I've Been in the Corner

That's right
I have been in the corner.
Before I recently re-did my family room there was a particular corner that
always gave me decorating anxiety.
Nothing seemed to work there and I was never happy with it.

I have been spending lots of time in that corner
determined to create something there that made me happy.

The Players:(pardon the blurry photo)
This is a print I made from a collage I did a while back, I placed it on top of some vintage fabric and a paper doily and framed it in a red distressed frame with no glass....I like the texture when there is no glass.
I displayed my milk glass collection on this shelf.
But it was B.O.R.I.N.G.
So, I whipped up a teeny tiny shelf bunting and it added the perfect little pep I was looking for.

I had a pile of these beauties lying around and I had a boring lamp.
With hot glue in hand I got at it.

Well hello pretty lamp. I love this lamp now.
These blossoms can be found at JaneSays if you have a lampshade that needs some help.
Just hot-glue them on....done.

Of course there are some fabric hoops on the wall, one of my most favorite wall goodies.
Now all I need is a cute pillow which I am working on as we speak and (squeal) I LOVE my corner.
Yes that is the little tree Chloe and I made, the No School Tree....remember that ?

Ignorance

Did you see Oprah today?
I don't normally watch Oprah.
Today's episode was about the Freedom Riders.
From watching the tease at the beginning I could tell it concerned the blacks and the way they were treated not so long ago.
I could not really pay attention at the time so I dvr'd it.

I am so glad I did.
I shed a bit of ignorance today.
I know a little of the history, I know they were treated badly, I know they were not allowed around white people.

I am ashamed of the ignorance and hatred I learned of while watching this show and I admire the group of folks I now know as the Freedom Riders, what brave individuals.

If you know nothing of the Freedom Riders either, you can watch this PBS special on May 16th.

Swell Seven from the Seashore

Seven Swell Shots from our
Spring Break vacation.
Too much fun....that went way too quickly.

Boo !

We went to the beach and I just got back home.

It was a lovely spring break.

I ate good food.

I slept late and read 2 whole books (kindle style)

I ate while looking out over the ocean.

I watched my beauty bounce around in the ocean.

I got sun-burnt in the spots where my bathing suit rubs off my sunscreen....oh what to do?

I missed my doggies....dearly.

I will promptly get right back to the business of blogging.

It's nice to be home.

Sleeping on the Porch

I am sleeping on the porch these days.....yep.
Not because the Spring nights feel so good.
Not because Mr. JaneSays and I can't be within one foot of each other without screaming.
Not because I stink.
Not because I have no place to sleep inside my home.

Because I am mother and wife to the home-run derby champions.
That's right....2 big-headed...ego-toting home run hitting fools in my house.

Chloe won her division and Mr. JaneSays won his.
There is no room for lil' ole me....the afterglow of the home-runs is still lingering...Chloe stares lovingly at her trophy and took it for show-n-tell today to share her GOOD NEWS with her buds !!!

So here I'll be....on my virtual porch where there is room for me until they come down from their home-run cloud and their heads go back to normal size.

Yay for my home-run hittin family.....very cool.

Swell Seven

Love the vintage, worn out look of these and if you could get your hands on some old wood they look easy enough to reproduce.
It is still so good to get some snail mail.
L.O.V.E this idea. (no source, found on Pinterest)
What is better than an OREO, an OREO cupcake.
I think my studio needs more red. (no source)
Anthropologie may I borrow your stylists for a bit.
Brilliant !!

Baby Fat

How many times have you tried to lose a few pounds ? I have gave it a half effort a few times since Chloe arrived and wreaked havoc on my body.
Nothing I have ever tried showed me results that I could notice in a few weeks, so that made me lose interest and give up.
Now I can hear those of you who know me in "real life" going "pppfftt......serious...April you are so tiny you don't need to lose a pound."
Well I know I am small, I have fabulous metabolism, I do eat whatever I want and up until a month ago drank Pepsi. All. Day.
I wear size 2-4 jeans and can wear the XL shirts in the girl department...so yea I am small. But I am smushy and the baby fat lingered especially on my tummy, giving me that slight muffin top on certain days and making me feel uncomfortable after a big meal....ya know that too full feeling not caused by food but by your belly busting at your jeans button.
OK Well...I decided to try 30 Day Shred, I don't' EVER and have NEVER tried any weight loss craze that the rest of the planet seemed to be trying....this is a first. While browsing blogs, as I do daily, I began to read a lot about people trying the Shred and some BRAVE women even showed their before and after, and you know what their bodies were changing....amazing.
After 20 days on the Shred I can honestly tell you I have lost a big portion of the smushy baby belly. My abs are forming I can sense them getting stronger, it's like I notice them all day they just feel different.
My legs and arms are more shapely and I do feel better.
The ONLY other changes I made are - I quit Pepsi, but I still drink sweet tea.
- I stopped eating until my plate was clean and instead I stop when I am full, which I never did, I LOVE FOOD.
- I make a conscious effort to engage my abs all day and sit and walk nice and straight, it feels better and reminds my abs what we are going for here.
- I have missed a few nights because some nights I just can't get it in.
- I started with 3lb. weights and now I use 5lb. and I did progress the levels I am now on level 3 of the workout.

It is hard I swear you will HATE every minute of it. But it's short....so short, it's over before you know it.
To make them time pass even more I go to my bedroom, watch Shred on my laptop and turn on a favorite tv show on the TV and watch TV while I Shred, it helps me get thru it.
You will be sore the first few days but that went away quickly and I like that pain, it let me know it was working.

I have no clue if this assumption is correct or not, but to me it would seem it's a little more difficult for small people to lose a bit and trim up, I don't know if that is because there is not much to lose to begin with or if it is just harder to see the results...either way I have never seen as much progress and as many results so quickly to be a small as I already was.
This workout works and if you need a little weight loss or firming up give it a go !!!

No, I am not being paid to say any of this Jillian and I are not best friends nor do I know any of her family and I didn't go to school with her manager....it's all my opinion. If you want to send me a check though Jillian I won't be offended.