Laughing at others and what I'm reading this week

Um yeah, so for a full hour instead of working on this post, I've been busting a gut over Pinterest fails.  I told myself earlier in the day I would NOT wait until 10pm to do my links.  It's 9:59:52pm.

Win!

So that I can get back to making myself feel better about my first attempt at cake pops, let's get to...

6 low cost, high-impact projects for your home  (That's what I'm talkin' about)

9 New Fat Facts That’ll Boost Your Weight Loss Efforts  (Do peanut butter chocolate chip cookies count?  No?  Damn.)

A Marriage to Remember (Video starts on landing...life changing 8 minutes)

Billy Crystal Pays Tribute To Robin Williams During Emmys 'In Memoriam'  (No one was better suited to pay proper tribute than Billy)

30 Easy Halloween Pumpkin Ideas (No Carving Required!)  (Super cute ideas!)

9 Mistakes Not to Make at the Farmers' Market  (Just please don't take my radishes before I've had a chance to get them please)

21 Things All Blunt People Know To Be True  (I'm blunt with tact.  I won't say something that'll hurt someone's feelings but I am known as the "straight answer" friend.)

Confessions of a Pilot: Debunking the Biggest Air Travel Myths  (Can't get enough of the BTS in the airline industry)

22 Signs The DIY Lifestyle Just Isn’t For You  (So funny!)

12 of the Most Distracting Extras in Movie History  (Great, now I'll never unsee these.  Here...join me)

How to Exercise in Your Hotel Room  (Get on it, travelers)

Kathy Bates wanted to dedicate her Emmy to Robin Williams  (Yet another great story of what a sweetheart he was)

How to Plan the Perfect Road Trip  (Word UP!)

Parkinson's: Robin Williams and the Irony of Optimism  (More about Parkinson's than Robin but a VERY good read)

Why Saving Tasks for Tomorrow Doesn't Always Work  (Who me?)

Jennifer Aniston, Gwen Stefani and Many More Celebs Sing Goodbye to Chelsea Lately  (So NOT a fan of this woman but the video is worth checking out)

Room of the Day: Wrapped in Blues and Silvery Hues  (Love the colors...looks around...yep, I definitely love the colors!)

Repurpose Old Windows & Doors  (So cool!)

Iconic Dishes of the '70s, '80s, '90s, and '00s   (A fun look back)

Robin Williams Performs 17 Accents In 2 Minutes On The 'Ellen' Show  (What a crack up.  Will definitely make you laugh over make you sad)

17 "Star Wars" Characters Explained By People Who’ve Never Seen The Movies  (For the Mr)

23 Moments That Made You Realize Your Childhood Was Truly Over  (Fer sure)

Now I'm going back to tormenting the Mr with my vast knowledge of 80's music.  I just blew his mind with Digging Your Scene by the Blow Monkeys when he thought he stumped me.

OWNED!

Any plans for the weekend?  What's your area of expertise for useless knowledge?

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An armoire gets a new lease on life

When I decided to remodel the great room, I knew that even though we could've bought new everything, we didn't need to.  We already bought a new couch and loveseat, an area rug and installed new flooring.  I had to repurpose what we already had and since our armoires and tables all had classic lines, I decided to jump into chalk paint world.

I had big plans for the smaller armoire in the cave like landing just above our stairs.  Here's what she looked like before...

The honey colored stain had oranged up over the years and it was time to go.  Chalk paint allows you to not have to prep the surface with stripping or sanding so all I had to do was slap on a few coats of paint.  I used Annie Sloan Pure White for the outside and shelves and for the inside, I used the Paris Grey.

That backboard was made of thin luan, which meant unless I wanted to tear it off and keep the back open and have things drop behind the thing, I'd need to paint it.  Well, I wanted a driftwood slat look to the back but I couldn't use anything like even thin wood because the thickness and eventual weight would put too much stress on the flimsy board.

My solution?

Balsa wood.

Balsa wood is incredibly light and incredibly fragile.  It's typically used for model airplanes or other hobbies.  I know the Mr thought I was nuts for doing this but I assured him it would be all good.  I got some Annie Sloan clear wax and waxed each slat before applying any paint.  When the wax was dry, I carefully buffed it and then measured where that particular piece was going to go.  I'd mark it and then paint about 1" further out from the measurement line.  I started with the Paris Grey.

Now...here is where one of the great mysteries of life comes in.  All of the friggin' pics I took of the process have vanished.  I have gone through every folder of nine different memory cards and nothing.  I'm 99% sure I took pics of this but you're going to have to bear with me as I describe the rest of this process.

After painting the slat grey, I waxed the slat, waited for it to dry and made a white wash solution in a plastic cup with one tablespoon of pure white and three tablespoons of water.  I brushed on the white wash, let it set up for about one minute then used a paper towel to lightly wipe the watered down paint off of the slat.  When I got it aged to a look I liked, I would clear wax the slat and repeat the process.

When it was time to line up the slats, I used wood glue on the back to make a squiggly line up and down the back and applied it to the luan backer board.  I will say this was the most irritating part of the process because the balsa wood wanted to pop away from the luan at the ends.  So I had to either stand there for about five minutes holding the ends or find something like pints and quarts of paint to lean up against them as they dried.

Even though my measuring was precise, there were still very small gaps on the left side, so I used a piece of trim we were using for another process to score a straight line and glue the balsa trim vertically on either side to give a finished look.

One of my favorite details of this project aside from the slats on the back was something the Mr was vehemently against.  I told him I wanted to use old vintage keyhole escutcheons around the knobs for some character.  He wrinkled his nose and said he didn't know.  I said tell me if he thought it was a bad idea and he said it was a bad idea.  The more I thought about it, the more I knew I wanted them, found some on Etsy that I loved and at the time I mentioned it, there were four.  When I defied the Mr's protests, only two were left so I snagged them.  They were a little worse for wear with paint on the edges and a bit of rust overtaking the brass...

But nothing a little sanding, spray paint and glaze in my colors couldn't fix.

They are my second favorite detail and the Mr agrees he was wrong and really loves the way they look.

 I'll reiterate that...the Mr said he was wrong.  He hasn't questioned my design vision since then.  HA!

I also spray painted the hinges so it all looked cohesive and distressed the armoire to give it a more vintage look.

Since this one isn't near a heat source, I decided to use the clear wax on it to seal the whole thing.

Then it was time to decorate it with some fresh flowers, antiques from Napa and other vintage hunts.

To say I love it is an understatement.

It was, at times, a pain in my rump but so worth it and it's one of a kind.  No one else has this and every time I look at it, I smile.  I know we'll enjoy this for many more years to come and it probably cost about $100 between the paint, wood and hardware.  Not bad considering we paid $900 for it originally and I plan to get the same amount of time out of it in its second life as I did the first one.

I love seeing a vision come to life!

Linked up with:  Blesser House, The Shabby Nest, Tater Tots and Jello,  Thrifty Decor Chick, The Heathered Nest, Yesterfood, Sand and Sisal, Home Stories A to Z, Crafty Blog Stalker, Mabey She Made It,
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Twas movie night, y'all

The Mr got a coupon from the local video store for rent one, get one free, which means...we're there dude.

We perused the new and new-ish releases and decided on Blended (affiliate link)  and Single Mom's Club.  I love Adam and Drew together but heard some not so great things about it so I went in cautiously optimistic.  Single Moms Club (affiliate link)  was a total trailer hook so we settled in with some TJ's lite kettle corn.  I didn't realize it until after we started Blended but our movies had Wendi Mclendon-Covey in common which only made me want The Goldbergs to come back on sooner than later.

Blended -  (affiliate link) We weren't even an hour in and wanted to turn it off.  How sad that the chemistry seems to have fizzled between these two.  How we longed for The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates Adam and Drew.  I think it was the addition of annoying children and completely idiotic situations that just tanked it for us.  We waited around for it to get better.  The African band that kept singing at poignant times...I wanted to kick them all in the coconuts and Kevin Nealon, oh man.  The Mr said he cheapens everything he's in and sadly, that applied to his role in this one.  It was hard to watch him so I tried not to.  But thankfully the last third of the movie got funnier, sweeter and a little more emotional.  It didn't pull it completely out of the toilet but it got rim high by the end when they FINALLY unleashed the chemistry.  The gag reel was good so watch that if you rent it.


Single Moms Club- (affiliate link) I felt like for once we didn't get trailer duped.  Sassy, funny and all of the things you come to expect from a Tyler Perry flick.  I was horrified to see the lead singer of the African band from Blended was also in this movie and just as annoying and sing songy.  I tried to shake it off and enjoy the rest of the flick.  Of course it also had its lessons and serious side.  I couldn't help but think of my own mom who became a member when I was 8 years old.  She did it on a retail job salary, pop squat child support she rarely got on time from a dude who could afford double and made sure I had everything I needed and many things I wanted.  I was also glad I didn't give her the kind of grief these brats gave these women.  She's thanked me for that more than a few times.  Toward the end, it got a little preachy and felt like an Oprah show but it wasn't too bad.

Hats off to all of you single moms out there!

Rent any good (or bad) movies lately?

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Chipotle Egg Salad

In my quest to get the Mr's protein up to par, I made a dish that is easy to make and big on flavor.  He seriously flipped for this and is awaiting my next batch.

Traditional egg salad uses mayo and I like mine that way too but I wondered how hummus would taste as the binder.  In addition to more flavor and less sodium, you get more product for the same calories.  Yes please!

Chipotle Egg Salad
Makes 3 servings

6 eggs
2 tbsp red pepper hummus
1 serving La Costena Chipotle Peppers and 1 1/2 tbsp of the adobo sauce

So I started with cold water, brought the eggs to a boil then turned them off...

...and totally forgot about them for two hours.  Amateur.

So what should've been gleaming, perfectly peeled hard boiled eggs looked like birds had pecked them.

Yes, I know all the tricks and the vinegar and all that jazz but in the end it doesn't matter because it's all getting hacked up anyway so vanity went out the door.

I opened a can of La Costena Chipotles in adobo sauce.

I grabbed my red pepper hummus. (Sabra has the same nutritional info if you have that in your area)

I got to hackin' the eggs.

I seeded and diced two large peppers.

I added the peppers, 1 1/2 tbsp of the adobo sauce and 2 tbsp. of the hummus.

Give it a goodly stir until combined.

Wrap it in a lettuce cup, top your favorite salad, melt a thin slice of cheese over it on a slice of sprouted bread or whatever your little heart desires!

Nutritional Info per serving:  Calories  174  Total Fat 12g Sat Fat 4g Poly Fat 2g Mono Fat 4g  Cholesterol 372mg, Sodium 309mg  Potassium 138mg Total Carbs 4g  Fiber 1g Sugars 1g  Protein 13g  Vitamin A 22%  Calcium 4%  Iron 10%

Linked up with:  Sand and Sisal,  Yesterfood, Home Stories A to Z, The Crafty Blog Stalker,  Mabey She Made It, 
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Ambitious plans

Oh ambitious plans, where art thou?

I remember we said we were going to get the house back in order...

*looks around*

Yeah...that didn't happen.

It's not that we didn't want to.  Or that we didn't attempt to.  But you know how you redo your space and realize, "holy crap, without all of the pictures taking up most of the armoire space, we have no decor."  Well, Fall decorating season is basically a week away and I wasn't going to decorate for our "regular" look and then take it all down in a week so we had to look for autumn accoutrements.  Luckily I knew of a few places that had a plethora of items and after lots of internet searches as well as some local shopping, I got goodies.

But first, I had to decorate the armoire for the "after" pic on how I re-purposed that particular one so that started at 11:30pm on Saturday because obviously, I'm insane.  Earlier that evening, I had to buy D rings for a window that is getting hung and then I spied some cone flowers in gorgeous Fall colors and well, those had to be bought.  It was a moral imperative.  Darnedest thing though, the middle part poked me pretty hard and I had an allergic reaction to it.  So that meant I wouldn't be the one planting them.  I'd grown tired of the hodge podge of perennials that we've planted over the years.  Some would come back up, others gave me the bird from the great beyond.  The Mr transplanted the hostas to the back and got the new plants in the ground.  Now we must remember to water them.  Mmm hmm.

There was an autumn mantel project that sounded so easy when I thought of it and I got going on it and it took ALL day Sunday (in between doing other things) and I could sense the Mr's disappointment but I wasn't going to move the table back in only to sprawl out crafting materials on it.  We still need to let it cure for a week so VERY light eating on it then nothing else.

The Mr was helping some friends of ours with computer issues and when he came back, I had dinner ready for him...

Turkey burger that shrunk up to the size of a slider (look how ridiculous that normal sized bun looks!) stuffed with a laughing cow and a grilled half sweet potato with a slight drizzle of coconut syrup.  Twas delish!

I'm hoping we'll have better luck this week getting the house back together because I'm mentally just done.

How was your weekend?

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Inching toward remodel finish and what I'm reading this week

It's Friiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-daayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!

*Insert booty poppin' dance here*  (I refuse to call it twerking.)

Yesterday I was quite productive.  I hacked up a bamboo valance, thought I broke it, saved it, hung it in a weird way and used unconventional ties that allowed me to fix a crooked and off balance valance hang job.  (That is one letter off from being very dirty)  I'll share it with you when I take the final pic.

I did a Fall project and in an attempt to do it an easy way, it turned into the hard way of course and I was just ready to slap it up on the front door.  I got some hangers spray painted and the Mr is going to take care of those for me today since I want to get our curtains up.  I'll be finishing up the table today and hopefully have it moved in tonight or tomorrow.  I can't wait to be done with the big stuff!  Par-tay y'all!

But enough of that jazz, let's get to...

Train Like a Badass: American Ninja Warrior Kacy Catanzaro's Workout Tips  (Commencing badassedness in 3...2...)

Dog Catches Fox Playing With Her Toy, Is Less Than Thrilled About It   (The cuteness..I die)

Dave Grohl rules  (As if I need another reason to love him)

5 Cardio Myths You Need to Stop Believing  (Fer real, yo)

10 Chores You Can Whip Through During Commercials  (Cleaning during commercials, novel idea!)

10 Struggles Of Having An Excellent Memory  (Yep, the Mr can attest to this about me)

10 ways you're sabotaging your workout  (Agree with some, not with others but this is called what I'm reading, not what I'm agreeing with so...there's that.)

17 Reasons Why You Secretly Can’t Wait For Summer To End  (Are you kidding?  I'm crackin' open my pumpkin now and have fall decor on the front door!)

Real Women Dish on What Works For Weight Loss  (Great stories!)

40 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About HGTV  (Good stuff.   I may or may not have it on right now.  I do.)

Social Security strategies that can boost your income  (Very good tips!  Video starts on landing)

Yes, Google Maps is tracking you. Here’s how to stop it  (Cue Rockwell.  Good for you if you didn't have to Google the reference)

New 'Scooby-Doo' Movie 'Curses' Daphne From Size 2 to Size 8  (That's a size 28 and I know because I used to be it.  This is disgraceful.  Evidently you're cursed if you're over a size 8 and if you are, you resemble a sumo suit!?!?!)

Chris Pratt Visits Children's Hospital Los Angeles in Costume as Star-Lord From Guardians of the Galaxy   (As if I need another reason to celeb crush.  I'll take him over Gosling any day)

Six Questions to Ask Yourself Before You DIY  (Points to ponder)

WTF Does It Really Mean to "Listen to Your Body?"  (Listening to it now and my injury seems to be healing quite nicely)

What Should I Do With My Old, Orphaned 401(k)s?  (Don't forget you've got 'em!)

Sleep Hack: Keep Your Feet Outside Your Covers!  (But...but...what if the boogey man grabs my foot!?)

Remembering Robin  (Written by "Natalie" from Mrs Doubtfire.  Wonderful account of his humanity)

David Letterman Honors Robin Williams With Moving 10-Minute Tribute on The Late Show  (Tissues toward the end.)

Surprising Robin Williams/Star Trek Connections  (Pretty sweet behind the scenes stuff!)

Robin Williams laid to rest  (I may have never met you but your passing has affected me as much as your wonderful life.  Thank you for blessing our lives with laughter and lessons.)

25 Future Stars who appeared on Are You Afraid of the Dark?  (Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society...)

No real plans yet for the weekend.  I'd like to get some projects finished and start getting the house back to its final state.  (Until I get my hands on it for Fall decorating!)

What are you fine people getting into this weekend?

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Molding, eats and mental tape

It's almost Friday!  We should just rename Thursday to Almost Friday.  All in favor say "aye."  

Yesterday was a good day for some progress on the home project front.  I got my molding for our pass thru to the kitchen painted, distressed and waxed.   So it just needs to have some D rings attached to the back to be hung.  But first I need to take down the current bamboo blind over it, fill the holes and try to get it to not look horrid.  I'm really dreading that part because I don't want there to be some wonky patch job that I can't smooth out.  Fingers crossed!

Yesterday was full of yummy eats.  I forgot to get a pic of breakfast but it was basically like below:

I had the crustless quiche, low sodium cottage cheese, a small nana with 1 tbsp of peanut butter, green tea and a clementine.

Lunch was...

Tuna fish lettuce wraps, cantaloupe with grapes, veggies with 1 tbsp dip and an apple with 2 tbsp PB2 for dippin'.  I wish tuna wraps held me longer.  I was ready to eat my hand by workout time.

We did Fitness Blender's Day 2 of some challenge they're doing this week.  I was kind of irritated I burned less than my required 400 calories but I was sticking with my 10 lb cap with the free weights to see how much my lame arm could take.  So far, so good.  I may actually be able to try 10's and 15's tomorrow.  But I'll take 375 calories if I have to in order to keep my injury on track to healing.

*kicks pebble*

Dinner was orange roughy over homemade coconut milk lime brown rice and a side of Brussels.

I haven't been sleeping well lately.  The other night, I finally got to sleep about 2:15am and at 4am it sounded like Mother Nature was bombing the place.  I hate Earth shattering, wall shaking, knick knacks about to fall off shelves kind of stuff.  I need to stop watching TV in bed.  I tape the Tonight Show so there's no reason for me to watch it in bed.  Then I turn off the TV and listen to the tape in my head

"You really need to go to sleep.  *insert list of 50 things that are random, stupid and keeping me awake* You need to learn to relax.  Look at the Mr, he's been asleep since 4.25 seconds of rolling over.  Rat bastard.  Maybe I can warm my toes on the back of his knees and bring up my body temp to get in sleep mode.  Oh, did I wake you?  Good.  I mean...oops.  Let me flip on my other side.  My arm is going numb laying that way.  Why did we buy this mattress?  I'm not much more comfortable than I was before. *Find myself almost drifting to sleep when I hear a loud shift*  Why does the house settle like that?  Is the house going to get swallowed by a sinkhole?  I wonder what I would land on if I fell through to the kitchen?  I would scrape my hip on a French door fridge all the way down.  That would hurt.  Is that a 8" spider lowering on to my face!??!  *swat-swat-swat*  Nope, just my lucid state of mind that let's my vision play tricks on me.  Thanks a lot whatever ancestor passed that down.  My leg itches.  *scratch-scratch*  Oh damn, I'm like a Sasquatch.  When was the last time I shaved my legs?  If you can't remember, it's probably been too long.  The Mr will mistake me for a man if he feels this.  I'll have to sharpen the blades on the John Deere.  What's that noise?  Ice maker?  Hot water heater?  Chupacabra?  I wonder if...."  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Do you have a problem getting to sleep?  If so, do you play your own tape in your head that keeps you awake?

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My week thusfar

Well, summer sure came back with a vengeance in our neck of the woods!

I was hoping to do a little more walking this week to give my arm a rest but still get in cardio but us curly hair girls only look like this in heinous humidity...

Last night we did Shaun T's T25 Focus Cardio which is quite a calorie burner for 25 minutes.  I think I burned 615 calories in that time and then we added some lower body stretching afterward to round me up to 730 calories total.  We've agreed that yoga will be an add on instead of a main event so it'll come after workouts like Shaun T's or Turbo Fire HIIT's.  I hope to get it in 2-3 days a week.  Despite not using any weights with that workout, I was still pretty sore afterward and had to ice my shoulder.  Good God man, I'm fallin' apart!  Today is probably the first day my arm feels about 90% better and I'm going to give light weights a go tonight; nothing higher than 10 lbs.  If I feel any kind of strain or numbness, I'll cut back to 5 lbs to see if it is doable and go from there.  If I'm relegated to 1 lb. peanut butter jars like I was the other night, then so be it.

Today the Mr and I finished up the last of our quiche.

It was quite yummy and I'm sure we'll be adding that to the rotation.

I started work on my molding so I'm thinking I can get to sanding today and hopefully get a coat or two of paint on there.  I've gotta see if that damn spot on the leg of my table has finally taken paint or if I'm going to have to tell people it's "character."  Regardless, I need to get poly on it so we can bring it in.  I think the top has cured as much as it's going to in a hotbox garage that heats up to 1000 degrees now.  I want to have people over soon and having a place to sit is usually a plus.

I'm also getting the urge to bake and cook.  It happens like clockwork this time of year.  I've even started testing some recipes for the fall.

I'm ready!

How's your week going?  

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Crustless Quiche

The Mr told me the other day that he wanted to get in a little more protein.  Now, we're not talking going paleo or whatever...we still like our flour and potatoes but his breakfasts were a little more carb heavy than he liked.  So I figured I could pretend I was Ina Garten and whip up something 'fabulous.' (are we the only ones who drink every time she says fabulous on Barefoot Contessa?  Water...we drink water!)

I did a little brainstorming and came up with this lil baby.

Here's what you'll need to make this protein packed slice of heaven.





Crustless Quiche
Serves 6

4 eggs
2 egg whites
1/2 cup organic fat free milk
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and wrung of water
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 scallions, diced
2 slices Trader Joe's uncured turkey bacon
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Swiss & Gruyere blend
1 oz Sartori Bellavitano Balsamic cheese  (or similar cheese like Asiago or parmesan)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Cook your turkey bacon and cut or crumble, set aside.  Ready your veggies including thawing the spinach for 1 minute in the microwave then wring out all of the water.

In a medium bowl, add your eggs and whites.

Mix until well combined.  Add any spices if you like.  I used a few grinds of black pepper, a shake or two of thyme and a dash of garlic powder but you can use whatever salt free spices you like.

Add your thawed and squeezed spinach, red peppers, Swiss/Gruyere blend and scallions, stir to combine.

Add a generous spray of butter flavored cooking spray to a pie pan on the bottom and sides.

Add egg mixture.  Sprinkle turkey bacon on top making sure it's evenly distributed.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.

Yes please!

When  it comes out of the oven, grate your one ounce of balsamic cheddar.

Sprinkle evenly over the top and let it melt.

Drool-worthy goodness.

Let it cool for about 5 minutes and then cut into 6 wedges and get ready to dive in.

This isn't necessarily a whole breakfast thing that could sustain you all morning so add a slice to a bowl of fruit, a slice of sprouted bread with natural peanut butter or whatever you like for a good balance.

Nutritional info (per wedge):  Calories  140  Total Fat 6g  Sat Fat 3g  Poly Fat 1g  Mono Fat 1g  Cholesterol  141mg  Sodium 176mg  Potassium 194mg  Total Carbs 5g  Fiber 1g  Sugars 2g  Protein 12g  Vitamin A 57%  Vitamin C 9%  Calcium 16%  Iron 6%

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Linked up with Memories by the Mile, The Crafty Blog Stalker, Home Stories A to Z, Sand & Sisal, Sugar Bee Crafts, Mandy's Recipe Box,  Ladybug Blessings,  Funky Polkadot Giraffe, Hun...What's for Dinner?,  Mabey She Made It,   Creations by Kara, Someday Crafts, Snap Creativity, The Turquoise Home,  Blesser House, French Country Cottage, The Shabby Nest, Between Naps on the Porch, 

Barter payment, chili and working through an injury

Happy Monday loverlies!

It was a nice weekend, not too busy but just busy enough.  We went to this one farmers market for the first time this year.  I can't believe we haven't made our usual rounds this season.  We got there a little late so most of the stuff we wanted to get was already sold out so we only came away with a zucchini and a banana pepper for the Mr.  

Wah wahhh.

One of our friends who owns an antique/upcycle store paid the Mr for his computer prowess by letting me take home this molding I was eyeing for the remodel.  

It was worth the price they had on it to me but even better in trade!  I thought some of the scratches were deep but they were only surface so it should be a quick sand down then I can start painting it.  Braaaahoooo!

Oh yeah, like our current dining table up there?  It's a folding buffet table I've had for years, like a long TV tray.  It's not the most comfortable solution since we have to straddle the ends to eat there but you do what you've gotta do.  I've got my table top curing in the garage and have to do a few touch ups on a leg then I'll poly the legs and we'll move 'er in the house.  I'd like to give another full week of curing in the house and keep anything off the top so we might have to keep the folding table in the living room.  I know that's news to the Mr.  D'oh.

I made the first chili of the season yesterday.

(I didn't have a charged camera but we had this sans the bread butt)

It was sooo good...and filling.  It was grocery day so we got all of our shopping done then worked on chores and took a wee nap before deciding what to do for the day.  I am still nursing a numb(ish) thumb from that horrid yoga class a week ago and when it improves, I would do something stupid like a double kettlebell session and set myself back.  So I'm on a self imposed strength hiatus this week.  I feel better today so I'm going to give it until Wednesday then I'll do a light free weight workout and see how that goes before assessing to see if another one will be done Friday.  I can't even do hard cardio like Turbo Fire where there is punching and stuff because the intensity of the punch numbs me back up.  I know I just have to let it heal on its own time and do what I can to help it along.  Injuries blow.  Pffft.

So last night's workout was a walk around the city in the sweltering humidity but at least it wasn't using my arms in any way.  Later on when we got home, we did IT band stretching session so that we would hopefully not be so gimpy today.

Oh yeah, I've got a new recipe coming soon.

Try not to faint.

How was your weekend?  

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What I'm Reading This Week

Happy Friday y'all!

Sorry I'm a little late this afternoon but our jackhole internet provider decided to be down from 5:20pm yesterday (you know, when we were right in the middle of a Fitness Blender workout) until bedtime.  As we woke up, it was still out and I'm posting during varying pockets of uptime as they attempt to fix it.  So if there are typos, you're going to have to excuse them as there was no time for proof reading.

Thankfully, last night we rented two movies to keep us entertained.  Want to hear the most emotional movie night combo ever?  Heaven is for Real and Angriest Man in Brooklyn (affiliate links)  starring Robin Williams as a man given 90 minutes to live.  Yeah...apparently we're (I'm) a super glutton for punishment.  But, Heaven was really good.  More of a Lifetime movie feel to it but loved the message, lots of good actors in it and that little boy could be sopped up with a biscuit.  Angriest Man had to be a real hoot for Robin to film.  He got to drop more F bombs than I knew was possible.  More than anything besides the challenging subject matter was what you come to expect from Robin...lessons.  Lessons on how to live a better life.  Lessons in how to take minutes and moments of your life and make them count.  Many tears were shed but less than I thought because of how much he made us laugh through the tears. 

So here's a better late than never edition of...

29 Freeing Truths Of Being A Low-Maintenance Girl  (Not all but most apply)

Shocking Anti-Obesity PSA Sparks Debate  (Interesting.  Apparently we should all just blame our parents? What are your thoughts?)

Bring in Warmth and Character With Reclaimed Wood  (Pretty!!)

Set Aside a 15 Minute Block Every Day Devoted to Self-Improvement  (You up for the challenge?)

How to Do the Perfect Kettlebell Swing  (My body is still reeling from last night's session)

Why It's So Hard to Remember People's Names  (I'm SO bad at this!  I will literally forget as soon as you tell me.)

Eww! with Taylor Swift  (I've been waiting for another episode!)

6 Quick Tips to Save on Gas   (We'll need this over the next few months.  Road trips!)

The Benefits of Pessimism  (I prefer to call myself cautiously optimistic with relatively low expectations so anything better than that is a bonus)

Banana Bread from Bon Appetit  (On my 'to make' list)

41 Things We Miss About Grade School   (Waaaahhhh, I wanna go back!   Kinda.)

7 Things That Are Aging Your Skin Prematurely (Stop These Bad Habits Now!)  (Oh how I wish I could sleep on my back)

5 Small Things You Can Do Now to Prep Your Holiday Budget  (Good way to save without feeling the pinch too much)

Burger King customer 'buys all the apple pies to spite crying child queueing behind him'   (Courtesy of the Mr.  I want to bake this man an apple pie and thank him.)

5 Little-Known Duran Duran Songs Worth Spinning  (Not sure I agree with these but give 'em a listen if you're so inclined)

In addition to the usual links, here are the links to articles I've been reading about Robin Williams this week...

Robin Williams' daughter Zelda tweets: 'I love you, I miss you. I'll try to keep looking up'

Friends and Fans React to Robin Williams's Death

"Lyddie" (Lisa Jakub) from Mrs. Doubtfire relays sweet story of Robin's kind heart

These Photos Of Koko The Gorilla Mourning The Loss Of Robin Williams Are Incredibly Moving

Olaf remembers his friend and idol, the Genie  (Get out the tissues)

How Robin Williams Helped Conan Cope With 'Tonight Show' Debacle

Robin Williams: The 60 Minutes interview  (This is from 1986.  PC people, skip it.)

Outtakes from Robin Williams' 60 Minutes interview  (In addition to above link)


Pierce Brosnan Opens Up About Robin Williams Death

Robin Williams Sober, In Early Stages Of Parkinson's, Widow Says

If you would like to give to some of the charities Robin supported through the years in his memory, please visit their respective pages below:

• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
• St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Celebrity Fight Night
• USO

If you would like to donate to the Parkinson's Foundation in Robin's memory, you can go to their website or to learn more about this disease.

If nothing else, perhaps his death will shed some light on the often stigmatized subject of depression and bring more awareness to Parkinsons.  39,000 people per year or 108 per day die from suicide.  I was shocked to learn over this past week that more people die from suicide vs homicide in the United States.  Addicts have a rate of depression 3-4x higher than non-addicts.  Both issues need to be treated to ensure we don't lose another person.  It is often times not the saddest person you know but the happiest that is masking pain.  Be a friend and check in on others to ask how they are doing and if there is anything they need to talk about.  It's a small thing but can make a big difference and imagine how much nicer the world would be if we showed each other the kindness of more time and attention?  We're all on this journey of life together, lets make it a less rocky road to travel for ourselves and for others whenever possible.

If you or someone you know needs help dealing with depression or suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

On a lighter note, no real plans this weekend that I know of.  I'm hoping to have the table moved back in by Monday after the wax cures and can take our abuse.  Then I will be officially done with the big pieces of furniture and we can move on to the smaller projects.  

What's on tap for your weekend?

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