I discovered something amazing

control top jeans.

I was going through some boxes of fabric someone had given me and came across a pair of black jeans.  I almost put them immediately into the Goodwill pile, but then decided to put them on.  Nice fabric, comfy feel, but.... really high waist - to the belly button.  Like the kind I was embarrassed about my mom wearing.  Why do older women insist on wearing super high really unflattering waisted pants?  The answer, I discovered, is because it smooths out the bubbles on your tummy.  The one that my shirt gets shelfed on, the one that bubbles out even more when I sit down.  The pants are like a built in girdle.  Wow.

I wore a girdle for a while after Boone was born.  I loved it, except when someone gave me a hug and they no doubt could feel the boning and ridges on my back.  That was embarassing.  Really, I just need the girdle from the waist down.

It was like angels singing, and I finally understand why older women are drawn to granny pants.

To avoid this.

Finding this pic almost made me throw up.

And in finding highwaisted pants pictures, I discovered that high waisted pants are coming back into fashion.  Hallelujah!  

I'll probably still be wearing my shirts to cover the high waist, because I have a hard time with fashion change.  I really like the old ways.  I rolled my pants for 1 year after everyone else stopped.  I was teased and so embarrassed, but still I couldn't bring myself to stop.   

Hopefully my bottom won't look like this:

saving money

Our grocery bill is atrocious.  Like, I'm so embarrassed if I had to share the amount, I would feel like a gluttonous pig and you would see the fat bulging over the waist of my pants.  It seems like there's a win win solution: stop eating.  While I was at the gym today, I was feeling like not eating anymore was a great and very possible idea.  Quite exciting.  I'll look like the girls in those ads I see on the back of the bathroom stall door, AND save money.

After I cooled down and showered, and picked up the kids in the Yplay, and got a few things at Kroger and deposited a check, I was really hungry.  How could I have been so satisfied an hour ago, and now feel so wild with hunger that I'm a tigress on the prowl?  This happens to me often.  I call is the post-work out phenomenon.  While working out I'm not hungry, even if I was before.  But after the workout and my blood has slowed, I get famished.

And today there was only one thing to satiate me.



McDonald's Angus Mushroom and Swiss.  It was worth every calorie (770).  I couldn't stop myself from making pleasure noises.  What satisfaction!

(For the record, I'm a Hardees girl, bacon thickburger is the best hamburger ever, but Hardees is 20 min. away from me.  2nd for the record: I ran 4 miles at an 8 minutes pace, so it was a real work out, yo.)

However, the $6.49 was not good for saving money.  Arggg!  Back to the saving-money drawing board.

Storm

It ruined my plans of YMCA and returning clothes.

We did get in the basement for a few minutes.

It was intense.  It's crazy to hear the sound of pebbles hitting your windows, hard and fast.  I was thankful for the basement.  The kids are gathering up the hail to put in the freezer.  Kids are great.  I'll be inspecting the windows  and van now.

My arugula is still alive, and we're still loving arugula pesto.  

cilantro.  It's not as tender as it was two months ago, but is still really good, and right outside our door.

I discovered this little broccoli a few days ago.  Isn't it cute?!  My first broccoli.  

Debating about eating it or letting it flower.  Aren't they a pretty flower?

Cabbage.  Don't think this will grow big enough to eat, but I'll let it go until April or May I think.

Aren't our vegetable so cute!  I love them.

Happy Valentine's Day

My brother in law, Dan Reynolds, is a rockstar.  For real.  Check out the band (Imagine Dragons) on iTunes, their album is released today.  We listen to their music all the time.  I LOVE it.  They are super talented.  My favorite song is Radioactive.  When you listen to it, all you want to do is make out with your honey and stand in a government protest at the same time.  That's the Valentine's part.  Today, make out to Imagine Dragons.

Get tickets to their show - they're coming to Nashville!  March 12th at 12th and Porter.  $10 - cheaper than a movie, and an experience that will make you vibrate with life.

But don't make out there.  That's weird.

I have a super duper major big and major fun-for-mom project going on right now.

Meet my sewing cupboard.

If you've received something I've sewn, you probably cringe to know that this is where it was created.

The piles of neatly folded fabric usually aren't there, but the cupboard is usually like that.  I clean it, yes.  But then, it's not organized and unorganized things get messy really fast and don't encourage good cleaning up.  See my thread rack and boxes?  that's about as far as I got, 3 years ago.  When I had a different sewing set-up: a card table with my machines on and fabric in a dresser.  I knew I wanted a fold away furniture something where everything could be hidden away and look like a regular piece of furniture in the living room, not obviously a sewing center.  I was in my favorite Goodwill, and saw these 2 beauties for $30 each.  Ahhhhhhh!  I took the ticket to the cashier and got them before the old man who wanted to purchase them.  I was not sorry.

As you can see the top of the cupboard became a catch-all for spray paint, upholstery supplies, cheapo flowers, boxes that may come in handy for mailing, candy and toys which have been confiscated.

A place for every thing and every thing in its place.  Right? 

2 years and much thinking, later.  I have started, and almost finished, actually.  I took the thing almost completely apart, and reconfigured to look like this:

I brushed 2 coats of primer on, realized that I really should've sprayed it, and sanded all the brush strokes out.  I made a big mess, and later had to spend an hour scrubbing the deck with a coarse brush.  Imagine if I hadn't been wearing a dust mask.  My poor lungs.

I learned my lesson, rigged out my little garage into an excellent painting heaven,

got out my paint sprayer, and applied two coats of oil white gloss.

I cut the doors and shelves from birch plywood, put on edging, and 

applied, wipe-on polyurithane.  Another of my favorites.

It is looking so beautiful.  Stay tuned.

No it won't be available.

That excellent house selling.

On a brighter note, I found an excellent chair on Craigslist for $30.

http://nashville.craigslist.org/fuo/2800775940.html

I really don't need the chair, but almost want to buy it, because it is soooo beautiful, and wouldn't I be able to find time to sit on it?  I'm posting it in hopes that someone I know will want it.  It's a shame to have it go to someone who won't appreciate it!  Take it, someone!  And show me what you do with it.  I'd even help you for the sheer pleasure of seeing the end product.