My first ever.....Wellness Wedesday!!

Hello all!

As promised this is one of those new and exciting blog features that I have been cooking up "behind the scenes" I wanted to add something to this blog that everyone could use and I decided that a post every week about becoming a healthier, happier you was just the thing I need! The main focus of my posts will still mostly be vintage and craft related, but I thought this could be a nice break.

I suppose I should start off with a little bit of background as to why this subject is important to me personally. Two years ago when I started my journey to get healthier I was 60 pounds heavier, having some scary health issues, feeling depressed, and sometimes I just really didn't like myself. I found solace in coming home and putting my face into a container of ice-cream, drowning my sorrows in breading, and consuming my weight in ounces of sodas each day. Everything tasted so delicious I just couldn't figure out why it didn't make me feel better...my train of thought was well if I eat this then my happy tastebuds will tell my brain to be happy and that is totally how it works.......right??? WRONG!

Unfortunately, I fooled myself into believing that this was the logical solution to my problems. These bad habits slowly became a lifestyle that I didn't really see a problem with, even though it did not make me feel better mentally, physically, or emotionally. My health issues began with just feeling tired, achey, and after about 6 months of that I began to have severe stomach issues. I was nauseated constantly, having gallbladder attacks, and having a lot of issues just doing simple tasks that at the age of 24 should not have been a problem.

After exploring different medicines, and treatments with a few doctors I began to feel hopeless. I had this medicine for stomach acid, this medicine for nausea, this medicine for this, this one for that, it all began to get overwhelming. I started to keep a food journal and put a little * after I ate anything that gave me issues, this was what set that little light bulb off in my head. I did this for a few days and realized that most of the things I was putting in my mouth were causing issues. I know, I know it sounds like that should be a no brainer but when food is your biggest "comfort" it is really hard to see it as the enemy. I realized that my body was not going to treat me any better until I treated it better.

I started by changing eating habits...in the beginning it was rough, and I will be honest I gave up a few times. I would say it was "too hard" or consider the fact that I ate something "bad" as a terrible failure then I'd shove some cookies in my face, and go right back to square one. What helped is I realized one day that slipping up is just fine. Just because I had a donut in the morning doesn't mean I have to have a bad lunch and dinner to follow. One bad food decision does not ruin my whole day!

I began to eat healthier and exercise on a semi-regular basis (I am far from perfect in this area but I am working on it!) after a few months my symptoms were gone. I had more energy, and I felt better mentally and emotionally.... So here I am....2 years ...60 lbs lighter ...no longer on any medicines :)

Left photo at my heaviest weight of 240 Sept. 2012:Right photo taken 2 months ago at 181 :)

So this weeks installment of Wellness Wednesday is going to include my favorite healthy breakfast smoothie recipe:

Strawberry-Banana Oat Smoothie

1/2 frozen or fresh banana (I freeze mine because it makes the shake a little creamier and keeps it chilled)

3/4 C fresh or frozen strawberries 

1/2 cup finely crushed toasted oats (or untoasted really your choice)

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (optional but it really boosts your protein!)

1/2-3/4 cup almond milk

Ice (optional)

Instructions: Throw it all in a blender :) blend it up, pour into a cup, insert straw and drink away! 

**Note**

While this is not a low calorie smoothie...it is filled with fiber, protein and no added sugar so please...don't feel guilty about it!  

Nutritional info: Calories: 421, Fat 7 g (>1 gram saturated! woot!) Protein: 21g Carbs: 72 , Fiber: 11g 

One Short Day in the Emerald City........

Well Hello Everyone! I am incredibly sorry that it has been so long since my last post but alas, between working a second job and trying to fit in family time my life has been literally too hectic for crafting!! (Le Gasp* .... Le Sigh*) But, I am pleased to report that things are settling into place and my creative ju-ju has come back to me ten-fold! I have several projects and blog posts coming soon that I am really excited about!

So, this idea all started when I had a sudden desire to make my own costume this year for Halloween. I absolutely love Halloween and everything about it! This time of year the leaves are beautiful, Jack-O-Lanterns fill the steps of houses, people get to dress up in fun costumes and just have a great time. To be honest, I have never really had much interest in making my own costume before because I (shamefully) have always bought a pre-packaged one or just threw on a pair of wings and a tiara and called it good! 

Before I started sewing I never would have thought to look at the finished seams, or materials of a costume before because even though they can be fairly pricey, at the end of the night they have always been essentially disposable to me. Well that was certainly not my attitude this year! I browsed a few costume stores and looked at literally hundreds of costumes and I was just not satisfied with any of them! I was a little miffed at the realization that I have been getting ripped off by paying 2-3 times what a costume is really worth since I was basically old enough to Trick-or-Treat! 

This year I decided to take my costume fate into my own hands and see what I could come up with. I knew that I wanted it to have a fun 50's retro-vibe to it and came up with the idea of being a "Wicked Housewife" after finding this wonderful wicked witch silhouetted fabric at Jo-Ann's (It was even on sale! I'm telling you it was totally fate!) I found this fabulous Simplicity pattern with a princess seamed bodice, full circle skirt and cute retro bow detail at the waist and decided to take the plunge! 

I chose view B with that cute bow!

I won't lie, I was pretty nervous about how to sew the bodice because I have never worked with princess seams before, but now I am in absolute love with them! With a little help from Gertie's Blog and the Curvy Sewing Collective I was able to ensure a perfect fit! Huzzah!!!! I clipped, notched, and pressed my seam allowances open on my fashion fabric and my emerald green lining before sewing them together. This pattern is fabulous and I definitely recommend it for anyone sewing with princess seams for the first time! For this project I also decided to give horsehair braid a try when hemming, and let me tell you...what a great idea it was! Not only did it make hemming the circle skirt easier, it also helps give the skirt a little more structure when wearing without a full petticoat underneath. 

 

For a project of firsts, I am so incredibly proud that this dress turned out exactly the way I envisioned it.Sure I hit a few small speed bumps along the way(like accidentally sewing my lining pieces the opposite way the first time around), but surprisingly I managed to not make any major mistakes! Also, I just have to add...why in the heck have I been skipping the lining step in my dresses?! This is a mistake that I probably will not make again, not only does it make the dress look/feel better when I wear it, it was only a few extra minutes to sew up the duplicate bodice and sew it on! So for all you non-liners out there, give it a shot...it is definitely worth it!!

                                                               Seriously, Look at all that lovely 50's-esque poof going on here!!!

***Super Happy Fun Update*** 

I have some fun things that I will be adding to my blog in the upcoming days/weeks. I am going to be adding some themed days as well as one project/tutorial a week. I finally will have some free time to commit to this blog on a more regular basis and I intend to do so with Gusto!!

So for all of you out there reading today I just want to say, Take the plunge and give something new a try...you might just like the results! Remember... A little silliness never hurt anyone, Strive to be healthier in your own skin, and keep being amazing!