Wanting.... and then GETTING it all.

Recently my sister posted a blog titled "I want it all!" She talked about the list of things she wants out of life. From little things to big things...everything had its place in her heart.

This got me thinking about the things I want. 

The funny thing is...I already had a list started and I already started accomplishing some of them! So I decided I would start documenting them. I'm not done with the outfit posts. I still love fashion and I love creating new looks out of thrifted clothes or things in my closet. But there's so much more to me than that and I want to share it with you. :)

So, for today's post, I'm going to share with you a project that I have ALWAYS wanted to do. Do you know how many times I've seen these DIY mosaic table top projects on tv??? It's something I've always wanted to try but didn't have it in me to find a table that I wanted to destroy in order to create my own masterpiece. 

My time finally came when I moved into my place. The previous renters had left a rusted bistro tiled table in the back patio. It sat there for almost 2 years collecting spider webs. My mission was clear. One morning I said to myself...

"I'm going to re-tile this table today."

It was that simple. I grabbed A.B. ("amazing boyfriend" for those of you who are just joining us) and we started hitting up Goodwill stores and Dollar stores. Three Goodwills and two Dollar stores later I had collected all of the colorful plates that I wanted to smash up to create my tiles.

Next stop? Home Depot. We grabbed spray paint and tile adhesive. 

Time for the dirty work! I grabbed a hammer and went to town on the existing tile. 

A.B.'s job was to sand and spray paint the table.

While he painted away, I started taking out some aggression on the plates I purchased. I placed the plates between old towels and hammered them to bits!!!

Then I laid them out on bath towels and grouped the colors together so that I would have a clear view of my "palette."

Now for the REAL fun!

I put some adhesive on the back of each piece and started placing them on the grated metal top. 

I didn't exactly have a design plan in place, but I trusted my instincts. ;)

The last step was to grout the table.

Sounds like a job for A.B.!!

This was the final product and I could NOT be happier with it!!!! 

This table is a perfect example of something I've talked about doing for years and finally just decided to do it. 

It may not seem like a huge task, but I think most of us have a ton of things we say we want to do and then for one reason or another...we don't do it. 

That's not me anymore.

I want it all and I will GET it all. :)

And because I can't resist....here's an outfit post!

 

 I hope everyone has an amazing weekend filled with messy projects and fulfilled dreams. :)

Love

My Grandpa loved my Grandma very, very much. In fact, I don't think I even have a memory of the two of them where he wasn't calling her his "sweetheart" or "dear".
Unfortunately, we lost my Grandpa a little over a year ago. 

After some time went by, my Grandma was going through old jewelry and asked me to see if there was anything I was interested in.

Yes, Grandma...I'd be happy to take a look. ;)

My Grandpa bought this bracelet for my Grandma and I absolutely love it. 

It's sweet and delicate and it simply says...."Love". 

Perfect.

I decided to be "simple" overall today. I knew it was going to be warm and I felt like being very casual and comfy. Most of my outfit is thrifted- which I LOVE! It feels so rewarding to get compliments on an outfit that costs less than your lunch. haha

I love you, Grandpa and Grandma!

You've set the bar high...but I'm aiming to get there. :)

Lesson Learned

 I learned two things today:

1. I'm in DESPERATE need of a tan.

2. Redheads CAN wear pink.

I've worn this dress a few times before, but today I decided it needed something special. 

It needed a hot pink cardigan!

I may or may not work on the tanning situation, 

but I KNOW I'll be keeping pink in my wardrobe. :) 

Off to bed! 

Fresh Coat of Paint

YES...it's ME! 

I didn't abandon my blog. I've just been lacking inspiration. So..I tackled this problem the way that any normal girl would. 

I drastically changed my hair. 

Ta-Da! 

And just like that---I'm a redhead!

 So, let me catch you up to speed. 

I've been continuing my half marathon training and it's been tough but rewarding. I'm only 3 weeks away from my race and I'm getting pretty excited about it! 

Oh..and if you ever decide to train for a half marathon, do your research on how to prevent things like blisters, chafing, dehydration..etc.

I've learned how to fix these problems the hard way and it isn't pretty. 

Other than that, I've been doing all kinds of 1950's housewife things like decorating, gardening and drinking all day long. (Ok, not so much that last part. I'm just REALLY into Mad Men right now.)

It's past my bedtime! I hope all is well with you!

Nighty night! :)

Transformation

No...not MY transformation. Well, not yet anyway. I'm still a work in progress as I take my half marathon training one day at a time.

The transformation I'm talking about is my INSANELY in shape little sister! She took on this crazy transformation over the last few months in order to compete in a figure competition.

A.B. and I went to see her compete over the weekend and we were ridiculously impressed!

There were all sorts of categories and all different ages. Check out the Over 60 crowd!

And I didn't know we were going to have celebrities in the house!

Then we got to my sister's division. She looked STUNNING!

When it was all over, we went outside to congratulate her! She won 5th place in her division! SO proud of her!

It was so inspiring to see her dedication and hard work pay off. It's definitely a huge motivator for me to get myself up in the morning for the gym!

On that note, I should go to bed!

OH! Almost forgot!....

Here's what I wore today in case you were wondering?

Good night!

I LOVE BREAKFAST!

Can I just tell you about the BEST breakfast I had this morning after my run???

Ok..not the BEST breakfast, but it was REALLY good for being (mostly) healthy!

(Shana and Amber...this meal is not for you. Stop reading.)

My favorite grocery store is Fresh and Easy. They have so many fun products! 

Here is what I found for breakfast...

Van's Natural Foods has a great variety of waffles. I grabbed these for the extra protein and fiber!

When it comes to diet-y syrup, I'm always skeptical. It NEVER tastes good. It's usually runny and tastes like some sort of imitation sweetener. 

Not this stuff! It's GOOD! It's thick like maple syrup and tastes just like maple syrup!

 

I bet you're thinking "If it tastes good, it can't be that much healthier than normal syrup." That's what I thought too, but check this out!

I added some blueberries and cinnamon and a couple spritzes of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray. So yummy! And to cut down on the already low calories, I only slightly dipped each bite in the syrup. I washed it all down with a big 

(Care Bear) glass of water.

I felt so great after my early morning workout and yummy breakfast.

I went off to work a very happy girl. :)

Happy Leap Day!

Eating, Eating and More Eating.....

Part of my new healthy lifestyle involves eating more. 

Well...eating more....but only healthy choices. 

I never realized how much effort goes into packing for a normal day at the office!

Breakfast- Check!

Snack- Check!

Lunch- Check!

Snack- Check!

It's taking some getting used to and I'm realizing that I'm going to have to get more organized with my planning. But...I am still learning and I already feel better even though it's only Day #2. :)

For my outfit today, I wanted to be very warm and cozy. It was supposed to be in the 50's today and I was very excited to bundle up!

Ok...it's time for me to get ready for bed. There's a treadmill with my name on it and it's reserved for 5:00 a.m. 

Good night!

Feeling Lighter

 Do I look lighter?

I didn't lose weight....physically speaking. 

But...I DID lose a whole lotta stuff at a yard sale this weekend! Hooray!

If actually losing weight made me $105 in cash on the weekends, I'd be parked on a treadmill.

Today the weather called for rain. To me...I hear rain and I immediately think boots.

Sometimes I find it easier to start from the bottom up when planning an outfit like this. I actually put on tights and boots first and stood in front of my closet for a solid 15 minutes.

I think it paid off. I was comfy and liked the mix of prints I picked out. :)

Besides getting rid of some clutter this weekend, I had a pretty special early Valentine's dinner! Can't wait to tell you about it tomorrow! 

Good night! :)