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Happy Friday!



Although I just wanted to stay in bed this morning, I don't have the luxury.


I have a wedding cake to finish.... so I have to get up and get moving. I'm sitting here with my morning cup of coffee watching the news waiting for a glimpse of the royal wedding cake. So far, I haven't seen it..... that's what is going to give me inspiration for my cake decorating this afternoon.


There is snow on the ground in Idaho this morning, so that is going to put a hamper on my outside running. I did, however, go to the gym last night and ran 2 miles of in and outs (run and walk intervals) with my sister. It was cold outside yesterday jogging in the wind, but the snow on the ground is a whole different story! I'm not freezing my fingers and nose off again for no stinking reason!


Plus, I've done cardio for 4 days straight now, so I think that I deserve a day off, right?



My diet wasn't all that great yesterday. I had cereal fro breakfast, then a piece of toast before my jog. For lunch I had nachos that were made on black bean chips with rice, red beans and salsa. Then for dinner, I had....(gasp) pizza!!! Ok, so after making a cake all day, and jogging in the morning then the gym in the afternoon, a slice of pizza was well deserved. It was veggie pizza from Idaho Pizza company, and instead of having 2 or 3 slices, I had 1 and some salad. So at least I exercised some will power.

Ok, well, my coffee has gone cold, and I'm sick of watching the same loop of the Royal Wedding on CNN, so it must be time for me to get to work. I'll post pictures this evening or tomorrow of the finished wedding cake. I hope you all have a great Friday and I wish you all some sun!


Tip of the day: It is not ok to sit on the couch to watch the royal wedding ALL DAY, you must rip yourself away from the TV and burn some calories at some point!

Is it Friday yet?

Actually, if it was Friday... I'd be in panic mode!I do have a lot of work to accomplish today. I have a 4 tiered wedding cake that I must bake, ice and cover with fondant. I will be decorating it tomorrow. So that will take up the major part of my day. I am excited to do this wedding cake, although it is going to be a VERY traditional cake, and that usually isn't my style. Wish me luck!


I would also like to get a run in today, no matter how short it is... I just seem to be going in a good direction with my exercise lately, so I want to keep the momentum rolling. It's also nice that the past few days have been better, weather wise, so that I can run outside as opposed to running laps around the track in the gym.

So, all things considered, I'm doing pretty well here. I have found time to work out a bit each day, and there has been no fast food in my diet at all. I have been snacking on fruit instead of over processed junk and I'm staying away from the candy. I do need to focus on eating small meals throughout the day instead of big meals twice or three times a day. The issue that I'm noticing is that the more I work out, the hungrier I tend to be. So, I'm dealing with finding snacks and things that cure my hunger AND fill me up.


Again this morning I had a bowl of cereal for breakfast. I'm noticing though, that a bowl of cereal just doesn't stick with me too long. I'll be full for about an hour, then all of a sudden I want to eat everything in sight! That's no bueno! We'll see how today goes when I'm surrounded with cake and frosting and delicious bakery yumminess!!!!


Tip for today:


Cake is NOT on the diet menu, but if you must, eat it for breakfast, not dessert!

I need a good app


So, my quest has been to find a good app to put on my BB Torch so that I can track how far I've been jogging. I've tried a few (thanks Pal) but none seem to be working well, if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears!


That being said.... I went to the gym twice yesterday! Yeah, two times!!! I know, I'm nuts, but before you go passing judgements, I have a great excuse. Evan has Gymnastics classes in the morning and then swim lessons in the evening. So instead of sitting on my duff, I decided to do some walking/jogging. Now his classes are only a half an hour, so I didn't really get a lot done, but I did manage a total of 3 miles yesterday, so that's not too bad.


I didn't do the greatest job of eating well yesterday. But any day with no fast food is an accomplishment around here. So I had cereal for breakfast, red beans and rice filled tacos for lunch, and salad with Italian pinwheels for dinner. I do need to remember to drink more water, a lot more water, because I kept getting cramps in my rib cage while I was running.


Today is going to be busy, but I'm going to try and sneak in an outside run to see if the Edomoundo app that Lena sent me will work better outside. I'm sure it will... I think I was just confusing it in the gym; the app was thinking "What the heck is wrong with this person, they are running around in circles and I'm all friggen confused!!!" I'm sure that's what it was saying. Plus, today looks to be sunny. Cold, but sunny.... so I can freeze to death while I run, all in the name of health!

Tomorrow I have a huge wedding cake to make, so check back to see pictures of the the cake and how it's coming along.... see ya all then...


Tip of the day: DON'T FORGET TO DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!!!!!!



Back to the grind

OK, so I admit that I haven't been keeping up on my weight loss posting. So, in an effort to re-visit why I actually created this blog, I'm going to get back to the grind.

Today I went to the gym after a bowl of shredded wheat (not the best breakfast, but not too shabby either). I dropped Evan off and headed to the weight room. I worked upper body (arms, back, chest, and shoulders) and then I did some abs. Ugh, I hate doing abs.... but it is a necessary evil. After doing that I headed to the cardio room.

I chose an eliptical as my machine of choice today. The one that I jumped on was one of the ones that simulates running, so not a true eliptical, but you know what I mean. I was on there for 20 minutes and decided that this running in one place just wasn't doing it for me. Plus, this lady came and got on the one next to me, she is getting ready for a body building show I think. I swear to you, she's Miss Olimpia!!! So my self esteem sorta fell through the floor. I decided to get out of there before I threw a towel or something at her.




Next, I went to the indoor track. i figured I could feel better about myself if I was running circles around all of the geriatrics that walk the track all the time. So off I went. I decided on jogging a lap, then walking a lap. I did just that for 2 miles!!! Yeay!!!

After all of that exertion, I needed to lay down, so I made it look like I was stretching! hahahaha OK, OK, OK I was stretching. But you know what I mean...don't you? Now my 2 hours was up and it was time to go pick up Evan.

On our way home Evan decided that he needed McDonald's for lunch. Now, if you know me at all, you know that McD's is my weakness. I could eat my body weight in McD's food! Or die trying! Unfortunately the second option there is the most likely outcome. So I resisted. Although Evan got a meal, and my hubby got a meal, I stood strong and got nothing.
As we drove home I figured that I would have a salad or something once I got home..... I did, however, steal a couple bag fries. We got home, I made a sandwich, and ate it. Yeay me. I finished it off with a few more fries. So about a dozen in all.... not too shabby. A big 'ol salad for dinner and it should be a good day! I'll let you know tomorrow.


Tip of the day: Don't get on a cardio machine next to a skeleton, they will make you feel bad about your lever of fitness.


Happy cardio to you all!!!

Gasp! No pink? Aaaahhhh....

A non pinkie Cheekie??? These people are pushing the limits!!! The challenge at The Greeting Farm was to make a card that did not use the color pink, at all!!! GASP!!!!! So, here's what I did: Blue! Ha ha ha! So you will be proud to know that her skin didn't even use peach (which has pink in it), I used orange and blended it with my watercolor brush, very well, to fade it out enough to make her flesh tone. I figured, next to the blue, it would come across as such, and I think it did!



I got this really neat gel pen that is bright blue and has glitter in it, pretty shimmery glitter. So I used that to make her shoes and eyes sparkle, and I embellished the heart on her mirror with it. I also used a sentiment sticker that was sparkly to add to the shimmer of the whole card. I have had this sentiment sticker for a few years now, and I have been waiting for the perfect card to put it on, and I think I finally found it! ha ha ha OK, have a great Easter Sunday everyone, I'm off to watch the Giants beat Atlanta!

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Down to the wire!


The challenge at TGF was to CASE the card that is on the left, in the background. The card in the front (right)is my take on it. After cutting a few times, I decided to go geometric on it.... I think that it makes the cheekie stand out more. I got the card-makers nod of approval from my Pal because I matted all the rectangles AND I actually used half pearls. Ok, I concede, you are correct, half pearls are awesome and matting everything is the way to go. hahahaha Hope you all have a great Easter!

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CASE-ing Markies' Mom

The challenge at the Greeting Farm was to CASE a markies mom card! She is absolutely Amazing!!!! She uses a gagillion embellishments, and does everything absolutely perfect!!!!! So here's my attempt...
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Sparkle Creations

Isn't this the cutest image?? I love it! So I decided to do the sketch challenge for Sparkle Creations! Yeay!
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Let's Hear it for the boys!


OK, last one for The Greeting Farm today... this challenge was to make something for the boys! Well what's a better gift for a boy than a cookie with a hot girl on it??? How about one that loves your team?!?!?! My husband and I are HUGE SF Giants fans!!! So naturally I thought orange and black! I know he's going to LOVE these!

Its Spring!

Get me baking and I just can't stop!!!



Here's a cupcake and cookie duo for the spring colors challenge over at The Greeting Farm! I just adore their images, this one is no acception, this is Cheekie Glamour. She's just a doll! I painted her onto a circle of fondant and placed her onto a sugar cookie with buttercream around the edges then rolled the cookies in springtime sprinkles! I added a coordinating vanillabean cupcake with vanilla buttercream!


Delish!


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The Greeting Farm Strikes Again!!!

Ok, so for the challenge this week on TGF, we are supposed to CASE a card made by MommaMaxa. Here is her card:Well, for those of you who know me well... I don't exactly always use paper as my first means of creativity.... I use SUGAR!!!!! So in CASEing this card... I went to my kitchen!!! Here's what I came up with:





Yes, That is a cupcake and a cookie! A vanillabean cupcake with chocolate buttercream and candy dots, then a vanilla sugar cookie with a fondant overlay and a handpainted Cheekie Rockabilly on it (I painted her with Wilton paste food coloring and a tiny paintbrush) along with vanilla buttercream and little icing dots with flowers piped on them.


I tried to CASE her layout as well as her colors.... how do you think I did???


Have a sweet day!

Everything New

So, I took the "All things new" challenge from TGF a little too seriously I think..... I went to IKEA this week and got new shelves for my craft room. (Well, it was just an office, but I'm taking it over and making it into a craft room!) Anyways.... I'm not sure that they meant it on this scale.... BUT it was a great excuse for my husband, "But Honey, TGF said I needed to do All things New, so I HAVE to get new shelves for the office, I just HAVE to!" It worked... here's a pic of the old.... and the new!




Mind you... it's a work in progress... I am getting red bins to put in the shelves to house all of the scraps and things... but it's a start!I wasn't aware of how many stampin' up sets I really had. And there's a special home for all of my cheekies... RIGHT ON MY STAMPING DESK!!!!


Ok, on with the card challenge.... Everything new.... well... when I got home from IKEA, the stamps that I ordered on the Farmer's Market.... they were here!!!!!!!! So I cut, and inked, and here's my everything new card!



I LOVE HIM! You can't really see in the pic here... but his wings and the cross o his tie are embossed with silver (since the sentiment is "You are my silver lining," and inside the wings is embossed with totally teal sparkly embossing powder)the shimmery silver ribbon is something I found in the back of my closet when I was putting things on my new shelves, and it was un-opened, so that's new. Also I used a new pack of tissue paper in the background there, and I picked up that patterned paper that he is on on my trip as well.


As you can see... I set up a little photo corner in my new and improved craft room too... I think I need to move it though, the lighting isn't the best over there....


Ok, there's my entry, wish me luck! I really, really, really want to win their new set with this card!

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Sweet and Toxic


Here's my latest challenge card for TGF! The challenge was to CASE a card that they had posted.... the card was all black and white... so that's the part that I "Copied." I JUST got my Sweet and Toxic set in the mail... sooooooo naturally I HAD to figure out a way to use it! I thought a black and white card was a PERFECT way to ink it up for the first time. After playing with the lay out a few different ways.... I settled on this one! I don't know if you can tell in the picture... but the distressed black paper at the bottom has little skulls on it, and the tag at the top with the sentiment is actually felt! I didn't know that my Big Shot cut felt, and other materials for that matter, and I tried stamping directly on it, and low an behold.... IT WORKED PERFECTLY!!! (Wow, talk about a run-on sentence!)


I'm so excited to enter this card in their challenge! Wish me luck!!

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