peanut M&M’s MUST be convenient!

We also had to pick up the latest issue of People Magazine so we could check out Carrie Underwood’s wedding dress!  Madison is a HUGE Carrie Underwood fan, plus, she loves ALL THINGS “wedding”, so this was like a double treat!

Now that we’re all” sugared up” with M&M’s and Airheads (kind of like Sweet Tarts in a taffy form) we head to another show……. “Clay Cooper’s Country Music Express”.  Clay is also around my age and he and Joey lived in my grandparent’s basement when they were getting their start in entertainment.  I know my grandma just loved seeing that they had made a go of it in Branson.  Click on banner to see a video.

Pic of Madison, my Grandma, Clay and myself after the show.

We laughed all the way home….giddy from a fun day and LOTS of sugar!

Inspirata

Finding the perfection in the imperfect

(Kuttner Antiques)

(Nazimayal Collection)

(1st Dibs)

(The Home of Folk Art)

 

(eBay)

Don’t stress while you are hooking….hook from the heart….it’s the imperfections that makes these rugs just perfect!

Back issues

Last night I listed the last of my back issues of “The Wool Street Journal”.  It was like a trip down memory lane looking through them and writing up the listings for eBay.

One thing I did notice is that (I think) there is an article by Karen Kahle in most every issue.  What a great way to see inside the mind of such a wonderful artist.

That got me to perusing her pictures on Flickr.  What a visual treat!

You get to see inspiring pictures like this one here.

(from Karen Kahle via Flickr)

Not only does she have an eye for color and composition in her rugs, but she also uses that same eye when she sets up her photos.  I find that SO inspiring!

When I see pictures like this it makes me feel like (just for a moment)  I’m a part of her creative world.

(from Karen Kahle via Flickr)

Go ahead immerse yourself! Click below

MORE OF KAREN KAHLE ON FLICKR

Need some of those back issues (many out of print) of Wool Street Journal?

CLICK HERE

Grown-up Popsicles

Here’s a cool treat for a hot day……it’s supposed to be a scorcher here in Missouri.

Mango-Chile Popsicles

4 mangoes peeled and sliced

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more or less to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor to puree. Spoon puree into popsicle molds (or if you don’t have those you can use little Dixie Cups and add popsicle sticks)

Freeze for 8 hours.

Enjoy!

When we go to Las Vegas, there is a place in the airport that sells dried mangoes that are dusted in a sugar/cayenne pepper mix that I love, Love, LOVE!

Kenny found this recipe and we made it…..JUST as good as my other addiction! Sweet/tart but with a little bit of heat at the end…..of course I added just a touch more cayenne pepper to the ones that I made!

Reminiscing

I was sitting here in the computer room listing some Wool Street Journals on eBay and Kenny walked by and asked, “are you having fun reminiscing?”

Actually, I have been, having fun reminiscing.

Clearing space and handling things that have been yours but that you are ready to send on to someone else to bring them joy always brings back memories whether it’s sorting through clothes, magazines, or mementos.

I’m proud to say that I’ve saved only a few magazines for myself….I think 3 so far, but I still have many to go through.

It’s a good day for computer work….so hot outside!

Here’s what’s new on eBay from me….

and a few more….go check them out by visiting my eBay on the right.

I did it…..

……I listed 2 Townsend cutter long blades on ebay starting at 99 cents each….I just took a deep breath and hit “LIST”.

Now, I guess I’ll just sit back and see what happens……

I’ve also got 39 issues of Rug Hooking Magazine listed…..I still have LOTS more to list, but have just run out of steam.  Maybe I’ll have another BLOWOUT in a few weeks.

Rug Hooking Blowout!

Okay, so listing all of my stuff is taking a lot more time than I planned…..not to mention that it started to storm yesterday evening, so I had to quit listing to comfort the dogs.  I got up early this morning and my computer didn’t want to connect to the internet, but it FINALLY did and I got a few more rug hooking magazines listed and I hope to list a few through the day and a LOT more tonight as well as some books, patterns and Townsend cutter blades.

Here is a link to what I have on eBay right now……ALL OF IT STARTING AT 99 cents!

Just click on the picture below.

No, I’m not quitting rug hooking…..just taking care of some overdue space clearing :)

Get Ready!

Tonight and tomorrow I’m going to be listing LOTS of Rug Hooking Magazines, Wool Street Journals, hooked rugs,  rug hooking books, rug hooking patterns, and a Townsend cutter long  blade or 2……

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.

.

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All starting at 99 cents!

You can get to my eBay by clicking on the eBay symbol on the right hand side of my page.  I’ll happily combine shipping if you find lots of stuff you have to have to round out your collection!

I’m charging up my camera batteries so I can start taking pictures for my listings.  Check back tonight!

If you are local, you can save shipping and pick stuff up directly from me.

Rugs in Various states of progress

Wednesday night I went out to Ebay Renee’s to get together and hook……it seems that’s the only hooking I get done is when I’m going somewhere to SPECIFICALLY hook.

Renee had “build your own nachos” and Sheri from Shabby Sheep brought THE MOST DELICIOUS chocolate sheet cake……as I said at the end of the evening….if that were my last meal I would die a happy woman!

Here are a few of the rugs from Wednesday.

Renee finishes rugs for a friend, Kathy Waddlington, and these are a couple of her rugs.  I think Kathy only hooks BIG rugs! To get an idea of how big they are I had Renee sat down next to this one.

I love the combination of the burnt orange and the blues together!

Here is another of Kathy’s rugs waiting to be bound.

Here are pics of what WE have been working on.  I’m still trudging along on the last garden rug, but slowly making progress…

Renee is making good progress on her crow rug…..

Sheri has finished hooking her chairpad for Jimmie Dean….okay, I say she is done, but I think she is still TWEAKING it.

This was a great opportunity, since we were at Renee’s, to show you how a lot of us here finish our rugs.  We take them to Renee, and she serges around them for us.

First she draws an outline around the rug…..

Then serges it….

…..so it ends up like this……

…..then you can fold it foward and whip around it, or crochet around it or finish it however you’d like.

It’s a good thing….having a hooking buddy who’s basement is like craft-central!

Tan & Relaxed

I hope everyone had a great 4th. I’m feeling tan and relaxed. Spent most of my time by the pool, reading, relaxing and working on my tan.

Also, spent LOTS of time eating!

Here is a great recipe to use up that squash and zucchini that is undoubtedly starting to quadruple!

Squash and Zucchini Cakes

(photo from Food Network)

Ingredients

• 3 medium zucchini
• 3 medium yellow squash
• 1 cup toasted bread crumbs
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1/3 cup minced Vidalia onion
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten (I used 2 eggs)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 jar store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

Grate zucchini and squash with a fine grater. Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture (I mean press the dickins’ out of  it…this is the key to success)

In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini and squash and next 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 2-inch patties, pressing together firmly.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook squash and zucchini cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Place onto serving platter and serve with marinara sauce.

The recipe is from Paula Deen…….another keeper!