the half marathon: let the training begin

let me start by saying i love living in the foothills of the ozark mountains. where else can you train with views like these? beautiful, huh?

as i have trained for my first two 5ks, i have tried to be selective about where i run because up hill is not my forte. hills are however unavoidable.

well today was day three of my 1/2 marathon training program (i will be running the end of september) which means it was cross training day. and since i am also doing the muddy buddy ride and run in dallas the end of october, i decided biking would be the way to go.

so i get up this morning, get on my so so mountain bike i bought off craigs list for $80 and head out, riding about 7 miles.



what are these? hills... oh my, hills... and more hills. i just wanted to share with the world HILLS.

gettin' crafty: neck ties please

my sister sent me this and it is the inspiration behind all these neck ties

(picked up at helping hands for $9)

i think the dresses are a bit beyond my mad sewing skills, but with any luck sister will have a super awesome skirt from my neck tie find.

gettin' crafty: refashioned cardigan

super simple way to make a summer to fall cardigan for those chilly nights. take any long sleeved t-shirt. i used this spang-dangled v-neck cause lets face it, it's from years ago and a bit tight.

so cut it down the center, cut the sleeves to three-quarters, no sewing required, the jersey won't fray. ta-da!

now, if your shirt isn't as small as mine, you probably have enough that you could tie it up for another option.

(yes, it seems i am always wearing that green shirt!)

tent city

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my sweet momma and i went to the uofa campus and heard Mark Horvath, creator of invisiblepeople.tv speak out about homelessness in NWA. afterwards we slept on the lawn to help raise awareness and support for some really wonderful groups that work to help people who find themselves in this desperate situation. what momma and i didn't know was that when they said sleep on the lawn, we were the only ones who took them literally. everyone else had tents, lawn chairs, one lady even brought a blowup mattress. (see pics above)

not momma and i... no sir. we slept ON THE LAWN. (see pics below)

our bed...and us. we had a great time and learned a lot about a very serious and growing problem in our community. check out these local organizations (seven hills, cobblestone project, nwa women's shelter) to learn how you can make a difference and hear Judy's story.

the zoo

i took boy to the zoo this weekend with his gamma and pawpaw. we saw all kinds of animals, ate ice cream cones, rode the train and the merry-go-round, saw more animals...

and his favorite part?

the plastic chains they had hanging in the doorways of the indoor displays so the birds couldn't fly out.

go figure...

but we still had a GREAT time.

a man after my own heart

went to eat at our favorite mexican restaurant tonight. boy had his first chips and salsa (they have a really great fresh, mild salsa) and loved it. and i don't think that is was only because he got to dip his chips. he is his momma's boy!

gettin' crafty: etsy

coming soon...

MagpieBaby

MagpieBaby.etsy.com

unique, fun, and affordable childrens clothing and accessories

gettin' crafty: nursing covers

busy, busy, sewing up a storm. three little darlings are going to be making their appearance any day now. all three mommas will be nursing their wee ones. here are two of the three nursing covers i've made to hide mealtimes. boning at the neckline allows momma to peek in at her little one.

the public library: storytime

stinker at the public library coloring after story time. this is the first time he has colored instead of trying to eat the crayons. if you haven't checked out your public library lately, you should! they have many wonderful, FREE, programs and activities for all ages.

http://www.youseemore.com/bentonville/default.asp

the garden

this is our first garden, wanted to plant one for so long... so this year we have 9 summer squash plants thriving and 17 tomato plants! i told dfl, who helped get it started, that was a lot. he assured me not all the plants would make it. ha!

squash anyone?

my sweet little squash

my first ripe tomato

gettin' crafty: wardrobe refashion

i have taken up a challenge to reduce, reuse, and save a little cash by refashioning old clothes i already have or that i pick up at thrift stores. i will be signing my official pledge for 2 months of clothes refashioning mid august. for 2 months starting sept. 1 i will refashion my wardrobe and make no new purchases.

i'm cheating just a little in that i am starting my refashioning projects now so that a: they will be ready to start the school year and b: because i have time now and won't later.

picked this dress up at helping hands. it is a classic "grandma" dress, but the print is a watercolor style flower that is everywhere right now.
shortened it, took the top off, and made a sash for the waist.

option 2: wear a long top pulled over waist.

find out more about wardrobe refashioning at www.wardroberefashion.net

mmm...berries

the wild blackberries are finally starting to ripen. boy and i went out to the pasture behind the house, where the official wild berry patch is, and picked us some blackberries. there weren't many ripe and boy was eating them as fast as i could pick.

i think it's safe to say he liked them.

it's just not summer until you've had some wild blackberries.

table refashion: after

after

i think it should sell pretty quickly.

table refashion

before

working on stuff for the flea market (The Chicken Coop). refashioned this little kitchen table and chairs, turned out super cute! i love the colors.

nine months later

so nine months later i decide i better pick this back up.
i find myself very busy,
enjoying life,
enjoying motherhood,
thinking one more would be great (maybe this time next year?),
reading up on how to stay at home,
researching every work from home gimmick out there (i've decided the only way to make that work is to use your God given talents to become self-employed),
trying to be a better bugeter (using Mvelopes from Crown Financial),
diving into the world of refashioning (will be taking the 2 month challenge in September),
started running 5ks (training with the Couch 2 5K free podcast)

do you ever try to fix everything about you all at once? does it ever work? i find myself always taking a step forward only to tumble back down the hill.